davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-02-09

Mr.. McNamara-had said Mon
day there was no such gap.
Kennedy Criticized
"Mr. Kennedy. apparently,
has felt the need to squelch the
candor of the Pentagon in order
to avoid discrediting the recent
campaign tactics of the Demo-
cratic Party" Senator Bridges
said. 'Is this shifting of posi-
ton to avoid the facts to be a
hallmark of the new admins
tration?"
House Republican Leader
Halleck said he has no doubt
that when the Kennedy admin
istration finishes all of its sur
veys it will find there is no
missile gap.
Mr.. Halleck said he could
not quarrel with the President S
statement yesterday that a
final conclusion now would be
premature. But Mr.. Halleck
added that he wished Mr.. Ken
nedy had taken that position
in the campaign instead of con-
stantly down grading the
United States.
Senator Russell said at his
home in Winder, Ca: Mem
bers Of the committee can ask
them about .the missile gap,
PolariS submarine, ground
forces or anything they please.
We are going into all phases
Of the defense posture"
Senator Russell also said the
missile gap between Russia and
the United States is real. But
he added he Is mot so con-
Evening star., 1961-02-09
INTERPRETIVE REPORT

secret events in q distant coun-
try in the long-range future
were not too specific.
The word spread about two
years ago, however, that for-
mer Defense Secretary McEl-
roy had said intelligence esti-
mates predicted a missile gap
Of about Bel in Russia'S favor.
He made no such statement in
public. The best guess Is that
he said it in a quiet back
ground meeting with a few re-
porters.
Stated by Gates
Last year Mr.. McElroy's sue
cessor as Secretary of Defense,
Thomas S. Gates, mentioned
the gap publicly when he told
a House Appropriations SUBJ
committee:
"If we compare the estimated
Soviet ICBM and sea-launched
missile programs with plans for
deployment Of United States
Evening star., 1961-02-09

Dirksen Of Illinois called on
Secretary Of Defense Robert s.
Mcnamara to tell the truth"
about q Pentagon briefing of
newsmen which led to some
published reports there Is no
gap between American and
Russian missile strength.
Senator Bridges, Republican
of New Hampshire. challenged
as q shifting Of position to
avoid the facts" Mr.. Kennedy's
reputation Of these reports at
q news conference yesterday.
Writes Mcnamara
Senator Dirksen today sent a
letter to Mr.. Mcnamara asking
If a press briefing was held and
inquiring: "How could all OF
these stories come out with the
same basic facts?"
when you deal with missiles
as President Kennedy did and
make them the burden of your
campaign and the center of
the security section of your
platform. you excite the appre-
tensions Of the people," Sena-
tor Dirksen said. He added:
IF President Eisenhower was
right in saying there is no
missile gap, then the Demo-
Gratis don't owe him an apology,
but they owe one to the Amer
lean people"
Senator Bridges. who heads
the Senate Republican Policy
Committee. said in a statement
that during the election cam
paign Mr.. Kennedy had con-
tended there was a growing
gap. Senator Bridges noted
that a Pentagon spokesman
who Mr.. Kennedy conceded was
Evening star., 1961-02-09

cerned about it as some Of nv.
Democratic colleagues in the
Congress-we are rapidly clos.
ing the gap"
There's no question q mis-
sile gap does exist" Senator
Russell said. Russia is ahead
OF us in that she has more
powerful rocket engines, en-
gineS with more powerful
thrust"
But in expressing less con-
cern than some of his col
leagues, he added the United
States "has the worlds most
powerful weapon, the Polaris
submarine. and the worlds
most effective striking force.
the Strategic Air Command" :"
Evening star., 1961-02-09
76cuthoIie Boy Scouts.
To Be Feted SUNDAY

Seventy-six Catholic first
class Boy Scouts Of the Ma
tional Capital Area Council will
receive the "Ad Altare Del
Cross" for outstanding serv-'
ices within their faith at a cere-
mony on Sunday commemor-
ating Scout Sunday" through
out the United States. =
Bishop Philip M. Hannah will
officiate at the ceremony at
st. Matthew's Cathedral at 1
pm, assisted by Father John
B. Brady. archdiocesan Scout
Chaplain.
Evening star., 1961-02-09
NewProI,eSe Set
0nMissi|eGap
By the Associated Presa

A fresh congressional weap.
ons inquiry was In the making
today as Republicans assailed
as political President Ken
nedy'S statement he isn't
ready to say If there is q missile
gap.
Replying to a demand by
Senator Bush, Republican OF
Connecticut, Chairman Russell
Democrat Of Georgia. said the
Senate Armed Services Com
mittee will call service chiefs
Of staff before it about Febru-
ary 20 for questioning on the
issue as part Of its annual re-
view Of national defense.
Senate Republican Leader
Evening star., 1961-02-09

the predicted missiles or not.
President Eisenhower obvi-
ously decided they are not. He
said in his January state-of-
the Union message that the
missile gap showed every sign
Of being fiction. Many Penta-
gon officers agreed with him.
Others, equally competent, con-
cluded from available intelli-
gence that the Soviets are in
fact building the predicted
missiles.
The Kennedy administration
has not yet made a conclusion
about the future possibility Of
a gap.
Evening star., 1961-02-09

ICBM's and PolariS missiles, we
note that the Soviets may en-
Joy at times q moderate nu-
merical superiority during the
next three years. This differ
ence in numbers appears to
peak during the 1862 period
Our estimates indicate that
both before and after mid
1862 the numbers are closer to-
gether."
Mr.. Gates preferred to talk
about q deterrent gap" just
as the new administration
seems to be adopting the catch
phrase. destruction gap" Both
are the same thing. Both COM
pare our total nuclear wal
capacity with the total Soviet
capacity. It Jumps bombers
and missiles and comes up with
a more realistic comparison.
Deterrent Gap Stressed
People within the Pentagon
argue whether we can indeed
look forward to q deterrent of
destruction superiority, but
they do agree that the deter
rent gap or destruction gap is
the important thing, not the
missile gap.
Reports Of the missile gap
made wildly varying estimates
|of its predicted size. but actual
figures were never made public.
Democrats, however, used the
missile gap to criticize the
Eisenhower administration dur
ing the campaign. "Close the
missile gap" was a popular
slogan. Now Republicans are
blasting Mr.. Kennedy over re-
ports implying a lack Of a gap.
The actual position Of the
administration, agreed to by
almost all military men OF
Evening star., 1961-02-09
Missile Gap Estimate
Keyedto Future Output
BY RICHARD FRYKLUND
star staff Writer

The latest missegap" argument is much like those In
the Eisenhower and misleading
There confusion Capitol Hill and in the White House
the nature Of the its timing its significance and even
over who discovered It,
The impression given Democrats thought it up
Evening star., 1961-03-17
'ScorIett' and Press

On the front page of your
March 9 edition there is an
AP story entitled Actress
Finds Fame Gone With the
Wind" I imagine the article
is intended to be a humorous
condescension to the fleet
ing fame and traditional
temperament of actresses in
general. Under the circum-
stances l find it more an in
dictment of the fourth estate.
One wonders how any in
telligent 43-year-old reporter
today could have the audac-
ity to ask Vivien Leigh what
part she played in Gone
With the Wind!" If this re-
porter is so ill-informed or
ill-bred, how could he be a
reporter? Is he equally as
well prepared to meet "all
sorts of dignitaries from po-
tentates to underworld fig
ures" and then pass on his
findings to an educated pub.
lie as the news of the world?
1t is interesting that the
identity of this reporter"
and his press affiliations have
been carefully shielded by his
compatriot on the AP. Why
not identify him? I should be
glad to know what publica-
ton and what signed articles
to avoid reading in the future
as being too elementary for
considerations
Trent S. Knepper
Evening star., 1961-03-17
Sensible Turnubout

Representative Broyhill Of Virginia
has shown good sense in withdrawing
his opposition to appropriations for the
Capper- -Cramton park program in the
Washington area. He stood alone
among Northern Virginia Spokesmen
last year in opposing ALLEGATION Of
further Federal funds to the 3O-year-
old program, under which many scenic
stream valleys of the Potomac region
have been saved from the bulldozer.
His opposition helped to scrap appro-
priationS under which nearby Virginia
areas would have benefited from the
preservation policy for the first
time.
Mr.. Broyhill'S reason for reversing
his stand is that destruction of the
Stream-valley scenery would contribute
to erosion of the land and thus add to
the sitting problem in the already pol
luted Potomac. This reason was Just
as valid last year, of course. Mont
gomery County'S early participation in
the Capper- -Cramton matching-fund
program has demonstrated the impor-
tance of park preservation not only as
an anti-erosion measure but for recrea-
tional, wildlife protection and similar
purposes.
Virginia erred in declining to take
advantage Of the program when it was
inaugurated in 1930-a mistake recog-
nized in recent years and corrected by
amendment Of the act. Thus Virginia
now is authorized-as Maryland is-to
receive from the Federal Government
one-third of the cost Of buying land for
preservation Of stream valleys along
the Potomac. Arlington and Fairfax
Counties already have announced their
readiness to put up their share for the
first projects on the Virginia side of the
river. And Montgomery County is pre-
pared to continue the development pro-
gram already well under way there.
Congress this year is being urged
to appropriate $1.2 million in the Ma
tional Capital Planning Commission
budget for resumption of the work in
Maryland and launching of initial prof.
ectS in Virginia. The remaining two
thirds of land-buying costs would be
provided by the participating counties.
We firmly believe that continuance of
the Capper- -Cramton program is in the
interest not only of the Washington
Metropolitan Area but Of the Federal
Government as we'll.
Evening star., 1961-03-17

All glory to the Congolese
soldiers who threw out the
United Nations JanizarieS
from the Congo ports of Ba-
nanaville and Matadi! May
victory always be theirs!
We of the South, on the
Tooth anniversary of Fort
Sumter, know what it means
to clear ones homeland of
invading hordes, whether
they be mercenary levies of
United Nations or Yankees.
There's one more port that
desperately needs clearing of
United Nations personnel,
thereby Sparing the West Of
more bloodshed, meddling in
internal affairs of others and
hundreds of millions to
American taxpayers.
That is the Port OF New
York. May a battalion or
two of the brave Co;,golese
descend on Manhattan, and
throw the whole caboodle in
to the East River!
And that includes Dag
Hammarskjold. Adlai Steven
son and that incesSant pro-
tagoniSt for the seating of
Red China, and revolt in
Angola, Pauline Frederick.
What a victory for civiliza-
ton that would be!
Charles p. BeazIey.
Evening star., 1961-03-17
Critical of p. 0.

I read with great interest
that the Postmaster General
said his department is seek
ing a 1c raise in rates. So be
it! Mr.. Day also said there
is an estimated gap of 5000
million between income and
operating expenses. Yet the
department is considering
returning to twice = a day
home-mail deliveries, which
would put the department in
debt for another SITS million
a year.
Even an average housewife,
responsible for an average
household, knows this would
be an unwise decision.
Our mailboX contains only
unwanted advertisements ap-
proXimately two or three
times a week, as the situation
stands now. We should pay
an additional sits million a
year for more of these?
Thank goodness the people
running the Post Office De-
partment are not in charge
Of my family's budget. We'd
be in debt for the rest of our
lives.
Cifizeu
Evening star., 1961-03-17
Aid for Cubons

Help given in an emergency
is always welcome. When
this help reaches sick chill
dren it is doubly so. BY send
ing polio vaccine to a stricken
Cuban city, our Government
is meeting an immediate
need. 1t is giving tangible
evidence to the people Of
that country of our desire
to work with them in friend
ship and cooperation.
We strongly commend
President Kennedy and those
who have worked with him
for sending this help. Such
actions will do infinitely
more to promote trust be-
tween countries than naval
bases and military installa-
tions.
Catherine S. MannO,
Ch airman, Legislative
Committee, U. S. Sec
ton, Women's Interna-
tional League for Peace
and Freedom.
Evening star., 1961-03-17
Military ToxpoYers

The letter titled "PutS Bite
on Military" regarding re-
peal of the Soldiers and Sail
ors Civil Relief Act of 1912
as amended and taxing mill
tary families with Virginia
State income and personal
property taxes, made my
blood boil.
The act in question works
both ways in that residents
Of Arlington County and
other environs of the Wash
ington area who are serving
in the armed forces stationed
in foreign countries and
cities in other States do not
pay State and personal
property taxes to that place
even though they use the
schools Of that place and are
required to pay their taxes
back in Virginia. The very
purpose of the act was to
prevent double taxation which
is against the basic princi-
pies Of our Nation.
All of us in the military
donate funds to the UGF and
Evening star., 1961-03-17

many other worthw hile
charities (even though this is
not our home community;
we pay State taxes on gaso-
line, and on any purchases in
Maryland and D. c. we pay
sales taxes just like every
body else.
In regard to the 10000 mil
itary families in the Arling-
ton County area using the
public schools, many families
have not been blessed with
children, some Of the older
families children have al
ready grown and do not
attend school, and others
attend parochial schools. This
also applies to the civilian
population. Should they quit
paying taxes because they
don't have children, or their
children atte n d parochial
schools, or they are single? +?
Certainly not.
John NJ. KimbaIl, jr.
YNCS, U. S. Navy.
Evening star., 1961-03-17
Reprooch to Justice

The police records say that Robert
L. watson was murdered Wednesday
evening by Dallas O. Williams, who has
richly earned his reputation as the
Bad Man of Swampoodle." But it
would be far more accurate to say that
watson was the victim of fumbling,
oumbling kind of justice that has been
disgrace to the National Capital.
: In 20 years Williams has been
arrested more than 100 times and was
convicted on at least 10 occasions of
crimes OF violence. The most serious
. OF these involved the shooting of two
men in 1949. Eight years later, after
five trials, the Court of Appeals finally
reversed his conviction on the ground,
not that he wasn't guilty, but that he had
been denied "a speedy trial" A sub
f. Sequent attempt to commit him as a
i mental case failed when four psychia-
tristS at st. ElizabethS said they were
, completely unanimous" that Williams
:, was not of unSound mind few months
earlier the chief pSychiatriSt at District
General Hospital had testified that
Williams was a mental case and that
Vic Od4lSCA HUH ulIIl 10 OCnerS is
. such that he must be considered
homicidal"
; Nevertheless, this obviously un-
balanced and dangerous man, having
beaten the rap on criminal charges,
and with the aid of pSychiatric teSti-
mony having successfully resisted the
effort to commit him to ST. ElizabethS,
, was turned loose in Washington on
February 3, 1859.
: Now, according to the police, he has
killed one man and gravely wounded
; another. We suppose this means that
! Dallas Williams has come to the end of
: the line. For it is inconceivable that
, any combination of judicial decisions
, and pSychiatric testimony will end in
his being turned loose in this city again.
, But this result, if it comes about, has
been obtained at the cost of the life of
; an innocent man. And this is a monu-
mental reproach to our system of
; justice and to the chaotic law of in
sanity which prevails in Washington.
Evening star., 1961-03-17
Playing the News

When Romanian Composer
Georges Enesco died a few
years ago, it incensed me to
note that a newspaper Il
don't remember which, an
nounced it from the dark
recesses of section TX" while
the banner headline blared
some verbiage on a subject
that most certainly was not
newsworthy. Had I not
perused the paper quite
thoroughly. I would most
likely have missed the item
entirely.
Unfortunately the news
papers, in order to gain
graphic impact on our long
suffering visual senses, al
too often Succumb to Grass
advertising gimmicks. Having
gauged advertising in general,
and especially that on tele-
vision. I am not convinced,
while Madison Avenue appar-
emily is, that we are a Nation
of grossly inferior intelli-
gence, Therefore. in our
newspapers, in particular
page /, we desire news, not
tripe, more of humanitarian
contributions, fewer felonies.
1t is gratifying to note that
The Star eSpouSes more
mature journalism, as with
your Wednesday, March 8,
page l announcement of the
death of Sir Thomas Bee
cham.
+, l., Beach.
Evening star., 1961-03-17
Grateful Pastor

We wish to take this op-
portunity to thank the Dis
trict Fire Department, the
Metropolitan Police Depart
ment and the Fire Marshal's
Office for their excellent
service in controlling the re-
cent fire at the Church Of
the Holy Name.
Their work was not only
efficiently performed, but
conScientiouSly undertaken
to preserve the 70-year-old
Catholic Church for the peo-
pie of the Northeast area.
They deserve the praise Of
all and will receive the
thank you" prayers of the
people of Holy Name Par
iSh.
Rev. John J. Dressed,
PaStoy Hnlv Name Church
Evening star., 1961-03-17
New Barriers

Three bills moving through the
Maryland Legislature in it's closing days
promise to create new jurisdictional
barriers at time when the need is for
closer ties between components of the
Metropolitan Area of Washington.
Essentially they are aimed at
grievances Montgomery County lawyers
cite against members of the District
Bar. Two Of them have passed the
House and the third has just been
introduced in the Senate But there is
! no reason to think they will fail Of
passage in forum which counts many
; attorneys among its members.
One of these bills defines giving
: advice in administering or probate of
, wills as practicing law, thus requiring
anyone offering such advice to be
licensed to practice law in the State.
A second requires lawyers to maintain
a bona f1de office in the State, apparently
aimed at alleged use of Maryland homes
: as Offices by some attorneys whose
principal work is in the District. But
the most far-reaching in its implica-
tionS is the third bill, which would pro-
hibit out-of-State corporations after
June /, 1861, from qualifying as executor
or administrator of the estate OF. any
one resident in Maryland at the time
of his death.
This would have tremendous impact
on the major banks Of the District
which are equipped to handle trust and
estate matters. 1t would mean that
thousands of people living in Maryland,
but working in the District and using
the other services of these District
banks could not, even If they SO desired,
avail themselves of the facilities these
banks have for administering or CO.
administering estates.
While there is~ obvious self-interest
involved both on the part Of the Mont
gonfery County Bar Association and
the Washington banks affected, our
Sympathies are with the people of Mary
land who by this move will be restricted
in their free choice of administrators
of estates. Washington, in respect to
estates, is an open city and there is
nothing to prevent District resident
from designating Maryland bank.
There appears to be some prospect
that the measure may be amended to
allow out-of-State corporations to
participate in Maryland estate admins
tration provided resident of the State
is named a co-eXecutor. This would be
roughly comparable to the situation the
banks now face in neighboring Virginia,
although the Virginia statute on the
subject was enacted many years ago,
Evening star., 1961-03-17
JFK and Landmarks

There seems to be a grow
ing tendency on the part of
the local press to give Mr..
Kennedy credit for things
which were we'll started by
Mr.. Eisenhower's admins
tration and which continue
to progress along the lines
suggested by him. A case in
point is the development Of
Lafayette Square.
I remember distinctly a
press report last summer of
an exchange of letters be-
tween Mr.. Eisenhower and
the General Services Admin
istration on this subject. The
President wrote GSA saying
he had approved the appro-
priation for a new Federal
building on the east side of
the square and, that in so
doing, he urged the Govern
ment to "use this opportu-
nifty to leave Lafayette Square
for posterity as an architec-
tural symbol Of the simplic-
ity, beauty and clean line
traditional to the American
style" He further urged that
both sides of the park be
developed with the greatest
Of thought and attention to
the present dignity and
beauty Of Lafayette Square
and its historic past" AS I
recall, from press reports at
the time. GSA agreed imme-
diately to comply with the
request and to cooperate at
every stage of the projects
development with the Fine
Arts Commission and the Ma
tional Capital Planning Com
mission.
Shortly thereafter GSA Sc
lected the same architects
to design the east building as
they had earlier the west
building. The selection of
William Perry, designer of
the Williamsburg restoration,
and Henry Shepley, former
member Of the Fine Arts
Commission, as associates for
the design work was done
under the old administration
not the new.
Since then, development of
the square has proceeded, as
far as I can ascertain, along
the lines recommended by
Mr.. Eisenhower, under the
authority granted pre-Janu-
ary 20. by the Congress.
Under this authority, GSA
would demolish all except the
Decatur House, Blair Lee
House and the new Grange
Headquarters on the west side
Of the park, the Dolly Madi-
son House, the Henry Tayloe
House and the Belasco The
ater on the east side. 1t
should be remembered that
Mr.. Kennedy objected to the
latter just last year and in
troduced a bill to preserve
these three landmarks"
Now, if I am to read the
press correctly, he has de-
cided to go along with the
project as developed, planned
and approved under the
Eisenhower administration.
About the only newsworthy
fact 1 can CLEAN from recent
press reports is that Kennedy
has bothered to become bet
ter acquainted with a stu
alton than he was at the time
he introduced opposing legis-
lation and that he now
wholeheartedly indorses the
stand of his predecessor and
an earlier Congress.
Mrs. william b. Crouch.