davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1960-03-19
With a Dry Eye

1t is hard to shed any tears for the
grain warehouse operators agonized
complaint about Uncle Sans proposal to
save $10O million yearly on storage of
Government owned surplus crops.
There has been plenty of evidence that
providing parking space for these noun
tainS of unwanted grain has been almost
as profitable business as finding
money. Currently, the yearly bill ex-
ceedS $3.50 million. Even in Leap Year,
this means better than SIS million per
day.
The Department of Agriculture,
which is the nominal guardian of this
multi -billion-d monument to the
fantastic farm price support program,
has worked out new storage rate
schedule about 10 per cent below present
charges. 1t says that increased operating
eff1ciencieS, lower costs for construction
of supplemental facilities and increased
volume of the stuff that is being stored
Justify the rate reductions. Among the
least impressive of the warehouse opera
tors objections, in our opinion, is their
expressed fear" that their "high-riSk
venture capital might be jeopardized
by all this grain just going away. If and
when it does, and Uncle Sam stops buy
ing more and more of it every year, the
taxpayers will save enough to set the
warehouSemen up in another line of
work.
Evening star., 1960-03-19
An Industry Speaks Up

The Treasury Department has re-
ceived potentially powerful assist from
the home building industry in its fight
to relax the 425 per cent statutory
interest rate ceiling on long-term Gov
ernment financing. The National ASso-
ciation of Home Builders, representing
a membership of approximately $4,000,
has announced its vigorous support of
legislation approved late last month by
the House Ways and Means Committee.
The association, closing ranks with
others that are dominant and represent
ative in the related building and mort
gage fields, describes the legislation as
"a sincere, well-considered bipartisan
effort" and urges congressional enact
ment "at the earliest possible date"
In brief, the bill as approved by the
committee would help in two respects
to free the Treasury from being confined
to costly and inflationary short-term
(less than five-year) financing of the
gigantic public debt. It would, for exam
pie, permit the yearly marketing of
long-term securities, without any arbi-
trary interest ceiling, up to total face
value of 2 per cent of the debt. Cur
rently, this would make SaIable to long
term investors about $50 billion in
Treasury bonds 1t would also allow the
Treasury to exchange on a face-value
basis new bonds of longer maturitieS
and higher interest rates, up to 425 per
cent, for outstanding securities bearing
lower interest rates and currently SELL
ing below their face. value.
In taking its present position, the
association presents a sound and per-
Suasive case both for the overall ma
tional interest and for the special in
tereSt OF its own industry. 1t accepts,
Tor example, the argument and the evi-
dence that even Limited adjustments"
In the 42-year-old ceiling would give the
Treasury more flexibility in managing
the public debt, would on the whole
permit greater economy in interest
charges to the Government, would lessen
tne competition of Government financ-
Ing With certain areas of private credit,
ana would cut down the inflationary
enectS OF public borrowing. For the re-
lateo building and mortgage industries,
IL acknowledges that locking the Treas
ury into short-term financing actually
IorceS interest rates higher Ito 5 per
cent or aooVe) with the net effect of
uFalnlng money" out of savings banks
and other institutions Whicn normally
supply mortgage credit. Defeat of the
pending legislation, the association con-
cludes, could we'll mean tighter mort
gage money and higher money rates"
The associations reasoning is log
Evening star., 1960-03-19
Wiretop Showdown?

1t looks as though the prolonged
and often highly emotional debate over
the controlled use of wiretapS in certain
criminal Investigations may be headed
for showdown. And 1t would be very
good thing if this matter could be set
tied once and for all.
The controversy grows out of Ian
guage in the Federal Communications
Act of 1884 which makes it a misde-
meanor to intercept and divulge" wire
communications without the consent of
the sender. Did Congress intend this to
apply to wiretaps by properly authorized
and supervised law-enforcement agen-
cieS? We doubt it very much. Neverthe-
less, the Supreme Court has interpreted
this statute to forbid use of wiretap evi-
dence or evidence developed from wire
tap leads in Federal courts. And there
is a mounting tendency in New York
State to follow this reasoning.
New York law permits wiretaps un-
der court supervision. More and more,
however, State judges have been refuS-
ing to issue wiretap permits, holding
that Federal law. forbidS them. New York
District Attorney Frank S. Hogan, GER
tainly responsible man, says this will
cripple his efforts to investigate organ
lied crime, racketeering and corruption
in Office. The Grand Jury Association of
New York calls 1t "a crisis IN law en-
forcement" And New York legislative
committee, warning of breakdown in
our entire structure of criminal law en-
forcement," has urgently called upon
Congress to clarity the meaning of its
1884 wiretap statute
The choice, it seems to us, comes
down to this: Wiretaps and wiretap evil
dence, obtained in serious criminal cases
under strict court supervision, should be
expressly authorized Or the use of this
investigative technique should be spe-
ciflcally forbidden, thereby setting aside
the telephone system as kind of privi
legged sanctuary for criminal operations
We do not think the latter will come
about, for public opinion will not stand
for it. But Congress should move to
clarity its intent in the 1884 statute with
out waiting until a major breakdown
in law enforcement compels it to act.
Evening star., 1960-03-19

Your criticism of the call
by the Arab Chiefs of Mis-
sions on the Secretary of
State in the editorial Arab
Faux Pas" seems to have
been inspired by a misunder-
standing of the purpose of
that call. This misunder-
standing is the more deplor-
able since The Star, in re-
porting the event on March
Z, clearly indicated in the
report that the purpose of
the call was to express the
ambassadors deep concern
over the possible conse-
quences of Mr.. Ben-Gurion's
visit on future American
Arab relationships in the
light of Zionist activities and
the Israeli desire to reverse
the favorable trend in the
Improvement of these rela-
tionS.
Surely a call with such a
purpose could by no stretch
OF the imagination be de-
scribed as a faux pas.
Jamal A. Sad,
Assistant Director,
Arab Information Center.
Evening star., 1960-03-19
Tip the Diner?

Is price considered a dirty
word" in the advertising of
eating places?
Common sense dictates
that a recognized first-class
restaurant or hotel serves
good food. But how is one to
know which places fit his
pocketbook?
In a recent issue Of the
New York Times a portion
of the menu of a New York
restaurant was reproduced.
1t indicated that a relatively
simple meal would cost as
much as SIS or $50 a person.
This is not a complaint
that restaurant prices are
too high. Rather it is an ex-
preston of hope that persons
of limited means may be in
formed of the cost before
they enter an eating place,
are seated and have their
napkins under their chins.
Edward c. wilkinson.
Evening star., 1960-03-19
Fed Up With Castro

Fldel Castro, according to the de-
fecting Cuban naval attache in Wash
ington, is "maSk behind which hides
international communism"
This, of course, is an accusation,
not proof. But when it is added to the
long list of similar denunciationS by
other erstwhile Castro supporters, it
raises the most serious doubt as to what
the future holds for our relations with
the Havana dictatorship.
Here, 1t seems to us, is something
which ought to be carefully considered
In connection with President Eisen-
hower'S desire for discretionary author
ity to adjust sugar import quotas. For
relations between the United States and
the Castro regime may very well go from
bad to worse in the year ahead. And
for our part, we cannot see any good
reason why Congress should refuse to
entrust the President with an economic
weapon which could be employed If and
when the need arises.
MIR. Eisenhower, to be sure, has not
based his appeal on this ground He
diSclaimS any purpose to punish Cuba"
asserting instead that he wants to be
in position to assure the supplies of
sugar needed by the United States. This,
however. is something which could
change very quickly.
The United States ought to have the
means to protect its national interests
and the rights of its citizens. Giving
the President the discretionary author
ity he seeks would be preliminary step
toward this end. We think it ought to
be done, and we are unimpreSSed with
stated fears that such an authorization
might have adverse political repercuS-
sionS abroad. The respect of foreigners
is more likely to be jeopardized by a
display of timid unwillingness to do
anything, even on a preliminary basis,
to cope with brazen and arrogant diSre-
gard of this Nations legitimate rights
and interests. Such timidity, we suspect,
is one thing that Castro is counting on.
Evening star., 1960-03-19
Pleasant Contrast

Page one of The Star for
March IA was a delightful
and welcomed study in con-
trasts. An expressive photo
graph of a soulful appearing
Bengal tiger caught in a mo-
ment of gentle. unconcerned
repose with paws crossed
shares a prominent space
with the stormy and intense
news accounts of the day.
These news headlines are
In no way minimized by the
picture. but are somehow
made more tolerable on ac-
count of the provocative con-
trast provided by Mighty
Mo-" as ne is called, with his
gentle. kittenlike countenance
and an "unconcerned- about
it-all expression" The re-
relaxed but strong paws con-
vey a potential of beastly
strength and foreclosures
which is now subdued. It is
as if restless activity has
given way to resignation and
contention has been quieted
by peace.
Mr.. Leach, the photogra-
pher. deserves much praise,
and certainly the editor is to
be commended for exercis-
ing wisdom in using it. Let
us hope that the reader will
not allow his vision and
thinking to become blinded
by the intensity and some-
times dreadful impact of
daily happenings. with its
sensationalism. it's restless
agitation and it's far-reach-
ing consequences. With all
these things in their true
perspective let the reader
stop and behold life's restor-
ative contrasts.
Rena r. Arnold.
Evening star., 1960-03-19
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

acter on the road before him,
the long. brown road. as.
Whitman said, leading wher-
ever he chooses.
In finding himself, he also
finds the other fellow. That
is the trouble.
That this other fellow is
often not to his liking Is not
at all strange.
One doesn't have to be a
motorist to find this out!
Humans have been finding
out about each other since
the first Monkey-Man Qet.
us be honest about it, BRAN
dished a branch of a tree at
a fellow.
How proud the original
Monkey-Man was, when he
realized that he could make
another cover before his big
club.
The other fellow of that
far day hadn't thought of
picking up a branch and
making like war.
He caught on quickly
enough, however.
And he was ready for the
atomic age to come.
\ y
AS a status symbol, as Mr..
Packard calls it, the auto
mobile has never been ex-
celled.
Probably it never will be.
After all. into a home only
a comparatively few people
come to admire your trophies,
including the latest color TV,
books and fancy drapes.
In a car, everybody. al
most has a chance to watch
you strut sitting down.
&& -
The joke of it is that every
body. and his uncle and his
aunt, as Lord Sullivan said,
knows you for a phony.
He knows you bought the
speed and the energy.
Actually, it isn't you at
all.
1t is only a convention of
some sort that agrees that
this just isn't so, that the
man with the biggest car is
the biggest man in town.
Really, it is to laugh-but
nobody laughs.
That is why, when you
come right down to it, peo-
pie swear at each other, and
glare, and grow red in the
face. while motoring.
1t isn't a question of big
town or little town.
1t is just human beings.
Evening star., 1960-03-19
PerHs of FoHout

Whose idea of how much
radfoactivity we can safely"
absorb in our food and water
shall we follow? That Of the
bomb-builders and generals?
Or that Of the doom -crierS"?
On the recommendation of
the National Committee on
Radiation Protection. quasi
official, national advisory
body, a drastic lowering of
permissible limits" of radio
activity in food and water to
40 per cent of the level previ-
ously accepted has been an
nounced by the Department
OF Health. Education and
Welfare. The new level is the
same as that advised last
summer by the International
Commission on Pathological
Protection, and hotly dis
puted by the Atomic Energy
Commission which wanted to
resume bomb testing. But it
is twice as high as the limit
recommended to the Ma
tional Committee on Radi-
alton Protection by it's own
subcommittee which made
the investigation for it.
The air and water around
certain atomic energy install
lations are already being
contaminated with atomic
wastes in concentrations we'll
above the newly announced
limit, according to recent
newspaper reports. Moreover,
"it appears inevitable that
the potential radiation haz-
ards from atomic sources will
increase" says the U. S.
Public Health Service in its
report to Congress this month.
(This could result, presum-
ably, from increased indus
trial use of atomic energy
plus delayed fall-out from
bombs already exploded, with
out any additional tests at
all.)
The United States is said to
have enough nuclear weapons
stockpiled to destroy every
living being in the world, in
case of war. And the same is
said of Russia. This means
that further bomb tests
would add unnecessarily to
the contamination of the air
and soil and water~on which
our health and lives depend
in time of peace.
No more testing of nuclear
weapons" say I. I'd rather
Evening star., 1960-03-19
Plight of Retirees

The Star is a good paper,
but it does not devote enough
space to advancing causes for
the welfare and happiness of
senior citizens in this part of
the country.
1t is too bad that only once
every four years, candidates
aspiring to the presidency,
some sincerely and others to
get extra votes. present pro-
grams for the amelioration of
the critical financial pros
poets of social security re-
tirees and old folks. Recently
Senator Humphrey came out
for a Federal program to i'm
prove the plight facing this
segment of our population.
Among his six points are: ca
increased social security ben
eflts: (b) Federal insurance
for hospital and nursing care,
and (c) low-coSt housing for
the aged.
Is this too much to expect
after a lifetime Of toll, es-
pecially for those of us who
are retiring under the low
income category? Now, how
far can you stretch SIS or
$50 a month? The great
majority of Americans arrive
at retiring age in poor and
fragile health. About 80 per
cent Of the low-income group
have no other savings to fall
back upon. Where are these
people going to get decent
homes. proper food, geriatric
medicines and hospital care?
Yes. people live longer in this
generation. But. what a pros
pect TO face your declining
years with $50 a month!
Many of us looked forward
that in case We reached old
age, we would enjoy with lei
sure some of the beauties of
nature, even settings of the
sun! But. can yon enjoy a
sunset with a meager, inflated
$50 check a month?
Please don't call Senator
Humphreys program socialis-
tic. May whoever gets the
nomination write into his
platform the main points of
Senator Humphreys program
for the old.
~ Couvinns
Evening star., 1960-03-19
Swipe at Chalk

Mr.. Chalk should take the
first hundred dollars of addi-
tional profit derived from the
recent raise in transit fares
and wash a few hundred bus
windows. You just can't see
through them!
1 don't mean that Mr..
Chalk should do it himself.
He could simply delegate the
job to one Of his vice presi-
dents. G. R.. c.
Evening star., 1960-03-19

Big Town VS.. Little Town?
So says MD. who writes
from Colonial Beach:
Thanks for treating An
gelica so kindly in your COL
umn. You left out the part
about her temper, and the
spike heels. She's grateful.
"Kindness-
"In Angelica's opinion, it's
the greatest gift a human can
have. Why Is it that some
folks are so innately kind,
and some so unkind?
When she was a little girl,
Angelica used to go around
asking, Why are people mean
to people?' But no one ever
seemed to have an answer.
= y y
This morning Angelica
was going around the corner
down by the Post Office in
her town; and another car
was coming around the cor
ner from the opposite direc-
ton.
The driver of the other
car put on his brakes with a
great screeching; and sat
glaring and swearing.
Angelica put him down for
a Big City fellow, and sat
laughing at him.
why is it so easy to smile
at the other driver, and be
courteous-in a Little Town?
And so easy to glare and
swear, and tear along. in the
Big Town?
When Angelica goes to
the city. she glares and
swears and tears along with
the rest of them. 1t seems
the natural thing to do.
= y
Here in her own village,
she laughs, and even gives
up a parking space without
quibble; because here, that
seems the natural thing to
do.
In the city she fights to
the last ditch for her space,
even though there may be
another one just down the
block a way.
"Why2
"She wishes Temp Jones
would explain this to her
sometime"
*
Power corrupts, said Lord
Acton, and absolute power
corrupts absolutely.
The modern motor car is
a powerhouse of energy and
speed.
Between the two. a human
being finds his own char
Evening star., 1960-03-19
UuIIutI.
Miriam X. Cornelius.
Neophyte Surgeon

I most vigorously protest
the article in the March II
Star on animal experimental
ton.
I refer, of course, to the
account Of a 15-year-old
boy adopting the role of ex-
perienced surgeon and per-
forming major surgery in his
bedroom on a live rabbit.
This kind Of thing should
be done only by qualified
personnel working in prop
erly certified medical insti-
tutions where there is rigid
supervision. Otherwise there
will be needless cruelty,
waste, Sadism. repetition
not to mention the harmful
effects of such experiments
on the moral character of
the young people involved in
them. The fact that the boys
13-year-old brother tainted
while acting as anesthetist
certainly attests to this.
1t is up to the school sys-
TENS to forbid displays of live
animals at school science
fairs. There are plenty Of
other subjects that would
be far more approprite.
Humane education obviously
would be a good place to start.
= Betsy s. Herman.
My high opinion of The
Star was badly shaken when
I read your story. written in
apparent admiration, Of the
boy who is doing vivisection
at home with no adult super
vision and with the help Of
his brother. who passed out"
during one Of the expert
ments.
1t is shocking that a thing
of this sort could be permit
ted in any community and
that any parents would allow
it. This child's parents seem
to have provided him with a
laboratory and as many ami
mails as he wishes and have
allowed him to do his expert
ments without even their su-
pervision.
Our country is badly in
need of laws to protect re-
search animals. England has
had excellent laws of this
sort for many years, an espe-
cially important one being:
Experiments must be per-
formed by a licensed person
only" This law would make
impossible such a case as that
Of this child and would pre-
vent untold animal suffering.
Elizabeth Darlington Simpson,
Evening star., 1960-03-19
Signs of Sprinq

Lingering snow notwith-
standing, I know that spring
is just around the corner.
Not that / have seen a robin,
but I have observed Mont
gomery County dogs in in
creasing numbers roaming
the streets.
Last year the county passed
an ordinance requiring own
ers to keep their dogs under
control" This because "of
nearly 900 letters, postcards,
and kilograms received, SO
per cent were from residents
in favor of the ordinance, 1"
according to The Star Of
March 26. 1859. Unfortu-
nately. the owners of dogs
don't understand English, are
too lazy. or merely realize
that they are more than rea-
sonably safe in defying the
law; so conditions are Just as
bad as ever.
A substantial annual tax
on dogs would enable the
county to hire dog catchers
to drive through the streets
occasionally to pick up the
packs Of dogs now roaming
at large. Nothing short of
this will induce the owners
to exercise proper control over
their animals.
Helen ]. Lane,
Evening star., 1960-03-19

ical and accurate. It recognizes, too,
that this is an issue that has been am
bushed in partisan politics. The health
and welfare of the home building indus
try have broad impact on the national
economy. 1t should be helpful that its
trade association, its principal mouth
piece, is supporting the Treasury on
problem that should be resolved entirely
outside of narrow partisan considera-
tionS.
Evening star., 1960-03-19
Butler Hurts Kennedy in the South
BY GOULD LINCOLN

Democratic National Chair
man Paul NJ. Butler has de-
clared himself on the selection
of a presidential candidate.
on the kind Of platform
that must be written, and
on the necessity and pro-
priety of denying participa-
ton in the coming Demo-
cratic National Convention
to any delegates unwilling to
go along in the general elec-
ton with the party's national
ticket and its platform. In
all three items, Mr.. Butler
has lined himself up in op-
position TO ideas of a great
majority of the Democrats Of
the South. This Is not new
except that he appears to
have taken on himself the
right Of predicting and pro-
noting the nomination of a
Democratic presidential can
didate, Senator John F. Ken
nedy of Massachusetts,. The
question, however, is how far
has Mr.. Butler aided in
bringing about Senator Ken
nedy's nomination by includ-
ing in the same interview
of the record to be sure, but
still an interview-his dec
laration regarding the seat
ing of delegates in the ma
tional convention and his
apparent dismissal Of other
aspirants for the presidential
nomination.
Mr.. Buffers remarks, how
ever. may have an effect far
beyond activities of the
Democratic National Con-
vention. An effect on the
general election in November.
But the immediate question
is whether Chairman Butler
will be able to force his politi-
cal views on the States Of
the South and the delegations
they will send to the party's
national convention. He has,
in effect, threatened to use
whatever power he has as
chairman to deprive these
Southern Democrats of the
right to sit in the Democratic
National Convention and par
ticipate in its deliberations
and actions unless they come
to heel. True, he has denied
making any such threat and
has insisted he is merely
properly demanding party
LOYALTY.
Hitting at Free Choice"
He is striking, of course,
at those States and their
delegations who insist that
their presidential electors
shall be free to choose any
candidate for President they
desire in the canvass of the
Electoral College after the
general election. Six Of the
Southern States already have
taken steps to free" their
electors. Under the Constitu-
ton Of the United States, in
deed, the electors already are
free to vote for any one for
President they desire. This is
a freedom that has been ex-
ercised in the past on sew
eral occasions. But the prac-
tice has grown up over the
years Of trying to bind the
electors to vote for candi-
dates nominated by the re-
spective political parties. And
for the most part. they have
been so bound. In the elec-
tons Of 1852 and 1856 it was
the Eisenhower electors-the
electors pledged to the Re-
publican presidential candi-
date-who cast their votes
for Mr.. Eisenhower in four
and five States of the South
and against Adlai Stevenson,
Democrat.
That kind of thing could
happen again-indeed, there