davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-05-20
Mixed BIessino

Inc rlgnC OF SGaCe-WlQe referendum
is desirable check, which Marylanders
should guard zealously, against unwise
acts of the Legislature. There are sound
reasons, nevertheless, for the study Of
referendum procedures just launched by
the State Legislative Council.
OF primary interest is the time-worn
provision of the Maryland constitution
that requires petition signatures by only
10000 voters to force a referendum at
the subsequent general election. Anyone
who has had experience with petitions
knows that this Is not difficult; that
10000 people, under sufficient pressure,
will sign almost anything.
Once, perhaps, this provision was
realistic. Today, with IL million regis
tered voters In the State, it can hardly
be considered so. What 1t means is that
any aggressive minority is able, II it
chooses, to delay for as long as two years
the effectiveness of legislation which
ultimately might meet with overwhelm-
ing voter-approval. This was precisely
the case last year with the Potomac
River Compact. Nor should the principles
of representative government be tossed
so lightly aside. Maryland legislators,
after all, are duly elected; one must
assume that they are representing at
least the people who voted for them.
At present, four referendum drives
already are under way to overturn bills
passed in the session just ended. One,
II successful, could delay the new law
regulating the savings and loan indus
try. Another, dealing with municipal
court reform in Baltimore, is highly
complex and, as a matter Of fact, of little
interest or concern to most residents Of
the State. To thwart these effects,
Governor Tawes apparently feels he
must take the drastic step of calling the
Legislature into special session early In
June. Not all referenda, of course,
are undesirable. The act setting up the
new eighth congressional district Is an
excellent example Of law with which
there obviously is widespread dissatis
faction. Here, review by the voters is
certainly in order.
And there also Is a danger in swing
ing the pendulum too far. Attorney Gen
eral Finan suggests that Statewide petit
tions should require 10 or Is per cent of
the total voters-up to 10000 at the
higher range. This is unduly high, and
is suggestive Of political desire to fore
close the people from effective dissent
But 10000 signatures represent less
than per cent of the total voters, and
that Is too low.
The proper figure can be determined
when more light is thrown on the subject
by the Legislative Council State ref
erenda need not be made unavailable to
Maryland .citizens, particularly TO those
in urban areas. who have no other de-
tense against discriminatory actions by
the rural-dominated Legislature. But
neither need they be the "Frankenstein"
which they have become to Mr.. Finan
and to other political leaders of the
State.
Evening star., 1961-05-20

In one test, soy beans
we're induced to bloom by
keeping a single leaf on a
plant in total darkness for
l6-hour nights. while all the
rest Of the plant had made
quate darkness OF eight-hour
nights. Such a spread effect
from A small control center
indicates an intricate chan
neling inside the growing
plant.
"A long day plant like
barley has been brought to
flower in winter greenhouse
conditions by little mid
night lighting to keep its
dark periods short. As little
as an hour Of light separat-
ing parts Of a dark period is
enough to promote Towering
in most barley varieties
That duration of light. per
Sc, is not measured as shown
by experiments in which the
light period was interrupted
by artificially produced in
trevals of darkness. There was
no effect at all. The clocks
had stopped.
Evening star., 1961-05-20

@. How can the appear
ance of old, discolored tile
walls be improved?-H.P.
A. Wash the tiles to remove
all dirt and grease. then
roughen the surface with
garnet paper of 80 or 40
grade. With a small stripping
brush. apply enamel to the
mortar joints. Allow this to
dry for "a hours, then apply
two coats of enamel to the
entire wall. Light sanding
between the two coats will
improve adhesion.
Q. What castle in Dem
mark is said to have been the
scene of Shakespeare's play
"Hamlet"?-C. N.
A. Kronberg Castle near
Elsinore, Denmark, is said to
have been Hamlet's castle.
Each summer the play is
presented in the courtyard
of the castle with interna-
tionally famous artists TAX
ing parts. Some OF the actors
who have played Shake
speare's prince there are Sir
Laurence Olivier, Robert
Breen, and Sir John Gielgud.
Evening star., 1961-05-20
Vienna Venture

In its statement confirming their
projected June ga meeting In Vienna,
the White House has done we'll to en-
phasize that President Kennedy and
Premier Khrushchev are not planning
to do anything but talk informally and
get more or less acquainted with each
other. To that extent, the summitry
involved will be decidedly limited In
both character and objective-a mere
preliminary dialogue that promises, at
best, only to lay the groundwork for
later negotiation aimed at working out
specific EaSt-West agreements.
Thus, in an obvious and altogether
sensible effort to caution against wiShful
thinking or exaggerated hopes In con-
nection with the Vienna conformation
(Which will take place Immediately after
the Presidents three-day conference
with General de Gaulle in PariS), the
White House has been at pains to declare
that "thiS meeting is not for the purpose
of negotiating or reaching agreement
on the major international problems
that involve the interest Of many other
countries" Accordingly, since nothing
OF a spectacular or sensational nature is
to be expected from it, the conformation,
in the of1lcial American view, merits
no fanfare and should cause little
excitement.
Nevertheless, again to quote the
White House, the Presidents meeting
with the Soviet Premier will afford a
timely and convenient opportunity for
! the first personal contact between them
and general exchange of views on the
major issues which affect the relation
ships between the two countries" AS
far as Mr. Kennedy is concerned, for
! example, the get-together will enable
him U) to get better idea of'Mr.
Khrushchev as an individual; (2) to
acquire clearer impression Of the
!. kremlin's Intentions as regards such
points Of potential explosion as Berlin;
and (3) to leave no room for doubt about
our country's resolve to oppose Com
munist infiltration, subversion and ag-
gression in all the key areas Of the
free world.
1t Is true, of course, that the Vienna
meeting has been agreed upon much
sooner than had been expected. Indeed,
In a sense, the development represents
a sharp reversal of the Presidents
rather recent disapproval of summitry.
Presumably, however, he has reason to
feel that the venture may prove to be
worthwhile, and so perhaps this is
case where one may say with Emerson
that foolish consistency Is the hob
goblin Of little minds. In any event, the
neutrality-suspicious. as 1t may be
appears to have the blessing Of our
French and British allies, and all
friends Of peace must wish 1t we'll.
Evening star., 1961-05-20
freedom Riders

II the Alabama bus in
cidents involving the So
called Free Riders"
demonstrate anything, it is
that the right Of local self
determination Is still jealous
ly cherished by some Amer
leans. The provocations
which motivated the citizens
Of Alabama in this instance
are approximately similar to
those which inspired the
good people Of Massachusetts,
to chase the "Redcoats" out
Of Concord in l775-and no
amount OF pious bleatins by
the NAACP. ct al. will make
1t otherwise.
James A. Mitchell.
Listen, my children, and
you shall hear, OF the mid
night ride Of Paul Revere.
l wonder what the brain
washers and breastbeaters
would say about a segrega-
zionist Paul Revere. or a
Swamp Fox" like the great
Francis Marion. I shudder to
think of the press-lashings
that a Boston Tea Party would
get.
When THE Law" is stacked
against you. as it was against
the patriots Of rs, and against
our own great-grandparents
in the South after 1865 and
as 1t is today against the
Southern people. what alter
native do you have to this
tyranny?
I am not proud that the So
called Freedom Riders" were
permitted to ride through
Georgia. cluttering up the
buses and rest facilities in
two Of our large cities. and
perhaps depriving people with
legitimate objectives Of the
space.
My hat Is off TO the people
OF Alabama. their great Gov
ernor Patterson, and the bus
drivers. who refused to take
them to Montgomery.
II we lie down and permit
1t, they will continue to ride
over us.
Mary Hammand.
Atlanta, Ga.
\ 4
The recent mob attack in
Alabama on freedom seeking
individuals. clearly illustrates
the Heart of Dixie's" at
titude toward the issue Of
integration.
Alabama has demonstrated
to Russia and the Communist
world that she is aiding and
abetting Russia's policy of
corruptness when vicious
hoodlums molested innocent
citizens on Mothers Day.
Robert l.. Evans, 1r.
Evening star., 1961-05-20
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Vegetation Ticks Off Dark Hours
By THOMAS r. HENRY

Vegetation clocks dark
ness"
There are long and short
night. rather than short and
long day. plants.
A mysterious clock like
mechanism measures night
with. in some cases. almost
minute-to- minute precision.
A flash OF light of less than
a second will stop the clocks
and the measurement must
start all over again.
Various processes in the
plant world. such as leafing,
blooming, seeding. ~will not
start until the extent OF
darkness in "a hours is Just
right. The degree varies from
species to species. The clocks
appear to stop in daylight.
This finding has just been
announced by the Agricul-
tural Research Service of the
Department of Agriculture.
New Conception
That various plants depend
on the distribution of light
and dark for many Of their
functions was discovered
more than 20 years ago by
department scientists. 1t nat
urally was assumed that this
depended on the duration of
light. The idea was quite
wrong, it has been found.
although it may amount to
about the same thing, for
practical purposes, in the
long run.
Now department specialists
have demonstrated that buds
of some Towering plants, for
example, will not open until
the length of continuous
night reaches eight hours, or
perhaps eight hours and Is
minutes, or something of the
sort. Then some sort of sig
nal is flashed to the buds
from a control center and
they burst into bloom.
Soy Bean Responds
Says the department re-
port: Plants that normally
flower in late spring or sum-
mer respond to long days
and may be called long-day
. plants. Plants that normally
flower In autumn or winter
respond to short days and
may be called short day
plants. A third and large
group can flower under a
wide range of day lengths.
Some close plant relatives.
such as varieties Of the same
species, fit into different
groups,
Evening star., 1961-05-20
Segregated Doctors

In testimony before the
Education and Labor sub
committee. DR.. Frank Jones,
medical director OF Freed
mems Hospital, revealed that
he had been refused staff
privileges at the Washington
Hospital Center. He further
testified that seven Negro
obstetricians had also been
refused these privileges. They
were told that the staff was
filled.
This is seemingly in direct
contrast to a situation that
existed at the Hospital Gen.
ter not many months ago.
incidentally the president Of
the board Of trustees at the
time was our present presi-
dent of the D. c. Board OF
Commissioners, Walter N.
Tobriner.
A number of foreign doc
tors had failed to pass their
medical board examinations.
Much concern was expressed,
because 1t was feared that
they would have to be sent
home. However, because Of
the desperate need for their
services. they were allowed to
remain at the hospital. They
were subsequently given tu-
toring in order that they
might pass the next time.
Has the shortage Of staff
physicians been allevisted so
quickly?
AS DR.. Jones pointed out,
the hospital was built with
Federal funds. This is GER
tainly not in keeping with
the announced wishes Of the
present administration that
no Federal funds be used to
practice discrimination. New
Frontier" please note.
Richard E. Redmond.
Evening star., 1961-05-20
Roots of Delinquency

Additional evidence that juvenile
delinquency frequently has It's roots in
parental laxity rather than in poverty
and in poor home conditions resulting
therefronn has come from the Arlington
Police Divisions Juvenile Bureau. The
findings are not new, of course. Mont
gomery County-like Arlington County
a community Of relatively few under
privileged families-has blamed neglect
full parents for most of the youthful
lawlessness which has plagued the
county In recent years Other jurisdic-
tions have had much the same ex-
perience.
According to Lieutenant J. E.
Cullins, director of Arlington's Juvenile
Bureau, most of the teen-agers who get
into trouble In the county come from
$4,000 to $35,000 homes. Many of
the parents" he said, ARE so interested
in buying a nicer house or a nicer car
and in their own entertainment that
they don't take the time with their
children that they should"
OF Arlington's 40,255 children
in the STOLE age group, 2,3S4 were
taken into custody last year on charges
ranging from vandalism to shoplifting,
housebreaking and car theft. Not sur
prtsingly, only 10 children under were
involved with the law, usually in minor
trespass or mischief cases. The age
group with the worst record was that
from Is to 1S years old, with a total Of
1873 arrests-some for serious offenses
against persons or property. And
delinquency In Arlington is more pre-
valent among the whites than the
Negroes.
Arlington's delinquency record is
regarded by Lieutenant Cullins as mot
bad" In comparison with conditions
reported In some other communities
but he is properly concerned that so
Evening star., 1961-05-20

The type of separation Of
Church and State" practiced
In those countries Is well
known. Is this the "separa-
tion" which is advocated for
America?
James A. Miller.
To me, the central issue in
the controversy over public
aid to private schools is
whether or not public money
should support education in
which the public has no voice.
I think it is a fundamental
democratic principle that 1t
should not. under any cir
cumStance. The ease with
which indoctrination can be
made to masquerade as edu-
cation makes 1t imperative
that citizens retain a voice
In the education OF citizens.
In their argument for pub
lie support Of parochial
schools, some say that II q
Roman Catholic, for example,
is to be required to pay a
school tax. some OF this
money should go to the pa
rochial school. Otherwise,
they say he should not be re-
quired to support the public
school. But the Roman Cath
olic Is also a citizen of the
U. s. A. As a Roman Catholic
he Is free to support Roman
Catholic schools: as a citizen.
he should not be required to.
But as a citizen he has a duty
to support schools In whose
administration and curricula
he has q voice. As q citizen,
and as a Catholic layman, he
has no voice in the operation
Of parochial schools.
+, w, HOEue.
Evening star., 1961-05-20
Leonardo LeyVa
Mud in Your Eye

l see by the papers that
the cost Of making sea water
potable Is considerably
greater than that Of per-
forming the same task with
sewage. This, then, is the ex-
PLANTATION Of why we main
tain that noble open sewer
which we can easily rectify
for bath or beverage.
Did you. by the bye, know
the derivation of Potomac?
From no doubt. the Latin
"potare," to drink, and
Mac" a jocular form of ad-
dress. Potomac. thus, can be
freely interpreted as. Let's
have a drink, pal" And that's
what I do every time I think
Of the pitiful condition Of
that once lovely river. I like
to think Of 1t pretty often.
Robert L. Eichberg.
Evening star., 1961-05-20
Mobilize or Perish

Your story about Mr.. and
Mrs. Montana, the Cuban dip
plomats who detected from
CastroiSm in Mexico. is a
very constructive lesson to
those who still believe in Cas-
troism as q nationaliStic SyS-
stem Of government.
Instead Of wasting time
and money in frivolities, we
Americans must work SER
iously to eradicate commun-
ism from the Western Hem
isphere, lest 1t be too late.
CastroiSm is a permanent
menace because it has no
moral rules as we have; its
followers act like possessed or
perturbed legions, aimed to
the disruption Of the estab-
lished order. the elimination
OF political liberties and the
position Of Marxism
through a we'll disciplined
elite against the will OF the
masses.
II we Americans do not
see the peril OF Castroism and
do not act in time, 1t will be
not too long before Brazil,
Venezuela, Colombia and
Mexico will be under the con-
troll Of Castroism and we will
have to fight a much harder
battle then.
Those decent and brave
diplomats who abandoned
their privileged positions to
join the rest Of the exiled
Cubans in Mexico and the
United States, represent the
last resistance to an over
whelming and aggressive
movement supported by Rus
sia and China, working day
and night to undermine our
prestige and power.
Unless we face the chal-
lenge with the spirit OF a
holy crusade. and start to
mobilize our material and
spiritual resources against
them. we will perish with
out time to use our atomic
missiles.
Evening star., 1961-05-20
THE POLITICAL MILL
By GOULD LINCOLN
Can Only q Politician Be President?

Sherman Adams, in the
first installment of his mem
oirs of six years as Assistant
to former President Eisen-
hover, published in Life, has
raised several questions.
l. Does a man have to be
a politicians professional
to be elected President of
the United States?
2. Does a President have to
be a politician-play the pro-
fessional game of politics
to be a success and obtain
from Congress his legislative
proposals?
3. How much did Eisen-
hover dislike politics and
politicians?
4. Did Gen. Eisenhower. as
President, ignore Republican
Senators and Congressmen
when it came to Federal pa
tronage in their States and
districts, and how much at
tention, If any, did he pay
to the recommendations of
the Republican National
Committee on the same sub
ject?
Mr.. Adams, in his inter-
esting memoirs, makes his
own answers to all these ques-
tions. Some Of the Republi-
can leaders agree in part with
his answers, and some dis
agree. Gen. Eisenhower has
declined to comment on the
Adams memoirs.
The answer to the first
question should be obvious.
Not only did Gen. Eisenhower
not have to be a politician
Gas the term is generally
used) to be elected President,
but other Presidents, begin
ming with the first-George
Washington-did not have to
be. Two others were Wood
row Wilson and Herbert
Hoover. Certainly. Mr.. Ad-
ans makes it clear he did not
consider Gen. Eisenhower a
politician. He quoted the
county clerk in his home
county to the effect that the
general, so far AS he knew,
had never voted or stated
party affiliation, and the
clerk added: Il don't think
he has any politics" This was
before Gen. Eisenhower had
been entered in the New
Hampshire primary in 1852.
Support Of People
1t might be added that a
man does not have to have
the support of even a majori-
ty Of the political leaders in
his party to be nominated for
President. Certainly, Gen.
Eisenhower did not in 1852,
nor did Woodrow Wilson in
1912. Their support, however,
becomes more necessary dur
ing the election campaign.
The chief requisite for sue
cess, however, is that a can
didate for President have the
liking and respect Of the
American people and /or that
he be a crusader for a great
and important cause or issue.
This has been demonstrated
again and again. Abraham
Lincoln was a crusader for
the preservation Of the Union.
Gen. Eisenhower was a cru
Sader-and was so regarded
when he was elected - for
peace.
The answer to the second
question is not so easy. Mr..
Adams described Gen. Eisen-
hower's difficulties with Old
Guard Republicans in Con-
gress and his refusal to use
the power he poSsessed-as
President-to crack down on
individual members who re-
Evening star., 1961-05-20

fused to go along with his
recommendations. An inter-
esting speculation lies in
what might have happened
had Senator Bob Taft Of
Ohio, Republican leader Of
the Senate, not died so soon
after the first Eisenhower
term opened. Sen. Taft was
working Loyalty with the man
who had defeated him for
President. Mr.. Adams writes
that Gen. Eisenhower found
Democrats in Congress more
cooperative frequently than
these Old Guard Republi-
cans. Gen. Eisenhower, how
ever, was able to bring Con-
gress to accept many of his
proposals. His administra-
ton will go down in history
as one in which peace was
maintained without appease-
ment, national defense was
kept strong and the country
made great economic gains,
despite ups and downs.
No Hate Of Politics, Per Sc
Mr.. Adams leaves the dis
tinct impression that Gen.
Eisenhower, as President, did
dislike politics and politi-
clans. 1t would be more fair
to say, it seems, that the
former President disliked
some politicians and that he
hated the idea Of trying to
buy votes with the use Of
Federal patronage or favors
to political leaders and spe-
cial interest groups. He never
practiced that kind of poll
tics. But he did not hate
politics as such. He tried to
build stronger and more
liberal and progressive Re
publican Party. Indeed. Gen.
Eisenhower has not given up
that idea, even now that he
is out Of office. as Indicated
by his recent meeting with
his old Cabinet members and
many Republican Party lead
ers. He also will take part
in the coming election cam
paignS where he believes he
can be Of help to Republican
candidates.
The fourth proposition or
question is disputed by some
representatives of congress
sional Republicans and of the
Republican National Com
mittee. Mr.. Adams, it is true,
said that Gen. Eisenhower
tried to be polite and con-
Siderate to Republican mem
bers Of Congress and to mem
bers of the national COM
mittee, but that he would not
in many cases accept their
recommendations. 1t is a fact
Gen. Eisenhower found ques-
tions of Federal patronage a
pain-and so have other
Presidents, including Presi-
dent John F. Kennedy. But
some of those who are criti-
cal of Mr.. Adams insist that
even before the President
took office a small group of
leading Eisenhower campaign
supporters and directors took
into its hands this matter OF
dealing with Federal patron
age. In this group, they say.
was Mr.. Adams, and former
Postmaster General Sum
merfield and former Attor-
ney General Brownell. They
add that when Mr.. Adams
left the White House, ac-
cess to the President was
much freer for Republicans
in Congress and for the Re-
publican National Commit
teemen.
Evening star., 1961-05-20

many children from well-to-do families
are allowed to run loose and engage in
hoodlumiSm or outright law-breaking
The situation is matter of reproach
for all parents who have failed to meet
their responsibilities in the rearing of
good citizens
Evening star., 1961-05-20
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used "
letters carry tUrtterS' correct
names and addresses. All let
ters are subject to condensd-
tion. Those not used iDtu be
returned only iDhen accom- =
panied By self = addressed.
stamped enUelopes.
Evening star., 1961-05-20
Answers to Questions
By THE HASKINS SERVICE

reader can get an answer, bv
mail. to any Question Of fact by
writing The star Information Bu-
reau. Gas P street N w. Washington
1, d, c. Please incloSe return post
age or self addressed, stamped