davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1960-08-18
Crimes ChoHenqe

Crimes upSurge in Washington dur
ing the first half of this year is giving
understandable concern to local law
enforcement authorities. The rate of
increase here-131 per cent-exceeded
that of any other city, according to the
FBIs Uniform Crime Report for the
period. 1t surpassed the national crime
rate by more than per cent.
Why this has happened in the Ma
tion'S Capital, which wants to set an
example of good law enforcement for
the country at large, is not clear to
officials who have studied the statistics.
However, Police Chief Murray believes
that an important factor has been an
influx of new residents seeking jobs and
better living conditions in Washington
Many of them have been disappointed
in their quest and some turn to crime
as result. 1t is significant that most
Of the heavy increase in laWleSSness
occurred in such categories as robberies,
waited assaults.
Chief MurrayS request for more
men induced Congress to approve an
increment Of 106 new policemen, the
recruiting of whom is now being pushed.
There has been no great rush of appli-
cants with outstanding qualifications,
however. Chief Murray hopes to obtain
the full allotment before very long,
whereupon he expects to be able to
strengthen materially the street patrols.
This should bring a reduction in the
number of offenses. incidentally, the
police noted quite drop in the crime
rate during July, as compared with the
same month last year. Most of the de-
crease occurred in minor crime cate
gories, however. Police hope, however,
that the decline last month presages a
much better crime picture during the
remainder Of 1860 than for the like
period in 1859.
Evening star., 1960-08-18
Hating Communism

I highly praise and COM
mend Constantine Browns
column on Communist Sub
version of Youth" To have a
columnist write on such a
topic is indeed a rarity today.
but most gratifying.
The public news media
radio, television and news
papers - give the American
people far too little coverage
on Com unist activities
within our own borders. Com
muniSm is the dcadliest i'll
existing in our modern world
the eradicator Of freedom
and personal liberties.
Only an informed citizen
ry can combat and halt COM
munism. The House I'm
American Activities Commit
tee and j. Edgar Hoover are
attempting to Go just this but
are being slapped in the face
by misinformed individuals,
such as Warren Morse. 1t is
a well-known fact that one
Communist objective is to
abolish the House Un-Ameri-
can Activities Committee.
All real nti-Communists
maintain that the HUAC is a
must"
May Constantine Brown
continue to render a great
service to the readers by
alerting us more about Red
advances on our front door
step. The inroads already
established are frightening.
Mary Curtis.
Evening star., 1960-08-18
UnweIcome Visitors

I am happy to note that
the recent episode about four
African visitors being barred
from a Washington apart
ment house received equal
prominence, in your paper,
in its positive as we'll as its
negative aspects. That is. the
story about the apology ex-
tended to these student lead
ers by the owner Of the
apartment was given about
the same play as the original
story of the unfortunate and,
altogether uniustifiable act
of discrimination. Very often,
the story of conflict gets
much attention, and the later
solution or corrective action
is barely mentioned.
The African-American In
stitute is to be commended
for taking the lead in rectify-
ing this unfortunate situa-
tion. I happen to know that
it was largely the prompt
and firm action taken by the
Institute, through its legal
counsel, E. Ladd Thurston.
that brought about the cor
rective steps that helped to
salvage somewhat the good
will supposed to be generated
by the visit of the Africans
under the State Department
exchange program and the
personal effort of Miss Quis-
enberry to enable them to
meet interested friends.
The State Department has
many angles to consider and
is not always in position to
take the necessary measures.
1t is gratifying, therefore, to
find a private organization
demonstrating a sense OF
responsibility so effectively in
helping to right a domestic
wrong that has international
significance.
Roy Garvin.
Attorney-at-LaW
Evening star., 1960-08-18
BY MIRIAM OTTENBERG

On the night of Sept. 3.
1859. Representative Davis,
Democrat OF Georgia. told
the House that within the
next few months" he could
complete his investigation of
the Districts Juvenile Court
laws and procedures.
1T is our purpose" he an
nounced, Ito conduct this
study and this investigation
in a thorough and complete
manner and to recommend to
the full committee and to
this House corrective legisla-
tion which in our best judg-
ment will really give some re-
lief from the deplorable con-
ditions which now exist in
the city of Washington.
I'VE do not know at this
time whether one Judge, two
Judges or more or less will
be needed. The proper kind
of study will throw much
light on this question"
That was Mr.. Davis prom
Use in lieu of permitting ac-
ton on the Senate-passed
bill to provide two more
judges for the Districts
critically overloaded Juvenile
Court.
Nearly a year has passed
since Mr.. Davis made his
House speech.
If the thorough and COM
plete investigation promised
by Mr.. Davis has been COM
pleted, not even his subcom-
mittee members know all the
findings.
The full House District
Committee and the House it.
self have never seen the cor
rective legislation which Mr..
Davis promised.
If they and the city Of
Washington took seriously
Mr.. Davis promise of some
relief from the deplorable
conditions. they have waited
in vain.
The proper kind Of study"
promised by Mr.. Davis was
highlighted by a day-and-a- =
half public hearing at which
only three out of IS waiting
witnesses were heard. The
inquiry moved so far afield-
exploring such subjects as
capital punishment-that a
subcommittee member. Rep
resentative Harmon, Demo-
crat of Indiana, finally said
with some puzzlement:
LAS I understand the pur-
pose of these hearings, it is
Evening star., 1960-08-18
McLouqhIin Needs Help

The most important task facing
Commissioner Mclaughlin now is to get
we'll and to make a quick and complete
recovery from his distressing illness We
speak for many members of the commu-
nifty in expressing the hope that he will
permit nothing to stand in the way of
that objective. He should put everything
else out of his mind.
Not that this will be an easy thing
for him to do, for we do not remember
any occasion in the past when so much
responsibility at the District Building
has been dumped on one Commissioner,
at time when some of the most i'm
portant deCiSionS-SuCh as the size and
scope of next years budget and the
revenue available to support it-must
be made. The new Engineer Commits
sioner has barely had opportunity to
learn his way around the District Build
ing. The civilian Commissioner -desig-
nate, Mark Sullivan, Jr., had not
planned, even if confirmed before then,
to take office until after September l.
One thing that can be done now to
help Mr.. Mclaughlin is to confirm Mr..
Sullivan promptly and it is gratifying to
learn that Chairman Bible of the Senate
District Committee is considering the
initiation of such action. The job of
District Commissioner should not be
regarded as political plum, and the
fact that Mr., Sullivan's appointment has
come toward the end of this administra-
ton should have no bearing on his being
confirmed. He is not an Office seeker.
He has no desire to cling to an office
that new President might wish to fill.
Any failure to confirm him with the
thought that the Democrats may win
the next election would be the sort of
Evening star., 1960-08-18
Powers Story

AS Francis Gary Powers left the
witness stand in Moscow, only part of
the story of his ill-fated U-2 flight
had been told. He said he was flying
at $4,000 feet when he heard and, he
thought, felt an explosion behind him.
1t was accompanied by kind of orange
flash" Then his plane was out of order.
Earlier, the Russians had said the U-2
received a direct hit from remark
able" new rocket. Powers testimony
tends to refute this, but he was not
asked and did not testify directly on
the point. To say the least, it would
be interesting to know what actually
happened.
On the whole, however, the pilots
story had about it ring of truth. There
was no indication that he had been
"brainWashed" or otherwise mistreated
He said that he received his assign
brought his cameras and other equip
ment into play at points where he
had been told to use them. In short,
as far as the flight itself was concerned,
he said just about what one would ex-
pect young pilot to say. 1t was his
job to fly an airplane. not to render
judgments on matters of policy involved
in the flight.
Obviously, some of the questions
asked by the Soviet prosecutor were
designed to lay foundation for pictur-
ing Powers as tool of the United States
Government, tool which was used to
spy on the peace loving" Soviet Union
and thereby provoke the blow-ofr by
Mr.. KhruShchev at the Paris summit
meeting. There were also questions
which plainly were intended to involve
other countries in the undertaking,
questions presumably asked in the hope
of undermining the American position
IN countries where bases are maintained.
All of this, however, need not con-
Germ us too much. Obviously, Powers
was engaged in an espionage mission
under the direction of our Government.
Most of the world will understand this
that it was not an aggressive act but
rather a mission made essential by the
attitude and threats of the Kremlin.
Even the Russians must recognize that
this is so, for it will be remembered
that Mr.. Khrushchev at the outset,
tried to absolve the President of re-
sponsibility for the flight.
Surprises, of course, may still be in
store for us as the trial proceeds. But
at this stage it should be said that the
proceedings, when all the circumstances
are considered, have been marked by
relative fairness and restraint. Powers
has not been compelled to give the
abject, self-debasing kind of confession
which characterized the Soviet purge
trials. Nor has the prosecutor made any
apparent effort to distort the truth in
such way as to prepare the climate
for firing squad.
Evening star., 1960-08-18
MR. DAVIS UNKEPT PROMISES
Remember What He Told House?

young criminals properly
punished and that the sub
committee could act on the
judgeship bill when Congress
reconvened in January. 1860.
Mr.. Davis told the House it
was an Outrage" that his
sub C ON m ittee members
should be 'pilloried. bemean-
ed and villified" by Washing
ton newspapers for "exer-
cising our judgment on these
matters which come within
our jurisdiction"
Apparently none Of the
subcommittee members con-
sidered they had been pill
loried." because none of them
rose to endorse Mr.. Davis
remarks to the House. This
was left to two Of Mr.. Davis
colleagues not on the COM
mittee. both of whom praised
Mr.. Davis service to the
Nations Capital.
In any case. the Subcom-
mittee members have had no
chance to exercise their
judgment on this particular
matter.
After the abortive, but we'll
attended December hearing.
the subcommittee met in
February but Mr.. Davis said
he was not yet ready to put
the Juvenile Court bill be-
fore the subcommittee. Then,
in May, Mr.. Davis said he
expected to resume hearings
shortly - sometime during
May. He didn't.
In early June. Mr.. Davis
scheduled a subcommittee
meeting at which, he said,
I'VE will discuss the matter
thoroughly and decide what
our new moves will be-"
On June 9. the subcommit-
tee finally met for two hours
on the Juvenile Court bill.
The group heard a report
on the staff Investigation
of the court but committee
sources said the report
was only partially presented
and another meeting would
be required to finish this pre-
sentation.
Mr.. Davis said another
executive meeting would be
scheduled soon to continue
consideration of the court
matter.
The promise had a familiar
ring. 1t sounded lust like the
one made the previous Sep
tember. And it has been car
ried out Just as faithfully.
The subcommittee did not
meet again.
Evening star., 1960-08-18
No Contest?

1t certainly is a shame
that Washington is being
denied the privilege of send
ing a suitable contestant to
Atlantic City for the Miss
America Contest! After the
fiasco at the Carter Barron
Theater on August /, and
after polling various mem
bers of the audience, it is
concluded that contestants
possessing top talent plus
beauty (the prerequisites of
the contest flnalists) are
carefully eliminated. Why?
To make room for favorites,
or because of ignorance on
the part of the judges due to
improper selection thereof?
This is unfair not only to the
public but to the contestants.
When the panel of judges
was selected, why wasn't con-
sideration given to, say, a
competent dancing teacher
who could differentiate be-
tween good dancing and
bad; a person who could
recognize good singing; and
perhaps a modelling expert
who would take note of how
the girls walked? Why were
newspapermen selected to
judge a beauty contest? Isn't
this outside their field?
And, by the way, since
when does getting up and
saying that one has no tai
ent constitute talent? Par
ticularly by a waitress in a
well-known Washington club
frequented by newspaper
men?
Atlantic City cannot be
cleaned up until we clean up
at the local level.
Betty Hallman.
Evening star., 1960-08-18

TO determine whether or not
we need additional judges"
The hearing was held De-
cember 10 and II. Already.
the few months" promised
by Mr.. Davis had expired.
The few months" phrase
was not just a slip of the
tongue when Mr.. Davis said
it. He repeated it in these
words:
The heavens are certainly
not going to fall in upon us if
we proceed for the next few
months under the present
Set-up."
The heavens stayed in
place but Juvenile Court
statistics did not.
BY December 81, 1859. a
record backlog of 1890 cases
had built up in Juvenile
Court. This compared with a
backlog Of 948 cases at the
end Of September. 1859. At
years end, 1t was taking a
youthful offender from three
to six months to see the
Judge after the offense was
committed.
BY June 30. 1860 - nine
months after Mr.. Davis
solemn promise-the solitary
Juvenile Court Judge was still
working his way through
1859 cases, a sudden sharp
rise had been noted in ju-
venile crime not only by
court officials but by police
the Receiving Home for Chill
dren was crammed to nearly
double its capacity and Wor-
ried city officials were
searching for stopgap solu-
tions.
In his House speech. Mr.
Davis said it was a com
plete falsity" that he alone
was responsible for holding
up the Senate-passed Juve-
nile Court judgeShip bill.
Il called a meeting of the
subcommittee to determine
the action to be taken, anc
the subcommittee overWhelm'
ingly voted to defer action or
any Juvenile Court legiSla
ton until a comprehensive
survey and investigation
could be made of the entire
juvenile Court Set-up," HI
told the House.
What he did not tell tht
House was that his fellow
subcommittee members hac
gone along with him on tht
basis Of the same argument
he later presented to thu
House-that he was going tt
devise legislation to ge
Evening star., 1960-08-18
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Life Elsewhere Than on Earth?
By THOMAS r. HENRY

interStellar smoke. and even
tually the stars themselves.
must entail the aggregation
into molecules Of hydrogen
and carbon. oxygen and nj
trogen and the like. A large
fraction of the condensed
mass Of the universe must
consist, or once have con-
sisted, Of organic macromole-
cules of great compleXity.
Such molecules can function
as nuclei of condensation.
Those molecules will be IA
vored as seeds for further
condensation which most
readily dissipate the energy
OF successive impacts and can
undergo fission to increase
the number of nuclei. The
actual molecular chemistry
of the interstellar COR pre-
stellar smoke is thus subject
to kind of natural selection
and cannot be a purely ran
dom sampling of available
atoms"
In other words, the board
holds, primaeval conditions
would have favored the pro-
duction of the kind of car
bon containing molecules
which are basic in terrestrial
life.
The main gap in the
theory, not yet bridged by
any experiment, is the actual
formation of a replicating
polymer chat is a combina-
ton of carbon-containing
molecules able to duplicate
itself by f1Ssion or otherwise
after the fashion of living
matter in such a moraSS.
But we are beginning to
visualize the essential con-
dltions for chemical replica
ton and its ultimate realiza-
tlon is fOreshadoWed both by
blo-chemical studies of nu-
cleic acids and by industrial
syntheSes."
What Evidence Shows
The evidence strongly in
dicates that the nucleic acids
came first in the chain Of
life. the committee holds. No
other "polymers" have been
found capable of duplicating
themselves. This, however.
may be contra indicated by
their extreme compleXity.
building up of which would
have probably required a very
long time. The scientific evi-
dence seems against the
thesis of "one master stroke"
the sudden appearance of
life molecules on earth. This,
however, is not considered
completely impossible.
"As an alternative Specula-
ton" reports the committee,
"a simpllfied protein might
replicate by complex chemi-
cal processes. Existing pro-
teins, however. show no such
capacity.
The committee, in other
words, thinks the weight Of
the evidence is for life else
where than on earth.
Evening star., 1960-08-18

Life may not be so i'm
probable an evolutionary de-
velopment as has been spec
ulated."
So SAYS the space science
board of the National Acad-
emy of Sciences in its report
on the biological possibilities
of space research. There are
even now, in fact. obServa-
tions as to how life may have
originated on a lifeleSS planet
in accordance with establish
able laws of nature.
Amino acids, the building
blocks of proteins, have been
created by passing electrical
DISCHARGES through mixtures
of simple gases containing the
basic element hydrogen, the
mother stuff of creation.
There is reason to believe
that the primitive atmos-
phere of earth, and probably
of the other planets, was
composed of precisely these
gases. Most of the oxygen in
air has been picked up since.
The same results presumably
could have been produced by
lightning discharges.
It's a long call from a few
amino acids to mosquito or
Napoleon. There has been.
however, the equivalent of
more than 200 million human
generations for the building
process acquiring form and
compleXity by infinitesimally
minute steps in adjustments
to changing environments.
All terrestrial life is based
on the highly reactive ele-
ment carbon. The chemistry
of life is carbon chemistry.
Every molecule in the StIuc-
ture of every living thing con-
tains the element. Life'S ORR
gin requires primarily the
formation of carbon contain
ing molecules.
Better Hypothesis
Amino acid production may
have been one way to this
end. The National Academy
committee proposes what it
terms a more attractive hy-
pothesis for which, however,
there is as yet no expert
mental evidence. Under this
hypothesis life may be CO.
equal with the universe itself,
evolving like the stars and
planets out of a primaeval
space smoke"
Perhaps" says the report,
I'VE associate carbon with
life, and rocks and metals
with physical phenomena
beyond doubt we tend to con-
note the latter with the pre-
dominant substance Of the
universe. In fact, as glance
at tables of cosmic abun-
dance will show, the lighter
elements by far are the most
prevalent and after hydro
gen and helium these are
carbon, oxygen and nitrogen,
The primitive condensation
Of free atoms to form the
Evening star., 1960-08-18

Theodore Roosevelt, the Bull
Moose candidate, permitting
Woodrow Wilson to win.
Maine. it is true, has in the
last few years elected a Dem
ocratic Senator, Governor
and members of the House.
This was due in part to shifts
in population, as the State
became more industrial and
the scene Of large Federal
Government in t a lations,
and IN part to troubles in the
COP. Maine has not wav-
cred, however. in its allie
glance to the Republicans in
presidential elections. Nor is
it likely to do so this year.
Vermont has never failed to
vote for Republican presi-
dental candidates since the
days of Abraham Lincoln.
G. o. P. Problem
New Hampshire presents
more of a problem for the
Republicans, although Mr..
Nixon is popular there, as
demonstrated by the big vote
he received in the president
ial primary this year, and by
the big write-in vote cast for
him for Vice President in the
1856 primary. While New
Hampshire has shown itself
strongly Republican in re-
cent years, Senator Kennedy,
too, did well in the president
ial primary last March, far
better than any Democratic
presidential candidate for a
long time.
New Hampshire has been
considered the tors
backyard, indeed. Like Mas
sachusettS. it has a large
Catholic vote-French. Irish
and Italian. In addition to
Kennedy strength. the Re
publicans have factional diff
ferenccs to overcome in the
November election, Gov. Wes-
ley Powell heads one fac
ton. He is intent on winning
election, at any cost. In the
March primary campaign, he
supported Mr.. Nixon. In the
final days of that campaign
he attacked Senator Kennedy
on the ground he was soft"
toward Communist Russia.
Vice President Nixon declined
at that time to go along with
this charge. Gov. Powell has
opposition to denomination
, for Governor in the primary
soon to be held. The battle
for the nomination may leave
severe scars.
In New England, as
+ throughout the country. the
big Nixon issue against Sen
: ator Kennedy will be that
the Vice President is better
equipped by experience tc
deal with international prob
lens, on which hang wal
, or peace. The G. o. P
| campaign command already
has selected q sloe +
= which Will be broadcast or
! posters-"Vote Nixon anc
S Lodge; Experience Counts.
: There will be other issues. OF
2 course. but so far as New
e England is concerned, this
t may be the most important
i for Mr.. Nixon.
Evening star., 1960-08-18

small time ward politics that, for the
most part, have been happily avoided
in connection with past appointments of
District Commissioners.
Chairman Bible has been most re-
sponsive to the interests of the people
of this community and we have some
confidence in the belief that he will
move promptly.