davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
A Brush With Death

Inc Tree world narrowly escaped
new and appalling crisis Wednesday
night when hail of machine-gun fire
missed its target on a French rural
road. The target was President de
Gaulle, the austere ier-StateSman
who has dedicated himself to the task
of restoring France to a respected great
power status. The would-be assasSins,
estimated by security officers as 10 in
number and believed to be agents of
the Secret Army Organization which
violently and bitterly fought the De
Gaulle program for granting independ-
ence to Algeria, failed in this instance
by only matter of inches as their
which he was riding from Paris to
suburban airfield.
1t is not an exaggeration to say
that, had they been successful, the re-
Sulting crisis would have involved more
than France alone. 1t was in mid-1958
that General de Gaulle ended a long
and Self-impoSed exile from direct par
ticipation in politics to become, for a
second time, Premier of France. 1t was
a moment when civil war was close
at hand as a climax of almost unbe-
lievable political instability and eco
nomic troubles for the country. Within
a few months, he had won approval of
a new constitution, had reorganiZed
the government and had become first
President of the Fifth Republic. In the
period since, he has done much not
only to restore French prestige and
strength, politically and economically,
but to advance the cause of West Euro
pean unity.
Paradoxically, in a way, his sue
cess in the latter respect has been
paralleled at times by seeming cool
ness toward Britain and the United
States, the United Nations and even
NATO-while he has drawn ever tighter
the bonds with his continental neighbors
and partners in the Common Market
venture. Even so, the differences are
more superficial than basic, and 1t is
the fact that De Gaulle perSonifies a
stronger and more stable France that
makes him so important to the entire
Western community. His death, and
this Is the third attempt within a year
to aSSasSinate him, would threaten
France again with political upheaval,
if not chaos. No strong successor is
clearly in sight.
Under study at the moment is an
other rewriting of the constitution, per-
haps for a Sixth Republic, with the
possibility that 1t may provide a system
of government and procedure for sue
ceSSion to the presidency more like our
own. AS of now, however, new election
is not scheduled until late 1865. 1t is
very much to be hoped that General de
Gaulle's service to his country and to
the cause Of freedom will continue until
and after-that date.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
Bad MARRIAGE

Apparently the decision of the Sen
ate Foreign Relations Committee to at
tach the Districts foreign chancery
coming bill as rider to controversial
$50 million overseas embassy authori-
cation measure was made at the last
minute. AS things stand, it looks like
an unfortunate marriage.
Moments after the action, Senator
Morse Of Oregon, who favorS the Dis
trict coming reform, was warning on
the Senate floor that the big overseas
embassy spending bill would pass the
Senate over his dead body. There were
strong suggestions from Senator Hum
phrey, the deputy majority leader, that
the spending bill might very well not
even reach the floor of the Senate this
session. And from across the aisle,
Minority Leader DirkSen voiced nothing
but sympathy for these views.
Under the circumstances, we hope
that Chairman Fulbright will have the
Foreign Relations Committee report out
the District legislation, which he CO.
sponsored, as a separate measure. This
also would give the committee an OPP
portunity to revise the bill, which is
designed to ban foreign embassies from
locating their chancerieS in Washing
ton neighborhoods zoned for residential
use. AS approved initially by the COM
mittee, the ban would apply only to
areas zoned for single-family detached
homes It hardly makes sense, however,
as the District Commissioners and nu-
merous citizen groups have pointed out,
to ban the foreign office buildings
from these areas and permit them in
neighborhoodS zoned for row or semi
detached houses Indeed, these are the
precise sections where heavy traffic,
parking congestion and some Of the
other impacts of chanceries would be
felt the most.
According to Senator Morse, the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
Juvenile Drinkers

The report Of the Citizens
Committee studying liquor
laws contains the amazing
conclusion that liquor con-
sumption by young people is
not a great contributing
force to delinquency"
AS one who has had years
Of experience in teen-age
work and has followed the
subject closely I can state
that liquor or beer consump-
ton by teen-agers is the
greatest contributing factor
to juvenile delinquency.
The notorious beer busts"
Of the past couple Of years.
reported in a recent issue of
q national magazine. with
their shameful accompani-
mentS Of law-breaking. de-
Struction and sex. are possibly
the most outstanding ex-
amples. although by no means
the only ones. These were
not confined to one or two
localities, but occurred in
many places. both in the East
and the West. More numerous
although less publicized are
the wrecks, fights and rob-
berries Of daily occurrence
and increasing numbers. Get
ting a couple of drinks into
a girl to make her easy" is
a well-known technique.
The recent attack on Col.
John Glenn in Arlington was
by beer-drinking juveniles,
who, while they were legally
protected against sales Of beer
in Virginia, had only to cross
a bridge to get all they
wanted.
1t is a dubious distinction
which D. c. and New York
bear of being the only areas
where teen-agers Of 18 can
legally buy alcoholic bever-
age. New Jersey and Con-
necticut have asked New
York for cooperation. based
on the delinquencieS. includ-
ing auto wrecks. Of their
juveniles who drive into New
York for alcohol. The efforts
Of these States and Virginia
to protect their teen-agers
are frustrated by the loosen
regulations of their neighbors.
The greater delinquency rate
Of the D. c. over Virginia is
admitted.
II the understanding" of
visitors as to the D. C. Sat-
urday closing hour is to be a
factor in that consideration,
what will be their under
standing" of an 18-year limit
here for juveniles, which
none of them have at home
Except in N. " in view Of
the thousands Of teen-age
visitors who come to the Dis
trict from all over the coun-
try? Which is more impor-
tant. the teen-agers or the
2 am. tipplers?
I believe that, II the Citi-
zenS' Committee will look
more deeply into this serious
matter, 1t will find that per-
haps everybody but our
Johnny" is not out of step,
after all.
Harold E. Ramsey.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
Montqomery's Scandal

The incredible laxity of Montgomery
County officials in connection with the
pollution Of drinking water in Poto-
mac (Md) subdivision becomes more
and more apparent as details Of the
story unfold.
1t was deplorable enough that the
unfortunate families in this instance
we're permitted to move into new homes
with no assurance that their drinking
water would be free from contamina-
ton. The failure of county officials to
give prompt notice that some OF these
residents were actually drinking water
befouled by human wastes after that
fact was discovered, however, and, as
an investigation by The Star has dis
closed, the degree to which State and
county health ordinances were ignored
and apparently are ignored as a
routine matter-border on the unbe-
lievable
Health and sanitation officials, for
example, freely acknowledge that they
do not abide by Maryland State Board
Of Health requirement that water from
a new we'll must be laboratory-teSted
before use-an ordinance specifically de-
signed to protect purchasers of homes
which depend upon wells and septic
tanks. Further, by the admission of
County Health Director William T.
Peoples, no one knows how many Of the
$4,000 other Montgomery families using
wells may be drinking water contami
mated by sewage. In another area Of
the county, the Mayor Of PooleSville
reported that more than IS per cent
Of the towns wells showed "traces of
contamination" because of inadequate
septic tanks Asked about the possible
danger in the county as whole, one Of
fetal offered the astonishing comment:
This is one of the calculated risks
they run when they move out here with
septic tanks and dry wells"
DR.. Peoples says that there is "a
lot to be discussed about this whole
thing" He is so right Apparently this
diSgraceful situation has been building
up for years, and the lid should have
been blown off long ago. Why are the
health regulations ignored? How, when
contamination dangerous to health is
discovered, can there be any excuse for
not notifying the unsuspecting victims?
These are only two Of the questions
which are yet to be answered.
No doubt they will be answered to
some extent by the litigation which has
been filed by some Of the Potomac resi-
dents. The basic responsibility for de-
termining the facts, however, and for
taking all steps needed to correct the
deficiencies, rests with the Montgomery
County Council 1t should initiate a
thorough inveStigation-and do 1t now
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
Railroad Issues
WASNN6IoN SAT-

Your editorial, "Head-on
Toward Trouble" concerning
the Nations railroads, Is typ
ical of the tendency of the
majority of newspapers to
withhold the real facts and
cloud the issues in labor cases.
You write only Of feather
bedding" and "make-work
rules" that threaten our rail-
roads, as if they we're the only
issues involved in this dispute.
One OF the real issues
which you do not write about
is the drastic reduction in
salaries Of the men that are
not being released under this
plan-men who have to con-
tinue to work for the rail-
roads.
If the railroads were to put
the plan through. thousands
of engineers. firemen, con-
ductors, trainmen, etc. would
be forced to take a reduction
in pay from 371aqe to 431a.
Do you not think that a
decrease in a mans salary as
drastic as 37la% is a real is
sue in this deadlock? ! think
so. I speak for myself and my
fellow workers when l say
that we have no desire to
rule or ruin" our railroads,
but do expect similar treat
ment from the industry land
editors, too.
Robert Fl. Beatty
Conductor, PR.R.
Editors Note: The Presi-
dental Commission report,
which the industry accepted
as a basis for further negoti-
alton but which the unions
rejected, recommended pay
increases for a majority Of
workers who would remain
with the carriers. The take
home pay of others would
not be diminished If certain
Short-week practices-whicn
fall IN the featherbedding
category-were corrected. The
industry also contends that
its own earlier plan for re-
vision Of working practices
would not cut the weekly
take home pay II they could
get a 40-hour weeks work in
returnO
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24

language Of the bill also needs to be
revised to state more precisely the con-
ditionS of the ban with respect to pend
ing plans for chancerieS. These all
are details, however, which should nos,
and we hope will not, sidetrack the
legislation. The need for a law to
clarity the confused and controversial
chancery question has existed for years,
and the community is indebted to SEN
ators Fulbright and Monroney for mi
tiating such remedy.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
A BOOK FOR TODAY
Religious Views on Atomic Bomb
By DONALD MINTZ

something absolutely for
hidden"
Mr.. STEMS introduction
makes this a good deal clear
er. II may destroy an enemy
arms dump even II I am sure
that nearby civilians will be
killed. In such cases I have
a definite and justifiable mil
itary purpose and it is this
that I seek to achieve. I do
not deliberately try to kill
the non-combatants, their
death is a circumstance at
tendant upon the achieving
Of my purpose. Thus their,
deaths are foreseen but not
intended.
g. But clearly, the con-
sequences of an act can he
'unintentional' in this sense !"
he continues, only Cd II
there is a reasonable proper
ton between the intended
good and the unattended evil,
Gid II the evil effects do not
become too vast in them
selves (for there comes a
point when sheer scale must
deprive the concept Of 'unin-
tended effects of meanins)
and Gid, above all, If the evil
effects do not constitute a
foreseen means of the good
ones (for, Of course, If they
did they themselves must
needs be intended. And to
intend an evil, whatever the
ultimate aim: The end does
not justify the means"
1T is CLEAR that in nu-
clear warfare. the immedi-
ate aim would include the
deliberate destruction Of
non-combatants - would in
clude a commitment to mass
murder. This is why nuclear
warfare is immoral"
But what about the idea
that such warfare may be a
necessary evil"? 1t is mad
Missile, according to these
scholars. for one way or
another, acquiesence to saw
nothing of participation in
mass murder Is evil. Living
under a Communist govern
ment is not evil in and Of
itself.
This is the essence of the
argument. The closely rea-
soned contributions by r. A.
Markus Of the University of
Liverpool, P. T. Coach of the
University Of Birmingham
and Roger Smith of the
Liverpool College Of Art re-
fine 1t. generally, in a rather
specifically Catholic sense.
At the end, Mr.. Stein finds
himself partly in accord with
the great skeptic," Lord
Russell. For both are con-
WINGED that there are moral
absolutes and that these abb
soluteS. however they may
differ in origin, prohibit both
nuclear arms and their use
with UNREASONABLE finality.
For many readers, the
spirited defense of the con-
cept Of moral absolutes will
be the greatest interest of
the book, regardless of their
religious views.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
Gentle Reminder

During hot. dry weather
how many of us have con-
sidered the great distress of
thirsty birds. squirrels and
stray dogs and cats, many of
the latter cruelty abandoned
with their young in city
streets and alleys and closely
built-up suburbia? Woodsy
areas are disappearing and
even various brooks where
some creatures could find
water are being covered up.
These furred and feathered
friends cannot get cool water
from refrigerators or drug
stores. We must substitute
other facilities for those we
have taken from them.
Bird baths are inexpensive
and decorative and can be
placed and kept filled in the
shade of trees or high shrubs.
Cool water in crockery or
granite containers in front
or back yards or in alleys
can refresh squirrels and
stray or lost felines and
CANNES. Livestock on small
farms without streams also
often suffer for lack of suffi-
cient water. and must not be
neglected. When droughts
strike, water can be needed
before food.
While we pray for rain we
can find ways to help the
thirsty creatures deprived Of
water amidst our booming
human home building. These
are among the little ones"
to whom we can offer a
Scriptural cup of cold wa
ter"
Virginia W. Sargent,
President. Animal Protec-
tive Association.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24

with Mrs. Kennedy's untime-
ly visit-to midas vicious at
tack on another Of our al
lies; the Congo. where we are
forcing our nti-Communist
friends to bend to the will
Of the anti-United States
United Nations.
c. T, HeIlmuth,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry lDriterS' correct
names and addresses. All let
tiers are subject to condenSd-
ton. Those not used tUiH be
returned only tUhen accom- =
panied by self addressed,
stamped envelopes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
Constance Racht,
Exhibiting Artist
Repdrtee

Mr.. Hempstone objects to
my pointing out inaccuracies
in his book. He quotes a num-
Der Of his colleagues to sup
port his version of events,
some Of which he admittedly
did not witness. 1t will be re-
membered that some Of these
same colleagues reported in
great detail a meeting be-
tween Mr.. Hammarskjold and
Mr.. Tshombe-a meeting that
never occurred because Mr..
Hammarskjold was already
dead.
Philip Deane,
Director, United Nations In
formation Center.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
Symington-Humphrey

Senator Symington pre-
Sented a sorry picture Of a
frustrated man as he in
dulged in harsh words with
Mr.. Humphrey at the recent
hearings. Mr.. Humphrey had
his number and he knew it.
So Senator Symington sum-
marily adjourned the meet
ing without giving the mem
bers a chance to vote on ad-
Journment. This was a mis-
use Of authority. Shades Of
dictatorship! His very &C
ton at the time proved the
truth Of Mr.. Humphreys as
sertion that they were in
dulging in partisanship and
hitting at Humphrey be-
cause they dared not attack
former President Essen
hover.
Conflict Of interest" in
deed! The laws and regula-
tons on this subject have
not worked and never will.
You cannot legislate morals.
The stature of Mr.. Hum
phrey has not diminished be-
cause of the hearings, while
1 believe the pique, pettish-
ness and prejudice evidenced
by Senator Symington GER
tainly did not add to his.
C. F. Haughawout.
Congratulations on your
coverage Of the Senate nickel
hearing exposing a profitable
contract with the Govern
ment (taxpayersD by a citi-
zen Of the United States. The
rage Of Chairman Synington.
OF the Senate Investigating
Committee is well understood
Just think, If the Hanna Co.
had taken a loss, then the
Senate friends of the foreign
give away would have more
Of the taxpayers funds to
waste on jazz bands to Russia,
folk-dancerS for Afghanistan,
and setting up welcoming
committees for atheistic So
Wet cosmonauts who never
got off the ground, for train
ing Red Yugoslav pilots and
paying a bonus ransom to
that country for shooting
down and numbering our
airmen.
Wade Hudson.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24

do anything beyond the
Western side of the wall.
Berliners themselves there
fore must cease their useless
and harmful clamor against
us, for it only puts water on
the Soviet wheel. 1t gives the
Russians an arguing point
that "provocations" and
disorders" in West Berlin
are becoming intolerable and
that something must be done
to establish "order"-Rus-
sian style. Once they estab-
lish this cynical fiction, they
will find excuse after excuse
to turn the screw tighter and
tighter. Already they are do
ing this by diplomatic thrusts
intended to force the West
closer and closer to recog-
nizing their puppet So-called
government" of East Ger
many.
West Berliners. in q word,
must avoid anything resemb-
ling riotous demonstrations
against us, or even against
the Russians. For these are
precisely what the Russians
most want.
Moreover, since the time
for total candor in this whole
wretched affair has now ar
rived, certain great truths
must be recognized. One Of
these is that when respon-
sible governments confront
irresponsible governments
like the Soviet Union, the
responsible side inevitably
must either adopt an I'M
worthy and CALLING meekneSs.
to the very last moment this
side Of Surrendering any vital
interest, or prepare to engage
the irresponSibles in war.
Can't Risk War Over One
Another great truth is that
while the West will. in fact.
fight for such vital interests,
1t will not and cannot risk
a war over the murder of one
German refugee, or even 20.
If and when the great clash
does come in all its horror.
it must come upon a far
wider plane and for far more
compelling reasons.
The Germans must under
stand that while we will
stand good to the end for
their freedom as a whole ma
ton. we simply cannot guar
antee individual lives in the
witch's pot of lost opportun-
tiles, mistaken judgments
and past weaknesses based
on fatally wrong assessments
of Russian intentions of
which Berlin is the dreadful
symbol today.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-24
THE PASSING SCENE
Reds West Berlin Goal: Riotinq?
By WILLIAM S. Whit

The Russians power plays
over Berlin are having a
new kind Of success more
ominous in q way than their
success Of q year ago in
erecting the gaunt and in
famous wall.
For that wall at worst
merely sealed an already
long existing division Of the
city between East and West.
But Soviet maneuvers now
are, to an undeniably alarm
ing extent, dividing West
Berlin itself from the West
ern Allies.
This is the true heart Of
danger in the new Berlin
crisis. The recent helpless
ness Of Western forces in
West Berlin specifically our
own-to 60 to the aid Of an
East Berlin refugee youth left
dying on the eastern side of
the wall has hit all the West
a very hard blow. West Ber-
liners now not only taunt
the Soviets across the wall.
They also taunt and de-
nounce the United States and
the Allies for their incapacity
to move In such q situation
as this.
The Ambulance Offer
Western plans to send am
balances into East Berlin
hereafter in such instances
are well-meant, but the ugly
fact is that they are largely
meaningless. What will the
ambulances do when and II
they get there, on Commu-
mist East Berlin soil?
The hard, central reality
is that Western Allied rights
in Berlin have been eroding
away year after year under
three successive American
administrations Mr.. Tru-
mans. Gen. Eisenhower's and
now Mr.. Kennedy'S. II one
seeks to fix the blame"
here. he has q big and BIZ
partisan field in which to
search. Such an exercise, in
any case, is only academic.
What is done is done. We
face q present condition Of
fact. not a hunt for scape-
goats from the past.
And the condition Of fact
is this: What the Unite d
States really has to offer in
this new crisis Is q bleak but
necessary cautionary thing.
1t is a request, even a de-
mand. which we are private
ly making to the West Ber-
lin authorities that they &C
cept the unalterable truth
that the West cannot really