davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20
The Dropouts

The fact that some 1000 youngsters
are dropping out Of school In the
Washington area each year creates a
problem whose consequences are both
serious and unacceptable. The dropouts
are about equally divided between the
city Of Washington and the suburbs.
All OF them are under-educated and
scme are illiterate. 1t becomes increaS-
ingly difficult for these misfitS to find
Jobs and more and more of them APP
parently are turning to crime. This is
the aspect Of the matter which most
directly concerns the community, and
an effective remedy for 1t will have to
be found.
1t is nonsense, however, to insist
that, somehow, society" is the real
culprit In this matter. Society, II by this
one means the organized community,
has provided the dropouts both in the
city and In the suburbs, with full OPP
portunity to obtain high school educa-
ton. Except for the relatively small
number who may be incapable Of learn
ing or who may suffer from pSychiatric
problems, society has provided adequate
educatlonal facilities. But there Is not
much, education that society can
do for the youth who doesn't want to
study and whose parents don't care
whether he is educated or not. Some 10
per cent Of the dropouts are supposed
to have normal or above-normal intelli-
gence. II this is true the youngster who
quits school without being able to read
and write has no one to blame but him
self, and II he discovers too late that he
cannot compete in the Job market 1t does
not seem to us that society is properly
subject to indictment. Have we reached
the point where teen-agers and their
parents are no longer responsible for
anytbing2
All Of this, of course, does not come
TO grips with the basic problem Of what
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20
Youth Showcase

1t is q pity and incom-
prehensible that President
Kennedy, instead Of worry
ing about making Washing
ton q youth showcase" does
not raise his voice Of author
ity and scathingly, forth
rightly. and specifically de-
nounce the crime and vio-
lence that occur daily In
Washington streets, stores,
and most ominous. In homes,
perpetrated largely by that
same Washington youth"
I believe first things come
first, and that a new free
dom" is direly needed by the
citizens Of our Nations Cap
ital Zone that is taken for
granted In the Capital cities
Of Europe) freedom from the
constant fear of violence, at
tack. and robbery now pre-
vailing here. More can and
should be done by demand
ing and expecting responsible
ity, obligation to society, and
a decent conformance with,
and respect for law and or
der than by offering our
young people" new zap
peasements" and further
goodies" in the form Of adj
ditional privileges, benefits,
and doles, economic or other
wise.
Sadly enough, Washington
already has that youth
showcase" and 1t is not O
pretty one, with new lex
hibits" being added every
day.
Mary Evelyn williams.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20
Status of States

Wnen the PRESIDENT made
his brother Attorney Gen.
eral. he blandly remarked 1t
was a good place to learn
law; but judging from his
actions disregarding States
rights, 1t seems the brother
has yet to be taught the
origin Of the United States
as one created by sovereign
independent States voluntar-
lily uniting for mutual pro-
lection. I recommend, there
fore. that a part Of his study
course be the Federalist Pa
pers and the history and
status Of States when this
Nation was originated.
After the Revolution this
Nation consisted of 10 indie
pendent States, and q num-
Der OF them preferred a loose
federation, for they feared
the dictatorial power of a
centralized government; 1t
was only when they were as
sured that this would be pre-
vented by adding to the pro-
posed Constitution a Bill of
Rights containing the clause
that all rights not specifically
coded to the central govern
ment were retained by the
individual States. that they
finally agreed to join and
sign the Constitution. At the
time New England ship own
ers were engaged In the slave
trade; but slaves did not fit
into the commercial activi-
ties Of the North, and they
were shipped to the South
where the plantation system
prevailed. The evil and In
human nature Of slavery,
however, began to be recog-
nized In the South as well
as in the North; and 1t was
definitely on the wane and
would have disappeared of
its accord, for 1t was fast
becoming non profitable,
when a vociferous element In
Massachusetts made such an
issue Of 1t that the South
seeded. This resulted in the
Civil War waged on the pre-
mise that the Constitution
was a contract that could not
be unilaterally broken.
But the war did not and
could not change the sover-
eign status Of the several
States. though the North,
upon winning the war, i'm
mediately took over State
governments in the South in
a destructive. and revengeful
manner, more reprehensible
than the slave system con-
corning which they had been
so sentimental and excited.
Now again 1t seems the
Massachusetts element can
not abide the peaceful So
cializing progress that has
been going on in the South,
but must resort to Federal
force to repeat the recon
struction" era following the
war; and In this the Attor-
ney General Is being spurred
on by the immigrant element
that has prospered In the
North.
Joseph N. Nielsen,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20
A BOOK FOR TO-DAY
Liberal, intellectual Idea Foctoryr
BY DONALD MINTZ

the impossibility Of making
common cause with them.
This inference, Of course, Is
incorrect, and doubtless will
not be appreciated by New
York States Liberal Party
and such publications as The
New Leader which had had
their say about Communists
and communism long before
and were never impressed by
prattle about "our noble ally"
even when it was the unison
chorus Of virtually all Amer
lean opinion.
The importance Of ADA In
battling fronts, captive lib
erals, and perhaps above all,
Henry Wallace, Is very great.
The attacks on ADA during
and after the Mccarthy era
showed as little regard for
history as for honesty. Nor
has the ADA ever advocated
any form Of socialism. m
deed, If ADA were carried off
to Great Britain it would
come down somewhere on the
left wing Of the Conserva-
tives or just possibly on the
right wing of Labor.
Mr.. Brooks discussion OF
ADA and the present admin
istration Is most enlightening. !.
Many prominent figures In
the administration are or
were associated with It; yet
the organization itself Is UNI
happy. nothing has
happened. says Mr., Brock,
Ito bridge the basic diff
ferences between Kennedy
and the liberals which ap-
peared in the first weeks of
his term. An examination Of
these differences, issue by
issue, shows-if anything
that liberal Illustration had
deepened and hardened into
a suspicion that the New
Frontier was. literally, only
a promised land. It should
be noted that these differ
ences are tactical rather than
substantive"
In short, the administra-
ton Is going too slowly and
ADA Is unhappy about the
formula OF accommodation
and compromise with the
same coalition OF Southerners
and Republicans which had
dominated the last several
Congresses"
ADA considers political
noise-making one Of its main
functions. Mr.. Brock shows
how and why. and his rela-
lively brief book should find
n wide audience
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20
THE PASSING SCENE
National Paradox in the Tex Issue

because It wants TO but SIM
ply because 1t dare not do
otherwise. The President has
hardly left Congress with any
alternative. The adninistra-
tration's insistent claim that
tax reduction Is essential to
ginger up the national econ
omy-coupled with It's invo-
cation Of the threat Of q
recession otherwise lis very
hard to stand against within
the controlling center Of Con-
gress.
Fear Heavy Dcficlts
The classical and crusty old
conservatives have no prob
lem with which to wrestle in
the nighttime. Their phi
losophy is simple and un-
troubled. They Just don't
believe In tax cuts in o time
Of heavy Federal deficits, and
they viii not bulge. Ger
tainly. they will not bulge at
this odd moment In history
in which congressional mail
and apparently the admin
istration's mail, too, to Judge
from White House reluctance
to disclose its tone lis on
balance more skeptical Of tax
cuts than pleading for them.
But the congressional CEN
ter will not In the end be
willing to pit its economic
judgment against the Presi-
dents. 1t will tend to 60
along with tax reduction be-
cause it fears that otherwise
that feared recession might in
fact develop. Still, 1t will be
the most reluctant tax cut Of
our time; for there Is another
congressional fear, too.
This is that reduction
may not after all bring off
the contemplated spur to
business and that this, plus
q Federal deficit rising In
those circumstances far above
present estimates, would put
everybody concerned In DO
ltical peril In 1854.
In the meantime, the Amer
lean public deserves a special
salute for its obvious wiling
ness to forego tax relief in
order to reduce. or at any
rate. to hold in check, the
Federal debt. II this Is not
a striking evidence Of ma
tional maturity 1t Is surely
something very close to that.
(Copyrisht 1859
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20

the community can and must do to help
these people find useful rather than a
criminal niche In life for themselves.
AS starter, however, the point that
they will make or break their own ca
reers ought to be emphasized and re-
emphasized in blunt terms from the
beginning to the end Of the educational
process. Let's stop encouraging these
don't-care types to believe that their
own mistakes are someone else's fault.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20

AMEhACANS FOk DEMO-
CRATIC ACTION, Its Role
In National Politics, by
Clifton Brock. introduce
ton by Max Lerner, 229 pp.
public Affairs Press, $4.500
Whether 1t is good or bad
that our political parties are
loose coalitions Of frequently
opposing interests rather
than more or less mono
lithic groups dedicated to
realizing a vision of society
is a matter that affords po-
lttical theorists an endless
source Of debate.
In any case, our political
parties are non-ideological
and those who view politics
as indissolubly allied to first
principles find their homes
in action groups that remain
outside the traditional par
ties. Inevitably, these groups
seek to influence the major
parties. Sometimes they sue
coed, sometimes they fail and
there have been times when
they have felt betrayed.
Americans for Democratic
Action Is such a group. BY
writing a careful history Of
the ADA, Clifton Brock, q
librarian and faculty mem
Der at the University Of
North Carolina, has made a
valuable contribution to the
study Of American politics in
the period following World
War II.
Mr.. Brock begins by tell
ing us where he stands. al
though I am not now and
never have been a member
Of ADA, / am In general
agreement with its political,
social. and economic objec-
tives." The sentence is in
effect q guarantee that the
book will not succumb to
that dread disease, the Ian
guage Of the doctoral dis
sertation. and in fact the
guarantee Is honored.
ADA is q small group ana
1t tends to function "as q
sort Of liberal intellectual
idea factory" Political ma
chimes. research bureaus, ed
ucational associations, public
relations firms. Embarrassing
organizations, Hobbies and
do-good groups Of all varie-
ties" writes Mr.. Brock, ARE
common and understandable
features Of our complex So
ciety. But an outfit which
combines all these elements
Gas does ADA really is
something new in this coun-
try. One can almost sympa-
thize with those politicians
who describe II as a strange
thing and wish 1t would 90
away"
ADA was founded in Feb
ruary. l947. a period Of con-
siderable travail for a good
many American liberals. The
great question was commun-
ism, and the ADA's great
antagonist was the Progress
sive Citizens Of America.
"The ADA had made II
known writes Mr.. Brock.
that II did not consider
Russia the fixed point OF In
ternal virtue; critical refer
ences TO Russia at the Pea
convention had met with a
chorus OF boos. The ADA
specifically and pointedly ex-
cluded Communists from
membership: the Pea made
no move 10 change the policy
Of It's predecessor organiza-
tons OF welcoming Commu-
nists."
II is easy 10 draw from Mr..
Brooks book the inference
that ADA was the first liberal
group 10 recognize fully the
danger of Communists and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20

Never has the prospect Of
voting for a tax cut been so
unwelcome to so many poll
iticians. Never has the
chance of getting some
thing from the Government"
been appealing to so few
among the public.
These are the extraordinary
realities confronting Presi-
dent Kennedy's tax reduce
tion-tax reform bill. They
run straight against the
Oldest cliches in public life
that Congressman always
are thirsting to give the peo-
pie "a tax break" and that
the people are forever de-
handing Just that.
Nevertheless, and in spite
Of the fact that the tax bill
is now being hit at for one
reason or another alike by
labor and business, and
seemingly by almost every
body else, the best guess now
is that Congress will pass
something.
It probably will vote some
across-the- board but not
large tax reduction. 1t prob
ably will stay well away
from tax reform-from clos
ing those "loopholes" which in
one point Of view are unfair
boons to favored groups but
in another point Of view are
fair recognition Of the spe-
cial problems Of some in
dustries and interests.
And almost certainly 1t
will rewrite the Presidents
bill to give more generous
treatment to the one class
presently least rewarded by
the measure-the middle in
come people.
Rare Hesitancy
In a word, Congress APP
proaches this whole problem
with q hesitancy rarely seen.
A powerful Senator says
wryly: The way we are go
ing at this supposedly jolly
thing Of tax reduction re-
minds me Of the story Of the
travelling salesman in Maine
who met a farmer angrily
whipping his horse from his.
seat in the buggy. Where
you going. friend?' asked the
salesman. Coin UP to Ban
gor to go on q spree-and
gosh how I dread itl'"
If Congress acts at all to
cut taxes. 1t will do so not
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry tDrtters' correct
names and addresses. All let
tiers are subject to condensG-
ton. Those not used tOiH be
returned only tDhen accom-
panied BY self : addressed,
stamped envelopes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20

A recent Bill Mauldin car
toon showed President Ken
nedy making a speech. while
the Vice President stood
backstage, complaining 10
"Scriptwriter" Bobby Ken
nedy: II need more speaking
lines" This can't be the same
Lyndon johnson. who. when q
Senator had In his office q
sign saying: you amt learn
In nothin' when you're talk
in'"
d. r. Nice.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20

A letter said the new Get
tysburg' stamp is inadequate,
and that q suitable stamp
should be issued commence
rating Llncoln's Gettysburg
Address. The Post office De-
partment issued such a stamp
in l948. It is a beautiful blue.
with a bust Of Lincoln on the
left side. part Of the address
In the center. and o flaming
torch on the right.
Frieda Floyd.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20
Educators at Work

6OuSUSOfS III w OIk
No worthy critic Of the
new Montgomery County
School Board can deny the
courage the new members
have displayed In putting on
their own shoulders the re-
sponsibilities of realistic fis-
cal management of our school
system as demanded by the
taxpayers in last falls cleo
ton.
Is 1t not exhilarating to
find nowadays an officeholder
anywhere of any political
persuasion who, on reaching
office, doesn't compromise
the convictions and promises
which elected him?
We should all be grateful
to each and every member of
our Montgomery County
School Board and remind
ourselves again. these people
are neither paid nor power
seeking politicians but our
own community citizens
striving to interpret and i'm
plement the desires Of the
electorate.
They need support now :.
criticism at election time
William s. Fulton.
y So
H. L. Mencken coined the
word Bathroom" to express
his contempt for his uncul-
tured neighbors. II we, per-
NIT the new school board
members in Montgomery
County to continue unchecked
in their senseless search for
economy" we would deserve
to be called "Montgomor-
ons."
The new school board
members have cut from the
budget funds intended for
French teachers in the ele-
mentary schools. On the
other hand, they kept mere
than $4,000 for the purpose
Of paying football coaches.
President Eisenhower recog-
nized the urgent necessity
for teaching foreign Ian
guages in our elementary
schools. He favored the Ma
tional Defense Education Act
Of 1858 which provided funds
for the training of elemen-
tary foreign language teach
ers. The school board action
prevents the achievement Of
President Eisenhower's goal.
Nora BOskOff.
= =
1t seems amazing that the
economy-minded Montgom-
cry County School Board
chairman should request hir-
ing a liaison between the
school system and the school
board. Is this for his own
comfort because he doesn't
have rapport with Supt. Whit
tier? Too bad Mr.. Bell and
his three newly elected GRO
MES aren't more interested in
hiring more teachers for
smaller classes for our chill
dren.
These new board members
have each in turn proved
themselves completely out Of
place serving on the school
board.
Mr.. Coyle. slashing out
French instruction In ele-
mentary classes, says inter-
ested parents can pick UP the
tab In out Of class instruc-
ton! Is this how to save on
taxes? This at O time when
countries all over the world
are training their students In
their earliest years to be BIZ
and multi-lingual.
Mr.. Woodward opposes ex-
pansion Of the driver educa-
ton program because of Its
doubtful school value" This
is a shocking statement when
insurance rates are 10 per
cent less for the family II the
children driving cars have
passed this school training
program. Is such a program
OF doubtful value II the most
conservative insurance firms
give their Endorsement with
such a discount?
These men present a sorry
picture OF inflexible rigidity as
they blindly march backwards
down the hill Of progress In
education. I suggest that they
resign.
Mrs. Irving Schlossenberg. b
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-20
Answers to Questions
By THE HAsKIN SERVICE

A reader can set an snswsr By
mai, to any question Of fact 81
Writing ,.in Z, TIE star Ipiormatlen Bu-
s y D a. 9 esa" i .S1D.., Irstura post;
envelope.
Evening star., 1963-05-04
Winston ChurciIFs Farewell

was created by Churchill's
absence. He has been for
many years the indispensa-
BILE member.
He won this status not
only by his genius but by
his humanity. No one took
a greater delight than
Churchill in a speech that
dominated Parliament, even
If he were its victim. He sent
many notes of congratula-
ton to James Maxton and
Aneurin Bevan, for he rel
ished their mastery in de-
bate even while he shrank
in adherence from their
opinions. Perhaps Clay and
Webster had the same effect
on their contemporaries. 1t
is natural, indeed inevitable,
to compare Churchill with
the giants. Any other COM
parison would be false and
misleading.
Churchill became an ac-
complished writer long be-
fore he became a respected
speaker in Parliament. He re-
mained the prisoner Of q
manuscript for many years,
afraid to trust himself to the
unpredictable currents of a
changing debate. In the end
he wore his genius as a daily
garment, but always with a
difference that betokened the
Incompatible master.
He had reason to bid fare
well in sadness to his con-
stituency of Woodford, for
between them there had been
an unbroken love affair. OF
his first is elections, he lost
five. He was facing oblivion
when Woodford gave him
sanctuary and Churchill
turned it into a platform of
glory. AS long as freedom
lives, the grandeur of Chur-
chill will endure, and Wood
ford will never be excluded
from its share In this tradi-
ton of greatness.
Evening star., 1963-05-04
BROWN
The Spectacular Italian Election

Italy is faced with a cab
met crisis which could af-
feet her position in NATO.
A year ago Premier Fanfani
invited the Socialists, led by
Pietro Nenni, to sever all ties
with the Communists and
join forces with the Chris
tian Democrats. While Nenni
did not Join the coalition he
did support 1t. This time
Nenni announced during the
campaign his price for actual
participation In a coalition
he wants his own people in
places Of influence.
In this connection 1t must
be remembered that the
Nenni Socialists would like
to see Italy withdraw from
NATO. are against American
bases in Italy and are for
naturalization Of industry.
It seems that the American
gesture" before the elections
of announcing the withdraw
al Of the Jupiter missiles did
not have the desired effect.
The Communists, supported
by Khrushchev's announce
ment that the presence Of the
Polaris submarines In the
Mediterranean would draw
Russian fire on Italy. has had
a more far reaching effect.
Many observers forecast
that the life Of the Fanfani
government will be short. The
ever-optimistic Italian Prime
Minister announced after the
elections that the resignation
which he must formally sub
NIT to President Segni will
be purely formal. According
to reliable reports, however.
the astute President s gni
will accept it and start con-
situations with the leaders Of
other parties. This could
mean that before President
Kennedy reaches Italy there
may be another Prime Min
lister to greet him. s
Evening star., 1963-05-04
CONSTANTINE BROWN
Short Life for Fonf0ni Government
Feared; Troubles Seen for NATO

ship of the British-educated
Malagodi they refused to
compromise with the left-of-
center views Of Prime Minis
ter Fanfani and stood firmly
against all naturalization
measures presented to Par
lament by the present ad-
ministration. The Italian vot-
ers rallied to this call and
made 1t one Of the strategi-
cally important parties In the
new political combinations
which are expected in the
next few weeks.
The Communist victory
bellies once again the theory
that communism thrives in
poverty stricken countries.
Italy is one Of the most
prosperous in Europe. The
Communist victory was espe-
cially noticeable in the in
dustrial north, where the
workers earn excellent wages
and social progress is at its
highest.
Their victory is attributed
to two factors; the leadership
had a positive realistic plat
form and "the wives" In all
preceding elections since l948
the wives Of the Communist
Party members voted for the
Christian Democrats because
the church was telling them
that a vote for a Communist
atheist was q sin. But after
Pope John XIII received
Alexei Adzhubei and Premier
Khrushchev's daughter,
Rada, in a private audience
last March and after the
Communist Party workers
made their own interpreta-
ton Of the pontiff's Peace
on Earth Encyclical issued
two weeks before the elec-
ton. this prejudice" disap-
peared. The wives went along
with their husbands.