davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1960-08-06

@. Why was the Royal
Observatory in England
moved from Greenwich? Did
the change make any diff
ference in time measure
mentS?-R. T.
A. The observatory was
moved because smoke and
dirt from the ever-spreading
city of London, and from the
factories and docks which
have grown up in the area
since the observatory was
founded there in 1875, inter-
fered with astronomers OBJ
servations. HerstmonceuX, a
15th-century castle some so
miles southeast of Greenwich
in rural Sussex, was chosen
as the new location in 1947.
although the actual process
of moving instruments did
not get started for several
years. The move made no
practical difference in the
worlds time-keeping system.
which has been based on the
Greenwich prime meridian
since the international accord
signed at Washington, D. c.,
in 1884. Adjustments are
made in observed time at the
new location, to correct it to
Greenwich time.
Evening star., 1960-08-06
Errond of Mercy

In these times when all
Of us are inclined to be too
critical of our fellow man,
we feel somewhat taken back
and also ashamed, when we
witness the efficiency and
charity Of the police and res
cue squad, especially on the
occasion Of a woman driver
from out of town minnesota
license) who was taken sud-
denly Ill recently while driv-
ing on G street between
Fifth and Sixth streets.
The police and rescue squad
arrived in a very short time,
and administered first aid
(oxygen), the police collected
the necessary information
and directed traffic. The
rescue squad ambulance also
arrived and she was taken
to a hospital, and a priest
from nearby St. Mary's
Church was escorted to her
to attend to her spiritual
needs. The police and rescue
squads did an excellent job
in this particular case, and
I am certain in many, many
others of this nature.
From now on. any one who
has an imaginary grippe
against the police or firemen
should do a little thinking
first, or better still be a wit
ness to an accident, and they
will have all praise for their
efficiency and charity.
James A. Joyce
Evening star., 1960-08-06
NAACP and Africa

Your correspondent, j. j.
Keane, tried to equate the
current upheaval in the
Congo with the recent mas
sacre in South Africa. He
further suggested that since
the NAACP had urged an
economic boycott Of South
Africa by the United States,
the NAACP should now
appeal to the Congolese to
behave"
The unfortunate situation
in the Congo is understand
able. The crisis might well
have been foreseen and
averted.
In almost a century of
neglect and economic exploit
tation Of the Congo's rich
natural resources and cheap
labor supply, Belgium did
little to make the Congo
ready" for nationhood. Such
exploitation and negligence
are the roots of the present
crisis.
The recent demonstrations
by the natives of South Afri-
ca against laws compelling
them to carry passes were in
the tradition of our Boston
Tea Party and the Declara-
ton Of independence. The
shooting down of these dem
onstrators by police shocked
the conscience of the world.
It is one thing for the
NAACP to urge our Govern
ment to act against South
Africa. 1t is a vastly different
thing for the NAACP to go
over the heads of the United
States and Congolese gov
ernments and the United
Nations Command to appeal
to the riotous troops to
behave" Sidney S. Tobin.
Evening star., 1960-08-06
Lyndon's Helpers

Ken keat1ng Is New York'S junior
Republican Senator. And as everybody,
or almost everybody, knows, he is the
friendly type. He likes people-all kinds
of people-and he is especially fond of
his colleague, Lyndon B. Johnson of
Texas. Senate Majority Leader and DEM
ocratic vice presidential candidate.
This being so, Ken Heating Just
wouldn't be Ken Keating If he weren't
trying to do something to help his good
friend. 1t comes as no surprise to us,
therefore, to read that Senator Keating,
assisted by Republican Representative
Miller, also of New York, is more than
willing to help Lyndon johnson hang
himself, politically speaking, on the civil
rights issue.
Senator Keating proposes to render
this helpful service at the forthcoming
three-week session of Congress. He says
that he and Mr.. Miller will introduce
legislation "to carry out every one of the
Democratic Party's civil rights platform
promises" And he also says, in that
warm, expansive way of his, that these
pledges surely will be enacted into law
IL OClldGO1 JOllIlSOIl plICIlcS Ill anu 1eIlQS
a hand. ..-..
One flaw in this picture is that some
one seems to have missed the signals. A
few days ago Senator Javits, also New
York Republican, demanded quick ac-
ton on the G.. o. P. civil rights proposals.
This found no favor with Senator Dirk
sen, Republican Minority Leader, and
Senator Morton, Republican National
Chairman. They said in effect that Sena-
tor Javits was talking through his hat
that there just wouldn't be time in
three-week session to deal with civil
rights.
Some people might be discouraged by
this chilly reaction from the Republican
leaders. But not Senator Heating. For
he, to repeat, is the friendly type, and
the friendly type is not easily discour-
aged. AS long as there Is a chance to
string up Lyndon Johnson with the Dem
ocratic Party's civil rights proposals,
which, in fact, are anathema to the
Texan, Ken Keating will be there, moose
in hand and ready to spring the trap
all, of course, in the friendliest of friend
ly spirits.
Evening star., 1960-08-06
No Laughing Matter

One piece of unfinished business
awaiting action by the Senate is to ap-
prove or diSapprove authorization of the
Theodore Roosevelt memorial on Roose-
Velt Island. The design for the memo
rial has been subject to considerable
ridicule and will, no doubt, continue to
invite it. When the authorization was
before the House, several members were
unusually derisive in their characterize
tions. Yet the House approved the bill,
308 to So, and sent it over to the Senate.
The Senate, in our opinion, should
also approve it. For the question before
Congress is not the design of the me-
mortal. Approval Of the design is left
to the Theodore Roosevelt Association,
the Commission of Fine Arts and the
National Capital Planning Commission.
They have already given it, What Con-
gress must approve is the erection of a
memorial to a great American and we
think it would be mistake for Congress
to withhold such approval because some
OF its members may not like the design.
In our opinion, there are better
ways to commemorate Theodore RooSe-
velt than by memorial of this sort
We are confident that many people feel
the same way. But we are also sure
that it would be impossible to obtain
complete agreement among many peo-
pie on what sort Of memorial should
be erected to Theodore Roosevelt. And
as those with the chief responsibility
in the matter have considered the ques-
tion long time, sought qualified coun-
sci and enlisted distinguished artists,
it is their recommendation that should
prevail. #"
We do not envy them their gamble,
however, with ultimate public accept
ance of the design. And of all the
criticism expressed in House debate,
that by Representative Howard Smith
Of Virginia contained the most sinister
implications. When the design was
shown to the Rules Committee, he said,
Everybody laughed" When the news
papermen later were admitted, and were
shown the design, Everybody laughed"
The danger, said Mr. Smith, is that
when the memorial is erected 1t will
evoke laughter, not respect, from those
who see it. And that would be an
ironical fate for Teddy Roosevelt.
Evening star., 1960-08-06

Mr. TroeewelI is III ond in his OBJ
senee The Stor is reprintins some
Of his columns Of other yeors. He
requests thot no telephone or
other messages be sent to his
home during his illness. From The
Stor Of August II. 1895.
Evening star., 1960-08-06
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Robot Outmoneuvers AdmiroIs
BY THOMAS r. HENRY

Late predictions of the
eventual triumph Of man
made machine brains over
human brains - slave con-
quering master - have been
received with some skepti-
ciSm.
Now comes the Navy with a
crucial example. A calcu-
lating machine beat several
rear admirals, all skilled
players, in games Of check
ers. The same machine also
beat the man who designed
and made it-who put all he
knew about checker playing
into it.
But with the same basic
knowledge it could think"
a thousand times faster and
look farther into the future.
All this happened, says a
Navy report, at a recent
seminar on advanced infor-
nation systems and "artifi-
cial intelligence" held by flag
officers of the Navy Supply
Corps.
"The game was used" says
the Navy report, ito demon
strate the power Of a machine
program which includes a
learning factor. Before each
move the computer looks
ahead anywhere from 3 to
20 moves and evaluates vari-
GUS positions by a position
score which depends on up
to 38 factors"
Learns From Experience"
It is probably beyond any
human mind to think of 38
things at once 20 moves
ahead. The best the admirals
could do was plan for three
or four moves.
"The machine" says the
report, learns from expert
ence. 1t has progressively i'm
proved its game until now it
wins most Of the games it
plays against the Inter-
national Business Machines
Corporation scientist, DR.. Ar
thur Samuels, who originally
designed the program for
checkers"
At the conference the ad-
mirals considered ways of
making the thinking ma
chine think even faster and
better, and ways in which it
could help out Navy supply
programs, especially in case
of war when all contingencies
must be taken into account.
\ 4 y y
And now the braSs-brained
physician. It will not pat your
head and try to cheer you up
Evening star., 1960-08-06
Migrant Birds

I wish to express my ap-
probation Of the excellent
series on Spring Migrants"
published in This Week
magazine and written by
Jackson Miles Abbott, natura-
list.
I hope that This Week and
Mr.. Abbott will see At to run
a series on the fall migrants.
Mrs. Joseph A. Tyson.
Evening star., 1960-08-06

otherwise fine folk never
seem to acquire it.
Their attitude is reflected
in the old song, ANY place
I hang my hat is home, sweet
home, to me-"
At the other extreme is the
person who becomes greatly
attached to cne particular
house.
1t will be found, in most
such cases. that even the
furniture is cherished, years
after it ought to be junked,
according to the strictly mod
ern conception of things.
A further step in this
almost pathologic love of
home may be seen in the man
or woman who wants moth
ing moved.
Not even a book must be
displaced from the position
it has held for many years.
Between these extremes, of
which many instances must
occur to any one, in his own
personal acquaintance, there
is the ordinary, normal love
and interest in a home to
be found on every hand.
Ones own home, to such
persons, is vastly loved, but
is not all of life, by any
means.
1t is kept we'll, but not to
the point where it becomes
a burden.
They find that a house al
ways takes a great deal of
pounding, from time to time,
in order to keep it running
along smoothly.
Something is always get
ting out of fix.
"Out of fix" what a good
phrase! 1t is one of the COL
loquial expressions in which
our language is so rich.
When a thing is fixed, it
is fixed, but when it is out
of fix, then it needs fixing
again.
1t is just as simple as that.
Yes, it takes a lot of pound
ing to make a house, and to
keep it made.
Evening star., 1960-08-06

for new families and old FAM
lilies, too.
1t has always seemed to us
that Washington is a pecu-
liarly home-loving city.
We have seen Government
clerks sneered at. in one of
the sophisticated magazines,
for their strenuous efforts to
own homes of their own.
They should be blessed in
stead and have blessed them
selves, indeed, over all these
years.
The amount of sheer
pounding that goes into a
house, even a small house. is
enormous.
A paSserby going along a
residence street, wherein a
new house is under construc-
ton, hears the same bang,
bang, bang, for days on end,
weeks, several months.
Busy black or brown haired
men few carpenters are
blond, evidently-h a m m e T.
home nails in various key
places where they will do the
most good.
Thousands of nails are
used, even in brick homes.
There is just a little more
pounding in frame houses.
The daily pedestrian in
spector of such seething &C
tivity often wonders just how
every one knows just where
to hammer.
1t is the same with a mod
ern Office building under con-
Struction.
To the lay inspector every
thing seems confusion. He
would swear that no one knew
where anything could be
found. Yet they say, and
time always proves, that the
superintendent knows to a
square foot of lumber just
where every bit Of material is
at any given moment.
& y So
It is an interesting thing
to watch the building of
some one else's house.
Whether one would find
interest in the inspection of
the building of his own de-
pends largely on personal
temperament, OF course.
Nothing could be more ex-
citing, to the home-loving
person.
There is as much .,heer eX-
element in it, to such a man
or woman, as in the construc-
ton of a ship to a sailor, or
of blind to a hunter.
Persons of ordinary quiet
temperament find as much
pleasure in the things of
home as many another per-
son does in a foreign trip.
It is all a matter of inner
temperament, built solidly on
heredity.
Just how much subsequent
training may have to do with
this fine love of home is
q problem. Certainly many
Evening star., 1960-08-06

with soothing encourage
ments but If anything very
complicated is the matter it
probably can diagnose it bet
ter than the family doctor, or
even the specialist.
Such, at least. is the con-
clusion Of Indiana University
psychologists studying the
capacities Of electronic brains.
$50 far they have found"
according to a university re-
port" that the brain, or at
least some brains, can do as
well as the electronic brains
in situations involving up to
eight or ten patterns of in
formation and beyond that
the machine excels.
This is true if all peril
nent information is available
10 poth man and machine"
That is. presumably, if only
such factors as blood pres
sure, heart rate, temperature
and about ten other things
need to be considered. Be
yond that calculations get
out Of control for the human
brain.
Subtleties Elude Robot
But, the psychologists point
out, the physician still might
arrive at a more accurate
diagnosis because he might
unconsciously be aware of
symptoms not known" by
the electronic diagnostician.
He might know his patient
and be aware Of subtle little
physiological idiosyncrasies.
To the machine any patient
would be just another thing.
Under the direction of Drs.
w. K. Bates and C. j. Burke
an electronically controlled
nearly automatic laboratory
has been developed for the
investigation. financed by the
National Science Foundation.
Subjects are given a variety
OF ingenious tests built
around designs and pictures
flashed on the screen. These
are planned to measure the
brains ability to learn COM
plex patterns of information
and then make accurate pre-
dictions from them. Punched
card devices record the re-
suits.
The psychologists also are
trying to determine how
speed Of learning in diagnosis
is related to complexity. 1t
might be expected that such
learning would be slower as
complexity increases, but re-
suits to date indicate this is
not always true.
Evening star., 1960-08-06

irving at a satisfactory final
plan.
Mr.. Frain states urban
renewal planning must make
sense :" urban renewal
should concentrate on those
areas where it is most need
ed" What kind of sense is
made when a legislative aide
to a Congressman heralds
the cause Of taxpayers bur-
denS and at the same time
proposes to let a deteriorat-
ing area go completely into
the status Of a Slum for want
of less expensive, corrective
treatment that could stem
this tide? If the citizens of
Washington could vote on
how their taxes should be
spent, they might elect to
hire professional planners to
sit with them through a hun
dred or more hours of serious
deliberation on the problems
of their neighborhood and
how they might be solved.
Then they might present
their preliminary proposals
only to find that there were
not enough Congressional
aides to serve each commun-
nifty that needed the kind of
treatment that is being sug-
gested for Adams Morgan.
In the case of Adams-Mor-
gan, the matter before the
Commissioners was simply
that of approving the bound
aries adopted by the National
Capital Planning Commis-
sion on June 16. However,
the order of the 10 AM. to
$50 PM. day July 28) was
consumed in discussions on
the Rabaut Bill, the parking
lot. personal opinions of some
feature contained in the re-
port, unrealistic counter
proposals, the efforts and ef-
fects Cor lack of them of
the Kalorama Triangle Res
toration Society, etc-all to
the accompaniment of "boos"
and misses" by the opponents
of the proposal advanced by
a 81 to 4 majority of repre-
sentative associations in the
Adams-Morgan area. Not only
is one of the basic tenets of
democracy threatened in such
f1ascos, but the citizens of
Washington get the idea that
they might as well not be
be bothered with the welfare
of their community anyway.
Sidney S. Faber
Past-President of 18th and
Columbia Road Business
Association, Representative
to the Adams-Morgan Plan
ming Committee.
Evening star., 1960-08-06
CIoshing Views on Adams Morgan Project

I read with interest the
letter Of George Frain
august - under the heading
Controversial Adams-Mor-
gan Project" 1t was a pain
stakingly inaccurate substitu-
ton OF opinion for facts. Mr..
Frain has had both the op-
portunity to digest the report
on the Preliminary Planning
Proposals for the Adams
Morgan Area and to hear
testimony given at the public
meeting on July %. How
ever. it would appear that.
facts contained in the report
as we'll as opinions and state
ments made in support of the
Adams-Morgan Project have
failed to touch his powers of
comprehension.
! should like to point out
to those who might not be
too familiar with the expert
mental approach suggested
for the Adams-M org an
Project that a great deal
more than the personal
opinions Of a few are at stake.
On trial in this case, is
whether the process of de-
mocracy will be given a
chance to work. In Adams
Morgan. we have been expert
menting with a new approach
which a vast majority of us
feel is unsurpassed as a plan
ming technique - and we
arrived at a point in the
process where we recognize
that we need more and better
information in order to create
a comprehensive plan which
is economically feasible and
reasonable from all points of
view.
The preliminary proposals
which the entire committee
accepted are embodied in the
report as a composite of the
views expressed by all mem
bers Of the planning commit
tee. They reflect suggested
treatments for community
problems and as such are
merely guides for future, de-
tailed planning. The docu-
ment does not suggest that
they are the best possible
treatments, that they are the
only possible treatments, that
they might be acceptable to
the District-or even that the
various interests represented
on the committee are COM
pletely satisfied with their
provisions. The report was
based on available facts
which indicated that every
section in the Adams-M Morgan
area has problems which
cannot be corrected without
Evening star., 1960-08-06

the use of urban renewal
powers. The facts revealed
that the entire Adams-Mor-
gan area is eligible for urban
renewal both because of the
existence of substandard
structures and because of en-
vironmental deficiencies.
Resident-owners of valu-
able properties in the "high
class residential neighborhood
west of Columbia Road" tes-
titled, on July %, to the fact
that urban renewal powers
were needed to protect them
from conditions detrimental
to health, safety, and well
fare" Because these people
have no one to represent
them, no Congressman to ex-
ert pressure upon District
authorities, are they not en-
titled to have their view
properly presented to the
public? Is it in the interest
of fairness" that Mr.. Frain
attempts to interpret which
of the Adams-Morgan area
groups are powerful and
representative" and which are
not?
1t is Mr.. Frain's opinion
that the Adams Morgan area
does not need two parking
lots. Those who have served
on the Citizens Planning
Committee know that they
don't know how many or how
large the parking facilities
should be to accommodate
either the needs of the COM
munity or the needs of the
business operators who will
be allowed to remain in the
area. Furthermore, for the
record, it was proposed that
if a marketability analysis
indicated a need for off street
parking on the south side of
Lanier place, this would be
provided at no cost to the tax
payers. Is it in the interest of
making sense" that a figure
of $750,000 as a minimum
cost" to taxpayers is dangled
as a red herring in the eyes of
the readers? Furthermore, if,
as Mr.. Frain stated, there was
a singular lack of enthusi-
asm for the parking lot pro-
posed for the Lanier place
site" by "a number of the
businessmen on Columbia
road" west tnot south, Mr..
Frain) of 18th street, then a
look at the statement sub
mitted as part of the record
by one Of these same busi-
nesSmen would indicate how
unanimous they are for get
ting on with the task of ar
Evening star., 1960-08-06
Bottled-Up Bill

Several weeks, before Con-
gress adjourned, you carried
an editorial relating to the
regrettable fact that Senator
John Stennis of Mississippi
has bottled up in his Armed
Services Subcommittee the
very important H.R. 1873,
the bill passed unanimously
by the House more than three
months ago to correct that
grossly unjust and inequitable
Military Pay Act Of 1858,
which created two classes of
retirees: The inferior" class
and the preferred" class, so
to speak.
Those who retired prior to
that mythical date Of June /,
1858 make up the inferior"
list, among whom will be
found a great number who
rose to top leadership in the
crucible of hot war. All those
retiring after that date COM
prise the preferred" list.
That group will still fall in
the category Of the century,
old tradition of relating
retired pay increases to active
duty increases.
With Congress rushing to
make hay" during this short
special session this important
legislation could easily die a
painful death in the Stennis
Subcommittee unless some
sort Of pressure is brought to
bear on the Senate to per-
suade them to blast it out.
This Is no less than tragic for
the second class" old soldiers
who have already lost over
two years pay increase. The
sum necessary to implement
this correction Is a paltry
amount as congressional ap-
preparations are measured.
Thank you for helping carry
the fight for us in your edito-
rials.
Ralph M. Wood,
Colonel, USAF, Ret.
Evening star., 1960-08-06
Linking the Two Virginios

Speaking of bridges, as we in the
Potomac area have been doing quite a
bit lately, it is good news to many
motorists that Virginia's Eastern Shore
counties, long separated from the re-
mainder Of the State by broad ex-
panse of Chesapeake Bay, are to be
Joined to the western shore by a 5000
million bridge-and-tunnel project. The
only connection between the two Vir-
Evening star., 1960-08-06
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

1t takes a lot of pounding
to make a house.
Everywhere in the subur-
ban sections of the National
Capital, and nearby Maryland
and Virginia, the sound Of
hammers goes on all day long.
Men are building new homes
Evening star., 1960-08-06
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names mdv be used u
letters carry toriters' correct
names and addresses. AL
letters are subject to con-
denSdtion.
Evening star., 1960-08-06
Answers to Questions
By THE HASKINS SERVICE

A reader can get an answer. by
mail. to any question of fact by
writing The Star Information Bu-
reau. 635 F street NV, Washington
4 D. C. Please inclose return postage
or self-addressed stamped envelope.
Evening star., 1960-05-11
WOULD YOU GUESS THE PRICE OF THESE
MODERN LANE TABLES TO BE $40. $50 s69?

We to
the of
Fee
the
ttsur
ertatel
their delightfully."- moderate Choose
Evening star., 1960-02-14

The FIRST is Abou Ben
Adhem,' whose ma me
''led all the rest" A lot
of school children have
made the gleeful discovery
that his name was almost
bound to lead all the rest
- alphabetically. The sec
ond is Jenny Kissed Me-"
which is only eight lines
long, but the eight lines
are as sweet and simple as