davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
Metro Area Proqress

With only few disappointing ex-
ceptionS, the last session of Congress
was marked by significant and far
reaching strides toward orderly solutions
to Metropolitan Washington problems.
Especially noteworthy was the appro-
priation of more than 81 million to buy
rights of way and commuter- parking
lots for a regional rapid-transit system.
While this amount was less than half
the total requested by the National
Capital Transportation Agency, it will
permit substantial beginning. Further
more. the Importance Of Congress-
willingness actually to appropriate cap
ital investment money for rapid transit
(Where heretofore only plans had been
approved) can hardly be overestimated.
The session just ended also brought
a decision to develop brand-new
approach to the financing of new hos
pital facilities, based on the philosophy
that the planning and construction of
these facilities is regional problem,
not one solely for the District and
Federal governments to face The
SoundneSs of this reasoning is obvious
in the fact that some 40 per cent of the
patients treated in Washington hospitals
live outside the District. While the
Washington Hospital Center Act was
extended another year lin order to
accommodate the new Southeast Hos
pitaD, bill embodying the new regional
approach is expected to be introduced
next year. Likewise, hearings are ex-
pected in 1862 in an attempt to develop
firm criteria for the location of future
Government offices in the Washington
area-growing out of questions raised by
Representative ReuSs of Wisconsin on
decentralization policies. This endeavor
is long overdue.
In other positive accomplishments,
Congress this year provided $500,000 to
buy key parcels of land within the
George Washington Memorial Parkway
boundaries in Prince Georges County,
agreed finally to finance the widening
of Shirley Highway, and authorized the
purchase Of land to protect the view
across the Potomac from Mount Vernon.
The Senate also cleared bill creating
national historical park along the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal The
Sharpest disappointment of the session
was the failure to provide Federal
matching funds for the further devel-
opment of stream valley parks in Mary
land and Virginia. 1t appears, I'M
fortunately, that this worthwhile pro-
vision Of the Capper-Cramton Act is
dead, although Congress did provide, as
part of the Housing Act of 1861, a new
"open-Space" grant program for which
nearby Maryland and Virginia might
we'll qualify.
All in all, the session was one of
positive achievement in the field of
regional growth, representing a recog-
milton by Congress that 1t has respon-
sibility toward not only the District, but
the entire National Capital area. Not
the least significant sign Of this aware
ness was the fact that the Senate
District Committee this year created a
special subcommittee which will deal
exclusively with metro problems.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
Congo BIoodshed

In reply to your editorial,
Voice From the Congo" I
believe that Premier AdoulA's
speech was perfectly rational.
Belgium has interests in the
Congo that she is not willing
to surrender. Why is it not
conceivable that she would
have Hammarskjo ld killed in
order to protect these inter-
eStS?
AS for supporting Tshombe,
who is nothing but a Belgian
stooge, this Is absolutely alb
surd and far more irrational
than anything Adoula said.
Siding with an ultra -rightist
against a policy of social
reforms is a mistake the
United States has made
much too many times, Cuba
being a leading example.
stephen Diamond.
The Star editorialized
rightly that the United States
should not have supported
the fateful expedition of the
U. N. troops to Katanga
which was to help the central
CongoleSe government in
Leopoldville annex this seces-
sionist self-governing prov
ince by force.
II the Katangans want
self-government, which seems
to be the case, why should
we force them into submits
sion to the central govern
ment in Leopoldville? II we
demand self determination
for the West Berliners, why
should we deny the same
right to the Katangans?
Katanga seems to be the
only part of the Congo where
order prevails. Katanga is
friendly to the West while the
Leopoldville government is
getting dominated by pro-
Communist elements like Mr..
Gizenga.
Why was there no action
on the part Of the United
States to annex to the Congo
the stronghold of the Gizenga
regime in Stanleyville which
became actually independent
OF the central Congolese gov
eminent and has terrorized
its white population ever
since?
Soviet hostility toward the
Katanga self-government is
well understood since Mos
COW holds captive many peo-
pies who were once free and
who anxiously wait for an
other opportunity to secede
from the Moscow empire. But
as a real riddle why should
the United States support
this punitive expedition
against people who want to
be masters OF their own? 1t
is high time that we should
revise our stand on Katanga
which runs against out inter-
ests and democratic princi-
pies.
G. d. COrbett.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
The Order of the Gar

President Kennedy, speaking before
the United Nations, chose an appro-
pirate, but perhaps CALLING, quotation
from the literature of Russia itself to
dramatic his reference to the Soviet
Communist habit of making prisoners
of their own citizens behind barbed wire
and concrete blocks.
Zone recalls" he said, "the order OF
the Car in Pushkin'S Boris GodunoV:
Take steps at this very hour that our
frontiers be fenced by barriers that
not a single soul pass DER the border,
that not hare be able to run or crow
to fly"
For in this order of centuries ago,
recorded in the blank verse OF PuSnKln
that was later set to operate music by
Mussorgsky, is revealed the historic fear
of Russian authorities, Cars or Com
missars. that acquaintance with or
access to the world beyond their armed
frontiers might lead to mass flight. Only
in the degree of its enforcement, and
varying at best only to the extent OF
moderate and temporary relaxation,
has this Russian practice OF imprison-
ment changed over hundreds OF years.
Today, of course, it is being applied
not only to Russians but to millions OF
others trapped on the bleak side OF the
Iron Curtain. In their inability or I'M
willingness to understand the motivation
that drove hundreds of thousands
of Germans, resident in Communist
controlled East Germany, to abandon
homes, possessions and even families to
flee to the West, the Soviet managers
turned finally to fencing the frontiers
and policing them with bullets. Even
by these measures, plus the later evac-
uation and walling up of homes and
buildings that offer hazardous escape
routes, the jailers are still short of their
evil security. The stories and pictures
of those who are clearly risking life
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
Worthwhile Column

There is much in the pa
pers these days that con-
fuses. frightens or angers
the readers.
One article in The Star to
which many Of us look for
ward and from which we
draw strength and courage
is the Spires of the Spirit"
by DR.. Frederick Brown Har-
ris, for his is like unto "A
voice crying in the wilder
ness" For many years DR..
Harris was my pastor at
Foundry Methodist Church.
I wish to congratulate you
on giving your readers some
thing so worthwhile as this
column. II more newspaper
editors would give space to
articles Of this nature,
wouldn't We become better
citizens?
Thanking you for your
good taste.
Mazda Foster.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
City Faults

Has there ever been a
time when the Washington
street cars were so dirty all
the time, morning, noon and
night?Floors, steps and win
dows. 1t would seem that
owners have no pride of pos
session. And wasn't there a
regulation passed concerning
figures or statues on wind
shields or dashboards? OBJ
jects in front Of the driver
do create an extra hazard
and we cannot afford any
more Of these. 1t really seems
going too far for taxis to
have figurines and other
stuff on the dashboards,
which is against the law or
regulations. bad taste and
surely adds to hazards. l,
for one. refuse to ride with a
driver who has to have a
statue, drives with no tie on,
no coat, with a strong cigar
rette or cigar in his mouth.
Geo. l.. NaramOre.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
100 Years Ago

For the four years Of the
Civil War. the State Of Mis-
souri,. torn in its loyalties,
waged bloody warfare within
its own borders. Because a
minority Of the States Leg
islature had voted to secede,
Missouri rated a nebulous
star in the Confederacy's
Stars and Bars. But officially
it never left the Union. Pop
ulated by IL million per-
sons. the State was rich in
factories. warehouses and
commercial establishments of
all sorts. 1t was coveted by
both North and South, Be-
sides the treasures it could
pour into Dixie's war chest.
Missouri was viewed by
Southerners as a buffer to
Kansas; capable of stirring
up more discussion in South
ern Illinois, and perhaps a
factor in swinging neutral
Kentucky into the Confeder-
acy. There were street riots
and much bloodshed in st.
Louis and The Star during
September. 1851, reported
fighting between Union and
Confederate troops in various
parts Of the State. Led by
Gen. Sterling Price, a Vir-
ginian, Confederates took
Lexington. Mo, after a stub
born battle by the Federal
garrison. Details of the oc-
cupation Of Lexington, fur
nished by the Missouri Re-
publican. appeared in The
Star Of October 3. 1851: The
scenes around the streets of
Lexington after the sur
render beggar all description.
The howlS of Joy and drunk
en- jubilation. coming from
10000 Threats, made up a
sound scarcely less than
when, two days before. Is
pieces of artillery and 10000
small arms were shattering
the air in one hideous
chorus. The officers Of the
Confederates we're generally
gentlemen and behaved as
such, but as for the common
soldiers and their course that
evening. 1t could mott be
euualed were all hell turned
loose for q general carnival.
Whisky. Of course. was there
i'm mems brains, in their
eyes, brandished in bottles.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
Blue Laws

Hearty congratulations on
your excellent editorial,
Blue Law Confusion" You
say the Sunday law will have
to be revised extensively If
1t Is to be seriously enforced.
I would 60 farther and say
it will have to be repealed If
it is not to become a dead
letter. Virginia Legislature
candidates have been mostly
silent on the issue because
they know it is such an emo
tional one. A good analogy
can be drawn between Vir-
ginia's segregated seating law
and Sunday law. Both ere an
interference. without any
real justification. in the pri-
vate behavior Of otherwise
law-abiding individuals. In
one case the white majority
says the non-white minority
must not sit in the orchestra
section of the theater. In the
other case the Christian ma
jority says the non-Chris-
tan minority must not hang
out the wash or buy a wash
ing machine on Sunday.
Laws which require one days
rest in seven can be justified
on the ground that they pre-
vent employers from exploit
ing their labor force. But an
employer who rotates the
days off his employees get
should be able to stay open
seven days a week. The fac
tories, machines and stores
of this country should he
operating seven days a week
II we are TO compete success
fully with communism.
l.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01

1t is passing strange that
some good people seem will
ing to give ruthless high
way men on the interHa-
tional thoroughfares right
of-way, as they, the passive
good, stand under Spires pro-
tected by guardians Of the law
armed with pistols to defend
decency and order. These
soldiers of the common good
are given the right to kill if
necessary that the intended
victims Of evil may live.
There is something fatally
wrong with any so-called re-
ligious principles which lead
to surrender of the most
heavenly things to the most
helliSh forces. The doctrine
that callous deviltry is to be
allowed at will to trample
righteousness into the mire
whenever 1t is powerful
enough, while the forces Of
good stand impotently by
with arms discarded, Is q
tragic travesty and certainly
a libel on the religion of
Jesus who, when q dictator
threatened his life, sent back
a defiant message calling the
tyrant that fox"
In England, before the
horrors OF World War II, a
large and influential group
Of clergymen, ignoring the
threats of a rearmed Ger
many, led a movement in
all Britain to denounce the
sword OF defense. That futile
policy, sincerely followed by
hundreds Of thousands a
little later. helped to bomb
into rubble the churches Of
which these pacifist preach
ers were the pastors and to
fill the land with lamenta-
tons Of the mangled and
the dead. England's finest
hour was when, with all her
aroused might. she struck
back with forces drastically
weakened by the blunders of
mistaken ideahsts.
OF course, q "Spire" re-
minds us that physical force
is never the last word. All
it can do is to deter evil
and give the forces of love
and good will a chance. The
sharp knife of a surgeon is
not the last word but with
out it. when malignancy is
involved, the healing, re-
Operative powers have no
opportunity to assert them
selves.
The real issue in this
crisis is not the banning of
any effective weapon Of de-
tense whatever that deter
rent may be. The issue is,
If we leave the free world
open to ultimate surrender
by robbing it Of its utmost
power to smite evil, we really
are banning freedom from
the earth, and to ban Gods
greatest gift to His children
would make unwilling
traitors Of us all.
And so, dear readers, from
the pulpit under the Spires"
we say, to do that in the
name of religion is to
blaspheme the high and the
holy.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01

galloping like mad along the
streets, hoarsely believing
over the grand victory, ours
ing, disappearing. yelling,
bub blin e. hurrahing. a..
Scarcely a hundred of all the
Confederate troops were uni
formed-scarcely two had
guns alike. Here went one
fellow in a shirt of brilliant
green, on his side an i'm
menSe cavalry saber, in his
belt two navy revolvers and
a bowie knife, and slung
from his shoulder a Sharp's
rifle. BY his side was another
upon whose hip dangled a
light medical sword, in his
hand a double-barreled shot
gun, in his boot an immense
Scythe. on his heel the in
eVitable spur. {. Generally
the soldiers were armed with
shotguns or squirrel rifles:
some had lock musketS. a few
Mimic guns. and others
Sharp's or Maynard's rifles,
while all, to the poorest, had
horses. The treatment
extended by the Confederate
officers to the prisoners was
both humane and courteous:
they protected them when
possible from insult and
plundering, and as much as
possible extended to them
the courtesies with which a
chivalrous army always treats
a conquered foe. One case
shows the Confederate style
Of fightingI An old Texan,
dressed in buckskin and
armed with a long rifle, used
to go up to the works every
morning about Z o'clock,
carrying his dinner in a tin
pail. Taking a good position,
he banged away at the Fed
erals till 6 pm, when he re-
turned home for supper and
a nights sleep. The next day
a little before 7, saw him,
dinner and rifle in hand,
trudging up the street to be-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
so Years AGO

The United States was
getting more bang for the
buck" so years ago. AS a mat
ter Of fact, it was believed
to have achieved the ultimate
in bangs" with frightfully
powerful weapon that prom
Used to make any would-be
aggreSsor cringe. The Sunday
Star of october l, 1911, told
OF long-range plans to make
the Panama Canal impreg-
nable, saying: In all the his
tory of the world there has
been but one Gibraltar, eter-
nal guardian of the entrance
to the Mediterranean. But
within the next three years,
or by. the time the Panama
Canal is finished, Uncle Sam
intends to build not one but
two Gibraltars, one at each
entrance to the canal.
The Pacific entrance to the
canal will be guarded by the
biggest gun in the world,
the monster 16-inch rifle
now at Sandy Hook, N. j.
There are but two other guns
in the world as large as
Uncle Sans big gun. One is
owned by Italy and the other
by France. But neither of
these compare with the dis
lance a shell will carry from
the great American rifle. The
American gun throws q
gigantic shell, as large a. a
man weighing 2.400 pounds,
filled with the most power
full and terrific explosives
known, a distance of more
than 20 miles. The mon
ster 16-inch gun was built
about 10 years ago, but it
is still the most powerful
piece Of ordnance ever con-
Structed. The firing distance
is so great that no attempt
has ever been made to in
troduce q gun with a longer
range or more destructive
power. :"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry tOriterS' correct
names and addresses. All let
tiers are subject to condenSd-
ton. Those not used iUiH be
returned only when accom-
panied By self addressed,
stamped envelopes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
Our FoirCity

We have chewed through
the edition Of your paper
describing the plans for
Washington's future-as we'll
as Boosting about some of
its present improvements.
But then we have looked
around at the city.
Uttered streets. Some ma
tional parks out West have
witty sayings on their trash
containers. TO win good will
while pleading for tidiness.
Our street cleaning depart
ment here believes that such
tricks would be unidentified
trash on the streets is more
dignified?). Our peremptory
ITS the Law" doesn't seem
to inspire neatness.
Great areas OF the city in
which 1t isn't safe to be out
at night. Police? Dogs?
Lights? All Of these require
money. So We continue to
raise real estate taxes or
sales taxes - making the
burden heavier on middle
class people (real estate taxes
are not absorbed by real es-
tate offices, but are collected
from tenants in the form
Of rent raises. Doesn't the
city know?). Do the bust
nesses which are said to be
crowding into Washington to
fill the acres of office build
ings pay any taxes to help
build up blighted areas?
New buildings? A few look
as If the architect cared what
he was doing. Most are
great. sterile structures, one
just like the next. with re-
Elections that ricochet across
the streets, turning the
street vistas into canyons
full of stabbing lights. Then
there are the parking lots,
even downtown. that look
like the spaces left by miss
ing teeth. We have to have
parking; but must it be so
hideous? Doesn't the Fine
Arts Commission ever look
at anything outside George
town?
Housing? All Of the new
housing going up seems to
consist of luxury units at
rents beginning we'll over a
hundred dollars a month. Are
there so many people max
ing five figure salaries, able
to afford these places and
still eat? Most of the mid
die class units within the
District have become colored
during the past 10 years.
Residents fled to the suburbs
and struggled with long
range TRANSFORMATION.
Exodus to the suburbs by
medium salaried people who
make UP the backbone of the
taxpaying public deprives the
city of money it needs for
extensive welfare payments.
1t could be a much more
attractive city by tackling
these immediate problems.
Doesn't anyone want to
bother?
Modernization is all right
II we don't put ourselves in
the position of the man who
sawed down the legs of his
Chippendale furniture and
painted it white to use on
the porch, so he'd have room
for the new mission style
rockers In his living room.
Virginia Lee Grimes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
FROM THE STAR FILES.

gin again his regular days
work-and in this style he
continued till the surrender
But little damage was
done to the city. j.. j.. The dead
Of the Federals were not
buried until the next day
after the surrender and a
more loathesome sight than
those blackened hideous
corpses I never saw or mag
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
Banning Freedom
By DR.. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain of the United States Senate

we'll be written Dear Reader,
in answer to your question"
for anxious inquiries have
come asking how we can
countenance meeting force
with force when the
Christian religion exhorts us
to love our enemies and to
do good to those who de-
spitefully use us. How can
we arm with death-dealing
weapons when our moral
code is based upon the De-
dialogue, one of the COM
mandments Of which is,
Thou shalt not kill, Let
ters have come from those
whose very souls are tortur-
ed by the possible results OF
a firm and unyielding stand
against the foul conspiracy
presented by atheistic COM
munism which, with awe
some weapons in its arsenal,
plots world domination.
These are indeed anguished
days for those with the most
sensitive conscience. Vital
choices have to be made as
to their attitude to rampant
evil by those whose deep re-
ligious convictions put them
in the rank of those who
believe with all their hearts
that in the long run evil
must be overcome by good.
What valid answer can be
given to those who in a
world Of spears still believe
in Spires?
Let us say in reply that
In every move she has made
America has manifested its
desire for the we'll being of
those who in this titanic
global struggle are labeled
as our foes. A sane world
can never forget that when
America was the sole pos
SCISSOR Of the secret of the
split atom in a gesture of
moral grandeur never sur
passed, she offered to re-
riounce it and put it in in
ternational hands for the
good Of the race. The
Soviets bluntly refused that
offer. But that willingness to
renounce power was an in
spring example Of love in
action. love of liberty and Of
justice and Of peace.
In this crisis there is no
hatred in the unsuitable
resolve Of the free world not
to betray freedom for our
selves, and even for the Rus
slams who some day the
truth will free. by surrender
ing to the masters Of the
Kremlin who brandish their
rockets in an attempt TO
bulldoze and blackmail. To
succumb to that for the sake
Of safety and a spurious
peace would be to wipe out
the costly gains Of a
thousand years, and perhaps
to enthrone tyranny over the
bodies and minds of men for
a thousand years to come.
Let us make no mistake
about it, if this monstrous
system were allowed to get
its way at Berlin. if there
we should break faith, COM
munism is on the way to
world conquest with America
its final victim. Thou shalt
not kill" applies not just to
human bodies. it applies to
freedom itself. Whosoever
would advocate running up
the white flag of appease-
ment to this greedy jugger-
naut in this hour of human
destiny is guilty of aiding
in the massacre OF the
precious heritage of the ages
and betraying all the past
heroes of the spirit, includ-
ing the thousands of Ameri-
can boys who died in Korea,
to say nothing of World
War II, that slavery might
be stopped in its aggressive
plots.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-01

itself, and against great odds, to find
freedom offer vastly more significant
theme than the one chronicled by Push
kin or by the hypocritical historians
among Khrushchev's servants.