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sl)e f timing J&kf ' With Edition WASHINGTON 4. DC. Published by The Evening Star Newspaper Company SAMUEL H. KAUFFMANN. President B. M. McKELWAV, Editor MAIN OFFICE: Uth St and Pennsylvania Avo. NEW YORK OFFICE: 420 Lexington Ave CHICAGO OFFICE: 43* North Michigan Ave Delivered by Carrier. Evening and Sunday Evening Sunday Monthly... 1.75* Weekly 30< Monthly .... 6it Weekly 40c Monthly 1.30* Weekly 15. *lO. additional for Night Final Edition. Rates by Mail—Payable in Advance Anywhere In the United States Evening end Sunday Evening Sunday 1 year 25.00 I year 17.00 I year ... 10.00 4 months 13.00 4 months 9.00 6 months 5.50 I month .... 2.25 1 month ..... 2.00 1 month 1.25 Teleohonet STerling 3-5000 Entered at the Past Office Washington. 0. C , as second-class mail matter Member at the Associated Press The Associated Press Is entitled exclusively to the use for republicatien of ell the local newt stinted In this newspaper at well os all A. P news dispatches A-8 WEDNESDAY, Docambar 23, 1993 The Judges Are Also Important Like most of the statutes of the sort, our juvenile court law places major emphasis on protecting the juvenile who gets into trouble. The secrecy in which the court operates and the degree of discretion vested with the judge were designed to increase that protection by removing influences—publicity, for example— which might retard rehabilitation of the de linquent. One of the points developed during the Senate hearings on juvenile delinquency in Washington is that this emphasis is mfsplaced If it tends to obscure the also highly important need for protection of the community against depredations of juvenile thugs and desperadoes. United States Attorney Leo Rover, for ex ample, was forceful and forthright in his testi mony that his office should have sole discretion in deciding whether juveniles charged with crimes of violence should be tried in the juvenile ' or the adult courts. That discretion now rests with the judge of juvenile court. The police, and others, see no sense in depriving them of information regarding the disposition of cel ses involving juveniles whom they have booked publicly for felonies. There are other points of criticism regarding the operation of juvenile court by those who feel that the secrecy of the court can conceal the nature of its own delinquencies, as well as those of the juvenile. Out of all this sentiment there are very apt to emerge, as one result of the Senate com mittee’s investigations, recommendations for amendment of the juvenile court law in several respects. These amendments piay be desirable, and they might result in some slight improve ment in the handling of Juvenile delinquents— especially those who commit the most serious of crimes. But there is another consideration that should not be overlooked, for it is more impor tant than the expedient of changing the law. That consideration applies to the selection of a Juvenile court judge. There should be a re emphasis on qualifications of the judge who is to preside over a court that deals with the most difficult of all problems, the unpredictable and often unexplainable behavior of adolescents. For some strange reason—associated in the beginning with purely sentimental circum stances—the juvenile court judgeship in Wash ington is considered a job for some young woman lawyer. The job is one for a very wise mEin, mature in experience, tried in personal relationships and with some recorded ability to understand and work with juveniles. Experience may have proven that our juvenile court law was written for another day and is no longer adequate to cope with existing realities. By now, we should also have learned from experience the necessity of selecting quali fied judges. Mr. Truman Joins Up Former President Truman, if he has been correctly quoted, has Joined the ranks of those who refuse to believe that the current mood of "hysteria” in America really endangers our' liberties. Mr. Truman, interviewed by United Stages Television News, was asked whether his per gonal liberties as guaranteed by the Constitution are threatened today. The former President’s reply was that they may be threatened, but they are not in danger. He explained that while the so-called Com munist scare has given rise to today’s hysteria, this country has been through similar ex periences before. And always, he said, the good sense of the American people has prevailed in the end. In this Mr. Truman joins Governor Steven son, who said a few days ago that “resistance to tyranny has been our historic mission,” and that he has no doubt “that this ugly alien mood of America, too, will pass away like others before it.” The real point would seem to be that we should not let ourselves be too frightened by the alarmist cries of those who, at the one extreme, see our liberties imperiled by com munism in this country, and by those at the other extreme who think that our freedom is being destroyed by some of the methods em ployed against communism. There always has been, there is now and there always will be some threat to our liberties. We will not lose our liberties, however, if we keep in 'mind and govern our actions by the admonition that “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” An Elusive Old Gentleman There was a time, a hundred years or so ago, when it would have been hard to describe BEmta Claus. It was true enough then, as it is now, that the old gentleman was something special. He was as real as plum pudding to children everywhere. They tried to sit up on the night before Christmas, or slipped down stairs when every one else was asleep, hoping to catch a glimpse of him at work. They knew him as the epitome of all that was kind and good, and the one who would reward them on Christmas Day for displaying those qusLlities themselves. But he was an elusive chap. An idea of Santa’s appearance began to emerge on ChristmELS eve in 1822, when Dr. Clement Clarke Moore of Columbia University penned a Christmas poem for his children. He called it "A Visit From Saint Nicholas,” more widely known now by its opening line, “ Twas' the night before Christmas.” As he wrote, the picture of today’s Santa Claus— the Americanized version of the Dutch “Sant Hikolaas”—emerged. Santa became a man with K I a “nose like a cherry” and a “little round belly that shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.” He got his white beard then, too, and his twinkling eyes. Here was an image to pique the interest of young and old. It was a complete image, and something solid on which to fasten the dreams of Christmas. It ie difficult to believe that this image was not always with us. It seems so appropriate to the attributes of Santa Claus. He fits well on a Christmas card, and is colorful enough to visit the most demanding depart ment store. He fits well, too, into the minds of children everywhere. All of the work of Dr. Moore and the artists since, however, does not keep the youngsters from trying to sit up the night be fore Christmas, or from slipping downstairs after others are asleep, hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus. But there are no authenticated instances of his having been seen. We know what he looks like, but he remains an elusive old chap. Mr. Dulles on EDC Secretary of State Dulles, in his fine address to the National Press Club, has set forth a par ticularly persuasive argument for near-future action to convert the projected European Defense Community into an operating reality. At the same time, reaffirming what he said at the recent Paris meeting of the Ministerial Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza tion, he has stated it as “a self-evident truth” that unless the pact to create the EDC is rati fied “soon” by France and the five other signa tory powers, there will have to be “an agonizing reappraisal” of American foreign policy in rela tion to the -present NATO setup. This repetition of His Paris statement may again displease the French, but that does not alter the soundness of Mr. Dulles’ argument. For the fact is, as he has said, that NATO, although it is in good shape and although its growing strength—together with discontent behind the Iron Curtain—has lessened the danger of Soviet aggression, “rests upon a foundation which is precarious and which must cause us grave concern.” And the foun dation will continue to be precarious as long as . the signatories—especially France, which origi nated the project—fail to ratify the EDC treaty to 'establish an internationalized six-nation army, including West German divisions. To emphasize the essentiality of the Euro pean Defense Community Mr. Dulles has cited a number of important factors that seem to have been overlooked or underestimate# by some of our friends abroad. One of these factors is this: That Congress, in the Mutual Security Act of 1953, has conditioned much of our foreign mil itary aid upon the actual existence of the EDC. Another is this: That a substantial part of the United States Army has been placed in advanced positions in West Germany on the assumption that the EDC forces, with German divisions, will be a going concern in the not-too-distant future. Accordingly, in Mr. Dulles’ words, if that force does not materialize within a reason able period of time, NATO’s basic strategy “will have to be re-examined” because our American troops cannot continue as the principal defend ers of Germany “while the Germans themselves look on as mere observers”—a statement sug gesting that our troops might be pulled back from the front line. In addition to all this, Mr. Dulles has stressed two other factors. The first is that EDC, besides being essential to the creation of much-needed West German divisions, is indis pensable if France and,other nations—including Russia—are to have assurances that Germans will not be rearmed under conditions that would make it possible for them to revive aggressive militarism. And the second involves the problem of “permanently sealing the breach between France and Germany”—a problem that cannot be solved without EDC, whose, machin ery, by bringing Franco-German forces together within an internationalized army, would be a powerful guarantee against any recurrence of the kind of strife which in the past has gravely endangered Western civilization. Os course, as Mr. Dulles has declared, “if EDC fails, we shall do something,” and he is confident that the United States will be capable of preserving its vital interests in the event of such a failure. But he has frankly observed that none of the suggested alternatives to the six-nation project is good. The best that can be said for any of them—including the orie that would create a separate German force within the framework of NATO—is that they would be better than no action at all. Beyond that, however, they would fall far short of what the EDC has been designed to accomplish in terms of defending free Europe, effecting a lasting Franco-German reconciliation, and providing safeguards against the rebirth of a militaristic Germany. In the light of such facts as these, it is hard to believe thaf France and the other signatories will not have the wisdom to ratify the EDC treaty. Mr. Dulles, for his own part, has high hopes that they’will end their hesitation and act affirmatively, thus serving their own best interests and making it unnecessary for the United States to undertake an .“agonizing” pol icy reappraisal. If this proves to be too optimis tic a view, then free Europe will have struck itself a heavy blow to the delight of the Kremlin. New Stamp Process There are several reasons which suggest that Postmaster General Summerfleld would be well advised to make haste slowly in his pro posed study of “producing multicolored stamps by photogravure or some other method rather than the hand-engraving process presently being used.” The only advantage cited by Mr. Summer fleld is that some other process might “make our stamps more attractive.” He does not claim that there would be any monetary saving, and he concedes that hand-engraved stamps have proven satisfactory for postal requirements. One disadvantage is that resort to surface printed stamps would increase the danger of counterfeiting. Inquiries at the Post Office Department do not indicate that much thought has been given to this angle. Presumably, it will be explored in the course of the projected study. Certainly it should be, for other countries which have adopted photoengraving methods have had serious trouble with counterfeiters. Another disadvantage, assuming that therk would be no substantial economy, lies in the effect on the skilled engravers who make the plates for engraved According to the Washington Plate Printers’ Union, many of these came to Washington at the urgent request of the Treasury Department. They gave up their jobs and sold their homes in other cities. They settled in Washington after being assured of . permanent positions. These men are entitled to consideration, especially if Mr. Summerfleld is correct in saying, with respect to economy, that adoption of the new process would merely entail “no added expense.” K / I at ■ “T*l Cixa Pen-names may be used if letters carry PTTP rS TO I llr iTOT writers'correct names and addresses. i • iv . . AU letters are subject t 0 condensation. 'Parent Failure' On the front of The Star for Decem ber 16 appeared an article headed “Eisenhower. Prefers to Label Delin quency ‘Parent Failure’.” My wife, a housewife and otherwise unemployed, and I are parents of two sons, one just out of his teens and the other Just entering his teens and ex pecting to attend public schools after finishing 8 years at pEirochial school as did his older brother. It is thus only natural that I am greatly interested in the problem of juvenile delinquency. Such statements as “Parent Failure” are not only irksome but are deemed thoroughly unwarranted. Other causes of juvenile delinquency are more promi nent than “Parent Failure” although it must be conceded that "Parent Fail ure” does exist to some extent and one principal reason therefor is the too fre quent case of both parents working when not necessary except to keep up with the Joneses while the children are neglected. The major cause for juvenile delin quency, as I see it, is in the substan tially complete lack of discipline in the public school system of today. The modem trend in the public schools to day is “do not inhibit the child” and after six or seven hours each school day how difficult it is for parents to combat such lack of discipline and erroneous way of life. „ The article stated that President Eisenhower believes American soldiers would be better able to withstand Com munist pressures if they had been bet ter disciplined “all their lives” but no reference is made to the considerable amount of time spent in school. As a coincidence, the most influential effect, and an apparently undesirable one, upon the public schools stems from the university of which President Eisen hower was once the titular head. President Eisenhower realizes that discipline, not uninhibited actions by * each individual, is necessary throughout life whether as a soldier, ordinary civil ian, diplomat, etc.: otherwise only chaos would result. That being true for adults, then why should the future adults be subjected to other conditions during their formative years? The ob vious result from such practice is the development of adults who will have little or no regard for disciplinary rules 4 or regulations. ' Parents, generally, make every effort , to combat juvenile delinquency, but . unlike conditions when President Eisen- 1 hower was the parent of a teen-ager, the present day parent must overcome the encouragement given today to the children in public schools to act unin- j hibitedly and to despise any disciplin ary action. ’ With full co-operation on the part of the school systems by a return to the old theory of requiring reasonable dis cipline among the students, juvenile delinquency can be rendered a minor problem and here’s hoping for such co-operation. Concerned Parent. Landmark Passes An important landmark in the mem ories of some older Washingtonians has passed scarcely noticed. The Academy of Music at Ninth and D streets N.W., recently joined the ranks of the Ma jestic, Chase’s, Poli’s, Kernan’s and some of the older palaces of the thes pians—gone and all but forgotten. The Academy of Music bore no rela tion to Carnegie Hall where the great artists show their virtuosity on fine in struments. Instead the melodrama held sway. The sound of gun-play and the smell of gunpowder permeated the an cient edifice. No gangster, hoodlum or racketeer ever triumphed at the Acad emy of Music. The villains were villains and they got what was coming to them. “The Flaming Arrow” was a stirring tale of the Old West, and Indians were injuns and cowboys not duded up strumming ukueles. Young Buffalo strode the boards in angora chaps with his two six-guns, jangling spurs. He never lost a battle although sometimes he escaped disaster only by inches. His white horse reared on hindlegs in the approved stage fashion. Lillian Morti mer was queen of the westerns in those days in such vehicles as “Bunco in Arizona.” “Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl,” was a play without social sig nificance. “Chinatown Charlie,” “The Biddle Boys,” "Nellie the Pretty .Type writer” were some of the other stirring spectacles. Charles E. Blaney starred in that famed epic, “Across the Pacific” eulo gizing the Japanese in, their war with the Russians. The Gattling gun was used with great effect at the height of the bajttle. “In Old Kentucky” was a nostalgic play of horse racing in the Old South but it was lightened on Friday nights by amateur buck and wing dance com petitions. How those colored boys could dance! The judges had a tough time picking the winners. Between the acts the candy butchers passed up and down the aisles calling: “Ten cents for the largest 6-ounce package of Hedley’s assorted choco lates." Orchestra seats cost 50 cents, first balcony 25 and the peanut gallery 10 cents. Some of the audience spilled out side to catch a quick drag on a Sweep Caporal to assuage the excitement of the play. Frank Kfne was the genial door This and That . . . By Chor,es E Traced Old Harry, the dog. came pounding across the porch to get the cat’s salmon. Harry’s life has always been that way—on the dead run. He probably has run at least 10' million miles in his eight years, and is still running strong. It may be that a conservative esti mate would be one million miles. We recall once writing that centipedes ran at the rate of 30 miles an hour, and a literal minded reader proved they could not do it. Well, no doubt he was right, but exaggeration is one of the stocks in trade of a writer; one exaggerates to make a point, points, and so we will let 10 million miles stand for old Harry At any rate, he runs all the time. * * Harry is white, with liver, spots, a sort of bird dog, as they are called, i although heaven knows what breeds are in his ancestry. ■ He has been running so long that no one knows exactly what he looks like. •.A standing Harry is difficult to con ceive. Winter and summer, he runs. He comes through the snow or the heat of summer with equal aplomb. And always he is looking for some thing to eat. . I keeper who toured the city putting posters in shop windows announcing the coming attractions. Two compli mentary tickets was the cost of adver tising. In the evenings and at matinees he took tickets. Many an urchin look ing wistfully at the closed doors was sneaked in by Frank for the last Eict. Something passed in the memories of the older Washington boys who basked in the distant and reflected .glories of their heros and heroines at “The Acad emy,” when the wreckers went to work at Ninth and D. L. A. Dessez. Tax Cut for Working Mothers Uncle Sam is cutting his own throat! Think of the increased revenue he would garner if magnanimous enough to allow a fair tax cut for working mothers. I am el mother. I am also a college graduate with a major in physical science, and I am quite capable in my field, chemistry. However, I cannot work because I have to pay an amount more than equivalent to my tax for adequate care for my two juve nile non-delinquents. I don’t begrudge paying taxes, but I don’t think I should also be taxed for the privilege of work ing and sacrificing my hard-earned five years of college for a pittance. Therefore, Uncle Sam, I cannot work, and you lose out and I lose out. I wonder how many intelligent, capable women are in the same pre dicament? Alice Dwyer.. _ —Justus. Minneapolis Star. “Just in the Nick of Time—Again!” Lightening Carrier Boy's Burden I would like to thank all the kind and thoughtful people who bought 1954 Star Calendars from their carrier boys. Our son has had a Star route for-three years—two of them in our neighbor hood in Silver Spring. With the excep tion of two trips to Boy Scout Camp every summer—for seven days a week —in all kinds of weather from the blistering days of summer to the freez ing weather of last week, he has de livered The Star to his customers on a large spread-out area. Many times through the year these young busi nessmen must feel discouraged. This was our third year for. Christmas cal endars. Each year I have seen a won derful rejuvenation of spirits, a feel ing of being important and appre ciated. Tonight our son came home— calendars almost all gone—with much to relate about how wonderful his cus tomers are. This scene is multiplied by hundreds—all over the Washington area—so from all the parents of news boys. thanks for remembering. Star Boy’s Mother. Charity Rackets It is indeed fortunate that the public is becoming alerted to despicable char ity rackets. According to reports from New York and other cities beside Wash ington, a quarter of a billion dollars would be a reasonable estimate of the amount that is “legally stolen” from the public each year. It is tragic that our honorable charitable institutions must lose that much money which could be so beneficial to them and the public. I congratulate the newspapers upon their interest in uncovering these rackets. The Executive Committee of the American Legion for the Department of the District of Columbia has gone on record to show its desire to co-operate with the District of Columbia Commit tee for legislation against charity rack ets. I am quite sure that Legionnaires everywhere will volunteer their co-op eration to stamp out this civic evil. Whether in doubt or not, when a person is solicited it would be easy to ascertain if the solicitor is worthy of a cbntribution. An inquiry could be made of the Better Business Bureau, with which the Legion is glad to co operate and if the solicitation should be made in the name of the Legion a phone call to the Department Head quarters, ME. 8-2736 would bring an answer to all inquiries. Rev. William B. Adams, Commander, District Department, American Legion. < This should not be interpreted as any reflection on his owners. No doubt they do a good job of feed ing Harry, but Harry has a different idea. He is perpetually hungry. His big tongue lops out and he drools at the very sight of food. “Drooling at the mouth” is an old expression, but it means something with a dog. * * It is one of the wonders of the world, really, the way sight or smell of food excites the salivary glands of the .canine population. We can recall old Jinks, American pit bull, more properly called Amer ican bull terrier. He weighed 68 pounds, and had a neck 22 inches around, and that’s no exaggeration, but actual measurement. Well-behaved, he would not run counter to a command, so when a plate of hot fudge was placed on the floor,- and he was told to guard it, guard it he did. But, my! how his mouth watered! It was an amazing sight, the big all white dog. in his black harness and brass studded collar, seated by the plate of fudge, but never sampling it. We would go out of the room, and A Clarifies Stand on Expressway The National Parks Association be lieves it should clarify its position opposing the proposed expressway through Rock Creek Park, in view of the statements published in The Star that it is lobbying for “selfish property owners” and that it has not studied the plans. The Eissociation is interested in the matter because the National Capital Parks are a part of the national park system. Its primary purpose is to in crease public understanding of the value of ah national parks, and of the need for public vigilance to prevent their desecration. At the moment, the as sociation is striving to prevent flooding of such areas as the Grand Canyon, Mammoth Cave, Glacier National Park, and Dinosaur National Monument, the logging of the incomparable rain forest in Olympic National Park, and similar destruction of many other areEis as proposed by various commercial inter ests. It is doing so purely in the na tional interest, and derives no gain from its activities. It is not a lobbying organ ization, and is too experienced to sup port any program not thoroughly stud ied and soundly conceived. The people of the District and adja cent Maryland and Virginia, who are properly alarmed at the serious traffic situation here, are in a mood to grasp at any proposal that offers relief from it. They have not recognized that the proposed expressway has major de fects. It Would spell the end of Rock Creek Park as an exhibit of natural beauty unique in the world, urgently needed by those who live and work here to provide surcease from the tensions of urban living. It would be -a tem porary palliative, funneling commercial traffic into the heart of downtown Washington, from which it could escape only if further expensive facilities were built to deposit it into the most seri ously congested area in Virginia. It would create a situation that oerhaps could never be corrected. Plans of the Maryland highway au thorities call for an expansion of Route 240 and its relocation to bring it to the East-West highway at Rock Creek Park. From there, the increased traffic would have no way to continue efficiently. It is obvious that once this is done, it will be demanded that the six-lane express way continue all the way through Rock Creek Park. After the construction equipment is through with the park, there will be little left to preserve. In contrast to this outstanding ex ample of inept planning, with its de struction of incalculable values, tpere has been approved and published by the National Park and Planning Commis sion a detailed comprehensive plan of how the Capital city should be devel oped. It is an excellent plan, but for certain official stubborness, would now be toward realization. Among other proposals, it calls for two major circumferential highways that would route trucks and other through' traffic around the heart of the District, and across the river by two bridges one above and one below the present struc tures. This logical approach to the problem would give permanent relief to our traffic congestion. The‘people themselves, who use the parks and derive irreplaceable values of priceless quality from them must actively inform their officials that these parks ‘are not free land, to be abused or mishandled. They are the most valuable treasures of a city famous for its love liness, and must be protected for oui present enjoyment and for the welfare of the people of the future. Fred M. Packard, Executive Secretary. National Parks Association. Quotes McCarthy This will introduce the public to some of the most devastating criticism of a great and loyal American who has just been honored with the Nobel Peace prize. Senator McCarthy in his book, “America’s Retreat From Victory”, states on page 40: “Did Marshall and his supernumeraries on the Joint Chiefs at Teheran think of England instead of Russia as the future enemy?” On page 86: “Acheson and Marshall per formed up to the very limit of their capacity, stinting nothing, withholding nothing of their country’s interest, brooking no opposition to see that the Kremlin had a friendly government in China and we had a bloody and point less war in Korea.” On page 140: "The result of using the Marshall Plan has been to make us the patsy of the mod ern world, to arouse ( the contempt and suspicion of Europe and to leave us in the summer of 1951, heavily engaged in Asia, and with no reliable allies in all Europe.” On page 171: “Even if Marshall had been innocent of guilty intention, how could he have been trusted to guide the defense of this country further? What is the object of this conspiracy? I think it is clear from what has occurred and is now occurring: to diminish the * United States in world affairs, to weaken us militarily to confuse our spirit with talk of surrender in the Far East and to impair our will to resist evil.” Let’s not kid ourselves, this is the same McCarthy who is now trying hard to discredit our great President and some of his able assistants. Enraged. from time to time peer through the curtains at him, but there he sat, never moving a muscle. On his face was a look of resolution and determination. He was resolved to obey the command, and was deter mined not to dip his muzzle into the candy, which he dearly loved. But it was a difficult thing for a doggy brain to handle. There he stood, the water fairly dripping out of his mouth as he guarded the plate of fudge. When the plate had cooled, how ever, and he was handed his reward, he seemed to think the vigil had been worth it. Old Harry probably has never tasted fudge. His ideal is salmon, a thing few dog owners ever feed their pets. If he can steal a cat’s dish, he is happy, and is very adept at th*s sort of thievery. That big tongue and mouth of his can lop up a plate of salmon in two seconds flat, and that is no exagger ation. It is" probably .nearer one second. Harry will compromise on a slice of bread, if nothing better is at hand. He never seems to get filled up. Prob ably it is that roving, outdoor life of his, always on the run. f Six Meals Daily Called Ideal for Hard Worker Nutrition Foundation Finds 1 Heavy Lunch Slows Output By Thomas R. Henry Five or six meals a day, instead of two or three, may be close to the ideal \ for industrial workers. \ They should be light meal*, spaced just right to keep blood sugar from fall ing below normal. Big lunches are bad. They almost al ways result in an hour or so of less work and poorer work. Light lunches, on the average, are followed by an in crease in production. These findings stand out in a review \ of recent scientific studies on relations between nutrition and industrial pro- l duction just issued by the Nutrition I Foundation. ] “There is a flattening of the curve I of production after a full mid-day meal.” says the review. Production curves rise steeply for workers who have eaten only light snacks. “One might be tempted to generalize from the common sense fact that after \ eating a large meal, one often feels drowsy, has lack of co-ordination, and disinclination for mental and physical effort. But it is known that similar effects can be produced when the i stomach is distended with air Instead of food. Between-Meal Snack*. “Long periods between eating also are undesirable. They are likely to be asso ciated witl\ feelings of emptiness and weakness, restlessness. irritability and decreased ability to concentrate. It is especially important to keep blood sugar from falling below normal and to do this five to six meals a day are 1 suggested. “It is agreed that small meals spaced at shorter intervals are better for the worker in hot environments and at high altitudes. Large meals cause an imme diate rise in cardiac output and it has been demonstrated that even a mod erate meal can affect the electrocardio gram of a normal man. “Snacks between meals are especially important when work begins early in the morning.” * * Mass vaccination against tubercu losis would be of little value in the United States. This is the conclusion of Drs. Carroll E. Palmer and Lawrence W. Shaw of i the Public Health Service after four I large-scale studies. « These studies were carried out in I four communities with the best known J of all tuberculosis vaccines, the Cal- I mette-Guerin one named after the 1 French scientists who developed it and which has had the most extensive trials all over the world. In each group studied, approximately the same num ber were left unvaccinated as were .vaccinated, following a tuberculin test to determine whether tuberculous in fection was present. Started in Georgia. The first test, started in 1947, was carried out in the population of Mus cogee County, Ga. The second, launched in 1949, was among 27,000 Indian school children, where the prevalence of the disease is high. The third was started in 1948 among 20,000 patients in Ohio mental hospitals. In 1950 a study was started among Puerto Rican children, who also have a high tuber culosis rate. r None of these groups admittedly is entirely representative of the popula tion as a whole. The people of the Georgia county come closest to afford ing a fair sample. There, the two Pub lic Health doctors say, “the effect of the program is imperceptible and there is little reason to expect very different i results in other communities.” There is some question, it is pointed out in a report from the National Tuberculosis Association, whether vac cination may not actually be dangerous for persons already infected with the tubercle bacillus. There is some evi dence from experiments with rats which indicates this. Large doses of vaccine accelerated the disease in these animals. Questions and Answers A reader can get the answer to any Question of (act by writing The Evening Star Informa tion Bureau. 1200 Eye St.. N.W.. Washington 6, D. C. Please Inclose tljree <3: cents lor return postage. By THE HASKIN SERVICE. >Q. How did we get the term "private eye” for a private detective?—E. H. Y. A. It goes back to the time of Allan Pinkerton who, in 1850, established in Chicago the first private detective agency in the United States. His trade mark was an eye, under which was the slogan “We Never Sleep.” This idea is said to have been inspired by Pinker ton’s dog, Argus, who was named i after the Greek god with 100 eyes because he was an excellent watchdog and never seemed to sleep. Q. What happened to the pro- , posed Child Labor Amendment to the Constitution? How many proposals to amend have been taken up by i Congress?—A. I. J. A. The amendment w*s approved in 1924 but it has never been ratified by the required number of States. More than 900 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress in the last 25 years. Q. By whom was the name District of Columbia chosen?—N. K. A. By three Commissioners, in con ference with Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of Btate. The designation evolved apparently through custom with a qua#-legal sanction, as early as 1796. The name “Columbia” is a de rivative of the name Christopher Co lumbus who is hopored as the discov erer of the New World. The Christmas Star 1 know that 1 remember tt aright; It happened on a calm and star-filled night, With all the mangers full of blue-stem hav. When I was still a smallish youngster. „ say ' Five or six. My father closed the barn. We lived that winter on a little farm # Out on the open prairie. Solitude Was principal component of our mood. But days were never lonely. Days were fun. Only the nights, with darkness half begun Were solitary. This remembered time. With choring done and lowing of the kine, One star seemed extra bright, and moved across Our pasture . and my father, at a loss For explanation, said it must have been The same star which once led the Three Wise Men. Billy B. Cooper > 4