davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-08-18
Scratch One Crisis

In these times, when day without
crisis is almost day wasted Cheer
fully, it is pleasant to read that life
in Kuwait is going on routinely and
that the bazaars of the Iraqi capital of
Baghdad no longer are seething with
the-coffee talk about "liberating"
the oil-wealthy small sheikhdom at the
head of the Persian Gulf.
From it's beginning, some two
months ago, this was strange crisis
anyway-ariSing out of the suddenly
announced discovery" of Iraqi Premier
KasSem that newly-independent Kuwait
is really part of Iraq. No Kuwaiti
knew this before, nor apparently did
any other Arab in the Middle East.
Neither did the British, who responded
with admirable speed and a sufficiently
impressive show of military force On
behalf of their friend, Sheikh Abdullah
aSSalim as-Sabah. Most of the British
military personnel have departed quietly
in recent weeks Radio Baghdad COM
plains mournfully about the unfriendly
and Misunderstanding cousins of the
Arab League. But one crisis, at least,
seems to have diSappeared-perhaps in
the tracklesS sands. For this, let there
be thanks.
Evening star., 1961-08-18

documents, and so did we. In Russia,
development work on rocket powerful
enough to carry an effective INT war
head was pushed hard. In the United
States, until about 1854, not much was
done. Then, as we were waking up to
the progress that the Russians were
making, warhead "breakthrough" was
scored in this country. A nuclear war
head, much lighter and vastly more
powerful than any TINT weapon, was
developed, and once again, as far
as military requirements went, there
seemed to be no need to develop tremen-
dously powerful engines for intercon-
tinental missiles. The Atlas and its
successors, we thought. would do the job.
But the Russians, starting with
Hitler'S plans for TINT carrying missile,
had forged ahead. And when the space
race, as distinguished from military re-
quirements, began in earnest, we found
ourselves far behind. The arrival at
Cape Canaveral of the Saturn C1 marks
a big forward step. But whether we can
catch up, if the Russians have been
continuing their effort, is at least
doubtful.
Evening star., 1961-08-18

game to win! You can't ex-
pect to win by standing
firm"-you have to attack,
take the offensive. If it's true
that the best defense is Of
fense, why not use it? Since
the end Of World War II the
Soviets have been on the Of
fense, we on the defense.
They want something (wit-
ness the Potsdam confer
ence); we give it to them.
They ask for something else,
we compromise" and give
them half, etc., etc. Now they
want Berlin, and we say mo.
we won't give it to you, but
we'd like to talk about it,"
The answer should be mo,
we won't give it to you, and
we won't talk about it, but
Wen talk about free elections
for East Germany, Hungary,
Romania, echoslovakia, Po-
land, Estonia, Latvia, Lithu-
ania, etc., etc"
I am sick and tired Of talk,
talk, talk. I want action, &C
tion; attack, attack, attack
on all fronts short Of war.
Emilio b. Labrada.
Evening star., 1961-08-18
Helpful Neutrality

The popularity Of James P. Mitchell,
as Secretary of Labor in the Eisenhower
administration, in the ranks of labor
itself may reward him well when New
Jersey votes for Governor in November
For the New Jersey State Federation
of Labor, an AFL body that never has
formally merged with it's rival CIO
organization in the Garden State, has
now decided to remain officially neutral
in this years campaign between Mr..
Mitchell, the Republican nominee, and
former Superior Court Judge Richard ].
Hughes, his Democratic opponent.
The story behind the story in this
case seems to be that neutrality might
more accurately be called neutrality
for" Mr.. Mitchell, and numerous leaders
in the State AFL group have made no
secret of their personal, if not official,
preference for his candidacy. With
$4,000 members, the labor group was
similarly neutral in last falls Senatorial
race when Republican Senator Case
carried the State by $4,000 votes. In
1854, however, when the federation
backed Mr.. Cases opponent, Charles
Howell, Mr.. Case slipped in by only
5000 votes. Mr.. Mitchell, convalescing
from broken ankle, is described as
UNDERSTANDABLE jubilant after studying
the mathematics of labor'S friendly
neutrality.
Evening star., 1961-08-18
Why PoY Work Shirkers2

ABUSES which have occurred under
the Districts unemployment compen-
sation law justify such corrective legis-
lation as that proposed by the Washing
ton Metropolitan Board of Trade and
other representatives of employers.
Testimony before House District sub
committee revealed that unemployment
benefits have been paid in the past to
work ShirkerS of the most brazen sort
persons who not only quit their jobs
voluntarily but who refuse to take other
employment. 1t is time to crack down
on such abuses of system designed to
help only deserving unemployed.
While the law now gives the I'm
employment Compensation Board dis
cretlonary authority to diSqualify for
from four to nine weeks persons who
have quit work without good cause, or
who have been fired for misconduct or
who have refused suitable Job offers,
the Board of Trade has urged Congress
to deny benefits completely in such
cases. These applicants would not again
become eligible for benefits until they
had returned to work.
Carl R. Anderson, vice chairman of
the boards Employment and Security
Committee, told the committee that
while a person has a perfect right to
quit his job If he so desires, he should
have no right to expect to be paid while
looking for another job-or while
refusing to work elsewhere. His right
to refuse" he said, Should not be in
fringed, but unemployment insurance
should not underwrite his refusal" That
concept of atd-to-the- -jobless legislation
seems so elemental that it should be
written into the law in terms that
cannot be misunderstood or evaded.
Evening star., 1961-08-18
Next Test-Action

The Alliance for Progress, President
Kennedy'S master plan for decade of
social and economic nvigoration of the
Latin American community, has moved
out of the conversation stage this week
With a charter written and signed by
twenty member nations, with Cuba
abstaining, this latest effort at meaning
full Western Hemisphere cooperation
is facing now the test of action to match
its brave words.
Regardless of the amount Of good
will, the test will not be an easy one
in any quarter. In his initial proposal
only few months ago, Mr. Kennedy
made it clear that participation in this
venture will carry obligations-that the
substantial monetary and technical
assistance which he is prepared to ask
our own Government to extend will not
be forthcoming unless the Latin Amer
ican republics themselves are ready and
able to guarantee matching efforts at
Self-help. The United States delegation
at the charter conference just concluded
in Uruguay estimated the amount of
external assistance at $40 billion over
a ten-year period, most of it to come
from public and private sources in this
country but with the suggestion that
Japan and West European nations may
make worthwhile contributions. With
Congress showing increasing resistance
toward foreign aid disbursements, it is
evident that the Kennedy adminiStra-
ton will have selling job" to do at
home as well as abroad
For their part, the Latin American
ministers at Punta del Este have pro-
vided at least the paper promise of the
essential reformS-in land holdings and
utilization, tax systems, budget policies,
encouragement and protection of pri-
vate investment, and so forth. Their
next task is to see that the promises
are translated into deedS-and with
enough promptnesS and vigor to con-
vince our own Congress, and other
sources of American and foreign capital
that there is in fact a better and diff
ferent future ahead for these countries.
Without such showing, the brave words
Of Punta del Este will live only as more
words.
Evening star., 1961-08-18
Demand Action

Only by action can the
United States restrain the
spread of totalitarianisn in
the world. We cannot always
permit our adversaries to hold
the initiative. Spending more
money, and mobilizing men,
may help, but these measures
are too passive, in themselves,
for a dynamic cold war.
Americans should call for,
and support, such actions as
the following, without ex-
cessive regard for the eau
tious counsels Of our allied
and neutral friends:
/. Enable the armed forces
of Free Wet Nam to attack
Communist North Wet Nam,
which has been attacking
Free Wet Nam and Laos.
Provide full air and sea
support.
2. Blockade Cuba fully, by
sea and air, until its Com
munist government withers
away. If this is not done, a
future Castro IDEAL" may
involve the threat of attacks
on American cities by Cuban
planes or missiles.
8. Recognize the Mongolian
Peoples Republic, as an un-
pleasant, but tactically nee
eSsary move to contain
Chinese Communist influence
in Central Asia.
4. Eliminate the awkward,
war-breeding geography Of
Berlin by asking Khrushchev
to trade. about one-seventh
Of East Germany to West
Germany in exchange for our
withdrawal from Berlin.
Evacuate and indemnify the
good people Of Free Berlin.
Kathryn C. Tucker.
\ 4
AS a Cuban citizen who has
witnessed the sad experience
of seeing his homeland lost
to communism, I am deeply
concerned over the Berlin
"crisiS."
President Kennedy has said
our response to this Situa-
ton would be more than
merely standing firm" I have
great respect and admiration
for the Presidents superb
record, but I must say that
in this case he just isn't
playing to win.
Why doesn't he quit pussy
footing around, and play the
Evening star., 1961-08-18
Spirited Protest
WANRaTeH SRe

I am shocked, Mortified,
and rendered well-nigh
speechleSs to read that
Washington is thinking Cif
that is the world, of per-
mitting Stand-up drinking.
This vertical imbibing would
ruin not only the careers of
the dram-shop keepers but of
the hearty guzzlers as well.
A man who is sitting on a
low chair, especially one with
arms, can contain consider
ably more alcohol than one
who is precariously balanced
on his own two feet. When a
chair begins to buck, its in
mate can hold on with one
hand, like a bronco rider,
while he retains his glass in
the other. But when a floor
begins to pitch, yaw and roll,
the ankles of a standing
bibber become intertwined
and he has to set his glass
down while he uses both
hands to avoid becoming
horizontal. This. reduces the
consumption Of liquor and so
tends toward depression -
business depression as well
as that of the spirits (no
pun) of the bibulous.
Then, too, having sweated
out the ordeal Of waiting for
a table, being shown to it,
waiting for a waitress, giving
her the order, and waiting
for her to bring the beverage,
and foreseeing waiting for
the check, paying it, waiting
for the change, and tipping
the waitress, the seated bib
bier is likely to say, Look,
honey, you keep watching
me, and as soon as I finish
one, bring me another until
I either fall asleep or tell
you to stop" The standing
drinker simply tells the bar
tender, Zone bourbon, water
chaser make it fast. I gotta
meet the sweet woman. He
gets it, drinks it, and departs
forthwith.
If we are to maintain
Washington's reputation for
high per capita consumption
of spirits, we had best let
people stand up to drink only
at water fountains.
Robert L. Eichberg.
Evening star., 1961-08-18
THE PASSING SCENE
The Use of Convicts to Pick Corn
By RALPH McGHL

they can't be seen" They
will come from the sort of
farms involved in Virginia's
convict labor story.
There are in the United
States today about two mil
lion farms which gross 50, 900
per year-or less. Most of
these are on the less side.
Their net ranges from
around $500 to $1,000 per
year. 1t is estimated these
farms will supply an average
of one person each, to the
labor market in the 1960s.
They will drift in, day by
day. With few exceptions,
they will go to the bottom of
the labor heap because they
lack education and SkiIls. At
least two-thirds of these
hopeless farms are in the
Southeast.
Small Farms Pinched
This is a process that has
been going on for a good
many years. The small farms
are less and less able to pro-
vide a living. There is moth
ing on them, save family at
tachment, to hold the young
men and women. They leave.
The ineXorable pressure of
economic reality forces them
off.
The impact Of technology
on all agriculture has been
particularly serious. The
statistics show that over 1.6
million workers-20 per cent
Of the total-have left the
farms since 1850. Despite this
substantial decrease in labor,
farm output has increased %
per cent.
This trend will continue
through the 1960s. Life on
the small Virginia farms
where convicts will pick corn
and cut fodder will become
more and more pinched.
They are too small for
mechanization. Their cash
income is so meager as to
make hiring help impossible.
But the State Of Virginia
can't forever pick its corn
crop with convicts.
It is too bad that we have
a national reluctance to
make long-range plans.
Evening star., 1961-08-18
Good Reminder

Thank you, fer your OPEN
ing sentence in q recent
editorial, God works in
mysterious ways his wonders
to perform" The extent of
its originality matters not.
The sentence and the SEN
timent stand first on the
page to meet the eye and
invade the mind. After so
much reading of the prob
lens that hang over the
world this sentence comes
like a break in the black,
broiling overcast to give an
exciting glimpse Of the clear.
blue sky. the untroubled,
peaceful sky on the other
side. And it is good to be
reminded in this way, in
these times, that God is
still there.
David Hughes.
Evening star., 1961-08-18

@. What is the kind Of tag
game in which one player
stands in an open space be-
tween two lines of players
and tries to catch a player
from one line who is ex-
changing places with a player
from the other line?-B. S.
A. The game water
Sprite" is Of this type. The
open space represents a river.
and the player who occupies
this space represents the
water sprite. The two lines
of players represent the two
banks of the river. The sprite
beckons to a player on one
bank to cross to the other,
and the indicated player
then signals to a third player
on the opposite bank. The
two then attempt to cross
the river" to exchange
places. If the water sprite
is able to tag one of them
in the process, he takes the
place Of the tagged player,
who becomes the next water
sprite. The game is said to
be of Chinese origin and to
be based on the superstition
that a water sprite in the
middle of a stream tries to
entice people into it.
@. Does the Patent Office
ever check up on infringe
ments Of patents after they
have been granted?-T. K.
A. No. Infringement Of a
patent is not the concern of
the Patent Office, but is
something which the owner
of the patent must handle
through private attorneys and
through the channels Of the
courts.
Evening star., 1961-08-18
Soturn's Journey

Inc newspaper photographers have
duly recorded the arrival at Cape
Canaveral OF our first Saturn rocket,
and this indeed was memorable event.
For the rocket is so big that it could
not be transported by air, highway or
railroad. Consequently, it was loaded
on a barge and carried 1900 miles by
water from its birthplace at Huntsville,
Ala, to it's launching site at the Cape
But the Saturn, as symbol of our
accelerating space program, still has
long way to go.
II all is well after 10 test firingS,
the first being scheduled for the near
future, 1t is expected that this CT model
of the Saturn will be ready in 1864 to
put three-man Apollo capsule into
earth orbit. It's thrust is calculated at
1.5 million poundS-aS powerful or more
powerful than the rocket used by the
Russians in their recent earth orbiting
feat. BY late 1865 or early 1866 our
scientists hope to have ready a big
brother of the C-1-the Saturn C-3.
This monster is supposed to have five
times the lifting power of the C-1, but
even that will not be enough to send
men to the moon and bring them back
For that task, Nova is coming along.
Nova, with lifting power Is times that
Of the Saturn C-1, should be ready by
late 1866 or 1867 1t is designed to land
space craft carrying three American
aStronautS on the moon. And in terms
of rocket engine power, it will put us
far ahead of anything the Russians are
known to have today-just as they are
far ahead of the modified Atlas missile
with which we hope to put our first
aStronaut in orbit.
Whether, even with Nova, we will
remain ahead depends, of course, upon
what the Russians do in the next five
years. Quite conceivably, they will still
be ahead in terms of rocket power, and
the story of how they got such big
jump on us is both interesting and
little known.
The story begins with Adolf Hitler,
who was at least 10 years ahead of his
time in rocket development. Fortunately,
after conquering Western Europe, he
thought the war was as good as won,
and for year he stopped spending
large sums on rocket research and de-
velopment. BY the time he learned
better, and had resumed his rocket pro-
gram, it was too late to stop the Allied
invasion which sealed the doom of the
Third Reich.
At wars end, however, the Ger
man missile men were still there and so
were their plans and the records of the
tests that had been made Since Hitler
was thinking in terms of long-range
rocket that would carry TINT warhead,
powerful rocket engine was needed
and substantial progress had been made.
The Russians, after the war, got
some of these scientists with their
Evening star., 1961-08-18
Foreiqn Offices in Residential Areas

AS a native Washingtonian
and reader Of The Star for
more than 80 years. and as
the architect for the govern
ment of Panama's proposed
addition to its existing chan
Gerry facilities, I must take
critical exception to William
Grigg's story (August 13 Sun
day Starr on two counts.
First, it is not becoming to
a newspaper with The Stars
reputation for fairness and
integrity to editoriahze in its
news columns and to use, in
heads over stories, such words
as "blight" that can have no
other effect than to incite
and antagonize readers that
some evil is being perpetrated.
Who is authority for the
assertion that chanceries are
"blights" in residential neigh
borhoods? Mr.. Grigg, the
author, uses the word blight
twice in the article. Once,
toward the end, he encloseS
it in quotation marks but we
have no clue who is the out
standing authority for the
facts alleged. Even in The
Stars real estate section, Mr..
Grigg would want to think
twice about expressing his
personal opinion in what
purports to be a report story.
Secondly, what are the true
facts, at least with respect to
the request of the government
of Panama to build a chan
cery? The Embassy at 29th
and Woodland drive was pur-
chased by the government Of
Panama in 1912. The existing
chancery, on the same prop
erty, was built by the govern
ment of Panama in the same
year and has been in continu-
Gus use as a chancery ever
since. No new "use" is pro-
posed for the new building.
The government of Panama
merely requires additional
space.
When His Excellency, Am
basSador A. G. Arrange first
discussed with me plans for
the chancery, he emphasized
two factors. He said that re-
gardlesS Of the legal rights
that might be reserved to his
government, he wanted that
Evening star., 1961-08-18
VISTAS IN SCIENCE
Man Discovers More About Enzymes
BY THOMAS R. HENRY

males. 1t now is about so
years. The 1900 rate for
colored females was 33.5.
1t now is 65.5-a clear gain of
at least five years over the
males.
Sex Difference Inherent
Such are the latest life
tables published by the Ma
tional Institutes Of Health.
The difference between the
sexes presumably is inherent.
The racial differences prob
ably are due to poorer living
conditions for colored than
for white.
The big jump for both
sexes and races came be-
tween 1898 and 194S when
several new miracle drugs
were introduced and there
were other notable medicine
advances.
"The statistics suggest"
says the National Institute
report, that although in
creases in expectation of life
are still taking place, the
rate of increase now is slow
ing down. Such a trend is
altogether consistent with
the increasing control over
infectious and parasitic dis
eases. In the years when the
greatest advances in control
of these diseases as leading
causes Of death were being
made, there were correspond
ingly high increases in ex-
pectation Of life at birth"
The report gives detailed
figures on the remaining
years, on the average, for
persons of various ages. The
great advances have come
in the younger years and
much of the total advance
is due to the great decline
in mortality Of very young
infants. The increase is ex-
pected to increase slowly for
many years into the future,
as new medical advances are
made.
Evening star., 1961-08-18

new building to conform
strictly with the residential
character Of the neighbor-
hood even at a sacrifice Of
efficiency or cost. Moreover,
he added, that while addition
al space for embassy person.
mel was urgently needed and
that the construction cost was
a serious problem for his gov
ernment, he nevertheless felt
that 1t would enhance the
neighborhood to replace the
somewhat unsightly vacant
area with a pleasant and
bright new structure.
Judge Train, and others who
feel as he does, Of course
have a right to their opinions.
I suspect that, if an Amer
ican Embassy in a foreign
capital experienced difficulty
in the erection of a chan
cery, which I am advised
they almost never do, some Of
those who oppose chancery
construction in Washington
would be among the first to
exclain1: who do they think
they are to do this to us?"
Speaking only as the ar
chitect, I would like to as
sure Judge Train, Mr.. Grigg,
and all interested residents
that the proposed new chan
cery of the government of
Panama would not blight"
Woodland drive, or indeed
any other Washington resi-
Dental area.
Henry N. Shadid, ALA.
Editors Note: The word
blight" as used in The Stars
report on the growing use of
residential properties for for
eign offices, did not refer to
the appearance of any chan
cery or to Mr.. Shadid's de-
sign for Panama'S proposed
chancery. 1t referred instead
to the residential problems
caused by parking and other
problems associated with
those chanceries established
in residential areas. Many
residents have testified to
the lowering Of property
values after coming excep-
tionS have been made to per-
NIT chanceries in residential
neighborhoods.)
+ = =
Residents of the New
Hampshire avenue area i'm
Evening star., 1961-08-18
Robert L. Eichberg.

mediately east of Dupont
circle find themselves con-
fronted with another aspect
of "chancery explosion"
The area is currently en-
joying a renaissance in the
form of restoration Of it's
fine old town houses and also
the construction of new
apartment buildings.
With the exit of the old
undesirables, such as the
poorly maintained rooming
house, we are now aware of
another menace - chancery
blight.
The fine Georgian house
at New Hampshire avenue
and r street, designed by
Architect Stanford White for
the Hon. Thomas Nelson
Page, is now occupied by the
offices of the naval and mill
tary attaches of the French
Embassy. The avenue yard
of the house has been
stripped of its paintings to
provide parking for the en-
bassy staff. A pretty sight
in deed for neighboring
residents.
Equally neglectful has been
tn Embassy of Nicaragua
at 1927 New Hampshire ave-
nue.. Here sections of
wrought iron fence, allowed
to deteriorate, lay gathering
more rust in the weed-strewn
yard. Daily one can observe
up to eight cars parked in
the driveway, while in the
rear of the building-empty
is one OF Jne largest pr1-
vately owned garages in
Washington.
There are other diplomatic
offenderS-thoSe who allow
shrubbery to die and weeds
to grow, those who not only
double park but park on their
neighbors' sidewalks. There
are, Of course, also those
whose properties mainte-
nance speaks well of their
country.
We object not to the pres
ence of these chanceries, for
indeed many of our houses
are too large for any other
use. but to the neglect and
decay allowed to go un-
checked by their occupants.
Property Owner.
Evening star., 1961-08-18
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry tDTtters' correct
names and addresses. All let
terS are subject to condenSa-
ton. Those not used iDiLl be
returned only IDhen accom-
panied By self addressed,
stamped envelopes.