davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
PEOPLE AND PROBLEMS
Closing Gap in Education Field
By RALPH McGILL

but stark fact Of our present
dilemma.
The hate and propaganda
mail goes up and down like
fever charts. Once again, aft
er q lapse Of some months,
Congressman are getting
pamphlets pointing out that
the Negro has never paid
taxes, that he owns little
property. that he Is not well
educated. and is little able to
take jobs offered. This, of,
course, is an effort to blame
the situation on Incidence or
lack of ability.
Those who are concerned
with the new educational
drive have the best answer.
1t is not a crash program. It
cannot overnight eliminate
the admitted lack of skilled,
educated persons, white and
colored. But by giving q Sc
lected list Of strategically To-
Gated schools enough money
to do q few things necessary
to elevate the standards and
potential for producing edu-
Gated, trained persons, rela-
lively short-range results can
be had.
Disadvantage Class Grows
We have a growing "disad-
vantaged" class in America,
and it is by no means all Ne
gro. The young s outhern
white man and woman and
persons Of middle-age and
older are coming to under
stand that their region also
did not give them enough
education and training to
make them taxpayers, hold
ers Of good jobs and owners
Of property. The Negro child
has had the worst Of It.
Until recently this lack
was also present in the East.
But In the South every
Southerner knows that, aside
from labor. about the only
jobs to which an educated
colored child could aspire
were school teac hing and
nursing. We m ost urgently
need to avoid deceiving our
selves, and for the South and
the Nation it is equally neo-
esSary that we know that
there is a growing disadvan-
tagged class including eau
casians and Mexicans as well
as Negroes.
GALL Rights RessrvedI
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
Insanity Escapes

The effort to prevent escapes (they
used to be called elopements) by
criminal mental patients from st.
Elizabeths is gaining significant sup
port.
After two policemen had been shot
last Saturday by suspected rapist who
walked out OF the hospital where he
was undergoing sanity tests, Commits
sioner Tobriner said he thought it
high time" something was done to
protect the people of Washington from
this sort Of thing. The shooting was
the most recent of numerous crimes by
escaped patients. Police Chief Murray
has followed this by offering the services
of his department In devising better
security measures. And the authorities
at st. Els are said to be willing and
anxious to cooperate.
A major difficulty is overcrowding
in the maximum security wards. Sloppy
procedures, however, also appear to be
a factor. Whatever the explanation
or explanations, the public is entitled
to better protection.
Several years ago the United States
Court Of Appeals facilitated the de-
tense of insanity in criminal cases by
adopting the Durham rule. mo other
Jurisdiction has followed suit) Because
Of the obvious dangers, Congress moved
in with law which requires that any
person found not guilty of a crime
under the Durham rule must be COM
mitted to st. Elizabeths and kept there
until such time as he can be released
without danger to himself or to the
public. As things stand, this congress
sional requirement is being honored
more in the breach than in its OBJ
servance. And we agree with Mr..
Tobriner. It is high time" to do some
thing which will remedy a very dan
gerous situation.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
Cone Crisis

To discover that practically every
child in town is supporting a nefarious
traffic in ice cream cones, brazenly
sold over the counter, raises the ques-
ton Of whether we are giving aid and
comfort to generation of potential
scofflaws.
Until recently, the little delin-
quents were tapping up their contra
band without a legal hand being laid
on them. Every day saw countless
crimes committed in flavors ranging
from peach to piStachio.
All this was exposed when some
stickler for literal law observance
learned that an old District statute
forbidS the sale Of ice cream In less
than Bounce portions. This naturally
pointed the finger of guilt at every
vendor who scoops up a chunk of
marShmallow fudge and loosely packs
it into cone while Junior drools in
anticipation. And all the Juniors in
town thus became co-conspirators
The Corporation Counsel has gone
to Congress with plea to make ice
cream cones legal and save our chill
dren. It is very good idea, for no
right thinking kid wants to grow up
with a guilt complex induced by
Struggled ice cream. We say change
the law to fit the portion. Or better
yet, enlarge the portions and to heck
with the law.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
Candid Man

This weeks award for candor should
go to Senator Humphrey of Minnesota,
the assistant Democratic leader.
Mr.. Humphrey doesn't beat around
the political bush. He says Congress
should pass civil rights bill rather than
a tax bill this year if choice has to be
made. Why? Because, in his words,
nothing could be more injurious to the
Democratic Party than to have a civil
rights fight next year, just few months
before the national conventions.
What about the tax bill? That,
Senator Humphrey says, can be passed
in 1854 about the time people are get
ting their Christmas bills" For slow
payers, although Senator Humphrey
didn't mention it, this would also be
about the time the 1864 campaign is
beginning to heat up and when votes
really count.
The Democratic leaders, however,
seem to be getting their signals mixed.
When Majority Leader Mansfield and
Speaker Mccormack emerged from the
same White House conference which
Senator Humphrey had attended they
were not talking priorities. With the
StiffeSt of stiff upper lips, they Sturdily
maintained that the administration in
tends to press for passage of both
measures at this session. Both are
must" bills, they said, and in something
Of contradiction in terms they alluded
to each as of paramount Importance. !"
This doesn't jibe with Mr.. Humphreys
comments or with the Presidents state
ment that the tax bill is the most i'm
portant item on the legislative program.
This is the season, however, when
one must both read and listen to the
political fine print. The squeeze will
soon be setting in for the first session
of the 18Th. Congress. 1t is highly I'M
probable that a civil rights bill and
tax bill can be pushed through in the
remaining weeks. In fact, there is a pos
sibility that neither one can be passed
in the time that remains.
If choice must and can be made,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
Hophozord PIunninq

With regard to the letter
"High-Rise Surburbia," Web
ster's defines q weed as ANY
plant growing In cultivated
ground to the detriment Of
the crop or to the disfigure-
ment Of the place"
This also applies to much
of our building that Is going
on today because Of q lack Of
overall planning. There is a
crying need for larger and
better apartment buildings
all over the United States,
Just as there is q need for
building family homes in the
quiet neighborhood with
tree-shaded streets and yards
in which the children can
safely play.
Why shouldn't q firm ef-
fort be made to provide the
ultimate. in safety and beau
ty? Proper town and city
planning Is the answer. Run
to your nearest library or
bookmobile and borrow some
good books on the subject.
"Sick Cities" written by Nit
chell Gordon might be q
good start.
@. b. Harris.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
Pounds Tax Table

As one Of the m any
taxpaying Americans who
strongly objects to the adj
ministration's proposed tax
cut, I suggest to the Presi-
dent and 10 his economic
dreamers that a revision Of
the tax structure, which Is
long overdue, would be q po-
sitive step in the right direc-
ton. The present tax struc-
ture is, and most certainly is
meant to be, a social equalizer
which is pulling individuals
down into and making others
stay In the so-called middle
income group. Individual mi
tiative is actually being sup
preSse d, as are individual
rights.
The administration is
trying to do nothing more
tn a n buy another election,
only this time with our mo-
ney. Do not forget the tax
cut" will, If passed. become
effective in 1864 which Is a
presidential election year. It
Is designed to impress the
voters. NJ. G. Ward.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
THURSDAY. ocToBER ,. 1868

however, the political logic from the
Democratic viewpoint comes down on
Senator Humphreys side. Get a civil
rights bill out Of the way so that time
may heal the wounds of that fight.
Then, when the legislators return after
the holidays, get to work in the second
session on the tax bill.
This would rob tax cut Of some of
its effectiveness so far as stimulating
the economy Is concerned. But 1t
wouldn't hurt politically. The voter who
gets tax cut next spring or summer is
not going to be too mad at the party
which claims credit for giving it to him.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
Falcon for SeIossie

The visit to Washington Of
his Imperial Majesty, Emper-
or Halle Selassie Of Ethiopia
reminds me Of an extraor-
dirary experience that oc-
CURED when he. his family
and encourage fled from
Ethiopia during the italian
invasion In 1896.
Their voyage from the port
Of Djibouti, French Somali-
land. to Haifa, Palestine, was
on the Inns Enterprise,
which was accompanied by
two British destroyers. The
commanding officer was
Capt. Morgan, r. NJ, who told
me the following story when
his ship subsequently put in
at Colombo, Ceylon.
During the voyage through
the Red Sea to the port of
Suez many radio messages of
sympathy and goodwill were
received and delivered to the
Emperor. When about half
way through the Red Sea,
the Commander Of one of
the destroyers sent a mes
sage to the Enterprise re-
porting that a falcon had
landed on deck with a mes
sage taped to one of his
talons. The commander said
that he was sending q boat
with the falcon alongside the
cruiser. When the falcon was
delivered on deck the mes
sage was removed from the
talon in the presence Of the
Emperor and Captain Nor
gan. The message was written
in Arabic and was a greeting
Of goodwill from an Arab
chieftain.
How that falcon ever de-
hvered his message to the
British destroyer will always
remain a mystery. Yet, Cap
tain Morgan vouches for its
authenticity. This may be Of
interest to students of fal.
conry as well as to ornithol-
ogistS in general.
Robert L. Buell.,
Former American Consul at
Colombo.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
Detour

Regarding your September
20 editorial entitled Mad
ness" as residents Of Bethes-
da, our family often travels
over the stretch Of roadway
you write about. This Is the
only dual-lane link between
Wisconsin and Connecticut
avenues, as part Of the Capt.
tai Beltway project. This
stretch is being torn out and
is closed to all traffic.
Montgomery County resi-
dents and thousands of mo-
florists are asking the ques-
ton, who made this brilliant
decision?"
The road is less than six
years old and cost the people
over 81 million. According to
Montgomery County Dele
gate Charles Bresler, the cost
Of tearing out this stretch of
highway will be almost 81
million, plus all the hard
ships placed upon the county
residents.
The closing Of this road
way means that interstate
buses are being routed along
EaSt-WeSt Highway directly
in front Of Bethesda Chevy
Chase High School, creating
a hazard for students.
In addition, thousands of
workers at NH, Acc, IBM,
Bureau of Standards, Naval
research Industries along the
Rockville Pike will be forced
toetravel over already crowd
ed and narrow streets In the
Bethesda business district.
No one seems to be able to
get a satisfactory answer to
their query. The taxpayers
would like to find out why
millions of dollars are wasted,
who made this brilliant de-
cision and was this step
necessary.
Mark Dunn.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry sDriters' correct
names and addresses. All let
tiers dre subject to condensd-
ton. Those not used iOiH be
returned only Dhen accom-
panied By self addressed,
stamped envelopes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
Who's Stupid!

The Independent" was as
sailed as the "stupidest" vot-
er In America by Richard
Scammond, chairman Of the
Presidents Commission on
Voter Registration.
1t is Mr.. Scammond's task
to get those eligible to reg
lister and vote. It Is the con-
tention of his group Of So
called intellectuals that q
sixth-grade education quail
flies everyone to say how our
Government Is to function.
Apparently Mr.. Scammon
assumes (and this Indepen-
dent presumes) that most Of
those, long past 81, who are
now presumed to register,
will, like so many sheep, vote
the straight Democratic tick
ct.
AS an independent voter, I
study the qualifications Of all
candidates. I take time to at
tend meetings where all can
didates give their views on
the same questions, and after
further research, vote for the
man or woman ! C consider
will best serve America, Viz
ginia and my county.
To be able to think and
vote our conviction without
coercion from Big Brother Is,
as Of now, one Of the preoga-
tives Of Democrats, Republi-
cans and Independents.
w. M. Brown.
y y
The chairman Of the Pres
ident's Commission on Voter
Registration told Q group Of
Young Democrats that I'm
dependents" are the least
informed =. the least liter
ate and the stupidest"
voters in the country.
My goodness, that takes in
q lot Of territory Anyway.
judging from various state
ments from the administra-
ton and its Spokesman, in
GLIDING Ralph McGill's fam
Gus research on "kooks," we
thought the Kennedys were
reserving that particular
COMPLIMENTARY exclu-
sively for Conservatives.
Lila d. SOnnemann.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03

One slowly developing ef-
feet Of the Nations agonized
attempt to comprehend why
1t waited so long and at such
costs to come to terms with
the problem Of racial dis
elimination and discomfort is
the recognition by Republic
cans that they will not be
able to pussyfoot or to cam
paign hand In hand with the
extremist ele m ents Of the
South.
Possibly the most long
range constructive program
now developing is in the field
Of education. Large sums will
be sensibly spent to close the
admitted gap in that field.
Perhaps, If politics and edu-
cation can both move with
common sense and courage,
there may be an alienation
Of folly and inflammatory
conduct.
1t should be noted, for ex-
ample, that in the strenu-
Gus campaigning by Gov.
Rockefeller he is aiming d.
rectly at the Kennedy ad-
ministration, but he does not
deal In fantasy or deceit con-
corning the great moral and
political problem of our time.
He publicly deplores and is
dismayed by the readiness Of
persons, some of them sub
sta initial members Of their
communities, to insist that
the whole race m a tier is
merely something agitated by
the Kennedys, by liberals, or
radicals.
Incredible Attitude
A number Of Southern
businessmen who, for years,
were careful to be active po-
litically behind various city
administrations = Of which
that dominated by the re-
Gently superseded Bull Con-
nor Of Birmingham was a
good example - have been
quoted as saying they regard
the race question as one en-
tirely for the police - not
politics. That successful bust
ness and professional leaders
should have an attitude
which is best illustrated in
history by personalities mi
France and Germany preced-
ing historical upheavals In
those countries is incredible
to one who knows the simple
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
Independent De GouIIe

Associates Of President de GauIle.
over the years, have had to make a
career out Of interpreting his often
opaque and riddlesome remarks as not
meaning this or that. It~has happened
again. He was quoted in all the Amer
lean news accounts Sunday as having
said at Lyon that France offered herself
as free arbiter" or free umpire" to
countries 'Qike Wet Nam) "cut in two
or three by foreign interventions." Now
1t turns out that wasn't what he said
at all. He merely meant that, for these
countries, France could set an example
through the exercise Of her freedom
Of choice.
Well, maybe. The psychologists
must decide whether this misunder-
standing resulted from Freudian am
biguity on the generals part, or from
the correspondents pre-conception of
his intentions. We've always maintained
that one trouble with De Gaulle is that
he keeps talking French: French indie
pendence, French power, French Ian
guage and all. So now, 1t seems, he
doesn't really want to be a cold war
umpire, or lead "third force" He Just
wants to insist that there should be a
third force, in which everybody is indie
pendent of the foreign hegemonies"
Of the United States and the Soviet
Union. The way France is.
Even with this correction, De
Gaulle's remarks on his southern trip
do not add up to much encouragement
for our side.
With some DISQUALIFICATION, 1t
may still be said that the French Presi-
dent-while favoring the European
Common Market, the United Nations
and the North Atlantic Treaty Organi-
cation as useful" projects-has COM
mitted himself to a policy under which
France is to be completely independent
Of them. That is to say, they will not
be allowed to dictate" to his country
"in any matter whatsoever that con-
Germs u.s." NATO, for example, is good,
but General de Gaulle will not allow
1t to have a voice in "the disposition
OF our forces and the responsibilities
for our defense" How can the alli-
ance be really effective in such cir
cumstances?
As for the nuclear test-ban worked
out by the Soviets and the "Anglo-
Saxons" (meaning we and the British),
de Gaulle has scoffed at it and served
notice that France is determined to
Continue with experimental detonations
to arm itself with its own atomic-hydro-
gen arsenal. From the French point of
view, all this may constitute an admira-
BILE effort to recapture and restore the
glories Of the past. Outsiders, however,
must be pardoned If they believe the
whole business adds up to decisions
or grandeur - decisions that could
create lot of trouble for the free world.
General de Gaulle, in any case,
obviously has his mind made up to run
France in his own fashion and to try
to shape the world as he conceives it
should be. More than that, at u, and
still vigorous, he has indicated that he
viii seek another presidential term, and
so we "Anglo-Saxons" may have to
reckon with him for several years to
come. C'est la vie, perhaps. But we
don't have to like it.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
Touche!
Mark Dunn.

Your editorial criticizing
the phone company for print
ing its new directory in three
sections sounds as if it were
written by someone who must
sit on the present thick vol
ume to see above the desk.
James Joseph Nugent.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03
WATCHING THE WORLD
Impression of BIundeing in Europe
BY CROSBY S. MOVES
= Fsrsisn cousspsndsat Of Ths Stsr

American lfl6lAli1b&ou3 IN
France would soon Be avail
able (proyided Of course the
French were willing). but by
some curious oversight Il was
not felt necessary to inform
either the French govern
ment or the American En-
bassy IN Paris.
The flap over bases was
irritating, but perhaps Of no
very great importance. An
other bit Of confusion which
involves American fighting
forces In Germany Is potenti-
ally q good deal more dam
aging.
For some time now Il has
been taken almost as Q fore
gone conclusion by most
thinking observers In Europe
that some reduction Of
American military forces In
Germany was inevitable.
The American balance-of-
payments problem, dispro-
portion Of the American con-
tribution to NATO's conven-
tional forces, apparent recess
sion Of the military threat in
Europe and the political cli-
mate within the alliance all
seemed to make q cutback in
overseas forces feasible and
sensible.
Denied by US.
Except that orleans
themselves vigorously denied
any such thing was In the
works.
Even the latest American
move-massive airlifting Of
an entire armored division to
Europe from the United
States-was explained away
as simply an exercise in mo-
bility, rather than as Q DEM
onstration that troops need
not be stationed In Europe to
be available In an emergency.
Indeed, first word Of Q
planned American reduction
Of troops In Germany came
in the form Of q curious
denial from Bonn. A cut Of
some 10000 troops. It was
reported. had indeed been
planned-including the 3rd
Cavalry Regiment and other
units supporting the Ameri-
can 7th Army.
This projected withdrawal.
1t was said, had now been
suspended on orders from
the White House, following q
German protest that Bonn
should be consulted before
any American troops were
pulled out.
A curious feature of this
report was that the Ameri-
can NATO delegation in Par
is had not even been in
formed that cuts were
planned in the first place.
The net effect has been to
confirm our European allies
in their suspicious that an
American military pullout in
Europe is In process Of being
engineered behind their
backs.
There Is no need whatever
for this state Of affairs. It Is
perfectly understandable
that the American Govern
ment might wish to close
down its bases in France or
reduce its forces In Germany,
or even help Germans solve
their own military housekeep-
ing problems.
What is not understands
BILE is that these affairs
should have been h q ndled
with q kind Of inept secre-
tiveness which can only serve
to fan the already overhead
ed suspicious Of our allies.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-03

EA4k4I
Problems between the
United States and Europe
would seem quite serious
enough without being COM
plicated unnecessarily by
clumsy diplomacy on the
American side.
The impression Of q GER
tain amount Of blundering.
however, Is hard to escape.
In the past few days q rash
Of rumors, leaked news sto-
ries, protests and denials re-
garding American intentions
in Europe have hardly re-
Elected credit on the admin
istration.
The stories, furthermore,
were not maliciousIy inspired
by people trying to damage
interests Of the United States
In Europe. They were first
reported In responsible Sec
tons Of the American press.
The flap that has ensued
seems to have been very
largely Of American making.
First there was the an
nouncement Of the decision
to close down or reduce the
size Of q number of American
logistical installations in
France. According to the
original announcement, some
$500 American troops would
be returned home and $500
French civilian employees
would be released.
There was nothing par
ticularly surprising about this
announcement. The strategy
Of the Atlantic alliance today
makes the elaborate supply
system In France largely OBJ
solete. The urgent need Of
the United States to cut
down on its outflow Of gold
reserves argues In favor Of
reducing m assive overseas
depots wherever possible.
What was surprising was a
report which followed i'm
mediately afterward - from
London Of all places-that
the United States was plan
ming to turn over at least
some Of these French bases
to West Germany. The story
said French President
Charles de Gaulle was angry
about the offer and unlikely
to agree to it.
Towering Rage
If Gen. de Gaulle had not
been angry before publication
Of this report, it was enough
to put him and a good many
other Frenchmen in q tower
ing rage. Papers bloSsomed
with who-do-t the Americans
Neutrality-suspicious. head
lines. Quite unofficially the
French government let it
be known that II Germans
wanted bases in France
they knew where to address
their request.
Next came some rather
embarrassed denials Of @ re-
ported Am erica n-German
deal. In Bonn, 1t was said
that logistic reorganization
and the question Of bases
were unconnected. In Wash
ington, 1t was admitted that
the idea Of German bases in
France had been discussed in
an exploratory" way.
The truth seems to be that
when Defense Secretary
Mcnamara was in Bonn last
August the Germans them
selves raised the problem Of
acute shortage Of military
storage space within the
Federal Republic. Mr.. McNa-
mara somewhat offhandedly
mentioned the fact that