Evening star. [volume], May 26, 1948, Page A-10, Image 10

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
With Sunday Morning Edition.
WASHINGTON, 0. C '
Publnhod by
Tit* Evening Star Newspaper Company.
FRANK B. NOYES, Chairman of tha Board.
FLEMING NIWBOLD, Praeidant.
B. M. McKELWAY, Editor.
MAIN OFFICE: lllh St. and Pennsylvania Av*.
• NEW YORK OFFICE: 110 Eost 42d St.
CHICAGO OFFICEi 43S North Michigan Av*.
Delivered by Carrier—Metropolitan Area.
Dally ond Sunday Dolly Only Sunday Only
Monthly ..1.20* Monthly ... 90t 10c per copy
Weekly ...30c Weekly ... 20e 10c per copy
*10c additional when 5 Sundays are in a month.
Also 10c additional for Night Finol Edition In those
sections where delivery is made.
Rato* by Mail—Payable in Advance.
Anywhere In United States.
Evening and Sunday Evening Sunday
1 month_1.30 1 month 90c 1 month 60c
6 months .. 7.50 6 months .. 5.00 6 months 3.00
1 year ...15.00 1 year_10.00 1 year _ 6.00
Telephone NAtiona! 5000.
Entered at the Post Office, Washington, D. C.,
as second*class mail matter.
Member af the Associated Pro**.
The Associated Press Is entitled exclusively to the use
for republication of oil the local news orinted In this
newspaper, as well as all A. P. news dispatches.
A—10 WEDNESDAYTMoy 26, 194»
Time Wins a Delay
Time, rather than the arguments or the
facts, shelved the home rule bill yesterday
and perhaps stifled it for this session.
The proponents of the bill had the best
of the argument. But time was on the
side of the opponents and they used It
effectively. Every opportunity for delay
counted in their favor and none of them
was overlooked.
It would be a rash prophet who predicted
what the final vote might have been, had
It come yesterday. Two preliminary tests
by rollcall were close and the substance
of the issue was avoided in both of them.
The reading of the bill for amendment
covered only forty-one of the measure’s
one hundred eighty pages, and some of Its
most controversial parts were not reached.
But the significant showing was that
objections to the bill, when exposed to the
light of debate and examined carefully,
consisted of shadowy doubts and fears,
misunderstandings or self-confessed igno
rance and were conspicuous in their lack
of weight. If the ideal but rarely attained
condition existed, with members in full
attendance and forming their Judgment
on the evidence pro and con as presented
in full and free debate, there would be
little doubt of the outcome. The bill would
be approved.
For Denina 11, as wir. jjirasen remmucu
his colleagues yesterday with a touch of
real eloquence, is a principle so funda
mental in our conception of rights, so
compelling a part of our whole tradition,
that its ultimate acceptance here in
Washington is inevitable. The home rule
bill represents only a part of the principle.
As carefully drawn as it is, it falls short
of meeting the specifications of govern
ment by consent of the governed. It may
be subject to ridicule, as it was during
House debate, on account of those short
comings. But this bill, or something like
It, is on its way. even if It is only a step
toward the goal of full rights of Amer
ican citizenship by constitutional amend
ment. _
New Wage Approach
The agreement worked out between
General Motors and the United Automo
bile Workers represents an Interesting and
_so far as the principle embodied is
concerned—a sensible approach to the
problem of curbing the wage-price spiral.
Under the terms of the agreement,
which is to run for two years, the employer
assumes the greater risk. Having asked
for an increase of twenty-five cents an
hour, the union settles for eleven cents.
If the cost of living, as measured by the
Bureau of Labor statistics, has dropped by
next September 1, the company has a
contract right to reduce the eleven-cent
increase by a maximum of five cents.
Thus, the union gets an assured six-cent
raise with a fixed proviso for an addi
tional three-cent boost next year.
This adjustment feature, however, can
work upward as well as down. If the
cost of living rises between now and Sep
tember 1, then the corporation is bound
to raise wages above the eleven-cent
figure in an amount equal to the advance
In living costs. Thus, while the employes
are protected by the contract against a
reduction in wages of more than five cents
an hour, the only limit on the employer's
liability is the extent of the rise in living
costs. As against this, however, there are
certain offsetting benefits, such as the
two-year life of the contract and an agree
ment by the union not to seek any fringe
benefits during its lifetime. The effect is
to stabilize operating costs, subject, of
course, to fluctuations in the cost of living
index.
On the whole this seems to be a reason
able way of dealing with the pressure for
higher wages that is generated by mount
ing living costs, and It Is believed to be
the first time that any major union has
committed Itself to any wage reduction in
event living costs go down. It is impos
sible to reckon accurately the ultimate
cost to the industry of the new agreement.
Calculated on the eleven-cent basis, how
ever, and assuming that the GM formula
will be generally applied, it is expected to
add about $220,000,000 a year to the in
dustry’s overhead. If this is to be passed
on to the automobile buyers, the already
high cost of new cars is going even higher.
Excuse It, Please
If the ability to put one's foot in one's
mouth marks a man as being of presi- |
dential stature, as some would have us
believe, Henry Wallace is as good as in
the White House. ,
In an extemporaneous address to a
luncheon group at Salem, Oregon, Mr. j
Wallace said that, if he were elected
President he would push forward with
plans for electrifying the Nation's farms,
the idea being to move people from poor
land to good land. To accomplish this he
would have the Government buy up all
the land which could not be served by
electricity. Then all the people on the
nonelectrified land would be urged to
move. And those who might refuse to
move, under the Wallace plan, would
simply be denied the right to have
children. t
When word of this interesting proposal
reached Mr. Wallace’s campaign manager,
C. B. Baldwin, the latter was so “horrified”
that he prevailed upon Mr. Wallace to
recant. “I find I horrified Mr. Baldwin,”
the third-party candidate told reporters.
“He thought I said I didn’t want families
on submarginal land to have children. He
says 1 said it, although I don’t remetnber
saying it. If I did, I shouldn’t have. I
didn’t mean that. I have no idea of inter
fering with any one’s desire to have
children.”
What Mr. Wallace really did mean is
not clear. But his assurance as to what
he did not mean presumably will be wel
comed by the submarginal farmers and,
to an even greater extent, by the Govern
ment. For, as one might suspect, the
original Wallace proposal left to the
Government the job of preventing these
people from having children. And that
would be too much to ask of a government
fully committed to regimentation, let
alone one which still professes some faith
in the free-enterprise system.
Where Do They Stand?
Our whole Nation, together with a good
part of the rest of the world, has reason
to be deeply disturbed by the way in which
the Republican leadership of the House
has handled the President's request for
a three-year renewal of the Reciprocal
Trade Agreements Act.
For the Republican leaders, besides
denying the request, have erected virtually
insurmountable barriers against any effort
in the House to modify the wishy-washy
substitute they have offered. Having
barred the press and public from the
committee'hearings on this substitute,
they now have gone all out with their
steamroller by adopting a rule arbitrarily
limiting debate to three hours and for
bidding amendments to the measure.
This high-handed and essentially un
democratic procedure is designed to push
through a bill that would extend the
reciprocity program for only a year. The
bill, moreover, would contain a potentially
crippling proviso allowing for a congres
sional veto on any agreement not in
keeping with standards set by a newly
organized and independent Federal Tariff
Commission—an arrangement that would
place a huge question mark over the
ability of the executive branch to nego
tiate trade pacts.
In declaring that it would be better to
let the whole reciprocity program die than
to enact such a measure, Secretary of
State Marshall may have exaggerated a
bit. But certainly it is a measure that
gives rise 10 me gravest misgivings. Ana
It justifies this suspicion: That its authors,
though they profess otherwise, would not
be at all displeased if it should have the
effect of slowly but surely destroying our
reciprocal trade policy and paving the
way for a return to the days of high pro
tectionism when tariff-making was pri
marily a business of selfish and reckless
logrolling in Congress.
Is that what the Republican leadership
really wants? Does it want to do away
with a program that has been an integral
part of our foreign policy for the past
fourteen years? Does it want to nullify
the effort to promote peace and prosperity
through quid-pro-quo tariff concessions
of a mutually beneficial nature? After
having joined with the rest of Congress
in insisting that the Marshall Plan nations
must commit themselves to reciprocity,
does it now want to place our Nation in
the position of refusing to practice its
own preachments? In short, does it want
to give the impression that we are going
to try to do the impossible thing of being
political internationalists on the one hand
and economic isolationists on the other?
In this election year, the American
people—most of whom have been shown
to be strongly proreciprocity in the public
opinion polls—have a right to know just
where the Republican Party stands on
this issue. The House measure tries to
face both ways, but it succeeds only in
making the GOP seem bent on taking a
long step backward to high protectionism.
What have the presidential hopefuls to
say? They should speak out, one way or
the other. The matter is much too im
portant—both for ourselves and the world
at large—for silence or pussyfooting.
Anglo-American Friction
The growing strain on relations between
the United States and Britain, though
primarily due to the Arab-Jewish war in
Palestine, is producing repercussions much
more far-reaching. The Palestine issue
acts like a pervasive irritant, affecting ad
versely contacts between Washington and
London in almost every field.
This is a serious matter, because close
understanding between the American and
British governments has been both the
driving force and the cement of nearly
all constructive endeavors for world re
covery and stability. Without that in
tangible yet vital psycnoiogicai lacmr
much of what is being attempted in
Europe as well as in the Middle East, and
even the Far East, could be gravely handi
capped or possibly Jeopardized.
All this is doubtless realized by diplo
mats and other specialists on both sides
of the Atlantic. Yet realization of the
facts by no means assures a quick harmo
nizing or compromising of divergent
interests and policies. The British know
the intrinsic weakness of their position in
the Middle East and feel that they cannot
risk a breach with the Arab bloc. They
likewise feel that we have acted pre
cipitately and irresponsibly regarding
Palestine, not merely by our hasty recog
nition of the new State of Israel but on
previous occasions. That does not mean
that British policy has been consistently
wise. It does mean, however, that, feeling
as they do, an accommodation with us
over Palestine may be difficult to arrive
at. And meanwhile the strain on Anglo
American relations generally will go on
and may intensify.
Just to cite a few examples of the need
for close Anglo-American understanding,
there is the Implementation of the Euro
pean Recovery Program, the financial
problem of the sterling bloc and the
current Six-Power negotiations at London
over a settlement for Western Germany.
It is probably no mere coincidence that,
during the past week, those negotiations
hava taken a turn for the worse, owing
'T %
chiefly to revived French stubbornness in
opposition to the Anglo-American plan for
German rehabilitation. Any relaxation
of Anglo-American solidarity in this matter
would increase the chances of deadlock
or failure, with the gravest consequences
not merely to German but also to Western
European recovery.
To analyze and evaluate Anglo-Ameri
can friction is not to solve the problem
which it represents. But at least it pre
sents a clear picture and underscores the
need for a speedy solution.
District Liquor Prices
With the opposition of the Commission
ers and the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board, the bill to legalize price fixing in
the liquor stores is probably dead. It
should be.
The ABC Board members, Chairman
Alan W. Payne, Mrs. Agnes Mason and
James O’Donnell Moran, are to be com- !
mended for not going along.
Regulatory boards have to live in
constant association with the industries
over which they have such vast powers.
They sometimes become "industry minded.”
Not so Washington’s ABC Board. When
the liquor dealers asked the board to
support the bill, the board Aid, "No.”
Milton S. Kronheim, Washington dis
tributor of National Distillers products,
testified yesterday at a House District
subcommittee hearing that delinquent
accounts were the highest in history.
Under the law the retailer must pay for
deliveries by the 15th of the following
month or be declared delinquent and
placed on a cash basis. Mr. Kronheim
termed the current situation a price war
and predicted bankruptcies.
Mr. Payne of the ABC also testified. He
said: "Perhaps (proponents of this bill)
do not realize that by insisting upon
uniform prices they have caused many
of the consuming public to believe that
if this is necessary, the best way of doing
it is to institute the monopoly system of
State stores in the District, and thus let
the municipality enjoy the profits so they
will directly inure to the benefit of the
people.”
Perhaps it would be a good idea. If
Washington’s liquor dealers are about to
give up the ghost, it is a good time fpr
the District to take over, fix prices and
get the revenue.
Last year about four million gallons of
distilled liquors were sold in the District.
That is about two-thifds of the sale in
Virginia, which sold just under six million
gallons. The District collected a little
over three million dollars in taxes. Vir
ginia realized twenty-four million dollars
in profits in its State liquor stores.
Now if a District monopoly could do as
well with its two-thirds of Virginia’s
volume it would realize sixteen million
dollars and tnat is more than the maxi
mum estimates of a sales-tax return.
The poet who called on time to turn
backward in its flight should be with us
at this time, to get a load of the resur
rected McKinley tariff mob.
This and That
By Charles E. Tracewell
“ARLINGTON, Va.
"Dear Sir:
"We enjoy your column In The Star and
have been bird watchers since putting up a
feeding tray last summer.
"We do not have a bird book and want to
get one. I read in your column your recom
mendation that every one have three or more
books, rather than just one. However, we
aren’t ready to get so many at once.
"Will you please recommend a bird book (or
several) that would be good for beginners? We
surely will appreciate your help.
"Very truly yours, A. H.”
* * * *
We welcome this opportunity to expand on a
former statement.
Often a flat remark needs modifying.
Under no circumstances would we recom
ment that any one purchase three "bird books’’
at once.
That is not the way to do It,
The ideal way, when one is taking up bird
watching, is to get one small volume, and use
it enough to really get familiar with it.
An excellent one is Chester Reed's "Bird
Guide—Land Birds East of the Rockies.” It is
very small, comes in a slip cover, and fits the
pocket. (Published by Doubleday-Doran).
It also fits the home table by the window I
The colored illustrations are simplified so
that they show just about whjst the watcher
will see.
There are many other small books of this
type, each with its own good points.
The beginner will discover that the small
book has some advantages, not the least of
which is that there is not too much detail.
After all, the birds he will see in his own
garden will not be more than 70, more or less.
He will not see all of these in any one year, but
spread over several years. The first 40, let us
say, he may identify his first year, but the re
mainder come slower.
After he has used his one small book for a
time, he may feel the need for another, and may
be referred to the new "Audubon Bird Guide.”
showing Eastern land birds, by Richard H.
Pough. It is published by Doubleday «fe Co.
Or he may like "Meld Book of Eastern Birds.”
by Leon Augustus Hausman, published by Put
nam.
These are larger works ana eacn has its own
good points.
All three of these works, purchased at once,
would be rather difficult for the beginner to
digest.
He probably would get mixed up. rather than
be helped, because the seeker for information is
always a major part—sometimes disregarded—
of any such combination.
The way to acquire bird books is by easy
stages, as one grows in interest in the subject,
Our Public Library has many and the book
stores, too, so that any one genuinely Interested
may find at such places a fine display.
* * * *
A standard and classic work, now sold as three
volumes in one, is "Birds of America,” edited by
T. Gilbert Pearson.
It will be discovered that these works all
supplement each ether. The owner of them all,
along with other volumes, may pursue one bird
through many minds.
He may see it as pictured and colored by many
artists. He may be amazed to find that two
equally skilled men can make the same bird
seem so different!
"Bird Portraits in Color.” issued before the
war by the University of Minnesota Press, is a
favorite with many.
To build up a small shelf of books about birds
in this slow way is an excellent thing. The
volumes become books one lives with, rather
than keeps safely on a shelf.
The books may become stained with rain, dog
eared, even have cracked backs and tom pages,
but in this case such disasters will not make so
much difference.
The oird is the thing, and the book only sec
ondary. It is a good book if it helps, not so
good if it doesn’t. But here, as always, what is
one man’s meat is another’s poison. A reference
book should be read, as well as referred to: it
has much more to offer than occasional help.
And when one reads first, reference is made
easier, surer and more pleasant.
C
Letters to The Star
Two Air Forces • Blessing
To the Bdltor of The Star:
I see by the papers that one of the greatest
airmen of our time, Gen. Spaatz, Intends after
his forthcoming retirement to devote his talents
to fighting the Navy in order to prevent this
country from being “saddled with two air
forces.” He already is leading the fight to
block the Navy’s plans for building a 60,000
ton super carrier.
This is an amazing spectacle, and indicates
a sad lack of understanding on the General’s
part as to what the Navy can contribute toward
survival in the air age. Unfortunately, this
lack of understanding is not confined to Gen.
Spaatz. It is shared quite generally by the
American public.
Our splendid naval air force, with its self
sufficient mobile bases, makes it possible for
this country to have a tremendous advantage
over any enemy in a future war. If we have
the wisdom to exploit and improve this advan
tage, in conjunction with our 70 group Air Force,
it can make this country invincible in the air.
A hard hitting, fast moving naval air force,
with carrier air bases cruising wherever there
is salt water, can be the “difference" that
makes our command of the air overwhelming.
We are not “saddled” with this advantage—
we are blessed with it.
The Navy has itself to blame for the sad
state of affairs in which we find a great airman
like Gen. Spaatz leading the fight to throw
away a powerful and unique air weapon. The
General and the public cannot be expected
to appreciate what the Navy can do in the air
age unless the Navy itself gives them the
benefit of expert advice from the men best
qualified to give this advice, namely, the naval
aviators who have spent the best part of their
lives building up our naval air force. The
taxpayers are entitled to this advice, but top
level Navy policy denies it to them.
Ever since the fight over the so-called Unifi
cation Act started, nearly two years ago, the
naval air experts have been gagged, and are
still gagged. They are told that in their public
utterances they must avoid “controversial" sub
jects. Of course, Gen. Spaatz’s statement makes
the very existence of naval aviation a contro
versial subject, and therefore bars any public
discussion of it by the Navy.
The official purpose of this gag is the laud
able one of promoting co-operation between
services, and speeding true unification. But
its actual result, which is daily becoming more
Imminent, is the undermining of an important
and exclusively American source of air
supremacy. C. T. FORCE.
Differs With Mr. Lawrence
To the Editor ol The St»r:
From time to time Columnist David Law
rence discusses a subject, devotes several col
umns to it and, in effect, prosecutes a crusade.
It appears that the administration of the Taft
Hartley Act has become such a subject for him.
Certainly, such a matter as this most impor
tant law should be discussed free from distor
tion, so that readers can derive intelligent con
clusions as to the merits of this highly
controversial and basic piece of legislation.
Regrettably, Mr. Lawrence, in several of his
recent columns, has not displayed that desirable
adherence to fact. For example, in his column
concerning Taft-Hartley, appearing on May 19,
he says: “The NLRB continues in its devious
way to emasculate the Taft-Hartley Act.”
He bases his assertion on a statement Issued
by that Board that it had overruled the Clark
Bros, decision of 1946, in which it was held
to be an unfair labor practice for an employer
to convene his workers on company time and
deliver to them an anti-union speech.
“Actually,” Mr. Lawrence tells the reader,
"the Clark Broe. decision was overruled by the
language of the Taft-Hartley Act and the en
tire membership of the board acknowledged
this fact in a decision issued on April 16 last
in the case of General Shoe Corp.”
If the reader were to look at the opinion in
the shoe case he would find this language by a
majority of the board: “We do not find it nec
essary, in this part of the case, to pass upon or
adopt the trial examiner's finding that1 the
respondent violated the act • • * by the action
of its president in summoning the employes,
in groups of 20 to 25, to his office on the eve
of the election for the purpose of reading to
them an anti-union speech.”
In the remaining part of the board's decision
in the shoe case, appears this statement: “Nor
do we rely upon the fact that the speech was
delivered on company premises as in the Clark
Bras, case.”
Apparently, euner Mr. ijawrence oia not ac
quaint himself sufficiently with the board’s
ruling in this important “free speech’’ case or
he was too intent on furthering his thesis that
the board "continues in its devious way to
emasculate the Taft-Hartley Act.” Either
course is too expensive a luxury for the reader
—and the American public—at a time when all
of us are trying to give the new law and its
administrators full opportunity to solve our
troubled management-labor relations and hon
estly to appraise the results.
JOHN JOLIN. •
England Partner in Massacre?
To the Editor of The Star:
Respect for England has developed from a
history founded on glory and valor. The proud
English people have suffered and died in the
past century in order to provide England and
the rest of the world with a better place to
live.
Yet, this same England, now is supplying
arms and officers to King Abdullah’s Arab Le
gion, fighting with many other bands against
a courageous group of people fighting to keep
a land they can call their own.
Not only has England abandoned the re
sponsibility she was willing to accept 30 years
ago at Geneva, but she feels no qualms about
being a partner to a bloody massacre. Taking
refuge behind the cloak of the United Nations,
England claims she will stop giving aid to the
Arabs when the U. N. orders her to do so.
Doesn’t England know right from wrong?
A STUDENT.
Resents Attack on Hospital
To the Editor of The Stir:
As one of the thousands of ArtfCTlcan women
who have supported the Hadassah Hospital
and the wide-range Hadassah medical program
throughout Israel and Arab Palestine, I pro
test the military attack made upon this health
center in the Middle East.
Horrifying enough it is that non-Palestinian
Arabs, instigated, supported and encouraged
by England, a major U. N. power, are allowed
to continue their warring aggression against
Israel, but beyond that they openly defy all
rules of warfare—striking wantonly, insanely.
That the Hadassah Hospital, which has
served Jew, Arab and Christian alike, should
be fired upon is completely beyond one’s com
prehension.
The story In The Star about the attack on
the Hadassah Hospital also told of an attack
upon the Hebrew University. Certainly all
civilized people will deplore and condemn such
acts. ESTHER KRAV1TZ.
Air Force Soldier ‘Undesirable*
To th* Editor of The 8t»r:
I am one of those “undesirables” whom Har
old C. Townshend and R. H. J. Campbell
talked about in their protest to the Commis
sioners of Prince George County against hav
ing a trailer camp In the area.
The whole affair started when a number at
soldiers on duty In this area and veterans
Letters for publication must bear
the signature and address of the
writer, although it is permissible for
a writer known to The Star to use
a nom de plume. Please be brief.
whose Jobs hold them here applied through
various channels to some persons who pro
posed building a trailer camp.
The (good?) citizens of Oxen Hill, however,
protested, claiming that "a trailer camp is
a dumping ground for undesirables.”
I am an Air Force soldier. However, I live
in a trailer, so I am "undesirable.” I wasn't
“undesirable,” however, when I went to Europe
In the service of my country.
x My present duty requires that I stay In
this area. It is not my choice, neither is it
my choice to pay high rents.
The whole issue leads me to the conclusion
that I will be much better off when my duty
takes me elsewhere. C. C.
Wages and Strikes a Criterion
To the Editor ol The Star:
That was a fine article b^ Dorothy Thomp
son in The Star of May 7, on the impressions
which our social system are making on Russia.
Rerhaps it will wake people up to the demands
that Communists are making to overthrow the
economic system of the United States. A most
noticeable contrast at present is the consist
ency with which strikes are tormented in
America under our free system. The Com
munists call us imperialistic, and yet strikes
in Yugoslavia have been forbidden since the
Communists have taken control. As to wages,
one report in particular from that county
says, "Belgrade office workers average $70 a
month, plus overtime, and laborers $80 a
month, plus bonuses.” What’s imperialistic
about American wage scales?
MRS. D. N. HULFISH.
Sees a Sorry Example Here
To the Editor ol The Star:
Recently Dr. William Jansen, superintendent
of schools in New York City, and William J.
Gottleib, president of the American Automobile
Club of New York, were forced to cancel a
Washington sightseeing tour for 51 outstand
ing schoolboys of that city. The lads’ trip to
their Nation’s Capital was called off because
of anti-democratic racial practices there.
The bright youths who were to have visited
Washington ranged from eight to the im
pressionable age of 14 years. All 51 boys were
chosen officially as high caliber School Safety
Patrolmen by New York s Public and Parochial
schools. For two weeks the Automobile Club
tried to obtain hotel reservations but without
success. It happened that four or five colored
youths were numbered among the exemplary
boys who were to have visited Washington.
Imagine the necessity for the Jansen
Gottleib action at this stage of our so-called
democratic, postwar enlightenment! Imagine
the effects of the cancellation of the trip to
Washington upon the 51 citizens of tomorrow,
and upon the thousands of youthful admirers
of New York’s outstanding schoolboys.
We might as well face up to the fact that
our Nation's Capital sets a sorry example of
human respect and decency for our future
citizens who should rally to it as our Seat of
Government.
Year after year, an adult America that
should know better has stood idly by as anti
democratic forces in its midst have spread the
gnawing virus of race-color-creed segregation
and discrimination by "law” and/or by "cus
tom.” For too long America has looked at the
stunted growth of its school-age youth who,
as innocent victims of this virus, have been
cheated by their elders out of a chance to be
laudable examples of the democracy we so
loudly proclaim. America has seen frustrated,
confused, bitter and biased citizens emerging
year after year because its own children have
been denied w’holesome experiences making
for good citizenship.
It is time for loyal, mature, adult Americans
everywhere to take immediate steps to rid
Washington of all forms of segregation and
discrimination because of race, color or creed.
It is time for each of us to set such an un
questionable example of democratic patriotism
until we rightly attract—rather than repel—our
51 or 51,000,000 youth to the Nation’s Capital
and to any other section of the Nation. Our
failure to act concertedly as mature, pro
democratic people foredooms our Nation to
fall an easy victim to Communists and other
alien-inspired forces working day and night
for our Nation's subversion.
New York. DUTTON FERGUSON.
Editor, Opportunity.
City Postal Service Defended
To the Editor of The 8t.»r:
I read with disgust the gripe of a party sign
ing his name as Franklin Snow regarding the
condition of the service rendered by the Wash
ington Post Office and I would like to tell
him a few things that he does not know.
On April 30, of this year, I retired from the
postal system after 44 years of service and
during that time I worked with as fine and
capable a man as anyone can find.
This man, W. G. Bell, worked his way up
from sub-clerk to the position of acting Post
master of the District; and if Mr. Snow wants
to meet an efficient and courteous gentleman,
I advise him to call at the District post office
and he will find one in Mr. Bell.
He also should know that the postmaster does
not have anything to do with the running ot
the railroads and should not be held responsible
for any delay in the mails.
Now as to pay increases for these employes:
Does Mr. Snow realize that the clerks in a
first class office have to put in time at home
studying schemes of their work so as to be
able to distribute their mail properly? They
have to pass an examination at least once a
year to qualify them for their jobs. These
employes are entitled to any pay raise they may
get and as an ex-post office employe, I hope
they get $1,000 increase. _
JOHN H. GATES.
Bonus for Recruits Approved
To the Editor of The St»r:
A lot of voteless young men throughout the
country would be interested to hear more about
H. R. 6444 introduced by an important Repub
lican leader In Congress and hastily denounced
by a Democrat as “assinine."
This bill is an attempt to stimulate recruit
ing of men for the armed services. One Idea
back of it seems to be that the recruiting cam
paigns at present conducted are Inadequate.
Work seems to be plentiful and wages high,
and to compete with the civilian employers it
is proposed to offer recruits a bonus. The
bonus proposed is at the rate of $500 for each
year of aerviee for a two or three year enlist
ment, and this bonus, as proposed would be
retroactive to March 31, 1947. An alternative
would be offered, as the bill sets forth. In the
form of educational opportunities under the
G1 Bin of Rights.
No doubt many members of Congress and
their constituents welcome this proposal, of
fered as a substitute for the well-known Eu
ropean-style universal draft plan. Compared
with the expense of operating a compulsory
draft. It Is estimated the money expended In
bonuses would be considerably less, and the
saving to the country in tax money and frayed
nerves would be very large
RICHARD L. FELDMAN,
Stars, Men and Atom
Weather Stations Set Up
On Desolate Arctic Isles
U. S.-Canadian Far North Network
Accessible Only by Plane
By Thomas R. Hanry
The United States and Canadian Weather
Bureaus have just set up by air observation
stations on two of the most remote and
desolate Arctic islands.
This Increases to live the international net
work of meteorological outposts in the Far
North, three of which ordinarily will be acces
sible only by plane. Each of these three is
manned by six volunteers.
The new stations are in essentially un
explored territory. One is on the shore of
Isaacson Land in the Canadian Arctic Archi
pelago. Hitherto it has been designated on all
maps as an isolated island. It turns out, how
ever, to be the southernmost part of Elias
Rinses Land, a large island which is one of
the farthest north points on earth. It was
discovered about 40 years ago by the Nor
wegian explorer Otto Sverdrup and named fo
one of his officers. Since then it has been
visited only once, by the Canadian explorer *
Vilhjalmur Stefansson, before the arrival of the
meteorologists. Both previous visits were in
midwinter by sledge.
Cut Off From World.
The weather observers will be the first to
see the country in summer, during which they
will be cut oil completely from the world except
by radio since no plane can land in the
vicinity. It is a land of rolling, low hills, ap
parently completely barren. There is no tract
of any Arctic game animals. Most islands of
the archipelago are grass covered in summer
with an abundance of game.
But Isaacson Land, according to Col. Charles
J. Hubbard, head of the Weather Bureau’s
Arctic service, who set up the station, is a
“place of character.” It is in a strategic spot
for detecting storms sweeping southward
across the pole from Siberia.
The second new station is on Prince Patrick
Island, westernmost of the Canadian Islands.
It is in the center of a region from which no in
fornfation of any kind has been available in the
past. It is 500 miles from the nearest supply
point. The island is completely inaccessible by
ship. The meteorologists, still living in tents at
a temperature of 14 below zero, must wait until
next April before it will be possible for a plane
to land on the large fresh-water lake which is
the only airfield.
Equipment Flown In.
Men and equipment for both stations were
flown in from the central supply station and
major meteorological post set up by a Navy
expedition commanded by Capt. Robert 8.
Quackenbush last summer at Resolute Bay on
Cornwallis Island, facing directly on the north
west passage just west of Lancaster Sound.
This is the farthest point certainly accessible
by ship sailing westward through the water
route which was the goal of most early ex
plorers.
The basic plan for establishment of the Arctic
network calls for two major stations which can
be reached by ship in summer and an indefinite
number of satellite stations to be established by
air in late winter and probably visited only
once a year by plane to bring in supplies and
exchange personnel.
The first of the major stations is at Thule,
Greenland, on Smith Sound. This, with its
nearby village of Thule Eskimos, is the farthest
north permanently inhabited place on earth.
With the aid of modern icebreakers Navy cargo
ships are assured of reaching it every year dur
ing the summer months. From it has been set
up one satellite station on Eureka Sound, the
250-mile-long narrow strait which separates
the northern tip of Ellesmere Land from Axel
Heiberg Land, northernmost land of the Western
Arctic. This station, less than 350 miles from
the North Pole, now has operated successfully
for a year. The little camp stands on a sandy
beach against a background of Ellesmere Land’i
9,000-foot-high mountains. This station actu
ally is accessible by ship in midsummer with
good luck.
Crossroads of Arctic.
Cornwallis Island, however, promises to be
come the crossroads of the Western Arctic. It
was at first planned to establish the mother sta
tion about 100 miles to the west on Melville
Island, but this proved Impossible when a rud
der of the Navy icebreaker was smashed last
summer, making further progress impossible.
Eighteen Americans and Canadians have
manned the station during the winter and there
have been numerous American and Canadian
Air Force visitors for whom special quarters are
provided. It is a grassy land In summer, rich
with game. Musk oxen stroll leisurely through
the camp at all times and are not disturbed. A
major danger last winter, however, was from a
ferocious wolf pack. Wolves used to wait out
side barrack doors in the bright winter moon
light, expecting a human victim. The danger
was so great that finally nobody went outside
except with a loaded rifle. One of the meteor
ologists was badly mauled by a polar bear.
Tlie place. Col. Hubbard says, already is be
ginning to look like a small city. There are
eight buildings, four radio towers and an air
strip—all constructed in two weeks last Septem
ber by Capt. Quackenbush’s men, who worked
24 hours a day so that the expedition could
get away before it was trapped in the ice.
During the winter the camp was almost com
pletely buried under 15 feet of snow, due to
drifts. The actual snowfall Is only 4 or 5
Inches a winter.’ The winter landing place
is a large fresh-water lake, whose surface is
kept free of snow by the wind. Col. Hubbard
found 90 Inches of Ice, sufficient to hold a
locomotive. From this lake eight planes
operated almost continuously during the winter.
‘Magic Season’ Now.
Not until April was it possible to start work
on the new satellite stations. This time, says
Col. Hubbard, Is the magic season in the West
ern Arctic. Wind and storm are almost non
existent, cold is about at Its peak, ice is smooth
and hard. The Isaacson Land station w«s set
up with little difficulty. First the men were
flown In, landing on a large bay covered with
smooth ice. They lived In tents for about a
week while 150 tons of cargo were being
landed. Prefabricated houses have been set
up and the meteorologists already are sending
through four reports dally.
The Prince Patrick Island station was set up
with considerably greater difficulty and one
possibly serious accident. First there was con
siderable difficulty in selecting a site from the
air. Col. Hubbard found his planes endangered
by a curious Arctic phenomenon—the instan
taneous formation of a heavy fog by the tail
stream of the plane Itself. The men still are
living In tents but have Just sent their first
reports by radio, so that the entire five station
network now is operative.
While there Is very slim hope of reaching
the Prince Patrick station before next April,
the Americans and Canadians are enthusiastic
over their Jobs. There now are about 300
applications, all from competent weather
observers, for similar employment.