davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-03-10
The
Rambler
Becomes
Aware Of Something
BY GEORGE KENNEDY

Some time ago, it was in
1852, we all read in the news
papers that it had been
found that many premature
babies had been blinded in
the incubator because of too
much oxygen.
Well, its fine that those er-
rorS are corrected.
Yesterday the Rambler
saw the problem had not
quite been solved. Those
babies are growing up.
Many Of them are much
more unfortunate than blind.
They are experiencing diff
culties in development. Al
though 8 or 9 years old, they
are unable to talk, to play
with other children, blind or
sighted; to attend schools
for the blind.
These are children who
would not have survived a
generation ago, tiny babies
Of 2 pounds, 4 ounces or 2
pounds even.
All that society has been
able to recommend to the
parents is that such a child
be institutionalized - taken
away from the family and
kept alive by custodial care.
ONE WASHIN GTON
COUPLE wouldn't accept it.
The Albert E. JohnsonS-he'S
in the auditors office of the
Department Of Agriculture
might play an ideal Ameri-
can couple in the movies.
He is tall, approaching 40
and graying slightly; she is
shorter with blue eyes and
vivacious.
They have experienced a
terrific emotional strain, but
apparently are healthy and
happy. Perhaps it is because
they faced it and are doing
something about it.
They have four children.
The second, Martha, is one
of those children.
The JohnSonS were leaders
In starting the Pilot School
for Blind Children. This is
for children who would not 5e
accepted in any other school.
School hours are $50 am. to
1890 pm. at Temple Sinai,
3100 Military road NV. The
school has seven pupils and
one teacher. On SUNDAY it
will hold an open house from
$3.50 to 5 for those interested
in this problem.
Mr.. Johnson took me out
there yesterday. The well-lit
clasSroom-one wall was all
glass-was filled with sounds
of crying. Not Of infants,
but of 8-year olds with lusty
lungs.
Martha is having a tan
trum," her father said.
She was sitting in one Of
those little dollies, educa-
tional toys for blind children.
Back to back with her was a
boy. He was also crying.
The teacher, Mrs. Elinor
Ring was patiently and calm
ly trying to pacify Martha.
DR.. Warren Brodey, a psy-
chiatrist, was watching the
children intently.
Evening star., 1961-11-30

oy either passing around
them or destroying them.
The superiority of street
railway operation is an un-
deniable fact. The response
of the traffic-makers never
once rose to the level of
argument. They simply ac-
celerated wrecking opera
tions. When Congress asked
for an honest reappraisal of
streetcar operation, the Pub
lie Utilities Commission re-
hired an expert" long identi-
fled with views to which the
P. U. c. had already sub
scribed. Without making any
reference at all to total costs
to the community, the "ex-
pert" concluded that buses
are cheaper and that COM
plete conversion would bene-
fit vehicular traffic gener-
ally" Needless to say vehic-
ular traffic will be benefited.
But if buses are really
cheaper to operate, why did
the P. U. C. allow the D. C.
Transit System to shift it's
profit formula to gross op-,
Grating revenue doubling its
potential earnings) only on
condition that the company
junk the streetcars?
Mark A. LilliS.
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Durable Silver Question

It is unlikely that the close relation
ship that has existed for so long between
silver and politics will be ended by Pres
ident Kennedy'S newly announced "sil-
yer policy" This Is not because the
policy itself lacks merit; it is more be-
cause "the silver question" in one form
or another for most of century has
survived innumerable efforts to resolve
1t or to eliminate it.
In brief, the administrations new
approach is this: The Treasury Depart
ment has been ordered to discontinue
Immediately its sales of Government
owned silver to industrial users at a
fixed price of about 91.5 cents an ounce.
Since industrial demand is heavy, and
becoming more so with the discovery
OF many new uses for silver, taking the
fixed price Government stock off the
market will tend to raise the price for
remaining supplies. This will please the
producers, in Western States, but not
the users, who are mostly in Eastern
States.
AS companion step, Mr.. Kennedy
said he will ask Congress to repeal the
silver purchasing laws by which the
Treasury is required to buy newly mined
domestic silver, If offered, at COS cents
an ounce. Since producers already are
able to get better prices, little silver
has been offered to the Government in
recent years. Even so, it is not at all
certain that the producers and their
historically protective friends in Con-
gress will agree readily to the outright
removal Of Government supported
price floor-although the users, in this
case, might be pleased.
BY other steps, the President pro-
poses over period of time to take out
of circulation all paper currency now
backed by silver and replace it with
Federal Reserve notes. Presumably, this
would make no difference to the man
in the street or the purchasing power
of the bills in his wallet. Except for the
continued use Of silver in coins, it was
explained that this decentralization" of
the metal eventually will bring it to
the status of an ordinary freely-tra
commodity. If there is no other reason
to suspect there will be some room re-
naming for politicking on the silver
question, the suggestion that it will
some day be just another commodity
perhaps a surplus one, for example
is quite enough.
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Potomac Dam Opinions

AS its critics contend, the meeting
at the Departmental Auditorium on the
Corps of Engineers alternative plans for
the development of the Potomac River
Basin afforded citizen groups only a
sketchy opportunity to express their re-
actions. And this would be a serious
shortcoming indeed if the intention had
been to hold public hearing. But that
specifically was not the intention. The
meeting was sponsored and clearly
described by the Citizens Council for a
Clean Potomac as "briefing session."
the sole purpose of which was to give
the public much-needed official ex-
planation of the various alternatives by
the Army Engineers and by the half
dozen other affected Federal agencies.
We believe this was a worthy and
proper objective, which did not warrant
the petulant charges of "muzzling"
public opinion. Now that the briefing
has been held, however, the question
remains as to whether it would not be
wise to have public hearing, or perhaps
series of hearings, so that the Engi-
neers will have the advantage of as
AAoA1J NACWPOAAIOo DO POOOAD4C OIl GIlG 1OuT
alternatives before they reach a decision
on single recommendation next June.
The Citizens Council has indicated it
probably will sponsor such meetings. We
urge that it do so. For each of the
development possibilities proposed would
require large amount of local financ-
ing, which means that substantial local
support will be needed in order for any
plan to succeed.
There should be no misapprehen-
sion, however, that hearings throughout
the basin would produce any unanimity
Of opinion or, for that matter, that they
necessarily would determine the recon-
mendation of the Army Engineers. In
the final analysis, the truly meaningful
public hearings will be those that will
be conducted by the committees of Con-
gress after specific recommendation is
made and after all the facts are known.
These sessions in the House and Senate
no doubt will provide everyone an OPP
portunity to have his say, and no amount
of hearings or meetings in advance of
that time is likely to have any conclusive
significance.
Evening star., 1961-11-30

likely to change without help. But is it
necessary, as the planners suggest, that
these goals be extended to include
reconstruction Of M street?
1t is the belief of a number of
architects, group which rarely achieves
unanimity, that urban renewal in
evitably would threaten to change the
character Of M street, most specifically
through the replacement of its present
small-Scale buildings with an atmos-
phere of bignesS Certainly for good or
for bad that has been the tendency of
urban renewal in other projects.
The essential difference in this case,
of course, is that Georgetown has made
prodigiouS rehabilitation strides on its
own, and in the process has developed a
unique quality which is a decided asset
to Washington. In the eyes of the
president of the Washington Chapter of
the American Institute of Architects,
there is "a real danger that the charac-
ter OF Georgetown could not survive
government intervention" AS a general
rule, the parts of the city where urban
renewal is most needed and is thoroughly
justified are those areas of Slum or
deterioration, such as the Southwest,
where do-it-yourSelf rehabilitation either
is inadequate or is not likely to occur
at all. There is good reason to suspect
that this might not be the case on M
street
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Triumph of Enos

EnoS, the amiable- looking CHM
panzee, appears to be well and happy
after having twice orbited the earth at
speed of some $4,000 miles an hour.
He was supposed to have made the trip
three times before returning, but all of
a sudden, through no fault of his own,
his Spacecraft began to malfunction in
way that led the people in charge to
cut short his voyage, on the sound
principle that it is better to be safe than
sorry.
Nevertheless, despite his having
been brought back ahead of schedule,
Enos' flight constitutes a triumph
significant enough to insure that his
name will have lasting place not only
in the history of chimpanzeeS, but also
in the history of mans efforts to climb
higher and higher on the stairway to
the stars. Certainly his trip, a vital
part OF our country'S Project Mercury,
brings us closer to the day when one of
the projects seven astronautS will make
the same sort of journey, thus dupli-
eating and possibly excelling the pio-
neering orbital flights, some months
ago, of Soviet CoSmonautS Gagarin and
Titov. Marine Colonel John H. Glenn has
has been chosen for the first attempt
1t may we'll be, of course, that the
malfunctioning of Enos' Mercury capsule
means that the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration will now
decide not to try to put Colonel Glenn
into orbit before the year ends. This
may involve measure of disappoint-
ment, but clearly no such attempt should
be made unless and until NASA itself
in accord with the rule it has been fol-
lowing ever since the projects starts
satisfied that the risks involved will be
no greater than those taken by test
pilot flying high-performance plane
for the first time.
In any event, whether or not it
occurs before New Years Day, an orbital
flight by an American astronaut will
take place in the relatively near future.
EnoS (the name literally means many
has made that much very clear. And
he has made clear, by the same token,
that the exploration and exploitation of
space have hardly begun and that the
race between us and the Russians in
that sense is still in its infancy.
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Intriguing Idea

Shortly after my letter
"Barks at Birchers" appeared,
I received a telephone call
from a courteous and ap-
parently erudite gentleman
who represented himself as
a member of The John Birch
Society. Quoting Alfalfa Bill
Murray. he failed to convince
me of the difference between
a republic and a democracy
in the United States; and I
failed to convince him of
their identity, though Web
ster's g. the modern re-
publics of the United States
and France, which are es-
sentially free democracies"
indicates it.
My caller could neither ex-
plain nor defend Robert
Whatshisname's characteri-
zation of ex-President Dwight
Eisenhower as "a dedicated,
conscious agent of the Com
muniSt conspiracy";; h e
thought it must be a mis-
quotation. Then I began to
think, no small achievement
for me. What would I do if
I were such a dedicated g.
agent?
Why. I would want a list
of my ,bitterest enemies.
Hence I would form a So
ciety of dedicated anti
Communists. Thus I would
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Renewal on M Street

The substantial concern which
Georgetowners are expressing about
what might happen to M street under
urban renewal is fair warning that
planners should move cautiously in
that area. There may be a good deal
of merit to the urban renewal ideas, as
recently proposed by the NATIONAL Cap
ital Planning Commission staff, which
apply to the reclamation of the George
town waterfront and the possible
elimination of some of the ugly and
otherwise Objectionable industrial plants
in the vicinity of the Whitehurst free
way. For this is an area which is not
Evening star., 1961-11-30

@. How long does it usu-
ally take a bad bruise to
disappear? b. N.
A. The "black and blue"
discoloration of a bruise,
resulting from blood forced
into the tissues by rupture
of blood vessels, usually fades
out in from Is to 18 days.
@. When did Robert Inger-
soil make his last speech?
M. H.
A. The last public appear
ance of Robert G. IngersoI
was on June 81, 1899, at
Camden, N. j., in an argu-
ment before Vice Chancellor
of that State in the case of
Russell VS.. Russell. His last
address was that on What
is Religion?" This was de-
livered June 2, 1899, before
the American Free Religious
Association in the Hollis
Street Theater, Boston.
1ngersoll died on July 81,
1899.
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Mr.. PIozo's Mission

1t is good to have had Gallo Plaza in
Washington as a special representative
OF Carlos Julio AroSemena, Ecuador's
new President. The prime objective of
his five-day visit an objective effec-
lively attained has been to correct
some mistaken first impressions Of Mr..
AroSemena'S political coloration and
economic policy as regards hemisphere
cooperation in such undertakings as
the Alliance for Progress sponsored by
President Kennedy.
Thus, in his talks here, including
two with Secretary of State RuSk and
one with Mr.. Kennedy, Mr.. Plaza has
particularly emphasized these major
points: (D Ecuador agrees with the
Self-help provisions of the alliance pro-
gram and is inStituting inheritance and
income tax reforms, among others, in
line with those provisions. And (2) Mr..
AroSemena, far from being a Red
leaning '1eftiSt," is a liberal" who is
worried about Communist Intervention
in Cuba and the hemisphere" and whose
democratically representative cabinet is
politically moderate
Mr.. AroSemena could not have chosen
a better envoy to explain the character
of his government to Washington. For
Mr.. Plaza, who was born and educated
in our country, and who was himself
President of Ecuador from 1948 to 1852,
has long been recognized as a strong
friend of the United States and cham
pion Of freedom against all brands of
totalitarianism. Accordingly, what he
has had to say about the sudden polit-
ical change in Quito seems doubly re-
assuring.
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Boptists on Duncinq

The article by Casper Nam
mes, titled Virginia Baptists
Back Dances at Colleges"
seems to be a very wide-scope
statement. Since there are so
many Baptists in Virginia. I
believe that it would be only
fair to each Baptist that,
when writing an article con-
cerning a specific Baptist
group, you should mention
their names instead of lead
ing the people to believe that
all of the Virginia Baptist
Churches are going to be
behind such a Satanic pur-
pose as to permit dancing in
Baptist-Supported colleges.
I happen to be a Virginia
Baptist pastor and I know
many other Baptist pastors
in Virginia that do not ap-
prove of dancing of any type.
Why? Because dancing is
strictly against Gods word:
Matthew 14:3-12, record
ed a Baptist preacher losing
his bead because of the
dance. 1t wasn't the dance in
itself, but what the dance
suggested to King Herod-He
told the damsel when she
had finished that he would
give her anything that she
desired even to the half of
his kingdom. .
There are other scriptures
that we could use to prove
that dancing is of the devil
and not of the Lord, and we
thank God that there are
some Baptists who still be-
lieve in the Word of God.
I feel that I have been in
Inundated by this article.
Rev. Denver Turner.
Editors Note: The story
made it clear that the stand
on dancing by the Baptist
General Assembly of Virginia
was taken despite consider
able opposition, and quoted
several Of those who opposed
the move.)
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Mass Hysterio

In the range country, cat
tie and sheep may become
panicky from some trivial
cause and launch themselves
into a stampede in which
they will rush forward
blindly and continuously un-
til they drop from exhaus-
ton or rush headlong over
a precipice to their destruc-
ton.
This mass hysteria also
manifestS on aston S
among human beings. We
observe it in the action of
mobs even in the more highly
civilized nations, and there
are times when nations them
selves become so obsessed
with some single but COM
pulsive thought that it will
temporarily displace all
normal reasoning processes
and impel them into a course
of action leading to their
destruction.
Is there not now abroad
in the land a compulSive idea
that this Nation must engage
in a nuclear war with Rus
sia? One hears it predicted
and condoned in conversa-
tions, sees it constantly pa
raded in the press, and even
spoken of encouragingly in
many pulpits.
While it is practically i'm
possible to halt or deter a
stampeding herd of animals.
it is possible, because of
their somewhat higher degree
of mentality, to slow down
and gradually bring to their
senses, human beings under
the spell of a similar OBJ
session. This is a challenge
that confronts the thought
full, broad-minded and peace
loving minority of our cit
iZenS todayl
Ed Burke.
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Troubled Conqo

WlllldIH .. WIllUS ) TSC6IlL
column, Harvest of Shame
in Africa" exposes an ap-
pallingly sick facet of a re-
dictionary mind. OF course,
the needless Staying of any
human being can never be
comfortably tolerated, but the
Congo has been a land of
well-publicized brutality and
political chaos for many
months.
Countless Congolese have
been slain by other Congo
leSe, with the active aid of
foreign mercenaries (moStly
Europeans. Many of these
slayings have been incred-
ible in their cold ruthless
ness and unwarranted bes-
tiality. Where then were
the agonized tears of out
ragged decency now being wept
by Mr.. White? Surely, the
crime does not become helm
Gus merely by virtue of the
fact that the men killed
were Europeans, rather than
Africans.
So much Of Africa's pres
ent turmoil is directly at
tributable to crushing sub
jugation and criminal ex-
ploitation of men by other
men; a fact that far too
many people have publicly
decried and tacitly accepted.
Doesn't it involve the dead
liest kind of sophistry to ex-
pect to continue handling the
situation in Africa, and in
other less developed coun-
tries, by the same callous
parade of power" technique
that has been used with de-
batable success in the pastp
Marjorie J. Holtzclaw.
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Uncompromisinq

In your editorial Say It
Isn't So." you confess igno-
rance Of a psychology of fear
which some national figures
maintain exists in this coun-
try today. Later you state
that some sort of "live-and-
let-live" arrangement will be
worked out. 1t appears that
to arrive at any such ar
rangement will or rather must
involve compromise since the
Soviet has taken a position
that the two opposing sys-
tens in the world today are
incompatible. You also state
that compromise is not
necessarily a defeat" Isn't
it?
Webster defines compro-
mise as "the settlement of
differences by mutual conces-
sions." What then do we
concede? Anything we would
consider unimportant would
hardly be acceptable as a
concession at the conference
table. What then is left?
The only alternative to an
unimportant point would be
a principle. Can we concede
a principle? No sane man
would answer in the affirm
ative. Where then does that
leave compromise? 1t leaves
it only as a totally unac-
ceptable solution to the world
problem. And yet, you still
seem to favor this kind of
activity. What prompts this
attitude toward compromise?
You answer this question
yourself by stating that the
only alternative is nuclear
war. This, I submit, is a
direct result of a psychology
of fear!
To state that the only al
tentative to coexistence with
the Russians is a nuclear
war is an a priori judg-
ment which is difficult to
hold on reflection of such a
Judgment. National publi-
cations in the last two
months have continually
stated that what the Rus
slams not only do not want
but cannot afford is a
nuclear war. These ideas
make sense because such a
war would impede if not an
nihilate the Communist plan
for world domination and it
would involve this risk which
is repugnant to the Red mind
there is the distinct prob
ability that the Russians
could not win such a war.
Considerable support for this
latter position can be garn-
cred by reading the compare
tive strengths of the United
States and Russia.
There is a growing mass
of opinion, supported by his
torical evidence and concrete
figures, which initiates
against the necessity for or
desirability of compromise, or
negotiation or whatever you
want to call it. Therefore,
why do it? Why recommend
that it be done? The answer
that it is the only altern-
ative to nuclear war is a
non sequitur which is being
used as a scapegoat to cover
up for the unwillingneSs, or
inability, to face the world
problems and seek a solu-
ton with positive action.
Joseph J. Kleinstuber.
Evening star., 1961-11-30
Our Grain Reserve

The Grain Storage Plan"
outlined by F. Price Merrels
in a letter suggested under
ground, bomb-resistant, fall
out-proof storage facilities
to be built by the Federal
Government on property
made available by the various
States and major municipal
tiles.
The average person does
not realize that grain
(wheat. corn. barley, oats,
rye. grain sorghums, soy
beans, etc. is a living or
Soybeans, etc. is a living or
ganism which must be stored
in structures with adequate
temperature controls and
proper equipment for dry
ing, turning, loading-in and
loading-out. In addition, the
grain must be observed con-
stantly for insect control,
rodent control; and it must
be moved to keep it from de-
terioration. If grain Is stored
with a high moisture content,
it has a tendency to heat
rapidly and will go out of
condition quickly. If grain is
dried prior to placing it in
storage, care must be taken
not to dry 1t above a certain
temperature. If too much
heat is applied, the quality Of
the grain is affected when
used later for processing;
and, If dried excessively, it
will crack and break easily,
which also Mowers the quail
ity.
Commercial warehouse
men, are responsible for the
quality and condition of the
grain owned by the Federal
Government when it is placed
in their warehouses. The
warehousemen must return
to the Government, at any
time the Government de-
cides, grain of the same quail
ity that was placed in their
warehouses. or pay the Gov
ernment the difference in
cash. Warehousemen are not
guaranteed a certain amount
of storage for definite periods
of time as many people have
been led to believe.
The Nations stocks of
grain are our most valuable
asset in the event of an
atomic war, because the grain
would provide the only large,
safe supply of food and feed.
The supply of grain is we'll
cared for in structures de-
signed to protect it and pre-
serve its quality. 1t is
constantly cared for by re-
sponsible warehousemen who
pay taxes, hire many men,
and have a reputation of in
tegrity and efficiency in their
local communities.
VerlOn C. Meyer
Director of Information Serv-
ices, Grain and Feed Dealers
National Association.