Evening Star Newspaper, February 6, 1921, Page 34

THE EVENING STAR, With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON,D. G - SUNDAY.......February 6, 1021 T Eas s R O T THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor | 5o Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office, 11th 8t. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: Tribune Building. Office: National Bank Ecropean Office: 3 Regent St., London, The Even! , with the Sundsy morning edition, hd.:lfn.::lyurrim within the city th only, 45 cents N at 60 cents per month: % Main o Eatepnone Mols month; Sunday only, 30 cents per month. ail, made ders may be sent 5000. Collection is « #8d of each mon Daily and Sunday.1yT., $10.0 * Daily only . 1 § v Sunday only * Blocking the Budget Bills. ‘While the proposed budget system “has not been adopted, owing to the - failure of the law at the last session ;Of Congress in consequence of the - President’s objection to a certain fea- > tufe, the House of Representatives ! has been endeavoring to apply thelable opportunity to proceed safely | £2rding the menace to the community principle of the budget to its appro-|along the road, and if thers is no|in the possible failure of the Great “ priations work at the present session.!sidewalk or footpath he must pass on | Falls conduit, in terms of some im- .It has- enlarged its appropriations the paved surface. As long as that|Mminence of danger. It is pointed out *“committee and concentrated within its { condition obtains he should have the|that the single conduit has been *Jurisdiction all of the money bills right of way and every possible pro-|in continuous use for more than half Whether he walks on the |2 Century; that there is no substitute right-hand side in accordance with|OF Telief; that it may break at any the general law of traffic, or the left.| time, With disastrous results. hand side under the rule of safety|‘mPossible to exaggerate the peril to just mentioned, he must be consid-|Which ered, and every motorist who passes | through the chance of a break in the another must take into account the [¢Onduit. Official warnings have been possibility of a pedestrian being in|SiVen from time to time. It is ob- the way and so handle his car as, to | Vious that if the great duct between be under perfect control until he fs|Great Falls and the Georgetown reser- o which heretofore have been handled ? by different committees. * When this plan was adopted it was ““expected that the budget law would be enacted in time for operation this year. But nothing has been accom- plished yet and so the enlarged com- mittee has had to handle all of the . bills on the old basis of practically initial comstruction in the House, * without the guidance of a single de- finitive plan of appropriation. In car- rying out this policy, however, the ° appropriations committee of the House has been handicapped seriously by efforts at obstruction and by ob- P awsdya noted that they have been advanced mainly by a few- members who have :.felt aggrieved at the loss of appropria- ® tions authority in the concentration -Of the bills under one committee. = As neted in an article printed in an- ““other part of The Star today, many - tion bills, not being based upon sub- stantive legislation enacted previous- 1y, ard subject to points of order and can [be eliminated on technicalities. One of the purposes of the budget sys- tem 1is to lessen this risk of delay and needless: depletion. Meanwhile, it is deplorable to see the disposition of members of the House to stand in the way of a most essential reform in the method of appropriating the public smoney. The country has clearly approved the budget system. It is regarded as & businesslike manner of conducting the affairs of the government. It is in the interest of economy and effi- clency. It should sive time in legisla- “#tion. Tt reduces the element of specu- Jation in respect to the relation of gov- mernmental. expense and revenue. To ~20ppoge or obstruct the application of -ethe hudget principle while waiting for rithe specific law itself is & backward -‘move: that is certain- to react upon 4:those: who engage in this practice " while:serving as representatives of the People in Congress. - The Baltimore Car Terminal 1. A material improvement in the con- . ,@iticdg in the block of New York ave- “inue. between 14th and 15th streets re- sults from the change of the Balti- _more cir terminal from that point to 2 the ‘new loop station between 11th rand 32th streets. Under the old sys- % tem 'the Baltimore cars stood idle on “the stub track while walting for ¥ schedule, occupying a large space and % serfously adding to the congestion. +Cars of this type should never have {{ been operated from a stub end. The y.&rrangements now made for their ac- commodation are not perfect. In “fact, the new terminal is only a make- shift in its equipment while waiting ':fqr & permanent construction, but it iis & great improvement and the serv- “ice will probably be materially bet- wtered In consequence. If a way could c«be found now to correct the stub *end trackage of the G street and New “York avenue lines the situation in the neighborhood of 15th street and Penn- arsylvania avenue would be very de- = cidedly improved. > —_——— . The announcement that the excess .Drofit tax in Great Britain is to be “withdrawn will cause many an Amer{- 4 ean business man to hope London is L setting the fiscal fashion this year. 4 ——— As a rule every raflway discussion +gives the Interstate Commerce Com- ,mission an opportunity to listen to . somebody’s troubles. ¢ x Left Side for Safety. In connection with the recent acci- sdent at College Park in which five young people were injured by a motor car, followed quickly by the killing of 8 child on the Rockville road in ‘almost precisely similar circum- | stances, the suggestion has been ad- ~vanced that pedestrians on country “roads should use the left-hand side ‘ rather than the right in order to see -rapproaching traffic. It has always ,.been regarded as the safe rule for “now considered by the law as a tres- 7pass—to use the left-hand track. An “in ample time. Most accidents on wthe roads occur. to pedestrians who are on the right-hand side. In the cases that have just occurred had the “Pedestrians been on the left side they ‘would have seen the oncoming cars, "and even if the drivers of those cars ‘were blinded by the headlights of the passing trucks the people might bave changed position in time to avold « belng struck. __In a recent issue of the American o Motorist, printed before these two & mecidents, but referring to & similar one. that had occurred just shortly sbefore publication, this matter is dis- *cussed and advice is given the pedes- frians to follow the left aide rule. | pproaching train can then be seen | Reference is made to a case heard in | penetrators of the mysteries of nature the supreme. court of the state of|and supernature take great stock in in which damages were|“7.” And so when that numeral made and secured from a motorist | its appearance in green chalk—green! for running down a pedestrian, who, | —naturally shivers developed in spines with his wife, was walking on the|and there was a'pecullar feeling at the highway on the left side. In its de-|roots of the hair. cision the supreme court sustained{ Why all this nervousness? The an- the judgment of the court below, say-|swer is simple. In certain sections of Wi ing: THE SUNDAY STAR, FEBRUARY 6, 1921—PART 2. “The appellant (the motorist) bases|been revived, and some weird per- argument upon the assumption that the respondent was prima facle formances have been reported. The gullty of negligence for being on the | motion picture screens have revealed left side of the paved roadway. this we think he overlooks the fact In|some of the doings of these white- that our statutes generally referred |Srowned members of this cryptic clan. to as the ‘law of travel’ and the ‘rule | It did not take much stretching of im- of the road’ have reference to vehicles and those riding or driving animals upon a public highway, and nowhere in express terms or by necessary im-!some rites held by moonlight and in plication, we think, do they refer to Ppedestriang. “It is a matter of common knowl- edge that a pedestrian on a highway | photographers have had their warning or on a double track line of railway is far better able to look out for his own safety and protection by so trav- | else will try the same trick. eling as to face oncoming vehicles|fact has been well than he would be if keeping to the same side of the roadway as vehicu- lar traffic, obliged to keep watch to the rear.” It is no moment to the pedestrian| g qpng their proud parents might wish whether he is hit by a car coming|to possess. from in front or behind. He has no {desire to “hog the road,” inasmuch as he has no chance at dll against the vehicle. All he wants is a reason- tection. clear of the obstruction. Smoking in Public Offices. The Senate yesterday refused to adopt the proposal of the appropria-|reasons for the early undertaking and jections when the bills have come up ; tions committee to put a ban, under | completion of water supply increase. for consideration. Points of order havg|penalty of a maximum fine of $50,| No preject should be adopted that been made repeatedly and it has been | Upon smoking in the executive depart- | does nat involve the construction of a ments and independent establishments | duplicate conduit, and, in fact, a com- of the government in buildings owned | plete duplication of the plant in such or leased by the United States. This|a way that in the case of accident in prohibition, in the view of the Senate, |any feature there will be a reserve. was too sweeping, notwithstanding the explanation that it did not apply to|be, however often they may have been the Capitol or the White House. As|officially noted in the past, they should items ordinarily carried by appropria-|3 sSubstitute for the committee’s pro-{be iterated and emphasized without posal a paragraph was adopted which | remission until the water increase directs the heads of the government|work is completed. No question of offices “to issue and enforce such regu- | power development should be per- lations as will prevent smoking in|mitted to delay. As long as the Po- those portions of buildings owned or | tomac 15 to be used for water supply leased by the government and used |purposes the work of increasing the by. any executive department or in-|head at Great Falls, the conduit con- dependent . establisinent in which ! nections, the reservoir system and such. smoking eridadgers government | the filtration plant should be accepted { property or constitutes a hindrance to{as the paramount and immediate ne- the efficient conduct of government |cessity. Any power proposition must business.” It this law is enacted it will amount | increased use of the river water by to precisely as much as the heads of | the people. departments and chiefs of bureaus choose to make it.. They can prescribe| It was unnecessary for Mr. Charles the “portions” of 'buildings within |Schwab to explsin that his trip to which smoking cannot be indulged in | Europe is not entirely for purposes in such a manner as to permit all {of rest. ' Mr. Schwab has never been visitors on official business to smoke | known to take: as they please. They can confine the | Andrew Carnegig pm picked him as non-smoking rule to storerooms, ‘ware- | one of the “bright young men” of the houses, filerooms and places of that|gteel business. . kind, where fire is likely to do the greatest damage. Or, if they wish, they can apply it to the entire estab- lishment, barring workers and visitors alike from indulgence in tobacco. ‘While it is highly desirable to put the utmost check upon fise starting in the government offices, even to the extent of prohibiting smoking in the bufldings, it is equally desirable to]not seem so serious if every Europsan lower the fire risks in those buildings | Politiclan desiraus of getting into by a systematic removal of all trash|fighting trim did not mention it as There | 2D excuse. and fire-making materials. should be no wooden shelving to spread the flames and to endanger the contents, persumably worth keeping.;to exercise a reformatory influence else they would not be kept. A supplement to the non-smoking|frain from patronizing prizefights. law is urgently needed in the form of a drastic overhauling of the govern- ment quarters to the end of making from the Congressional Record should them more secure. A survey of some of the bufldings used by the execu. result in a considerable saving of white tive departmients and tndepedent eatab- | P*P°T 204 typesetting. lishments, both owned and leased by the United States, would bring to light some shocking conditions which no business corporation would permit, and which would be condemned by the fire marshal if he were admitted to an .inspection of these premises. ————— More interest might be felt in the argument over rajlway money wmat- ters if they involved any suggestion |If there should be a lecture grave, of future rate reductions to passengers and shippers. —_——— A peep over the fence at the ex- kaiser revealed him as a worrled-look- ing man wearing a sweater and hea shoes. * Wilhelm was probably playing golf. ———t Motion picture stars might be in- to make sure of holding the audience. ———e ening the burdens of taxpayers. The “7” Solved. jon the doors of many Washington terprise. i shrouded soclety of terrorizers. was & photographer's “come along" sign. Just as a labor-saver, this active business man sent a scout ahead to look over the premises of prospective customers and to mark the doors ‘where it would pay to call. This was a utilization of the old tramp method. The knights of the road in earlier times had their elaborate signs and symbols that told all who followed whether it was safe or profitable to enter certain premises. Maybe they do it yet. No one can blame the folks who found that numeral chalked on their doors for getting nervous. There i something strange about “7.” It is supposed to have an occult aignifi. cance. Readers of the stars and other and thus at all times|the house on which it was chalked VY | To get me you would have to page troduced into congressional investl-|fanity emploved by the principal wit- gations from time to time in order|ness in the investigation?” The German people are entitled to by the charges in which the investiga- feel that any proceeds from books by | tion was held, I don't propose to let war leaders should be applied to light- | my nerves be wrecked by a little con- After all the cryptls “7” chalked|pairs on your car?” houses was just @ bit of business en-|know exactly what work has to be It was mot a mysterious|done and how hard it is. That's the w.persons walking on rallroad tracks— | warning or secret sign for attack and | reason I always head for & repair reprisal. It was not the symbol of a!ghop and hire a regular workman.” It the country the Ku-Klux Klan has agination to conceive a relationship between that green “7” and the awe- the flare of bonfires and torches. But it is all over. The hustling and their lesson and probably no one And the spread that the “7” meant nothing more than that contained young children whose photo- ———t——————— Danger From Water Failure. A warning has been sounded re- It is ‘Washington is subjected voir should break the city would be for a time forced to subsist on prob- ably polluted water, and it would be at the mercy of the fire element. Herein lies one of the most urgent However obvious these dangers may be adjusted to that development and i —_———tte———— - complete rest since —_— Lenin would like to devise some arrangefnent that would en- able Russian to get back at least a share of the money soviet agents have been spending abroad. The menace bolshevism might ———— ‘Woman in politics may be expected that will require soclety ladies to re- —— Bliminating all unpolished language SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Diversions. The human mind was ever thus; It is reduced to jazz complete By competition frivolous, ‘Which studious thinking has to meet. Inviting me to study brown, I fear that I could not behave Should a big circus come to town. And when investigations rage I fear that elsewhere I should go. The latest motion picture show. Shocks. “Were you not shocked by the pro- “No,” answered Senator SBorghum. “8o long as I waan't ehocked insensible versational incident.” Difficolty Understood. “Do you know how to make the re- “Yes,” replied Mr. Chuggins. “I Profit and Loss. I ask the question with alarm, It battleships are billed as bunk And all the governments disarm— Oh, who is going to buy the junk? Jud Tunkins says the words of a jass song make him long for the old days when a girl was considered smart onough if she could recite “Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonight.” Precautionary. “Why did you insist on Josh's join- ing the 8. P. C, A.” “For his own protection,” replied Farmer Corntossel, “If Josh keeps on bein’ unkind to that mule of ours soon- er or Iater he's goin’ to get injured.” ] l POLITICS AT HOMB|The Elephant at the Public Library/iEARD AND SEEN|FIFTY YEARS AGO IN Three Years. ‘The outstanding figures at San Fran- cisco last year were Gov. Cox, former Secretary McAdoo, Attorney General Palmer, Ambassador Davis and Sena- tors Glass and Simmons. And yet in 1916 not one of those men was ac- counted a presidential quantity. Gov. Cox did not enter into calcula- tions until about a year ago. Then his friends saw in his three success- ful gubernatorial campaigns in an im- portant state the makings of a presi- dential candidate, and pushed him for- ‘ward. Mr. McAdoo had been for three years at the head of the Treasury Department, but his opportunity for distinction did not come until the lib- erty bond drives and the war forced the raflroads into the hands of the government. From that time he be- came a force in national politics. Mr. Palmer owed his national im- portance to the Attorney Generalship —=a post he had not reached in 1916. In 1916 Mr. Davis had reputation only as a man with a brief congres- sional career to his credit. It was not until he was appointed to his London post that he took a place among the leaders of his party. The prominence of Mr. Glass at the national convention grew out of his service in the Treasury Department, which was not rendered until after the country had entered the war. And while Mr. Simmons had for some years been prominent in the Senate, he drew particular attention to himself by his management of the tax bills for the support of the war. In the light of this history who may say at this time what the forces at the next democratic national conven- tion will be, and under whose banner they are likely to be marshaled? Three years may bring new oppor- tunities, and many new men to the front. Harding and Bryan. Mr. Harding and Mr. Bryan are get- ting acquainted. Mr. Bryan called by invitation on Mr. Harding at Marion, and now Mr. Harding has called by invitation on Mr. Bryan at the latter's winter home in Florida. Mr. Bryan is an agreeable man. His personal relations with the opposition have always been cordial. He and Mr. McKinley hit it off together very well, while he and Mr. Roosevelt when they met were positively chummy. The bounce in Mr. Roosevelt respond- ed to the bounce in Mr. Bryan. Near the same age, they looked at some things in much the same light. ‘When Mr. Harding as President gets into his stride he may want to talk things over now and then with men of the opposition. Mr. Cleveland used to confer with republican leaders, and republican Presidents have often con- ferred with democratic leaders. So if in some matters of state President Harding should follow this practice he will be within the conventions. ‘While not in office, Mr. Bryan is undoubtedly a democratic leader. In- deed, he is thé recognized leader of ‘whom have been under his spell for a quarter century. His eyes are peeled for 1924—not confessedly for that vear’s presidential nomination, but for putting his party in shape to make its nomination then effective. It may be, therefore, that in passing Mr. Harding is on deck Mr. Bryan will find his way to the White House for the purpose of paying his respects, and find a welcome. He is no stranger to that domicile, though his three at- tempts to take up residence there were frustrated by circumstances which he found beyond his control. The Senate Situation. _ Is it a filibuster? “Mighty lak” a fillbuster. Call it what you please, it is delay. *“A rose by any other name,” and so forth. Under the old order in the Senmate, the emergency tariff bill would have no chance. Perfect freedom of de- bate would make its opponents invin- cible. Their number would carry the Can the bill be passed even under the new order? Cloture if adopted will give the friends of the measure some advantage. But enough to serve? The seasion is advanced. The supply bills are in danger. Time is precious, and even under cloture a g0ood deal of time can be consumed. The Jjockeying, though conven- tional, is interesting, because well done. Friends of the measure charge the opposition with obstruction. The opponents of the measure charge its advocates with insincerity. They neither want nor expect the bill to pass. They are playing to the gal- leries, they are told. ‘The lay world, so to say, is left to choose between the two accusations. And the lay world only knows that the bill is up, that its passage is re. sisted, and that if the bill'fails the ‘matter will go over for a few weeks— until the new Congress meets. ‘What the new Congress will do if called upon for action is a question. And that body will have its hands full of all sorts of questions. f Events have worked out in a man. ner which should leave no further encouragement for the inventor who proposes to make war so terrific that it will be impossible. ———— e ‘The vacation of the President-elect draws to a close and the labor of classifying and pigeonholing a large and valuable collection of advice must | Pancho Villa no longer takes even enough interest in publie events to turn out now and then to see a pa- rade go past. i Announcements are considerately ‘withheld which might interfere with “guessing the cabinet” American sport. as a great ! ‘Tho inevitable war with Germany still survives in the minds of many ot the French people as & national tradition. ‘The Public Library hi n elephant. Large, substantial,*feet firmly plant- ed. It stands in the centdr of the lobby, and judging by the large num- ber of persons who gather about it it is as popular as its relation at the Zoo. 1t is as hungry, too, and has to be fed, so its library keepers say, two and often three times a day. In fact, it was its insatiable appetite that won for the readable-books case the name of library elephant. But, more generous than its prototype, it re- sponds to the good care it receives | by feeding in turn its devotees with the very best of intellectual food, a selection of the choicest reading in t.he library. The popularity of the elephant is unmistakable to any observer. To the omnivorous reader who likes a med- ley of books from which to choose the elephant apparently offers an embar- rassment of riches. His difficulty seems to be to choose between ®uch titles as “White Shadows in the South Seas,” agabonding in Changing Germany.” Bishop’s “Life of Roaose- velt.” “Adventures of a Nature Guide” or “The Russian Pendulum.” He picks up first one book, then another. keep- ing his eye warily on his neightor meantime lest the latter go off with one of the favorites hefore his de- cision fs reached. Others to whom the catalogue is a mvstery find it un- necessary to consult it, since they can always find something desirable in this " collection, while the readers sending for books in the stacks while away the few moments of waiting by dipping into various books. * * x If you wish to know what the world, or at least the Washington world, is reading the elephant throws interest- ing light on the subject. Here are some of the titles on its shelves to- day: ‘“Promising American Life” “The Practical Book of Interior Deco. ration,” “Peace Making at Paris” “Lectures on Modern Idealism,” “The Land of Fair Play,” “When the ‘Workman Helps You Manage,” “New Frontiers of Freedom,” “Psychology of Social Reconstruction,” “The Story of Dutch Painting,” “Moments with Mark Twain.” These and a large pro- ‘While the ways and means commit- tee are hearing American interests on the needs for Germany Actsas Protection of American {ndus- Others Consider. 4 ;. ana Ameri- can standards against ruinous compe- tion from abroad, and while Congress is considering the appropriation bills providing funds for American trade representatives abroad, Germany Is giving a concrete illustration of the drive that will be made in all the markets of the world. From the Latin American countries the picked representatives of the gov- ernment who are on guard to advise American business interests through the Department of Commerce of ‘| financial and economic conditions and the opportunities for commercial de- velopment are now sending warnings. Coming on the heels df Secretary Colby’s recent tour of those countries, where he got first-hand information regarding the workings of the con- sular offices and the practical work they are doing for the business in- terests of the United States, about ations committee of the Senate. this week, the reports on the.German :r&dz drive are particularly signit- can! * * % Here are the facts as presented by the federal agents on guard, which they believe will Hardware Trade be of decided pres- s X ent-tense ' interest in Argentina. o congress. A cablegram from Commercial At- tache Feely, in Buenos Aires, Argen- tins, under date of January 22, re- garding German trade activities, states that competition in hardware will not be very strong for a long time, although the prices asked are much lower than those for American goods. So that, if prompt action is taken the hardware interests of the United States will have time to pro- tect themselves before the German competition becomes keen. The warn- ing is especially significant in view of the fact that while Germany is not likely to have much of this trade for some time the prices have been cut under the United States prices 15 to 30 per cent, with a long look ahead for future trade. German deliveries are slow and uncertain. Prices asked for German machine tools are also much lower than those for similar American articles. Terms are before delivery, against decuments in Argentina. An example of this underbidding by Ger- man firms {8 evident in a recent case involving 10,000 car wheels for a state railroad. The lowest American bid was $45.50 each c. i. f. Santa Fe, whereas the bid offered by the Ger- man firm (Krupp) was $18.31 c. i. f. Buenos Aires. * * x German goods are also being offered on the Chilean market in a way that threatens Ameri- Heavier Freights csn industries, . Commercial At- Going to Chile. 1,.pq nraqueen re- ports from Santiago, Chile, that freight from Germany is increasing, although as yet'goods are not being offered at retail in large quantities. An increasing number of salesmen in the country are offering silver plated, nickel, pottery and enamel ware, cheap hardware and electrical sup- plies. Prices are much lower than those for American goods, although comparisons are difficult on account of difference in quality. Machinery 18 also, being ordered at low prices, but the difterence in quotations be- portion of the other 300 books which | which he plans to tell the f¢ re- i a large number of democrats, some of | > e fill the shelves will be drawn out for home reading, it is stated, long before the day is over, making it necessary to bring out from the stacks another collection of similar books. The library’s statistics also show the popularity of sound reading. Circula- tion figures indicate a large use of in- dustrial and technical books, belles lettres, sociology, travel and science. “We make no apology for our fiction eading, either,” said the librarian, elieving that 5o long as Scott, Dick- ens, Hawthorne, Thackeray and Eliot remain favorites, and the thoughtful works of Galsworthy, Wells, Ernest Poole and Edith Wharton are popu- lar, the library is furnishing reading which is worth while. Furthermore, we do not begrudge the tired, busy reader such wholesome diversion as he may get from Leacock’s ““Nonsense Novels,” Fox's _stories, Marshall's charming tales of English life or Con- rad’s stories of the sea. They free him temporarily from the strain and press- ure of modern life and by so doing render him a real service.” * * % “Is the library more used now than when books were less expensive?’ was asked. “Yes. With books at four, five, eight and ten dollars few persons can afford to buy those that are most worth while. On the other hand, the per capita cost of maintaining the library is only 31 cents. With that outlay, every person, rich or poor, can share alike in securing anything of value in print today.” Though much has been said in favor of the elephant and much more could be said, there is a time, it is stated, when he becomes the white elephant of proverbial fame. From 4 in the afternoon until dinner time he usurps more space in the lobby than the crowds of library users who come at that hour find comfortable. He is ter- ribly in the way of the lines of wait- ing borrowers, and the library assist- ants have no solution for the prob- lem. Without the elephant readers would be denied one of their very dearest pleasures—the chance of s lecting from a miscellaneous collec: tion; without the readers there would be no need of the elephant. There Seems no answer to the dilemma until Washington has its quota of branch libraries located at convenient points and with shelves open to the reader— such branches as are found in all the other progressive cities of the coun- try. German Drive in Latin America tween German and American goods is not too great to overcome under more favorable conditions of exchange. Terms of credit are liberal and de- liveries steady. Inferior goods of German origin are arriving in Mexico. From Commer- clal Attache Jackson comes the re- port that German manufacturersare apparently making determined ef- forts to recover their markets in Mexico. Notions and specialties, in- cluding metal wares of various kinds and for the most part of in- ferior quality, seem to be the line of goods in which they are most ac tive. Considerable shipments of ele trical goods—bulbs, wiring, insula- tion, sockets and small dynamos— have also been received. Apparently a semi-monthly service is being maintained by the Hamburg-Ameri- can line. * * The quality of the goods thus be- ing rushed into the Mexican market by Germany Rushing Poor Goods :‘ ::::’:“’_’ to Mexican Market. ) : Therefore Commercial Attache Jackson empha- sizes the fact ‘that the best perma- mept future- for; American exporters in the maibtenance of guality In the goods they ship, since the Ameri- can manufacturers cannot compete Wwith the Germans in prices. For example, certain moving plc- ture supplies, such as carbons, are being offered in Mexico at from 10 to 30 per cent below the quotations made by reputable American con- cerns, although the quality is poor. The well known “555” snap fastener, made by a German firm, is being of- fered at unprecedented prices, $1.50 per great gross—however, none have arrived as yet—and it remains to be seen if the quality is equal to that of several years ago. German hardware has also stormed Peru. According to a cablegram to the Department of Commerce from Trade Commissioner Waters, in Lima, Peru, quotations on German hardware are 25 per cent lower than on American goods. The German product, moreover, has been well re- celved, and the market for it will probably be recovered. At present very little is on hand, and no con- siderable imports are expected for a year and e half, so the Amer- ican manufacturers and exporters have a time to protect themselves in this market. - * ¥ It is being impressed upon Con- gress, with the appropriation bill still under consid- Value of Attache eretion, that these ization, Y2rRings of such o"g‘mnfi vital interest to American business have been given by commercial attaches, which serv- ice the House proposed to do away with last year by the quick process of withholding the appropriation, but the organized business men of the country registered such an emphatic protest that the commercial attache service was promptly restored. The big problem that is being forced upon members of Congress and the federal executives, and emphasized by these _reports, that Germany, through banking connections before the war, had a strangle hold on com- merce in the Latin American marke In this way, by jostensible trade propaganda, German agencies created, as far as possible, prejudice egainst American business interests. The far- seeing American business and politi- cal leaders are studying the problem of how to protect American interests against German wiles, especially in the western hemisphere, where least of all is it desirable that Germany should ever again gain a foothold. A Catechism of the Constitution BY HENRY LITCHFIELD WEST. Issued by the National Security Lesgue. {(Copyright, 1910.) In Twelve Lessons—No, 5, Question.—Can Congress declare war? Answer.—Under the eleventh provi- sion power is given to Congress to de clare war. means that the ques- tion of entering upon war can only be decided by the vote of & majority of the representatives of the people Con- greas assembled. ' 1 t {s the power of Congress eaenumnun.g :.\n military and paval forces? ‘A.—Congress has the power to Talse and support armies, but no appropria- tion of money to that use can be made for a longer term than two years. This provision makes it impossibie to impose a permanent standing srmy upon the s of the United States. Congress m given power to provide and main- tain @ navy; to make rules for the gov- ernment and resuhmm of mg.nd and naval forces and to provide for calling {uhx;th the militia to tx‘eclua the Taws of suppress _insurrections - and repel In Congress may also pro- L) 3 v the it e acooMing to the discipline prescribed by Q—~What does about the writ of hlb-.lm Wmhflfu Tt A.—It is provided in the Constitut under sestion 5, that the priviiess of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be sus- pended unless when, in case of rebellion :;’::v&llon, the public safety may re- 'Q.—whnt is the ;n.ulnr of “the writ of A.—This is a legal phrase throt the application of which’un wpeuug& b: made to the courts and unconstitutional or fllegal detention of prisoners pre< Tiraagh appest. to. (hlp weit s Dostact the exercise of unwar- it aocomplished anything thus far? Is An estimable colored woman by the name of Dinah is employed by an Army officer whom we will call Capt. Jenks, Mrs. Jenks was telling Dinah one day recently of the various prohibi- tions which have been effected in the world, and of those which mey come about in the years to come. “They’re going to make people stop drinking coffee,” Mrs. Jenks smilingly told Dinah. Nothing more was said on the subject. The next morning Mrs. Jenks no- ticed that Dinah wore an unusually triumphant smile. “Why are you so happy this morn- ing, Dinah asked the mistress of “I got enough to last,” was the re- sponse. “What?" asked Mrs. Jenks. Dinah spoke confidentially: “L went and bought me ten pounds of coffee,” she whispered, trium- phantly. * * X% ‘The novelty of Capt. Jenks and his household has not yet worn off. Dinah is never tired of discussing them. Like most people, she takes a great interest in clothes, and often dis- Cusses the habiliments of the people for whom she works. Recently she went to call on a for- mer mistress, with whom she got to talking about Capt. Jenks. The cap- tain’s changes from uniform to oi- |jilian clothes sometimes confusea er. “Capt. Jenks came home yesterda: and didn't know him.> said Dinal. “He had on his pavilion clothes.” * * x Dinah has a pretty good opinion of herself and her work. Although she never studied a work on psychology, she has unconsciously come to the conclusion that people more or less itake you at your own valuation, if { you don’t overdo the matter. Her speed in getting out the wash, or any such task, is especially pleas- ing to her. She has a genuine pride in it, the mark of the true craftsman, however high or humble the task may be. “I works sleight of hand,” she an- nounces, proudly. * * * Patrons of the Mount Pleasant car line often wonder if two cars on opposite tracks can run into each other when rounding Dupont Circle. They can. Passengers found this out one morning not long ago, when two cars, on the northbound and south- bound tracks, deftly bumped into each other just north of the diver- gence of tracks leading to Mount Pleasant and Georgetown. Motormen always jockey for posi- tion when rounding this and other curves, the tracks not "being far enough apart, evidently, to allow the simultaneous passages of the larger cars adopted since the tracks ‘were laid. So one car allows the other to get a little ahead, to prevent the swing of the rear of the car from smashing into it. This morning, however, the two cars neatly bumped into each other, a head-on collision on .oppo- site tracks. * % Children do not buy all the toy balloons. A woman who leads an active and useful life confessed last week that she never passes a man with toy balloons for sale but what she has an firresistible desire to buy one. “I usually buy three or more,” she smiled. “When I am on a street car, and see balloons, I want to get off and buy one.” % * x ¢ Postage stamp collections seemed to have been given mew life recent- ly, but how about milk top collec- tions? At one time in the life of the Na- tional Capital, and not so long ago at that, collections of the paper caps or “tops” off milk bottles were to be found in the pockets of all small boys. %hn tops were gathered as assidu- ously as postage stamps. Trading of the tops of one dairy for the caps of another went on at every recess. The great “stunt” was matching tops, holding out a top in a closed hand, and seeing if the opponent could THE STAR. A very brief dispatch printed in The Star of Janyary 30, 1871, announces the occupation of the The Fall of Paris forts by the Ger- man troops, thus mark- ing the fall of the French capital after a struggle of 137 days. The Star of that day says: “The defense of the French capital, hopeless as it was, will fill a noble page in French history. Fighting against odds, battling against famine, contending against the evil influence of malcontents within, while from without the rain of shot and shell brought terror and consternation to the people, the struggle was main- tained and through cold and hunger and sickness and disease the Parisians still hoped on, looking to their gen- erals outside for succor. Depending on the armies in the provinces, they had been disappointed, and the only alternative of unconditional surren- der was left open to them. We con- sider the armistice the end of the war and trust the conquerors will be mag- nanimous in dealing with a gallant but unfortunate foe. Broken and prostrate, France cannot avert the spoliation of her territory if the Ger- mans persist in having a territorial as well as a money indemnity for the losses incurred by the war, and there is absclutely nothing to prevent them carrying out any designs they may have, unless the neutral powers should intervene.” * *x Both houses having passed the bill to create a territorial government for the District of Co- The District’s lumbia with some Go differences in detall, VEIIOT. the measure was sent to conference for adjustment. The Star of January 31, 1871, says: “We learn that efforts are being made to induce the conference com- mittee on the District territorial bill to change the feature of the measure requiring that the governor shall be a resident of the District. It is under- stood that this amendment is urged in the interests of certain members of Congress who, falling of re-election, would not mind having some snug government position; and the list of aspirants who want the bill changed also is increased by a number of per- sons who have been Industriously fighting for cabinet positions, bureau- ships or diplomatic appointments and who, falling thus far to find a berth, are willing to come here and govern the people of this District. We sup- pose the committee is not likely to reconatruct the bill for the benefit of chronic office seekers. The whole ob- Ject and end of the bill is to make a Teform In the administration of afs fairs in the District, and to that end it is imperatively necessary that the new officers should be men of enerxy, character and intimate acquaintance with District matters.” * * % Fifty years ago the women who ad- vocated enfranchisement were not only intent upon se- ongress and curing a constitu- o tional amendment, the Suffrage. yuc they aiso hoped to obtain a construction of the four- teenth amendment which would de- clare them to be entitled to the fran- chise. In The Star of February 2, 1871, is an article as follow: “The report of the majority of the judiciary committee of the House upon a memorial of Victoria C. Wood- hull, asking the enactment of a law declaring that women have a right to vote under the provisions of the four- teenth amendment, is not, as some of the papers represent it, a death blow to woman suffrage. It grants that women are citizens, with all the rights of other (male) citizens, but holds that it is not competent for Congress to establish by law the right to vete without regard to sex in the several states of the Union without the consent of the peopleofsuchstates, and against their constitutions and laws, and that such legislation would be'a_violation of the Constitution of the United States and of the rights reserved to the states respectively by the Constitution. But at the same time they grant that it is undoubtedly the right of the people of the several states so to reform their constitutions and laws as to secure the equal exer- cise of the right of mu! e, with- out'regard to sex, and as public opin- fon creates constitutions and govern- ments in the states it is not to be doubted that whenever in any state the people are of opinion that such a reform is advisable, it will be made. This leaves the matter in a more favorable condition than even its match it, ‘prlnted side or not, as ht be. the CA% TARLES E. TRACEWELL, d DIGEST. OF FOREIGN PRESS What Has thé Leagus Done? No subject has been more discussed hmepulttv.yuflmntha!mo of nations, yet it is surprising how 1ittle most peopie know about it. Has ay toward further accom- o tonta7 . Thess questions _are Paised and answered by a political oommen!ltorrxl‘nn the French review, re de ce. MER:: writer, speaking of the first as- sembly of the league of nations, points out that in spite of the telegraph, the telephone and the presence of three or four hundred journalists, public opinfon still remained ignorant as to what had really been accomplished. “There was much work done at Geneva, much good will and appreclable re- isults, but very little enthusiasm. ‘The delegates of five continents were all dressed in European fashion—a rem:‘v nition that Europe marches at the. head. It was declared publicly that the treaties of poace must be executed as they stand. But the text of :Ec Jeague must be amended and ml e more precise. The faot that mnll- has joined the league, the withdrawal of Argentina, the reproaches of Can- ada to the European statesmen, the silence of Japan on the guestion of race equality, the bad temper of India —all this made Europe realize that, though she marches at the head, she is only one out of five continents. “To give vitality to the 8, says the writer, “it is absolutely nec- essary that the United Btates and G;;'c-l many (and afterward Russia) shot join. The amendment col‘mh!lofi of the league is preparing the way for the United States. As to Germany, it bable that after what has been ‘u.dgmu Geneva the question will be- come aocute and unavoidable next Sep- tember. No brilliant intervention of M. Viviani will suffice to check the ever-increasing strength of the cur- rent. Of course, it is only just that the one who breaks the glass should pay for it, but every one knows, from private experience, that there are dam- ages which cannot be paid. France refused to vote for the admission of Bulgaria. This refusal is scarcely ‘worthy of the policy of & great na- tion. o s to Germany,” oontinues the writer, “we must try to find out her jdeas with regard to the league of nations. Certain sentiments are to be found in the resolution voted by the ninth pacifist congress in Brunswick, October 3, 1930. This resolution was voted following on & statement made by Count Harry von Kessler on the principles which ought to be used as the basis of a real league of nations. What is good in the plan relates to the demooratic basis of the league and to the representative character of the council. The amendments commission of the league will have to examine it. The plan en large German sooieties, which, gg'wun:,‘ gives it some importanoce. But it might be asked if the activity of associations might not be mor'ébfx-:e!ul in another direction. " the s S dasirable Zor all hations t bo ad- LY has been approved by a|she warmest advocates claimed for it only a few months since.” mitted to the league, the collaboration of labor is_also indispensable. . Barnes, a British delegate, had the courage to declare this categorically. Therefore it is incomprehensible that the need was not felt, and the means were not found of allowing the di- rector of the internati reau to “In such a huge enterprise {ndivid- ual men disappear and count as noth- ing, but there is one who must be mentioned, for he was the judicious d_courageous instigator of the as- sembly; it was Lord Robert Cecil, the South African delegate. He stood up against the governments as well as against the utopians and appealed con- tinually to public opinion. Will pub- lic opinion wake up? Where are its guides? All depends upon whether the league of nations stops in time measures which prevent the social transformation which has begun, and which tends in some ways to hasten her steps. It is a great race which is being run; on the European race course much is being put on the rev- olutionary horse.” Port of m—;uxz Busy. ‘The Hamburg correspondent of the Berliner Tageblatt says that that port is now filled with shipping of all na- tions. No fewer than sixty-seven for- eign shipping lines have resumed sail- ings to and from Hamburg. Twenty- two British lines have:re-established their Hamburg offices and connections. Eleven Dutch lines have followed suit, and flags of all seafaring nations are to be seen on the Elbe, indluding those of Po and Cuba. German shipping, reduced by the war and the peace treaty to some half a million tons, makes poor showing against the foreign fleets. Neverthe. L lines, only less, ~German 100,000 te of deep sea ship is left to &:‘m. have pn-maod -Dnlblfu'l also, rding to the pany accol eblatt correspondent. leased mnmonuon. and negotiations wi the Cunard line, & Dutch line and other forelgn shipping enterprises are progress. . As a result of this rush of foreign shipping busimess to the Elbe the harbor space of Hamburg is badly overcrowded. The first steamer of the new Harri- man_Hamburg-American combine to reach Germany will be the Mount Clay, due to arrive at Hamburg on January 15. O lly the Prinz Eitel erich of the North German renamed for twenty-five years. Comj