davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1960-07-01
Ducking the Issue

On May %, Mayor Raymond Tucker
of st. Louis, the president of the Amer
:can Municipal Association, told SEN
ate subcommittee that the Federal Gov
ernment will need at least $517 million
more to meet the urban renewal needs
of 1856 cities during the year starting
July /. Accordingly-and with consid-
erable support on Capitol HilI-he urged
Congress to authorize a $500 million-a-
year program of additional urban re-
newal grants over the next 10 years.
Just four days later David M.
Walker, commissioner of the Federal
Urban Renewal Administration, told the
same subcommittee that funds already
authorized will be sufficient, by all in
dicationS, to sustain a program geared
to the maximum level of actual accom-
plishment through the coming fiscal
year"
Now, quite obviously, one of these
pieces of testimony is all wet But what
is Congress doing about it? In the om-
nibus housing bill passed by the Sem
ate two weeks ago, an additional $3.50
million worth of grants would be auth
orized. In the House version, the figure
is up to $3.50 million.
This business of splitting differ
Evening star., 1960-07-01
No Mail Showdown, Please

"A bill awaiting House action would
seriously handicap the Post Office De-
partment in its commendable efforts to
speed up first-claSs mail deliveries. The
measure, sponsored by Representative
Cunningham of Nebraska, would end
the departments seven-year practice
of sending letter mail by air transporta-
ton rather than rail when space is
available and conditions warrant. 1t
would accomplish this by requiring all
mail transported by plane to carry an
airmail stamp.
If this proposal, designed to help
the railroads. were to become law, more
than S million pieces of first-class mail
would be slowed up daily, with delivery
time prolonged as much as 48 hours in
some instances. Under present law, the
department has the authority to air.
lift Accent mail when deemed advisable
in the interest of it's customers, the
general public. The authority first was
exercised in 1853 and an increasing
number of firSt-clasS letters has been
airlifted since then.
THE railroads may need help in
the form of additional subsidies, but
we do not think that curb on air
transportation of mail is the proper
way to provide it. The Cunningham
bill ought to be consigned to the dead
letter Office.
Evening star., 1960-07-01
Victory for Transit

No remaining legislation affecting
the Washington area has more vital i'm
portance than the National Capital rapid
transit bill, and the speed and diligence
with which House and Senate leaders
are pressing it atteStS to this fact. Final
congressional clearance may occur be-
fore today'S press run of The Star is
completed, and that accomplishment
will open the door for an entirely new
attack on the bewildering problems of
regional transportation.
AS revised by House-Senate con-
ference yesterday, the bill is not as good
as most of the congressional, adminis-
tration and local community officials
who worked on it desired. Unquestion-
ably, however, it is the best that Con-
greSS at this time is willing to approve.
It's deficiencies, furthermore, will have
little immediate impact. The bill, es-
Sentially, sets up a Federal agency to
develop the engineering and financial
aspects of rapid transit system, and
instructs the agency to bring the pro-
gram back to Congress no later than
November. 1862. Prior to that time, if
there is need for such emergency steps
as land acquisition, these can be cleared.
The timing of the congressional re-
cess, meanwhile, is most fortunate, for it
will allow the Budget Bureau to complete
its estimates of the financial needs of
the new agency, so these can be acted
upon when Congress returns in August.
We regret that the confereeS saw fit
to insist on five-year moratorium on
new freeWay construction in Northwest
Washington. This, however, is far pref
cradle to the SenSelesS freeze of indefi-
mite duration proposed originally in the
House, and, if real need for highway
construction develops in the meantime,
Congress will be very apt to lift the re-
Striction to flt the circumstances
AS well, the transit program would
have been speeded up if the conferees
had adopted the Budget Bureau proposal
permitting the new agency to seek ap-
preparations from Congress without, in
each instance, securing legislative au-
thorizationS in advance In view of the
neWnesS of the transit approach and
the uncertainty about so many aspects
of the program, however, we are not sur
priSed that Congress was not willing to
go as far in this direction as the Budget
Bureau wished. No one who heard the
House debate can doubt that Congress
wants full understanding of the fl
nancial as we'll as the physical aspects
of the transit program before it commits
itself fully.
BY its approval of the bill, Congress
has recognized that freeways alone, with
their ever-increasing streams of auto
mobiles, cannot preserve the well-being
of the Capital. And that, by any stand
ards, is notable and gratifying achieve
ment
Evening star., 1960-07-01
It's About Time, Too

we would not advise anyone to hold
his breath until the thing is done-but
the prospects now seem to be bright that
the Capitols blushing dome at last is to
get the long-promised once-over-white
treatment. This is not the first time
that the prospects have appeared bright,
of course Capitol Architect Stewart,
haraSSed by persistent inquiries from
many quarterS-including The Star
has been expressing confidence off and
on for long time that the final Off
white coat of paint would blossom out
soon. But the off-white had continued to
remain off until this week.
The last time we had occasion to
editorialize on the dome'S unfinished
state was early last March, when Mr..
Stewart explained how many difficulties
had been encountered in redecorating
the venerable cast iron structure. There
were all those coats of old paint (32 of
them) that had to be Clipped off, rusted
bolts that had to be replaced, undercoatS
of special paint to be applied and bad
weather to be contended with. The
Architects Office expressed hope at that
G11lAC OAldG OlLC JOO WOulu NC COIllDlGICu
before all the spring tourists had for
Saken the city.
But the spring tourists have come
and gone carrying with them color
pictures of the red-and- brown dome)
and not until few days ago did there
appear to be any definite chance of early
completion of the painting job. Then
came word from Mr. Stewart that the
off-white paint was on the way to Wash
ington and would begin to make its
appearance on the dome most any day
now--weather again permitting. Some
white patches actually have begun to
appear. We are full of hope, therefore
hope that the dome will blossom out at
least in time for the cherry blossom
throngS next spring and perhaps even
for the members of Congress when they
reconvene here after the political con-
vention. Nothing wrong about hoping, is
there?
Evening star., 1960-07-01

Then there is the matter
of accent. The slow drawl we
call Southern has its own
ways of pronouncing words.
Nobody, not even the criti-
cal should leap to the slight
est slip.
After all, nobody really
cares any more.
Sometimes there is a posi-
tive charm in the mispro-
nounced word.
The purist seeks his prey
because somehow he has fall
len for the cant of the "edu-
Gated man"
The educated man. for
sooth. is supposed to be cor
rect. He tries to prove him
self without fault.
Every one of honest per-
suasion knows that nobody
but nobody, as they say, can
be as accurate as all that!
y 4 y
Fortunately. the direct and
cruel correction of mispro-
nounced words is dying out.
The thing can be done in
a kindly fashion and much
better, by speaking it cor
rectly later.
There is no need to argue.
Argument has been too
much with us, late or soon:
it lays waste our powers, as
the poet said about another
matter.
The instant and public
correction of speech defects
reveals the misguided, not
the knowing.
The amateur critic of
speech is on a par with the
amateur psychiatrist.
We should fear and shun
them both.
There is no real need for
poking fun at people in this
way, or criticizing them be-
fore others, as SO many do.
After all, some of our lam
guage has come from strange
places and peoples. often the
picturesque word or phrase
used by sweet ladies and
proper gentlemen could not
stand the light Of criticism.
We do best to take people
as they talk and let the
words fall where they will,
and how.
Just SO we understand
them, that is enough.
Evening star., 1960-07-01
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

How do you pronounce
"geranium?"
Some people call it hygera-
mum.
We know a man who pro-
nounces De Sales street as If
written "De Sally's."
Another, who insists on
calling deciduous "dessi-du-
ous,s but he does it just for
a joke.
Another has difhculty with
difficulty" which comes out
di-fee-culty.
y \ y "
1t must be an enormous
job for a foreigner to talk
straight English, because of
the capricious way words are
pronounced.
Some radio announcerS
mangle the Kings English.
as it once was called, be-
cause it is really not their
native tongue.
Sometimes they say "Sing-
ger" instead of just plain
singer.
People who mispronounce
words ought not to be
ashamed at all; they put over
their meaning, and that is
enough.
Precise stress on proper
syllables is scarcely essential,
at times, and the purist, as
he has been called, is mis-
taken in his criticism.
A language is for getting
around among people, and if
it works, then that is enough,
maybe.
Enough for talking, but not
for writing.
He who puts himself into
print must draw a finer line.
We will never forget the
distress this column caused
one honest reader, years ago,
by using the colloquial 'hosS'
for horse.
There are more than 400,-
600 words in the dictionary
How can any one, no mat
ter how skilled, say them all
correctly?
The truth is, that all of us
mispronounce words.
Often it is due to the locale
where one was born and
brought up.
Often what seems wrong
in one State, will seem right
in another.
Evening star., 1960-07-01
Red Atrocities

I hope that every American
has the opportunity to see the
exhibit displayed at Union
Station on the atrocities of
the Soviet Union against the
people of the Baltic States,
Finland, the Ukraine, Poland,
and Hungary.
What horrible, shocking
eye-opening photographs of
mangled bodies of the inno-
cent victims who were tor
tured to death by the mur-
dering regime in the Krem-
lin.
I suggest that a museum
be established in order to
keep every American aware
of the atrocities which could
happen under a totalitarian
regime-whether this regime
be to the right or to the left.
I also wonder why the
United States is constantly
on the defense, when it is so
easy to point out the murders
of millions of people which
would put communism on the
defense. We in the United
States do not have one-third
as much to be ashamed of.
I am sure that many words
of sympathy were expressed
to the people of Latvia,
Lithuanfa. Estonia, and other
neighboring countries, but,
unfortunately, words were
not enough. Action at that
time was taken against Nazi
German aggression. Why
wasn't the same type of ac-
ton taken against the ag-
gressive murderers of these
millions of poor victims? Ac-
tion against the Nazis was
totally justified, and similar
action against the Soviets
was equally Gf not more) JUS
tiflable.
Isn't mass murder, excru-
ciating horror, and atrocities
against mankind the same
whether committed by ex-
treme "rightists" or by ex-
treme "leftists"?
Howard Morrison.
Evening star., 1960-07-01
Enouqh Is Enouqh

The State Departments confession
that our official policy of restraint" in
dealing with Fidel Castro has been a
failure suggests an intention to crack
down on the Cuban dictator. We hope
this Interpretation is correct, for enough
is enough. And Mr.. Castro's Communist
oriented regime has INDUCED once too
often in the game of biting the hand
that feeds it.
This latest nip came with the con-
flscation of the Texaco oil refinery,
whose managers had refused to refine
"a batch of Russian petroleum shipped to
Cuba in barter deal. More confSca-
tions will follow, and Mr.. Castro is
threatening to seize all American-owned
property in Cuba if Congress finally
passes the bill empowering the President,
in his discretion, to reduce imports of
Cuban sugar.
sWe trust that neither Congress nor
the administration will be intimidated
by this threat. 1t is much too late for
any,illusions respecting Mr. Castro. He
has made career out of Slandering the
United States and paving the way for
Communist inf1ltration of Cuba. There
is every reason to suppose that he will
keeplon doing this, and that he will find
one excuse or another for confiscating
or destroying property owned by Amer
leans. Why should the United States
continue to support the Cuban economy
and thereby support Mr.. Castro? Why
should we continue to nav a nreniun
price for Cuban Sugar-a price higher
than the rest of the world payS-and
thereby give Mr. Castro an annual sub
sidyof $150,000,0O0? We hope the sugar
bill will be passed, and that the President
will. not hesitate to use the authority
it gives him to lower the boom on the
two-bit dictator who has destroyed
Cuban American relations and who is
welro his way toward wrecking Cuba.
Evening star., 1960-07-01
Immature Speech

Senator Kennedy in his
Camden, N. j., speech under
takes to advise that we
shouldn't turn the country
over to Vice President Nixon
in this critical time" Since
Mr.. Kennedy knows that the
American people haven't the
faintest idea of turning the
country over to anyone-not
excluding K enne dy - his
statement appears to be an
attempted wise-crack, with,
however, unfortunate Nazi-
like overtones that will be
resented by every thinking
American. Turnover" or
"take-over" are terms that
don't sit well in America,
even in a political campaign.
Next. the Senator COM
plains that people in other
countries don't quote Nixon,
but they do quote former
Presidents like Woodrow Will
son. Thomas Jefferson, FDR
and (even) Harry Truman"
Now. is that an example
of Kennedy's maturity of
thought? First, for the COM
parison to be valid we must
wait for Mr.. Nixon to serve
as President. and to be en-
tirely fair about it, wait for
him to die and then add an
other so years! So that hot
air Just goes out the window.
His next black mark
against Nixon is that I'VE
must elect a President who
will make people get up in
the morning and wonder
what he did, instead of what
Khrushchev did" In short,
Mr.. Kennedy's blueprint for
the next President appears
to be: "Outdo Mr.. Khru-
shchev in the spectacular"
That's KS speciality all right,
but there hardly appears to
be a good reason to emulate
or follow him. At least Mr..
Kennedy did not mention one.
1t just happens, however,
come a proper caSe-that
maybe Nixon is the man to
do just that, as he demon
strated in the famous "kitch-
en-" conference.
Finally Mr.. Kennedy stated
that only when the President
is overShadowed do foreign
policy programs" bear the
name of the Secretary of
State. Could Mr.. Kennedy be
talking about Truman and
the Marshall Plan?"
1t appears that Mr.. Ken
nedy threw away his prepared
text and spoke off the cuff.
Maybe he shouldn't ever do
that again because when he
does he appears to get off the
deep end, and that doesn't
help to diminish the image of
immaturity that he is trying
so hard to change.
Jackson Lee Davis.
Evening star., 1960-07-01

of the amendment should
forbid a President to leave
the boundaries of the United
States. Pending. its adop-
tions, now, in the pre-elec-
ton turmoil. we should de-
mand from each candidate
for the presidency a pledge
that, if elected he would alb
stain from summit diplo-
macy" and stay at home.
Richard L. Feldman.
Evening star., 1960-07-01

The Presidents opposition
to bringing retired Govern
ment employees into the
health insurance plan cover
ing active Government en-
ployes throws a rather start
ling light on a man who,
without any contribution on
his part, has received free
medical care for himself and
family that has certainly cost
the public huge sums.
H. KeIlOck.
Evening star., 1960-07-01
Compares Coveroqe

The June "a Stars account
of Adlai Stevenson's speech
in Waukegon, Ill, is headed
Stevenson Would Bar Khru-
shchev as ISSUE" and is con-
fined to his remarks on that
subject.
The New York Times on
the same date gave a third
of its story to a much more
challenging part of Governor
Stevenson's remarks.
In his memorable speech
Mr.. Stevenson called for
grounding our real strength
in the creation of a perma-
nent economic and social
union in the Atlantic world"
He said that such an eco
nomic and social union might
undertake with the United
Nations "a revolution of eco
nomic modernization in the
decisive under-developed
areas of the world where the
Communists are working so
hard" He said that on
this fundamental basis of
strength" renewed efforts
could be made to achieve
complete disarmament under
international control.
Surely your readers would
have been far more inter
ested in this highly construc-
tive plank for international
policy than in another COM
ment based on the highly
overpublicized Khrushchev.
I am wondering at just
what point in transmission
this startlingly newsworthy
pronouncement, by one who
is widely considered as top
ping the list of possible
nominees for the Presidency,
was lost-or screened out.
Could it possibly be that there
is room for Congressional
investigation of the use Of
suppressive power by the
press, including the wire
services?
Stella Brunt Osborn.
Evening star., 1960-07-01
Fences In President

Now, as we, the people,
celebrate the achievement of
our independence from King
George III, it seems to be a
good time to talk about en-
croachment upon that in
dependence by such func-
tionaries as King Woodrow,
King Franklin, King Harry.
and King Dwight. I am re-
ferring to the unlawful as
sumption by these public
servants of the treaty-mak-
ing powers specifically re-
served to the Senate of the
people.
When the head of an un-
limited monarchy, an Orien-
tai despot. or a dictator, fore
gathers with sovereigns of
other countries he can make
agreements which are bind
ing upon his subjects. The
United States of America,
however, has no such all
powerful head; nevertheless,
within the lifetimes of mil
lions of our present voters
we have witnessed Wilson,
FDR, and Truman dicker
personally at summit" con-
ferences with representatives
of foreign states, making
agreements which have the
force of treaty law, and gen.
orally to the sorrow or dis
credit of the United States.
Eisenhower was finally per-
suaded to undertake the
same sort of usurpation of
power but, thanks to the
intervention of Providence,
has been thwarted,-to our
lasting benefit.
What we badly need, in
order to prevent a recurrence
of these "king-like" ventures
is another amendment to the
Constitution. The first clause
Evening star., 1960-07-01
What follows may be


scoop" Of sorts.
It's about something that
happened almost two centur-
les ago but still - in news
paper terms - a scoop"
1t concerns an 18-year-old
deaf mute who lived in the
north of England late in the
18th century. Almost unmen-
toned in history, he must
have been one of the great
est intellectS the world has
known.
The tip for the scoop comes
in a curious way - that is
from a Department of Com
merce translation of an
exceptionally modest astro-
nomical report of a Soviet
astronomer at the Pulkova
observatory, near MOSCOW.
The deaf mute's name was
John Goodricke. He was the
son of a Yorkshire country
squire. From birth he heard
no sound, spoke no words.
When he was 18 years old
he made one of the most sig
nit1cant discoveries in the
history of astronomy, inter-
preted it correctly, followed
it with a series of other dis
coyeries in the same field,
maintained the validity of
his interpretations against
the foremost astronomers of
his age. Just before he died
at the age of % he was
elected a member of the
British Royal Society, at the
time probably the foremost
intellectual organization in
the world.
Russians Refer to Youth
The Russian astronomer
was writing about the light
houses of the universe" These
are the so-called cepheid
variable stars. They vary in
brightness at very precise
intervals. No clock is quite
as accurate, says the Russian
report. The interval of their
variations depends on their
brightness. When this is
known their distance from
the earth can be calculated
Thus they are yardsticks oi
the immensity of space-that
is, of the minute part oi
space in our home Milky Way
galaxy which contains two OF
three billion stars of which
the sun is about an average
example. The periodic light
variations have been ex.
planned in several ways. None
are quite satisfactory, say,
the Russian, and he offers
quite modestly, a theory o.
his own.
But that has nothing to dC
with the scoop" This writel
was quite intrigued with tht
reference to John Goodricke
There was no reference tt
him in the Brittanica. There
was no reference to him in {
half dozen popular astronomy
books available. All of then
had long accounts of cepheic
variables and their signif1'
canoe.
Chasing the fellow dowl
has been quite a job. At las
the Naval Observatory wa
able to furnish a lead-a bool
that had Just come into the
library there on "closeC
binary systems" by DR.
zdedenk Kopal, professor o
astronomy at the Universit,
of Manchester in England. .
Prof. Kopal is parSimoni
Gus with his information. H,
records that the deaf NUT
in 1782-22 years old at tn
time - discovered periodi
pulsations in the light o
Algol the Demon, a star o
about 10 times the size bu