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^El)e footing i&faf * With Sunday Morning Edition. J WASHINGTON, D. C. r__ «. Published by Th# Evening Star Newspaper Company. SAMUEL H. KAUFFMANN, President. ’ * B. M. MeKELWAY, Editor. MAIN OFFICE: 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NEW YORK OFFICE: 110 East 42d St. CHICAGO OFFICE: 435 North Michigan Ave. Delivered by Carrier—Metropolitan Area. Daily and Sunday Daily Only Sunday Only Monthly 1.20* Monthly 90c 10c per copy Weekly 30c Weekly 20c* 10c per copy *10c additional when 5 Sundays are in a month. Also 10c additional for Night Final Edition in those sections where delivery is made. Rates by Mail—Payable in Advance. Anywhere in United States. Evening and Sunday Evening Sunday 1 month_1.50 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 STerling 5000. Entered at the Post Office, Washington, D. C., as second-class mail matter. Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republication of all the local news printed in this newspaper, as well as all A. P. news dispatches. A—10_ FRIDAY, August 19, 1949 Agreement on Recreation A memorandum agreement between the Interior Department’s Park Service and the District Recreation Board, approved by the board yesterday, is about seven years late in coming to pass. It will be some time before all its terms are made effective. But it marks, on paper at least, the beginning of what should be a new deal in local recreation. Congress intended that the Recreation Board, created in 1942, should plan for and control all local recreation. Under the board, more progress has been made in development of local recreation than ever before. But the Interior Depart ment’s Park Service has not been a willing partner in the undertaking. It has held on to certain of its properties, such as the golf courses, the swimming pools and other facilities in the parks, preferring to deal with its own concessionaires. All of these, except the swimming pools, are now covered in the agreement with the Recrea tion Board. The importance of such an agreement is illustrated by a curious development in connection with plans for the sesquicen tennial. The Park Service has agreed to make land available for the sesquicen tennial buildings at the foot of East Capitol street. The surprising thing about that agreement is that it was made with out the Recreation Board’s knowledge. Common courtesy, if nothing else, would have demanded that the Recreation Board be consulted. For the area in question, although under Park Service jurisdiction, has been developed by the Recreation Board for softball, baseball and soccer fields. As many as 150 teams have been using the area this past summer. The reclaimed land involved was developed, with Lanham Act funds, largely as the result of the loss of play areas in West Potomac Park, taken over by the Government’s perma nently “temporary” wartime buildings. Its loss is no small thing. Alternatives might have been suggested had the matter been discussed w’ith the Recreation Board in advance. Failure of the Park Service even to notify the Recreation Board is only too indicative of its lack of any real con cern for local recreation. This demon strates the advantages of a local board devoted exclusively to protecting what we have in recreation and looking for every opportunity to expand it. World Conservation Conference One of the most constructive and hopeful aspects of the United Nations is the work being done by a group of subsidiary organizations dealing with relatively non political and non-controversial matters of common interest to all mankind, such as health, food, and the development and conservation of natural resources. The latter field is the subject of the Scientific Conference which has just convened at the U. N. center at Lake Success, New York. Here, a distinguished assemblage of scien tists and technicians representing forty four member nations of the U. N. are meeting to discuss and study a variety of problems in this field, the aim being'to elaborate a program of international action on a global tfcale. The urgent need for such action and the possibilities for effective endeavor were alike stressed by the addresses delivered at the opening session of the conference. Present and contingent dangers were pointed out by Fairfield Osborn, president of the Conservation Foundation, who sketched a dark picture of “our plundered planet,” with its vanishing forests, eroded soils, failing water supply and irreplace able mineral resources within sight of exhaustion. All this depletion, facilitated by modem scientific techniques, co-exists with an “explosive upsurge” of human Increase that has doubled the world’s population in the past century and may result in over 3,000,000,000 inhabitants on an already overcrowded globe by the year 2000 A.D. Such a situation, unless remedied by applied scientific knowledge, would render illusory all hope of world-wide peace and stability. However, it was precisely those remedial possibilities that were emphasized by other speakers, notably by Secretary of the In terior Julius A. Krug and U. N. Secretary General Trygve Lie. Secretary Krug promised the help of the United States in conservation and development measures, especially in backward countries, along the line indicated by President Trurmfn in his celebrated “Point 4” proposal, and went on with the optimistic statement that “there is not the slightest question in my mind that scientists and engineers can find and develop food, fuels and materials to meet the demands of the world’s In creasing population with a greatly im proved standard of living.” In similar vein, Trygve Lie told the delegates: “If we could really put science and technology to fuller use in peace as we did in war, I believe that no one could predict the world population which our resources could support, or the rise in>he average stand ard of living that would* be possible.” Such are the two facets of a problem which no informed person can doubt is basic to our time and still more to the future of the human race. It will be Interesting to discover what this confer ence of qualified specialists will determine during the course of their deliberations. The House Gambles In voting to cut some $580,000,000 from the European arms program, the House is gambling with the security of the Western world. It is a gamble which promises little gain as against the risk that is taken. The President had asked for $1,160,990, 000 to begin the rearmament of Western Europe, the undertaking to be spread over a two-year period. The House has chopped that in half, at the same time providing the curtailed funds should be used over a one-year period. On the surface, this may appear to be innocuous, since an additional appropria tion could be made a year from now which, in effect, would supply the same total fund over a two-year period. The trouble with this is that it prevents any long-range scheduling of the arms pro gram, for there can be no certainty as to what the House may do a year from now. As Speaker Rayburn said, the mood of yesterday was reminiscent of the pre Pearl Harbor days. There are those who can remember that day in 1941 when, with our friends in Europe staggering under the Nazi onslaught and with the disaster of Pearl Harbor but a few weeks off, the House failed by only one vote in an effort to scrap the selective service system. The argument then was: We are not in danger, so let us wait and see what happens. Yesterday the same argument ran through the debate: Let’s wait and see what happens. This is an attitude which flies in the face of the best advice which could be brought to bear on the question. Our military and diplomatic ofi^cials have been unanimous in urging the importance of adopting the full program as quickly as possible. General Marshall, who is beyond suspicion of partisan interest, firmly in dorses that view. But the House would have none of it. With the Republicans voting almost solidly in its favor, the cut was made and a sensible proposal to make up the deleted half in a provision for contract authorizations, which would have permitted long-range plans to be made, was trampled in the stampede. One especially fallacious argument has been advanced in. behalf of the fund cut. It is said that there is no evidence that Russia is preparing to attack Western Europe, and, therefore, no reason why we should not move slowly in the rearmament effort. The obvious trouble with this argu ment is that if Russia were preparing to attack, it would be foolish to attempt to rearm the West. For nothing contem plated in this program could stop the Russians. If they were preparing to march, we would simply be throwing away our arms and money by investing them in the defense of Western Europe. The immediate hope in this program is that, taken with the Atlantic pact, it will serve is a deterrent to Russia. Perhaps it would not be an effective deterrent. But as we w^ter it down, as we show a disposition to waver and hesitate, its effcptiveness as a deterrent force certainly will' be diminished. This is the gamble that the House is taking, and with little real prospect of any gain. It is a foolish risk, and it is to be hoped that every effort will be made in the Senate to win acceptance of the two-year plan, on the basis, at least, of half cash and half in contract authority. Businessmen's Business Much of the criticism of the old Wash ington Community Chest and Council of Social Agencies came from the business men’s associations, particularly in South east, Northeast and Southwest Washington. The criticism became one of the forces, behind reorganization and development of the present United Community Services. It is gratifying to note that the Federa tion of Businessmen’s Associations has voted now to support the coming campaign of the Community Chest Federation. With a single dissenting vote, the federation has adopted a resolution that recognizes the “forward steps” already taken by the United Community Service's. . While put ting the federation on record as continuing to work for other desirable changes, the resolution promises full co-operation in the 1949 drive. That is a commendable step on the part of the Businessmen’s Federation. Success of the Community Chest Federation drive should be the concern of every man who does business in Washington. The intelli gent course to follow, in this respect, is to make every effort toward that success while continuing to work within the United Community Services for such organizational changes as may seem wise. Living Longer t The average lift expectancy of Ameri cans continues on the increase. Owing to steady improvement in the control of diseases—particularly those of infancy and childhood—today’s newborn in this country can look forward to living 66.8 years, which is almost two years better than the prewar figure. This gain—which,represents a total in crease of almost 25 years over the national average of a century ago—covers the two sexes and all colors. When sex and color are considered separately, according to the Office of Vital Statistics, it is found that the white female can hope to live 70.6 years—or more than five years longer than the white male, whose expectancy is 65.2. Similarly, the non-white female can look forward to 61.9 years, as against only 57.9 for the non-white male. Wholly apart from the marked disparity between the whites and non-whites—which has been gradually narrowing—the over all average, regardless of sex or color, has been constantly growing. The upward trend, irforeover, is almost certain to con tinue. New drugs, new discoveries, and hoped-for new advances in the treatment of degenerative diseases and the control of such major killers as cancer promise to keep the figure rising. Thus, it is by no means inconceivable that Americans born a century from now will be able to expect better than 91 years of life, gaining 25 years over us, just as we have gained 25 over those born in 1849. indeed, according to some scientists, it is at least theoreti cally possible that we are moving toward a time when the average expectancy will be well over 100 years. Like progress in most things, progress in the field of longevity creates^roblems of its own. In a few decades, there prob ably will be considerably more than 20,000,000 Americans aged over 65, which means that the Nation’s social security load will steadily increase. Further, the older people, becoming proportionately a larger part of our over-all population, will be a more powerful political factor than they are now. Our increasing longevity thus promises to exercise a significant influence oit the future of the Nation. Taken together with the possibility that our population may double to a total of 300,000,000 in the next 100 years, it is one of the most important reasons why the era ahead seems destined to* be a time of deep adjustment and change, socially, politically and economi cally. The more we multiply, in short, and the longer we live, the more complicated our society is likely to become. ■ ■— * Best-Kept Secret There is merit in President Truman’s recommendation that judgment of his military aide be .suspended until after General Vaughan has told his story to the Hoey Investigating Committee. Like any one else, General Vaughan is entitled to his day in court, and he should not be adjudged guilty without full opportunity to present his defense. There is equal reason, however, to re frain from prejudgments of innocence, and this is a point which the President might keep in mind. Last week, after the Tanforan race track disclosures, Mr. Truman rose up to defend his aide. Nothing which had been brought out, he said, had altered his opinion of the general. And again this week the President- seemed to be appearing in the role of counsel for the defense. He com plained that General Vaughan’s case was being prejudiced by the disclosure of testimony adverse to him, while the favor able testimony, given to the committee in closed sessions, was being kept secret. Perhaps this is so. Members of the investigating committee, smarting under the implied rebuke in the President’s remarks, have made public at least a portion of the closed-session testimony, and there certainly is nothing in it that is favorable to General Vaughan. Still, there may be more. One is tempted to the conclusion, however, that if the de velopment of the atomic bomb was the best-kept secret of the war, the evidence favorable to General Vaughan is the best kept secret of the postwar years. This and That By Charles E. Trace well The English sparrow, an eminent profes I sional birdman once said, “does not deserve I to be considered as a bird, but rather as a ! feathered rat.” Which only shows how far wrong an emi nent professional man may go. If the common sparrow did nothing else, It deserves our kindness because of the fact that it directs our gaze toward our native sparrows. Nineteen sparrows come here, including the tree sparrow, the field sparrow and the chip ping sparrow. Those of us who are not in any sense pro fessional bird men, but simply like to watch ! the feathered folk, are often mixed up in our ! sparrow identifications, just as we are about ; the warblers. We throw up our hands over the warblers, there are so many of them. But even the 19 sparrows can cause much confusion. * * * * Here is the description of the tree sparrow, for instance, in a well-known guide: “Upper parts, gray, rusty and black, streaked: underparts, gray.” From the same work, on the chipping spar ' row: “Upper parts, gray, rusty and black, I streaked: underparts, gray.” And the field sparrow: “Upper parts, gray, rusty and black, streaked: underparts,'gray.” At this point, the average searcher after bird wisdom is ready to throw up his hands and call for help. * * * * The song sparrow, the white-crowned spar row, and the white-throated sparrow are well known to most suburban watchers. The little tree sparrow is not here long, only at migration. Breeding is done in the far North. In some localities the tree sparrow is called the snow chippy, or winter chippy. Just why the bird is called the tree spar row is a mystery, since it is not too often seen in trees, but mostly on the ground. The chipping sparrow is even smaller than the tree sparrow. Whereas the latter is 5% inches long, the chipping sparow is only 5'/a inches. In some localities the chipping sparrow is called the hair sparrow, and thereby hangs a tale. In the old days, this bird liked to use hairs from the mane and tail of horses in its nest, and it still does in rural communities where there are plenty of horses. The hairs being stiff, ends are likely to stick out, and in these the birds sometimes become entangled. The chipping sparrows just go on using the material, despite its danger. That is. the way birds do. They never seem to learn. This is a fascinating study. At what point, thousands of millions of years ago, did the birds and most of the animals stop using their brains? They look so wise. They seem to understand us, but actually respond only to reflexes. They have not used their brains because there is nothing to help them use them. That is, they have no one, as Emerson said, to help them be better than they are. They respond to hunger, but always in the same old way. They can be taught a few tricks, but actually thly never use their gray matter. No bird can tell another, “Now, my grandfather got caught in a loop of horse hair, so I advise you not to use the stuff.” Each bird, in its turn, sees the hair, and thinks it would be nice to put it in a nest. Again, actually it does not think—it just does it. * * * * If we want to differentiate the sparrows, we are told to look for the reddish bill and plain breast of the field sparrow. For the chipping sparrow, we need to see the white stripe over each eye and the white breast. For the tree sparrow, let us distinguish, if we can, the dark spot in the middle of the breast. s Those who rather shrink from Thoreau (and there are many such, despite his present popularity) will find fuel for this small dis like in the/great man's speaking of the sing ing of the female field sparrow. “She jingles her small change, pure silver,” he says, “on the counter of the pastures.” It is the male bird, of course, that does the, singing. So much for the great Thoreau! An investigation of the food habits of the field sparrow in 15 States and the District of Columbia showed 41 per cent animal and 59 per cent vegetable matter. Letters to The Star Differences on School Aid Not Really a Religious Quarrel \ To the Editor ot The Star: As one who has devoted much of his life to the promotion of good will and under standing among different religious groups, I disagree with the press in its handling of the current discussions on Federal aid to education. The press commits a serious error in treating the publia expression of opinion on this question as a religious quarrel. Of course, it is nothing of the kind. True, the Roman Catholics and Protestants range themselves on opposite sides on a public is sue in voicing their views, along with citizens who are nonchurchmen. Quite regrettable has been some name-calling. But the pro posal to allocate Federal funds in aid of education must not be regarded as a mere struggle between Roman Catholics and Protestants. To call it a religious contro versy between two religious groups reveals a distressing confusion about what should be clearly seen as a strictly political and educational issue. % Such loose thinking could lead eventually to national disaster. The error is encouraged by the assumption indulged by some Protestants and many Roman Catholics that this is a Protestant Nation. Not so. Granted that Protestants are in the majority, that does not show this a Protestant Nation, any more than a pre ponderance of women proves this is a female nation. Ours is not a church-state. It is a political democracy. To predicate a set tlement of Federal aid for education on a religious basis is therefore not only erroneous but hurtful. The Supreme Court has said by virtue of the nature of our government that it is not the business of government to aid any church, any religion or all religion. In the matter of the schools the sole ques tion involved is where to place the respon sibility for general education. By our Con stitution, affirmed by the Supreme Court, the citizens have located that responsibility in the government’s public schools, in the performance of the Nation’s right and obli gations. Letters tor publication must bear the signature and address of the renter, although it is permissible for a writer known to The Star to use a nom de plume. Please be brief. brought here and put in positions where they can issue tyrannical demands-regarding our own properties; and apparently the citizens of Washington are unable to form an orga nized resistance to them. We all know that even a person like Sec retary Krug never ate with, drank with, played golf with, or swam with a Negro unless It was for political advantage, yet, in his effort to be in with an organized minority, he tells the unorganized majority of white people in Washington that they must do so or they will be guil.ty of discrimination. I'm proud to plead guilty to such a charge. WASHINGTON BORN. Moved to Protest By Execution of Eugene James To the Editor of The Star: On Friday last, the great State of Mary land acljjeved a most signal triumph, a masterful achievement that should re-echo down the centuries, rivaling the most sordid practices of the crudest periods of the Mid dle Ages. » The victim of this unequal contest was a giant, half-wit, mentally sick Negro who was sorely in need of psychiatric aid. We shall not discuss any of the details of the case as to the justice or injustice of the punishment meted out to Eugene James. But we must confess that in our judgment it was one of the most brutal, bungling, ghoulish, sadistic executions of all time. The records of the past clearly prove that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime; the roots are much deeper. Capital punishment unquestionably is unscriptural, inhuman, vindictive, contrary to every New Testament concept of justice and mercy, wreaked almost without exception upon the helpless, underprivileged, poverty-stricken segment of either race, especially those of a minority group. If the present mode of execution is per mitted to Remain because of the complacent attitude of the citizenry of this great State, at last resort the S. P. C. A. should speak out, entreating and beseeching the General Assembly to outlaw now and forever that archaic, inhuman, ungodly relic of a back ward age, the old wooden gallows, and grant condemned criminals at least the humane treatment accorded to dying in mates of the animal pound. EUGENE WILLIAMS. Rather a Conflict With Government. Is it not preposterous, then, to say that because the Roman Catholic Church holds to the different conception that responsi bility for general education is, primarily in the church this difference thereby makes the discussion of the question a quarrel be tween Protestants and Roman Catholics? It is far more factual to say the quarrel is between the government and the Roman Church. The assumption of the press that the question will be resolved by settling differ ences of feeling, as between Cardinal Spell man and Mrs. Roosevelt, is a grievous error. The issues are not superficial and personal but definitely complex and profound. Many of us might be much interested in the opinions of such celebrated citizens, but nothing is settled in respect to the question of Federal aid to education by our being enabled to behold the pleasing spectacle of reconciliation of a sundered friendship. People in the United States are becoming quite impatient with attempts to settle a fundamental governmental question involv ing the Constitution and the Nation’s foun dation principle—its most distinguishing contribution to the world's political philos ophy and action—by throwing “sop" tax money to a contending religious group in order to mollify it. The citizens, irrespective of controversy, must critically consider any contribution the so-called “settlement” presently effected by Cardinal Spellman’s statement, received so amiably by Mrs. Roosevelt. Mark well the Cardinal’s language, “We do not think it should be left to each State to decide for itself whether or not to distribute Federal funds in a discriminatory way." This plain ly means that since 30 -States prohibit the use of public funds for bus transportation to parochial schools, and 44 States prohibit .the use of public funds for the purchase of textjbooks, he would utilize the Federal Gov ernment to override the rights of those States reserved to them in the Tenth Amend ment to the Federal Constitution. This does not help the United States Sen ate, because whatever the unsatisfactory features of S-246, in response to public opin ion, it tried hard not to involve State’s rights through imposition of control and dis tribution of Federal school aid funds. The House is trying too along the same lines. The people will not stand for putting the control of their public shools In the hands of the Federal Government. J. M. DAWSON. Dissents From Mr. Lawrence’s Theory Of Service Branch Autonomy To the Editor ol The Star: David Lawrence has been hammering for some time on the theme that what the Navy does with its appropriated funds is strictly Navy business. Mr. Lawrence rec ognizes that this principle of isolationism in respect to rightful interest in the funds available to the Navy does not automatically receive enthusiastic approval merely because he or the Navy adheres to it. In fact, Mr. Lawrence be^ils the unhappy truth that the efforts of* the Army and Air Force to make their views felt in regard to Navy activities has precipitated a grave issue in the National Military Establishment. He points a trembling finger to the horrid fact that the super-carrier desired by the Navy was not supported by Generals Bradley and Vandenberg. Why, says Mr. Lawrence, General Vandenberg has never even been aboard a carrier! Whether the Navy offi cials Who denounce the B-36 have ever flown one of the big bombers, he doesn't say. But Mr. Lawrence, while weaving through the welter of distortion and half truths with which he surrounds himself, has stumbled over a solid fact: The ques tion whether each military service has a rightful interest in the programs of the other two services is a fundamental issue between Navy proponents on the one hand and those of the Army and Air Force on the other. It is the contention of Army and Air Force proponents that the question whether the Navy uses its funds to add to an already great fleet of cracker-box carriers for the conduct of ineffectual hit-and-run attacks on land targets (there is no enemy surface fleet to attack) or spends the same money to ensure that transports carrying troops overseas will not be sunk by enemy sub marines—the Army and Air Force think this question is important to them. It obviously is. Moreover, the intent of the Unification Act, to mold the three military services into an integrated team, would be ill served by an attitude of none-of-your busineSs among the individual services. The American citizen and his representatives in Congress have little tolerance for the idea that each military service is a littfe autonomous empire, inviolate as to con structive criticism of its unilaterally-con ceived programs "and plans. Every alert citizen knows by now that the military service for which Mr. Lawrence writes his biased pleadings is the same service which bitterly opposed the passage of the Unifica tion Act and has continued to oppose its implementation at every forward step. His current plea for service autonomy in the use of funds is more of the same unrecon structed rebellion. It is a plain fact that there is np poten tial enemy surface fleet to challenge our Navy—our Navy being twice as powerful as all the other navies of the world combined. Accordingly, the Navy seeks to use its funds to develop capabilities to operate in the as signed spheres of the Army and Air Force. This is an uneconomical use of limited re sources to which the Army and Air Force soundly object. Mr. Lawrence would pre clude inter-service discussion of such a mat ter on the ground that it is no one’s busi ness but the Navy's. If that is so, the American taxpayer is doomed to go on in definitely paying for two ground forces (the Army and the Marines), three air forces (the Navy Air Force, the Marine Air Force, and the United States Air Force) and for a huge surface Navy with no po tential opponent. Meanwhile, by virtue of Navy spending in the effort to create ca pabilities overlapping those of the Air Force and Army, the real job of the Navy—to clear the sea lanes of enemy submarines_ is neglected. This situation is what Mr. Lawrende seeks to insure. God help him and all Americans if he succeeds. L. L. K. Northern Ireland Prefers Independence Without Compromise To the Editor ol The Star: In the Brltish-Irish dispute. Ireland main tains only the abovj two are involved: North ern Ireland rejects dictation from both. The people of Northern Ireland insist on guiding their own destiny. FRED HAMILTON. Rescue Squad Praised By Grateful Mother To the Editor of The Star: , I have often read in The Star about the rescue squads and how they are always help ing those that are really in need of help. I would like to add my praise. Last Saturday. August 6, my small son suddenly was taken ill, and the doctor couldn’t be reached. The Brentwood Rescue Squad ambulance, called in the emergency, was at the door within five minutes. Then they took us to the hos pital. Now I realize the value of these won derful men who are always ready to serve. My very deepest thanks to them. MRS. VINCENT H. DUBIN8KY. Scolds Senator for Delay Of Military Pay Bill „ To the Editor of The Star: The tactics of two gentlemen of the Sen ate have effectively prevented any considera tion of the military pay bill. Both Senator Flanders of Vermont and Senator O’Mahoney of Wyoming can see no reason to take up the bill at this time although they lost no time in approving a pay bill for themselves re cently. With 1,500,000 service people and their dependents scanning the newspapers daily for some signs of progress in connec tion with the bill, it only seems fair for them to know that the above mentioned gentle men stand between them and their hopes of getting out of the red. I’d like to suggest that every serviceman and Mis family sit down and write these gentlemen and let them know Khat service morale is dipping more every day, with bills rising and pay actually falling. We know the war is over but today's serviceman is tomorrow’s wall of flesh to hold back the Russian hordes. If you want a decent Army, Navy or Air Force, pay them a decent wage and stop playing politics with national security. Messrs. • Flanders and O’Mahoney are the best friends the Russians have in sabotaging morale in the armed forces. JOHN A. NORTON. Objects to Criticism of Givers Of Gifts to President and Family To the Editor of The Star: Something should be done about the smear artists who go so far as to question the pro priety of any gift any individual might, care to make to the Chief Executive or any mem ber of his family. It has been traditional from the beginning to shower the President currently in the White House with tokens of respect, honor and gratitude. Our Thanksgiving Day has been one occasion for showing our apprecia tion to God for earthly blessings and almost invariably the President receives bne or more turkeys on this and other occasions. Our Constitution guarantees oitf rights to ‘‘the pursuit of happiness.” These rights end only where the next fellow’s begin. Seem ingly there are dead souls to whom, it never has occured that it makes some people happy to give gifts. Any right-thinking person should rejoice that our President, who has done and is doing a good job. is becoming increasingly popular ahd his wife is making an excellent First Lady, as she is well loved among women for her sincerity and genuine goodness. Under the Constitution any who attack them with out cause can and should be dealt with and controlled as anti-Americans. DISGUSTED. Politicians Regarded as Dictators Catering to Minorities To the Editor of The SUr: Poor, helpless, voteless Washington! Poli ticians, who never have been elected to a position as high as town dog catcher, art 25 Years1 Study Needed To Evaluate Atom Effects Little Residual Effects Shown On Nagasaki Survivors By Thomas R. Henry It will be 25 years before the full effects of the atomic bomb blasts on the survivors at Nagasaki and Hiroshima can be fully evaluated. On those individuals who still are living there appear to be no serious residual effects four years afterwards, according to the semi annual report of the Atomic Energy Commis sion. To date the commission’s investigators have found no increase of any disease, in cluding cancer. All available medical records of the sur ! vivors. both before and after the bombings, have been collected. These, admittedly, are quite scanty. During the past six months normal blood samples have been collected from all the victims, including some who received heavy enough doses of radiation to lose all their hair. No significant differences have been found, the commission doctors report. Studies on Intermarriage. Another study has dealt with intermarriage within families which, including remote | cousins, may run as high as 25 per cent. I This is expected to be of considerable value in checking on the effects of the radiation on heredity but the next generation will have to reach maturity before many valid con clusions can be drawn. About the most frightening aspect of radi ation injury at the time of the bombings was that of delayed deaths. Persons who at first did not seem seriously exposed suddenly sickened and died a few weeks later. 'It na turally was feared that there might be a still longer delayed action, but this worry seems to have been set at rest by the latest studies of individual victims. After four years, the Commission’s in vestigators have found, only the area of about 100 acres immediately around the bomb crater still emanates dangerous radi ation at the site in the New Mexican desert near Alamogordo where the first bomb was dropped. Wild animals captured during the past year year outside the fenced zone appeared to be in good health and normal in every way. Their bodies contained no significant amounts of radioactive material. Even around the crater itself grass and weeds are starting to grow again and do not appear greatly changed. Range Cattle Exposed. At the time the bomb was dropped a number of range cattle were exposed to radioactive dust. They were gathered up and taken to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville wHere they are being watched carefully. Results to date are quite en couraging. Of the 50 cows 43 are still alive. Seven have died from causes which could not be associated with the bomb. A total of 57 calves have been born. Both parents of 33 of them were exposed. All the offspring appear normal and there is no evidence of loss of fertility. Studies of the animals are being made every six months to detect any delayed changes. Experiments are planned to de termine the dangers of eating the meat of such radiated animals University of Michigan scientists, the Commission announces, are now developing a blood test, similar to one of those now used for syphilis, which will determine quickly the extent of radiation damage to an individual. Some of the most notable effects are those on the blood, due chiefly to injury to cells or the bone marrow where £he blfod cells are produced. Meanwhile, major efforts are being made to determine just how cells are injured by various types of radiation. A valuable tool being used at the Commission's Argonne laboratory near Chicago is the wing of a small bat. It is about a thousandth of an inch thick and transparent. It is possible to observe directly just what happens to the blood flowing through such a wing when it is irradiated. For studying the effects of radiation on specific parts of a cell one of the most delicate instruments known to science has been devised. It is a beam of invisible light about a 25,000th of an inch in di ameter. The»average human cell is about 10 times this size. Questions and Answers A reader can get the answer to any Question of fact by writing The Evening 8tar. Washington, D. C.. Information Bureau. 316 Eye 8t. N.E.. Wash ington 2, D. C. Please inclose three (3) cents for return postage. By THE HASKIN SERVICE Q. Do moles have eyes?—O. L. R. A. All moles have eyes but they ate rudi mentary in size and are sometimes almost entirely covered by skin and fur. Q. Has the presiding officer of an organi zation the right to vote in the election of officers?—W. G. A. The president, or chairman, of a club has precisely the same right to vote as any other member. If a member of the assem bly, he is entitled to vote when the vote is by- ballot (but not after the tellers have commenced to count the ballots). Accord ing to Robert’s Rules of Order, it is a general rule that no one can vote on a question in whieh he has a direct personal or pecuniary interest. Yet, this does not prevent a mem ber from voting for himself for any office or other position, as voting for a delegate or for a member of a committee. Q. What is the real name of the bird known as the ‘‘laughing jackass?”—O. F. C. K. The kookaburra is popularly known as the ‘‘laughing jackass” because, instead of singing, it emits a raucous laugh. The bird is a member of the kingfisher family and a native of Australia. Because of its curious cry and strange habits it is a con stant source of wonder. Q. Is the earth’s crust affected by the gravitational pull of the moon?—M. McD. A. It is believed that the crust of the earth yields to the tide-producing force exerted by the moon to the extent per haps nine or 10 inches. The rise and fall is as large as this only for places where the moon passes directly overhead, that is, for places in or near the Tropics. For places in the northern United States the rise and fall would be only half as large. The sun produces a similar rise and fall not quite half as large as that due to the moon. Scene: The Palace This sultry noon the Empress Butterfly Floats regally among her flatterers. Beneath the gilded arras of the sky, They stand in little clumps. The yellow furs Worn by the empress wilt Dame Mig nonette (Who’s old and frail) and little Princess Phlox, ' « Squirming 'in pantalets of pink georgette, Twirling a parasol of hollyhock. Sir tfockscomb, on the other hand, ap proves Most heartily her majesty’s attire— And vice versa. Gracefully she moves Toward that velvet gentleman. A spire Of Canterbury Bells cannot resist Tinkling legato while the lovers kiss. . • JOHN NIXON, Jr. 1 r