davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Boy, 5, Lost All Night
Finds Own Way Home

Cold and shivering, a 5-year-
old Northeast Washington boy
returned home early today af-
ter spending most of the night
apparently lost in the woods
of Fort Totten Park.
Theodore ]. Beall, son OF
Mrs. Ann Beall of "a Hawaii
avenue NE, was only able to
tell his family and police that
he had been "up on the hill"
when he came home at Sis
am. His safe return ended an
all-night search of the area
by 25 policemen and canine
corps teams under Inspector
William T. Murphy.
Detective Sergeant Malcolm
R. Luebkert of the missing
persons squad said Theodore
had been playing with a neigh
Dor child, Philip Purvis, 6, OF
Al Buchanan street NE, last
night when the other boy was
called into the house. When
Theodore failed to return home,
his mother called police.
Police, worried that the boy
might suffer from exposure in
the near-freezing temperatures
while wearing a leather Jacket
and dunqaree trousers, searched
the Nearly railroad right-of-
way and the heavily wooded
Fort Totten area and apart
Evening star., 1961-12-06
KENNEDY TO LIGHT TREE -.
9th Christmas Pageant
Opens December q

tree, will be donated and
trimmed by local Junior Cham
ber of Commerce organizations
throughout the country.
There we're indications the
Embassy participation was ex-
cluded this year because some
of them had tried to use the
tree exhibits for political pur-
poses. 1t was reported that the
Cuban Embassy, for example
attempted to include a Castro
slogan and that it took State
Department negotiations tc
persuade Embassy personnel to
change their minds.
All-American Program
A Pageant committee repre-
sentative would say only to-
day that the committee had
decided to make this years
program an "All-American'
pageant.
I'VE decided we would like
to change the formal ano
make the Pageant more of ar
American salute to the people
of the world" she said.
All Embassies except those
in the Soviet bloc have beer
invited to participate in a Cul'
tural Night at Lisner Auditor
Iium December 26. Then, sht
added, the countries will pre-.
sent appropriate songs anc
, dances in native costume.
Evening star., 1961-12-06

playground issue had become
completely distorted"
Daughter Attends School
My sole objection" he said,
was to celebrations of Chris
tian holy days at the public
pre-school where my daughter
attends" His 4-year-old girl is
a student at the Emery Recrea-
ton Center. Georgia avenue
and Madison street NV.
Mr.. Freedman continued: ~
did not refer at any time to
public playground parties as
the Recreation Department
implied.
Evening star., 1961-12-06
BY ROBERTA HORNIG
Star staff Writer

Washington's seventh annual
Christmas Pageant of Peace
will be launched this year, as
in the past, with the lighting
of the Nations Christmas tree
by the President on December
%.
However, neither the Pag-
cant Committee nor the White
House could say today whether
President Kennedy will be
present at the event on the
Ellipse, just south of the White
House grounds.
The President indicated last
week that he would light the
great tree, this year a. giant
75-foot Douglas fir, a gift from
the people of Washington
State, electronically from his
family residence in Palm
Beach, Fla. There were .eports
today, however, that Mr.. Ken
nedy may have changed his
mind.
Embassies Excluded
The annual event again viii
incllde constantly burnig yul
log and a display of Santa
Reindeer, loaned from the Ma
tional Geological Park.
The Pathway of Peace. a lin
of Christmas trees leading |,
the main National Christina
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Firms Trying to Bypass
reeze on 81 Debts

back the merchandise if the
co-signer, even though not in
service himself, refused to pay
a drafsed mans debts.
iMr. Leonard said the practice
first came to his attention
when a man came to the de-
partment at Twelfth street anc
Pennsylvania avenue NV. with
trailer trouble.
Skips Insurance
The man was paying $79
month on a trailer and 81;
a month rent at a trailer
court. The contract provided
that the man could not re.
rent his trailer.
In such a case, Mr.. Leonard
said a Reservist called to duty
may find it impossible to keel
up payments on the empt!
trailer.
Many times, Mr.. Leonart
said, a man may get a $4,000
Army salary where he ha
debts based on his previou
$4,000 salary.
The Relief Act provides TO
suspending debts and insuranc
payments until the man re
turns to civilian life.
The local Veterans Depart
ment. however, attempts to ge
new servicemen to pay as mucl
as possible. Otherwise, interes
rates may present him witt
an impossible debt when h
leaves the service.
Mr.. Leonard said that abou
1875 men or their wives hav
come for the departments he'll
since Reservists were called Vi
recently. I'VE call the Selle
or the landlord for them ant
generally have found them yer,
cooperative" he said.
The New York Daily New
has reported that a financ
company there tried to evad
the act by sending the debto
an explanation of the act
benefits, along with a pape
for the debtors signature.
The paper, which include,
a lot of small legal print
turned out to be a waiver o
, the benefits described.
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Rapid Transit
Gets Buckino
OF AAA Unit

Support for a ra9id TRANSIT
system here was voiced today
by the head of the District
Advisory Board of the Ameri-
can Automobile Association.
Arthur E. Miller. chairman
Of the AAA board, said his
group has consistently favored
a balanced system of freeWays.
rapid rail transit, express buses
and adequate parking" as rec
commended in the mass trans
portation study of 1859.
His statement was made fol-
lowing a talk yesterday by
Stanley D. Forsythe, chief en-
gineer for the National Capital
Transporta ton Agency now
planning rapid transit sys-
tenn. Mr.. Forsythe had asked
the AAA group, How far do
you go along with us?"
Mr.. Miller said: Our organi-
zation will go along with the
META all the way if it will
make its position clear that tt
solve the transportation prob
lens in the Metropolitan Wash
ington Area we need not only
a rapid rail system but also g
system of freeways to move
buses and trucks as well a:
passenger cars"
. He added that rapid transit
freeways "can complement each
other and neither should be de.
layed in favor of the other"
! During the recent debate or
highway projects, c. Darwin
Stolzenbach, head of the Meta
urged that two key highway
projects be delayed until hig
agency's rapid transit studio!
are completed next year.
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Present Owner BUYS
SW Tract From RIA

lcy so the firm could buy 1t
back.
The price of SIS a square foot
to be paid by the RIA will be
the same for which the land
will be sold to the Humble Co.
AS result of a "squaring off"
operation the firm will receive
100 additional square feet for
which it will pay SIS a square
foot.
Another Sale Okayed
In another disposition action,
RIA agreed to sell a 30,375
square foot site on I street, be-
tween Third and Fourth streets
S.W. to the Christ Methodist
Church, Inc.
A spokesman for the church
said a million dollar church
and related buildings would be
erected there, with immediate
expenditure" of $5O0,OOO pro-
posed.
The Rev. Lester K. Welsh.
pastor of the church, said he
hoped construction could start
very soon, possibly even before
spring"
The price for this land was
S210 a square foot. with the
total amounting to $685. so.
Action was taken by RIA in
both cases after brief public
hearings.
At the hearing on the pro-
posed sale of the church tract,
Attorney John Dillon Fitzger-
aid, who said he represented ST..
Dominic's Church, Sixth and
E streets S.W., requested an op-
portunity to review the real
estate appraisers valuation Of
the land.
A decision on whsther he
would be permitted TO review
the appraisal was taken under
adviSement by the board.
Mr.. Fitzgerald said after the
meeting he wished to review
the method the real estate man
used" to value the property.
but said he did not wish to
disclose his reason.
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Ruling Trims
Number of
Tree Sellers

There will be about so fewer
places where WashingtonianS
can buy Christmas trees this
month.
Licensing official Julian P.
Green said today that the num-
ber of Christmas tree sellers
who usually Apply to his office
for a vendors permit have been
cut by half bacause of a city
coming regulation.
The ruling makes selling IL
legal on city sidewalks or va
cant lots in residential neigh
borhoodS. 1t has been on the
books since 1858. but gener-
ally it has been ignored by
coming officials and police e
where Christmas tree vendors
were concerned.
! Then Corporation Counsel
Chester H. Gray ruled last
month that the regulation ap-
piled to them, too.
Our business has been par
ticularly light this year" Mr..
Green said. He said he does
not expect to find Christmas
trees selling at more than SO,
compared with last years 100,
locations.
Many tree sellers who were
on the street last December
did not even bother to apply
after reading of. Mr.. Gray's
decision. Mr.. Green said.
The ruling was also expected
to cut by half the number OF
schoolboys who used tree SELL
ing as a means of earning
money for Christmas.
A few organizations ano
vendors, however, have found q
loophole in the regulation.
H Warren Stewart, zonine
administrator for the District
said he has ordered permits
issued for two organizations
which sell trees to raise money
for charities, two churches anc
eight private persons.
All of these had offered af.
fidavits to the coming office
stating that they had sole
trees before 1858. the date the
, regulation went into effect anC
could qualify for a mon.
conforming use" permit.
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Firemun Stricken
At Northeast BIuze

Pvt. Walter C. Scott, IS, of
No. | Truck Company, suffered
smoke inhalation while fight
ing a fire on the third and
fourth floors of a vacant build
ing at IA I street NE, about
$3.50 am. today. He was treated
at the Washington Hospital
Center.
The fire, Of unknown origin
burned through the roof anc
flames were coming through
top floor windows when fire.
men arrived. 1t was quickly
brought under control in the
four-story brick building.
Evening star., 1961-12-06

ment house Easements in the
area.
Theodore was found when a
relative looked out the window
at 5:15 I'm. and saw him stand
ing by the gate. The boy told
police he had not talked to any
strangers. His mother fed him
some hot broth and put him to
bed under plenty of blankets.
Evening star., 1961-12-06

than in the Bolling-Anacos
area.
The proposal to set up an
exposition center at the Boil
ing -AnacoStia airfield when it
is no longer used for flying op-
erations is being sponsored by
a separate group, known as
the United States Exposition OF
Science and Industry, Inc.
Both Mr.. Tobriner and Gen.
Clarke said the downtown CEN
ter would be expected to bring
in more revenue to the city
government than the Boiling
Anacostia project. A major
reason for this belief is that
the sponsors of the Boiling
Anacostia project might well
press for tax advantages on the
grounds that the exposition
would be an educational, non
profit project.
Support Is Provisional
Mr.. Tobriner said his sup
port was conditioned upon
provision of ADEQUATE transit
services for the downtown CEN
ter. Gen. Clarke said the
transportation problems ZAP
pear to be solvable." He added
that the plans for the center
must be tied in with plans for
area mass transit operations.
( There is no formal proposal
before the Board of Commits
sioners on the question of 10
eating a trade center.
When asked to comment,
Commissioner Duncan said that
he has an open mind con-
cerning these projects He
added that since the board has
not been called upon to make
a decision he "is inclined to
study the matter more closely"
before giving any Endorsement.
Evening star., 1961-12-06

Some Washington firms are
trying to evade provisions in
the Soldiers and Sailors Civil
Relief Act that suspend debts
of men called into service, the
director of the District Depart
ment of Veterans Affairs
warned today.
Waldron E. Leonard said the
firms are demanding co-signers
for the debts and payment
on-time contracts of men Of
draft age and men likely te
be called up as reServists.
Mr.. Leonard said the firms
are trying to protect themSelve!
from the Relief Act, which sus-
pends debts or reduces the
monthly payments of mer
whose incomes take a sudder
drop when they are called int
the armed forces.
The act also enables mer
called into service to bre al
long-term leases without pen
atty on 80 days notice.
Mr.. Leonard said the firm
hope to get full payments from
the co-signers. He said they may
also use the co-signers' failure
to pay as an excuse to TAX
back merchandise.
Sees Some Fooled
Mr.. Leonard said he did no
believe the evasion would worl
legally, but that it might foo
many persons.
In other words, he said, tn
new scheme may work like tn
years guarantee" gimmick o
World War II. At that time
some firms picked up merchan
disc to CHECK it under tn
guarantee" and never re
turned it.
The Star today asked ant
received legal opinion from
the Pentagon.
Officials there said the Re
lief Act provides for the ITEM
porary suspension of obliga
tions" and that the courts wer
likely to rule that the co
signer was thus not responsible
for the obligation either. Thus
a firm could not legally tax
Evening star., 1961-12-06

poSltlon.
Their comments were made
when questioned as to whether
they preferred the downtown
center plans or a proposal to
locate an exposition center at
the Bolling-Anacostia airfield
site.
The concept of a Federal City
Center in the heart of down.
town was indorsed earlier this
week by the Metropolitan
Washington Board of Trade.
Plans for Project
The plans are for a perma-
nent industrial exposition, a
convention hall and a transpor-
tation terminal.
The proposed site is bounded
on the north by E street. on
the west by Tenth street, on the
east by Sixth street and on the
south by Pennsylvania and In
diana avenues.
The Board of Trade is setting
up a permanent committee tC
continue efforts ir support OF
the center, working in COOP
Grafton with the Federal City
Council. Terminal Committee
Inc; the Downtown Progress
Group and the National Capital
Downtown Committee, Inc.
Today, Gen. Clarke, the city''
Engineer Commissioner. sale
the proposed center would pro-
vide a dramatic project" that
would lend great weight to ef-
forts to revitalize the down
town business area.
Tobriner Sees Advantages
Mr.. Tobriner, president of the
Board of Commissioners, sale
it definitely would be to the
advantage of the District" tt
have such a center located ir
the downtown section, rather
Evening star., 1961-12-06
CONVENTIONS
TODAY

The National Aviation
Trades Association meets
for the second day at the
Statler-Hilton
The Plant Propagators'
Society meets for the sec
ond day at the Manger
Annapolis.
The Asphalt Institute
goes into the fourth day
at the Shoreham.
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Tobriner Sees Advantages
By ROBERT ]. LEWIS
Star staff Writer


The Redevelopment Lan6
Agency today agreed to sell
back to its owner more thar
an acre of valuable land II
Southwest Washington that l,
hasn't yet acquired.
The sale price is s292,S12.
The Humble Oil Co. is both
the present owner of the land
and the prospective buyer.
A spokesman for the agency
said negotiations over the
transaction have continued fol
many months.
The tract extends a full,
block along South Capito
street, between L and K streets
and is now occupied by ar
ESQ gasoline station owned BY
Humble Co.
Plans New station
When the sale is completed
possibly within Is days, the
Humble firm proposes to builc
100000 gasoline service sta
ton on the site.
A spokesman for the com.
pany said it will be "the fines
and most expensive the com
pany has ever proposed to pu'
up"
An RIA spokesman said tht
agreement to sell the land bacl
to The firm prior to acquiring
it was decided on so that i
can be made subject to tn
same covenants and require
ments imposed on all proper
ties sold for redevelopment b.
the agency"
The RIA spokesman said tn
Humble Co. refused to give u
the land unless an agreemen
were entered into by the agen
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Alexandra
Drops Bid for
Fairfax Land
Council Estimates
Move Would Raise
Tax Rute 80 Gents
BY JACK KELSO
Star Staff Writer

The Alexandria City Council
is dropping its annexation suit
against Fairfax County because
it fears staggering tax costs.
The council maze the de-
cision last night after exhibit.
ing a binding array of figures
and then going into executive
session for half an hour.
The vote was 6-l, with James
M. Duncan, jr., opposed. The
motion to dismiss the legal
proceedings had been made by
Timothy j. SWEET and second
ed by James T. Luckett. jr.
Annexation of the entire 2l.3-
square-mile area would cost 80
cents on the tax rate the first
year, Mayor Frank E. Mann
said during the public hearing
that preceded the vote.
After the session, Mayor
Mann told reporters that an
neXation would cost more than
he thought the taxpayers were
willing to pay. He added that
the action does not mean the
council is against annexation,
but that the city can not af-
ford it. The annexation move
had been launched by a pre-
vious city council.
Surplus Used
The old council. in its last
year. decided to hold the tax
rate at its present $3.15 per
$100 assessed valuation. To
hold the line, the city had to
use a surplus of SIS million.
The city doesn't expect to
have such a surplus in the
next fiscal year, and has to
cope with rising costs for ur-
ban services.
Figures showed that with
out annexation the city would
have to boost the tax rate
Slip in 1923 to stay at the
same level of services and to
pay for a new high school
and other. capital improve
ments.
Urban renewal would add an
other II cents for the next
fiscal year. All this would
come before taking annexa-
ton into consideration.
The cost of annexing just
eight square miles would be
% cents in 1964-5.
Mayor Mann said the coun-
Gil had been working on the
annexation figures since last
summer.
The councils decision OBJ
viously was good news to Fair
fax County, which recently fin
ished fighting off an annexa-
ton attempt by Falls Church.
Anne Wilkins, chairman of
the Fairfax Board of County
Supervisors. said: Il am de-
lighted :" She added that
this would not affect the
county's drive for city status.
During the hearing. William
Moncure, president of the Alex
andria Chamber of Commerce
repeated his approval of an
nexation. describing it as a
sound investment.
Charter Hearing Set
In other action, the council
set a public hearing December
10 on seven proposed changes
in the city charter. These in.
clude proposals to increase the
pay of councilmen and make
school board appointments al
large rather than by district.
The Maury Elementary
School PTA made the schoo
board proposal.
Other proposals are: Appoint
instead of elect of the city
collector; delete of the name!
of department heads from tht
charter; strengthen the city!
position nj adopting a site
plan ordinance; require thu
planning commission to re-
view the master zoning plar
every two years, and submit
all sales of city property tt
the planning commission be-
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Civic Group Meets

Warren Quenstedt, deputy
director of the National Capital
Transportation Agency. will
speak at a meeting of the Ar
lington Ridge Civic Association
at 8 o'clock tonight in Gunston
Junior High School, 2700 South
Lang street, Arlington.
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Professor Drops Fight
On Playground Fete

George Washington University professor who chaltnged
the right of recreation officials permit Christmas
programs District Fairgrounds dropped objections
Corporation Counsel Chester Gray reported today that
Monroe Freedman law professor informed District officials
he did not want to make an issue Of it."
Mr.. Freedman, interview, CHARGED that the whole
Evening star., 1961-12-06
Commissioners
Want City Center
Located Downtown
Tobriner, Clarke Like Avenue Site
Better Than Boiling for Exposition
BY SAM EASTMAN
Star Staff Writer

Plans for Federal City Center" downtown Washington
received backing from two District Commissioners Walter
N Tobriner and Brig. Gen. Frederick j. Clarke.
The two Commissioners qualifying their Endorsement,
phaszed winning the backing Of industry the key to this
project Commissioner John B. Duncan declined to take
Evening star., 1961-12-06

THE AUTHOR of the
Harper's article explained
the cold air masses and their
effect on the weather of our
continent, a concept which
in the '3Os had been accepted
only a few years before by
meteorologists and was un-
known to the laity.
The concept of the cold air
mass was developed by a Nor
wegian family of meteorolo-
gists, the Bjerknes, three
generations of them. In Nor
way next spring they will be
observing the centenary of
the birth of the grandfather,
v. Bjerknes. The son, J..
BjerkneS, came here in 1910
and is a distinguished pro-
feSsor at the University of
California. A grandson also
is a meteorologist.
Before the work of these
Norwegians, weather obser-
vation lacked an important
dimension, height. Forecast
ing was based largely on
barometric readings at the
surface of the earth. ].
Bierknes began making OBJ
servations of barometric
pressure, temperature and
wind speed and direction
with small balloons.
A Swede, C. G. Rossby, who
came here in 1925 and taught
at NIT, did much to intro
duce the Scandinavian cold
air mass concept.
It is that winter and sum-
mer, spring and fall, the typ
ical change in weather on oul
continent, is caused by
great mass of cold air becom-
ing detached from air above
the Arctic area. Because o.
airs great contractability
this cold air is much heavier
than the air to the south
Due to the rotation of thu
earth the cold air mass slide!
over our continent from tht
northwest to the southeas
pushing the lighter air ava!
or upstairs.
This is the cold front, il
summer often a line o
squalls or thunderstormS; il
winter snowstormS and bliz
yards. In winter the cold al
masses stay cold longer ant
penetrate much farthe
south. In summer they some
times become warm by tn
time they reach the Grea
Lakes basin.
Evening star., 1961-12-06
The
Rambler
Writes
On MeteoroIogy
BY GEORGE KENNEDY

This writer's interest in
meteorology began with a 1889
article in Harper's on the Oc-
tober, 1888, hurricane which
killed 700 persons in the
United States and Canada.
His interest was stimulated
by experience. He and his
family were in a cottage on a
sandy key along the south
shore of Long Island when it
struck.
1t was an experience. A
man walking along, leaning
in the wind, was blown from
the boardwalk in front of the
cottage. The waterman in the
cottage next door dragged a
roWboat on rollers to his front
porch and made it fast to an
upright. 1t was a small boat.
There didn't seem to be room
for us.
But we were lucky. A hur-
ricane in the Northern Hem
iSphe.- rota teS counter
clockWiSe-WhirlS about in
the same direction horses run
on the Maryland tracks. If
the eye of the hurricane is
proceeding north at a rate of
20 miles an hour and the
velocity of the wind is 100
miles per hour, the winds at
its right extremity will be 100
miles an hour, those at its
left, 80 miles an hour. We
were on the left.
There was only one death
on our island (Jones). But
the right side of the hurri-
cane, after causing a few ia
talities on the eastern, or
farther tip, of Long Island,
ripped up Narragansett Bay.
A busload of school children
on a State highway was hit
by a tidal wave. The driver
and all the children were
drowned. Hundreds were
killed in Canada a day later.