davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-02-11
A Boost for NATO

In recent months the esprit de corps
OF the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
ton has left much to be desired. One
reason for this is that some members
have failed to contribute their fair share
to the great common enterprise. An
other Is that there has been considerable
internal political pickering. And yet
another is that fears have been felt that
the United States-as suggested in the
closing weeks Of the Eisenhower ad-
ministration-might sharply reduce its
European troop commitment and thus
seriously weaken the alliance.
These are only a few Of the factors
involved in the situation, but they are
enough to explain why NATo has been
having something of a morale problem,
and they probably account in part for
Paul-Henri Spaak's decision to resign
as Secretary General Of the organiza-
ton. Even so, regardless Of the stresses
and strains within it, there can be no
doubt that the alliance continues to be
IN baSically sound condition. Nor
can there be any doubt that the secu-
rtty Of all its members depends in very
large measure on their determination
or lack Of ito maintain unity, Arm
ness Of purpose and adequate armed
strength in world that will almost
certainly keep on being dangerous for
q long time to come.
So it is good that President Ken
nedy, at his most recent news conference,
has made special point of emphatically
reaf1rming our country's intention and
resolve "to go on as full and energetic
partners in NATO, and in particular
We wish to maintain our military
strength in Europe" Moreover, describ-
ing "thiS great organization" Of free
lands as "our central and most important
defensive alliance" he has intimated
that the United States will seek to
strengthen it further on the basis Of
';an especially careful study Of our
policy"-a study being undertaken by
Secretary of State Rusk with the help
Of an advisory group headed by former
Secretary Dean Acheson, one Of NATO's
true founders"
Coupled with his appointment Of
the able Thomas K. Finlettef as Ameri-
can ambassador to the alliance, this
statement by the President should allay
any misgivings abroad about our
country's continuing intense interest in
the undertaking. Certainly, If all
members meet their obligations, II all
cooperate fully in the military, political
and economic fields, NATO-despite the
difficulties 1t has experienced on occa-
sion-can hardly fail to prosper as an
agent Of peace and progress. Mr.. Ken
nedy has done well to remind it Of its
opportunities In that respect.
Evening star., 1961-02-11

they had survived getting
inside the bus he said. Let
'em on, folks. I need the
money!"
A little old lady who me-
thodically held out her hand
for a transfer was jokingly
asked, do you want a trans
fer or do you want to shake
my hand?" She laughed.
BY this time. I, too, had
warmed up" to the witt
cismS Of this purveyor Of good
will. The frown on the face
Of the stranger sitting next
to me was Immediately
transformed into a smile-a
prelude to a fleeting friend
ship. We sat back relaxed
to be entertained by D. c.
Transit's answer to George
Burns.
A few StalwartS were being
delayed in exiting from the
rear. Nov, let's let 'en off.
folks. I got their money"
our illuStrious driver called
out to the permanent fix
lures" who held on tenaci-
ously to the steel poles to
Evening star., 1961-02-11

which they seemingly had
prior claim.
Something must have hap
pened to the acoustics as
there were q few choice
morsels that did not reach
the audience" in the rear
of the "theater." Besides, the
laughter was becoming in
creasingly louder. It must
have been "intermisSion" as
someone had started UP q
tune.
Departing from this utop-
ian vehicle, I realized that
the show" was over for me.
Nevertheless, I know I shall
find myself forever search
ing for a beSpectacled, hu-
morous, courteous, yet def
nitely cautious driver when
the mercury registers low in
my morale department. A
wonderful tonic would be an
orchestra seat at the morn
ing show"
Ruth ID. Bates.
Director, Research and
Education, Commission
erS' Council on Human
Relations.
Evening star., 1961-02-11
Voice CHANCES

NdVlu 4AWTeIlCe on Fe0.
ruary 7 compares some of
the Voice Of America pro-
grams unfavorably with Ra-
dio Moscow. Mr.. Lawrence
writes: There are short
wave broadcaStS in which
Radio Moscow excels not
only in number but In quail
ity. For some strange rea-
son. many Of these American
broadcastS lack simplicity.
They are written for the eye
rather than the ear. Moscow
puts across its shortwave
broadcaSts In many in
stances In more understand
able English than does the
Voice Of America. This could
easily be refnedied."
It Is being remedied. For
q year now. the Voice Of
America has been broadcast
ing five. 15-minute news
programs q day in special"
English to all parts Of the
world. Uatin America was
a d ded recently0 These
newscasts are written In SIM
pie. direct English using q
limited vocabulary. And they
are read more slowly than
the regular newscaSts. Re-
ports from the field indicate
that listener response to
these special English pro-
grams is very favorable.
Madeline G. Meyer.
Evening star., 1961-02-11
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Brains Not Vital to Rats Functions
By THOMAS R. HENRY

Rats can learn without
brainS-without. at least, the
top Of the brain supposedly
essential to any intelligent
behavior.
This has been reported to
the American Association for
the Advancement Of Science
here by DR.. Robert Thomp-
son. Of the University Of
Louisiana, following expert
ments with animals from
whom as much as 90 per cent
OF the so-called neo-cortex
had been removed.
With both eyes as well as
the brain area removed and
all possible cues from odors,
sounds. etc.. removed, they
learned to follow right paths
to food in Q maze almost as
rapidly as other rats with
intact brains and eyes.
More remarkable. less Of
the brain apparently did not
affect memory very much.
The decorticated animals did
almost as well as the intact
ones after imposed delays Of
80 seconds following a sue
cesSful trial.
Favorite Experiment
The maze experiment is a
favorite with psychologists
testing animal intelligence.
Hungry rats find their way
to food after trial and error
probings. How long does it
take them to find the same
path again-that is, to profit
by experience and remember?
In this experiment, reports
DR.. Thompson in the Amer
ican Associations official
journal. Science. both the
cortical and control rats re-
quired more than twice as
many trials to reach the
criterion with a 30-second
delay than they did with
no delay. The reduction in
learning speed is generally
attributable to the decaying
memory trace. But appar-
emily the neo-cortex Is not
necessary for this function in
the rat"
The maZes used, however,
were Of the most simple sort.
With more complicated set
ups. DR.. Thompson found, the
new brain" Of higher ami
mails became essential.
There are Super-poiSon
rattleSnakeS.
Their venom contains an
exceptionally toxic protein,
crotamine, which is absent,
or almost absent, in other
species Of the race.
Evening star., 1961-02-11
Defense ReopproisoI

1t Is interesting to note
that the President has d.
rected his Secretary Of De-
tense to reappraise our entire
defense strategy-including
the elimination Of obsolete
bases and installations.
A few arguments may de-
velop in the course Of the
overall appraisal, but no
one should quarrel over the
elimination Of the obsolete
items. The old frontier forts
Of the wild West and some
Of our Civil War naval facil-
tiles have outlived their use
fulness. There is also q sus-
picion that we have q few
obsolete Air Force installa-
tions scattered around the
country which could be
abandoned with little risk to
national security. The re-
Sultant reduction In defense
expenditures might be worth
while. However. I am not
sure that q drastic reduction
in the number Of our mill
tary antiques would meet
with the whole-hearted ap-
probation Of the gentlemen
on Capitol Hill. Many Of our
Congressman and Senators
display Q fatherly interest
In those installations which
happen to be located in
their respective home baili-
wicks.
I wish the President and
his Secretary well-but I am
q little doubtful. When the
agonizing reappraisal is COM
plete, I expect to see all of
our old time Navy yards and
bases open for business as
usual, the frontier forts Of
Texas still doing in the sun,
the Preside still guarding
San Francisco and Fort Myer
alert in the defense Of Wash
ington.
We may be in the space
age and have new frontiers
men all around US, but let
Us not forget that we have
bipartisan political guards
men standing watch over
the antique rampartS Of the
old frontier. II our President
thinks otherwise, he didn't
do his homework when he
was In the Senate.
Angus Sinclair.
Evening star., 1961-02-11

This was Just reported to :
the American Association for
Advancement Of Science by
DR.. s. Schenberg. of the Bra
lillian University Of Sac
Paulo. 1t was determined
from tests Of the potency Of,
rattler venom to cause
paralysis in the hind legs Of
mice. This. chemical tests
showed. was proportional to
the amount Of the lately ,
found toxic protein. For some
rattlers there was hardly any :
effect at all, although their
venom was toxic in other
ways.
-,
Brazilian Snake AweSOme e..
Crotamine is most abund-
ant, DR.. Schenberg found, in
a Brazilian snake with the :
aweSome scientific name Of
crotalus terrificus terrificus,"
the terrible. terrible snake"
Specifically there is little
difference between this crea-'1
ture and others of the rattler i
race and the chemical tests
are the chief means Of dis
tinguishing the species. The
Super-poison which exists I'M
extremely minute amounts
apparently is hereditary, the
Brazilian psychologist found.
It can be located in full
strength only in the venom
from South American snakes
of a certain broad jungle
area.
Smaller effects are pro-
duced by venom extracted
from rattlers living on the
borders Of this area where
presumably there has been
some interbreeding. Beyond
these borders crotamine, 50 :
far as can be determined, is
absent although tests with,
larger doses might reveal :,
traces. So far as known the
toxin does not exist in North
American rattlers. -
Evening star., 1961-02-11
THE POLITICAL MILL
Kennedy Regime Stirs Controversy
BY GOULD LINCOLN

The Kennedy administra-
ton has been in power for
three weeks and already de-
veloping signs point to its
becoming one Of the most
controversial. It will be ac-
cused-in fact. 1t Is already
accuSed-of being terrifically
partisan in the manner 1t Is
filling Federal offices. The
Republicans are saying that.
outside Of window dressing
the appointment of Re-
publican Secretaries Of the
Treasury and Defense-the
new administration is going
back to the days Of Andrew
jackson when the slogan
was: ITO the victors belong
the spoils." They say 1t
rather plaintively, for some
Of them wished that Presi-
dent Eisenhower had been
more ruthless. had swept out
many Democrats in Federal
office and had not appointed
30 many other Democrats.
Predictions are made, too,
that the new President is
reaching out to build up the
strongest political organiza-
ton in the history Of the
country. What the critics
Of the President hope is that
eventually the people will be-
come restive. realizing that
much is being done for "the
party" and perhaps not so
much for the country.
Money Programs Slated
True to the promises made
by President Kennedy during
his campaign last year and
In his state-of- -the-Union
message to Congress, the ad-
min1stration Is producing
legislative proposals for in
creasing the minimum wage
medical care for the aged
and aid to distressed areas"
Other programs are to fol.
low. The form in which
these proposals have been
made will arouse controversy.
Other programs. calling for
the expenditure Of large sums
OF money-which obviously
we (the Government) have
not-will be vigorously at
tackled. The Secretary Of the
Treasury, Douglas Dillon.
said Thursday that the pres
ent prospect was for q Fed
eral deficit ct the close Of
the present fiscal year
amounting to q billion dol.
lars. This replaces an Ell
senhower estimate Of q $40
million surplus. Mr.. Ken
nedy has asked Congress to
provide for spending more
money as the Governments
contribution to unemploy-
ment payments. He has
also proposed to spend more
for national defense. And
1t Is expected he will request
very large sums to be used
for foreign aid-and to coun-
tries from which return pay
ment iS not likely. The
President has already indi.
Gated he viii back large Fed
eral expenditures as aids to
education.
There are many other
programs looking to Federal
expenditures which were
promised in the Democratic
National Platform, and by
Mr.. Kennedy. The new
President, who has also
promised to do all in his
power to protect the sound
ness Of the dollar and to
prevent its devaluation, Of
course. may decide 1t Is un-
Evening star., 1961-02-11
MiIIord E. Tydings

The truest measure Of Millard
Tydings, who represented Maryland In
the United States Senate for "a years,
may be found in his own words-in a
statement he made when all the power
bear against him.
This was back in 1898. Franklin
Roosevelt, at the peak Of his popularity,
determined to purge" Senator Tydings
because the latter had opposed New
Deal measures and, above all, because
he had fought the Presidents effort to
pack" the Supreme Court. A down the
line New Dealer was lined up to oppose
Mr.. Tydings in the primary and the
President went into Maryland to cam
paign against him. In the face of this
formidable threat to his career, Senator
Tydings told the people of Maryland:
IF am elected, shall vote for those
measures which believe to be right and
oppose those believe to be wrong, no
matter who advocates or opposes them,
and when can no longer do that I
care no longer to represent this State In
any public body" His subsequent
victory by comfortable margin was
tribute both to his own integrity and to
the perceptiveness of the Maryland
voters.
In 1850 he headed a special Senate
subcommittee which investigated the
late Senator McCarthy's charges that
the State Department had been infll-
trated by card-carrying Communists.
Uncovering no evidence to support these
accusations (and none has ever been
produced), he denounced the Wisconsin
Senator, accusing him Of fraud. deceit
and the perpetration of hoax. This
cost him his Senate seat In the 1850
general election the Mccarthy forces,
In a scurrilous campaign, managed to
defeat him.
In 1856 Mr.. TydingS tried to come
Evening star., 1961-02-11
PorochioI Schools

It has often been heard
and Is indeed true in our
United States. that Catholic
parents whose children at
tend parochial schools could,
II they chose to, send their
children to the public schools.
I have never heard Of any
suggestion or plan Of Just
how the nearly 6 million
youngsters now attending
parochial schools could be
absorbed into the already
overcrowded and under
stated public school system.
Who would pay for the thou
sands Of new school build
ings and tens Of thousands
Of new teachers2 The tax
payers. Of course. And where
could all Of those new teach
ers be recruited?
Catholics in the United
States have worked and sac
rificed for more than q CEN
tury to establish schools
where children could be
taught their religion and
where mention Of the name
Of God Is not q forbidden
subject. I believe we have
also maintained high scho-
lastic standards aS well. We
have borne the burden Of
construction Of school build
ings all over the land and
the dedicated sisters, priests
and brothers who staff them
work for no wage but their
love Of God.
The parochial school sys-
tenn is q very costly opera
ton, though for the most
part devoid Of the frillS Of
many public school plants.
In recent years, due to the
heavy increase in enrolment
(Which has occurred in the
public schools as welD the
Catholic schools have had to
employ a great many lay
teachers to supplement the
sisters. and they must be
paid a living wage. The min
imum tuition rates charged
at parish schools, often not
collectible at all In poorer
areas, do not begin to cover
the operating costs Of the
schools.
II we turned our millions
Of youngsters over to the
public schools, we could use
our present facilities to teach
religion after school or on
Saturdays and Sundays, thus
freeing our also heavily over
worked staffS for the pri-
mary purpose for which our
schools were established. We
might also be able to help
shore up our children in such
subjects as foreign languages
and mathematics. where the
public schools have been ac-
cused Of deficiencies.
President Kennedy has
said that billions should be
appropriated by our Govern
ment for public education
and we can all agree that our
children should have the best
possible preparation to face
q future in which our coun-
try may be continuously in
volved in world crises.
I should like to hear some
one who advocates that all
children attend public schools
explain how our public edu-
cation system would face the
announcement by superin-
tendentS Of Catholic schools
that, say, as Of next Septem-
ber, we would indeed send
our children to them.
Gertrude M. HOyt.
Evening star., 1961-02-11

wise at this juncture to 20
ahead with some Of them.
The country, according to
reports received from many =,
sources, including the De-
partment Of Labor, Is suffer-
ing an economic recession
with increased unemploy-
ment-despite the fact that
some "a million persons are
employed. President Ken
nedy has submitted q num-
ber Of proposals intended to
spur the economy, and some
OF them have led to contro-o
versy. The reports are such !
as to make the Kennedy pro- /,
posalS for large appropria-
tons to aid distressed areas, :
where unemployment is
large, and for medical care
for the aged and increased
ana extended unemployment
payments, more certain Of !
congressional approval. The
Congress, however, has still
to come to grips on the form
Of medical care for the aged,
which Mr.. Kennedy wishes
to be paid from increased
social security taxes. It has
also to deal with, to consider.
and act on the proposed in
creased minimum wage bill, .
to raise the minimum wage ,
from $1.00 an hour to $l.15
the first year, $1.20 the sec
ond year and $1.25 the third
year. In addition, 1t would
have the minimum wage law
extended to cover 4.3 mill
lion workers not now COW,
cred. The big fight in Con-.
gresS will be on the extended
coverage rather than on the
increased amount. Some Of
the workers proposed to be
covered are not engaged in
interstate industries or serv-
ices.
Prepared to Use Pressure ).
The Kennedy administra-
ton has already shown 1t is
prepared to bring great pres
sure to bear on individual :
members Of Congress to whip
them into line. This occurred
in the recent fight to enlarge /,
the House Rules Committee
membership so that the Ken.
nedy bills would be assured
Of reaching the floor Of the
House for action. Presumably
1t will exert similar pressure
to put these bills through
both the House and Senate.
The new President owes his
election in large part to
organized labor and to the
Negro vote. not only in the
North but also in the South.
Mr.. Kennedy is politically .
wise. His appointments to
high office from both groups
indicate his interest in giving
recognition to them.
Despite the fact that Mr..
Kennedy defeated former Vice
President Nixon, his Repub-
1can opponent, by the mar
rowest kind Of popular mar
gin. there has so far been no
indication that this will re-
strain or tone down the pro.
grams to which he pledged
himself. The outlook seems.
to be for bigger Government,
bigger spending, and q deter
mined effort to assure Demo-
cratic control Of the Govern
ment - which Of course will
mean a second term for Mr.
Kennedy. Obviously, he In
tends to do the best he can
for the country at the same
time. And that is the best
kind Of politics.
Evening star., 1961-02-11

back, but failing health forced his with
drawal. And now, at age 10, he is dead.
OF Millard Tydings, however, 1t may be
said that he was ever his own man, that
he acted in accord with his convictions
and that he adhered faithfully to his
own concept of the distinction between
what is right and what Is wrong. It
would be dif1cult to say more Of any
man.
Evening star., 1961-02-11
Answers to Questions
BY THE HASKINS SERVICE

=.
@. Who first used the term,
collective bargaining? -
F. U.
A. Beatrice Potter Webb, the
English writer on economics
and sociology, is said to be
the first person to have used
it, in London in 1891. It was
soon popularized In this
country by Samuel Gompera
OF the American Federation
Of Labor.
Evening star., 1961-02-11
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used "
letters carry tDTiters' correct
names and addresses. All let.
ters are subject to condensd-
tion. Those not used tctIl be
returned only tDhen accom-
panied BY self = addressed,
stamped enveiopeS.
Evening star., 1961-02-11

lieve in divine punishment,
but whose dishonesty shows
they often ignore their be-
liefs should be allowed in
office.
While most other States
abandon foolish laws, the
people Of Maryland cling to
their old misconceptions and
intolerant attitudes.
Andrew TeteF,
Evening star., 1961-02-11
Trusts Kennedy

With due respect to the
principles. moral and other
wise, Of all teetotalers. I
must endeavor to speak for
the other 100 million Ameri-
cans" who imbibe.
In reference to the assaults
on the New Frontier
Saloon" intelligent admins
traitors should be accorded
the benefit Of the doubt in
their ability to distinguish
between enough and too
much.
I, for one, do not trust q
dry Irishman.
Harry Downs.
Evening star., 1961-02-11
Soldering Thought

I had a very sobering
thought while reading about
the new heavyweight Sput-
mix the Russians had in orbit
and the seemingly positive
deduction from reliable
sources that 1t carried q hu-
man being.
Could 1t be possible that
rather than using Russian
manpower as astronauts.
some of our missing pilots
may have already or will in
the future find their way into
space aboard Russian
rockets? Albert Hopkins,