davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-12-05
Proqress on Laos

After some six months of tedious
negotiation, the l4nation Geneva con-
ference on Laos has at last produced
an agreement that promises to guar
antee the little Kingdoms peace and
neutrality. More than that, If all the
Signatories faithfully abide by it (an
obviously big "if''), 1t may help also to
bring about an end to guerrilla warfare
in neighboring South Wet Nam and
thus promote stability throughout the
whole of Southeast Asia.
At any rate, the agreement, which
will become operative as soon as the
conference completes its work on a
special neutrality statute, commits the
Sino-Soviet bloc, together with the West
and key Asian nations, to a program
designed to maintain Laos as genuinely
neutral and independent land. The
machinery for this is to consist of
the International Control Commission
Canada, India and Poland) that has
been dealing with the situation, off and
on, ever since the 1854 Geneva settle
ment divided French Indo-China into
Laos, Cambodia and North and South
Wet Nam. The commission, in turn, is
to operate under the joint supervision
of Britain and the Soviet Union, each of
which will have the right to veto any of
the commissions major decisions.
It is plain enough that this admins
trative Set-up is far from ideal, but
the agreement nonetheless pledges the
Russians to consult with the British on
possible courses of action in the event
Of any threat to the security or neutral
status of the LaotianS. Noteworthy,
moreover, is the Sino-Soviet assent to
the pact's provision for the mainte-
nance of French military detachment
and advisers in Laos. This would seem
to indicate that Moscow and Peiping,
despite their past aversion to the idea,
are willing to accept the continuation
OF some Western influence in the
country-an influence that could be
helpful in discouraging a comeback of
the Red-led Pathet Lao guerrillas after
the formation of coalition government
by the Kingdoms three rival princes.
These princes - "neutralist" Sou
wanna Phouma, pro-Western Boun Gum
and pro-Communist Souphanouvong-
have been able to agree on having
Souvanna' serve as Premier, but they
still seem far apart on all other aspects
of the proposed coalition. Together with
obstacles like Peiping's objection to the
Vests call for disbandment of the
Pathet Lao jungle force, the continu-
ance Of this stalemate conceivably could
set back what has just been accom-
plished at Geneva. Still, the mere fact
that measure of agreement has been
reached there is a welcome sign,
Evening star., 1961-12-05
All Is Not Lost

Arlington Delegates Harrison Mann
and Kathryn Stone are exceedingly
disturbed by reports that legislative
screening committee" has been set up
at secret meeting of Byrd supporters in
the Virginia House of Delegates. Mr..
Mann calls this committee Legislative
Comintern," and says it's creation will
be interpreted as reading other Demo-
cratic House members out of the party.
Mrs. Stone describes it as sinister
move"
Apparently neither Mr.. Mann nor
Mrs. Stone knows exactly what was done
at the "secret" meeting. Neither do We
It is our guess, however, that all is not
yet lost in the Old Dominion.
There is nothing new about secret
meetings or caucuses to plan legislative
Evening star., 1961-12-05
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Evidence of Early Life on Earth
By THOMAS r. HENRY

1nere is evidence OF some
sort of very primitive life
on earth-or at least of pre-
life with a chemical COM
position close to that of
protoplasm-as much as IL
billion years ago.
Any higher forms of plants
or animals, with bodies COM
posed of many cells and
capable Of self-nourishment,
seem to have come into ex-
istence, however, only about
600 million years ago in the
transition from the pre-
Cambrian to the Cambrian
geological periods.
This is reported by Drs.
Phillip Abelson, director of
the Geophysical Laboratory
of the Carnegie Institution of
Washington and P. E. Cloud,
jr.. of the University of Min
nesota following a confer
ence of a National Academy
of Sciences group of experts
in various fields of geology
and paleontology. The re-
port, published by the
academy, results from years
of study by members of the
group in several highly
specialized fields.
Early Life Obscure
Evidence of anything like
living" in the long, dark
pre-Cambrian ages, extend
ing backwards about 5 billion
years to the beginning of
earthly time is, the con-
ferees agree. sparse, uncer-
tain and difficult to inter-
pret. 1t hardly could have
appeared until about 3 billion
years after the beginning of
the planet. Then in some way
yet unknown, a few scattered
observations indicate, the
organic started to arise
stumblingly out of the in
organic. Organisms, if they
existed hardly could have
been more than single-celled,
perhaps somewhat like
present day bacteria, or even
protozoa.
Limestones that can re-
liably be dated as about 2.7
billion years old and which
have been found in various
parts of the world. it is re-
ported by the conferees, have
structures very close to later
rocks known to have formed
from fossilized algae, about
the simplest forms of plant
life. The rocks are associated
Evening star., 1961-12-05
Shot at Pentoqon

In spite of the Berlin
crisis, recalling 250,000 re-
serves, and a pending $50 bill
lion defense budget for 1862,
some of those at the Penta-
gon are on a 36-hour work
week. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay,
Air Force Chief of Staff, an
nounced (Air Force Times.
September %, 1861 a new
fitness program for Pentagon
generals that means working
a half day less each week.
Under the guise of exercise
and relaxation, this program
puts the air of legality on a
leave racket that has been
going on in the Air Force for
several years. Many, not all,
Air Force generals, colonies,
majors, and even enlisted
men at bases all over the
world have long been enjoy
ing what has come to be
amusingly termed as COM
n1issary leave" This so-called
unrecorded leave allows the
military a half a day off of
each 40-hour-week for rest
and relaxation purposes.
This is astonishing in view
of President Kennedy's oppo-
sition to organized labor's re-
quest for a 36-hour work
week. AS a new form of de-
fense manpower feather-bed-
ding. added to other fringe
benefits now enjoyed by the
military brass, such as de-
pendent medicare, extrava-
CANT housing, commissary
privileges income tax advan-
tages, proficiency pay, sever
ance pay, responsibility pay,
trailer pay and finally early
retirement into top-level Civil
Service jobs at dual compen-
sation pay, it makes the Cape
Canaveral labor scandal look
like an efficiency engineers
dream.
E. G. Work.
Editors Note: When Gen.
LeMay issued his fitness"
directive, urging ranking Of
ficerS to exercise on week
ends or whenever their duty
allowed time for it, he had
in mind the increasing num-
ber of coronaries among gen.
erals and others who were
Evening star., 1961-12-05
LETTERS TO THE STAR
Pen MONIES man be used d

Pen names may be used u
letters carry ,Drtters' correct
names and addresses. Al let
ters are subject to condensa-
tton. Those not used tcin be
returned only ,nhen accom-
panied By self = addressed,
stamped envelopes.
growing flabby from too
much desk work. He did not
order an afternoon off, al
though some officers take
one to exercise when their
schedule permits. The mill
tary is not on an inflexible
40-hour week. and long days
generally counterbalance any
short ones.)
Evening star., 1961-12-05
Too Many 'Neor-CcIIision

Efforts to find devices or procedures
for reducing the risk of midair collisions
should be Spurred by the disclosure that
there were 1904 aviation near misses"
during the first five months of special
monthly average of about 260 near
misses. Near collisions" would be
Fatter term, we think. And about So
Of these close calls per month involved
planes which approached within 100 feet
Of each other.
The alarming statistics resulted
from survey undertaken by safety
research group, which promised ano-
nymity to all who made reports on forms
supplied to all branches of the aviation
industry, both civil and military. The
pledge Of anonymity was adopted after
the voluntary reporting system spon-
Sored by the Federal Aviation Agency
and the Civil Aeronautics Board proved
to be very unreliable. It was found that
the reports dropped drastically after the
FAA had moved to discipline pilots
named in several cases.
The new approach is designed not
to penalize transgressors of safety rules
but to learn what types of aircraft are
most frequently involved in near
collisions, the prevailing weather con-
ditions, where the near-accidents occur,
experience of pilots involved and all
other factors which might bear on the
incidents. Preliminary analyses, Incl
dentally, indicated that most of the
pilots had at least two years flying time,
that in 81 per cent of the cases one or
both of the planes were under some sort
Of ground control, and that most of the
close brushes occurred in congested air
patterns near airports.
The findings in further studies
should be of great value in devising
ways and means of coping with the near
collision problem-a problem of in
creasing urgency as high-speed Jet
planes replace the slower conventional
aircraft of commercial aviation. Mean
while, current research aimed at de-
veloping an automatic electronic anti
collision device ought to be stepped up
by both public and private authorities.
Evening star., 1961-12-05
Tax Factor in Renewal

The D. C. Finance Office
has made a good beginning
by calling attention to the
way such cities as Boston,
Milwaukee, New York, and
Pittsburgh use the taxing
power to encourage property
owners to modernize slum
properties and speed urban
renewal.
I am, however, surprised
that it has attempted to dis
courage similar action here.
For taxes can be a power
full tool in the renovation Of
property, as the experience of
foreign cities has proved over
many decades.
This is not a problem
which can be pushed into a
corner and forgotten. Decay
and blight in our c, les are
far outrunning the public
housers, and bulldozers Of
urban renewal.
1t is encouraging to know
that here in Washington the
Urban Land Institute, the
Presidents Advisory Commits
sion on Inter- Governmental
Relations. and the Democrat
ic Central Committee are
studying the problems in
volved in tax use to provide
a balanced urban renewal
program.
1t is clear that the Fed
eral City Councils II. R.
63l2 isn't the only or the
final answer to urban renew
al. In fact, several members
OF Congress, among them
Representatives Kearns, Nc
Dowell, and Multer, as we'll
as Senator Carlson. have in
troduced bills which provide
that property owners who
renovate their property will
not be penalized by in
creased taxes.
This is clearly not a par
tisan approach to urban re-
newal, In fact, Norman P.
Mason, head of the Housing
and Home Finance Agency
under President Eisenhower.
and David Walker, urban
renewal commissioner under
President Eisenhower, were
both tremendously interested
in the subject of wise use of
taxes to encourage individual
owners to undertake modern
ization of their property.
1t is now up to the lead
ers Of the New Frontier to
see to it that their fair words
about rehabilitation, renova-
ton, and modernization of
property are translated into
meaningful action.
MyrOn B. Smith.
Evening star., 1961-12-05
HEARINGS in Reverse

1t was with great interest
that I read of the Citizens
For a Clean Potomac spon-
sorship of a new (to this re-
gion) type of citizen-Govern-
ment meeting.
AS I understood it, at the
suggestion of the above coun-
Gil, the Corps of Engineers
agreed to describe their find
ings and proposals to the
concerned citizens in all the
Potomac areas to be affected
by their pending future ac-
ton and to answer any ques-
tions raised by the citizens.
This was to be called hear
ings in reverse" The lack of
this kind of straight-from-
the horses mouth briefing
has often in the past led to
hearings where a great deal
of time was wasted, and ac-
ton decided upon without a
foundation of all-around I'M
derstanding of all aspects in
volved.
If the citizens, following
these hearings in reverse"
were denied their day in court
to put forward their views
and answer the questions of
the Government officials,
then this would indeed be a
short-circuited bit of engi-
neering. However, I have con-
firmed that there was no
such intention. The required
and proper hearings will be
held.
Here is a chance to improve
and strengthen democracy in
action. All of us who have
attended many of these hear
ings know they leave some
thing - sometimes much
be desired. I hope your pape~,
with its staunch support of
good regional planning, will
give this constructive idea
first-claSs attention.
Virginia w. Riggs.
Evening star., 1961-12-05
Arabs and IsroeIis

I. Shannon makes a valid
point in his criticism of my
recent letter. Since I am not
acquainted with any Arab
diplomat or other high Off
cial of any Arab government,
I had no right to seem to be
representing myself as a
spokesman for the Arabs. I
publicly relieve the Arabs of
any responsibility for what
I wrote. My point of view
is based upon a reading of
the history of Palestine be-
tween 1918 and 1948, during
which time Palestinian Arab
leaders again and again
thought that they had made
reasonable and fair agree
ments with Jewish leaders in
Palestine, only to find that
those in Palestine did not
speak for the real power
structure of Zionism. Zion
iSt power was concentrated
in New York City where it
brought effective pressure
not only upon the United Ma
tions but also upon the high
est levels Of the Government
of the United States, pressure
which resulted in all Arab
rights in Palestine being
completely disregarded.
If Americans are really in
terested in peace in the Mid
die East (and protecting
United States interests
there), the best thing we can
do is to stand up to Zionist
pressure and cut off our emo
tional, political and econom-
ic support of zionism and
the aggressive, militaristic
government of Ben Gurion.
In the long run. the ordi-
nary. hard working, innocent
people of Israel will be saved
not by a conqueror's dictated
peace but rather by mag
unanimous concessions in
keeping with the best tradi-
tions of the Middle East.
Richard j. Marquardt.
Evening star., 1961-12-05

A Star editorial recon-
mends UNICEF Omitted
Nations Children's Fund.-
Christmas cards, which the
editorial stated, mot only
bring cheer to our friends but
may mean health, food, shell
ter and general happiness
for children in far-away
lands" In truth, however,
UNICEF does not directly
give to children-or anyone
else. UNICEF is a supply
agency Of the United Ma
tions; it furnishes money and
food to U. N. agencies over
the world. Considerable of
its funds are sent to Com
munist nations where, of
course, the distribution of
money is left to Communist
dictators. A 1857 UNICEF re-
port noted that 75c of each
dollar contributed by the
United States Government
went to Communist countries
and these countries re-
ceived Is times more than
they contributed. Our Gov
ernment, through its foreign
aid program, subsidies Com
munist governments enough
already!
UNICEF and its program
acknowledges no God but the
state. In the dictatorship
countries children are being
taken from their parents and
indoctrinated with philoso-
phies which are the anti
thesis Of the love and respect
and unselfishneSs repre-
sented by the Christ Child at
Christmas.
We must know for what
purpose our contributions are
to be used-else we may be
buying sorrow and slavery
for our own children and for
ourselves.
Geraldine RorrvhilI
Evening star., 1961-12-05
Prods CuIturists

On Sunday afternoon last
I attended a most interest
ing, unusual, colorful and
educational performance by
the Bayanihan Philippine
dance group at Lisner Audi
torium. Despite a most en-
thusiastic review by the
well known dance critic John
Martin in the New York
Times widely read in Wash
ington) a few days pefore,
and another enthusiastic re-
view by The Star critic the
morning of the performance.
there must have been well
over 100 vacant seats.
Where were all those peo-
pie who have been making a
great ballyhoo about the need
for a Cultural Center in
Washington?
Goo-~. N Vxy-Amm.m A.
Evening star., 1961-12-05

President Kennedy, accord
ing to grapevine reports from
the White House, would be
reluctant to have Adlai Stev-
enson give up his United
States ambassadorship to the
United Nations and run for
the Senate in Illinois. If
the President wants to keep
Mr.. Stevenson as his chief
spokesman at the U. N. and
believes that he is needed in
that position, there seems no
good reason why he shouldn't
say so. There was once a
famous double-play trio on
a great Chicago baseball
team and the Tinker-to-
Evers-to-Chanc slogan is
part of baseball history. Un-
til the President makes his
position clear on Mr.. Stew
enSon, a suspicion will linger
that a political double play
"a Kennedy-to- Bailey-to-
Daley PLAYS underway.
This suspicion arose when
Mr.. Stevenson told reporters
at the White House he had
discussed with the President
the fact he had been urged
to run for Senator next year
by Mayor Richard Daley of
Chicago but declined to tell
them what the Presidents
reaction had been. John M.
Bailey is chairman of the
Democratic National Com
mittee.
Mr.. Stevenson. who was
Governor of Illinois from
l949 to 1858, has been men
toned as a possible Demo-
cratic nominee for Senator to
run against Senator Everett
M. Dirksen. Republican leader
of the Senate, on a number
of occasions. For example,
Senator Paul Douglas, Illi-
noiS Democrat, when he was
asked several weeks ago to
name a potential senatorial
candidate, listed Mr.. Steven
son prominently. When Mr..
Stevenson discussed the mat
ter with the President. he
may have wished to settle
in his own mind the Presi-
dents attitude toward his
handling of this country's
affairs at the U. N. If the
President told him flatly he
wished Mr.. Stevenson to stay
on at the U. N, that is one
thing. If the President said,
on the other hand, that a
senatorial candidacy was a
matter that Mr.. Stevenson
must decide for himself, it
might have left the Ambas-
sador in some doubt. Mr..
Stevenson probably is not
unmindful that hester
Bowles has been eased out
of the office of Undersecre-
tary of State, although when
it was first published that
Mr.. Bowles was to go the
White House firmly denied
the report.
U. N. Successor a Problem
The $64 question, should
Mr.. Stevenson decide to run
for the Senate and give up
his U. N. ambaSsadorship, is:
Who will succeed him at the
U. N? Who is outstanding in
the field of foreign policy
and widely known in this
country and abroad? One
name Immediately comes to
mind-former Secretary of
State Dean Acheson. Another
is Averell Hartman, former
Governor of New York and
former rowing Ambassador.
who recently was appointed
Assistant Secretary of State
for Far Eastern Affairs. Or
President Kennedy may wish
to have some one else-some
Evening star., 1961-12-05
THE POLITICAL MILL
Do JFK and AdIoi See Eye to Eve?
BY GOULD LINCOLN

younger man. In the past,
ouc chief representatives at
the U. N. have included two
former Senators-one Of
whom was Henry Cabot
Lodge, the man President
Kennedy defeated in 1852 for
Senator from Massachusetts,.
Mr.. Lodge was the Republi-
can candidate for Vice Pres
ident on the ticket with Rich
ard M. Nixon in 1860.
There is a theory-and 1t
may be entirely correct-that
the Democrats in Cook
County, which includes Chi
cago. are desperately In need
OF a senatorial candidate
who. at the head of the
party ticket next year, can
make it easier for them to
elect county officers. 1t does
not seem probable, or even
possible, that Mr.. Stevenson
would give up his place at
the United Nations for such
a reason, even though Mayor
Daley of Chicago desperately
wanted him to do so. 1t is a
fact, however. that the Dem
ocrats have no big name or
widely known potential can
didate to run against Sen
ator DirkSen. 1t is also a
fact that Mr.. Stevenson went
back to New York and the
U. N. after merely saying he
would give study to the re-
quest of Mayor Daley.
StevensOn's Senate Wishes
Whether Adlai Stevenson
would like to run for the
Senate is still anybody's
guess-though it does not ap-
pear likely. He ran twice
as the Democratic candidate
for President and was badly
defeated by Gen. Eisenhower
in his own home State. In
1948 Mr.. Stevenson was
elected Governor by a half
million votes. But he was
running against a Repubi-
can Governor whose admin
istration had been gravely
discredited d. What his
chances would be against
Everett Dirksen, who has
twice been elected Senator
and has a large following in
the State) is another ques-
ton which may cause Mr..
Stevenson to make a definite
mo" answer to Mayor Daley.
In 1850, Senator Dirksen de-
feated Democratic Senator
Scott w. Lucas, then Dem
ocratic leader of the Senate,
by margin of 293, 900 votes.
Six years later. he was re-
elected by $4,000 votes over
his Democratic opponent.
Last year, President Ken
nedy carried the State by a
scant 5000 votes over Mr..
Nixon, but Senator Douglas
was reelected by 437,000
votes, which may give Mr..
Stevenson encouragement if
he wishes to run.
The general impression in
w S hington - although
neither Mr.. Stevenson nor
the President has spoken
QUITS that Mr.. Stevenson
will elect to remain at his
present post. But general =
impressions have sometimes
been wrong in the past. par
ticularly in this capital city.
1t is said that Mr.. Stevenson
would like to hold a place
in the Senate where he can
speak his own mind on in
ternational affairs, rather
than take orders at the q. N.
from the President and
Secretary Of State. If this
be true it would indicate he
and the President do not al
ways see eye to eye.
Evening star., 1961-12-05
Communist Castro

The lesson taught by Fidel Castro's
open profession of the Communist faith
Is not merely that the Big Lie is an
integral part of his operating technique.
This, of course, is now an established
fact-not so much because Castro says
he is Communist but because the sup
porting evidence is so strong
Beyond this, however, is the lesson
OF the use which he has made of the lie.
In April, 1859, he told the American
Society of Newspaper Editors: I'VE are
not Communists" Subsequently he said
lit is calumny that the Cuban govern
ment is Communist infiltrated" and
"ours is not a Communist revolution" :"
During all that time, he now declares,
he was "a Marxist-Lenirist and will
be one until the day die"
Castro used the lie to recruit support
for his revolution and to consolidate his
victory. In this he was helped nightly
by influential people, dupes or otherwise,
who peddled the Castro gospel in Cuba
and in the United States The few who
denounced him for the Marxist that he
was were shouted down or ignored. And,
finally, those Communists who
fought with him, once the battle had
been won, were shot, jailed or forced to
fee for their lives.
And so it was that communism
became entrenched in the Western
Hemisphere and another country which
should have been free slipped behind the
Iron Curtain. If nothing else, this should
teach us to beware of future Castros-
and of those who will be carrying the
torch for them.