davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14


DR.. Edward Teller u 100
per cent correct In saying
that Congress should have
as much faith in the space
program as queen Isabella
had in the discovery Of q new
trade route to the East" The
nuclear physicist and sup
porter Of civil defense Is also
correct In his statement that
much could could come out
of the space program that no
one can realize yet" We have
reaped many benefits from
the space program and will
reap many more, many that
cannot be foreseen now.
Those who talk Of moon
madness" will be shown to be
wrong.
There are various reasons
for manned flight to the
moon. First, there Is the mil
itary or national s ecurity
viewpoint. Various high
ranking military officers are
of the opinion that the moon
is high ground" from q mil
itary point Of view. The
moon would be an excellent
base in case Of space war
fare. Missiles could be
launched from it. Space We
hicles could be much more
easily launched from the
moons one-sixth earth grav-
ity than they could be from
earth. Sending q man to the
moon Is ideal for developing
space flight to the planets. 1t
will be necessary to develop
planetary space flight to pro-
tect ourselves from possible
space war with other coun-
tries who have space warfare
capability. There is also the
prestige viewpoint. If Soviet
Russia lands a man on the
moon before we do their gain
in prestige will be enormous,
to say the least. He who con-
trolls space controls earthl
David w. Johnston.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14
Shipping at the General

Now that the Diem government
has been brought down, the hatchet
brigade in Saigon seems to have zeroed
in on General Paul D. Harkins, our
ranking military officer in South Wet
Nam.
At a time when the left hand
doesn't know or won't admit it knows
what the right hand is doing, the
potentialities of these scalping forays
should not be underestimate. Thus,
one reads that the members of the
junta who have taken over in Saigon
look upon General Harkins as a symbol
Of the "old order" 1t Is said that the
generals who led the revolt did not
take General HarkinS into their con-
fidence because they thought he was
too close to President Diem. We take
this to mean that General HarkinS
might have been unwilling to betray
the government in Saigon which, oSten-
Sibly at least, enjoyed the support Of
his own civilian superiors. Has this
kind Of loyalty become an unforgiv-
able sin2
There are other items In the in
dictment as set forth in some Of the
news reports. For example, General
Harkins isn't quite with 1t" on the
military situation. Ambassador Lodge,
whose talents as a military expert had
hitherto gone unnoticed, neither shares
the generals view Of the situation nor
considers him particularly well in
formed. There is more in the same vein.
At the Pentagon, where the facts
should be known, this sniping cam
paign is discounted. Complete conf
dence is expressed in General Harkins,
and spokesman says the notion that
pressure from Saigon will have any
effect is absolute baloney." We hope
this is the case. For all official reports
to the American people have been to
the effect that the military effort in
Wet Nam has been going well. Still,
the political situation In Saigon is
fluid" to say the least. 1t might be
just as well to wait a while before
finally concluding that General Harkins
is not next in line for the rug-pull-
ing act.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14
No Sn1okinu

Every parent Of Montgomery County
school children, and indeed parents
everywhere, should applaud the Board
Of Education'S resolution banning stu
dent smoking on school premises. It is
a fortnight action which frees school
principals from having to make indi-
vidual decisions on matter of vital
community interest.
The question of whether smoking
is injurious long since has lost all
validity as a debatable subject. It only
remains for the Government to take
an official position on the extent to
which scientists have determined that
the use of tobacco is harmful.
Long before laboratory evidence Of
Ill effects began piling up, the moral
side of student smoking gave school
boards many uneasy moments. Some
Of them found it convenient to pass
the buck to the school principals who,
like those in Montgomery, tried to
decide whether to permit smoking in
areas set aside for that purpose.
Some parents, to be sure, have ap-
proved Of supervised" school smoking
on the ground that youngsters would
smoke secretly if forbidden to do so
openly. Others feel, as we do, that
sanctioned smoking on school property
can do nothing but encourage the
habit. If we still are to presume that
one function Of the school is to teach
right from wrong, it follows that by
y1arn1ittinO smoking the schools are at
least tacitly approving it.
Far from setting up smoking areas,
schools may be better occupied today
in convincing young people they have
nothing to gain from smoking; that
the "kicks" are ephemeral; that the
risks are much greater than the re-
wards. and that many more persons
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14
Pave the Palisades?

In its thin little feasibility" study
Of an interstate freeway route along the
Potomac Palisades, the highway staff
Of the Montgomery Planning Board
dwellS heavily on population.
The present population Of North
west Montgomery County, it says, will
double by 1880, and triple by the year
1000. From this springboard, it leaps to
the conclusion that a good functional
road along the Potomac in Maryland
makes lot of sense.
We agree.
And the road that should serve this
purpose is the George Washington Me-
mortal Parkway, which the National
Park Service has already started, ever
so slowly, to build.
The new Montgomery report, how
ever, ignores the parkway. To be sure,
It's maps show the right-of-way along
the Potomac bluffs-and even how traf-
fic in the Cabin John area would reach
it. But the report says not word about
the relationship between the parkway
and its own proposals for a huge,
divided, interstate truck expressway
paralleling the parkway Just a stones
throw away.
What are MarylanderS to make of
all this? Are the planners saying the
parkway should not be finished? Or are
they saying the massive freeway should
parallel the parkway (also planned as
a four-lane divided road) all the way
down the Potomac, with Macarthur
boulevard sandwiched in between? If
the latter Is the case, why stop at
this point? Why not simply pave the
little bit Of green space that would be
left in between the roads and have a
real freeway-solid concrete a couple Of
blocks wide?
Silly? No more so than the weird
picture Of three parallel roads, dumping
loads Of traffic at the District line that
the city could not handle. And no more
so, certainly, than abandoning the con-
cept Of the parkway itself.
The fact Is, Of course, that the
planners, led by J. Newton Brewer, are
grasping for q panacea on the Palisades
for all Montgomery's traffic ills. No
such panacea exists. There will have
to be other freeways elsewhere. Along
the river, the proper facility Is the
acknowledgment In such a way as
to carry high volumes Of traffic during
rush hours, and at other times to pro-
vide the same rare values for leisurely
driving which Virginians already are
enjoying on the other side of the river.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14
Militant Pucifists'

I refer to the article by
President Kennedy in the
November 10 issue Of This
Week Magazine" especially to
two sentences which read
Nevertheless, I must confess
to being O bit disturbed over
the pre-World War II image
of the professional soldier
which still fingers in many
minds. No longer do officers
live from one war to the
next" I wish to take excep-
ton to the implication raised
by the second sentence quot
ed.
There may have been, at
one time, Q certain glamor
and romance attached to
war. Chronicles of the Civil
War and even some writings
on the Spanish American
War are so slanted. This APP
proach was, however, def
nitely changed by World War
I. Had the statement read,
"pre-World War l." I might
accept 1t, but I cannot accept
the implied c arge against
the small group of career Of
ficers who remained in active
service between World War I
and World War II to become
the trained and experienced
cadre upon which the enor-
nous expansion Of our armed
forces in the latter conflict
was based.
As q Regular Army officer,
originally commissioned in
1917 from civilian life, who
commanded o machine gun
unit in combat in World War
I and was finally retired (for
the second time) In 1858, I
have never personally known
any professional officers who
"lve I'D from one war (look-
ing forward) to the next"
On the contrary. all Of
my contemporaries, especially
those who had combat serv-
ice, describ e d themselves.
both privately and publicly,
as militant pacifists," indi-
viduals who would fight to
their utmost ability to pre-
vent the outbreak Of any
war. We consider ourselves
the nearest possible approx
nation to insurance against
war.
Otherwise, as the father OF
a graduate from the q. s.
Military Academy, class OF
1916, who was later killed
accidentally in Japan, I
wish to commend the Pres
ident on the excellent preSen-
tation Of the need for suit
able entrants in the service
academies and the post
graduate opportunities Of
fered to them.
e. s. Van Deusen,
Col, U. 8. A. (Ret)
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14
Kicks Center Lea

As O WaShingtonian who
grew UP in the shadow Of the
Capitol land served The Star
through that area during
World War d. I am puzzled
by the proposed Center Leg"
slicing through this magnifi-
cent and historically signifi-
cant section.
The Center Leg will for
ever mar q magnificent view
which should be preserved in
serene and lofty surround
ings, unmarried by rumbling
trucks, gasoline odors and
similar annoyances. There ap-
pears to be no earthly reason
why truck traffic cannot be
re-routed 50 that 1t will come
nowhere near the Capitol or
the White House, areas
which should be preserved
from outside interference.
One can tolerate the LAGOON
horrors in Southwest WASH
ington. as they are off the
beaten track and do not mar
the magnificent sweep Of the
Mall, or intrude on its cloi-
stored serenity. And the So
called North Leg and the
other legs Of this ungodly en-
cheering monstrosity can
possibly be justified on ex-
pediency. Although why they
could not have been routed
further out on the outskirts
Of the city. and thus keep
them away from the longest
ed downtown, Is hard to fig
ure. After all. the prime pur-
pose Of these superhighways
is to speed traffic through
the city at breakneck speed,
something that doesn't bring
our city a nickel's worth of
profit, and only adds to its
stencil and din and growing
feeling Of inferiority.
But what Is most appalling
is the waste Of public money
so desperately needed for
food, clothing, and shelter
for underprivileged children,
the sick, the neglected, for
hospitals. and the eternally
and Internally lamented need
for teachers, counselors, and
schools.
The Center Leg will OBJ
viouSly destroy the beauty of
the center Of the city, add to
the din and clatter, destroy
forever homes and valuable
land sites, and waste millions
of public money for what
purpose? To satisfy who's
ego? To please what group2
To solve what community
problem?
John d. Michael.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14
Crime Checklist

To q layman, admittedly
unlearned in law, 1t would
appear that the debate be-
tween Police Chief Murray
and worried champions OF
civil liberties over the NAL
lory rule equitably could be
resolved with a checklist
QUESTIONABLE that would be
routine for the detention or
interrogation Of any citizen
by any police authority. This
checklist would be obliga-
tory irrespective Of whether
the detention involved a mis-
demeanor or q suspected
felony. Properly witnessed
and signed, it would be ad-
Missile by stipulation In any
further inquiry or judicial
procedure purposed either to
defend or prosecute.
First, the detained citizen
would affirm that his con-
stitutional rights had been
explained. Second, he would
deny, admit or qualify his
participation, presence or
knowledge of the INSIDE
meanor or felony under in
vestigation. Third, he would
state within reasonable ex-
pectation, where he was and
what he believed he was
doing at the time Of events
under police investigation.
Then he could get his lawyer.
These items properly certi-
fled would give police legal
means to diSprove fraudulent
alibis and prevent resourceful
criminal mouthpieces from
changing. what should be
admissible evidence, properly
immune to challenge of those
who believe the guilty have a
right to all immunities and
the public none.
Thomas E. Mattingly, MD.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry iDriters' correct
names and addresses. All let
tiers dre subject to condenSd-
ton. Those not used t0iH be
returned only Uhen accom-
panied By self addressed,
stamped envelopes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14
Halfway House

When I learned that the
Capitol Hill Southeast Cit
liens Association was going t.
consider the use Of the Tenn
porary Home for Veterans,
921 Pennsylvania ave. Sc, as
a Halfway House for former
prisoners, I assumed that the
Association was initiating, or
at least giving strong support
to this needed enterprise. I
was shocked to read in The
Star that instead 1t is in OPP
position.
This can come only from
lack Of knowledge about
H alfway Houses, which is
surprising since much has
been published about them.
DismaS House in st. Louis
was the subject Of a popular
moving picture, "Hoodlum
Priest" and was founded by
a priest with the aid Of a
prominent Jewish lawyer and
the assistance of people Of
many denominations as well
as people belonging to none.
Halfway House belongs in
a prominent, easily accessible
place where 1t can be part Of
the residential as well as
business community. Its resi-
dents are carefully selected
men who have paid tt cir
debt to society, want to be
good citizens, and deserve to
be welcomed back into COM
munity life, but who have no
homes, families, or jobs to
return to. Some need Job
training. The great enemy of
all Is rejection, which may
push them back into a life Of
crime. Halfway House helps
them gain work, friends, and
most of all acceptance.
The report from those
cities where there is a Half
way House is that it is a fine
civic asset. Anyone who can
should visit one and see for
him self. Others should at
least read and learn the rec
ord before deciding. I am
sure then that many will
think they should do all they
can to promote the use Of
921 Pennsylvania avenue Sc.
as a Halfway House. G. S.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14

Financial Times there Is no
question Of q British COM
mitment on this point (of
credit restrictions) as Il
would involve an unjustiiia-
bic surrender Of commercial
sovereignty"
Only II all the other West
ern countries agreed to limit
their own export credits, ac-
cording to the American
scheme, Britain might find It
possible from q competitive
standpoint to fall in line. But
again 1t would involve no
formal commitment to NATO
or anyone else.
See Selfish q. S. Angle
Apart from differences Of
phnosophic approach. there
Is also q feeling-shared by
some other NATO powers
that the United States q
promoting this particular
show Of allied unity for
somewhat selfish purposes.
The United States, com.
pared with other countries in
western Europe, Is very
much out in the cold on the
business Of East-West trade.
Out Of a total two-way trade
with the Sino-Soviet bloc Of
about SIS billion yearly, the
United States share averages
only about $3.50 million.
This Is largely o matter Of
policy on the part Of the
American Government. II the
United States wanted to ex-
tend long-term credits TO the
Communist countries, It
could practically drive It's
European competitors out Of
the field. It is prevented by
law from extending such
credits. however. and there Is
no sign that this prohibition
will be lifted.
Mr.. Balls efforts to limit
the trade Of the NATo coun-
tries with the Eastern bloc,
as some European economists
see 1t, Is q device which may
result in increasing the
American share Of this East
West trade. The sale Of
American wheat to Russia is
taken as a sign Of q reviving
interest in profitable COM
mercial relations with the
Eastern bloc.
However this may be, the
interest on the Russian side
is new and very insistent.
The Russians today are
bringing strong pressure to
increase their trade with the
West and to obtain long,
term credits where they can
get them. The British, for
their part. see this as one of
the more hopeful and signifi-
cant features Of the current
East-West detente which
should be cultivated in spite
Of the reservations Of their
allies. t--E
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14
A BOOK FOR TODAY
By DONALD MINTZ
Almost Always on His Own

legislator had. come to an end.
the character, ideas and
approach to national problems
Of the Senator-elect were al
ready d efin e d. The future
years in the Senate would
write in large letters on the
national scene what was al
ready evident in smaller print
to the citizens Of Nebraska.
Thus Norris had gradually
moved from a conservative
Republican politician to a
prominent progressive leader
who, already entitled to his.
torical notice for his role in
the insurgency revolt, was
destined to become one Of the
outstanding Legislators in
American history.
His own character, and to a
far greater extent, the imper-
Sonal forces Of State politics
had isolated him from the ma
tional political machines, and
often from the congressional
machines. ''In politics be was
almost always on his own"
Strange Balance
For all the inherent interest
of its subject, Prof. Lowitt's
biography is not a particular
ly interesting book.
Part of the difficulty comes
from Prof. Lowitt's curious
judgments about what to in
clude and what to exclude.
Norris activities as Judge of
the Nebraska District Court
are indicated relatively brief
ly. There are few details al.
though a number Of selected
cases might have thrown con-
siderable light. on the difficult
economic conditions of the
'9Os and made the time and
place vivid rather than highly
distracted.
Yet we are told the names
of the railroad officials who
handed Norris his passes, the
exact amount Of a dentists
bill and far too much about a
troublesome mill that Norris
had to deal with.
Prof. Lowitt has done most
of his work with the Norris
papers in the Library of Con-
greSs, and this strange bal
ance seems to be the result
Of that work. 1t appears that
the boxes of manuscripts have
dictated the contents of the,
book. What Prof. Lowitt found
there, he used. What he would
have had to seek elsewhere is
missing.
The rest of the difficulty re-,
suits from Prof. Lowitt's ad-
herence to the principle of
facts without feeling"
Specialists will probably
find his book interesting. Most
laymen will find it somewhat
oppressive.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14
Health Center Site


In q letter, Thomas B.
Heilmann, jr., protests Presi-
dent Kennedy's recent press
conference statement that q
North Carolina site would be
very acceptable" for the
proposed $40 million environ
mental health center. Mr..
Heilmann, "as a taxpayer"
argues that, for economy
reasons, the Federal Govern
ment should build the center
in Maryland on land which 1t
alrea dy owns, rather than
pure base" land in North
Carolina.
The true facts point to the
opposite conclusion-even on
the sole basis Of cost-cutting.
Governor Terry Sanford and
other North Carolina off,
cials have repeatedly empha-
sized that the site In their
State would be available
without cost to the Govern
ment. Furthermore, any re-
cent study or survey will re-
fleet that construction costs
in the Research Triangle
area Of North Carolina are
considerably below those pre-
vailin g In the Washington
Metropolitan Area. And so, If
Mr.. Heilmann is really inter-
ested in reducing costs for
the proposed health center,
he should become an advo-
cate of the North Carolina
site.
The North Carolina loca-
ton would also promote q
policy Of decentralizing gov
eminent functions and activ-
tiles, wherever feasible, and
would make available to the
Government on a co-opera-
tive basis the splendid re-
search and medical facilities
Of Duke University and the
University Of North Carolina.
In short. the facts fully sup
port President Kennedy's
jud m ent that the North
Carolina site would be very
acceptable"
Robinson o. Everett
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-14

GEORGE w. NORRIS, The
Making of a Progressive
1S61-1S12 by Richard Lowitt.
Illus, 341 PIP. Syracuse Uni
versity Press, $7.s5.
1.-THE SPEAKER PRO
TEMPORE: The House will
be in order. Gentlemen will
understand the improperly of
singing on the floor, even
though the House is not at this
moment transacting any bust
ness. The House is not in re-
cess.
CHORUS: 'There'n be a
hot time in the old town to-
night
1.-THE SPEAKER PRO
TEMPORE: That was last
night, not tonight. (laughter).
The House will in order"
That lunatic exchange is not
from an unimaginative paro-
dy Of the doings on Capitol
Hill but a Straightforward
quotation from the Congress
sional Record.
It was early in the morning
of March 10, 1910, and a
group Of H ouse insurgents
was seeking to amend the
rules so as to reduce the DOW
er of the Speaker. RepreSen-
tative George W. Norris one
of the insurgent leaders, scru-
pulouSly insisted that he was
not opposed to the all-pOwer-
full Joseph Cannon as a per-
Sonality. But Cannon was the
incumbent Speaker, and an
attack on the rules necessari-
ly became something Of an
attack on the Speaker.
Politics b Elm 6 what they
are, Representative Norris
was not able to maintain the
distinction as closely as he
would have liked. But Rep
reSentative Norris being what
he was, did his best.
Volume One
The story Of this episode of
1910 is one of the climaxes of
Richard Lowitt's biography of
Norris from his birth to his
election to the Senate in 1912.
DR.. Lowitt, associate profess
Sor Of History at Connecticut
College, is currently at work
on another volume that will
begin where the present book
ends, and take the reader to
Norris defeat in the senatori-
al campaign of 1912 and his
death in 1914.
Though the present volume
includes the monumental bat
tie of 1910 and the complex
and extraordinary story Of the
effect of Theodore Roosevelt's
Progressive candidacy Of 1912
on Nebraska politics, it is
nevertheless essentially pre-
liminary. AS the book ends,
Norris apprenticeship as a