Evening star. [volume], July 21, 1948, Page A-10, Image 10

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

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A—10WEDNESDAY, July 21, 194«
Liquor Taxes and Revenue Needs
District liquor taxes are lower than In
most of the States. Any program for rais
ing new revenue should Include higher
kquor taxes. But Senator Johnston of
South Carolina, who blocked the sales tax
and thereby the salary increases for
municipal employes In the closing hours
of the past session, is not being realistic
when he talks now about Increasing the
liquor taxes to pay higher salaries.
In the past fiscal year, local liquor and
beer taxes produced $2,300,000. The money
needed to raise municipal salaries exceeds
$6,000,000. And not counting the salary
item, the District faces a deficit of about
$9,000,000 for the next fiscal year without
any increase in this year’s appropriations.
If liquor taxes were doubled, therefore, and
the same volume of liquor sold, the money
produced would be a drop In the bucket
compared with total revenue needs.
The sales tax is not being advocated for
the District because It Is popular or be
cause people want to pay It. It Is the
only substantial revenue raiser that re
mains unused, the only form of tax that
will affect Washington's large proportion
of nonresident workers and visitors and
the only tax that will produce the money
that must be raised. The House has passed
the bill. The Senate should complete
action on It In the special session. In
creased liquor taxes are probably Inevi
table, but the sales tax is the Important
thing now.
Japan's Voluntary Censorship
The lifting of the often-criticized Allied
censorship which has been imposed on
the Japanese newspapers since the war is
only a partial concession to freedom of
the press. Actually, the new system does
not mean an end to restraints on news
for publication, but a shifting of respon
sibility for what appears in the press.
It is now up to the editors themselves* to
make sure that nothing gets into their
papers contrary to the established press
policies of the Allied Supreme Command.
In effect, a voluntary press censorship
similar to that which prevailed in the
United States during World War II has
been set up in Japan. Under this arrange
ment each newspaper is allowed to do its
own censoring of news, based on rules laid
down by official authority. The rules
themselves are Just the same as when the
Civil Censorship Division of General Mac
Arthur’s headquarters was in complete
charge. The only difference between the
two systems is that prepublication official
approval of doubtful material no longer
is required.
Under the occupation rules, Japanese
newspapers and news agencies will con
tinue to be prohibited from publishing
anything banned by the press code an
nounced in September, 1945. That code
restricted the press to the “truth”—as
determined by censorship authorities.
Specifically banned were “destructive
comment" about the Allies or Inter-Allied
relations, “personal opinion” and "propa
ganda.” Since the code was vague in some
respects, it could be stretched by the cen
sors to cover numerous things—and it was
so stretched on occasion.
Henceforward the Japanese editors must
decide whether to risk Allied displeasure
and possible drastic action by publishing
borderline items. The task of interpreting
the code will be theirs. However, the
Censorship Division stands ready to advise,
just as Byron Price's office served the
American press during the war. That
system worked well here. There is no
reason why it should not work as satis
factorily in Japan—especially with the
threat of suspension remaining as a
persuader.
Will Flatbush Be the Same?
It, is hard to imagine anything as fan
tastic as what has happened up New
York way. It is something like Lee desert
ing the rebel cause in the midst of battle
to accept command of the Union Army.
Or the mayor of Saint Paul being elected
mayor of Minneapolis. Or Dewey going
over to the Democrats.
For the impossible has happened in
baseball. Leo (The Lip) Durocher has be
come manager of his most hated enemy,
the New York Giants. He has left his
dearly beloved Brooklyn Bums in the heat
of their bitter battle with the Giants for
fourth place or better in the National
League. He will now use his varied and
colorful talents in behalf of a team he has
repeatedly reviled and before Giant fans
whom he has publicly ridiculed and defied.
Such a topsy-turvy development could
occur only in Brooklyn. Odd things have
happened there in the past—most of them
Involving Lippy. Or Llppy and his former
boss, Larry McPhail. More often than not
umpires, fans and even the police were
mixed in the doings. Baseball in Flatbush
was something out of this world. And it
will never be the same without Durocher.
This does not necessarily mean that the
Dodgers will not win ball games under
Burt Shotton. They won a pennant under
him last year. It only means they will win
them more quietly.
The ^turning Question now is whether
baseball at the Polo Grounds, home of the
staid and solid Giants, will ever be the
same, either. It will not be easy for some
dyed-in-the-wool Giant fans to take Llppy
in his new role as leader of the home team
and successor to the mild but popular Mel
Ott. But the chances are that a majority
of Giant supporters will be glad to let by
gones be bygones if the new manager pulls
the Giants back On the pennant-winning
road. It is strictly up to Lippy from now
on. He has talked himself into and out of
tough situations before. He may even be
able to talk himself into the good graces
of the die-hard Giant fans who, as of to
day, are convinced that he will always be
a Bum.
The Southern Viewpoint
If the statement of 8outh Carolina’s
Governor Thurmond does nothing else, it
should help to open the eyes of some of
those people north of the Mason-Dixon
line who are trying to brush aside the so
called Southern revolt by impugning the
motives of its sponsors.
Governor Thurmond’s record as a pro
gressive advocate of a better deal for the
Negro In the South entitles him to a
respectful hearing when he says that he
has become the presidential candidate of
the rebellious Southern Democrats as a
matter of principle resting on States’
rights, and not as a champion of white
supremacy.
Perhaps this ought not to be taken too
literally. For if Governor Thurmond is
concerned only with the constitutional
issue at stake, and not with the racial
question as such, that is more than can
be said of most Southerners. It does not
follow from this, however, that the white
people in the South who have Joined the
political rebellion are a collection of witch
hunters and bigots.
This question of State’s rights Is a real
and an important issue. Intelligent South
erners know that if the Constitution is to
be treated as a scrap of paper in connec
tion with the proposals which the President
has made, it will not be long before polit
ical pressures will subject them to other
and more onerous forms of interference
in their local affairs. In a more funda
mental sense, however, the question is one
of tactics. In the South, the fear of any
commingling of the races is deep and wide
spread. Those who do not take this seri
ously, or who are not concerned at the
prospect, should endeavor nevertheless to
understand that the fear exists, and that
the Negro problem in the South can never
be handled without reference to it.
Against the background of this senti
ment, the real significance of the States’
rights argument can be better understood.
It becomes, not a mere legalism, but an
Instrument for dealing with a very prac
tical and difficult problem. And it is an
Instrument which is preferred by the more
enlightened Southerners, first, because
they believe that it offers hope of real
progress toward bettering the position of
the Southern Negro, and, second, because
they know that without it there will be
little chance of restraining the extremists
in the white supremacy camp.
Crisis in France
The significance of the resignation ten
dered by Premier-&chuman and his cabinet
far transcends the occasion that brought
it about. The Schuman government was
defeated by a considerable margin on its
budget demand for tie armed services.
But the circumstances show that the actual
dispute involved was not Insuperable.
Premier Schuman had asked for upward
of $1,000,000,000. The Socialists, who
formed an indispensable element in his
coalition cabinet, had demanded a cut of
$40,000,000. Schuman offered to lop oft
$23,000,000. The difference was only
$17,000,000—less than 2 per cent of the
total. It was over this relatively insignifi
cant sum that Schuman threatened to
resign if the Chamber failed to back him.
Of Itself, this surely was no adequate
reason for precipitating a major political
crisis at so ticklish a moment in both
domestic and foreign affairs. The full
explanation should be sought in the
broader parliamentary situation, which
boils down to a growing inability of the
various parties behind the Schuman
cabinet to work harmoniously together.
This government was born last Novem
ber out of the urgent necessity felt by
the middle groups in the Chamber to form
a coalition in order to avert simultaneous
threats to the Fourth Republic from the
Communist extreme left and from the
extreme right led by General de Gaulle.
Those threats were at least temporarily
averted. But when it came to positive
action, the divergencies inherent in the
coalition groups came to the fore. The
Socialists clashed with the Popular Re
publicans, a clerical party, on the question
of religion in the schools—an old bone of
contention in French politics. The Social
ists likewise objected to the economic
program ol deflation and currency stabili
zation set up by Schuman and backed by
the Radicals, who are really old-fashioned
Liberals with a leaning toward economic
orthodoxy. Finally, Schuman’s determina
tion to compel acceptance of the Londoft
agreement on Germany aroused resent
ment across party lines, especially since
it involved standing up to Soviet Russia
beside America and Britain even at the
risk of a war acutely dreaded by French
public opinion.
The upshot was an adverse vote in tne
Chamber that can be regarded as at least
partly an outburst of spleen rather than
of deliberate calculation. Two other facts
^should be noted. First, the Gaullist faction
'abstained from voting instead of partici
pating on either side. The other fact is
that, technically, Premier Schuman did
not incur a vote of no confidence. He
merely carried out his threat to resign If
not supported on the budget issue. This
averts the necessity for new parliamentary
elections and likewise renders Schuman
still eligible to head a new cabinet if he
can get the needed support.
A practical alternative to a new middle
of-the-road combination does not seem
likely. No party would presumably work
with the Communists, though they are
the largest single group in the present
Chamber. The same appears to be true
of the Gaullist bloc on the right, whose
parliamentary strength is less than its
popular support outside. Therefore, unless
the Popular Republicans, Socialists and
Radicals can get together again on some
revised basis, no government commanding
a parliamentary majority is in sight.
But, so long as France has no such
f
government, Its domestic policies and in
ternational position fall into abeyance.
And, outside the Chamber stands General
de Gaulle, demanding that the French
people save themselves from parliamentary
Impotence. The current situation is thus
untenable. It may soon become intolerable, j
Elmer L. Irey
Elmer L. Irey’s name should be added to
the casualty list of law enforcement offi
cers who have given their lives in the war
on crime. There is good reason to believe
that the heart ailment which forced his
retirement two years ago and which finally
caused his death was aggravated, if not
precipitated, by the responsibilities and
stresses of hfs remarkable career. Despite
several serious heart attacks and in the
face of warnings by his physicians, Mr.
Irey insisted on remaining on active duty
at the Treasury throughout World War II.
His worried superiors installed a couch for
him in a room convenient to his office and
ordered him to take regular rest periods
there. But he occasionally “forgot” to use
these facilities under the pressure of his
wartime burdens as chief co-ordinator of
Treasury enforcement agencies.
Few Government “career men" have had
the opportunities for public service which
came to Mr. Irey, nor have discharged them
so well. His interest in Federal law en
forcement work began forty years ago
when, as a stenographer, he wrote up
reports of postal Inspectors. From postal
inspection to income tax investigation was
an easy step that led to larger fields of
activity—and bigger game. A1 Capone,
Waxey Gordon and other racketeers were
trapped by Mr. Irey’s “untouchables,” and
so were a number of nationally known
politicians. He assisted Colonel Lindbergh
in the hunt for the kidnaper of the Lind
bergh baby and advised him to include
gold certificates in the ransom package—
a move which helped to capture Bruno
Hauptmann.
The strain of such varied and adventure
some assignments undoubtedly sapped his
health and shortened his life. He survived
long enough to complete the long-delayed
task of writing his memoirs. When they
are published a few months hence, it
should be plain to every one why Mr.
Irey’s heart gave out on him. The wonder
is that he was able to stand up so long
and to accomplish so much in the time
allotted to him.
A citizen just elected Mayor of an Ohio
hamlet has written the United States De
partment of Commerce for information on
what to do next. Much depends, of course,
on which friends he wishes to keep.
——————————
Recalling a Congress and handing the
majority its own party platform to enact
forthwith is most irregular, as it may take
years just to Interpret a cryptic document
of this kind.
This and That
By Charles E. Tracewell
How do Dutch birds compare with American?
They are Just about the same, at least some
of them, according to T. W. L. S. of Sonoma
road, who writes from Bethesda.
“Since last fall I have been reviving an old
boyhood hobby of mine, bird study. When I
arrived in this country from Holland about 24
years ago I knew about 85 birds there.
“But in America I concentrated on the study
of the flowers, and did not attempt to look at
the birds more than occasionally. Last sum
mer, however, a Dutch biologist came over
here for a special mission. He managed to
learn here and in Colorado about hundreds of
American birds.
"Ever since I have been an enthusiastic bird
student. It so happens that in the immediate
neighborhood of my house is a virtual paradise
for this thrilling pastime.
"I have been able to learn about 35 species,
most of them by sight, some by voice, or by
both. However, there are plenty of problems
left.
“This morning I found two dead birds, one of
them a young wood thrush, the other un
known to me, but very likely a Philadelphia
vireo. Here is my description:
"Length, about 5 inches; bill rather sharp,
curved somewhat downward; eyes black, ac
centuated by the rather Indistinct spectacles
but without th* ring; breast canary yellow,
lower parts white or white bluish (not well
preserved, because the specimen was damaged
by a car), rest of the plumage olive grayish
green; tail lather long.
“Perhaps the readers of your column might
be Interested in the remarkable fact that re
lated Dutch species act exactly like their
American cousins. The song thrushes there
hop and eat just in the same manner as the
woodthrushes here, the ouzel as the robin;
with chickadees and titmice and woodpeckers
wrens, it is the same story.’’
Birds, like music, are universal.
Thrushes, for instance, are much the same
wherever you find them.
There are various thrushes in South Amer
ica, others in Europe—and if a provincial Amer
ican who had never been out of this country
were to see them, suddenly, he would recognize
them at once.
Each land has its own birds, not found any
where else. Tlje United States had so many,
indeed, that Colonial America was a real bird
paradise. The cult of the study of American
birds spread all over the civilized world.
In huge elephant folios of plates, tftese native
species were shown to wealthy people: and in
the scores of years since the study of them has
become a property of artistic people every
where.
That, after all, Is one of the finest things
about bird study.
No real snobbery, no money classification—
no, just the interest of one form of life in
another.
An intelligent Interest, let us insist, because
while the birds look at us, too, they do not
study us.
One thing makes this study Interesting—it
is that both parties to it are two-legged!
Out of all created things, man and bird are
distinguished by having two legs.
There are many habits shared by both, and
a real bond between them, that of help given
man’s agriculture by the songsters.
These things make for rapport, for under
standing. The good points of bird life are
many, the bad few.
If we had nothing to worry about in this
world except what the birds do to us we would
get off easy.
Not only are they our friends, but they are
good honest examples, in the main, of the
good theory of action embodied in the old saw
about "live and let live.”
The birds are triumphant notes in a sym
phony understood by all men. Wherever we
see a thrush, we understand it is a thrush, and
not something else. It stands for a good way
of life, one to shame malicious, warring man
kind. How does it happen that thrushes and
wrens can get along together amicably, but
that two races of men cannot? What is it
' the birds have that we have not? If any
one could answer these questions, he would be
(or at least should be)'the hero of the ages.
Until he arrives, the best the rest of us can
do is to admire as much as we can, and envy
less. If we can increase admiration of others,
and keep down envy and jealousy, maybe after
many days we, too, will become good honest
notes in the true New World symphony of the
future.
Letters to The Star
Montgomery Charter Suit
To tha editor of The Star
I read with Interest your editorial comment
on the decision of the Circuit Court of Rock
ville in connection with the suit which I
initiated to test the validity of certain sections
of the proposed Montgomery County Charter.
It seems to me that you missed the main point
of the decision which originally prompted my
bringing the suit.
You will recall that I originally took the
position that the provision in the Maryland
constitution which permitted a charter county
to pass legislation only one month a year
covered all legislation, whether laws, ordinances
or resolutions. The Charter Board denied this
vigorously and contended that the one-month
limitation applied only to a very limited field of
legislation and would not affect the operating
efficiency of a charter county. In order to
resolve this disagreement, I brought my suit,
which was in the nature of a test suit, and the
court has now confirmed my view, that all
legislation must be passed in one month. This
is the important point settled by the recent
decision and almost every one seems to have
overlooked it. It is important because the
people of the county can now decide, free from
doubt, whether they want a charter form of
government where the legislative power to
pass laws and ordinances is limited to one
month a year and with no provisions for
emergencies or special sessions. Personally, I
don’t want that kind of local government and
won’t be in favor of a charter until the one
month limitation is removed from the Mary
land constitution.
There was one portion oi your editorial wnicn
I thought was somewhat misleading because
of Incompleteness. That was where you quoted
the court's language about the charter being
“a framework for possible governmental func
tioning" even without the sections . declared
unconstitutional and that the decision “should
not prevent the people from having the oppor
tunity to vote on the charter" after removal
of the portion to which the court took excep
tion. The way you quoted the decision the
court seems to be giving its blessing to the
balance of the charter when. In fact, the court
after ruling out the unconstitutional provisions
specifically stated that “of course we realize
this may leave other provisions of the pro
posed charter useless." It seems to me that
your readers were entitled to this comment by
the court so that they could judge for them
selves whether the charter is as "Intact" after
the decision as your editorial sought to prove.
' HUBERT A. SCHNEIDER.
Editor’s Note: The court said: “The above
noted provisions being contrary to the consti
tution. in our opinion, entitle the plalntifl to
have them deleted from the proposed charter;
but this should not prevent the people from
having the opportunity to vote on the re
mainder, after these omissions; as they are
not so inseparable from the entire charter
as to leave an unworkable framework for
possible governmental functioning. The ap
propriations, as legislative functions, could be
made under Article II thereof as the county
desired, and the Remainder of the charter has
not been attacked In these proceedings. Of
course, we realize this may leave other pro
visions of the proposed charter useless, but it
is not our duty or privilege to strike out any
that do not violate the mandate of the people
in their constitution which is binding on this
court, the framers of the proposed charter and
every citizen of this State. The desirability or
nondesirability of adopting the same, with
these constitutional transgressions omitted, will
be for the citizens of this county to determine,
when exercising their right of franchise.”
Applauds A. A. U, W. Decision
To the Editor bf Th* Star:
The decision by Chief Justice Laws denying
the right of the present members of the Na
tional Board of the American Association of
University Women to expel the Washington
(D. C.) Branch from the association and
upholding the branch in its interpretation of
the national bylaws is of significance to many
groups thoroughout the country besides univer
sity women.
Indirectly the decision delivers an effective
blow to a specious theory which has gained
prominence in recent years. This is the theory
that the end justifies the means; that if an
objective appears desirable to a group, then
the methods employed to attain that objective
need not be too closely scrutinized.
The decision points the moral that regard
less of the objective sought, any action taken
by the officials of an organization must be
in accordance with its constitution, the charter
under which it is incorporated, the corporation
laws governing its establishment and its own
bylaws.
Specifically, the court states that the Na
tional Board of the A. A. U. W. has no right
to make or amend the bylaws of the associa
tion. That authority is restricted to the na
tional convention of the association. By im
plication this means that the present members
of the national board may not place their own
interpretation upon the national bylaws. This
is exafctly what was attempted when in spite
of the express provision in the bylaws that
in all matters concerning branch affairs the
branches may make their own bylaws provided
they do not conflict with those of the national,
and in spite of the established practice of
years giving the branches autonomy in the
selection of their membership, the present na
tional officers read the interpretation they
desired into the bylaws.
“Eligibility,”, they insisted, is the same as
“admissibility.’* If a candidate holds an A. A.
U. W. approved degree from an A. A. U. W.
approved college, that is all that is necessary.
And no branch may deny admission to such
applicant regardless of her character, integrity,
habits, even her loyalty to the United States.
The Washington Branch throughout has
maintained that under the national bylaws
the branches have the right to choose their
members, and that the bylaws of the branch
which specify that right are not in conflict
with those of the national association.^ The
court opinion upholds them in this position.
The court further pronounces that under the
laws of incorporation of the national associa
tion, the officers of the national board have
no authority to expel or to penalize any branch.
In attempting to expel the Washington Branch
from the association because it would not
change its bylaws to conform to the erroneous
interpretation of tlae national bylaws, the
officers of the national board, according to
the court opinion, exceeded their authority.
The decision is heartening to all who believe
in local autonomy as the wholesome, demo
cratic and American way of procedure, and
who reject the argument that an objective,
however desirable it may be of itself. Justifies
any deviation from the established, legal and
constitutional methods.
ETHEL M. JOHNSON,
Member of Washington Branch of the
American Association of University Women.
Nakedness and Sex Crimes
To the Mltor of The Starr
Much is being written about sex criminals.
Something can be done about these sex crimes.
These unfortunate persons are abnormally
susceptible to the stimulus of sex. Does it help
the situation any for them to see, every way
they turn, women and girl children running
about almost stark naked? Everywhere yop
j go there are females exposing themselves to
1 the high heavens. Z wouldn’t go about my
4<
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.
own home looking the way some do in public.
Frankly, I think it is disgusting.
LAURA K. POLLOCK.
Gen. Pershing’s Tribute to His Men
To the Editor of The Star:
The passing of that grand soldier, General
'John J. Pershifcg, is an opportune time to re
call the splendid tribute he paid his men . . .
a tribute that, perhaps, many of us have for
gotten in these tempestuous times.
Of the men who fought, bled and died under
him in World War I General Pershing said:
“When I think of their heroism, of their pa
tience under hardships, of their unflinching
spirit of offensive action, I am filled with emo
tion I am unable to express. Their deeds are
Immortal and they have earned the eternal
gratitude of our country."
Am I too far afield in quoting Thomas Jef
ferson, who, on receiving news of the death of
America’s first great soldier, said, “Verily a
great man hath fallen this day in Israel”?
EDWARD BOYKIN.
Community Movies Appreciated
To the Editor of The Star:
We have had the pleasure of viewing the
movies provided by The Star at the Hillcrest
Playground these summer evenings.
We would indeed be ungrateful if we did not
hasten to express our appreciation to you for
this splendid form of recreation.
Large crowds are attending and it is our be
lief that with each succeeding show they will
become much larger than first anticipated.
Our opinion is that the pictures are of first
quality and excellent for all ages.
The operating and supervising personnel are
very co-operative and lend every assistance
necessary for the success of the undertaking.
Again we thank you.
ARTHUR E. MORRISSETTE,
President, Hilltop Recreation Counoil.
P. U. C. to Decide About Fares
To the Editor ot The SUr:
With all the hullabaloo about raising CTC
fares, let's not forget that this is a matter for
the Public Utilities Commission to decide. They
have done a good job in the past, and probably
will continue to do so. As Chairman Flanagan
has remarked, it is simply a matter of arith
metic. If a study of the books of the com
pany shows it is not realizing 7^% on its in
vestment, it will be allowed to increase fares.
Any accountant whq has studied the financial
records of the company will have an opinion
worth listening to. Any other opinion would
be worthless. G. R. C.
Crossing the Elbe a Problem.
To the Editor of The Star:
I was impressed by the suggestion in your
editorial, "What Next in Berlin?” appearing
in the July 18 Star. While the United States
has displayed firmness of a sort with the
Soviets, it has not yet forced an issue to the
point that they, rather than ourselves, would be
on the defensive. And now is the time.
What you recommend is what I also feel is
the strategy of the hour, but with a reserva
tion of particular caution. Admitting the
permanent inadequacy of the supply route by
air, the next logical move would certainly be
to "send an armed convoy into Berlin either
by road or rail.” < {fife* .*
Correspondents writing from Berlin, how
ever, point out that the Russian military have
anticipated such a move. According to tjiese
reports copious sections of rail have been re
moved from those lines connecting Berlin with
the Western Zone of Germany. Furthermore,
the one remaining bridge spanning the Elbe
sufficiently secure to support an armed motor
ized convoy is likewise claimed to have been
systematically weakened to forestall an oc
currence of this nature.
While 1 welcome the thought of an overland
demonstration of force by the United States,
at the same time, I am hopeful that we shall
not forget to bring along our own track re
pair crews and anticipate the problems in
volved in crossing the Elbe River.
ALBERT G. MOORE.
Hyderabad Compared With Finland
To the Editor cl The 8t»r:
As you have often remarked editorially, his
tory has a way of coming back on itself and
suddenly/we find ourselves on familiar ground.
That was quite striking a short time ago
when the news services carried the word that
the Dominion of India could not tolerate the
"threat” to its existence from the independent
princely state of Hyderabad, and "would, if
necessary, act in self-defense.” So India has
massed troops on the border of the state "to
act in self-defense,” has dispatched an armored
brigade (Hyderabad doesn't have one) from
Poona "to act in self-defense” and has set
up a good tight blockade of the independent
state "in self-defense.”
Somewhere in the back of our mind there
is kicking around the memory of the time
that poor little Russia was obliged to "act in
self-defense” against big, bad Finland. You
will remember how gravely Moscow was
“threatened” and what the Russians were
"obliged” to do about it.
The better than 250,000,000 inhabitants of
the well-armed Dominion of India obviously
are facing a similar hazard from the 16,000,000
farmers of Hyderabad. The Dominion has
sounded the tocsin. The Dominion must not
be endangered by the recalcitrance of a princely
state that, of all things, merely wants to be
independent.
Moreover, India already has told Britain and
the rest of the world to stay out of this. Sardar
Patel, the "hatchet man’’ of the Nehru cabi
net has served notice on Great Britain that
any more criticism of what Indians do or
say cannot be tolerated. It will be regarded
as a "threat” to friendly relations.
And the Moslem Nizam of Hyderabad has
been told that he can't invest any of his money
(he has quite a lot) in the Moslem govern
ment of Pakistan without affronting Hindu
New Delhi.
The United Nations wasn't functioning when
aggressive Finland "invaded” peace-loving
Russia. But it may hear about it when "in
transigent” Hyderabad "provokes” trouble with
poor, defenseless little India.
KARL E. JENSEN.
Spraying Beetles Ineffective
To the Editor of The Star:
I have read several articles in The Star
advising the spraying of Japanese beetles. But
these spraying outfits are not worth a conti
nental. It is an outrage to impose on the people
who, like myself, have been persuaded to em
ploy them. We should have learned our lesson
in the summer of 1947. In some places trees
were badly burned, because the mixture was
too strong; in others no damage was done to
the beetles, as in my case, and they are swarm
ing over my beautiful trees and shrubs.
It seems to me that the Agriculture Depart
ment could devise and advise something other
than DDT. MRS. R. EWELL THORNTON.
Praise for Editorial
To tho editor of The Star;
Tour editorial entitled "What Next In Berlin”
to splendid. T. J. MORROW.
n
Stars, Men and Atoms
Astronomers Witness
'Spectacle of Eternity'
Mount Wil«on Observer* Study Gre*t
Cluster of Hereules
By Thomas R. Henry
MOUNT WILSON OBSERVATORY. Calif.—
Across a void of 36.000 years and 15,000,000.
000,000,000 miles shines the great star cluster
in Hercules.
When the light which struck the 100-inch
eye of Mount Wilson's largest telescope last
night started on its way from the cluster's
giant blue stars, which look like closely packed
marbles, modern man had Just appeared on
earth. Seemingly eternal ice lay over most of
the northern United States. Camels roamed
the western plains and sabre-toothed tigers
stalked their prey. Europe's grotesque Nean
derthal cave men were approaching tha end
of their days.
One gets the weird sensation of beirtg
plunged into the far-distant past—even astron
omers whose lives are spent in dealing with
vast distances and vast dimensions.
Foremost Attraction.
The Hercules cluster was the foremost at
tration recently offered by this great observa
tory, where man’s knowledge of the universe
In which he lives has been more than doubled
in the past 30 years, to several hundred visit
ing members of the American Astronomical
Society. The professional stargasers themselves
seldom had seen an object so far away in spece
and time with such detail.
The Hercules cluster—one of about 120
known in the heavens—was magnified up lo
about the dimensions of the full moon high
in the sky. Otherwise it is a very faint point
of light which may appear like a single star.
Actually it is an aggregation of stars so big
that light, traveling at 186,000 miles a second,
requires 120 years to cross it from end to end.
The marbles are all gigantic stars from 5 to
45 times as bright as the sun.
“Suns’’ in the Hercules cluster—there may
be dosens of them—are far too puny objects
to be seen. The great star aggregation is some
where close to the edge of the Milky Way
galaxy. It probably is one of the largest star
groups in that “island universe’’ of which the
solar system is a part.
Spectacle of Eternity.
Here on the mile-high mountaintop the
astronomers are witnessing a spectacle of
eternity. Far below them, of the uttermost
insignificance in comparison, shines a man
made red star—the lights of Los Angeles which,
feeble as they are, seriously interfere with the
work of the observatory and constitute one
reason for placing the new 200-inch telescope
on another mountain 80 miles away.
This may have been Mount Wilson’s last
big show. Astronomical techniques and instru
ments have gone far in the 30 years since the '
giant telescope was hauled laboriously up the *
mountainside. The great observatory will con- '
tinue to do a major part of the "spade work"
of astronomy but the major interest will have
shifted to Mount Palomar, compared to whose
200-inch telescope this one is almost insignifi
cant.
____ *
Answers to Questions
A reader ran set the answer to any question of
fact br wrlttns The Evening 8tar Information Bu
reau. 31fl Ere at. n.e.. Washinston 2. D. C. Pleas*
Inclose three (3) cents for return postas*.
By THE HASKINS SERVICE.
Q. What causes the Irritant effects of poison
ivy?—H. V. C. T
A. The foilage of poison ivy and poison oak
contains an oil which poisons the skin of many
people who come in contact with it. Oddly
enough, animals do not appear to be affected.
Q. How did the chestnut blight get into the
United 8tate*?—W. B. L.
A. The Department of Agriculture says that
the chestnut blight, which was first discovered
in 1904, was brought to this country on unin
spected stock from Asia. This very destructive
disease is caused by a fungus that attacks the
bark of the trees and ultimately kills the
affected part.
Q. What Is the length of a meter in inches?
—C. C.
A. A meter is equal to approximately 39.37
Inches. The length of the meter was origin
ally set at one ten-millionth of the distance
from the equator to the poles. The prototype
of the meter is a bar of aluminum and iridium
cast in the Tresca section and carefully pre- •
served in a vault of the International Bureau
of Weights and Measures at Sevres, France.
Q. Are there instances of towns or villages
having been relocated because of yearly floods?
—V. M. B.
A. There have been Instances. Leavenworth,
Indiana, was moved to higher ground.
Q. What Is the best time for starting a new
lawn?—O. B. J.
A. The best time to start a new lawn Is lata
summer In most parts of the country, accord
ing to Department of Agriculture authorities.
Then the grass can make a good start in cool
weather when weeds are dying out. In early
spring a light top dressing of fine loam and fer
' tilizer will help to get the grass off to a good
i start.
Q. Where Is Inscription Rock?—E. F.
A. Inscription Rock is a varicolored sand
stone rising 200 feet out of a lava-strewn
valley in Valencia County, West-Central New
Mexico. It derives its name from a fancied
resemblance to a castle, and from inscriptions
carved on its sides by early Spanish and sub
sequent explorers.
Q. How does the population of Hawaii com
pare with that of the smaller states?—M. F.
A. Hawaii, with a population of 502.000, has
more people than Nevada, Wyoming, Delaware
or Vermont. Eighty-five per cent were bom In
the islands.
Q. Who Is the leading motion picture actor
from the standpoint of box-office returns?—
E. V. N.
A. On the basis of a poll conducted among
managers and owners of motion picture the»«
| ters, Bihg Crosby was the top money-makin*
I star in 1947 for the fourth consecutive year,
according to the Motion Picture Herald. The
only other star to achieve this was 8hirley
Temple, who held box-office leadership irom
1935 through 1938.
Little Boy in Church
His small face blooms amid, a sea of fac:~,
Scrubbed now and Sunday-fresh, that is
to say
Maternal isleted where silks and laces
Hold him as hostage to the world of play.
That girl in front—the one in careful pig
tails—
Whose surreptitious gaze beholds his
beach,
Spells out storm signals from the restless
gales
And moves temptation from his casual
reach.
How swiftly conscious of the silver plate
And its demand, he clutches doubly
tight
The small hot coin and feels its precious
weight,
Holds it aloft and ponders on his plight—
Then drops it. With the pain •/ parting
o’er,
His mother pats his cheek and breathes
once more.
RUBY ALTIZER ROBERTS,