davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20
The Trouble in Saigon

The news from South Wet Nam is
at ence both unsettling and puzzling.
The Buddhist demonstrations against
the government of President Ngo Dinh
Diem are beginning to reach point of
extremiSm and irrationality not unlike
what we are experiencing in some places
in our own country. Why?
There is no simple answer to this
question. Although the reports from
Saigon suggest that Buddhists have
launched a religious war against Mr..
Diem, who is Roman Catholic, the fact
is that his government is largely made
up of BuddhaS followers. BY way of
example, the country'S Vice President is
a Buddhist And so is about half of the
Diem cabinet. And so is the army'S chief
Of staff. And so are most of the soldiers
who fight against the Peking supported
invaders from the north. And so, too,
are many of the policemen who have
dubbed anti Diem Buddhist demon
strators.
These facts do not clarity the sit
uation, but they are facts nevertheless.
wa Why oAS6OoO 40 oAI1lplJ bI11o l. ldI
Mr., Diem, whatever may be the failings
and stupiditieS of his government, is not
anti-Buddhist and that the sponsors of
religious warfare against him must be
viewed with fishy eye. So it is good
that President Kennedy-while deplor-
ing the dangerous situation in Saigon,
and hoping that the Diem regime will
show wisdom and craftsmanship enough
to resolve it-has just served notice that
the United States is determined to con-
tinue its support of the long and trying
Vietnamese effort to maintain freedom.
In the Presidents words, For us to
withdraw from that effort would mean a
collapse not only of South Wet Nam,
but Southeast Asia. So we are going
to stay there"
Well said. The big question is
whether or not the applicant will be
upset in Saigon by Buddhist extrem-
lists who may be lot less religious and
lot more political ION the left side) than
some people think. This means particu-
larly those people who subscribe to hys-
terical advertisements that gravely dis
tort the admittedly authoritarian nature
OF the Diem regime and the fight 1t has
been waging against the Communists.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20

The testimony Of local welfare
officials before the House District APP
preparations Subcommittee clearly DEM
onstrated the value of living by the
rules.
AS expected, the combination Of
more efficient administration and in
tenSive investigation is proving increas-
ingly effective in removing from the
relief rolls those who have no business
being there under the current rules.
The total number of recipients dropped
from a monthly average of 12,707 during
the 1862 fiscal year to 1881 this year.
In the year ahead, Acting Welfare
Director Brewer anticipates a further
reduction to 9,467-resulting in a saving
of $1.1 million to the District from this
source alone.
Obviously the subcommittee was
pleased, and not merely because the
savings in local welfare grants will help
to check the still-mounting spiral Of
welfare COSTS 1t is clear that the shake
up Of the department is paying other
dividends, which in the long run may
prove to be even more important. Past
presentations of the budget, for example,
have been marked by uncertainty and
stumbling confusion. In contrast, Mr..
Brewer was able this time to lay out
the facts with brevity and convincing
assurance.
In all candor, the subcommittee
chore in marking up the welfare budget
at this stage was not difficult. AS sub
mitted, the budget requests would do
little more than continue existing pro-
grams at their present levels. And this
is not enough. AS the testimony brought
out, there are serious deficiencies in the
supply Of welfare caSeworkerS, in the
limited provisions for child day-care, in
allowances for foster homes. None of
the funds needed for these activities
or for other extensions which Mr..
Brewer served notice he would support
later-can be sought until doubts are
resolved as to how much additional gen.
eral revenue will become available to
the District through an increased Fed
eral payment and other sources.
AS far as welfare is concerned, how
ever, the point is that the administrative
and investigative reforms instituted by
the department have greatly strength
ened its hand, both financially and
politically, in seeking to initiate new
efforts which are designed to end, as
Mr.. Brewer put 1t, the "insidious and
infectious" evil of mounting dependency.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20
Taxi Rates

Recent editorial sympathy
for changes In taxicab rates
and zones, now under consid-
Grafton by the Public Utilities
Commission, seems to ignore
the philosophy behind the
present system.
The present rate of soc for
a single-passenger trip with
in Zone l may or may not be
"fair" from the standpoint
of taxi operators, but there
Is considerable evidence that
an increase would price the
service out Of the daily rid
ing market. The little old
lady visiting her granddaugh-
ter once a year may not mind
paying 81 or $3.50 to taxi
from Union Station to Wis
consin avenue, but it is I'M
likely that daily riders will
stand such a cost from their
homes to their jobs. AS any
experienced cabbie can at
test, such daily riders con-
stitute perhaps IS per cent
OF a typical days fares. Rails
ing rates or manipulating
zones can have no effect other
than to divert large numbers
OF riders to their own cars
or to already shamefully over
crowded buSes-thereby COM
pounding the critical trans
portation malaise the District
currently enjoys.
When the present zone
structure was established, it
was predicated on the prem
Use that riding volume in Zone
l would compensate for the
greater number of short trips
an individual cabbie might
make in the downtown area.
Thus, while he might indeed
receive only soc for a trip
from Capitol Hill to the State
Department, the greater
number Of potential riders
available in Zone / would
reduce the amount of un-
profitable cruising" and
"deadheading" required with
out passengers. Conversely.
any operator will tell YOU
that 1t is not unusual to take
a passenger from downtown
TO the District line for $3.50
or so; yet during the time
required for this trip, he
would normally have COM
pleted five or six trips in
Zone l at SOC each plus tips.
In short, the alleged "in-
Justice" Of Zone / and the
dark rumblings from cabbies
regarding Congress intent In
so circumscribing it does not
stand examination. If op-
orators were indeed losing
money in Zone l, you can be
assured 1t would be much
more difficult to find a cab
downtown than is actually
the case.
II taxi operators are in
deed in a financial squeeze.
1t would seem far more SEN
sible to impose a limitation
on the number Of cabs per-
mitted to Overwhelmingly
giving each cabbie a greater
share Of the "pie." 1t should
also be borne in mind that
tile sIlocklngly low average
hourly income Of the Dis
trict taxi operator reflects the
situation Of hundreds of mar
ginal operators who have
other Jobs and drive their
cabs only a few hours a week.
Limiting the number Of cabs
would tend to remove these
operators from the streets
and improve the health of
the full-time cabbie's finan-
cial picture.
Let's not tamper with a
proven rate and zone for
mula that has given the Dis
trict perhaps the best taxi
cab service on the Eastern
seaboard.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20

Celestine Sibley's essay
ION Seeing An Old Chimney"
that appeared in a recent
real estate section Of The
Star, was as well written as
anything Charles Lamb ever
composed. AS Father Abram
Ryan. the Poet Of The Con-
federacy, stated; "A land
without ruins is a land with
out memories"
However, today in this
grotesque era, ruins are con-
sidered blight by the termites
Of the Redevelopment Land
Agency. the Planning Com
mission, and kindred agen-
cies. AS a result Old WASH
ington has disappeared. His
toric landmarks that have
stood for over 100 years
have and are being de-
stroyed. In the early part Of
the 10th century q minor
earthquake Travelled up the
coast from the Carolinas and
slightly cracked the wall Of
the Capitol. But the old solid
brick and stone structures on
the Avenue, except for the
rattle OF dishes. were unaf-
fected. Today, and history sl-
ways repeats itself, our tow
ering aluminium and glass
bird-cages would fold up in
the streets. Whom the Gods
wish to destroy, they first
make mad"
Congresswoman Franc e S
Bolton is waging a valiant
rear-guard action TO preserve
what remnants Of our heroic
heritage remain but hers Is q
voice crying In the wilder
ness.
Joseph Quayle BristOw.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20
PEOPLE AND PROBLEMS
The CoIossi of Communism
By RALPH McGHL

first published in Chinese In
1921. In 1923, DR.. Sun ac-
cepted a program of aid and
technical assistance from
Russia. In that period a
young officer in DR.. Suns
army, Chang Kai-shek, was
sent to Moscow for special
training. In 1927 Chang
broke with the party, made
a revolution, and took con-
troll of the army. Surviving
Communist leaders, includ-
ing Mao Tze-tung and Chou
En-lai, fled into the vast
countryside.
Peasant China was. In gen.
eral, ravaged by rival war
lords. Its peasantry was will
ing to listen to a promise Of
land and an end to land
lords and money lenders. The
best estimates today are that
almost 10 per cent of the
party membership is peas
ant.
Contrast In Russia
In Russia. by contrast, the
revolution began In q city
-Petrograd. There already
was a substantial Russian
industrial base. Histories Of
the revolution show that the
factory committees of Petro-
grad we're Immediately power
full, containing a majority Of
Bolsheviks as against the
more moderate Mensheviks.
Russian trade unions had
been a factor as early as the
short lived revolution Of
1905. They were thereafter
severely repressed. but their
members formed a part Of
the anti-government under
ground. Communist organ
izers found them bitter and
helpful.
Russian development today
has reached the point where
the people have more. want
more, and are, as we see
from the plaintive editorials
Of Pravda, more interested In
consumer comforts than In
the ideals and sacrifice Of
the party. The Chinese see
this as weakness and retreat.
The two Communist giants
have come different paths.
What direction they take
in the years ahead will
largely determine the course
OF the world toward war or
peace.
m IQAa
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20
Young Republicans

Much has been written
lately concerning the Young
Republican National Conven-
ton in San Francisco. The
general impression is that
Young Republicans are ultra
rightists and pro- Goldwater.
AS an elected delegate to that
convention from Maryland I
believe that TO be quite UNI
true. ] supported Mr.. McDevitt
OF Idaho for chairman and
was most upset by Mr.. Lux
ems statements against the
United Nations and the in
come tax. Mr.. McDevitt, who
refused to indorse any candi-
date for the 1864 presidential
nomination, came within two
votes Of winning on the first
ballot. 1t Is indeed bad policy
for any party leader to in
dorse q candidate before q
primary, as Mr.. Lukens will
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20
THE PASSING SCENE
Timid Congress and Rail Issue
BY MAX FREEDMAN

months. They know Presi-
dent Kennedy is right when
he says the best settlement,
for both the railroads and
the brotherhoods, is one
which avoids emergency &C
ton by Congress. Yet they
have decided that they can
make the lethargy Of Con-
gress their ally in enforcing
their demands. That is ex-
actly what they have done.
Now they think the reluc-
lance Of Congress to intervene
in the dispute will give them
the chance to snatch a few
final concessions which
would otherwise rest beyond
their grasp.
A National Calamity
What the brotherhoods
forget, and what the coun-
try has not yet understood,
is that the whole Nation will
swiftly and tragically suffer
from a railroad strike. Some
Of the wisest men in the adj
ministration are speaking
with m easured precision
when they describe such q
strike as a national calamity.
Then Congress will act, when
it hears from an outraged
Nation, from consume rs
without goods and from BUSH
ness firms without supplies.
But by then the damage will
have left its angry scars.
1t cannot be emphasized
too strongly that neither
now, nor at any time, has
President Kennedy thought
that seizure Of the railroads
would be a sensible or prac-
tical or appropriate remedy
for the present emergency.
There will be no suggestion
of a seizure in any legisla-
ton which President Ken
nedy may send to Congress.
Equally important, the
legislation now being drafted
for possible use makes it ex-
tremely clear that the pro-
posals relate to this railroad
dispute alone. The legisla-
ton as submitted would pre-
clude the bill from being
used as a precedent in other
labor management contro-
versies. But Congress, Of
course, can add many dam
aging and destructive provi-
sions-a prospect which may
yet change the attitude of
the brotherhoods before it is
too late.
The best estimate of the
administration Is that the
harmful results Of q rail-
road strike would be felt in
three days and would reach
calamitous proportions in 10
days. Congress will have to
act swiftly and decisively,
and its previous indifference
will be no excuse in the period
Of crisis. In fact, Congress
can atone for that drifting
lethargy only by expressing
its sentiments Enthusiastically
in the next critical days. It's
avowed determination to pass
drastic legislation. welcomed
neither by the railroads nor
by the unions, could still stop
the strike.
@1963
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20
March on D. c.

That the Negro struggle is
moving ahead so spectacu-
larry now is due not only to
the heroism and dedication
of hundreds Of Negroes but
also to the tardy but whole
hearted agreement of thou
sands of whites that the
Negro position is right.
The Negro effort will lose
ground if 1t changes from
challenging white consciences
to defying white power. In a
physical struggle the Negroes
have certain advantages of
cohesion in not-buying cam
paigns, in voting, etc.; but
these are not large in the
lilo ratio of their numbers
to the white population.
Their great power lies in
their rightness; they cannot
risk departing from that
strength.
The coming march on
Washington will be a su-
preme test of the Negro
method. There will be whites
eager to march in that dem
onstration, I among them.
All agree that to win its OBJ
jectives the march simply
must be nonviolent. Given
good order, speeches chal-
longing but not inflamma-
tory, the march can be a
very effective way to show
Washington and the world
that the civil rights prob
lem cannot be put under the
rug but must be solved.
Inflamed, defiant, the
marcherS will be liable to
committing violence, and can
do great harm to their cause.
The Negro leadership has an
immense responsibility.
Edith Hussey.
4 4 4
The District Government
and Police Department have
laid down a policy Of racial
discrimination for August
%, 1868.
Those who have questioned
the wisdom of the massive
Negro march on Washington
for civil rights" have been
told that the right Of Amer
lean citizens to stage a
peaceable assembly cannot
be infringed upon. However,
it has been announced that
not only the American Nazis,
but any group Of white
Americans seeking to exer-
else the constitutional right
to hold a counterdemonstra-
ton will not be allowed to
assemble.
Where are the bleeding
hearts Of the American Civil
Liberties Union when Gov
eminent policy is antiwhite?
Ronald H. Harner.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20
Of Men and Worms

In recent months, a num-
Der of ranking officials Of
the Defense Department
have expressed concern over
industry's reluctance to
shoulder a larger share OF
the costs of research. ] share
their concern, and would like
to suggest an explanation Of
the problem.
On July IL, william Hines
reported Mr.. McNamara's
disinterest In the innovator
who is underbid on subse-
quent contracts for his crea-
tions. The company "has a
real head start on anybody
else, and that is all we owe
them for the brains we have
picked, for which we have
paid, including q profit"
Last February, Scientific
American described a rebel
liousness evoked by overpun-
ishment which is basically
an emotional response to-
ward the whole situation"
This reduction, common
among higher animals, was
found to occur even in the
primitive planarian worms
which were being trained in
a maze. "In the session fol-
lowing one In which a worm
showed its most marked pref
erence for the rewarded
alternative, 1t rejected the
rewarded alternative and
chose the other instead. 4.
A session or two (later) 1t
acted lethargic when placed
in the maze and refused TO
play the game at ALL"
Mr.. Mcnamara may be a
competent manager Of Edsel-
builders, but I do not think
he should be in charge Of
such higher forms Of life as
planarian worms or scien-
lists.
Marquis II. SeldeI.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20
Puts Us Straight
Lyle s. McGuigan.

This is to express our APP
probation for the thorough
and carefully written story
that appeared in The Sunday
Star July Ia concerning the
survey Of Washington foun-
dations. I would like also to
note one error and make a
comment or two for possible
reference, should you have
occasion to take further no.
tice Of the report.
You state that "only $240,-
900 went to the fields Of
crime and juvenile delinquent
cy." The correct figure is
$204.
The headline, I believe,
creates a misimpression. The
report was not meant to sug-
gest that the relatively weak
interest in Washington rep
resents any sinking Of their
D. c. duty by foundations. 1t
rather reflects the fact that
many Westinghouse have
strong interest in and feel
obligations toward not only
this city, but also other COM
munities in the United States
and abroad. This results
chiefly from the fact that
Washington is the Nations
Capital and has a singularly
limited economy. It is, of
course, unfortunate that
Washington suffers from this
limitation, but that disad-
vantage is not the fault of
the foundations. We should
be less critical Of the amounts
they grant locally than Of the
uses to which the grants are
put.
Alice e. Shidler,
Director Of Educational Ac-
tivities, Washington Center
for Mntrnn0litan Gfiidioe
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20

For many days President
Kennedy has been doing all
he can to prevent the ma
tional railroad strike from
taking place. The extent of
the administrations concern,
and its persistent efforts to
avert the strike, cannot even
remotely be measured by its
public statements.
As a matter Of deliberate
policy, the administration
has decided that full public
ity at this stage would re-
duce the chances for a settle
ment. But 1t can be reported
that the President, himself,
and many Of his important
colleagues, have worked long
and anxious hours on this
railroad problem. Not even
the Hartman mission to
Moscow and the disturbances
over civil rights have de-
Elected their concern from
the threatened strike.
Unfortunately, no similar
sense Of urgency or Of anx-
iety has existed in Congress.
Every sounding Of congress
sional opinion has led to the
conclusion that Congress be-
lieves it will not have to act
because the strike, so often
postponed, will once again
fail to materialize. This con-
clusion has been confirmed
by meetings in the White
House and the Labor Depart
ment with various congress
sional leaders.
The brotherhoods mis-
judged their own best in
terest when they rejected the
opportunity to submit the
whole dispute to the evalua-
ton Of Justice Arthur Gold
berg Of the Supreme Court.
The unions feared they
would be exposing them
selves to compulsory arbitra-
ton. There is the strongest
possible reason, however, for
believing that Justice Gold
berg would, in fact, have
tried to mediate the dispute
instead Of arbitrating it. He
would have dealt separately
with both sides, under the
compulSion Of a national
crisis, and tried to establish
agreement on certain COM
mon principles which could
then have guided the rail-
roads and the unions to their
own negotiated settlement.
This chance was lost, and
lost through no fault of the
railroads.
Congress TimidIy AlOOf
1t is not sufficiently real
lied that the national inter-
est has already suffered
because Congress has stood
timidly aloof from the dis
pute. The reasons for this
detachment confer little
credit on Congress. The Re-
publicans want President
Kennedy to bear all the
blame, and all too many
Democrats are afraid Of re-
prisals from the powerful
railroad brotherhoods.
This situation in Congress
explains the curious conduct
Of the unions in the past few
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20
Answers to Questions
BY THE HASKIN SERVICE

@. Where is the loudest Or
gan stop in the world2 KB.
A. The Guinness Book OF
Records says that the worlds
loudest organ stop is the
State T1umpeter stop Of the
organ in the Cathedral Of st.
John the Divine, New York
City. 1t is operated by q pres
sure Of so pounds per square
inch and is five times as loud
as the loudest locomotive
horns.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used II
letters carry tDriters' correct
names and addresses. All let
tiers are subject to condensd-
ton. Those not used tuiu be
returned only tDhen accom-
panied By self addressed,
stamped envelopes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20

Questions rise out of the
sweaty wrestling bout be-
tween China and Russia over
the soul of communism"
The two most frequently
asked are: Why did China
"go Communist"
Why is China so insistent
on the purity Of her Marx
ism and Leninism while &C
cusing Russia of abandoning
both?
One answers the other.
China moved directly into
Marxism because, by 1914 her
peasant life had been dis
rupted and her industrial
workers lived in conditions
closely paralleling those de-
scribed by Marx. Marx wrote
of conditions in the new Eu-
ropean industrial revolution
as he saw them in the 1840s.
"The modern laborer," he
said, in 1848, "instead Of ris-
ing with the progress of IN
dustry, sinks deeper and
deeper below the existence Of
his own class" Marx also
predicted workers one day
would be literally chained
to their machines"
Child Labor Factor
Authorities on the devel-
opment Of communism In
China produce stories of
child labor, In the years
after the First World War,
which included children
locked up at night to sleep
on pads beside the machines
they operated by day.
In our own country legis-
lation forbidding child labor
is relatively new. Laws fix
ing wages and hours and
providing for collective bar
gaining on working condi-
tons date back to Woodrow
Wilson's administration. The
Wagner Act Of the l930s is
a relatively recent piece OF
legislative decision.
This story OF the evolu-
ton Of social conscience and
its enactment into laws is a
feature OF the industrial
growth Of Great Britain and
other western countries.
This is precisely why our
capitalism has survived in
strength.
In our own time there are
millions OF peasants and
thousands OF workers in
Latin American countries
who read, or hear, Marxism
and consider that 1t more or
less exactly fits their present
condition.
So II was In China when
the people began TO hear II
from students and revolu-
tionaries In the years after
the First World War. DR..
Sun Yat-sen had Joined the
Allies In that war. Yet, once
II was ended, the Versailles
Treaty ignored the reforms
he had asked.
History reports that the
Communist Manifesto was
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-20

where else? And why2 Well, who likes
to have guests cooking chickens on the
living room floor?
Mr.. Thant must keep matters of this
sort in mind when he replies to the
Kremlin. The limited heads-of- ESTATE
meeting in 1860 was a grotesque dis
aster. We cannot believe it would be
wise to repeat such performance.