Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-20
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
America the Ugly
By DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS

America the Beautiful. car
rying the inspiring words Of
Katherine Lee Bates. has be-
come almost q second ma
tional anthem. The vistas it
unfolds form q panorama OF
prideful glory. But with the
present disclosures Of syndi-
Gated murder and allied crime
gripping the life Of the Ma
ton in a network Of perfidy
true Americans cannot escape
the echo of a dismal dirge,
America the Ugly.
Present-day reports indi-
cate that even the parks OF
our great cities, kept from
commercialism as GASES OF
relaxation and quiet beauty,
are now largely given over to
thugs and robbers. making
these lovely spots, set aside
for the peoples enjoyment,
feared and avoided.
The present ugly situation
in America brings back to
many minds the ancient story
of Hercules who was commits
stoned to clean out the pol
luton which made the stables
of Augeas a stencil and
abomination Of corruption.
There seems to be no single
Hercules in sight but in the
American people themselves
Overwhelmingly decent and
wholesome-there are wait
ing rivers Of moral indigna-
ton which can be channeled
and must be, in purposeful
dedication. The rising right
eous wrath generated by the
astounding revelations can
force enactments which will
tend to spoil industrial and
political areas as happy
hunting grounds for perverted
traitors to all for which
America the Beautiful stands.
The ugliness which pro-
trudes itself in the total
American landscape reminds
us of an important citizen
who was addressing the pu-
pills at a public school. The
Stars and Stripes we're in full
view on the wall. Rhetor-
ically, the orator asked,
What is back Of that flag?"
One lad, taking the question
quite literally, answered. "A
big black spot!" And, sure
enough. the flag. purposely,
had been placed to cover an
ink spotted portion Of the
wall.
Many discussions and in
vestigations regarding the
ugliness which is spelling the
air and water so essential to
normal life are raising the
question, What is back of
the flag?" 1t is easy enough
to see the flag. and with three
cheers to become emotional
about It's meaning, and yet
at the same time to ignore
the ugly blots which it covers.
Much has been said and
written during the past few
years about the ugly Ameri-
can who, in his appearances
abroad, makes himself OBJ
noxious to those whose GUS
toms and ways Of life he
ridicules and discounts. 1t is
a sane and wholesome reali-
cation that Uncle Sam, with
newly fitted spectacles, is
gazing critically at certain
blots on our national es-
cutcheon which suggest an
ugly America.
One of the noxious factors
in this appellation was dis
cusSed recently by experts in
a television panel before a
vast continental audience.
The revelation of what
modern industrialism is doing
to our air and water is ap-
palling and alarming. Let US
look at just one item
tainted waters. No pollution
which accompanies so-called
civilization is more sadly
tragic than the contamina-
ton of our rivers. AS cities
expand, marts of trade null
tiply, and manufactured
products pour forth in greater
volume, so often a once
proud pellucid stream be-
comes a putrid sewer of cor