davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1960-06-06
Strategy for Politics.

III mas DeCOIle increasingly evident
In recent years that Adlai Stevenson
feels himself most comfortably at home,
intellectually and politically, in the field
of foreign affairs. Since his second
presidential defeat in 1856, he has trav-
eled widely and has talked and written
extensively on world problems and
American policies toward them. In this
role of student and statesman, he has
been mentioned often as Secretary of
State If a Democratic administration
should take office next January. Mean
while, although Mr.. Stevenson has
declared himself not a candidate, it
has become evident that he is quite
available for presidential draft
that he may, indeed, be following a
grand strategy directed hopefully to
this very end.
On Tuesday, May II, the day after.
Soviet Premier Khrushchev had Scuttled
the summit meeting, Mr.. Stevenson
joined with three other leading Demo-
CratS-Speaker Rayburn, Senate Major
ity Leader Johnson and Chairman Full
bright of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee-in message to President
Eisenhower in Paris, indicating a non
partisan unity at home. But on Thurs
day. May 10, Mr.. Stevenson abruptly
severed any identification with this
show Of unity. Describing the Republic
can administration as clumsy" in the
field of foreign affairs and guilty of a
series of preSummit "blunders," he
charged it with providing Mr.. Khru-
ShcheV with "the croWbar and the Sledge
hammer to wreck the meeting" Despite
critical reaction from many within his
own party, Mr.. Stevenson has remained
on the attack.
Last week, before a, textile workers
convention that already had Endorsed
Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts, for
the Democratic presidential nomination,
the former Illinois Governor presented.
grand strategy for peace"-but not
for peace on the political front. Invoking
words Of the late Senator Taft to Justify
the propriety of partisan debate on for
eign policy even in time of crisis, Mr..
Stevenson aSSailed the Republican rec
ord on this issue and with unusual vehe-
mence attacked Vice President Nixon
the almost certain G. o. P. presidential
nominee.
There is, perhaps, built-in risk to
a challenger in setting off violent debate
on foreign policy. Mr.. Stevenson already
has been described as an "appeaser" by
Democratic critics, as we'll as by Repub-
licanS. He has been stung by the charge,
but his return to the attack indicates
that his own grand strategy" now CEN
terS around taking and holding the
party leadership on this issue. In less
than six weeks the Democratic conven-
tion will pass its judgment on the polit-
ical wisdom of his decision.
Evening star., 1960-06-06
Clearing the Tracks

The threat of a nationwide rail
strike apparently has been eased for
the moment by establishment of a
per cent wage increase formula for
the operating unions.
In the first instance, the formula
was set forth in the binding decision
of an arbitration board dealing with
the pay dispute between the carriers
and the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers. The board directed that the
first half of the wage increase be paid
July !, with the other half effective
next March /. A second operating un-
ion, the conductors, already has &C
cepted these terms and it is generally
expected that the other operating bro
therhoodS will settle on the same basis.
But even this may be far from an
end to the strike danger. Currently in
the hands of another emergency board,
whose findings here will not be
binding, is a package case on wages and
fringe benefits involving the industry
and its eleven incorporating unions.
Recommendations in this case are ex-
pected this week. An industry spokes-
man estimates that per cent wage
increase for all unions would, cost the
carriers nearly 5000 million annually.
And finally, not even touched upon
formally in any Of the negotiations thus
far or in any of the panel studies, is
the knottieSt issue of all-that of the
"featherbedding" work rules which the
industry claims cost them $500 million
annually for work not done and services
not performed. Only the operating
brotherhoods are affected by these rules,
but their resistance to any changes has
been strongly expressed. BY agreement,
the issue was not placed in the hands
of the arbitration panel in the engineers
case and there is little real hope that it
will be resolved through direct nego-
tiation. Secretary of Labor Mitchell re-
Gently suggested a careful and delib-
crate study that cannot take place
from positions around bargaining
table," and it is considered likely that
some such long-term search for a mu-
tually acceptable revision of the rules
will be agreed upon.
Meanwhile, the fare" asked of the
public for this long, drawn-out labor
management impasSe probably will be
higher transportation rates or reduced
service, or both.
Evening star., 1960-06-06
Advocates Three RS

The teacher" whose letter
was published in your paper
Of May 80 must have been out
of touch with the rest of the
Washington school system,
or a large part of it, for many
years!
Dozens of my friends, from
all sections of the city, and I
can attest to the practice in
District of Columbia schools
of so-called progressive" or
life adjustment" education
and the disregard of phonics
and old-fashioned drill in
arithmetic and spelling and
grammar, with consequent
result of habits of inaccuracy.
My own case: My daugh-
ter, brought up on the look
see" method of reading, can't
spell. Having had practically
no English grammar, she
found Latin extremely frus-
trating. An above-average
student in the top" section
of one of our city's junior
high schools, she is having
serious trouble keeping up
with required work in a
private high school because
of her weak background.
Until she entered the latter
school in the tenth grade, she
had never had to write a
theme. Book reports were all
oral. Entering a school where
writing is stressed, she didn't
know how to begin to write.
She was, and still is, at great
disadvantage with girls who
have spent a longer time at
that school.
AS Tor knowing anything
about the physical geography
Of the world-all she ever
had was a study of Norway
and the Chesapeake Bay area
during the entire fourth
grade. and memorizing of the
capitals, flowers and birds
Of the States of the United
States in the fifth. She never
had to learn the relative
location of those States, or
the relative locations of the
major countries of the world
and the names of their capi-
tails. How can our young peo-
pie be expected to be inter-
ested in and understand
world news reports under
such circumstances?
The progressive" idea,
long the vogue here, that
children must reach a state
OF reading readiness" is so
much hokum; experiments
have proved that any child
not mentally defective can
be taught to read through
phonics and other aids. I
heard the principal of our
grade school say that, as a
Evening star., 1960-06-06
Quaker Doctrine

Three hundred years ago
this month Mary Dyer was
hung on Boston Common, be-
cause she was a Quaker.
For upwards of 200 years,
the colonies of Plymouth and
Massachusetts Bay refused
to allow Quakers to enter
their domains and, when
found, they were driven out,
usually at the tail of a cart
where they were soundly
whipped on the way to the
border.
The reason: They refused
to pay their way, refused to
defend themselves and their
neighbors from Indians and
other enemies, and were a
general menace to the peace
and safety of the colonies.
The letter signed William
r. Martin, who uses the title
&C h a airman, Washington
Young Friends" shows some
have changed little in the in
tervening years, in their de-
sire to have all of the benefits
Of living in the United States,
but without having to pay
anything for the privilege.
Personally, I like the doc
trine taught his two sons by
a Scot who came to America.
1t was simple: Remember,
when your country is at
peace, you have rights and
privileges; but when your
country is at war, or is in
trouble, you have only obliga-
tionS.
Charles CouIter
Evening star., 1960-06-06
'Shoddy Decade

In the June / Star there
appeared an Associated Press
story captioned agnes Meyer
Quits G. o. P, Raps Nixon"
Mrs. Meyer would have
your readers believe that she
is quitting the Republican
Party largely because of Mr..
Nixon. This is good news if
true, but hardly palatable in
asmuch as Mrs. Meyer is a
New Dealer from way back
to 1892. She says that next
to Senator Mccarthy, Nixon
did more than any other per-
son to make 1866 a shoddy
and intemperate decade"
How politically unsophisti-
Gated and bitter can one get?
If investigating Communist
spies, fellow travellers, etc.,
and spotlighting Communist
front activities and organiza-
tions be considered "shoddy
and Incorporate" during the
decade mentioned, then am
for more shoddy and intem-
perate decades.
Jay p. CimereIIa.
Evening star., 1960-06-06
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

The adventure of green
grass will never grow old,
especially in city and suburbs.
Out where the West begins,
they may have the best grass,
but here in the East it is
difficult to get a really good
lawn.
The elements are against
1t, for one thing, and so are
people and their dogs.
Dog laws, as they are
laughingly called, amount to
nothing, since voice COM
mand" is supposed to be suf-
flcient, and every lawn owner
knows what that means. The
dogs just bark at such com
mand.
The wonder of the small
lawn Is just about as great
as the natural wonder of the
lHge lawn.
Here, as in so many affairs.
perfection is what counts
not size.
Most of the natural crea-
tions have perfection built
into them, as everyone knows
who has ever seen the Pink
Perfection camellia, for in
stance.
With a lawn, it is different.
The owner, as he is called
by the tax authorities, is
under the stern necessity of
making a good lawn or Just
plain failing in the task.
That so many fail with a
smile shows the flexibility of
human nature.
= Il Il
Now and then, however,
comes home and lawn owner
made of sterner stuff.
He says to himself, this ad-
venture of making a lawn,
well, it never grows old, but
I grow older, day by day.
If I want a fine lawn, I
have to make it soon, or for
get about it.
Water, and plenty of it:
seeding, and plenty of seed;
fertilizer, and enough for all
practical purposes
These are the essentials,
as we all know; it is in the
application of them that most
fall down with more or less
Of a bang.
4
In the first place, lawn
makers are the most conceit-
ed race ever known.
You can tell them and tell
them, but they pay no atten-
ton.
You have such a beau
tiful lawn" one says. How
do you do it?"
You tell him.
You spell out just what
you have done, and how.
Yes" he says, and goes
away to forget it.
The next month, he comes
along, and says, You have
the best lawn in the neigh
Evening star., 1960-06-06
Right-to-Work Spokesman Given the Work

Gould Lincoln on May 7
cogently analyzed the defeat
of the Republican Party in
1858 and rightfully laid the
cause of this defeat to it's
support of the so called
"right-to-work" laws.
Mr.. Lincoln reasoned that
insistence on this same STRAIT
egy by the COP. in 1860
might well have the same
result.
Mr.. Lincoln was disputed
in a letter May "a by Reed
Larson of the National Right
to Work Committee. This or
ganization, if not a front"
for the National Association
of Manufacturers and the
U. S. Chamber of Commerce,
represents the point of view
OF such groups that seek to
wreck established Federal la
bor-management policy, and
destroy the balance between
labor and management at the
collective bargaining table.
Mr.. Larson assails the sin
cerity of Republican leaders
who have urged the COP.
to renounce its support of
the regressive State right
to-work" laws, and denies the
validity of the unanimous
verdict of political analysts
and Republican leaders that
the 1853 defeat was directly
attributable to the COP.
making an assault on work.
ing people a key issue.
Mr.. Larson contends that
the "right-to-work" is not a
political issue. To the con-
trary. the Republican Party
backed this anti-labor legis-
lation in 1858 and still sup
ports 1t in many areas, as
shown by the recent pro-
right-to-work statement of
Senator Barry Goldwater Of
Arizona, chairman of the Re-
publican Senatorial Cam
paign Committee. The DEM
ocratic Party included an un-
Evening star., 1960-06-06

and for management and
labor to bargain collectively,
for such is the purpose of
the "right-to-work" law. In
46,119 NLRB elections, with
nearly 6 million workers cast
ing ballots, 81 per cent Of
the workers voted for the
union shop to provide them
reasonable job security.
Whom does Mr.. Larson's
committee really representa-
The "right-to-work" pro-
moters are engaged this year
in putting the same financial
pressures on Republican can
didates for office that they
exercised in 1858. Only this
year they have dared not
place the "right-to-work" is
sue on the ballot in any State
for fear it might we'll carry
the G. o. P. down to an
other disastrous defeat. In
stead, this well financed
pressure campaign is being
directed at candidates for
the legislatures in many nom
right-to-work States, in an
attempt to blackjack legisla-
lures into approving RTW
laws when they convene in
January, 1861, after the ma
tional election is over and
voters can no longer express
their will on this issue.
1t is the hope of the Ma
tional Council for Industrial
Peace, a nonpartisan citi-
zens' organization whose ex-
ecutive board includes both
Republicans and Democrats
and whose objective is the
preservation Of. industrial
peace in the interest of the
welfare of both management
and working people, that the
advice of the more enlight-
ened leaders of the Republi-
can Party will prevail.
John NJ. Redding,
Director, National Council
for Industrial Peace.
Evening star., 1960-06-06
Transit Surgery

The Bible Committee, generally speak
ing, has performed highly creditable
piece of surgery on the Washington
areas rapid transit legislation. Several
controversial features have been ex-
cised; the provisions of immediate i'm
portance remain, and-from a practical
vieWpoint-the bill now should be in
fnitely more. palatable to Congress.
AS originally proposed by the EiSen-
hover administration, the long-range
financial machinery for planning and
building an ambitious system of rail sub
ways would have been more desirable
Its chances of enactment as a single
package, however, at least in this Ses-
sion of Congress, were nil, and that is
the practical reality which the Bible
Committee has recognized.
Instead, Congress will be asked at this
time only to create a Federal agency
to perfect plans, financing proposals
and political machinery for the regional
system. Before the agency could initiate
construction, it would have to obtain
specific authority from Congress, and
Congress will be in far better position
to evaluate these requests when all the
facts and figures are placed before it
three years from now.
Sound as this basic approach is, the
House-Senate committee headed by
Senator Bible should consider several
notifications in the lengthy bill before
reporting it later this week. A most
glaring error, in our judgment, is the
restriction that no new highway i'm
provements can be planned, designed
or built in the far Northwest section
Of the city until subway system Is in
full operation.
We are in accord with the committee
sentiment that new highway and tran
sit facilities must be fully co-ordinated.
Only thus can a sensible overall trans
portation policy be developed, including
highway designs which provide rights
Of way for express transit. But these
policies should be determined we'll
ahead of transit construction, so that
both transit and highway facilities can
be built as quickly as possible. AS one
example of the sweeping impact of the
bill as it now stands, the Park Service
would not even be permitted to extend
the Rock Greek and Potomac parkway
through the Zoo grounds.
Other desirable changes no doubt will
turn up as we'll when government and
private agencies study the bill during
the next few days. On the whole, how
ever, we hope the administration and
the community at large will agree with
the basic course of this new approach.
There also should be general agree
n1ent that no further hearings should
be held on this bill by the House and
Senate District Committees. 1t is highly
encouraging that the chairmen of both
these committees intend to act on the
measure Immediately, and we hope that
Congress will approve it before its ad-
journment next month.
Evening star., 1960-06-06
New Housing Tool?

District officials, who are desperately
looking for ways to stimulate the con-
Struction of private low-cost housing
and the elimination of slums, might we'll
consider the possibilities of tax abate-
ments and exemptions which a number
of other cities are using to accomplish
these goals.
Mayor Wagner, for example, Just the
other day proposed an extension of
New York'S program of tax abatements
to Slum property owners who rehabilitate
and modernize their buildings. For GER
tain types of Improvements, under his
program, owners would be exempted for
a period of years from increases in as
sessed value of property which result
from the improvements. For others,
taxes would be abated up to a certain
percentage of the costs of the improve
ments. In urban renewal areas, tax
benefits also would be granted owners
who convert Single-room- occupancy
tenementS into apartment houses, pro-
vided the conversions follow official
plans and do not exceed ceilings on
monthly rent per room.
WaShington'S problems, Of course,
do not parallel those in New York, and
any such program here would have to
be geared to our particular needs. We
see no reason why the same principles
might not have value here to stimulate
private rehabilitation, however. Perhaps
they also could provide incentive for
the construction of new low-cost hous-
ing. particularly in CITY areas where
high land costs make such housing pro-
hibitive today.
The current city drive to require
compliance with the Districts still-new
Evening star., 1960-06-06

compromising anti-right-to-
work plank in its 1856 national
platform, and Democratic
candidates in 1858 cam
paigned against this punitive
and reactionary proposal.
A group of industrialists
who seek to destroy all forms
of union security, and who
put up the money for the
Republican Party in 1858, in
sisted on making right
to-work" a principal issue
against the advice of saner
party leaders, such as then
Republican National Chair
man Meade Alcorn and SEN
ator John Bricker of Ohio,
and forced Republican candi-
dates to support this attack
on working people under
threat of withholding cam
palgn contributions.
The continuance of Repub-
llcan Party support of the
"right-to-work" fraud this
year is likewise illustrated by
the fact that in Indiana the
COP. State Central Com
mittee has adopted a strong
pro-right-to-work plank, the
incumbent Republican Gov
vernon has stated he will veto
any repeal bill, and Lieut..
Gov. Crawford Parker, who
is expected to be nominated
Republican candidate for the
governorShip. is pledged, if
elected, to veto any repeater
and to outlaw the agency
shop. On the other hand, the
leading contender for the
Democratic nomination for
Governor has stated he will
support repeal of this COM
pulsory open shop law.
Mr.. Larson claims his group
seeks to protect the "individ-
ual freedom" of workers. But
his group is the front" for
a reactionary wing of man
agement and seeks to destroy
the right of labor to organize
Evening star., 1960-06-06
VSTAS IN SCIENCE
By THOMAS r. HENRY
Evolution Brake Checks Wild Life

There Is a brake on evolu-
ton.
1t prevents a race of plants
or animals from running wild
into infinite variations and
keeps species intact through
milleniums. Otherwise there
would be no order in the
universe of life.
This conclusion, supported
by 20 years of experiments
with wild plants, has just
been reported to the National
Academy of Sciences by Drs.
Jens Clausen and William M.
Hiesey, plant biologists of
the Carnegie Institution of
Washington.
The evolutionary thesis, as
promulgated by Charles Dar-
win a century ago, was that
among the individuals max
ing up a race there is infinite
variety. Each individual, man
or earthworm, differs some
what from every other. Due
to these differences, usually
very minute, one individual
is better suited to survive in
a given environment than
another. and hence is more
likely to pass on peculiar
characteristics to descend
ants. Thus, from the highest
to lowest, life forms change
and, in a sense, progress.
Basis of Evolution
This is all very we'll, says
the report Of the Carnegie
biologists. and beyond doubt
Is the basic mechanism of
evolution. The fact remains
That groups - species and
varieties - also tend to re-
main intact, with essentially
no changes whatsoever, for
millions of years despite
changes in living conditions.
Otherwise there would be no
stability anywhere. Much has
been made Of this by anti
evQlutioniSts in the past.
The dilemma seems largely
resolved by the findings of
the Carnegie biologists,
largely among Rocky Noun
tain plants. In heredity in
nature-quite different ap-
parently from heredity among
cultivated and tame species,
characters are passed on
not by single genes, units of
heredity. but by small groups
OF genes. Single genes con-
stantly are being altered by
such things as cosmic radia-
ton. Any alteration sup
posedly causes changes in the
hereditary line. But where
all characters are passed on
by gene groups of a dozen or
more the change in a single
gene makes little if any diff
ference. The species or variety
re m aims indistinguishable
from the ancestors.
Thus, says the report, or
der is maintained in living
nature, The factor of cohe-
sion, seldom recognized in the
past, becomes as significant
as the factor of individual
variation stressed by Darwin.
They cite the case of a
Rocky Mountain wild shrub
OF the general rose family
which, fossil remains show,
has persisted essentially with
out change for more than
100000 years of enormous
changes in its environment.
This has been the scene of
Evening star., 1960-06-06

borhood-what do you do to
get it?"
You tell him all over again.
This time you spell out
the special fertility agent you
have used, and how much it
costs, and where you get it.
I will have to try some of
that" he says, with a far
away look in his eye, and
you know he already has for
gotten the name.
A year later, he comes by
the house, and starts off on
the old routine:
Gee, you have a fine lawn.
How do you do it?"
This time you have learned
your lesson. You say, posi-
lively, "Oh, nothing" and he
is satisfied, delighted in fact.
to know that you have done
nothing.
He would much rather have
1t a matter of fortune, or
something; that lets him out,
as the saying puts it.
X y
No man, even with the
proof Of a good lawn, is an
expert to his neighbor. 1t
is easier this way,
To go and purchase your
special brand of lawn ferti-
lizer would be to admit, to
you and to him, and espe-
cially to him, that you are
an expert.
You an expert-bah! It
is much better to have a
ragged lawn, filled with crab
grass, and wild onions, and
chickWeed. than to admit
that you are an expert IN
anything.
So the adventure of get
ting and maintaining a good
lawn in this climate, with its
sudden and drastic change
Of temperature, rolls merrily
along.
The perfection we seek
comes only in small patches,
and then only as long as the
law and the weather, and
especially the dogs, allow.