Evening star. [volume], January 05, 1961, Page A-12, Image 12

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
W Jtwntttg
With SuAjfay
PubOiheß by
THt IVINING STAR NIWSPAPIR COMPANY
WASHINGTON », B. C.
Samuel H. KoeHmenn
Pniidtnt
Benjamin M. McKelway
, Mfr
* MAIN OFFICE: 2nd St. and Virginia Aw. SJ. (1)
lUIOPIAN OUSEAU—
PAUS. FRANCIt 21 too .Do Sortl
ADVERTISING OFtiaS- . *
NEW YORK: MP Fifth Aw. (IP)
CHICAGO: 333 N. Michtaan Aw. (IJ
DETROITt Nkw Confer Suildlno (1)
SAN FRANCISCO. 11l SutMr St
LOS ANGELES. 3340 WIMwO Blvd. (3)
MIAMI lEACH: 4014 ChM Aw. (40)
PARIS. FRANCIt 11 Due DO Jerri
Delivered by Ce'rrtOr
Ivanina and Sunday Sunday „ Evenhw
MmiMy 2.23 Per Itwo .... .20 Monthly 1.00
Weekly JO Weakly .33
Rotes by MoU—Poyeblo ie Advance
, Anywhere In the. United State*
Evenino and Sunday Sunday - . Ivenina
] year .—2lOO ] year ...1200 1 year 1100
o>.«Onth* ...14.30 6 month* ... *3O i menthe ... ».23
3 .month* ... 7.30. 3 month* ... 2.30 3 month*.... 4.73
1 month .... 2.00 1 month ~A 130 I month 2.00
y Telephone: Lincoln 3-5000
‘ Entered ot the Pott Office. Wothlnpfon, D. C.
a* *«6nd-clo*t mall matter.
Member of the Associated Press
The Atiociated Pre** I* entitled oxclutivOly to-Hi. um for
republication of all the Ideal, new* printed in thi* nowtpoper
at wgII gi A. r. n*wi aisiMtch*i.
—■ l 1 w. o _
As-12 -» TWftSfrAYj JANUARY 5, 1961
•< ■ .
'Midnight Brew'
At this moment perhaps no meas
urement of the extent to which the
Cuban revolution has been subverted by
communism is more clearly recorded
than by the violent And hysterical
language ot Raul Roa, Cuban Foreign
Minister, before the United Nations
Security Council. For the words of Dr.
Roa are familiar onia In the Jargon of
the Kremlin, its spokesmen and its
captive press.
The repeated references to “the
imperialist and reactionary government
of President Eisenhower,” to the “sin
ister plans of the Central Intelligence
Agency,” to American monopolists and
to that long-time hobgoblin, “Wall
Street,” are straw targets that Reds
the world over have been shooting at
|n recent years.
• It is for Cuba itself an unhappy
fact of life that the revolution which
drew sympathy, if not assistance, from
many of its Latin American neighbors
has taken a course that is deeply dis
turbing to all. Before our own enforced
action of breaking diplomatic relations
with the government ot Fidel Castro,
six other members of the Western
Hemisphere community had washed
their hands officially of the mad dicta
tor. In each case, the action was one
of independent judgment—based upon
the firm conviction that it is his intent
to peddle trouble outside his own dis
tressed island. It is possible now that
others will follow this course of isolat
ing Castro diplomatically.
If and when Dr. Roa, or his Com
munist alites, are able to produce any
substantive evidence of “Invasion plans”
by the United States, our own Ambas
sador Wadsworth has promised an
Swer, Meanwhile, hewjw not ex
erating in pronouncing yesterday’s
I charges as brew, dipped
ftMn the same cauldron ot hysteria”
as - earlier and similar, discredited accu
sations py Roa and Castro.
I ; - ■
Capital Friend
J As a member (and former chair
man) of the Senate District Committee,
Senator Case Os South Dakota has
demonstrated two characteristics during
the last nine years for which Washing
tohians should be especially grateful.
< One has been a willingness to dig
meticulously into-the details of the per
plexing problems of the District. The
other has been a personal interest in the
city’s affairs which considerably ex
ceeded legislative requirements of the
jcm. Last year, for example, although
the District Committee did not handle
tije legislation, it was no surprise to find
Senator Case among the earliest and
most effective campaigners on the
Senate floor for the constitutional
amendment granting District residents
the right to vote in presidential elec
tions. More than oncC in the past,
hiving helped authorize improvements
f<£ the area, he has stepped in to
untangle the administrative and inter
agency snarls which threatened to hold
them up. ,
* The fact that the Senator Intends
t<? leave the District Committee this
year does not mean of course that his
vilue to the Capital City will be ended.
Hip will be mlsped on the committee, but
we hope Washingtonians may continue
t» enjoy his Interest and counsel as a
member of the Senate for a long time
to come.
His Chief Concern: Safety
President Eisenhower, in accepting
the resignation of Federal Aviation
Administrator Quesada, effective Jan
uary 20, stressed Mr. Quesada’s “bold
ness and great dedication" in the field of
aviation safety. The phrase aptly
describes the FAA head's two-year-long
efforts, as the first administrator of the
agency, to meet the new and increasing
dangers of the Jet age in the skies. At
limes his boldness and dedication led
him to Impose rules and restrictions on
the airlines that were drastic and that
brought criticism from- pilots and others
affected. But the grave threat of
disaster in the skies as the speed and
passenger-carrying capacity of the big
aircraft increased has fully justified
drastic measures—to protect the public.
That even further steps must be
taken, as equipment and mopey become
available, is evident from the latest—
and worst—aviation catastrophe in New
York City. There is need for electronic
and other devices to prevent the recur
rence of such midair collisions. And
there is hope in the fact that the FAA
is pressing an intensive research and
W Jnentng Jfclaf
With Sun|tay *CoHi**i
FvbNhatf by
THt IVINING STAR NtWSRAMR COMPANY
WASHINGTON J, B. C.
Samuel H. KeuHmaaa
Fniidtnt
Beniamin M. McKelway
, Mfr
* MAIN OFFICE’ 2nO St. and VirOmia Aw. M. (1)
EUItOFEAN lUIEAU—
FAEIS. FIANCE: 11 t M . Da tottl
ADV till SING OFFICES— - *
NEW YOFK MFFifth Aw. (17)
CHICAGO: 333 N. Mkhiyaa Aw. <IJ
DEIHOIb NAw Cantar »utl«ne (1)
SAN HANCISCO. 11l Sutler St
lOS ANGELES. 3340 WlMwt ihd. (3)
MIAMI lEACH: 4014 CM* Aw. (40)
PAUS. FIANCE. 21 Dae M Jerri
Delivered by Carrier
Ivanina and Sunday Sunday Evan Ina
MmMv 2.23 For Itwe .... .20 Monthlyl SO
WeeklyJO Weakly .33
Rotes by Mail—Payable ie Advance
, Anywkore In the. United State*
Ivanina and Sunday S " nd **.. J . . Ivenina
1 F— f - - -1 - .120# 1 year 1100
e.aeanfhi ...1430 6 menlht ... 030 i menthe ... v. 23
3 .month* ... 7.30. 3 menth* ... 3.30 1 month*4.73
1 month 2.00 1 month 130 I month 2.00
\ Telephone: Lincoln 3-5000
' Entered ot the Pott Office, Wothlnpfon, 0. C.
a* *e<6nd-cle*t moll matter.
Member of the Associated Press
The Atiocioted Pre** I* entitled oxclutivOly to-Hi. um for
reaublKotion of all the fecal, newt printed in thi* nowtpoper
OB WGII G1 A. r. IMWB dispOtchGl.
-■ * .
THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1961
A-12
development program to perfect and
produce these facilities. In his letter of
resignation Mr. Quesada specifically
mentioned a “new semi-automated air
traffic control system,” known as the
“Data Processing Central,” for use in
control towers. Its “most spectacular
function,” he told the President, “is its
ability to probe, detect and predict con
flicting or collision courses.”
There has been no hint to date as
to whom President-elect Kennedy will
name to succeed Mr. Quesada as Federal
Aviation Administrator. It is our hope,
however, that the man selected will be
as qualified for the job and as dedicated
to the cause of air safety as “Pete"
Quesada has been. This vital post is not
for the political patronage seekers.
Congo Danger
Secretary General Dag Hammar
skjold of the United Nations has under
taken his current two-day visit to the
Congo in an effort to head off the
danger of full-scale civil war. This
danger is very real, and unless it can be
averted, it may lead to direct military
intervention by the great powers,
meaning particularly the Soviet Union
and the United States.
In effect, Mr. Hammarskjold’s
mission is designed to bolster efforts
by the U. N. Conciliation Commis
sion to bring the rival factions to
gether to work out an agreement under
which the young and now-anarchic
Congolese republic might be able to
achieve unity, order and stability. These
factions, however, are not only numer
ous, but also bitterly opposed to each
other, and the Kremlin has lost no time
in seeking to capitalize on that fact.
Thus, although a majority of the
U. N. General Assembly has rec
ognized and seated the delegation
of the Kasavubu-Mobutu government
as the Congo’s only legitimate repre
sentatives, Moscow—with the concur
rence of several Asian and African
countries that ought to know better—
has thrown its support behind the
ousted pro-Communist regime of Patrice
Lumumba, the Imprisoned former Pre
mier. As a result, the latter’s followers
are fighting to restore him to power,
and so Congolese troubles continue
to mount.
But the Kasavubu-Mobutu-Lum
umba rivalry is not the only source of
strife in the Congo. There are also great
discord and warfare among numerous
tribes. And there is the continuing
secession of rich Katanga province
under the pro-Belgian leadership of
President Tshombe. Indeed, even in the
15-nation U. N. Conciliation Com
mission, there is deep dissension—
so much so that at least four of its pro-
Lumumba members (Mali, Guinea,
Indonesia and the United Arab Republic)
have withdrawn from It.
In these circumstances—and many
more of the same could be cited—there
is precious little ground for optimism
about the Congo’s future as a viable,
Independent state. All one can do is
hope that Mr. Hammarskjold, who has
a number of remarkable achievements
to his credit, will somehow manage to
find away out of the mess. Otherwise
the peace of Africa, if not the whole
world/will be in danger.
*
Arms and Mr. McCloy
President-elect Kennedy has chosen
well in naming John J. McCloy to direct
the Nation’s efforts to achieve a trust
worthy agreement on the International
limitation, reduction, prohibition and
control of all types of arms and armed
forces, both nuclear and non-nuclear.
In effect, Mr. McCloy will be Mr.
Kennedy’s chief agent and adviser in
this enormously complex and all-import
ant field. However, unlike Harold Stas
sen, who from 1955 to 1958 had an inde
pendent status with full cabinet rank
as President Elsenhower’s special assist
ant on disarmament (a fact that dis
tressed the late Secretary Dulles), Mr.
McCloy will carry out his duties within
the State Department’s jurisdiction. He
will not be on his own in that sense, but
will work closely with Incoming Secre
tary of State Dean Rusk and with such
other officials as Paul Nitze, who has
been named to a key post in the Pen
tagon.
This is a considerably sounder ar
rangement, administratively and other
wise, than the one under which Mr.
Stassen operated. As a matter of fact,
it is an arrangement that President
Eisenhower himself, having in mind the
unhappy Dulles-Stassen relationship,
established by executive order early last
fall. The order created the United States
Disarmament Administration within the
framework of the State Department,
and it called for the appointment of a
top director, whose task would be to deal
with the arms problem in close co-oper
ation with special staffs from such other
agencies as the Defense Department and
the Atomic Energy Commission.
The President, despite having estab
lished this agency, deferred naming a
man to head it, apparently wishing to
leave the choice to his successor. Well,
the selection now has been made, and
Mr. Eisenhower himself, as well as Mr.
Kennedy, must be pleased with it. For
Mr. McCloy, a Republican banker and
lawyer who has served our country with
distinction under past Democratic ad
ministrations (in the old War Depart
ment, for example, and as High Com
missioner for Germany) is admirably
qualified for his new assignment. Cer
tainly he is anything but a stranger to
the problem of arms control; in fact,
he has been advising our Government
on it for years past.
President-elect Kennedy has de
clared himself in favor of “one last great
effort” to bring about disarmament of
a sort in which everybody, on both sides
of the Iron Curtain, could have confi
dence. Mr. McCloy’s Job will be to carry
out that effort with the utmost vigor.
All men of good will must wish him well,
but he will succeed only if the Kremlin
chooses to be reasonable and honest—
which is a truly monumental “if.”
\ 'f .- . —■ '- 1 "■ ‘.t.'
. J., i.?> .
JU 1 ”
ml /WEfwIWSHSOL
Bo
I ■■i
I Cm wM £k-
'Enough of That Program!'
L£TT£RS TO THf ST4R
Another Slap at Those 'Monstrous' Slabs
Not being an art critic, I
leave comment on the design
of the proposed F. D. R. Me
morial to others. But I ques
tion whether such words as
"I see one-third of our Nation
ill-housed, ill-fed, 111-nour
ished” are the noblest and
most inspiring that can be
found for inscription on the
slabs to represent our era to
coming generations.
On second thought, though,
perhaps those words are
really the most appropriate
of all. In this age of viscera
over mind, Jefferson’s “I have
sworn upon the altar of God
eternal hostility against ev
ery form of tyranny over the
mind of man” not only can
not now be equaled, but is
probably too quaint to be
taken seriously. Future, wiser
generations, however, may
again give the mind at least
equality with the stomach,
and the F. D. R. Memorial will
allow them an opportunity
to compare our grubby little
thoughts with the thoughts
expressed by the really great
men of America's early his
tory.
Still. I maintain that the
kindest thing we could do
for ourselves is to leave com
pletely unembellished the
area chosen for the memorial
and give as little permanence
as possible to the evidence of
the decay of our times. For
the pacification of ancestor
worshipers, the open park
could still be named for
Franklin Roosevelt and per
haps a small, tasteful shrine
could be erected for the
burning of incense.
Violet Palmer.
•a a a
According to press reports,
Job of Librarian of Congress No 'Political Football'
Mary McGrory, In her
article, "Kennedy Gets No
Help in Hunt for Librarian”
(Sunday Star, January 1,
19611 has quoted me as "ab
solutely opposed” to replac
ing Mr. Mumford as Librar
ian of Congress. She has
quoted me correctly. But I
would like to amplify.
It would in my view be
completely destructive of the
enormous existing and po
tential usefulness of the Li
brary of Congress to make it
a political football. The Con
gress Itself reached this view
when It wrote the present
constitution of the Library
in 1897. After intensive hear
ings and extensive debates,
It did its best to put appoint
ments in the Library of Con
gress beyond the reach of
politics. The staff was to be
appointed "solely with re
spect to their fitness for their
particular duties” (note that
this was more restrictive
than the Civil Service laws
of that date); and the ap
pointment of the Librarian,
though a congressional offi
cer, was to be removed from
congressional politics by be
coming the responsibility of
the President, by and with
the advice of the Senate.
Dr. Herbert Putnam, ap
pointed Librarian of Con
gress by President McKinley
in 1899. served for 40 years
untouched by changing ad
ministrations (his prede
cessor, Ainsworth Rand Spof
ford, had served for 33
years), and was consequently
able to make the Library of
Congress not only the great
est national library of the
world in terms of organiza
tion and services, but in do
ing so gave the words "na
tional library” a new meaning
and made the national li
brary of the United States
the example of what a na
tional library might be. The
example has been copied—
among other places in Mos
cow and Tokyo.
There was a time when a
national library was a sort
of national cultural diadem—
a place where the Nation’s
literary treasures were pre
served and exhibited: and the
librarian was expected to be
a sort of living embodiment
of the Nation's literary dis
tinction. In our day much
more is needed and much
more is expected. The na-
Francis Biddle expects some
unfavorable reaction to the
winning design for the
F. D. R. Memorial. I am sure
he will not be disappointed
—and here Is one loud and
lusty negative vote for his
tally sheet.
We are assured by the per
petrators of The Thing that
it will harmonize with the
Lincoln and Jefferson Me
morials; maybe—but I’ll take
those assurances with a pinch
of ready-mixed ’concrete.
However, we must give har
monizing architects their
due; the F. D. R. slabs make
the G. W. Monolith look like
an old-fashioned monumen
tal square.
I also have some reserva
tions as to the price tag. Four
and a quarter million seems
to be a mite high for eight
hunks of concrete, even when
embossed with the immortal
words of F. D. R. On this
point we are led to believe
that Congress will pick up
any financial deficit. May I
remind Mr. Biddle that Con
gressmen are noted for not
picking up the tab for any
thing? They simply pass the
bill along to us peasants. I
object!
Angus Sinclair.
**• * .
The proposed monument to
Franklin Delano Roosevelt,
selected in prize-winning
competition, is a monstrosity
whose architectural form is
completely foreign to and in
no way possible of association
with the man it intends to
memorialize.
I would prefer a bronze
statue of Roosevelt sur
rounded by 12 columns de
picting the 12 years of serv
ice he gave as President of
tional library ot our day is
• the center of a national
library system whose purpose
, it is to make books and their
contents useful in the widest
■ sense to the work and life of
the Nation. The problem is.
how to make recorded In
formation. no matter where
it may be stored, available
and useful to the citizen who
needs it—whether farmer or
Industrialist, or scientist, or
historian, or student? This is
the problem to which the na
tional library of the second
half of the twentieth century
must address itself.
The solutions to the prob
lem are not clear; many
agencies—among them the
American Library Associa
; tion, the National Science
Foundation, the Office of
Technical Services of the De
partment of Commerce, the
National Academy of Sci
ences-National Research
! Council, the Council on Ll
-1 brary Resources—are wres
tling with it. The Senate
• Committee on Government
Operations and the House
1 Committee on Science and
; Astronautics 'have been in
terested in special aspects of
1 It. No one as yet has come
up with global feasible solu
tions.
Dr. Spofford built a great
r library. Dr. Putnam organized
i the technical services of this
library and made them avail-
• able to the other libraries ol
■ the country, and In doing st
I established the patterns ol
t uniformity of practice and ol
t sharing of effort and re-
• sources which make it pos
i sible to speak of the Amer-
■ lean library world as a ays-
■ tern. The process has con-
• tinued under MacLeish and
t Evans and Mumford. But th«
■ accelerated urgency of thi
s needs for Information anc
- the increasing quantities ol
! published and unpublishec
informational material re
quire new and as yet untried
solutions, farther-reachinj
i and more thorough-goins
t than any as yet attempted.
Mr. Mumford's assign
; ment is to run a library—
. the largest and most highly
• organized in the world. He is
» an officer of the legislative
t establishment, and the con-
- stitution of the Library ol
i Congress gives him no as
i signment—much less author-
- ity —to undertake activitiei
our beloved country. On each
column could be quotations
from his speeches Mid inscrip
tions stating his ideals, his
labors in behalf of humanity
and his accomplishments for
the United States and the
world. It should also tell of
the universal love and respect
which so many had for him.
In this way, anyone would
immediately recognize this as
a monument to our beloved
President, Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, who much to our
sorrow died all too soon.
I also believe that the pub
lic should be given an oppor
tunity to participate in the
selection of this memorial
since many are vitally inter
ested and they are the ones
who will pay for its construc
tion.
Mrs. Abraham Shulman.
•a a •
If that hideous example of
modern Intellectual feeble
mindedness proposed as a
memorial to Franklin D.
Roosevelt is ever erected, will
there be among the Inscrip
tions on it that passage from
his Pittsburgh speech of 1940
which declared that “The
fathers and mothers of
America may rest assured
that so long as I am In the
White House their sons will
not be sent to die on foreign
battle fields."?
Frank B. Bristow.
(Editor’s note: What FDR
actually said in a speech at
Boston. October 30, 1940,
was: “And while I am talking
to you mothers and fathers, I
give you one more assurance.
I have said this before, but I
shall say it again and again.
Your boys are not going to be
sent into any foreign wars.”)
is in the genera! or national
.1 interest. He was faced, upon
e his appointment in 1954, with
r major tasks of housekeeping
)t —the provision of desper
if ately needed staff and addl
s, tional space. In these matters
- he has made notable prog
” ress. There is evidence that
e he is equally anxious to ad
-0 dress himself to the national
r problems.
J. Not for a century until
now—has it been suggested
J that the Librarianship —a
principal technical position
should change with a chang
ing administration. But the
* spoils system has so effective
ly been reintroduced by the
subterfuge that “policy-mak
" ing” officers of Government
f should be appointed by the
administration in power that
p the notion that the Librari-
anship of Congress should
h also be a political appoint
ment appears to awaken no
revulsion.
e It is suggested that the
,1 Library of Congress needs a
"great humanist,” a "man of
d intellectual distinction.” No
doubt such a man would gain
additional distinction from
e the Library of Congress. But
h this Is not what is needed.
What is needed is a man who
it will bend his efforts to realize
d the potentialities of the Li
ls brary of Congress in the na-
I- tional interest. This requires
if a man who has a profound
;o knowledge of the uses of in
)f formation and of the tech
)f niques by which it is pro
i- duced, assembled, stored, or
s- ganized for use. and made
'- available, and who has a
>- genius and a passion for or
(- ganizing the services of the
d national library to the infor
ie mational needs of the na
ie tion. To enable Mr. Mumford
d (or any Librarian of Con
gressi to do this under the
d conditions of the second half
’■ of the 20th century will re
d quire revisions in the charter
R of the Library of Congress so
g as to give him authority in
law to do what is required.
'■ and to provide him with the
~ kind of advisory body which
y will effectively relate the
ls work of the national library
e to the needs of the country.
>{ Verner W. Clapp,
i- President, Council on
Library Resources,
is Inc.
THE POLITICAL MILL
By GOULD LINCOLN ’
More Dangerous
The Senate today is locked
in another struggle over the
proposition that a majority
—even of one—should be
entitled to cut off debate and
force a bill, a resolution, an
important issue to a vote,
no matter how ill-considered
and no matter if it violates
rights of a minority. For
generations—lndeed, since
the beginning of the Govern
ment of this country the
Senate has remained a unique
body, with debate unlimited.
This, it is true, was modified
by the adoption of the so
called cloture rule immediate
ly after President Woodrow
Wilson began his second term
of office. This rule, however,
specified that debate could
be closed only on a request by
16 Senators for cloture, and
only by a two-thirds vote.
This two-thirds vote require
ment to close debate, despite
attacks, has continued and is
in the Senate rules today. •
Indeed, it was strengthened
at one time to require a
two-thirds vote of the entire
Senate membership. Two
years ago, this was modified
to return to the old two
thirds of those present and
voting.
Now the proposal by the
so-called liberals, both Dem
ocratic and Republican, is
to change the cloture rule
and make it possible to adopt
cloture by a majority vote of
the Senate, and barring that,
by a three-fifths vote. The
immediate issue is whether
such a change should be
made, and whether, if made,
it would not rise to change the
whole structure of Senate ac
tion, including disregard of
minority rights, and action
on ill-considered and destruc
tive measures.
An interesting question is:
Were it not for the civil
rights issue—the race issue
—and the Negro vote that
issue is supposed to com
mand, would this contest
over the Senate rules be so
strongly pressed at this
time? Northern Democrats
and Northern Republicans,
with some exceptions, are
pressing hard for this
change in the rules in order
to put a stop to filibusters
against more drastic civil
rights legislation, strongly
resisted by Senators from
the South. They are trying,
not merely to give equal pro
tection under the law, but to
force by statute changes in
society and social relations.
Boomerang Effect Seen
In order to gain their
particular end at this par
ticular time, supporters of
the proposal to amend the
rules are closing their minds
to the possibilities of the fu
ture. Eight or nine Repub
lican liberals are supporting
the move which, if success
ful. could rise to smite them
later on. They may find
themselves hamstrung in ef
forts to prevent costly so
called social programs from
being enacted into law and
to halt excessive Govern
ment expenditures which
could help to bring about
disastrous inflation and de
valuation of the dollar. Fur
ther, there are liberals on
Safety Resolutions i
Do we learn from experi
ence? While we are ponder
ing that question, we might
well take a look at the traffic
death record last year in the
District of Columbia.
We find that 72 persons
were killed in 67 fatal ac
cidents. In two out of every
five of these accidents, a
drinking driver was involved.
Only two pedestrians killed
had been drinking—and
ironically they both met
drinking drivers.
Three major driver viola
tions accounted for 62 per
cent of the fatal accidents:
(1) speed (31%); (2) failure
to give full-time and atten
tion to driving (10%); and
(3) failure to yield right-of
way to a pedestrian (15%).
Other driver violations
were: 7 drivers disobeyed
traffic lights or signs. 5 drove
on wrong side of street, 4
failed to yield right-of-way to
another vehicle, 2 were
charged with reckless driving,
1 changed lanes without
caution.
More than half (53%) of
the pedestrians killed com
mitted three major violations
of the pedestrian control
regulations: (1> crossing the
street from between parked
or moving automobiles
(21%); (2> stepping off
curb or loading platform
into path of oncoming car
(16%); (3‘ crossing between
intersections and failure to
yield right-of-way to on
coming vehicle (16%).
Behind almost every traffic
death without exception was
a traffic violation. To solve
the problem, we should find
out why people violate the
traffic laws and how we can
get them to stop doing so.
The psychologists tell us
that the principal traffic vio
lators are the “can’ts.” the
"don'ts.” and the "won’ts.”
The “can’ts” are those who
are physically or mentally
handicapped in the opera
tion of a vehicle. To deal with
them, we can re-examine for
eyes, hearing and other
physical defects or refer for
psychiatric examination.
In the area of the "don’ts."
we are dealing with persons
who lack knowledge and un
derstanding of the rules of
the road, skill and experience
in the operation of the auto
mobile and judgment in its
use. Such violators, if so
analyzed, can be sent to
Than a Filibuster
both sides of the aisle who
are overlooking the possibil
ity that in the future a mere
majority of a Senate, con
trolled by the conservatives,
could force upon them what
they consider reactionary
measures. At this very time.
Republicans in the Senate
should be aware, the Ken
nedy administration is com
ing into power, pledged to
the adoption of programs to
which they are fundamen
tally opposed and programs
that Will tend to increase the
vast governmental bureau
cracy centered in Washing
ton.
Conditions Changed
The conditions today, so
far as congressional proce
dure is concerned, are very
different from those which
prevailed when an outraged
Senate put through the clo- 4
ture rule in 1917. President ’
‘ Wilson had strongly urged
the arming of merchant ships
to protect them against Ger
man submarine attack. In
those days the old “short
session” of Congress —by
which a Congress was termi
nated on March 4—was still
in effect. A small group of
Senators was opposed to the
armed ship proposal. With
only a few days of the session
remaining before a new Con
gress—not scheduled to meet
until the following December
—should take the place of
the dying Congress, these
Senators by exercising the
right of unlimited debate,
were able to prevent action
on the Wilson armed ship bill. |
That kind of action would '
not be possible today. There <
is no short session. A Con- i
gress can remain in session
right up to the day a newly
elected Congress moves into
the Capitol. As a matter of
fact, the failure of the armed
ship bill because of the fili
buster in the Senate had
little effect. Within a few
weeks, Mr. Wilson was calling
the new Congress into special
session for a declaration of
war against Germany. And
he had no trouble getting
prompt action in both Senate '
and House.
Nor is it at all likely, de- |
spite the arguments advanced
by some of the liberals, that
the Senate will fail to act
promptly when the safety or
defense of the United States
and its people is in the bal
ance.
The use of the rule of un
limited debate, now modified
by a two-thirds vote cloture
amendment, has been exer
cised many times in the
Senate to halt speedy and
perhaps unwise action on a
wide variety of subjects be
sides civil rights. And on
many occasions when a meas
ure really needed has been
filibustered, in the end the
filibuster has been beaten
down and the measure passed
or adopted.
With all the serious prob
lems confronting the United
States today it is to be hoped
that the Senate will not
waste time—will not tie Itself
into serious enmities over
this question of procedure—
and that the Congress and
the executive branch of the
Government may turn its at
tention promptly to those
problems. i
driver safety clinics or traffic
schools.
Drivers classified a s
"won ts’’ are those who will
not respect any laws or gov
ernment directives—especial
ly traffic laws—or who other
wise have a faulty attitude
toward traffic law enforce
ment. With these, the tradi
tional penalty of a fine and '
or jail sentence may suffice.
However, we may be able to
do more to reverse their
faulty attitude or lack of re
spect by other corrective
methods.
It might help if we would
all remember that our ex
ample of driving conduct is
the text for drivers of to
morrow. Let's not teach them
to laugh at the law! Let’s
resolve to improve our driv
ing in 1961.
Anthony L. Ellison,
Chief, Office of Traffic Safety
Dark 'Death Trap'
The recent accident in
which two sisters lost their
lives on highway 70-S near
the Old Georgetown road
overpass brings forcefully to
mind a very dangerous situa
tion which exists in that
area.
This potential death trap
is created by the complete
lack of lighting on the ap
proaches to the overpass, and
on the bridge itself.
Old Georgetown road is
well lighted except for the
overpass area. A driver going
along Old Georgetown road j
at the allowed speed of 40
miles an hour suddenly finds
himself projected from a well
lighted road into complete
darkness. In the dark area
cars are entering and leaving
the superhighway at all hours
of the day and night. Many
of these drivers do not know
the terrain so they stop on
the bridge trying to figure out
what route to follow. Others
have to stop in order to make
a turn from the bridge onto
superhighway. Through
drivers can hardly see these
cars.
This situation is bad—but
imagine how much the haz- <
aid is increased when It is
foggy—as it often is in this
area.
It is only a question of time i
until some serious accident
takes place.
Let's light this area before ’
the fatal accident—instead
of after. Margaret Willler. i