davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1960-12-20
FIyinu Can Be Safer

Aviation's worst accident, the nidair
collision of two airliners over New York
City last Friday, has centered attention
anew on the need for safety devices
TO reduce the possibility of such catas-
5 sfkophes There are several types Of
,electronic and other equipment which
would help to avert midair crash
but the tragedy Of 1t is that most of
them still are in developmental stage.
gsg$ One of the first questions arising
gOlit of the New York crash was why
9if, as was reported, tower controllers
Efad the planes on their radar screens
.A--the collision could not have been pre-
vented. 1t has been learned, however,
that while airport radar facilities at
{ present are capable Of spotting the di-
/ yrection of flight Of a, plane, they are
/ incapable of providing information as
to altitude unless the aircraft is lined
UP with the airstrip and making its
! fanal landing approach. Thus, the air
controllers at Idlewild and La Guardia
had no way of knowing that the TWA
kaConstellation and the United Jet were
I Irnoving towards each other at the same
Ileyel.
8% It Is small comfort now to learn
that a new type of airport radar is
being developed for the purpose not
; only of tracking the course Of aircraft
but of providing accurate data as to
! attitude of planes in any part of an
] alrport's landing pattern. And another
Important field OF research and develop
Evening star., 1960-12-20
LETTERS TO THE STAR

one Judge" could be repre-
sentative Of a country whose
leaders (dictators) thrive on
world tensions and turmoil
and whose goal is world
domination.
Perhaps some day when
international representatives
really agree on the meaning
of the. words Justice"
peace" "aggressio m"
TRUTH" ".colonialism" ETC.,
we can hope for a world court
of Justice"
r. johnson.
Evening star., 1960-12-20
Conflicting Interests

senator kennedy Is right, or course,
In saying that there will be no place in
his administration "for those who regard
Government service as the door to power
or wealth-those who cannot distinguish
between private gains and public trust
and those who believe that old-fash-
ioned honesty with the public's money
is both old and out of fashion"
What the President-elect is saying
here Is that he will not tolerate knaves
or thieves. And Of course he should not.
But this generality hardly fits the facts
of the real conflict-of-interest problem
which confronts his and any other ad-
ministration.
The real problem is how to bring
able men-honeSt men-into Govern
ment service without requiring that they
impoverish themselves in the process.
It has been reported, for example, that
Mr. Kennedy's Secretary of Defense,
Robert Mcnamara, will suffer a reduc-
ton in net worth Of about So million
in order to qualify for his post. Presum-
ably Mr.. Mcnamara can afford this or
he would not have agreed to do it. But
life, men who could be Of great service
to the administration, who will not be
able to incur heavy personal losses for
the often dubious privilege" of entering
Government service This will be espe-
cially true of relatively young men with
dependent families.
It seems to us that there must be
some better way. II man is inherently
dishonest, requiring him to sacrifice his
holdings Is not going to convert him
iElto an honest man. Thus, a searching
pre-appointment investigation suggests
one approach to the problem. Other
approaches may lie in the statement Of
Kennedy aide that the President
elects appointees will be expected to
follow "a rule of common sense" in
avoiding potential conflicts Of interest.
Exactly what this means is not clear,
but at least 1t carries hopeful implica-
tionS
If this problem is approached in a
context Of common sense, as opposed
to purely arbitrary requirements, the
interests Of the Government, we think,
would be well served by enlisting the
help Of men of outstanding ability. II
this cannott be done the Government
service will suffer. And in this latter
eventuality, we do not believe that any
man in private life who would like to
serve his Government, but who feels
that he cannot afford to meet arbitrary
self-impoverishment requirements in
order to do so, is validly subjected to
the slightest criticism.
Evening star., 1960-12-20

learning 10 reao. In TACT,
preliminary studies at New
Castle seem to indicate that
much Of the remedial eye
problems that occur in the
upper grades have been les
sened by this technique.
Many of our problems can
be solved now. But let's not
saddle ourselves with a phil
losophy that makes for worse
problems in practice, in spite
of the validity of the theory.
That's like a coach cooking
up some new backleld plays
requiring intricacy and speed
and trying to put them into
action without that good
quarterback or those fleet
footed backs. The phonovis-
ual materials work for the
average teacher. The New
Castle program requires no
super-teacher. It works. Our
two-teacher classroom works,
especially in the ungraded
primary form. Why not use
them? The American, public
is unhappy with the end
product. It is only then they
pick on the philosophy and
methodology. Give them re-
suits, and you will get their
support. And then they will
leave the philosophy and
methods to the professionals
where they belong.
Let me suggest as required
reading Mr.. McCracken's
new book, THE Right to
Learn" You may not like all
of it. but most of 1t is true
in our experience. And just
recently new research re-
leased at Harvard supports
his attack on the concepts
of Reading Readiness" Let's
give the teacher a chance to
teach! We have enough Of
the how" right now.
William Cohen,
Headmaster,
Town and Country School,
Silver Spring, Md.
- So
The letter of Florence King
(November 30) seethes with
wrathful indignation at the
myriad shortcomings Of the
teaching profession, in par
ticular, the teachers colleges.
She possesses an erudite
grasp and keen analysis of
the situation, and it seems a
shame that Miss King left
the field of teaching. Even so
small q contribution as prop
erly instructing a group OF
youngsters would be more
beneficial to advancing the
cause of education than are
the blanket condemnations
contained in the letter.
Or was, the letter written as
a modern version of who
Will Bell the Cat?"
Ann Sanders.
Evening star., 1960-12-20
ConnoIIy Amendment

In your recently published
news item entitled Church
Foresees U. N. Voting Down
U. S." the National Council
Of Churches is said to urge
Americans to uphold and
strengthen the International
Court Of Justice" by ahrogat-
ing our Nations self
appointed power to deny to
the Court its legitiraat tsiris-
diction." In other words,
repeal the "Connaily Reser-
vation."
I am one American who
would urge that our Congress
resist the pressure TO repeal
the reservation. An interna-
tional Supreme Court would
work fine in theory. but I
doubt that it would work for
Justice" in practice. I would
hate to see our Government
voluntarily forfeit its .sover-
eighty to an international
supreme" court where even
Evening star., 1960-12-20
School Critics: 'Give Teacher Chance to Tenchr

The recent series Of arti-
cles by Andrew Bingham on
the teaching Of English was
an authoritative treatment
Of the subject. This writer
would like to add a few
thoughts Of his own from
the vantage point Of the pri-
vate school administrator
which, 1t is hoped. will shed
more light on the elemen-
tary school level.
An examination of reading
practices in the public
schools in recent years re-
veals. that they are based
on q sound premise Of rec
ognizing individual differ
ences. Thus, each child was
to be challenged at his own
level. This led to homoge-
neotS (as near as possible)
subgroups within a room,
usually three. A teacher then
teaches each group in turn,
providing seatwork for the
other two groups. This con-
sumes most of the morning
and means three distinct
preparations by the teacher.
II you have observed such a
reading plass in the primary
grades, for instance, you can
not help but note that the
seatwork is less than effec-
tive, frequently just busy
work. with more time down
the drain with the teacher
correcting the busy work.
While 1t is true that some
teachers can handle the
grouping reasonably we'll, for
most 1t is a burdensome
problem of management and
ineficient.
The recent trend back
to homogeneous grouping,
whatever its drawbacks, Is a
simple recognition Of this
management problem. In
fact one Of the things which
contributes to success of pri-
vate schools in reading
achievement is a policy of
selective admissions, nothing
more than the most favor
able type Of homogeneous
grouping from q teachers
point Of view.
Another by product Of
grouping in reading is the
dearth Of time we spend on
other phases of language
arts. spelling, writing, and
grammar. It is no wonder
that those skills have been
suffering.
What then are we to do?
It is interesting to note the
success Of the phonovisual
materials given impetus by
the primary day school. We,
too. have used these mate
rials and can attest that II
. works. At the time these ma
terialS hit the market, it was
almost impossible to find q
well structured phonics pro-
Evening star., 1960-12-20
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Why Muscles Shrink With Aoe
By THOMAS R. HENRY

young animals and becoming
marked in the. old. The
changes, including fragmen-
tation and diSintegration Of
the muscle tibers, were seen
in both sexes but were more
marked in the males. Inflltra-
ton Of the muscle with fat
and. connective tissue was
also seen microscopically.
One of the most important
results of the work was the
demonstration that it is pos
sible- to correlate biochemi-
cal changes with age with
changes which actually can
be observed under the micro
scope.
Further Findings
Mitochondria, tiny bodies
inside cells which carry on
basic process of energy
metabolism, show gross
difference in the old rat as
compared with the young.
Some of the differences are
visible physical ones, as in
their color and consistency.
Others can be deduced from
losses of function.
These are among the find-
ings Of Drs. Eugene Wein-
bach and Joel Garbus of the
National Institutes of Health
section on aging research.
The decline which takes
place with age in general
metabolism often has beer
ascribed in the past entirely
to loss of cells or the loss oi
metabolic activity in indi'
vidual cells. The present
study indicates that in som'
cells there is no true age
related decline in the pheno'
menon known to the expert
as "mitochondrial oXidatiW
phosphorylation," a ba si'
metabolic process by whicl
energy is made available TO
life processes.
The experiments foun
also that liver mitochondrl
in older animals were NOR
likely to be fragile and az
to lose their activity durin
exposure to harsh expert
mental procedures.
Evening star., 1960-12-20

Muscles Of old folks get con-
stantly smaller.
The degree to which aging
affects various body tissues
is markedly different. One
explanation of this observa-
ton is the extent of cell loss
from different tissues with
age.
Cells of some kinds of tis-
sue are capable Of reprodu-
cling themselves. Such, for
example, are cells of the
liver. Some are not capable
Of reproduction. Once lost.
they are gone forever. Muscle
cells are among these.
This concept has been con-
firmed in Investigations by
Drs. Marvin Yiengst, Charles
Barrows and Nathan Shock
of the National Heart Insti-
tute's Gerontology Branch.
Marked loss of muscle tis-
sue in aged rats was demon
Strated by gross weight as
we'll as chemical changes
within the muscle mass. The
chemical changes suggested
loss. rather than atrophy, of
the muscle fihers. On the
other hand, no significant
age changes were observed
when liver was examined.
Muscle Cells Replaced
The microscopic and bio
chemical studies made it
almost certain that aging is
accompanied by replacement
Of muscle cells with nom
cellular material of some
sort. Earlier biochemical
studies at the National
Heart Institute of the water
component of tissue COM
ponents had indicated that
the proportion Of muscle
water which is inside cells
decreases with age where
as the water located outside
the muscle cells increases
with age. This did not happen
in liver.
A microscopic examination
of tissue changes conducted
at the same time showed
localized loss Of muscle
f1bers beginning in relatively
Evening star., 1960-12-20
yunqIe Issue

This would indeed be world of
anarchy and chaos IL each government
reserved to itself the right to unilateral
abrogation Of International agreements.
This could mean, for example, that with
each change of administration in our
own Government there would be the
privilege Of renouncing all existing
treaties and the occasion to make a
fresh beginning. 1t would, of course,
make 1t easy for the Communist gov
ernrnent OF the USSR to "set aside"
our purchase Of the Alaskan territory
from Czarist Russia nearly 100 years
ago. And it is, in fact, the principle
on which the government Of Ecuador
today is declaring invalid a protocol
signed 18 years ago, in 1912, intended
to settle frontier territorial dispute
with neighboring Peru.
The dispute itself was almost a
century old, and involves jungle area
in the upper Amazon River basin that
is larger than Germany, Switzerland
and Italy combined. 1t is an un-
developed region, inhabited mostly by
Indian tribes. In Is years the area has
changed very little, If at all, but there
is belief today that was not extant
in 1912, namely, that the territory has
rich oil deposits. Guarantors of the
1942 agreement, signed and ratified by
both Ecuador and Peru, were four other
American powers9-the United States,
i. Argentina, Brazil and Chile. In late
October of this year, the Ecuadoran
government informed the guarantor
powers that 1t considered the 1912
Protocol null and void-that it was
invalidating it unilaterally The four,
in identical language, have rejected the
Ecuadoran action but have offered to
assist in any way possible to seek
happy solution" of the issue.
1t is possible, although not neces-
sarily the case, that there was an
element of injustice in the original
agreement. If so the guarantor powers,
as noted, have expressed their willing
ness to entertain mutually-agreed
PeruvianA Ecuadoran modification of the
protocol. Neither Of the two principal
governments appears willing at this
point to compromise and the United
States, not for the first time, is being
the major target Of criticism and abuse
in this instance in the Ecuadoran
capital city Of Quito.
1t is too easy, perhaps, in these
circumstances to raise the spectre of
Communist meddling. Still, demon
strators in Quito have chosen to chant,
Yankees, no! Russia, yes!" and to
proclaim their affection for Castros
Cuba In preference to Pan -Americanism,
In this light, the future of a jungle
area on another continent becomes q
: matter Of direct concern In our defense
OF order In the world.
Evening star., 1960-12-20
McCone's Warning

f-1- 1t Is regrettable that John A.
iMcCone, although his term of ONCE
does not expire until 1868, has made
up his mind to return to private life
. when President-elect Kennedy is inau-
gurated on January 20. Ever since his
appointment in July, 1858, he has
rendered fine service to the country
as head of the Atomic Energy Com
mission, and his departure from that
highly important post certainly will
constitute loss of experienced leader
ship and wise counsel
9@ In announcing his plans to resign,
Mr.. McCone, Republican who has
maintained close Official and personal
ties with President Eisenhower, has
explained that he believes the incoming
akennedy administration should be free
TO replace him next month with an Acc
chairman and member of its own choice.
Still, true as that may be, the fact
remains that his talents will be missed,
as will also his guidance on the question
of revoking our country's selfimposed
ban on nuclear testing.
AS to that, as reStated in a kind
of farewell warning during his Sunday
appearance on Meet the Press, Mr..
McCones advice should have the atten-
tion of all Americans. It Is simply
this: That the United States should
promptly resume on-contaminating
underground nuclear detonations (and
epresumably on-contaminating outer
space shots as welD lest the Soviet
Union, by staging undetectable clandes-
tine explosions, gain a Supremely
dangerous lead in the atom hydrogen
arms race. Mr.. McCone's Coz Germ about
the matter has grown Increasingly
emphatic in recent months, and it is
fully supported by such experts as
Thomas E. Murray, the distinguished
former Acc member who has been in
the forefront of those seeking to awaken
The Nation to the grave perils inherent
In the present unponced test ban.
49, The ban has been in force now for
more than two years. During all that
time the United States has not set of
- single experimental nuclear blast. It
41aS RETAINED from doing SO in we'll
lntentioned effort to work out with the
LA4&p4Ct -OAAAOA1 GA oASANoNSAJ POAA~SAp
tNenuinely trustworthy agreement to put
- permanent end to all types of military
Rluclear testing Meanwhile, however,
There has been no guarantee whatever
against the possibility-if not the
probability-that the Russians have
been cheating on us with secret under
ground shots.
49, Thus the only assurance we have
had against such cheating is the Rus
ssians' word for it, and their word, as
they have repeatedly demonstrated, is
ssomething they do not hesitate to
3dishonor. Accordingly, as Mr. Murray
shaS so often warned, and as Mr.. McCone
now warns, the danger OF surreptitious
Soviet shots-shots that could place our
country at deadly military disadvan-
tage--is very real. 1t is so real, in fact,
that it will clearly merit the Kennedy
administrations most searching con-
sideration on a high-priority and
even urgent basis.
Evening star., 1960-12-20

gram that any teacher could
follow. To this need has been
added the powerful tool Of
association provided BY their
large charts always on view
for reinforcing learning.
Coupled with other good
teaching practice this sys-
tenn yielded good results.
Another method is now
coming into prominence, one
which we have used for four
years at Town and Country
School. It is known as the
Net Castle program, origi-
mating as it did in the pub
lie schools of New Castle,
Pennsylvania. under the
auspices of Glen McCracken.
Film strips have been pre-
pared which are q synopsis
of the reading textbooks.
Each condensed story con-
tains all of the new words
and many of the same pic
lures. The deyelopmental
lesson is taught to the whole
class at one time from
projected material on the
screen. Individual differences
are taken into account by
using different emphasis for
different children. Amazing
ly. the interest is maintained
for all children. The motiva-
tion seems to be inherent in
the technique.
Some grouping can be
done after the development
tai lesson has been present.
ed allowing able children to
go on ahead in independent
work while others needing
more time can review and
relearn. With the use OF
two teachers per room as al
Town and Country School
this activity is guided en-
richment, but even with one
teacher per room, we would
spend one hour a day on
reading and associated ac-
tivities as compared to two
to two and a half hours
usually spent. and we get
better results! It is well to
point out at this point that
after the screen lesson has
been learned, every child
may use the text which
elaborates the story for an
independent self test because
no new learning is faced.
An important part of the
success of this method is the
fact that most of the reading
is done at far point" at the
screen. Reading from a book
is near point" reading. It
is a well-established fact oi
research in vision that chill.
dren of first and second
grade levels have good "fal
point" vision and poor meal
point vision. This methoc
removes q major stumbling
block for many children IL
Evening star., 1960-12-20

another is appointed Attor-
ney- General. Congress should
make a new law forbidding
the President, as well as
members of Congress, from
putting members Of their
families on the Government
payroll. These jobs should be
given to people that need
them and have helped elect
them. Surely, the Kennedys,
with their millions, do not
need work.
Anna Karan.
Evening star., 1960-12-20
Hot Stove League

BY mutual agreement of
the American League money
grabbers, the Washington
Senators were given an OPP
portunity to put together a
team. Their chances Of select
ing q pennant contender
from the material made
available. by the other eight
altruistic members Of the
American League are about
equal to having Nikita Khru-
shchev pick Senator Ken
nedy a winning cabinet.
This coming season, in
place Of the President Of the
United States throwing out
the first ball, 1t might be
more appropriate to have
Joe Cronin throw out a gold
nugget. We might see more
hustle.
I don't understand how I
was overlooked. I've had three
years as a peanut vendor at
EbbetS Field, also handled
soda pop in relief. and I
won't be so until my next
birthday.
One thing we know for
sure, the generosity Of the
American League to permit
the Senators to buy such
outstanding bargains makes
1t a cinch for US to finish
down in the basement.
This last fiasco ought to
eliminate all doubt from any
ones mind about our ma
tional pastime being any
thing but q business for
profit.
Herbert SOmmers.
Evening star., 1960-12-20

Pen names may be used II
letters carry tDrtters' correct
names and addresses. All let
teYs are subject to condensG-
tton. Those not used IDtu be
returned only tDhen accom-
panied BY self addressed,
stamped envelopes.