davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1960-03-01
Trina President

The news reports from Bariloche
indicate that President Eisenhower,
whose bounce-back capacity for a man
OF his age (69) is remarkable, seemed
fresh and At as he left Argentina for
Chile. Nevertheless, there is disturb
ing note in the dispatches from corre-
spondentS who have covered" the
President in good health and in bad,
and who certainly would not be guilty
of overdrawing the picture of tiring
Chief Executive.
These reporters, not one but several
OF them, were shocked, if this is not too
strong word, by Mr.. Eisenhower'S ap-
pearance on what was supposed to be
day of relaxation at Bariloche, an
Argentine resort center. On Saturday
and Sunday, the President had played
four holes of golf and had fished for 21a
hours in mountain stream. According
to reporters who know him well, it
seemed to require great effort by Mr..
Eisenhower to walk up a sharp incline
to his hotel and he had to pause, as If
to summon energy, before climbing a
flight of stairs to his second floor suite.
The correspondents, none too chip
per themselves as a result of their ex-
posure to Argentina'S heat and humidity,
were agreed that Mr.. Eisenhower looked
refreshed after nights rest. So it may
be that there is no real reason for con-
Germ. Still, when the Presidents age
and his medical history are taken into
account, 1t is entirely possible that he
Is overriding this business of personal
diplomacy. Health permitting, he is
committed to summit meeting and a
visit to Russia this year. But there is
npthing in the books which says that
he must wade mountain streams, play
golf without cart, ride hareheaded in
the rain, or, when in Russia, try to outdo
what Mr. Khrushchev did when he was
In the United States.
Evening star., 1960-03-01

ambassadorial resident of Washington,
died. The voting takes place this week.
It is possible that many believers in
democracy in the Western world will
view this situation calmly, perhaps even
with feeling that it is all just as it
should be. To Oxonians, however, it
repeatedly amounts to political crisis,
precipitated by some Macmillan friends
who refused to stand still for an earlier
decision by the college heads that Sir
Oliver should be the next chancellor.
Obviously, the diSSidentS at Oxford do
not stand opposed to any contest"-to
borrow the phraseology of one of our
own political noncombatants.
Since nonintervention in the do
mestic political affairs of a friendly
power" is keystone of policy on this
side of the Atlantic, it would be inap-
propriate here to express a choice. Mr..
Macmillan and Sir Oliver are fine fell
lows, gentlemen both. The Oxford elec-
tors are fortunate, even in their painful
dilemma.
Evening star., 1960-03-01
The Plan Is Still Good

The National Capital Regional Plan
ing Council has taken a commendable
stand for ultimate completion of the
George Washington Memorial Parkway
on both sides of the Potomac River,
as planned many years ago. The an
nouncement is timely, for the question
OF abandoning or continuing the park
way project has arisen again in Con-
gtess in connection with the pending
budget.
The council, in recommending a site
for bridge just above Great Falls, as
serted that the original concept of the
George Washington Memorial Parkway
linking the Maryland and Virginia river
sides is still valid and should not be
abandoned" Under the old plan, the
parkway was to follow the Maryland and
Virginia shorelines from the vicinity
OF Mount Vernon to Great Falls, where
a bridge would connect the two drives.
In recent years, however, protests by
property owners have led congressional
committees to kill proposed appropri-
ationS for extension of the parkway
through Prince Georges County and
through Fairfax County in the palisades
area between the new Central Intelli-
gehce Agency building and Great Falls.
The current budget contains no re-
quest for parkway funds. However,
$250000 item for purchase Of park land
IN the proposed route of the parkway
through Prince Georges County has
tended to revive the issue at the
Capitol over completion of the parkway.
Such discussion would be in the public
interest. The George Washington Park
way ought not to be left in an unfinished
state on the say-so of appropriations
committees. Any decision to bar COM
pletion of the original program ought
to be made only after careful study by
legislative committees and full consid-
Grafton by Congress of the effects on
the Metropolitan Area park development
program
Evening star., 1960-03-01
Ghosts in Acodeme?

Several ghost-writing agencies in
New York City are being investigated at
present in connection with charges that
they have illicitly helped college stu
dents pass examinations and win de-
grees for fees ranging from as little as
$40 to as much as $4,000. Certainly, If
this turns out to be something more
than mere Small-scale scandal involv-
Ing only few individuals, then the in
tellectual purity of our academic world
will be tarred with the brush of corrup-
tion, and all Americans will have yet
another justification for thinking anx-
1ouS thoughts about the state of the
Nations private and public morality.
There are many reasons, of course,
to doubt that racket of this sort could
be carried out extensively in our colleges
and universities. Nevertheless the fact
remains that the charges, developing
from an inquiry conducted by the New
York World-Telegram and Sun, are dis
turbingly specific. One of them, for ex-
ample, tells a detailed story of hired
ringers" taking final examinations for
incompetent undergraduates able to pay
them around $50 for the service And
another tells of how candidates for the
coveted degree Of Doctor of Philosophy
have invested hundreds and even thou
sands of dollars in equipping themselves
with learned ghoSt-written doctoral
theses and dissertations supposedly
their own brainchildren) on such sub
jectS as modern psychology and Eliza
bethan drama
All Of which tempts one to cry out,
as did the ancientS in another age of
moral Soul-searching, o tempora! o
moreS! But judgment on this particu-
lar matter ought certainly to be re-
served at the moment. For the charges
have yet to be proved Indeed, New
York District Attorney Frank S. Hogan
well remembered for having put the
spotlight on the phony TV quiz program
has barely begun to look into them,
and so 1t would be premature to take
them at face value or jump to the con-
cluSion that the American campus has
been placed at the mercy of the cheat.
We hazard the guess that Mr.. Hogan's
inquiry, although 1t may bring some
rather sleazy things to light, will be
reassuring on that score.
Evening star., 1960-03-01
Distressed Oxonions

The stately halls of oxford Univer-
sity are In an understandable tizzy these
days. In the best tradition of a politi-
clan who can't resist draft" Britains
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan has
agreed to run for the office of chan
cellor of the university-setting up
contest for the first time in 40 years and
for the first time ever involving Prime
Minister while resident at 10 Downing
Street. Mr. Macmillan'S opponent is an
old WaShingtonian, Sir Oliver Franks,
once Britain'S Ambassador here and
currently chairman of LloydS Bank
The post became vacant last December
when Lord Halifax, another former
Evening star., 1960-03-01
Soft Words From Mr.. Chou

In accepting Prime Minister Nehru's
invitation to talks in New Delhi, Premier
Chou En-lai has struck a note of cor
diality suggesting that Red China-after
some sober second thoughts, or perhaps
as result of nudge from the Krem-
lin-may now be ready to back away
from its policy of aggression against In
dia'S northern frontier.
This possibility, of course, may prove
to be little more than a wishful thought
when the projected talks take place in
April and Mr.. Chou gets down to the
brass tackS of the matter. Yet the
tone Of his latest note to Mr.. Nehru is
one Of sweet reasonablenesS, and it
may mean that Communist China really
wants to work out an acceptable agree
ment, at least for the time being.
Anyhow, with language bordering
on the fiowery and fulsome, Mr.. Chou
has been at pains to proclaim the best
OF intentions. AS he has put it, Red Pei
ping has consistently held that the
friendship between the Chinese and IN
dian peoples is eternal, that it is nee
essary and entirely possible to settle the
boundary issue" peacefully, and that
the two countries must therefore strive
unwaveringly for such a settlement de-
spite "the dark clouds lowering" be-
tween them ION account of temporary
differences Of opinion and certain un-
fortunate and unexpected incidents"
These differences" and these Gin
cidents" however, have been far more
serious than indicated by Mr.. Chou'S
casual reference to them. For the peo-
pie Of "neutralist" India have been pro-
foundly shocked by what has happened
within the past year to Tibet, and they
have been staggered by Red Chinas sub
sequent violations of their northern ter
ritory. In fact, all of Communist
Asia-including lands that have bent
over backwards to think the best of Pei
ping-has been shaken by these events,
and the Chinese Communists have lost
face accordingly.
Presumably it is primarily for this
reason, wholly apart from whatever in
fuence Soviet Premier Khrushchev may
have exercised, that Red China has in
dicated readiness to negotiate with India
for satisfactory settlement. After all,
the Chinese Communists can hardly
afford to adhere to aggressiveness Of a
type that has been alternating neutral
ist" nations around the world.
So it seems possible that the April
talks in New Delhi will lead to a Sino-
Indian frontier agreement similar to the
one concluded last month between Red
China and Burma. AS for the durability
OF such an agreement, that will depend
entirely on Peiping and its long-range
objectives
Evening star., 1960-03-01
Licensed TV Repairs

BY your editorial stand on
the licensing of TV repair
men, you have once again
demonstrated a true interest
in the people Of the District
of Columbia. In the many
conversations with the pub
lie and before citizens aSsoci-
ations. there is no doubt in
the minds of the members Of
the Television Service Asso-
citation Of Metrop olita n
Washington that the vast
majority of people are for an
improvement in the TV
service field. and that they
agree licensing is the answer.
I would also like to state
that we are very appreciative
Of the action taken by Mid
City Citizens Association, La
mond-Riggs Citizens Associ-
alton, Northeast Citizens AS
sociation, and others who
have gone on public record in
support Of Representative
Foley's bill for licensing Of
TV repairmen. We hope that
other groups and associations
will also take a stand on this
issue, and will be only too
happy to supply copies Of the
bill or spokesmen to explain
Its provisions.
Bernard w. BOgnovitz,
President, Television
Service Association Of
Metropolitan Washington.
Evening star., 1960-03-01

Because I saw and heard
the opera "Susannah" when
it was presented under US.
Government auspices at the
Brussels Exposition in 1858,
I found myself reading with
more interest than usual your
music critics review-in-ad-
vance of this work. Day
Thorpe's suggestion that
Henry Ford, who expressed
admiration for the lean, di-
rect speech Of McGuffey's
Readers" might disapprove of
the opera is certainly a novel
approach to music criticism.
Is McGuffey's Reader Mr..
Thorpe's yardstick for meas
uring literary merit?
Is Henry Ford's cultural
taste real or imaginedD his
guide?
I thought back sadly to all
the poor misguided people
who shouted an ovation for
"Susannah" in Brussels: silly
Adlai Stevenson who on open
ing night there happily told
the press Il was among the
newspapermen there) how
proud I am that it is such
a work as this which repre-
sents us to the world" I
thought of befuddled music
critics from all over the con-
tinent who wrote so glowingly
of the "overpowering drama, +"
of "its stark indictment of
hypocrisy" and who hailed
the operas star, Phyllis Cur
tin, as "a singer without
equal" whose performance
was "grandiose and exalted"
Evening star., 1960-03-01

I reflected on how foreign i'm
presarios were so falsely i'm
pressed by the work that they
were hoodwinked into pro-
ducing "Susannah" in Ger
many's opera houses last sea-
son. And I wondered hope
lessiy how such a character
as Susannah whom Mr..
Thorpe (who judges his op-
eras without hearing them
describes as washing off
huckleberry juice" can be de-
scribed by critics as "grandi-
ose and exalted" and then,
because I had detected no
huckleberry Juice on stage in
the productions I witnessed,
found myself speculating that
perhaps the Juice Oike the
evil in the minds Of the Bibles
Elders is in the eyes of Mr..
Thorpe.
Then, because Mr.. Thorpe
quoted so copiously out Of
context various excerpts
from the opera, I decided
that his rule-of-merit for
opera is not (perish the
thought the sound OF its
music, but rather its ability
to withstand quotation out
of context.
Never having heard of any
opera being reviewed on its
libretto alone Emusic does
occasionally seem to have
something to do with it, I
concluded that the curious
habit of New York music
critics of waiting until they
heard the music drama be-
fore voting 1t "the best new
Evening star., 1960-03-01
Sees Little Choice

Birthday tributes to the
martyred Lincoln and the i'm
mortal George Washington
point up the appalling made
quacy Of present presidential
aspirants. These great hu-
manitarians" have something
for everyone with John
Sucker" taxpayer picking up
the tab.
Faced with the Soviet men,
ace abroad, and imitation and
astronomic debt at home.
America must find leaders
who'll pledge to their coun-
trymen. not handouts. but,
like Lincoln and Washington,
their lives. their fortunes,
and their sacred honor.
Elizabeth Lippitt.
Evening star., 1960-03-01
Big Lie at Home

Much was heard two dec
ades ago concerning the
technique Of the big Lie"
as displayed by one A. Hitler.
Similar charges have been
hurled with equal validity
against the Communists. But
here in the United States
we see the technique exem-
plified also among many
from whom we would ex-
pect the whole truth and
nothing but the truth.
Many of us reacted in ap-
parent horror to the Air
Force manual which warned
Of Communist sympathizers
and supporters among the
clergy; others Of us were
shocked by that very reaction
and clamor. When certain
churchmen objected to the
manual and called its char
ges false and absurd, neither
they nor its author were
called upon for factual evi-
dence. While the writer OF
the manual is reported to
have offered to prove his
statements, 1t does not ap-
pear that his superiors are
sufficiently concerned with
truth or falsity.
Important personages in
some churches have been Of
Tended, and the mere state
ment and repetition Of their
objections have sufficed to
suggest to the popular mind
that the charges made were
untrue. Whether the man.
ual's statements are true,
whether they are baseless,
whether they exaggerate is
apparently irrelevant. All
is swept under the rug by the
big Lie" broom while with
low fidelity are repeated
such adjectives as false, i'm
proper, immature; but with
out analysis or evaluation to
determine the truth. One
need not prove the facts: it
is enough to make represen-
tations and to have them ac-
cepted on the authority or
authoritative position Of the
speakers!
Those who disagree with
the pronouncements Of au-
thority are elsewhere called
enemies Of the state. Here,
processing to be democratic
and liberal minded, we do not
use such terms, we do not
imprison; we call those peo-
pie troublemakers and crack
pots, and we exclude them
from our best circles, So
called. 1t was Ahab who said
to Elijah, Art thou he that
troubleth Israeli"
Parenthetically one can
wonder about the qualifica-
tions Of a Secretary who. aft
er having "categorically re-
pudiated" the manual, finally
admits that there was merit
in its charges, but decries its
naming Of specific church or
ganiZations and individuals.
1t may be pointed out that
generalized charges would
Evening star., 1960-03-01
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL

a trial. One must persist,
OF course, for a few nights,
to get into the swing of things.
After that, it is fun.
Cordially and enthusiast
tically yours, E. K"
%% -
This is old hat, as the say
ing is, to Temp Jones, who
has tried all kinds of walking
in his time.
When he lived in George
town, some years ago, he
went on one of these eve
ming walking marathons, or
safariS, or whatever they are
called.
He was surprised in meet
ing other people out on the
same errands, or were they?
He never knew, exactly.
There was one guy always
sneaking into the wrong
house. he thought, as he
passed him on the second
night, and on the third he
was sure of it.
When this happened a few
more times, the other fellow
thought old harmless Jones
was spying on him, and gave
him such a glare that Jones,
really a timid sort of Milque-
toast, gave over his after
supper walking.
He found that you could
get in enough rackets with
your neighbors without max
ing them suspect you were
spying on them, when you
really weren't.
4
Jones considered the ad-
visibility Of stopping the
fellow and making a speech
to him:
How are you? I am not
spying on you at all, fellow.
l just happen to be out here
on my own, trying to get
some exercise.
IF you think I am spying
on you, mister, you are as
crazy as you look. :"
Somehow. Temp Jones
didn't think this speech
would go over very well, so
it was one of the thousand
or so speeches he has not
made in his life.
Everybody makes speeches
they never make. OF courseI
They are good speeches, tney
are right to the point, and
they ought to be made-but
they are not delivered.
Perhaps it is just as well
they are not.
Time, the inexorable, has
a way of taking care of such
things in its own inimitable
way.
Evening star., 1960-03-01

opera of the year" is indeed
a pitiful commentary on the
state of music criticism
in America today. And I
thought Of one writer who
described the revival meeting
scene in "Susannah" as
among the most powerful
pages in all grand opera" as
a poor sap who doesn't know
the difference between judg-
ing an opera by its out-of-
context verses and its per-
formance. Henry Ford would
never have liked him. Which,
Mr.. Thorpe, may be a very
good thing.
John Walker.
Maplewood, N. J.
4
Congratulations on Day
Thorpe's witty column Of
Sunday, February 81, expos
ing the grammatical vagaries
of Tennessee mountain speech
in Carlisle Floyd's opera
"Susannah." Clever extracts
revealing the idiosyncrasies
Of idiomatic expression in
"Cavalleria Rusticana," Der
Rose avalier," Carmen"
should produce even more
amusing results. Like these,
Mr.. Floyd's libretto was writ
ten to be performed on stage
with music in which form it
won him the New York Music
Critics Circle award as the
best opera Of 1856, also Euro
pean acclaim at the Brussels
Worlds Fair. julius Rudel,
General Director, New York
City Opera.
Evening star., 1960-03-01
THE POLITICAL MILL
Mcclellan Bears Down on Rockets
By GOULD LINCOLN

the House, however, the Lam
drum Griffin bill, more effec-
tive than the Senate bill, was
substituted, and went to con-
ference. In the end, the Sen
ate accepted most Of the
House measure; and it be-
came law.
Certain labor leaders have
threatened reprisals at the
polls this year against mem
berS of the House who sup
ported the measure. Their
trouble, however, begins when
they look around to find any
strong candidates - candi-
dates who might have a
chance of success - to run
against Senator Mcclellan,
Representative Landrum Of
Georgia, Democrat, or Repre-
sentative Griffin of Michigan,
Republican. To center their
fire, for example, against
Senator Mcclellan or one of
the Representatives and to
lose would not enhance the
political prestige of the labor
leaders. They tried their hand
in 1850 at beating the late
Senator Robert A. Taft Of
Ohio, cosponsor of the Taft
Hartley Labor Act, and failed
miserably.
Entire Volume on HOffa
Of the three volumes Of
the Racket Committees final
report yet to be filed with
the Senate, one entire volume
is devoted to James r. Hoffa
and the Teamsters Union. 1t
could be a valuable political
document to be used by the
members of Congress who
have been threatened by Mr..
Hoffa and other labor leaders
in the coming campaign. The
revelation of corruption and
racketeering in labor-man-
agement relations - by no
means confined to the Team
Sters Union - turned up by
the Senate committee, dur
ing its more than two-vear
period of investigation,
shocked the public. 1t made
legislation imperative, al
though labor leaders insisted
they could clean house and
would clean house If left
alone. The AFL-CIO took
definite steps to do so.
Senator Mcclellan has
never pussyfooted. In his
statement last week when he
filed the first volume of the
committees final report, he
attacked certain employers
newspaper publishing COM
panies-as harshly as he did
the labor racketeers, for
large payments of money to
purchase peace" with labor
unions. He described the
situation as tragic" in a
free land, with a free press.
These newspapers, located in
the North, he said, will say
little about their shameful
payments to extortionists-
made to insure delivery Of
their papers-but they will
continue to attack the South.
He said these payments to
extortionists by big daily
newspapers to buy labor
peace in reality threatened
the freedom of the press.
The country owes a debt to
the Senate Rackets Commit
tee, a select bipartisan COM
mittee, which goes out Of
business March 81, and to
its chairman, Senator Nc
Clellan. 1t is to be presumed
that its work will be passed
on to a standing committee
Of the Senate.
Evening star., 1960-03-01
"TAKOMA PARK, MD

TAhOMA PARK, MD.
Dear Sir:
II thought you and your
readers might be interested
in hearing about my exercise
program, my walking pro-
gram, as it is.
II have found that right
after supper, in the dark at
this time Of year. is the very
best time to walk.
II just go around and
around the block, four COM
plete circuits making a mile,
I believe.
I'm this way, I get good
constitutional exercise, plenty
Of good breathing and see
some Of the oldest, things.
"At first I was bored by
this round robin. but in a
short time I came to enjoy it.
"A good companion. of
course, is necessary. A man.
and-wife team, for instance.
y
"One of the good things
about this kind of walking,
I think, is that you do not
have to dress up for it. I hate
dressing up, as for dinner,
for instance.
Nobody is out to see, and
if by chance you meet any
body you know, they cannot
see you very we'll in the
darkness.
This sort of thing gives
one a feeling of comfort.
There is no need to race,
really. You just walk along
at your own pace, lengthing
the stride, now and then,
slowing down when you
want to.
There are no rules, no
umpires, no restrictions or
rewards.
1T is all good fun, and if
you meet a neighborhood dog,
you speak to him in a friendly
fashion, and usually he will
let you alone.
II think most people have
heard that walking is good
for them, but they have found
it difficult to fit it into the
daily schedule. I have tried
walking to work, walking
during the lunch period, walk
ing on the way home. Each
way has its considerable
drawbacks.
II present my after-dinner
walking as a sort of solution.
1 say sort of. because it may
not appeal to every one, l
know, because We are all
different.
II believe that many sed-
entary people would like 1t,
however, If they would give it