davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-05-16
Shirley Comes First

Although Federal, District and Vir-
ginia highway planners have not yet
reached an agreement on proposed
expressway from Woodbridge to the
Potomac River, they do agree that wild
ening of Shirley Highway in the con-
gested area near Washington is essential
and should not be delayed. It would be
sensible, therefore, not to allow negotia-
tions over another road to interfere with
prompt action by Congress on the Shir-
ley project.
Shirley Highway during morning
and evening rush hours is bottleneck
of major proportions, especially in the
stretch between the Fourteenth street
bridges and the Springfield area. Some
thing should be done-and Soon-to
relieve the bumper to- bumper showdown
that marks the daily Shirley movement
of traffic. The Virginia Highway De-
partment and the Federal Bureau of
Public Roads have tentatively approved
plans for adding several lanes to the
four which now carry Shirley traffic to
and from Washington, with the Federal
Government paying 95 per cent of the
cost and Virginia paying the remainder
and taking over the job of maintenance.
A bill to authorize this undertaking has
been introduced in Congress.
Attached to the bill, however, is
a provision for construction of a new
interstate corridor paralleling Shirley
from Woodbridge to the Potomac. How
traffic from this new highway would
enter the District is a problem that is
Of concern to District highway plan
ners. Perhaps new bridge would be
required. These are problems which can
and should be worked out Independently
of the Shirley project, however. Harried
motorists familiar with conditions will
agree, we are sure, that the widening of
Shirley should come first.
Evening star., 1961-05-16

ever, a concession of small comfort to
the haraSsed houSeholders.
Many of the affected residences
were built and occupied long before the
big jets arrived and made life virtually
unbearable for those close to the take
off and landing strip. Now the owners
are seeing their home life disrupted
and their property values wrecked in
what to them must seem an utterly
ruthless manner. One of them recently
asked the Prince Georges County Com
miSSioners to remove his property from
the tax rolls, since, he argued, its value
as place of residence has dropped to
zero.
Hearings are to be held later this
month on a resolution by Senator
Butler to investigate the plight of
property owners hit by the Jet problem
at Andrews. We hope the hearings will
result in some sort of legislative relief
for these unfortunate citizens. Ger
tainly the Government, as a matter of
simple justice, should see to it that the
impact on nearby homes of the enlarged
operations at Andrews is offset by
compensatory damages or other relief
measures.
Evening star., 1961-05-16
.GaryCooper

ruSG GdOIe, now coop, Cne former
OF heart attack, the latter of cancer.
So the old order dies away in Hollywood,
the dwindling symbols now down to
Spencer Tracy, rugged humanism; Cary
Grant, sophistication, and James Stew
art, bumbling virtue.
Gary Cooper and Clark Gable, al
though not necessarily in that order,
were the Super-starS of the old galaxy.
Each was supreme in his domain, the
former the lanky, plain, silent common
man who could find within himself re-
sources of courage that seemed to assure
him as much as they encouraged the
average moviegoer to believe he, too,
might be like that.
Cooper's "yups" and "nopes," as
much as Cables bristling masculine as
SertiveneSS, bespoke the indomitable,
the simple man who found security in
his own simplicity. He was natural for
that era when dramatic conflicts were
external, man against the evil in nature,
including human nature.
He did not have to act, merely to
represent Approaching death, he re-
mained the quiet courageous chap he
always had been in his duel with villain
more deadly than any he met in his
many memorable "walk-downs."
Evening star., 1961-05-16
They Need Relief, Too

Representative Lankford of Prince
Georges County, Maryland, has intro
duced bill to require the Federal
Government to bear the expense of
moving the Forestville School out of
the noise and danger zone of jet
runway at Andrews Air Force Base.
The proposal merits early passage, for
the conditions which have placed the
school in peril are of the Governments
own making. However, we. think the
Federal Government also should give
relief to homeownerS in the same area
and for the same reason. For the big
Jets on the new runway at Andrews are
tending to make some Of the houses
untenable and therefore of little or no
value as homes.
Recent stories in The Star have
told of the collapse of real estate values
in certain communities near the Air
Force Base with the advent of the huge
Jet aircraft there. Adding to the
dilemma of property owners was the
recent announcement by the Federal
Housing Administration of a half-mile
zone within which no new loans will be
insured by the FILA. The order extends
. also to FHA-insured homes which are
to be refinanced. Insurance will be
continued on loans not yet paid, how
Evening star., 1961-05-16
Put Up or Shut Up''

speaking Cnrougn 1CS cnleI negoLla-
tor at the drearily deadlocked test-ban
talks in Geneva, the Soviet Union now
has warned that it may feel impelled to
resume atomic-hydrogen testing unless
Britain and the United States prevail
upon France to abandon all such expert
mentation. In effect, the warning con-
StituteS yet another maneuver by the
Kremlin to block any real progress to-
ward an adequately policed agreement.
Actually, of course, as the British
and American negotiators have empha-
sized, President de Gaulle's government
is determined to carry out certain types
Of relatively small-scale detonationS be-
cause it deems them to be Of major i'm
portance to French prestige and secu-
rity. They are tests that have been
staged thus far on a completely in
dependent basis, without any inter-
allied Western consultation or exchanges
Of information. In other words, Paris
has been going it alone in this matter,
and neither London nor Washington has
any control over, connection with or
power to stop the blasts. France, after
all, Is a sovereign nation, and 1t has
right-though the exercise of the right
may seem to some to be unwise-to arm
itself with nuclear weapons if it sees fit
to do so.
The Russians are well aware of this.
AS the British negotiator has declared,
they have made an issue of it only to
cover up their continuing "intransi-
gence" after more than 21a years of
egotiation-negotiatio that has been
rendered bleakly sterile by their filibus-
tertng against the idea of genuinely
effective control system to guard against
clandeStine violations of q test-ban
treaty. Worse still, making the outlook
for an acceptable pact seem almost
hopeless, they have recently demanded
sweeping veto powers over any policing
or inSpectional machinery that might
be set up. Meanwhile, throughout all
the long months of fruitless palavering,
we have had no assurances whatever
against the possibility that they have
been cheating on us with surreptitious
underground shots that could give them
decisive advantage in the development
Of revolutionary new nuclear weapons.
It is small wonder, therefore, that
many knowledgeable Americans have
called for resumption of our own un-
derground tests. The latest to do so is
Senator Jackson, member of the Joint
Congressional Atomic Committee. He
has made no bones about his suspicious
Of Soviet stalling tactics. AS he has put
it, 1--WE have had three years now of
nothing but talk. Let the Russians put
up or shut up" And he has made clear
that unless they "put up" soon, unless
they agree to effective inspection in "a
rascal-proof" ban agreement, the United
States, for safety's sake, should lose no
time in making use of the tunnels that
stand ready for new detonations de-
signed to advance our nuclear knowledge
and security.
Evening star., 1961-05-16
Jet Complaint

I sincerely hope the Fed
eral Aviation Agency will not
permit Jet airliners to use
National Airport.
It is bad enough that two
communities In the area now
suffer from Jet runways.
Here at Forestville and
Clinton our unenviable pre-
dicament Of low-flying Jets
from Andrews Air Force Base
skimming our housetops,
churches and schools worsens
daily.
The FAA would do well to
see what a deplorable situa-
ton this is and prevent its
happening anywhere else.
Dulles Is designed for Jet
aircraft. Let the airline COM
panies wait-they don't have
to live under the noise.
Mrs. Gretchen KIee
Evening star., 1961-05-16
Shovel Quicker!

Sorry, I cannot agree with
your "Shovels for alp" edi-
torial of May 10. The snow
removal situation in Wash
ington last winter was worse
than disgraceful. Loss of
time by the Government as
well as by private business
was appalling. Instead of
taking a defeateSt attitude
you should be strengthening
the Commissioners by ex-
horting and urging the peo-
pie to clean their sidewalks
for the common good. For
twenty years I lived in a
large city where law re-
quired sidewalks to be cleared
within four hours after
snowstorms. On failure to
comply a policeman usually
rang the doorbell to remind
you. If a second call was
necessary you received a
summons. The Commission
ers are, right. A law can be
enforced, especially if public
pressure gets behind it.
Surely you will not fail to
help.
j. Harvey Cain.
Evening star., 1961-05-16
About the Bard

An article in The Star per-
tanning to a report from the
Folger Library states: "In the
Chinese calendar this is the
Year Of the OK, but in Wash
ington it Is the Year of the
Professor" Some of the ap-
pointments made by the
President are excellent, but
on the other hand there is
a generous sprinkling of
erudite screwballs.
George Washington, Ben
jamin Franklin and Abraham
Lincoln and many others who
have left their footprints on
the sands of time never at
tended a college but were
well-read men and endowed
by Divine Providence with
common sense.
Will Shakespeare had very
little formal education, but
knew more about human ma
ture than any other person
that ever lived.
Since the gentle poet from
Stratford-upon- Avon passed
to "the undiscovered country
from whose bourn no traveller
returns" college professors all
over the world have written
an incalculable number of
books expounding their views
concerning his immortal
plays. The Birmingham
s h akespeare Library has
the worlds largest collection
of books about the bard. A
distinguished British writer,
Mr.. Halliwell-P l-Phillipps, once
said that fifty per cent of
the acquisitions could be con-
signed to the waste-basket
without the slightest pref
udice to the interests of lit
erature or to the honour of
the great dramatist."
The Star recently contained
an article about Miss Ellie
Chamberlain, director of the
Capitol Hill Theatre, and her
plans to present Shakespeare
at the Sylvan Theatre. Every
year hundreds of thousands
of high school children visit
Washington. 1t is suggested
that individuals interested in
developing our National Cap
ital as q cultural center visit
Evening star., 1961-05-16
Bad Example

While crossing the Four
teenth Street Bridge into
Washington, a vehicle bear
ing the emblem Of Tennessee
police passed me at a speed
considerably In excess of the
speed limit. When the traffic
in his lane slowed slightly,
the officer driving cut dan
gerously close in front of me
without bothering to signal
his intent to change lanes.
Lane markings and signs
were evidently meaningless
to him, for he completely ig-
nored the lines and markings
indicating that all traffic in
the right lane must turn
right.
assume that this officer
accompanied school patrol
men to the parade. If this is
the type of example the Ten
nessee police are going to set
for their patrols, and if the
citizens of Washington are
to be endangered by such
driving, then ! submit that
it would be to the advantage
of the State of Tennessee
and the District of Columbia
to leave these officers home
next year.
Bond Edward Rhue
Evening star., 1961-05-16
Student Speaks

l read in The Star about
the dismissal Of Sherman
Brett in Annapolis. 1t seems
that it was his method of
teaching that caused his re-
lease while what he taught
was considered "inspira-
tional" by parents.
I am q first-year college
student, and I attended a
boarding school. Three les
sons were taught to me there,
over and above actual stud
les. First, the most impor-
tant aspect of an education
is to learn to think on your
own. Secondly, the greatest
means to gain this ability
is to listen and learn what
more educated people have
learned. The third lesson
has been proven here at my
university that proper note
taking and listening to
straight lectures are abso-
lutely necessary to do we'll.
not just getting by, in higher
education.
In my boarding school, all
teachers are considered to be
there only for the purpose
Of teaching. and not to be
always correcting manners
and bad habits. It seems
that in this age of national
and international competi-
ton, students should on the
high school level learn to
acquire proper methods to re-
tain facts, and to employ
f-discipline. Also, this
should especially be true for
honor students such as were
in Mr.. Brett's class. Re-
ligion, sex, and manners
should be taught by parents
with the help Of teachers If
a need is seen, and there
seems to be a need today.
The parents who complained
that Mr.. Brett had a bad
influence on their sons re-
ligion surely didn't give the
boy training that convinced
him that religion has deep
Importance.
A warning is needed. We,
Americans, can no longer
puSsyfoot around in educa-
tion and in giving children
standards that cannot be
changed except for good, and
at an earlier age. The Rus
sian people are doing it, and
this might be one step to-
ward our defeat. Our way
Of life and freedom of learn
ing are our two greatest
weapons against alien and
undemocratic ideas. Study
for the sake of learning, not
because Of the law!
r. C. H. Parker
Evening star., 1961-05-16
On Fighting the Reds

Western leaders need to
face up to three basic facts
in the present world crisis.
First, that the Communist
drive, a deadly serious one,
aimed at the total destruc-
tion of capitalism, religion
and individual freedom, will
continue without letup. No
defensive action will halt it.
Secondly, that the Commu-
niSts aim to keep their enc
mics on the defensive, and to
constantly hold the public
attention by cleverly timed
agitation and aggressive ac-
tionS. These are designed to
have the two-fold effect Of
so occupying the public con-
sciousnesS that they are un-
able to recall the good
constantly being done by the
free world or the wrong
doingS Of the Communists.
Thirdly, that the only effec-
tive answer to world commu-
nism lies in the free world
aggressively taking the initi-
ative by offering to the whole
world a program that betters
everything the Communists
offer in q material sense, plus
the great attractive spiritual
values Of religious freedom,
personal freedom and dignity
Of the individual and his
family, and by aggressively
exposing and exploiting every
error and mistake Of the
Communist past. present and
future. When this is done
(but not before) communism
will evaporate and fade into
the oblivion Of history.
Ankh0uv M Noddau
Evening star., 1961-05-16
Weep No More

Every Attorney General, beginning
with the late Robert H. Jackson 20 years
ago, has favored legislation to permit
properly regulated wiretapping. And now
the Department of Justice once again
is on record to the same effect.
The reason for this, despite all the
misrepresentation, is clear and compel
ling. To ban overlapping or to forbid
the use OF any wiretap evidence confers
on criminals form Of special privilege
to which they most certainly are not
entitled. At the same time it crippleS
law enforcement and operates to the
prejudice Of the public-aSSuming, of
course, that one believes the public is
entitled to the fullest protection from
criminal activity.
The renewal Of the drive on Capitol
Hill for enactment Of wiretap bill has
been followed by the familiar hue and
cry from the sob sisters. They would
have the public believe that the objec-
tive is to enable every policeman at
every level to tap anyone'S telephone
just for the fun of listening in on pri-
vate conversations. Nothing could be
further from the truth. And we hope
that Congress, especially in the face Of
the upsurge in crime, will tell the weep
ers to dry their tears and take a look
at the facts. What this country needs
Is legislation which will authorize the
use OF wiretap evidence obtained by
proper police authorities operating un-
der careful court supervision. Any other
or unauthorized, wiretapping, and there
is plenty Of it today, should be made
criminal offense subject to severe pen
atty. This is the best way to protect
the public's right of privacy" from
indiscriminate tapping, while, at the
same time, wiping out the privileged
sanctuary in which the telephone serves
the criminal as safe and useful tool
If Congress is really concerned with the
public interest in crime abatement, it
will stop stalling and act in this matter
without further delay.
Evening star., 1961-05-16
On Bryon's Statue

May l reply to the protest
OF Mr.. John F. Harbeson
against the temporary loan
of the statue of William ].
Bryan to the town of his
birthplace, Salem, H.?
In the first place, this is a
temporary loan for three
years and not a final gift. An
Act of Congress will be
needed to effect a permanent
transfer.
Secondly, the statue will
come home to a community
which loved and admired
Bryan, honors his memory
and will give the statue de-
voted care.
This is in sharp contrast
with the treatment given by
Washington and the East to
Bryan during his lifetime and
to his memory after his
death. For Bryan was reviled
by the eastern press during
his three campaigns for the
Presidency, scorned when he
negotiated arbitration treaties
as Secretary Of State, and
caricatured for his advocacy
Of prohibition. His statue by
Gutzon Borglum at the end
of Constitution avenue was
ridiculed because his upraised
arm pointed in the direction
Of Chris Heurich's Brewery.
Bryan's statue was removed
a few months ago because
it was In the way Of the new
bridge over the Potomac. and
was then taken to q storage
yard where it was ignomin-
iouSly laid on its back and
not even permitted to stand
upright. Where were Mr.. Har-
beson end the Fine Arts Com
mission when this humilia-
ton was wreaked upon the
statue?
This city as a matter Of
fact is overrun with monu-
ments to both the great and
the near-great. Their number
will probably increase mark
edly in the future. AS a result.
the significance Of any one
statue Is greatly reduced. It
is both good aesthetics and
good sense, therefore, that the
Bryan statue should come
home for a time to the
place where he was born and
grew to manhood and where
it will be cherished with pride
and loving care instead of
being dishonored in a some
what alien and unsympathe-
tic environment.
Paul H. Douglas.
United States Senator
Evening star., 1961-05-16
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
People Live Longer Nowadays
BY THOMAS r. HENRY
The country is gettin g
Vnllnoer fast

The country ts gettin g
younger fast.
Quite contrary to general
belief, its population as a
whole is not getting much
older.
This is stressed in a report
just issued by the Josia h
Macy, Jr., Foundation.
By 1870, according to the
POUNDS a ton statisticians,
there will be 80 million per-
sons, or about 40 per cent of
the American population, un-
der 20 years of age. Those
IS years old or more and
those under 20 will represent
well over so per cent Of the
entire population. Thus the
so per cent between 20 and
IS will have to support the
other half of the population
as well as themselves.
Life Expectancy Increases
Since 1900, according to
the report, life expectancy at
birth has increased from At
to approximately 10 years.
This has been due largely,
however, to control and pre-
vention of diseases of child
hood. The crippling and kill
ing diseases such as cancer,
heart disease and metabolic
disorders which now have be-
come the chief causes of
death are not susceptible to
control.
At present. according to
the report, life expectancy of
persons over so now is riS-
ing very little. Four years
ago it actually went down a
little. The average remaining
lifetime at IS will be ex-
tended only about two years.
at the most, between 1860
and 1870 and by only four
years to the end of tn e
century.
This prediction, the report
says, discounts the likelihood
Of any major break-through
in the conquest of cancer,
arteriosclerosis and forms of
heart disease.
The social consequences of
this getting young" the re-
port stresses, are likely to be
enormous in all sorts OF
fields from social security to
schools and the practice OF
medicine.
4 i = 4
Bacteria, invisibly minute
plants which are found in
great abundance everywhere
can be "harneSSed" to pro-
duce power for industry.
A prototype of a "biologi-
cal fuel cell" has been pro-
duced by United States Geo.
logical Survey engineers. The
basic idea, according to DR.
Evening star., 1961-05-16

Frederick D. Sisler, Survey
microbiologiSt, is to produce
electricity directly from the
decomposition, essentially the
burning" of plant matter
constantly being produced in
seas and large rivers.
Bacteria-Pr Produced Energy
Bacteria which bring about
the combination of oxygen
and hydrogen are distributed
widely in the waters, says
DR.. SiSler. Under natural
conditions the energy pro-
duced by the process is lost
as heat.
"The reduction of organic
compounds in the sea by a
natural biochemical fuel cell
system. says DR.. Sisler, "af-
fords interesting speculation
on the origin of petroleum
hydrocarbons. Since sea wa
ter is an excellent electro
lyte while fresh water usually
is a poor conductor, we
should expect, the biochemi-
Cal fuel cell to operate more
efficiently in the marine en-
vironment. 1t is reasonably
established that oil is formed
in such an environment and
coal in fresh water. The more
reduced form of petroleum
over that of coal may be
attributed to the energy
available from biochemical
fuel cell activity"
The prototype unit is COM
posed of two sections con-
tanning inert electrodes-an
anode section and a cathode
section - separated by a
bridge" A mixture of sea
water containing organic
matter as fuel and bacterial
cells as a catalyst is placed
in the anode section. T h e
cathode section contains sea
water and oxygen. The en-
ergy released comes from
bacteria burning" the Or
ganic matter, but the cell
design is such that the en-
ergy is released as electricity
rather than as heat.