davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-04-19
Warmed Over Chorqe

Robert Welch, founder of the John
Birch Society," has told Texas audience
that 1000 Protestant clergymen are
either Communists or Communist SYM
pathizers That this has a familiar
ring Is not surprising. For it is just a
warmed-over version of similar accu-
sation made some eight years ago by
]. B. Matthews, then staff director of
the Mccarthy subcommittee. AS mat
ter Of fact, Mr. Matthews used the same
7,000-and 1t seems bit odd,
to say the least, that the number of
Red-or1ented ministers Is changeless.
One would think that after eight years
there might be 1901 or perhaps 6,999.
But no, the total remains the same,
neither one more nor one less.
When the Matthews accusation first
came to light it created quite a stir
1t split the subcommittee, ended IN
Matthews resignation and brought a
denunciation from the then President
Eisenhower, who, incidentally, is also
suspected of Communist leanings by the
Birch Society'S founder Now, on the
second time around, the charge does
not seem to be boosting anyone'S blood
pressure. And this Is as 1t should be.
For there Is no point in getting excited
Evening star., 1961-04-19
Handling Juveniles

While 1t would have been better
simply to add another Judge to the
Juvenile Court bench, the more complex
alternative bill now being drafted by
the Davis subcommittee apparently
would make available the services of
such additional judges as are necessary
to cope with the juvenile caseload. And
to the extent that 1t deals with this
most critical problem of the present
court, the new legislation is a step in
the right direction.
AS Tentatively" agreed upon, how
ever, there are other provisions Of the
legislative draft which are more Ques-
tionable. We hope the subcommittee will
reconsider them before reporting to the
full House District Committee.
One of these provisions, a most
unwise one, we believe, calls for a re-
duction In the age limit Of those coming
before the Juvenile bench from 18 to Is
years. The Juvenile Court already has
authority to waive juvenile cases of a
fragrant nature to the adult court a
power which from all indications has
been exercised literally. Perhaps, as
Deputy Police Chief Winters has sug-
gested, Congress should detail in more
specific terms the circumstances in
which these waivers should be used
But to argue that every 16-year-old be
treated as hardened criminal, one who
is beyond the reach of the specialized
treatment for which juvenile courts
were established, is absurd on its face
The indications that Representative
Davis is finally prepared to deal with
the Juvenile Court problem, after so
long period of inactivity, are welcome
indeed. But it would be most un-
fortunate If his bill goes overheard on
points which have no reasonable tusti-
fcation, and which would greatly en-
danger its enactment.
Evening star., 1961-04-19
All Quiet on 10Th Street.!

All was normal in the HOO block
Of 18th street NV. yesterday. Capitalist
traffic flowed freely both ways. Pedes-
trianS sauntered to ana from work, to
and from lunch or Just to and from.
The Embassy Of the Union Of Soviet
Socialist Republics presented its usual
undisturbed and imperturbable gray
stone front.
Halfway across the world, another
embassy-the Embassy Of the United
States Of America-was being Splattered
with green and purple ink and showered
with rocks. This was In Moscow, like
Washington a capital city Of monu-
mental architecture and grand vistaS.
The Soviet society, 1t has been said, is
one of discipline, orderlinesS and full of
the love of peace. 1t is not marked, or
so 1t is said, by hooliganism. BY others
it has been said, with perhaps even
greater truth, that 1t is not city where
spontaneous demonstrations can be
born-much less survive.
And yet, in these strange times, 1t
Is interesting that thousands of Moscow
demonstration" could be so fired up by
reports of events on the Caribbean Sea
frontier as to despoil an embassy
especially one ringed by Soviet in
fantrymen and police" 1t is gratifying,
of course, that in % minutes the order
was given to end this impromptu mani
feStation of mass emotion, and that it
promptly ended. 1t Is even more graft
flying that all remained quiet on 18th
street
Evening star., 1961-04-19
No Place to Park

Well over a year ago, due
to a complaint by a Congress-
man who had been given a
ticket for overtime parking
at one Of the private meters
at Union Station. the public
parking area on California
place just to the east Of
Union Station was taken
away from private citizens
and marked Private Proper
ty-Parking by Permit only"
thereby depriving countless
Post Office, Union Station,
and Washington Terminal
Co. employees Of sorely needed
parking spaces. This space
was supposedly being taken
over because it was needed
by the Capitol.
All around Capitol Hill
there seems to be nothing
but private parking areas
reserved for Senators and
Congressman, as we'll as en-
ployes of the Capitol, Senate
Office, and House Office
Buildings. 1t seems very I'M
fair and entirely discrimina-
tory toward employees Of Gov
ernment agencies and private
industry located Just off Of
California place to have this
much-needed parking space
taken from them, especially
with the ever present, and
increasing problem of park
ing in this area and the i'm
mediate vicinity.
Postal Employe.
Evening star., 1961-04-19
Wanted: More Specialists

President Kennedy's request to
Congress for S01 more grade civil
service jobs of the specialist and super
1iSory types Is designed to I'LL q long
'elt need, especially among the agencies
concerned with technical matters. The
heed has become more urgent as the
,empo of Federal research and develop
.nent activities has increased In pace
With demands of the missile and
Jate4lite age.
Many Of the high-level supervisory
obs would go to the Defense
Department, National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, National Security
Agency and similar branches of the
Government which have encountered
difficulty in hiring and retaining key
men in specialized positions of great
responsibility. More than 200 scientists,
engineers, technicians and other profess
5ional employees would be assigned to
yaried research and development pro-
jectS-some of secret nature.
Obviously, this cannot be con-
5idered patronage enterprise by the
new administration. AS a matter of
TACT, the departments and agencies have
oeen pleading for these specialists for
several years. The Eisenhower admins
tratton supported the plea and Congress
authorized the creation Of the new
oositions-but failed to grant the funds
for filling the Jobs.
The new appointees would be
selected by the Civil Service Commission.
The plan is to fill the vacancies by pro-
motion wherever possible. The pro-
gram, contributing as 1t would to the
efdciency and effectiveness of the
Government, deserves congressional
approval.
Evening star., 1961-04-19
Reply to Khrushchev

President Kennedy has given the
correct and, really, the only possible
answer to Mr.. Khrushchev'S threat to
intervene in Cuba.
The United States, Mr.. Kennedy
said, intends" no military intervention
in Cuba. However, he added, ain the
event of any military intervention by
outside force we will Immediately honor
our obligations under the inter-Ameri-
can system to protect this hemisphere
against external aggression"
If Mr.. Khrushchev meant what he
said when he served notice that the
Soviet Union will render the Cuban peo-
pie and their government "all necessary
assistance" in beating back the armed
attack, he now knows that such action,
Il 1t should take the form of military
assistance, will be met with counter
force on our part. And If the Soviet
Premier was bluf1ng, his bluff has been
called. In either event, Mr.. Kennedy,
one may be sure, spoke for a united
country when he reiterated the hands
of warning of the Monroe Doctrine.
Meanwhile, the struggle within Cuba
proceeds along uncertain lines The
great danger is that the uprising by
hose whom Mr.. Kennedy describes as
Cuban patriots" may fail to topple the
Castro dictatorship. In such event Mr.
N1ruShchev will claim that he fright
ened of the United States and the
Castro thorn will become even sharper
han before. A fundamental question
s whether the United States can afford
o permit this to happen without ex-
1austing all remedies at our disposal
5hort of military Intervention.
Evening star., 1961-04-19
Conqo Proqress?

Although every item of news from
the Congo must be read with reserve,
the situation over there seems to be
simmering down in an encouraging way
At any rate, in contrast to the explosion
in Cuba and the deterioration of events
in Laos, the evidence indicates that the
CongoleSe are making substantial pro-
greSS toward working out arrangements
among themselves to eliminate the
danger of all-out civil war.
Thus, in what may prove to be a
development Of great peace-promoting
significance, the Leopoldville head
quarters of the Congo Republics army
has just announced that field officers of
the pro- Communist Lumumbist regime
of Antoine Gizenga in Stanleyville
have formally recognized Major General
Joseph Mobutu as their commander-in-
chief. In addition, according to the
announcement, these officers have
agreed to a ceaSe-f1re between their
forces and those headed by General
Mobutu, who directs the military
establishment Of the central govern
ment run by President Kasavubu and
Premier Ileo in Leopoldv1lle
Certainly, If this agreement is ad-
hered to, efforts to re-establish law and
order in the Congo will be greatly
facilitated. Beyond that, assuming that
the Red-tinged Gizenga faction in
Stanleyville is honestly interested in
cooperating with Leopoldville for the
purpose Of ending internal strife and
guaranteeing the country's indepen-
dence as a federated republic, the
CongoleSe people-deSpite their tribal
rivalrieS and their relatively primitive
educational status and political guile
leSSneSs-will have better chance than
they have had thus far to prosper as a
nation.
OF course, as the saying goes, one
swallow does not make q summer, and
so the reported agreement between the
Gizenga group and General Mobutu
must be evaluated as something whose
real meaning, II any, will be demon
strated only by coming events. Mean
while, whatever the future shows, the
agreement merits attention as develop
ment nouriShing the hope that the
Congolese may yet be able to achieve
nationhood of genuinely free and
enduring kind.
Evening star., 1961-04-19
We Plead Guilty

I certainly agree with your
editorial entitled Checking
on Empires" appearing in
The Star on April l6, 1861,
in which, among other
things, you suggest that q
carefully chosen private citi-
zen should be added to the
task forces currently en-
gagged in trying to ascertain
economies in personnel. Serv-
ices, and materiel, in the
various District departments.
In fact. so agree with 1t
that when the plan was first
announced it was provided
that citizen members be ap-
pointed. A list of such dis
tinguished citizens, none of
whom has any current in
terest in the program in
volved, is attached.
Homer has indeed nodded
in this case. although this
happens most infrequently in
The Star.
Walter n. TObrinef.
President, Board Of CommiS-
sionerS, D. c.
Evening star., 1961-04-19
How Much-F Any-Aid to Schools?

The purpose of parochial
schools Is to indoctr1nate
the children in the religious
concepts Of the Roman
Church. They are taught
theirs is the only true re-
ligion.
They are also taught the
United States Government is
regarded by the Roman
Catholic Church as only a
compromise, "the lesser of
two evils" (See The Cath
olic High School Religious
Series Book Three" Living
Our Faith, which carries
the imprimatur Of Cardinal
Spellman.)
The Catholic Church for
bids Catholic parents to
send their children to public
schools (some exceptions
may be made II the bishop
approves), so Catholic par
entS are acting under COM
pulsion and are not free to
exercise a contrary right Of
choice.
The Government does not
compel parents to patronize
public schools. They are
within their right to choose.
but let them pay for their
choice. Some Protestants.
Jews and others send their
children to other schools.
but they do not demand
that other taxpayers help
to foot the bills. Why is it
that Catholics are the only
ones unwilling to pay for
their so-called right Of
choice?
1 do not patronize the
public schools but am will
ing to pay taxes to maintain
them as any patriotic citizen
should. Should I be forced
to pay taxes to have children
taught my religion is false
or counterfeit? I say en-
phatically no.
Individual use or accept
ance is not the basis for the
maintenance Of public in
stitutions, but the benefit
to be derived by all or a
majority of the citizens is.
Ernestine Matthews.
Evening star., 1961-04-19
Peace Missions

Kennedy's Peace Corps re-
minds me Of Henry Ford's
Peace Ship, Oscar II of 1917.
There certainly Is an an
alogy between the two prof.
ectS. Henry launched his
program in the fall of 1917
and his slogan was get the
boys out of the trenches by
Christmas" He chartered
the Oscar II (either a
Swedish or a Norwegian
ship and gathered together
a group Of pacifists who
were to visit the Kaiser and
other monarchs who were at
war with the Allies. In
essence they were to slap
the German Kaiser and
others on the wrist and say
stop this silly war at once
and let our boys be home by
ChristmasI Shame on you
for being so naughty and
cruel"
Such a naive program
naturally brought forth q lot
of criticism and ridicule, and
produced some clever car
toons, one Of which amused
me greatly, and to this day
I still get a laugh when I
think of it. 1t appeared in
the New York Times and
showed a convention of
squirrels holding their meet
ing at the Battery (the ex-
treme southernmost point in
Manhattan). They were sit
ting on their launches with
their tails upright listening
to the chairman. In the
background there was the
Oscar II belching smoke
through her tunnels as she
sailed over the horizon. The
squirrel chairman then made
this statement: Bad news
tonight for you guys! Tough
times are ahead Of U.S." and
then added while pointing to
the fast disappearing Oscar
II there goes our winter
supply of nuts"
The newspapers reported
that as soon as the ship got
away from New York the
delegates began to fight
among themselves, as each
one wanted to dominate the
group. with the result that
peace did not prevail among
the peace delegates once the
ship left our shores, and they
quarrelled all the way across
the Atlantic and few OF them
were on friendly terms! How
ever, they had a great
reception when they landed.
But they got nowhere with
their program to get the
boys out of the trenches by
Christmas!
Years later / met q man
Evening star., 1961-04-19

not downgrade ourselves nor
bow to them for anything.
Robert A. Mullen
q Il
Upon second thought. It is
amazing that such great ac-
claim should be given that
Russian astronaut for some
thing that was done to him.
For his courage, he deserves
the highest praise; but, from
where l stand, it seems that
credit for the great achieve
ment should go to the scien-
lists and the engineers.
Elmer c. Helm.
Y ~
The accomplishment of
sending man to fly around
the earth certainly ranks with
the worlds greatest scientific
achievements, but to take the
position that this is the be-
ginning of the end for the
free nations of the world is
unrealistic.
Many of us remember, and
were not too happy. when the
news broke of Russia S first
Sputnik. However, in the
three years that followed we
have made enough progress
IN some phases of our space
program to make even the
Russians sit up and take no.
tlce. President Kennedy in
herited second place from the
preceding administration In
the space race. Nevertheless.
before it's all over I'll bet
my bottom dollar the alert,
aggressive Kennedy admins
tration will not only catch
but surpass the Russians in
space and rocketry.
Herbert SOmmers.
Now that the Russians
have successfully sent a man
into orbit, it is well to note
an ironic, yet somehow justi-
fable, twist of fate. Every
American is chagrined that
America was not first and no
one can justifiably blame
President Kennedy for this
failing. Instead, the blame
rests squarely at the door
step of Harry S. Truman. In
the last years Of the Eisen-
hover Administration, more
money was being spent each
day on missiles, rockets and
preparations for space ex-
ploration than was spent in
Truman's entire term Of Of
flee.
Margaret S. Bradford
4 y
Major Yuri A. Gagarin of
the Soviet army was the
first aStronaut to orbit the
earth. If you don't believe it,
ask him.
There is one thing Of which
we are certain. If he did what
they claim he did. 1t is the
first time the Russians have
ever publicly told the truth.
Ernest G. Arnold.
Muskogee, Okla.
Evening star., 1961-04-19

I am opposed to Federal
aid to education, not only
to parochial schools and pri-
vate schools, but to public
schools as we'll. 1t means only
that citizens Of States which
already have high school
taxes will be taxed in addi-
ton, by the Federal Govern
ment, to aid States which
have ignored their RESPONSE
bility.
Last year I paid what I
regard as an unnecessarily
high school tax to Montgom-
cry County for its school
system. I am so years old
and have no children in
school. This year the school
tax will be more, and there
is every reason to expect
that the increase will be an
annual affair. I have no de-
sire to be taxed further
by the Federal Government
for the support Of educa-
tional systems in any State
other than my own. Mont
gomery County schools could
be run on a smaller budget
without detriment to basic
education If some Of the frills
were eliminated and If an
honest effort were made to
cut out waste. AS one small
example. in spite of the fact
that relatively few students
live in air-conditioned homes.
it is proposed to install air
conditioning in some schools
in the future. / also suspect
that elimination Of nom
essentials in the curriculum
would effect better educa-
tional results, and at less
cost. The PTA and other
lobbying groups in the coun-
ty are so strong and demand
so much that the prognosis
is for continuing increase in
operating expenses.
Parents opposing Federal
aid to parochial schools say
that if Catholic parents want
something additional to what
is taught in public schools
namely, religious training)
they should be willing to pay
for 1t. To them I say, If they
Evening star., 1961-04-19

want something additional to
what properly belongs in q
public school education, they
should be willing to pay for
it and send their children to
private schools.
If Federal aid to education
becomes a reality, there is no
limit to which the highly
organized PTA and other
groups will go in their de-
mands. There will be no
check on whether or not
State A is padding its re-
quirements with unnecessary
frills at the expense of Cit
iZenB Of State B and of other
States. Any supervision Of
how the money is spent will
lead to Federal control. There
will be no turning back. Re-
member that European aid
was to have been a temporary
measure to enable the war
stricken countries to get back
on their feet. There is no
indication that this tempo
rary aid" will ever be termi-
mated. A. L. P.
Two recent letters under
the caption, Right to Edu-
cate" both express the usual
Catholic line, that the
right to educate belongs
to the parents" and that as
parents are not agreed on
how their children should
be educated the right can
never be exercised within a
single system. The taxpayers
should then help finance
Catholic schools.
No one contends there
must be only one system. nor
is the parents right in the
matter denied.
1t is in the public interest
that there should be an edu-
Gated citizenry. AS all par
ents cannot afford to pay
for the education of their
children. it is the duty Of
the state to provide free
public schools, open to all
Catholics and others.
Education and indoctrina-
ton are not synonymous.
Evening star., 1961-04-19
THE PASSING SCENE
They Come to Pray for Roosevelt
By RALPH McGHL

In each April, the anniver-
sary month of Franklin
Roosevelt's death, there is a
surge Of visitors to the place
where he died.
People go into the little
chapel near the Warm
Springs Foundation and
kneel down to pray.
One may see them almost
any time one goes there.
They come from every
where. They say nothing.
They drive up. park the car,
go in, kneel and pray.
Some seem to go about 1t
so directly you know that
for tn m it is something
they have planned for a long
time. They have rehearsed it
in their minds so much that
when they reach the chapel
they know just what they
must do.
Not far away. down t h e
winding road, is the small
clapboard cottage which was
called THE Little White
House" There is a fence be-
fore 1t.
Steady Pilgrimage
1t is interesting to watch
there, too. There is hardly
a day that at least two or
three persons do not come
there and stand for awhile
looking at the house. Some
are merely curious. Others
stand there looking with eyes
full Of tears. Now and then
one will kneel there and
pray. Still others will bow
their heads over the fence,
close their eyes and remain
there in meditation and
prayer.
For all of them Franklin
D. Roosevelt meant some
thing very personal It may
be that it was a home or a
farm saved. Or, it may be
just a memory Of those
terrible, dark days which now
seem like a dream and which
many conveniently forget.
when despair sat at the door
Of every heart, and the only
voice with courage and faith
In it was his. But whatever
1t was. it brings them to
Hyde Park in larger numbers
than go to any other similar
national monument or me-
mortal. And, so it is at the
Little White House in
Georgia.
A writer named Van Loon
once wrote a book calle d
Geography" In a 'front.'
spiece, in an effort to create
a picture of the immensity
Of time and of eternity, he
wrote something like this:
I'm q far-off place stands
a huge mountain Of granite.
Once o year q small bird
comes and sharpens his beak
on the stone. When that bird
shall have worn away that
great mountain Of stone, one
day shall have passed In
eternity"
The critics come every day
to the granite Of, Roosevelt S
memory, calling him charla-
tan, Communist. and worse.
They sharpen their beaks on
the mountain of his deeds
and his name, but somehow,
they leave no impression.
From the bygone years
comes the sound OF mocking