Evening star. [volume], October 03, 1951, Page A-12, Image 12

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Jetting J§kf
With Sunday Morning Edition
_WASHINGTON, D. C,
Published by
The Evening Star Newspaper Company.
SAMUEL H..KAUFFMANN, President
__B. M. MeKELWAY, Editor.
MAIN OFFICE: 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave.
NEW YORK OFFICE: 420 Lexington Ave.
CHICAGO OFFICE: 435 North Michigan Ave.
Delivered by Carrier
Evening and Sunday Evening Sunday
Monthly 1.75* Monthly . 1.30* Monthly .45c
Weekly 40r Weekly 30c Weekly _10c
*!0c additional for Night Final Edition
Rates by Mail—Payable in Advance
Anywhere in the United States
Evening and Sunday Evening Sunday
1 year 21.00 1 year - 15.60 1 year _8.00
4 months .....10.50 6 months _ 7.80 6 months_...4.00
1 month ——._ 1.75 1 month _ 1.30 1 month _70c
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 tor
republication of all the local news printed in this newspaper as
weli as all A. P. news dispatches.
A—12 *« WEDNESDAY, October 3, 1951
Local Youth Correction Plan
The amendment to the Youth Corrections
Act approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee
will correct a defect which prevents the District
of Columbia from taking advantage of the penal
reforms of the 1950 law. The act, supported
by the Department of Justice, the Federal ju
diciary and penologists generally, authorizes
separation of youthful offenders from hardened
prisoners and provides a system of special re
habilitation for the young novices in crime. The
law as it now stands applies to every part of
the United States except the District. Washing
ton was left out of the original legislation be
cause its sponsors feared that the city’s inclu
sion would raise jurisdictional and budgetary
questions that might hamper passage of the
national law.
The amendment advocated by Federal au
thorities, District Court judges and District offi
cials and approved by the committee would re
solve the difficulties in a way that would permit
inclusion of the District in the national pro
gram. Jurisdiction and powers of the District
parole and probation agencies would be pre
served, as are the powers of District courts, in
cluding the Juvenile Court. As for budgetary
considerations, the committee reported that the
pledged co-operation of Federal prison officials
assures the relatively low cost of District par
ticipation.
The proposed legislation will in no way
restrict the authority of the local courts. Chief
Judge Laws of District Court has been a leading
advocate of both the national law and the Dis
trict amendment. The legislation is not man
datory but permissive. €t gives the judges an
alternative method of sentencing violators who
are under 22 years. Instead of sending them to
prison, they are able to commit them to penal
institutions for special training and treatment,
designed to reform rather than just punish.
District offenders should not be excluded from
this advanced system of caring for young
prisoners.
Britain Shows Good Sense
Decision of the British government to comply
with Iranian orders for evacuation of British
technicians from the Abadan refinery is a sound
one in the atmosphere that now prevails over
this entire controversy. The Mossadegh gov
ernment had made it abundantly clear that it
would not retreat from the order; the alternative
open to the British of maintaining their person
nel in Abadan by force could easily lead to most
grave consequences.
One such consequence probably would have
been the complete rupture of any relationship
between the two governments within which a
negotiated settlement could have been reached.
A second might well have been Russian counter
intervention by force in northern Iran, a develop
ment that could turn Iran into a second Korea
or could even touch off another world war.
Actually, in its recourse to the International
Court of Justice at The Hague and now to the
United Nations the British government is fol
lowing an orderly pattern of seeking resolution
of the problem through agencies which have
been established for the very purpose of recon
ciling international differences. And while the
Iranians have questioned the competence of
these bodies to rule on what they consider pure
ly an internal problem, their very willingness to
present their side of the case to the Security
Council is in itself an encouraging sign.
In this connection, incidentally, it is interest
ing to recall that the Anglo-Iranian concession
went through very similar troubles in 1932 when
it was cancelled by the Persian government of
that day. After a threat of force and the dis
patch of warships to the Persian Gulf, the
British then, as now, took their case to the In
ternational Court and then to the Council of
the League of Nations. While nationalization,
as such, was not part of the Persian strategy of
that period, the Teheran government made the
same contention that the issue was a domestic
one. The Iranians did, however, argue their case
before the League. In that instance the dis
putants resumed direct negotiations while the
issue was before the League and a new conces
sion contract was agreed upon. This parallel,
too, has encouraging implications.
Meanwhile, it is not inappropriate to take
note of certain strengthening of Mossadegh's
hand which has followed announcement of his
willingness to have the Iranian case laid before
the Security Council, perhaps through his own
personal appearance.
Opposition deputies in the Majlis who have
been blocking a vote of confidence for his oil
policy joined during the week end in signing a
pledge that they would discontinue their oppo
sition pending a determination in the case by
the United Nations. They wanted the world to
know, they said, that in time of conflict with an
outside power Iran stands united.
Somewhat comparable to this expression was
a pronouncement from the World Moslem Con
gress purporting to assure the Mossadegh gov
ernment of the support of all Moslem commu
nities. While the congress is a non-governmental
organization that does not have the authority
to commit the Moslem states officially to any
course of action, it does have broad influence in
political affairs of the Islamic countries, a size
able bloc in the United Nations, and in the total
of world opinion.
Reorganization Is Lagging
The chiding which the Citizens’ Committee
for the Hoover Report has directed at Congress
and the President for their relaxed attitude ta
lk
ward governmental reorganization is well de
served. In contrast to the fine progress made
last year in the reorganization field, Congress
and the President* have lagged badly this year.
President Truman took the initiative in 1949
and 1950, presenting Congress with a total of
34 reorganization plans based on the Hoover
Commission’s recommendations. Many of these
plans were accepted in one form or another, with
the result that nearly half of the reforms urged
in the Hoover report have been adopted. This
year, however. Mr. Truman has sent only one
(plan to Congress—the one for reorganization of
the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Even
this plan did not follow the suggestions of the
Hoover Commission, which favored transferring
the RFC to the Treasury Department.
^Among plans still pending are those for
taking the Post Office Department out of politics
and for modernizing the business methods of the
department, for further improving Federal per
sonnel policies, for reorganizing the Department
of Agriculture, for separating airmail subsidies
from airmail costs, for setting up a commission
to study Federal-State relations and for a similar
study of the Government’s operations overseas.
There are possibilities for substantial savings in
these proposals.
But there seems little prospect for action at
this session of Congress. Under the reorganiza
tion program, a plan submitted by the President
must be acted on by Congress within 60 days.
If neither side vetoes it, it becomes law. Unless
Congress decides to extend the- session until
December 1, a presidential plan submitted today
could not be acted on this year. The Citizens’
Committee, in letters to Vice President Barkley
and Speaker Rayburn, urged th& Congress re
main in session until at least a few more reforms
are legalized. The request is a reasonable one,
but Congress is not in a reasonable mood to
consider suggestions that it stay in Washington
any longer than absolutely necessary. And it
has become apparent that Congress does not
regard governmental reform through the Hoover,
Commission plans as essential as governmental
reform through the congressional investigation
method.*
The Eisenhower Backers
If the prevailing political situation is not
unprecedented, there has at least been nothing
comparable to it in many a long year.
There are thousands, and perhaps millions,
of voters who look without the slightest en
thusiasm upon the prospect of having to make
a choice next November between President Tru
man and Senator Taft. These people may be
placed, generally, in a kind of center group.
They are the ones whose hostility toward the
Fair Deal domestic program, coupled with their
distaste for the low moral climate in the present
administration, incline them toward the Ohio
Senator. They think he is a man of integrity,
they indorse his stand on domestic issues, and
they would like to vote for him. But they look
with misgiving on some of the Senator’s foreign
policy statements. They feel that they do not
know where he stands on such vital issues as
the North Atlantic project, or where he would
stand if elected to the presidency.
On the other hand, there is no uncertainty,
no room for doubt, as to the President’s stand
on foreign policy. The cornerstone of his policy
was laid back in 1947, when the decision to sup
port Greece and Turkey was taken. Since then
the policy, on the whole, has been built up with
logic and firmness. The Marshall Plan, the At
lantic Alliance, NATO—all of these have been
logical and courageous sequels to the Greco
Turkish stand. And in the sense, at least, that
there has been no war in Europe and no Com
munist advance into the industrial West, it is
a policy that, to this time, has paid off. In Asia,
to the beginning of the Korean war, our policy
was one of wavering and uncertainty. vBut when
the attack came, Mr. Truman made the mo
mentous decision to fight, and despite all of the
criticism that may be leveled at that decision
and the manner in which it was made, it stands
as clear evidence of American determination to
take the lead in resisting aggression, and the
importance of the impact which that has had
on the rest of the world should never be under
estimated.
Still, many of those who support the Presi
dent’s foreign policy, who are convinced it is
the right policy, and who believe that its
success is vital to our own security, are dismayed
by such things as the administration’s flagrant
catering to pressure groups and the tolerance
of the boodlers who have moved into Washing
ton. Thes6 voters feel that a vote for Truman
would be a vote for four more years of the
same, and the prospect gags them.
In this dilemma they look hopefully in Gen
eral Eisenhower’s direction. They see in him a
known, ardent and effective supporter of the
foreign policies in which they believe. And
although the general has had little to say on
domestic issues, they see, or think they see, in
him a man who, as President, would steer a
course somewhat to the right of the Truman
administration.
In short, General Eisenhower is the answer
to the political prayers of those who do not
want either President Truman or Senator Taft.
The difficulty from their point of. view is in
getting the general into the race. Presidential
nominations do not come to those who merely
sit and wait, and Senator Taft is forging ahead
as the Republican choice. As Governor Peterson
of Nebraska has said, General Eisenhower will
have to declare himself, probably by January 1
at the latest. The trouble is that the general,
although he undoubtedly would accept the
nomination, may conclude that an open bid for
it would jeopardize his present mission. And if
that should be his decision, the Eisenhower
backers, whether they like it or not, will have
to vote for some one else or stay home on election
day.
«.
We Lose a Good Friend
Representative Karl Stefan’s association
with District of Columbia affairs began soon
after his first election to Congress in 1932. A
member of the Appropriations Committee, he
was put on the subcommittee handling District
appropriations. With seniority he became its
ranking minority member and then chairman
before moving on to other committee assign
ments. This service brought him into contact
with officials of the Municipal Government and
many members of the community. His friendly
interest and a sympathetic understanding of
their problems were influential in effecting a
change for the better in the attitude of the
Appropriations Committee—which had been
unco-operative and even hostile for many years
—toward local affairs. Even after he left the
subcommittee handling local appropriations, he
took a leading part in discussions of the annual
appropriation bills and other local legislation,
defending or championing local interests. He
leaves about as many friends in Washington
as in Nebraska’s Third District, which he repre
sented for sixteen years.
r.
Who Were the Savages of Katyn Forest?
By W. H. Shippen
THE dark secret long buried in Katyn
Forest on the banks of the Dnieper
may yet come to light, documented for
future generations.
WJiat happened deep in the forest
during World War II, under cover of
darkness, treachery and terror, is of
such import to the world that ample
proof must be unearthed before history
can credit the evil story.
Either the Nazis or the Soviets struck
a double blow at civilization by liquidat
ing in Katyn Forest both the flower of
the Polish Army and the hope of restor
ing the fallen republic. The crime, being
political rather than military, and pre
meditated as well, seems to out-do
Genghis Khan or Attila the Hun.
Almost 5,000 captive Polish officers,
virtually all citizen soldiers and substan
tial men in their home communities,
were murdered in cold blood, one by one.
Each was shot from behind, with a sin
ble bullet through the base of the skull.
The appalling nature of this crime
was at once apparent, even to its per
petrators. Every effort was made at
concealment. Every known witness or
surviving relative was liquidated or
terrorized, and the mass murder graves
were carefully planted with young pines
in hope they would merge with the sur
rounding forest.
This stroke of savagery has become
the subject of inquiry by a special com
mittee set up in the House to subpoena
witnesses, hear testimony and compile
evidence before the record is further
distorted or wholly lost behind the iron
curtain.
The blood guilt rests upon a time
factor long in dispute. Did the mas
sacre occur in March and April of 1940,
while the armies of the Soviet Union
were in complete control of the Smo
lensk area? Or did it happen on the
following August, as claimed by the
Reds, after invading Nazis had seized
the area?
On April 13. 1943, the Berlin radio
announced the startling “discovery” of
the mass-murder graves and accused the
Soviets. Two days later the Moscow
radio laid the crime at the door of the
Na^is.
Shortly after. Col. John Van Vliet, jr„
and Capt. Donald B. Stewart, American
prisoners of war in Germany, were taken
to Katyn Forest by the Nazis to inspect
the scene of the massacre.
After the defeat of the Germans, Col.
Van Vliet made a report of his investiga
tion, dictating it personally in the office
of Maj. Gen. Clayton Bissell, then chief
of War Department Intelligence.
Representative Ray Madden, Demo
crat, of Indiana and chairman of the
netf investigating committee, believes the
“report never left the Pentagon.”
“Apparently this report has never
again been seen or found,” Represent
ative Madden told the House last week.
“After numerous inquiries at the Depart
ment of Defense and of the Department
of State, no one seems to have any
knowledge of the present whereabouts
of the Van Vliet report." He declared
every effort will be made tp secure the
report or a substitute.
It is known that some Polish officers
escaped the massacre by masquerading
as privates. Whether any of these will
be available for questioning was in doubt
as the committee made plans for the
inquiry, expected to open this fall and
continue into the next session.
However, several investigating groups,
including one headed by Arthur Bliss
Lane, former Ambassador to Poland,
have been collecting evidence since the
war’s end. This includes diaries, notes,
letters and newspapers found in the
clothing of the victims.
Too, forestry experts have exam'neci
the trees over the graves to establish
the time they were set out.
Several members of the committee
are of the opinion the evidence precludes
the possibility that the murders could
have been committed later than the
spring of 1940.
“Stalin and his lieutenants have con
tinually blocked all efforts to make an
impartial inquiry on the deaths of these
thousands of Polish officers,” according
to Chairman Madden.
Efforts were made at the Nuremberg
trials to learn if the Nazis were respon
sible, Mr. Madden declared in the House,
but these were blocked by Col. Pokrov
sky, the Soviet representative, when it
became apparent the inquiry would be
fair and impartial.
In 1943 the Polish Council of Ministers
applied to the International Red Cross
for a complete investigation of the mur
ders. The Soviets, Mr. Madden said,
broke off all diplomatic relations with
the free Polish governments as a result.
“The Katyn massacre is but part of
the untold story of 15,000 Polish officers
who have disappeared from the face
of the earth,” according to another
member of the committee, Representa
tive Sheehan, Republican, of Illinois.
“If it was the Germans and not the
Soviet authorities who were responsible
for the murders at Katyn, why have
not the Soviets made known the fate
of the Polish Army officers they took
in 1939?”
1 V,,..,.,,™, Mwipr^l
Tfte Soviets have blamed the Nazis for the Katyn massacre and the
Germans have accused the Reds. In World War II the Germans took Ameri
can, British and South African prisoners of war to Katyn to witness post
mortems.
1
I « « « “T" I O , Pen-names may be used if letters carry
Lerrers TO I MG OTQr writers’ correct names and addresses.
* * All letters are subject to condensation.
Promising Presidents
Why do we have war with every Demo
cratic administration? Is this the only
way they can have the prosperity they
brag about? And is it prosperity when
the dollar is worth half what it was 10
years ago, when thousands of boys are
miles away facing death, when those who
still survive are receiving about $75 per
month, when munitions factories are
working full speed? Just who is pros
perous?
We are as bad as Europe ever was.
They have always been fighting and
always will. Now we have committed
ourselves to fight every time they fight.
What a bright thought for parents of
boys to know that when they are 18
years old they will have to send them
away to fight somebody else’s wars.
And we are told “You voted for the
President, you must go along with him.’’
We voted for Wilson because he
promised to keep us out of war. We
voted for Roosevelt because of his “I
say it again and again and again"
speech. We voted for Truman for his
promises that were broken. Let the next
candidate for President promise to sup
ply weapons and ammunition to any
country that wants them but no men,
and he won't need any other platform to
win. But make him keep Mis promise
and we will have real prosperity and
keep our boys and have peace here.
Tired.
Defends Administration
Those who speak with contempt of
the man in the White House ignore the
fact that every Russian reverse is an
American diplomatic victory. For ex
ample: Turkey and Greece would be
Soviet satellites today were it not for
the anti-Soviet strategy evolved by the
State Department in 1947. When Hitler
ventured into Russia, he had to first
knock out Greece and then insure the
neutrality of Turkey. Remember the
trouble he had doing it?
In the same fashion, Russia could not
strike into Germany or France without
first dealing with these tough little
countries, whose armies, anti-Russian
from the ground up, now stand (thanks
to a President and Secretary of State
without a foreign policy?) on the
southern flank of the Red army. The
Soviet would have to tear through
Greece, as the Nazis did, thus weaken
ing their power, or else allocaie large
armies to guard their frontiers, as the
Nazis did, thus again, weakening their
power. The desertion of Yugoslavia from
the Red orbit, the Berlin blockade and
the Japanese peace treaty are forceful
examples of other United States diplo
matic victories. And as the reverses
grow, so, too, does the stature of the
President and the caliber of American
foreign policy.
Turkey has been urged for a long
time to take the lead in a Middle East
ern Security Pact. This she has refused
to do for fear of evoking the ire of the
Soviet. Now that members of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization have
agreed to admit these two strong desir
able allies, Turkey may take the initia
tive in some Middle Eastern coalition,
thus again, weakening the striking
power of the Soviet. These things are
real and real Americans will not forget
them any more than Republicans will
continue to distort and discredit and
belittle them, thus again, weakening
their striking power.
What makes a good President is not
his mistakes but w’hat he learns from
than. America’s growing strength and
prestige bears testimony to what Mr.
Truman has learned. The GOP’s criti
cism serves a dual purpose. It helps to
make both the President’s enemies and
his mistakes fade away.
Rudolph J. Bcrdaus.
Cincinnati.
Visitors Coming From Afar?
The Star is to be commended for its
new educational strip “Space Cadet"
and also for bringing the flying saucer
subject out into the open. I have a.
recent letter from a research man in
California which says that the identity
of the famous scientist whose (fictitious'
name has been connected so strongly
with this subject soon is to be revealed.
Visitors from another planet would
be great news! Why don’t we try to
signal them?
Saucerians who have had sense
enough to conquer space may be ahead
of us in other ways, even to knowing
how to outwit war.
On the program of a London scientific
society this winter is a lecture entitled
“The Problem of Communication with
Extra-terrestrial Beings," in which Pro
fessor Lancelot Hogben, F. R. S., will
discuss “the difficulties which may have
to be overcome in establishing contact
with the inhabitants of other planets.”
It looks as though it might be time
for us Earth folk to curl our back hair
and get ready for visitors!
L. L.
Worse Places Than U. S.
A recent letter by Gilbert J. Brockman
referred to the Rev. Frederick Brown
Harris as the first notable religious
leader, other than Catholic, to strike
boldly at the heart of what really ails
America, to wit: “We are strangling our
educational system by leaving out the
fundamental meaning of life itself—
God.”
In the first place, I think both Mr.
Brockman and Dr. Harris should take
a look around at what a wonderful
country this is. Certainly there is
wrong. There has been and probably
always will be, but we are constantly
trying to improve it.
And if Mr. Brockman would check
back in history, he would find that the
infallible Catholic Church once had the
chance to make the world perfect, or
at least make perfect several countries,
but it failed miserably in its adventure
into politics and education.
The Protestant churches have gen
erally been proclaimed to be the cham
pions of the separation of church and
state which includes free public edu
cation.
Strange as it may seem, the countries
with the highest living standards and
the highest literacy rates seem to be
the countries where the Protestants
dominate, including our own great
country.
K. E. G.
'Give as You Live'
Id President Truman’s warmhearted,
homespun sDeech launching the Com
munity Chest-USO Red Feather cam
paigns. he is reported as saying he
could not teil an individual how mucn'
he should give. Here goes an answer I
think the President would OK: “Give as
you live.” If you cut a wide swath soci
ally (cocktail parties, dinners, travel,
autos, etc.' give in proportion. Square
your giving account with your living ac
count. Give as you live.
Joseph D. Kaufman.
The Ex-Self-Employed
While considei ation is being given to
increases in salary of Government
workers, and to those on pensions, there
are many aged persons to whom no
thought is being given, though year
after year they have paid substantial
State and national income taxes while
self-employed.
because this segment of the taxpaying
public was not dependent on the Govern
ment, the Social Security law excluded
its members from the privilege of shar
ing in its benefits. When age forced
retirement these citizens hoped they
might have security. Instead, with the
value of the dollar cut more than
hall, and with frequent illness, hospital
izat:on. doctors’ bills, they now are living
in fear and discouragement.
Ironically enough, the forgotten ones
will have help pay for the increases
which those more fortunate will re
ceive. as, of course, the cost of those
increases will be added to all that the
shrunken dollar will buy.
D. A. H.
This and That . . . By Charles E. Tracewell
"CHURCHTON. Md.
"Dear Sir:
"We have a Droblem on our hands.
About j.’our weeks ago during a very
heavy thunderstorm a baby robin was
blown out ot the nest and was battered
arrund all night.
“He was found next day and brought
in the nouse His right leg was injured
and he still has no use of his foot.
‘We have fed him raw beef, liver,
egg yolk, bread raisins, and, of course,
water.
“He picks food from the bottom of
his cage, which is a big wire basket,
but wants us to feed him, too. He talks
to us and calls if we don’t come when
he *s hungry.
"Now the problem is, what shall we •
do with him? We don’t want him to
be caught by a cat or hawk, so please
come to our rescue.
“S’ncerely yours, R. T. M.”
* *
It is against the law, of course, to
keep a wild bird caged.
The 'aw is supposed to be just, how
ever, and little infractions in the spirit
of helping a helpless creature may be
over'ooked by what we all hope is a
great and good Government.
No one would advocate that any one
should break the law, but now and then,
as in this case, something very close to
it may be perpetrated, if one is sensible
enough to keep one’s mouth closed.
*
A *
Too muck talk, and then the dear old
authorities must move in, for, after all,
tne law is the law, and this little portion
of it they have sworn to uphold.
Sometimes the honest man is slightly
mystified at the way little infractions of
laws are sternly punished, while appar
ent^ large infractions get off scot-free.
However that may be, a good deed
is a good deed, and a robin with an
injured foot might be kept while the
injury heals. That is all.
This may take a little time.
The bird is only being treated, not
held in duress *
This is the line to take, and an honest
line it is, holding in its small portion
much goodness, mercy, and just plain
common sense.
Every such bird treated and brought
to flying ability is jUst another native
bird that would have died without hu
man aid.
Doubtless many thousands of such
birds, of many species, are helped back
to good health and their native outdoors'
by kind-hearted persons both here and
elsewhere.
The usual thing, if the bird is healthy,
is to turn it loose, not too late in the
summer, so that it may join others of its
kind on the southward journey.
Most birds are bom in June and July,
some in early August, and this gives
them a chance to grow strong and
*
I
wary, and to build up the ability to find
their own food.
Young birds, “brought up by hand,”
usually are able to take care of them
selves upon being released. Nature takes
care of that. For a few days they may
hesitate between the helping hand and
the outdoors, but the outdoors always
wins.
Specimens picked up too late, how
ever, run a chance, if released in the
fall, of not being able to take care of
themselves, sometimes owing to the sud
den approach of cold weather.
In such cases undoubtedly it is better,
and better serves the purposes of con
servation, to keep the creature until
spring.
Ordinarily a bird with one foot can
take care of itself, if it is injured after it
has had some experience in the open.
Almost every person who serves seed
to birds in the home yard knows of one
or more one-legged specimens.
These soon learn to hop on one foot,
and with the aid of their wings and tail
manage to get around in fairly good
style.
The longer one cares for a bird, the
more attached one becomes to it, but it
should be released in the spring, and
permitted to rejoin -its own kind.
Release of a robin is best made in
April, after all the others are here. Then
the stranger to the world feels perfectly
at home after a few days.
«
Earth Wears Night Robe
Of Transparent Light
Naval Research Staff Reports
On Shimmering 'Air Glow'
By Thomas R. Henry
The earth wears a night robe of shim
mering, transparent light.
Existence of this "air glow”—a faint,
constant luminescence that is spread
more or less uniformly around the-whole
planet—has been little known except to
astronomers; but a group of Navy re
search workers, working under an Office
of Naval Research contract at the Yerkes
Observatory, Williams Bay, Wis., has
largely solved its mystery.
This has just been reported by Dr.
Aden B. Meinel, Yerkes astronomer, who
directed the work.
It long has been suspected that the
air glow was due to chemical reactions
in the upper atmosphere. The ultra
violet light in sunshine breaks up certain
molecules into their constituent atoms.
These air molecules reform at night. In
this reformation minute amounts of light
are emitted. This makes the “night
robe.”
Recombination of Molecules.
Most of the light is in the red or in
frared parts of the light spectrum. The
latter is invisible but can be studied with
special instruments used by Dr. Meinel
and his associates. They showed for the
first time that this light was due to the
recombination of molecules containing
one atom of hydrogen and one of oxygen.
This molecule, in turn might come from
the breaking up of water vapor, but
there is extremely little water in the
region of the atmosphere where air glow
takes place—approximately at an alti
tude of 45 miles. The final conclusion
was that the combination was taking
place between atoms of ozone, an ex
tremely active form of oxygen, and
hydrogen atoms.
The project started as a study of the
aurora borealis, the cause of which still
is not entirely clear. The Yerkes
astronomers studied the spectrum of
the soft yellow-green and red light
which constitutes the “dancing and
flaming fingers’’ in the northern
heavens.
It formerly was believed that this
light was due to electrons ejected from
the surface of the sun which caused
the air to shine when they struck the
' earth’s atmosphere. The difficulty was
that such electrons would not have
been able to penetrate to levels where
the aurora appears.
Some years ago a Norwegian scientist,
Lars Vegard, noted occasional light lines,
such as wTould be emitted by hydrogen
atoms; and it was concluded that the
lights were due to these particles, far
more massive than electrons, shot from
the surface of the sun. The sun’s outer
atmosphere consists largely of hydrogen.
Studies by Speed Camera.
As in the case of the air glow, the
Yerkes scientists studied both the
aurora’s visible light and the invisible
infrared. The latter was almost unex
plored because of the great technical
difficulty of observations. Work was
made possible through the development
by Dr. Meinel of a camera so fast and
delicate that it can photograph in 60
seconds stars 50,000 times fainter than
the eye can see. There were also great ’
technical improvements in the spectra
scope and in the speeds of infrared
sensitive emulsions.
The general effect of the work was
to confirm the hydrogen atom hypo
thesis, but there were some curious
discrepancies. One of these was the
shifting of one hydrogen light line far
towards the violet end of the spectrum.
Calculations showed that this could
happen only if the hydrogen atoms were
moving with enormous velocities. It was
determined that the necessary speed
was 7,500,000 miles an hour—about the
greatest speed yet measured in the uni
verse except for light itself.
Another important result of the ob
servations was the identification of a
new light band system of nitrogen. This
confirmed that some nitrogen in the
upper atmosphere exists in a form which
scientists had predicted from theoretical
calculations, but had been unable to
produce in the laboratory.
Questions and Answers
The Star’s readers can get the answer to
Evening Star Information Bureau, 1200 I street
Evening Star Information Bureau. 1200 I street
N.W.. Washington 5. D. C- and inclosing 3 cents
return postage' or by telephoning ST. 7363.
By THE HASKIN SERVICE.
Q. Does the Constitution make any
provision for presidential executive
orders?—E. L. W.
A. The Constitution does not define
the circumstances under which the Pres
ident may issue executive orders, but
his right to do so is assumed to be im
plicit in the statement that executive
power shall be vested in him. The Presi
dent does not have to have authority
from Congress to issue such orders.
Q. At what height above the earth’s
surface does the stratosphere begin? Has
any one ever parachuted from there?—
D. K. F.
A. The height at which the stratos
phere begins varies over the earth up
to just under 7 miles. Parachute jumps
have been made from the stratosphere
from altitudes up to 8 miles.
Q If the stars are moving in space at
terr.flc speeds, how is it that they ap
pear to be stationary?—A. A.
A The stars are at such enormous
distances from us that they appear not
to move. Changes in the positions of
the stars can be detected by careful
measurements with great telescopes.
Q. Why were bands originally placed
around cigars?—C K.
A The custom began in Cuba, because
the ‘green” or moist cigars popular there
stained the gloves of the fashionable
young Spaniards who smoked them.
Later on, cigar merchants began to print
their names on the bands.
Contrast
i
The trees that shade the city streets
are bound,
They stand in strictly regimented rows.
Each one assigned a meager plot of
ground
Where pruned, and urged, and dis
ciplined, it grows.
Its tutored boughs accept their given
spread,
And none may hope to gain a farther
reach,
In faultless unison they leaf and shed,
The whole, a wide expanded range of
each.
The forest trees reject the ordered way.
They spread their hungry bough and
roots to grope
For such unrationed bounty as they may.
Their frames alive with never-ceasing
hope.
With wonder each may view the other
tree;
The nurtured one is bound, the wild
is free.
Florence Pedigo Janssos
4 <