davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1963-04-26
Once in -Four Years

There is no occasion for great sur
prise in the estimate of Richard M.
Scammon that only between 100000 and
100000 Of Washington's $4,000 poten-
tial voters may actually turn out for
the city'S first presidential election next
year. AS the perspicacious chief of the
Census Bureau points out, there are
number Of transients in Washington, a
good many residents vote elsewhere
and four years is long time between
voting.
This latter point-that District resi-
dents will vote for only one office only
every fourth years. we'll taken. Once
in four years is not frequency con-
ducive either to nourishing the voting
habit or establishing smooth, well-oiled
party machines. But neither are the re-
marks Of Mr.. Scammon reason TO throw
up ones hands In despair. Both the Re-
publican and Democratic parties simply
must work all the harder, and 1t is en-
couraging that organizational progress
at the precinct level is discernible by
leaders Secondly, II is essential that
the d. C. Board OF Elections be granted
its full appropriation requests this year
by Congress- the money TO
permit decentralized voter registration
at each Of the SO precincts early In 1864.
Evening star., 1963-04-26
Now We Know!

The story had been making. the
rounds for some time that the President
was reading newspapers more these days
and enjoying them less. We had hoped it
wasn't so. The very thought that the
fruits Of the craft to which we have
given the better part Of our life might
have been found so bitter was almost
too much to bear.
Alas, however, there is no longer
room for doubt. At his press conference
this week, Mr.. Kennedy was asked about
a story in the Wall Street Journal to the
effect that Congressman, during their
recent vacation, found in their own
stamping grounds good bit Of apathy
toward the administration program.
The President was not buying a word
Of 1t. In diagnosis Of some length, Mr..
Kennedy claimed that the health of
his program, in reality was excellent.
1t was not so much what he said,
however, as the way he said it. What
vigah! Leaping to the attack, the Pres
ident was veritable tigah We had not
seen the likes of it in a coon's age!
Perfectly frankly, we do not know
whether all the John @. Citizens around
the country are really apathetic about
the administration proposals or not.
But watching the performance of their
author on TV, we were 100 per cent
certain that there was nothing apa-
thetic about his reaction. No, the rumor
is all too true. Mr.. Kennedy is reading
newspapers more, and he is enjoying
them less. Now we know. Having
learned the truth, there is nothing left
but to bear up as best we can
Evening star., 1963-04-26
First Glass ~ Mail

Granting that his budgetary prob
lens make most others look like child's
play, 1t still is too bad that Postmaster
General Day has seen fit to cut off
mail service to Selective customers.
Blaming a financial pinch, he has
barred mail deliveries to all new busi-
ness and residential buildings with less
than 80 per cent occupancy.
What that means in numbers is
not clear. But what is clear is that
everyone Of these neglected taxpayers
has right to feel Disseminated against.
If he wants his mail, he has to go to
the Post Office for it.
Mr.. Day lays the blame for his
edict, affecting SO major cities, Squarely
at the door Of Congress- First, the
House turned down $8.3 million sup
Elemental request for this fiscal year
and then sliced next years budget by
$92 million. Result: A cutback in per-
sonnel hiring despite growing popu-
lation and projected increase Of 2.5
billion pieces of mail next fiscal year.
With 30 per cent Of its budget frozen
for wages and IL per cent for trans
portation costs, the Post Office has less
maneuvering room than most depart
mentS for budget adjustments.
The Post Offices excuse for cutting
mail service now is that there presently
are no funds, nor any promised in the
future, with which to hire employees to
serve new customers. But If the Post
Office indeed is in trouble, and some
thing has to give, 1t should not be in
the area of first class mail delivery.
The whole thing looks suspiciously
like fund-seeking grandstand play to
Congress.
Evening star., 1963-04-26
Chonqe in Bonn

1t still Is not quite clear why 81
year-old Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
has waged such long and bitter fight
against Ludwig Erhard's nomination to
succeed him as head of the West German
government. In the final showdown, "the
Old One" has been routed, with his party
voting almost 3-to-l against him-a
stinging personal defeat that seems
poignant in view Of his approaching
retirement
Yet the great Chancellor, who has
been a sort Of one-man government in
Bonn for the past IA years, should have
anticipated just such vote. This is so
because Of the thinness and vagueness
OF his objections to DR.. Erhard, whom
he has praised as a great Minister of
Economics, but at the same time con-
demned as man too ignorant OF the
meaning Of political power, too inexpe-
rienced, too lacking in leadership quail
tiles, TO be fit for the chancellorShip. In
saying things like this, DR.. Adenauer
succeeded merely In infuriating more
Germans than he convinced, including
members OF his own party, many OF
whom have come to regard him as
rather stubborn and authoritarian old
man with delusionS Of indispensability
SO 1t is not surprising that the Chris
tian Democrats and Christian Socialists
have severely rebuffed him. After all,
Dr. Erhard, who has been called "Mr
Prosperity" is generally regarded as the
chief architect Of West Germany'S as
tonishing postwar reconstruction and
economic advance. More than that, he is
popular among his countrymen, and no
other political figure among the free
Evening star., 1963-04-26
Fairfax Censor

1t is gratifying that Fairfax County
library officials have had an overnight
change of heart, and have decided to
proceed with the showing of a docu-
mentary film called Japan" They
should not have bowed to pressure in
the first place.
The pressure came from George j.
O'Sullivan, 80, commander of American
Legion Post 1T in Fairfax. We do
not doubt that Mr.. O'Sullivan is we'll
intentioned and good citizen. His
trouble in this instance was that he
simply didn't know what he was talking
about And this all too often is true
Of self-appointed censors.
Japan" was produced by Julien
Bryan, executive director of Interna-
tional Film Foundation, a nonprofit
organization. The Pentagon is one of
the users of his films. Mr.. O'Sullivan,
however, had read in a Legion publi-
cation that Mr.. Bryan was a profess
Sional lecturer on communism and a
former member of the Friends of the
Soviet Union. This, says Mr.. Bryan, is
not true. But Mr.. O'Sullivan fired off
his protest, and the scheduled showing
Of the film was postponed.
There are two points about this
which intrigue us. Mr. O'Sullivan, who
hasn't seen Japan" says he likes good
American films, good old flag-waving
films" If so, he might enjoy Japan"
which he expects to see on Sunday
For, according to Star reporter who
has seen it, the film stresses such things
as the values of the family unit, free
enterprise, the deSirability of economic
ties with the United States, and the
Importance of allegiance to the West
and the United Nations. This sounds
like good oldfaShioned American doc
trine to us.
The second point is that Mr.. Bryan
has been a member of the American
Legion for 40 years, which means that
he Joined the Legion eight years before
Mr.. O'Sullivan was born. We hope the
latter gets an opportunity some day
to meet and talk with his fellow Legion
naire. Mr.. O'Sullivan might come away
from such a chat with a better under
standing of what Americanism really
Is all about.
Evening star., 1963-04-26
'Rushin' Roulette

The Travellers Insurance
Companies report on traffic
accidents, entitled "RUSHIN'
ROULETTE" rubs me the
wrong way.
The booklet refers to the
number Of traffic fatalities
as appalling" and "grue-
some," yet in the same SEN
tence states that the number
of deaths has scarcely in
creased during a period of 81
years, since the previous high
was established in 1941. 1t
seems clear to me that If the
number of deaths remains
constant while the amount of
travelling becomes greater and
greater, then travelling is be-
coming relatively safer a Id
safer.
In 194l the number of reg
istered motor vehicles was
32.557,954, with 80, ,969 record
ed fatalities. A reliable au-
thority estimates the number
Of registered motor vehicles
in 1862 as 78,660,000. The
booklet reported 40,500 re-
corded fatalities. The num-
Der Of motor vehicles In use
has then approximately null
tiplied by two and one-half.
We do not know precisely
the average number of miles
that an automobile is driven
per year. An authority on
safety tells me that the av-
erage has, however, increased
a little during the past 20
years.
Thus the total mileage
driven by American drivers in
1862 was at least two and
one-half times the mileage
driven in 1941, and might
well be three or more times
as much. Since the number
Of fatalities has remained
essentially constant. do not
these facts obviously mean
that driving was at least
two and one-half times as
safe in 1862 as in 1941, and
might well have been three
or more times as safe?
! should like to see some
agency interested In traffic
safety attempt to use a more
constructive and factual ap-
proach to the problem. In
stead Of criticizing the Amer
lean driver for becoming
worse and worse, which he
obviously is not becoming.
why don't we admit that his
driving is becoming better
and better and safer and safer
year by year? I wonder
whether presenting a picture
of success might not help to
develop a pattern of success.
Why must we assume that
the only way to motivate au-
tomobile drivers is to scare
them or ridicule them2
M. ii. Ahrendt.
Evening star., 1963-04-26

practical education to get
along in life as it really Is
and not as some idealists
would have it. 1t is not fair
to tax people to e extent Of
fearing the loss of their
homes, in order to maintain
these extras. That Is what is
happening In Montgomery
County, or was until the ad-
vent Of our new council and
board.
The taxpayers Of this
county are tired Of financing
the extras for those who want
them, but want them at pub
lie expense. Montgomery
County enjoys the dubious
honor Of being among the
wealthiest countits in the
world. but not all Of its citi-
zens are wealthy and the
minority who insist on hav-
ing the advantages Of private
schools paid for out Of public
funds are going a long way
toward killing the goose that
lays the golden eggs.
Emma r. O'COnnOr.
Evening star., 1963-04-26
Hard to Explain

Senator Proxmire was innocent of
overStatement when he said 1t is hard
to explain why a young man doing
graduate work at the University of
Wisconsin was also being carried on
the Senator's payroll at $14,500 a year.
Explanations, hard or otherwise,
cannot explain away the point that
this sort Of thing is wrong. A student
doing graduate work leading to a doc
torate degree in English can hardly
be doing other chores worth $14,500 a
year to Senator, or, more accurately,
to the taxpayers.
Having said this, however, we would
like to get on the record our belief that
Senator Proxmire is an honorable man.
He lis not payroll-padder or a kick
backer. He has removed the student,
Frank Campenni, from his payroll until
June, when he will be out of school,
and has reimbursed the Government
for salary payments previously made.
Admittedly, this was done after COM
plants had been aired back in Wis
consin. But at least it has been done.
Furthermore, Senator Proxmire tells
us that Mr.. Campenni gave up four
jobs which paid total of $4,000 year
to come to work for him; that his
graduate studies at the university ag-
gregated nine hours a week, and that,
in fact, he was doing useful work for
the Senator back in Wisconsin.
Accepting these statements at face
value, our conclusion is that the Cam
penni affair is something less than the
scandal Of the year.
Evening star., 1963-04-26
Montgomery Economy

AS a taxpaying resident Of
Montgomery County, Mary
land. / wish to present the
"other side of the coin"
which has not been COW
cred enough in the news
paper editorials ana letters to
the editor in regard to our
new county council and
school board. These people
we're elected by the majority
and are living up t. their
campaign promises.
The United States Is an
outstanding example Of a ma
ton which has tried to make
education. FREE to everyone
from the first grade to the
university gates. II recog-
nizes the fact that a democ-
racy depends on the literacy
OF Its citizens. Since this is q
gigantic task and must be
paid for from taxes. II
is obvious that there 4
no room for "frills." The
public school system should
not be confused with pri-
vate academies. and those
parents who wish their chill
dren TO have the extras with
In its framework should be
prepared to pay for them,
and the additional teachers
involved, out OF their own
pockets. The task Of the pub
lie school system In the
United States is TO give a
good foundation In learning
TO each and every child in
the elementary and secondary
schools, so that the students
who are qualified can take
II from there, and those who
are not at least have enough
Evening star., 1963-04-26
Litterbugs: 'SIobs'

Whoever coined that alb
surd euphemism "litterbug"
may be unintentionally. per-
petuating the species.
To be a litterbug sounds
quite innocuous. To be q slob
is something else, but not
really. Litter is slobbism
whether you think Of 1t by
the piece or by the ton.
The too few trash con-
tainers on the streets of
Alexandria are fatuously lab
eled For the Convenience of
Shoppers" From the appear
ance Of the streets there 1t
is evident that the majority
Of shoppers find it more con-
venient to toss their debris
than to deposit 1t.
In cities where the fine for
littering Is posted and the
law is enforced, the streets
are noticeably neater. So the
gentle approach doesn't seem
to work.
Public slobbism is almost
as prevalent among the ed
ucated as among the uned-
ucated. Some behavioral spe-
cialists call 1t inverse neat
ness. They think the slob is
really neat. compulsively so,
and gets rid Of litter as fast
as 1t occurs. out the car win
dow or wherever.
All public improvements in
the way of architecture and
landscaping are lost on a lit
tered scene. Does anyone
know how to condition the
slob to the fact that the
view belongs to everyone? AS
a first step, let's call q slob
a slob. Sally Hunter.
Robert Buell's letter sug-
gesting that Boy Scouts pick
up trash deposited on the
streets Of Washington by
others, has some merit. But
1t seems rather unreasonable
that the litterbugs should
have unpaid servants to pick
up the junk they have
dropped.
The Boy Scouts are already
undertaking part Of what he
suggests. Each summer, they
pick UP on the roads around
the Nations Capital. The
troop that accompanied one
hot day last summer was
allotted one mile OF pleasant
country road In Montgom-
cry County-hardly a house
in sight: rolling farmland.
The boys we're issued large
shopping bags with handles.
I kept careful count. In one
mile, we filled 20 OF these
bags. Contents2 Mainly beer
cans. broken bottles. cigarette
wrappings. AT least 20 beer
cans per bag, that makes one
beer can every three yards.
How nice for the boozers to
feel that the Boy Scouts OF
America will tidy up after
their nocturnal sorties.
Might II not be possible
for a few OF those who are
convicted Of discarding trash
into the bitches and onto the
sidewalks. TO be asked by the
courts to join the Scouts,
some hot Saturday in May or
June, and spend a few
hours-not doing their good
turn. but undoing their many
bad turns2
Scout Father.
Evening star., 1963-04-26

ROME.
Most curious-and pos
sibly suspicious - feature Of
Italian elections next week
is that for once virtually all
experts are unanimous in
predicting the outcome. This
universal prediction is that
nothing very sensational will
happen. No great gains or
losses are expected for major
parties, nothing will happen
which reflects q marked
change Of outlook on part
Of the Italian electorate.
Unanimity is curious be-
cause, given the awesome
complications Of Italian pol
itics, 1t is almost unheard
Of for any two experts to
agree about anything. It's
possibly suspicious in that
these same experts admit
that usual imponderables are
today more numerous and
more imponderable than ever
before. Italy in fact, has
changed enormously since
the last general elections In
1858. And though the politi-
cal effect Of these changes is
hard to assay. It may be pre-
mature to assume that they
may not produce some sur
prises next Tuesday.
Prosperity Factor
First Of these changes is
the very real prosperity Of the
country. In 1858, Italy still
Jagged seriously behind other
Western European countries
and poverty rather than
plenty was the election issue.
Today, poverty is still a re-
gional issue in the south and
some hard things are being
said about rising costs. But
for the first time Italy's
Economic miracle" is a
major talking point for the
ruling Christian Democrats.
Will this growing prosper
ity affect the size of the Com
munist vote? Experts can
only rely on past experience
to predict that it will not.
Despite a steady recovery
since the war, Communists
have held tenaciously to
about % per cent Of the vote
and their status, after Chris
tian Democrats. as Italy's
second largest party.
Their strength lies in local
rather than national organi-
zation. In some cases Com
munists have supplied excel
lent municipal administra-
Evening star., 1963-04-26
A BOOK FOR TODAY

By DONALD MINTz

sons of Berle, Means, CAL
braith, and Rostow. His
foundations, however, are
drastic and deliberately so.
THE Paper Economy" is only
secondarily a study. Pri-
marily, it Is a call to arms.
In Mr.. Bazelon's view,
quaint organizations like the
regulatory commissions and
charming rituals like anti
trust actions exist at the
outer edges of reality. What
we really have is a system
of multiple governments. We
know about those that are
in part elected.
OF THE OTHERS, Mr..
Bazelon remarks: "If the
corporation is a private prop
erty, nobody but the stock
holder-owners are legitimate
ly concerned with its govern
ment; and If the stockhold-
er's vote ensures the prop
erty-owners control by DEM
ocratic means, the managers
who run the corporation are
property-servants operating
under a legitimate mandate.
But If these related PROPOSE
tionS are not true, then our
major corporations are au-.
thoritarian private baronies
legitimated by nothing more
than their existence. In fact,
the propositions are not true
they are simply loudly and
continuously endorsed by the
people who control the prop
critics of which they are not
true"
Nor are these properties
subject to automatic laws Of
the market place. Modern in
dustry cannot be exposed to
such caprice. and the first
duty Of any decently run
large company is to organize
its own market. II will also
organize its own employees
into a tight, authoritarian
structure.
The integration of public
government and the private
governments of business for
the purpose Of producing
what is needed, says Mr..
Bazelon, is the major task
OF our time. The book In
which he says this is a work
Of the greatest significance.
1t should not be overlooked.
Evening star., 1963-04-26
Postal 'BIuckmoiF

Postmaster General Day
has decided to take 1t out
on the taxpayers because
Congress didn't meet his
budget demands. Follow this
example to its frighteningly
logical conclusion and you
can picture each department
in the Federal family resort
ing to similar types of black
mail as they demand, You
play the game my way or
I'll bring down the wrath
of the voters on your heads"
The basic function Of the
Post Office Department is to
deliver the mail. Over the
years, however, the depart
ment has been saddled with
a great variety of costly du-
ties that have no relation
ship to mail delivery. Our
post offices handle the regis
tration Of aliens, serve q
function in military recruit
ing, distribute forms for In
ternal Revenue, ad infinitum.
The department also ham
dies free mail distributions
for all Of our Congressman
and Senators.
No one can blame the head
Of any Federal department
for fighting for the dollars
he needs to handle his re-
sponsibilities. There appears
to be ample room for blame,
however, when the decision
is made to use citizens as
the weapons in that battle.
A direct blow to the postage
and taxpayer is calculated to
evoke louder and longer pro-
tests than the curtailment of
less essential services that
would inconvenience fewer
people. The tactics being
used have the appearance of
being cynical and false.
Mr.. Days strategy is to
motivate people to loose their
ire on their Congressmen.
demanding that his budget
demands be met. Our ire
might be better directed at
the devices that make us the
direct victims of ruthless
pressure and deprive us Of
the services for which we
pay. Ferd Nauheim.
1t was the year 1868, when
Lincoln delivered his then
revolutionary Emancipation
Proclamation, that the
United States Postal Serv-
ice, under the administra-
ton of Postmaster General
Montgomery Blair, inaugu-
rated free delivery service in
metropolitan cities of over
$4,000 population.
And now. 1868, the CEN
tennial year of these two
historic events. the Kennedy
administration has appar-
emily "emancipated" the Post
Office Department Of this
basic responsibility to the
American public by the cur
tailment Of this service an
nounced by Postmaster Cen
eral Day.
John Trimble.
Evening star., 1963-04-26
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry tDriters' correct
names and addresses. All let
terS are subject to condensd- :
ton. Those not used mill be
returned only Dhen accom- :
panied by self addressed,
stamped envelopes.
Evening star., 1963-04-26
Hetty Green's Legacy

/ was surprised to read In
The Star, in the review Of
the book about Hetty Green,
"The Day They Shook the
Plum Tree" that there were
no Green Libraries, no Green
Halls on college campuses."
In justice to Hetty and her
family, / should like to ad-
wise you that the administra-
tion building on the Welles-
ley, College campus, Welles-
ley, Mass, is named Green
Hall In her memory. ! believe
II was her son who donated
the money for this beautiful
red brick building, built in
the early l930s.
s. w. M.
Evening star., 1963-04-26
WATCHING THE WORLD
By CROSBY S. MOVES
Experts Unanimous on ItoIy's Vote
Foreign Correspondent Of The stor

tions. Most optimistic esti-
mate is that the party may
for the first time lose a small
percentage Of the total vote.
There are other imponder-
ables Of a sociological kind.
Two million new voters-out
Of an electorate Of "a million
will go to the polls Sunday
and Monday for the first
time. How they will vote, no
one can say with assurance, :
though the general rule in,
Italy, as elsewhere, is that
students generally favor poll
tical extremes.
Beyond this, important,
movements of population
have taken place. In the last
five years. 100000 refugees
have left their homes in Italy's,
poverty stricken south and;
resettled In the industrialized
north. Still more hundreds of
thousands have moved from
the countryside into urban
areas. Whether all these dis /;
placed people will vote as
they did before remains to be
seen.
Trend to Left
In general, something Of
a standoff is predicted. Com
munists may lose strength in
the south as a result Of the
exodus. On the other hand
uprooted voters no longer
under the conservative in,
fluence Of their parish priests,
may be more susceptible to,
the greatest imponderabless
of all, however, and also the,
most recent tie in political
and religious fields. A very
distinct trend toward the left.
both of government and the
church itself, is infinitely
the most significant factor
in the current electoral CON-
test. And since interplay be-
tween religion and politics
in Italy is very real, survival
Of this trend on the political
level is the one issue of major
Importance at stake. d.,
Total Of all uncertainties
may be, as the experts sug-r
gest, a relatively unchanged
political spectrum after the
votes are cast. But, given
changes that have taken
place and forces that are at
work, this result in It
self will provide food for
thought for sociologists,
economists and assorted po-
litical and religious savantS
for months to come.