davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1960-05-27
Aqoinst Idiocy

Hugh GaitSkell, leader of the British
Labor Party, has made encouraging
gains in recent days against left-wing
and peace-at-any-price extremists with
in the bosom of his political family, and
the West as a whole has reason to
congratulate and to commend him ac-
cordingly.
In effect, the off-beat Laborite ele-
ments-highly vocal, even though a
minority-have been demanding for
many months past that the United
Kingdom adopt a policy of unilateral
nuclear disarmament, and also policy
of withdrawal from the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. With character
istic vigor and forthrightness, Mr.. Gait
Skell has responded to all this by brand
ing it as kind of madness, which it
undoubtedly is, and he has made two
things unmistakably clear.
The first of these is that the Labor
Party, as long as he heads it, will con-
tinue to give the most vigorous support
to NATO and Britain's key role in it,
And the second is that he and the party'S
high command completely reject the
idea that the British should forthwith
divest themselves of atomic-hydrogen
weapons-regardlesS of the fact that the
Russians are in no mood whatever to
accept an adequately policed, genuinely
trustworthy system of general disarma-
ment AS Mr.. GaitSkell rightly sees it,
Self-abnegation in such circumstances
would be naive in the extreme, and it
would carry trustfulness to a point
where the United Kingdom would be
gambling idiotically with its survival.
1t is for this reason that Mr.. Gait
skell has long since condemned the
ace-at-any-pri point of view as
"escapiSt, myopic and positively danger
ous." And in his address to Britains
third biggest union (the General and
Municipal WorkerS) he has just been
at pains to lash out at those who "Say,
DO not let us have anything to do with
these horrible things, these terrible
things; let the Americans do the dirty
work. and couple it with the phrase
'Yank, go home, but do not forget us if
there is any trouble"
In Mr.. GaitSkell'S words, this frame
of mind amounts to "the baseSt hypoc-
riSy," and it would leave Britain grue-
Somely vulnerable to the tough, ruth
less, expansioniSt" Soviet dictatorship
Small wonder that the General and
Municipal Workers Union, after having
heard him, has reversed its past position
and voted in favor of being alert in a
dangerous world. Nikita Khrushchev's
act in Paris apparently has done away
with lot of wishful British thinking.
Evening star., 1960-05-27
Old Taxes Never Die

AS long ago as 1889, Benjamin
Franklin wrote a letter in which he
remarked that nothing is certain but
death and taxes" He might as we'll
have written that nothing is as perma-
nent as temporary" taxes.
An excellent illustration of this
latter truiSm may be found in the pack
age legislation just approved by the
House Ways and Means Committee
extending for yet another year current
rates on wide range of excise taxes
and the present So per cent levy on
corporation incomes. All carry the
temporary" label, in some cases dating
back to World War II and in others to
the period of the Korean conflict. The
possibility of repeal in some cases and
reduction in others has become an
almost yearly conversation piece
ending just as regularly in extension of
the rates for another IL months.
AS in previous cases, extension at
this time was urged by the adminiStra-
ton primarily for budgetary reasons.
Following President Eisenhower'S initial
recommendation in his fiscal 1861 budget
message, Secretary of Treasury Ander-
son estimated that failure of Congress
to concur would cost the Federal Gov
ernmeht $2.7 billion in revenues in fiscal
1861 and as much as 81. billion annually
thereafter. Administration SpokeSmen
likewise have emphasized the injustice"
of reducing corporation income tax
rates (unleSS action is taken, this rate
would fall from So per cent to Al per
cent? without comparable tightening of
individual income tax rates. Similarly,
they have objected to reducing some
excise levieS while leaving others un-
touched.
There is some merit in these rea-
sons, as the House committee decision
indicates, but there is another side to
the coin The corporation income tax,
for example, tends to hamper accumu-
lation of capital funds for business in
veStment-for financing plant moderni-
cation and expansion. This, in turn,
bears diSadvantageouSly on economic
growth, on the productivity rate and on
the capacity of American industry to
scompete both at home and abroad.
Authoritative studies indicate that these
injurious effects increase sharply as the
tax rate goes above the so per cent level
AS for the excise rates, they have been
criticized on many sides as hodge
podge badly in need of revision.
If all of these levieS have to be lived
with for "just one more year." this
should at least provide additional evi-
dence that thoroughgoing overhaul
should be undertaken before the old
story is repeated year hence.
Evening star., 1960-05-27
In Appreciation

Allow me to express my
thanks on behalf of the Boy
Scouts of the National Capt.
tai area for the cooperation
of your paper in publicizing
the 1860 Golden Jubilee
Scouting Exposition at the
National Guard Armory. I
refer especially to the full
color. four-column photo
graph used on the front page
Of The Star Of May 10.
This type of publicity is
extremely important to the
Scouting program in the
Washington area and I'm
sure 1t will contribute greatly
to the success of the exposi-
ton. AS a former Star en-
ploye I am well aware of The
Stars efforts in aiding public
service events such as this.
I would like to express my
thanks. also, for the assist
ance of your Promotion Man
ager, Lloyd Hampton, as a
member of my committee.
Ralph r. McCawIey.
Chairman, Publicity Com
mittee, 1860 Golden Ju-
bilee Scouting Exposition.
Evening star., 1960-05-27

numerous reasons cited by planning and
redevelopment officials.
Actually, the bottom fell out of this
controversy when the bulk of the private
property in the Columbia Plaza area
was sold this week to syndicate which
fully supports the urban renewal ap-
proach. The previous owners of the
large asSemblage of land had been an
tagoniStic to urban renewal, and had
been expected to contest it at the hear
ing. The new owners not only said they
plans, but that they felt this was essen
tial for appropriate development of the
land. Such an Endorsement should be
given the highest consideration by the
Commissioners.
Evening star., 1960-05-27
Compensation Limit

In q recent eQlC1On OF
The Star, Controller General
Campbell was quoted as rec
ommending the barring of all
Federal Government employees
who voluntarily retire from
Government service from
receiving unemployment COM
pensation. AS a retired Gov
ernment employe I heartily
indorse his action, and ques-
ton the intelligence Of those
persons who made the deci-
sion to make the benefits Of
unemployment compensation
possible to those who retired
voluntarily, as well as the
patriotism Of those who are
so eager to accept it.
With the high cost Of living
as it is, very few Of us have
any great surplus, and in
many cases extra income is
necessary, but many persons
retire sooner than they have
to in order to work under
social security, and thus re-
ceive double pensions. This is
commendable in lots Of cases.
and very necessary, but I be-
lieve there should be some
restrictions in this matter.
For instance: Anyone receiv-
ing or having a fixed income
of $4,000 per year should not
be eligible for social security
benefits after retiring from
Government service on a full
time pension; as a rule such
persons have passed the
struggling period, their chill
dren are self supporting, their
home is paid for, and, I hope,
they are going down the SUM-
set trail in smooth manner.
Social security is a god
send to many people, and one
Of our best laws, but, in my
opinion, it is much abused;
many do not get enough,
none get too much. But our
retirement benefits were given
to us so that in our sunset
years we could have some
care-free days, and enjoy
ourselves, so let us avail our
selves Of the opportunity we
have and leave the cares and
worries of the business world
to the younger generations,
who, I know we all will agree,
deserve their chance, too.
Herbert r. Davis.
Evening star., 1960-05-27
Bond Issue Opposed

1AlC TdlI1dA OOuLlJy AK
payers Alliance opposes the
proposed $26 million school
bond issue because it is too
large and will be a lump sum
blank check" to the School
Board.
The May 81 referendum
will not produce a represent
ative turnout of the tax
payers who will have to pay
off the bond issue.
The alliance supports ade-
quate financing of public
education, including band
issues for necessary school
sites. buildings and equip
ment. Our membership re-
Gently voted to support a
$40 million bond issue if it
is placed on the ballot at
the November general elec-
ton.
Under present law govern
ing the submission of school
bond issues to the voters, a
referendum can be held with
in 10 to 80 days after adop-
ton of a concurrent resolu-
ton by the School Board and
the County Board of Super
visors.
The voters can rest assured
that the Board of Supervisors
will not interpret the defeat
of an over-large $26 million
school bond issue as a man.
date to raise the tax rate by
a huge amount to pay for
schools out Of current reve-
nue., but as a mandate to
submit a more reasonable
proposal to a vote.
Since 1880 the School
Board has had $57.5 million
to spend on school plants.
Any existing inadequacies or
occasional overcrowding is
solely the responsibility of
the school bureaucrats who
have wasted the taxpayers
funds or diverted them to
purposes not approved by the
voters.
A glaring example Of waste
has been in the purchase of
school sites that have been
extremely expensive to de-
velop, and in some cases
completely unuSable. The
money saved by economies
in construction has been
Evening star., 1960-05-27

Southwest, is not overly IA
miliar with Title I of the
U. S. Housing Act Of 1949,
the act that brought urban
renewal into being, and under
the terms of which RIA
operates.
But in fairness to Mrs.
Smith. there are many others,
persons engaged in admin
Stering the urban renewal
program in Washington, who
are either not overly familiar
with Title I, or somewhere
along the line have forgotten
what Congress intended when
passing the act.
I quote Representative
Spence, author of the 1949
act, when asking that the bill
be sent to the floor with a
do pass" recommendation:
Title I Of the act is de-
signed to provide a means
whereby good housing can be
produced and made available
at monthly costs within the
broad range of our middle
income families"
The Bureau of the Census
showed middle incomes" at
that time to be from $2,400
to $4,400 a year.
Mr.. Spence again: "I decry
the fact that not one apart
ment built under FHA, Sec
tion 608, rented under $50 a
month. There has been a
growing tendency for an in
creasing proportion of new
rentals to be very small
units, efficiency apartments,
which are not suited to the
needs of families with chill
dren, as 38 per cent of all ur-
ban families in 1948 were
families of four or more per-
sons"
1t might be we'll to note the
makeup of the Capitol Park
apartments with their eff
ciencies and one-bedroom
units.
Section 2 of the act says,
Appropriate local public
bodies shall be encouraged
and assisted in we'll
planned, integrated residen-
tial neighborhoods, the de-
velopment and redevelopment
of communities, at lower
costs, of housing Of standard
design, construction, Iva
Evening star., 1960-05-27
Renewal in Foggy Bottom

The public hearing on the proposed
Columbia Plaza urban renewal project
in Foggy Bottom has given the Commits
sioners all the evidence they need to
reach an early decision on whether de-
tailed planning of the project should
proceed-a decision which we believe
should be favorable.
In essence, two arguments were
raised in opposition. One was purely
legal, involving the question of whether
the area meets the Federal criteria for
urban renewal treatment through the
presence of Slum or blight condi-
tions. Both National Capital Planning
Commission and Redevelopment Land
Agency officials testified that they have
no doubt these qualifications can be
met, and that detailed evidence will
be presented to the Commissioners at
a later date when the detailed planning
studies are completed. Not until that
time, at any rate, need the Commission
erS give final approval to the project.
The second, more controversial, ar
gument was that urban renewal, even if
legal, is unnecessary, and that private
enterprise alone is sufficient to rebuild
the area. The essential question for the
Commissioners to decide here, however,
is whether the public interest would be
served as WeH through private enter
prise alone as it would be through urban
renewal. We believe the answer clearly
is in favor of urban renewal, for the
Evening star., 1960-05-27

bility and size for adequate
family life"
A Congressman made this
statement to me recently:
when a city. any city, ap-
plies for and receives Federal
funds made available by an
act Of Congress, that city is
both legally and morally OBJ
ligated to use those funds to
accomplish the objectives of
the program as expressed in
the act"
Mrs. Smith, and apparently
RIA, want no low income
housing-CongreSs does.
Mrs. Smith, and apparent
ly RIA, want high-cost hous-
ing-CongreSs does not.
According to RLA's State
ment of Operations, Deem
ber l, 1859, the net cost to
the taxpayers of the South
west project, after deducting
money received for sale or
lease, will be the fabulous
sum of $73,267,671. That is
something Congress never in
tended.
To make matters worse,
the Redevelopment Land
Agency was created in 1946,
IA years ago. The executive
director stated before the
D. c. subcommittee, about
three weeks ago, that it
would take another four years
before the Southwest project
will be 70 per cent completed
now you have 18 years.
Then add another four years
for final completion, and you
have the fantastic and almost
unbelievable figure of %
years before RIA will have
completed its first project.
Meanwhile, admi nistrative
costs continue to soar.
Those are a few of the rea-
sons why a man who has
fought for public housing for
many years asked the District
Commissioners to take a new
look at how the program is
being conducted.
To be successful, urban re-
newal must be conducted In
full accord with the law. In
that way both the commu-
nifty and the taxpayer will
benefit.
Both the program and the
taxpayer deserve a break.
Harry A. Barbour.
Evening star., 1960-05-27
Brink of War?

AS expected, the United Nations
Security Council by 7-to-2 vote has
turned back the Soviet effort to pin an
aggreSSor label on the United States in
connection with the U-2 incident. In
good conscience the council could not
have done otherwise, and it is of some
significance that Mr.. Gromyko was able
to muster only his own vote and that of
captive Poland.
We do not suppose that the world
has heard the last of this Soviet accu-
Sation, but at least its usefulness as a
propaganda weapon has been blunted
by the councils action. And the six
nations who supported the United States
have served notice that they will not be
bamboozled by Soviet breaSt-beating
with reference to this matter of eSpio-
mage.
In this connection, due notice
should be taken of MIR. Gromyko'S state
ment, delivered after the council vote
and apparently on instructions from
Moscow, that President Eisenhower in
his Wednesday night speech was fol-
lowing "a policy of dangerous provoca-
tions which place mankind on the brink
of war"
This threat evidently was prompted
by Mr.. EiSenhower'S reference to the de-
velepment of new techniqueS, other
than aircraft, which are constantly
being developed for reconnaissance pur-
poses. And the logical inference to be
drawn is that the Russians are demand
ing that we deSiSt from espionage while
they are left free to continue their own
far-flung efforts in this f1eld-efforts
whose past scope and nature were
touched upon by Ambassador Lodge in
his address to the council.
The answer to such threat must
be, of course, that we will not be intimi-
dated. Still, the threat, the ugly threat,
is there, and all the world should face it.
Evening star., 1960-05-27
High Cost of Loqqinq Low-Cost Housinq

They have confused urban
renewal with urban beautifl-
cation. They have allowed
the idealists, the dreamers,
and the Madison Avenue
Salesmen to dominate their
thinking and their planning"
That statement was made in
criticism Of the Redevelop-
ment Land Agency at the
D. C. Commissioners hearing
on the Columbia Plaza prof.
ect, May 1S, 1860. 1t was not
made by one of the many
opponents of public housing
and urban renewal; it was
made by a man whose known
championship of those pro-
grams, covering more than
20 years, is a matter of public
record-the author of this
letter.
Two days later, Mrs. Cloe-
thiel Smith, one of the
highly skilled, prominent ar
chitects of the District, made
certain statements in The
Evening Star. She asked,
why is it nobody complains
any more?" Well, they do,
but it is never fashionable to
complain, which probably ac-
counts for why so few do.
Complaint or criticism should
be constructive, because only
then does criticism have
merit.
Mrs. Smith stated, GOV
ernmental agencies have too
many silly rules" With that
I am in hearty accord, it
being something I have
fought for years.
Her statement, that "the
area lacks the strong hand
OF an overall designer" also
has my Endorsement, but
from now on the talented
lady and I reach a parting
of the ways.
She is quoted as saying, "If
they succeed in forcing the
struction of low-oost
housing in Southwest, rede-
velopment will be killed . g.
1t is an expensive land area
that can succeed only if it
contains high-cost housing"
1t is quite evident that Mrs.
Smith, who wants "imagina-
tive architecture" and more
"high-cost" housing in the
Evening star., 1960-05-27

poured down other "rat-
holes"
The county's bonded in
debtedneSS now amounts to
an average of 1919 for each
family. If the $7.3 million in
park, police, fire and library
bonds voted on last Novem-
ber are declared to be legal
by the courts, each family's
share Of the debt will amount
to $1,094. If both the $7.3
and the $26 million are
added to the county debt,
each family will then owe
$1,503. The interest on this
debt will place an estimated
tax load on each family Of
$2,254.
Harley M. williams,
Vice President, Fairfax Coun-
ty Taxpayers Alliance.
Evening star., 1960-05-27
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

Here's a woman's view on
those spiked heels:
"They are really not safe
in the rain." writes L. A. C.
of Lincoln Park.
MAY I add that spiked
heels at no time are safe. I
remember how my best girl
friend wore them to make her
legs more alluring.
Il wore them in my youth
to make me tall. but I never
wear them now. I walk in
flats or wedges, and when I
see women strutting in the
daytime with those spiked
heels, carrying their purses
and stumbling around, I Won
der why they don't change
their footwear.
"One cannot walk any dis
tance in comfort in heels,
and furthermore, they are in
bad taste. Even in the eve
ningS, we are prone to remove
them after a dance-note the
pictures of our fashionable
ladies standing shoeless in a
receiving line.
even though a woman is
bowlegged or knockkneed, or
not blessed with good-look-
ing underpegS, she should
not make a martyr of herself.
Il happen to have good
legs, dancing legs, but I used
to wear them just to make
me tall like the other mem-
bers of my family. I was
only 5 feet 2 inches"
Il y y Il
This is one problem of
dress that men seldom worry
about.
Unlike women, wearing
their high heels openly, some
men buy elevator shoes, so
called, with the heels built
in invisibly, or so they think.
After all, men know that
Napoleon was a short little
fellow, and look what he did.
Short fellows usually man
age to make up for their lack
of height by a somewhat
strutting demeanor, immor-
talized in the cartoon series,
Lester De Poster, or however
it was spelled. 1t makes no
difference, since the char
acterization was good. There
is not a business Office, or
even a Government office,
without its Lester.
Old Les is right in there
with a big chip on his Shoul-
der.
We recall one De Poster
who got in an argument
with a policeman half way
up the Washington Monu-
ment.
Les was throwing his
weight around, as usual, and
he had to do a lot of throw
ing, since he did not have
much weight.
He attempted to tell the
officer Just what to do, and
how to do it.
The officer looked down at
the off1eious little fellow.
Now, see here, Lester De
Poster" he began, and the
little fellow crumbled, to
Evening star., 1960-05-27

everybody's intense satisfac-
ton.
Men seem to do better with
their shoes than women, who
buy ten times as many pairs.
per year. and get only one
tenth the satisfaction out of
them.
Probably it is because men
want comfort, above all.
They do not much care
how a shoe looks, so long as
1t seems to fit.
Their shoes are wider. as a
rule. and except now and
then do not have pointed
toes.
The pointed toe, we under
stand, is a fine Italian touch
of recent years.
Just why they were able to
foist this of onto America.
we do not know, but it seems
to have worked.
No doubt it has an au-
thentic background, running
back for centuries, but it is
no more hygienic now than
1t was 500 years ago.
+
Not one human foot out of
a thousand is so constructed
that the big toe really forms
a point with the other toes
going downhill away from it.
Most human feet are
broad at the toes. The chill
dren'S model, almost square
across, represents the aver
age foot very well. Men go
in for this type of shoe, and
that is why they have less
foot trouble.
women want to be
dressed up" all the time,
and that is one reason for
their foot troubles. They do
not give the old dogs any
rest.
They fear, evidently. the
age-old Slur embodied in the
word SlipShod.
"Slipshod" means slipper
shod, of course, and to some,
both male and female, this
is the worst of fates. But it
means comfortable feet.
Evening star., 1960-05-27

@. In an underseaS tele-
phone cable, what are boost
ers?-P. j.
A. These are flexible re-
peaters, or devices which step
up the volume at intervals.
A voice message fades out at
about 10 miles, and to COM
pensate for this an underseas
telephone cable has a built
in booster" about every 40
miles. In the 2,400-mile Cali
fornia-Honolulu twin cables
there are ia Of these repeat
ers. and each amplifies the
voice a million times.