Evening Star Newspaper, February 13, 1921, Page 32

'JEHI;J EVENING STAR, hSunday Morning Edttion. 'WASHINGTON, D. C. SUNDAY...... February 13, 1921 THEODORE W. NOYES. . ..Editor THe Evening Star Newspaper Company Tusiness Office. 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New Yor A Bullding. o OBns Firae. ' Bank Building. ‘The Eveni tar, with the Sunday morning edition, 1a dellsered by carciers within the city & v o "t ders may be it by mail, or e) Sa0w. " Collection is made by carriers at the \ Chicagh Office; First National e jaily only, 45 cents per endt.of each mouth. " Maryland and Virginia. 3 I | month: Sunday only, European Office: 3 Regent St., London, Engl 5 = Bate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Daily and Sunday..1yr., $8.40; 1 mo., 70 Daily only . 1yr., $6.00; 1 mo., 50c Sunday only . 1yT., $2.40; 1 mo., 20¢ o All Other States. Daily an@ Sunday.1y Dgily onl ay SHy ons Y What Is a “Domestic Enemy” She difficulty of the Department of Justice in dealing with the radicals whb are now preaching bolshevism and sceking to foment revolution in this country for the overturn of the m of government arises from the fact that there has never been a statutory definition of the *“‘domestic Sedition laws have been pass- edlin time of war, but the statute bdgks of the Unpited States have never borne and enactment which defines the dégree of criticism and agitation per- missible in a country of free speech ang free press. Feretofore all efforts to secure such a statutory definition of ‘domestic effémy” have been thwarted by the obstacle of unwillingness on the part of Tongress to limit freedom of speech ang publication. It would seem, how- ever, that the matter is not so hard as it'has been made to appear. There isizof course, no absolute freedom of speech here or elsewhere. That is, there is no such freedom as to permit a~person to say in public whatever hé wishes to say regardless of morals or effect upon the public safety. There are laws against profanity which are coasionally enforced. There are laws aguinst slander. There are laws also prohibiting threats against the bodily sevurity or the welfare of others. "No law can be enacted and main- tained prohibiting advocacy of a change of government by lawful, or- derly procedure. If anybody in this country wishes to propose and urge the establishment of a monarchy or ad’ anarchy by change of the Consti- tution he is at liberty to do so, as- siming always that he makes his ap- pegl in terms of the processes of amendment now established. But it is entirely a different matter taspropose change by force, by revolu- 1iGn, by stealth and seditious under-| mining. That is what the bolshevik propaganda—accrediting it to foreign sdirces—is seeking. Its speakers, such as the man who addressed an audience in*this city the other night, are trying tastart a revolution, trying to over- throw the existing form of govern- ment By force. Such a.person is. un- dogbtedly a domestic - enemy and shibuld be prevented from “preaching his. doctrines openly. . .. .. il a law were enaeted making such a Hefinition it would ‘be within the right of any person to stand upon a tform”or a soap box or any other forum and praise bolshevism and its leaders, to extol the virtues of those who have set up anarchical govern- mepts elsewhere, and by even direct appeal to urge his hearers to work for the establishment of such a system here, provided he besought them to strive to this end through the regular orderly change of the fundamental law. But a step beyond that, an ap- pel for change by force or betrayal or any means other than constitutional | amiendment through the established | prgcesses would be sedition, punish. | able by whatever penalties the law | might impose. i Tnder such a law it would remain for- the courts to determine whether a person accused had gone beyond the legitimate boundary of agitation into the realm of sedition. Such ques- tigns can well be left to the court. The present situation, however, can- not be safely permitted to remain. There must be some safeguard against the “free speech” which seeks violent overturn, which aims to make the minority master and to subvert the rights of the majority of the people. To that end a “domestic enemy” law should be promptly enacted. Roclety journalism has recently in- cuded some very interesting Boy-Ed- itertal comment. | | The Essential Traffic Rules. While the District government is cansuering the question of the new | trafle regulations, which will be pro-! mulgated in a few weeks and will be | @ooubly printed some time between | new ard the first of July, it will| he well to consider the issuance of a | condensed official booklet giving the | rules of traffic in the simplest possible | form. The present hook of regula. tions is confusing to the average-mo. | torist and driver. There are only a| few essential principles to be enforced. | ©One of these is, of course, to drive| on the right-hand side. Another is| 16 observe certain speed limitations. Still another is to observe the utmost | care at crossings. One of the present rules perhaps to be continued in the | new draft is that which gives right of | way at intersections to the vehicle ap- proaching at the right hand. Further- more, all vehicles must stop fifteen feet back of a street car which has halted to take on or discharge pa sengers. These are the rules that mainly af- fect life and limb in the streets. There are many regulations, however, re- garding parking and ranking, which, while important, are not so vital in their effect upon the public safety. Many of the arrests made under the traffic regulations are for violations of these rules respecting the manner | in hich cars are stored in the streets amd in which lights They pertain largely to the possibility of damage as between motorists and | officially l1ate are displayed. | those rules which protect the security of the person. o No matter how many rules are writ- ten and promulgated there will be in- fractions. In fact, the more rules there are the more violations there will be. What is most urgently needed is & simple safety code which can be print- ed in small compass and carried easily and memorized quickly and the essen- tials of which will become & part of the process of managing a car, as in- stinctive as the handling of steering ‘wheel and levers. Of course, the District should notify all licensees of the rules under which they are to operate their machines. The present situation with the official supply of rule books exhausted is in- tolerable. Water Supply First. Secretary Payne, who is a member of the Federal Power Commission, which is now considering the ques- tion of the Potomac river develop- ment, regards the local water supply situation as serious and thinks Con- gress cannot act to soon to prevent a possible calamity. This is the view that is taken by practically everybody who has given the least study to the ques- tion. Irrespective of how much power there may be in the Potomac and how economically it may be developed, and what various plans are feasible for increasing the supply, the fact remains that Washington is at the present moment inadequately furnished with water and may at any moment be disastrously affected by a breakdown of the present plant. It has been proposed to ask Con- gress for an immediate appropriation of half a million dollars to enlarge the Dalecarlia reservoir and to take ‘water from the Potomac at that point by means of pumps, thus insuring an increased supply to the distributing system. This may be a perfectly feasible project as a quick meeting of an emergency.. But there would still remain, even with such a method, the risk of a break in the conduit be- tween Great Falls and the District line. The strength of the whole sys- tem is that of its weakest point, and the weakness in the present water system of the District lies in the fact that there is but one conduit from the main source of supply to the distribut- ing system. If that conduit breaks the whole plant goes out of commis- sion, and it would not correct the vital ‘weakness of the system to double the quantity of water poured through the ducts from a point half way to the city. Only a complete duplication of the conduit system will provide the Dis- trict. with the margin of safety de- manded. It {5 certain that by the time the work is finished the present mar- gin of supply over maximum demand will have fallen to the point of actual danger to the public health, and that is why it is urgently necessary not merely to put water supply increase first in the reckoning of Potomac river possibility, but to enact it with ade- quate appropriations at the earliest possible moment. ——— _ Miss Robertson’s Resolve. Representative-elect Rohertson says that she is coming to Wadhingfor”as a member of the next House deter- mined to “keep her eyes open and her mouth shut. She does not pledge herself to remain silent throughout the Congress, but she does say that “you won’t hear much from me at the start.”” This is excellent judgment. The only question is whether Miss Robertson will be able to keep her word to herself. There are many temptations to get into the debate and it takes some restraint to sit on the sidelines and remain mute while the tongues are sounding in the legisla- tive arena. Many a member has come here so minded only to fall victim to the lure of the Record. Day after day he—or she—picks up that journal of the proceedings and sees names in print as the speakers of the day before and thinks how barren the document seems. Others, perhaps as young, are getting space. ‘The folks back horpe might think it strange that their representative was sitting in silence and only voting on roll call. One never can tell how the constituency will judge of a member’s efficiency. Some districts have learn- ed that the most effective representa- tives are sometimes the most silent and that those who get their names in the Record most frequently are not always the influential ones. And =0 Miss Robertson in her high resolve to keep her eyes open and her mouth shut Is taking a chance with herself. The ex-kaiser is reported to be much engrossed in religious thought. A mood of sincere piety should be en- couraged, even though it comes too to provide for much beyond penitence. ——— Congress, if it had its way in ascer- taining governmental statistics, would put the Secretary of the Treasury to as much trouble as a man filling out his income tax return. ——— Pipes for Women. Dean Johnson of the New York Uni- versity is either a very diligent pub- licity man, or a man of sincere though eccentric ideas. Not long ago he made tn little flurry in the news by advocat- ing that the holders of liberty bonds should burn them to relieve the gov- crnment and lighten the burden of taxation. It was not taken seriously. No liberty bond fires fiickered on the hills or in the parks or anywhere else. As a financial proposition it fell about. as cold as the ground itself rematned. Now comes Dean Johnson with an- other bright idea. He thinks that if women must smoke—and he sees some evidences of that taste—they ought to be provided with nice hygienic clay pipes. Now there is an idea worth pressing! That's very much better than burning liberty bonds. Because we can discuss clay pipes for girls without any risk of starting some- thing that may cost heavily. Somehow or other it is hard to pic. ture feminine society on a clay pipe basis. Of course, stranger things have happened. There are certain things «ffect upon the pubiic convenience. A careful motorist will learn all of these requirements and strictly observe thém. But he should first learn all about feminine costume that are be- yond reasonable comprehension. Take, for instance, the pictures of the past. styles, some _of the -coiffures and ] i l THE SUNDAY gowns, and one is inclined to agree ‘with the farmer who doubted the ex- istence of the giraffe at the circus. And, in truth, when perhaps thirty or forty years from now our succes- dors look upon the way the women dress today they will have the same reaction as we haye toward the crino- line and the Greclan bend and the “waterfall.” : But that is another matter. Pipes maks a different story sltogether. And clay pipes! Of cousse, they could be painted and de and bebowed and made into -fagcy. shapes. One does not quite se¢3the old “dudeen” in the mouth of a @iinty miss—if one sees a yipe there # &ll. And surely no one would advocale the smoking of a clay pipe upside @own after a cer- tain traditional styles These observations are offered just to show the possibilities 6f Dean John- son’s latest offering on the altar of public discussion. Incidentally they are commended to the attention of parents in the hope that it may in- terest them in the question of whether or not their girls are smoking. City Shade Trees, It is announced that 2,100 shade trees will be planted this spring in the streets of Washington. Some of these will be placed in streets where there are no trees in certain spaces and probably some will be replacements. There is, indeed, need of many re- placements. Some of the trees now growing in the streets of the city are unfit. For instance, in one street there are some Carolina poplars, which it is proposed to supplant with pin oaks. Poplars are fast growers, but they do much damage to sidewalks and walls, as their roots are shallow. The pin cak is a slow grower, like all the other oaks, and for that reason has not been favored in street plant- ing. It is unfortunate that the slower growing trees were not chosen and plantéd years ago, for by now they would be in splendid condition, and would more stoutly resist disease and insects than some of the softer va- rieties. It is to be hoped that the policy will be adopted in the future of planting only the hardier, if slower growing, trees. Washington will be here for many decades and the tree planting system should be based upon the city of a long time hence rather than the immediate present. The street shade trees of the capital are one of its chief glories and the most scrupulous care should be exercised in selecting them. —————————— The Japanese, having been taught in years past to have a great deal of respect for navies, do not see why they should forego the experience of having one of their own. —_———— European statesmanship is now tak- ing up the question of whether an 1. O. U. is to be regarded as a scrap of paper. B ‘The greatest foe to censorship in entertainment is the producer who can satisfy the popular imagination with- out degrading the popular taste. f Accidents in the air-mail service in connection with “Junker type” mono- planes raise new suspicions toward the “made in Germany” mark in mer- chandise. —_————— An occasional Rooseveltian refer- be expected from the outgoing, but still residential adrhinistration. —_—— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Simplification. We'll simplify the Fourth of March with sentiment sincere, And when we reach that date we'll say, “Let’s all proceed from here And contemplate the subjects which surround us but to vex; We'll simplify a lot of things which seem a bit complex—." ‘We'll simplify relations with the coun- tries far away. ‘We'll simplify the taxes that the peo- ple have to pay. ‘We'll get the railway owners and the workers to agree, And make the good old tariff seem as plain asa b c. ‘We'll have all immigration so discreet- ly managed that Each visitor will pause and look for “Welcome” on the mat, And History will point unto this Fourth of March with pride. As the Glorious Beginning of an Era Simplified. Figuratively Spesking. ““You don’t employ many figures of speech.” “No,” admitted Senator Sorghum. “These war statistics have been grow- in’ so interesting that what people seem to want is not rhetoric but math- ematics.” 2 Philosophic Leisure. “Apples weren't so dear when Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravitation.” “What reminds you of that fact?" “The way he sat still and kept thinking. If an apple had been as valuable as it is now, its owner would have jumped in to gather the crop be- fore it spoiled.” Discrepancies. In government life a lot Of slight discrepancies we sce. The biggest brains sometimes do not Commend the largest salaree. Fair Enough. “There will not be 80 much dancing at the inauguration.” “No,” replied Miss Cayenne. “Those who insist on physical exercise to ex- press their joy will have to play golf.” The Egoist in Morals. “I hope you are now convinced that 2 man should be honest and save his money.”" “I always was convinced of it,” re- plied Bill the Burg. “If some men didn' honest and save their money there dn’t be anything for the gang ‘we come around to crack the safe. » ence to “my policies” may reasonably | STAR, WASHINGTON, The South and the Cabinet. The southern republicans are keen- ly desirous of & place at the cablnet table, and are presenting their claims to Mr. Harding. They feel they have earned such recognition. Undoubted- ly, they did remarkably well last year. Consider this list and these figures: The republicans carried Maryland by sixty-odd thousand plurality; West Virginia by fifty-odd thousand; Dela- ware by twelve thousand; Missouri by a hundred and twenty thousand; Ten- nessee by twelve thousand; Oklahoma by nearly ten thousand, while they re- duced the democratic majority in Ken- tucky almost to the vanishing point and elected a United States senator. These pluralities are much more notable than those, however large, that weré achieved in the eastern or in the central states. They represent an effort not required anywhere north of Mason and Dixon’s line. The re- publican party was long under the ban throughout the south; and only within the past score of years has it been possible in the border states to put over republican candidates, local or national. The change was effected under local, native leadership. Strong men, in agreement with republican policies, came forward and gave liberally of their time and means to the building up of organizations for the promulga- tion and support of those policies. It is from the list of those men Mr. Harding is offered his pick. All have achieved success outside of politics. All are equal to cabinet duties. Al are in the prime of life, and any one of them could as a member of Mr. Harding's official family render serv- ice of importance at this important time. —_———— Mr. Wilson and His Advisers. In private life again, Mr. Wilson, it is understood, will continue his in- terest in politics, and if his strength Justifies resume .his activities. Wil the members of his official family, who are retiring with him, copy his ex- ample? Mr. Colby likes politics, and plays the game with such zest he has been republican, bull mooser and democrat all within eight years. Mr. Houston was not rated as a politician when called to the cabinet table, but not improbably during his service there has acquired a taste for the game. Mr. Palmer has been in politics for years, and it is difficult to imagine him going on the shelf at his time of life. Mr. Burleson answers to the de- scription of “a born politician.” He probably could not exist if denied an opportunity to help make “‘the wheels go round.” And Texas will afford him a chance. Mr. Baker will return to Ohlo, where politics is always the wear. Mr. Danfels returns to North Caro- lina, where for years he has been a political force, and where he still con- trols an influential democratic news- paper. Mr. Alexander will find Missouri somewhat changed. The overturn last | year in favor of the republicans may make it difficult for him to retake his old place in Congress. Mr. Meredith will find Towa resting under a plurality of four hundred thousand for Harding, with the dirt farmers of the state nearly all gath- ered into the republican fold. Lastly, Mr. Wilson will again take up residence in Pennsylvania, where democrats have never had a chance, and where the republicans last year gave Mr. Harding a plurality ap- proaching three-quarters of a million. 1 New Times, New Men. Many politiclans and the general public are hearing for the first time about W. A. Melion, the Pittsburgh banker, prominently mentioned for the Treasury Department under Mr. Hard- ing. And yet he has long been emi- nent in the financial world for very substantial achievements. He has amassed a large fortune, and been a public-spirited citizen in his com- munity. This happened some years ago in the case of another Pennsylvanian. When the name of P. C. Knox was first suggested for the Attorney Gen- eralship the politicians and the gen- eral public were gurprised. The name was new to them. But in the legal world and in his home state Mr. Knox was known as a great lawyer of the first class, with many notable verdicts dangling from his belt. In the political world he has repeated his success in the legal world. Both as a cabinet of- ficial and as a senator Mr. Knox has taken first rank. America. is rich in her citizens—rich- er than she knows until occasions call. Then, when emergencies arise, and men are needed to meet them, the qualities and qualifications required are often found in those hitherto unknown circles of their activities. We are entering upon new times, |and upon larger responsibilities than have hitherto rested on us. But we are prepared, both in the spirit and capacity of our people, to carry on. The country is full of men developed under our institutions for the most im- portant work of the state. And they are at the state’s service whenever she needs them and signifies her wishes. Always the famous tribute applies: The republic is opportunity. Long live the republic! generally, but well known within the ——— - Others matters of a more partisan nature being on hand, democratic leaders do ~ot at this moment feel obliged to wevote all their energies to holding article X in public atten- tion. —_———————— If Mr. Charles Dawes were made Secretary of the Treasury Congress might at least expect some enliven- ing remarks when it requested more or less intimate figures. —_———————— The attitude of Vice President Mar- shall appears to be that of the man who is glad to get back to an active e.after & long.vacation, ~ D. ASHINGTON has been steadlly growing ' in importance, nationally and internationally, ever since its creation as the capital of the United States, but the world war brought it into the llmelight more than ever before, and there it remains, and it will remain, in all probabllity, for years to come. It was the one allled capital that weathered the war with the re- sources of the nation back of it barely scratched. It was the con- trolling financial center to which the eyes of England, France and Italy, war-burdened and stagger- ing, turned for aid and received it—in the aggregate of many bil- lions of dollars; to which Russia appealed before abandoning the fleld of war for the fleld of revolu- tion. b Credits of enormous amounts were extended, which in time some of the debtors will wipe out, while others may never be able to pro- duce a receipt in full. In peace no less than in war, ‘Washington is the most-talked-of capital in the world, just as the TUnited States holds the proud position today of being the ome absolutely solvent nation of the more important allies—the one na- tion producing a surplus for the feeding and clothing of its own and of = considerable part of the world’s population. ‘Washington always will be to the fore as the capital of the great, resourceful nation that de- veloped from its citizens one of the greatest armies the world has ever known, and that latent capa- bility never will be forgotten. 5 * ** Today the eyes of the world still focus on Washington. Millions of people who hope to be able to migrate to the promised land are watching Congress and its action on the immigrant measure; the world watches American readjust- ment with deep interest and faith in the ability of this country, while continuing to depend in large measure upon our food for fits starving, upon our clothing for its helpless and upon our financial aid FINANCING U. S. Because of its growing importance as a financial center with which the entire world must reckon, as well as being the gov- H ernment’s financial cen- Organized. (., washington is go- ing to take an important part in the organization of the $100,000,000 For- eign Trade Financing Corporation, in- corporated under the Edge act, to give American business [nterests such financial backing as will make pos- sible dented world trade. A committee of three prominent bus- iness men in the National Capital has been appointed to represent the or- ganizers of this new corporation, which has behind it the active inter- est of the largest business organiza- tions and most able financiers in the United States. This committee is: H. H. McKee, as chairman, president of the National Capital Bank; E. Stock, president of the brokerage firm of E. L. S8tock & Co., and director and organizer of the Inter- national Finance Corporation, and Gray Silver, Washington representa- tive of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Similar committees, representing the banking, business and farming inter- ests of the country, are being appointed in each reserve bank dis- trict of the country. Their duties will be to aid the founders of the new corporation in the preliminary work of organizing the big enter- prise and to create and stimulate in- terest among the banks in their com- munities in subscriptions to the cap- ital stock. * The Foreign Trade Financing Cor- poration was started under the Edge act to pro- To Furnish Credits vide adequate = long-term for Foreign Trade. .regit ac- commodations for the financing of foreign purchases of American prod- ucts. It is a private business ven- ture, more or less of a voluntary ef- fort on the part of the leading Amer- ican business men to facllitate the movement of our great surplus of raw materials abroad, where they are ]bndly needed. This cannot be done very well now on account of the dol- {1ar being at a premium. It can readily be seen that this service must be of incalculable value to the publjc at large, since it will stimulate commerce, give new life to domestic production and manufacture, make a vast reservoir of cash avail- able and open up emplovment for every person who is willing to work. Business activity in this country will [be just as certain a result as the sending of cargoes overseas to meet foreign requirements. This gigantic corporation, designed to insure preservation of the world trade captured during the war period the development of Ilnpreca—l O., FEBRUARY 13, 1921—PART 2. POLITICS AT HOME|Factors Which Help to Make/HEARD AND SEEN|FIFTY Washington One of Great Capitals of World. while the sore mpots of the old world are gradually healing and the devastation is being repaired. Fortunately, just before the out- break of the war there had been ‘written into the laws of the Unit- ed States & new monetary system, known as the federal reserve act, which, while it did not disturb the national bank act, save in such parts es requiring investment of capital in reserve banks, the keep- ing of the entire surplus reserves of member banks with the twelve regerve banks and in a few less important matters, removed the non-elasticity from our currency and gave us a system founded, in part, on the continental system and on the Bank of England plan, one capable of expanding and con- tracting. This new law added to Washing- ton’s importance, for it is the seat of the Federal Reserve Board, con- trolling this great and unprece- dentedly successful system. American business listens intent- 1y to the pulsebeats of the Federal Reserve Board. So, too, all the world of trade and commerce listens. * * ¥ We have had occasion but re- cently to witness both the infla- tion and deflation, in part, of our currency system; we have seen billions of war paper functioning as money inflation. We have witnessed the forcing of this war paper, in large degree, from use as money, through the control exercised by the Federal Reserve Board. The lesson was painful, but eventually the result will be satis- factory. This deflation, affecting as it does the great industrial field of America, could never have been brought about without panic, vio- lent and fearful in Its effect, but for this federal reserve act. These are some of the reasons why Washington is and always will be one of the world's greatest capitals. FOREIGN TRADE while foreign competition was cut off and to make the United States a world power second to mnone in finance and in foreign commerce, was organized by the American Bankers’ Association with the co-operation of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. * * ¥ This is a $100,000,000 corporation and, under the Edge act, may, with the approval of the Billion-Dollar Federal Reserve Board, issue its own Foundation. r.qies ‘ang deventures lup to ten times the pald-in capital and surplus. This would give this corporation a working capital of a billlon dollars. It is from the pro- ceeds of the sale of the debentures that the Foreign Trade Financing Corporation will bo able to provide the necessary funds to finance the future flow of American goods abroad, Since it may sell a billion dollars’ worth of such debentures, the effect of its operations in stimulating for- eign trade and in vivifying and busy- ing business at home can easily be seen. In order to give the widest possible participation in the fin=mTial success of the corporation, the campaign for the sale of stock has been made nation-wide. Banks _cverywhere throughout the country have bought in such stock and offered their facili- ties for the distribution of the stock without charging a commission. There is no underwriters’ stock or bonuses, and the entire funds subscribed ara to be devoted to the one purpose of world-trade development. * % The presidency of this big new trade corporation has been offered to W. P. G. Harding. Committee on chairman of the < 4 Federal Reserve Organization. poara” ana it s generally understood that he will ac- cept the post after March 4. The com- mittee on organization includes such nationally and internationally known financiers and business leaders as Joseph H. Dufrees, president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States; A. C. Bedford, chairman of the board of directors of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and chair- man of the executive committee of the Chamber of Commerce of the United | States; Thomas E. Wilson. Chicago packer and a member of the board of | directors of the Chamber of Com- | merce; Herbert Hoover, John F. Drum jof San Francisco, president of the American Bankers’ Association; Paul M. Warburg, former member of the Federal Reserve Board; Charles H. Sabin, president of the Guarantee | Trust Company of New York, and James B. Forgan, chairman of the board of the First National Bank, Chicago. WILL P. KENNEDY. A Catechism of Issued by the Natio the Constitution BY HENRY LITCHFIELD WEST. nal Security League. (Copyright, 1919.) In Twelve Lessons—No. 6. Q. What is the meaning of the provision of the Constitution “No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed”? A. A bill of attainder is an act taking away the civil rights of a person condemned to death. Any law of this character is impossible under : the American Constitution. The pro- hibition against an ex post facto law means that laws cannot be made to operate backward. Note.—It is fully settled that the term “ex post facto,” as used in the Constitution, is to be taken in a limit- ed sense as referring to criminal or penal statutes alone, and that the policy, the reason and the humanity of the prohibition against passing ex post facto laws do not extend to civil cases; to cases that merely affect the private property of citizens. Some of the most necessary acts of legis- lation are, on the contrary, founded upon the principles that private rights must yield to public exigencies. 8 Wheat, 89; 3 Story Constitution, 212. Q. Is an export tax constitutional? A. No, becatise the Constitution specifically says that no tax or ex- port duty shall be laid on articles ex- ted_{rom-4ny Statoe Q. What is the provision relative to commercial intercourse between the states? A. The Constitution provides that 1t was a slippery morning. The word “slippery” is to be taken in the sense usually understood in Washington. Not so slick that ice skating could be indulged in on the streets, but just slippery enough to make the car tracks need plenty of sand. Dismal, lazy rain, and & touch of biting cold in the alr, contributed to this condition. The street cars ran slowly; automobiles were cautious in most cases, and pedestrians watched their step. A prominent business man was standing at an uptown corner wait- ing for the car to come along to bear him to his place of business. A car other than the one he wanted came down the tracks. Just before it got to the corner an automoblile swooped down behind it. The car and the automobile reached the cor- ner at about the same time. But instead of haiting the pequired fifteen feet behind the street car, the man at the wheel stepped on the gas and the automobile shot forward. Would-be passengers scattered as the wild motorist sped by. A perplexed look appeared on the face of the business man. His expression might even have been said to be rueful. “Why, I know that bird!" he sald. “That man sold me an accident pol- icy yesterday.” - % Speaking of slippery days in Wash- ington, -there was a time when ice skaters not only enjoyed all the skating possible on the river, the basin and the Zoo pond, but had the Streets of the city as well for their skating. It was a good many years ago, but not so many, at that. The streets, Washington's famous asphait streets, were coated with several quarter inches of ice, thick enough to bear the blades of the city's skaters. Clerks in the departments skated to work. Gay skating parties were everywhere. School children were in their glory, as they skated to and from wchool. The present winter forms quite a contrast, without a single day of skating to date. Who says the “times” are mot changing? L * % Studies in contrast are quite in- teresting. Whether it be the con- trasts in music, forte or piano; or in photography, shadow and high lights; or in human beings, good or bad, contrasts compel attention. It was with something like this in mind that passengers aboard a street car watched the front end of the car the other day. For there sat two sisters, members of some order. And immediately in front of them, were two young girls in c fashions, talking of very “advanced” things. Had they staged the performance purposely the two girls could not have looked or acted or talked more in contrast to the two sisters. = * * Those legends over the portals of Union Station seem to be attracting more attention than they used to do. Most people are in such a hurry to catch their train they never stop to read what is carved above the doors. A whole book of quotations lies over the three big doors immediately in front of the station. Down at the bottom of the central portion is carved: “The truth shall set you free.” An unsympathetic stranger at our gates viewed that inscription, then turned to the car starter at his elbow. “The truth may set you free' he said, “but it takes a train to get you there.” What can you do with a man like that? & CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. S AGOIN THB STAR. “A study of larger cities of census tables of tha e country of the last | three decades,” savs The Growth of | The Star of Febru- 5 [ary 11, 1871, *“de- Washingtoni veiops “some inter- esting and sugestive facts touching the growth and prosperity of Wash- ington city as pared with that of the other cities holding a correspond- ing position in respect to size and im- portance. “For instance,{ while she stood fif- teenth in rank 1850 she was able to take only oné step forward, or in other words to pecome fourteenth in position in 180. This apparently slight advance fvas o artly, it may be ing in- fluences of slavify, which then sur- rounded her, butfit was due in a much greater degree the extraordinary growth of someiof the western cities which naturally followed the rapid development of, that section of the country betweed the years 1850 and 1860; but she |mevertheless passed Pittsburgh, Charleston an - dence in the race, being passed in turn by Newark and Chicago. Yet not- withstanding th‘o-un more astonish- ing growth of Some of the western cities during the decade just ended, and in spite of this extraordinary im- petus given to ajl places interested in manufact the exceptional de- mands grgwing jout of the late war, we find hington still keeping pace with the Inost prosperous cities of the country, and w\:nalg from the four- teenth to the twafth in point of popu- ion between the years 1860 and de she passed New- d Albany, and was 'g:‘lled in turn by San Francisco alone, ing thus able 1o keep in advance of all her old compstitors and compelled to yleld the i;:-.l. of progress only to the metropolis of the Pacific coast, the circumstances of whose growth it is well understopd were quite excep< tional in their ciaracter. - * * “But if we exmmine the percentaga of increase of population in the four- teen cities now con- faining more than souls, the rogress of Wash- nd to be illustrated riking manner. We the requisite data comparison on this n for the ten years , and it is doubtful istics for an earlier of any real value in But it will be seen hington stood num- to the percentage of an increase during Percentage of Increase. ington will be f in a still more have not at b for making a point earlier t ending with 1 whether the s period would this connection. that in 1860 Wi ber 7 in respect showls fourteen cities at mu; time, six. = g tity of percentage increase, - leza: Brookly! St. Louis, Buffalo, Philadelphia, uisville and New York. But in the fourteen ci 100,000, in res] increase, only by Chicagy St. Louis. The ington was 78. three cities le ively, 173.70, 16 “We are as y of instituting a ct to percen " be::: led Francisco and rcentage of Wash- , while that of the respect- mparison of her in< and business with cities referred to in 'but we do not doubt tatistics illustrating these points are| made public, her ad- vance in theme frespects will be found to be even moffe rapid and striking than her mark¢d increase in popula- tion, mnor that in edu- cation, oultur A and sciences an will be apparent \in a still greater de- gree.” this connection, that when the DIGEST OF FOREIGN WRESS Why France Refused Our Coal. | The opinion of the semi-official Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (owned by Hugo Stinnes) on France’s cancel- ing of American coal contracts may be biased, but there is an element of truth in it. The mildness of the win- ter, combined with industrial depres- sion, has resulted In a surplus pro- Quetion of coal, coal prices have tum- | | bled, and France has found that her those people who are no®, English- lpelki:‘ to hear that thel Anglo- Saxons are ‘the bearers of enyiliza- tion and the protectors’ of the It is urudin, - tlh:lt"!;l'e — ‘civilize and protect’ at the head of every imperialistic program.” U. S. as Leader of the Allies. The Frankfurter Zeitung publishes the following article showing the dif- needs were plentifully supplied by the | rerence in Germany’s present and for- German deliveries and what coal| mer relations to the other powers. could be bought in the open market. | [} gays: ~Before the war our in- In the article in the German paper: ternational situation depended on our the writer says: relations with other states. Today, “The decision of the reparations|as the disaster of our defeat has re- committee to exact more coal from ' moved all possibility of enforcing our Germany—that is to say—two million | will, our future no longer depends tons for the twenty-eight days Of|ou ourselves, but on the relations of the month of February—certainly does | not_arise from the fact that France | or Belgium is short of coal. The Paris correspondent of the Associated Press | cabled recently to London that there were about twelve to fifteen million tons in reserve in France. Today we the conquerors to each other. “What are the relations of the en- tente to each other? “This is the principal problem which we have to do with at the present time; we must pay great at- tention to this. When, next March, the are able o look behind the scenes of | United States again takes her place in the coal administration in France. European politics as principal creditor The Black Diamond, an American |of all the other countries, she will play paper, interesting from a political | the preponderant part in the settle- point of view, and also well informed | ment of all questions. But at the pres- on questions ‘of coal, reproaches the|ent time she does not join in the de- French for not having kept their con- | liberations of the conquerors. England tracts, in refusing to have coal de- and France dominate the situation.” livered which had been ordered in| The paper concludes bitterly that America. As this coal was on the way (of course England will cling to it had to be sold below the fixed|France'’s friendship and will sacri- g price. Prudent American merchants | fice much for this. Germany must n {had demanded the guarantee of the|ignore this and must pay great af French government, and this guaran- | tention to it. tee had been given verbally. but not in_writing. The price agreed on was 3 = 5 sis" A Already, before this |IWO0 Views of the New “Associa- the Chamber of Commerce at Roubaix tion.” had ordered a large guantity of D Amexicanlcoaiife b s3NRmiton Rmml One reason why Europe may hesi- the gas company at Bordeaux like-[tate to adopt the ok “amocins wise_ Now the delivery of this coal|tion” plan 18 pure u}r'flirg.mgsmnm'fl'y is refused in France. one plan may be as good as another . “If France no longer needs Amer-|in European eyes, but. being sensitive ican coal it is because Germany is|people, the Europeans dislike to supplying more than she requires.|change the whole project of an in- The result of this coal policy on the |ternational combination at America’s part of France is that the large coal | behest. reserves, increased still by the fact| The PBritish press, as a whole, Is that French industry is using much|more sympathetic in its tone, but, less at the present time because of |under the title “Mr. Harding’s Illu- the unsettled situation, are putting a | sion: “a Diplomat” writes—some- stop to the import of English coal, the { what flippantly, price of which is very high. Midi, as Tollows: “This attitude of France is plainly | “We hear that Harding, the new Pres- aiming at upsetting the international | ident of the United States has the Inten- coal market. tion of calling together shortly repre- “Now, according to the peace treaty, | sentatives of the powers at ‘Washington the more France manages to keep|to consider his plan of international ar- perhaps—in Parfs- ‘|down the price of imported English | bitration. coal, the cheaper German coal comes. Therefore, the coal policy France is really a financial policy.” French View of Harding. ‘The publication of Senator Hard- “Scarcely arrived, if they do arrive, ©Of | these representatives of the civilized world, hat in hand, will héar something ike “‘Gentlemen, an American President called Wilson (Woodrow) persuaded you two years ago to create an international no preference shall be given by any(ing's letter to the Sulgrave Institu-|organization called the league of nations. regulation of gommerce %r reve:ue (3; tion, in which he expressed a belief | America, having now changed her Presi- the ports of one state over those of another, nor shall vessels bound to or from one state be obliged to enter, clear or pay duties in another. Q. What safeguard is thrown around government expenditures? A. No money shall be drawn from the Treasury unless by appropriations made by law. This gives the control of the national purse into the hands of the representatives of the people. Q. Can the United States ever have lords, dukes or other titled citizens? A. No. The Constitution provides that no title of nobility shall be granted by the United States. It also provides that no person holding any office of profit or trust under the Unit- ed States shall, without the consent of Congress, accept any present, profit, office, or title, of any kind whatever from any king, prince or foreign state. Owing to this consti- tutional provision it has been neces- sary for Congress to cnact special laws when citizens of the United States have been presented with Bifts, titles or decorations by foreign that the Anglo-Saxons were divinely|dent, it is only proper that we should ordained to lead the world, naturally | &lso change this organization and replace caused some emotion in France. A | it by another institution which I will tell typical comment —appeared in the|You about. But remember, of course, Paris Eclair (Mr. Briand’s organ, by |that if in four years' time, by chance, & the way), interpreting Mr. Harding's | democratic President shouid compe into statement as imperialistic. power the civilized world would Bave to “The United States press,” eays the | decide to change once more. writer, “considers that these ‘clear) “In other words™ says the writer, and just’ declarations ought to pro-|‘we must make up our minds hence- duce universal joy, and reassure the|forth ‘to sneeze us tl cans peoples, not only of Kurope, but of |sneeze. But this is not all, for the the whole world, to the interna- |Plan of international organization tional policy of Mr. Harding. which Mr. Harding is going to pre- “This letter made a great impres- |Sent. even if it really came into ex- ion in England, and the press com- [istence, would have extraordinary ments show the favorable welcome |consequences. which it received. The tone of the| *“His idea appears to be to form papers with reference to Anglo-Amer- | the nations into groups according to ican relations changed suddenly on|continents. On one side there would its publication, at the moment of Mr.['be the American nations, on the other Auckland Geddes' arrival in London, |the European. A court, called the and they are now regarded from a|court of arbitration or justice, would very optimistic point of view. dominate all the other groups. “Will these declarations of Mr.| “In this way the United States, you ‘Harding meet everywhere with the |understand, would not be obliged to same success? It must be doubted.|intervene in political affairs in Yesterday we pointed out the cry of | Europe, but at the same time would alarm coming from Latin America|not cut all unications with the against the ‘Anglo-Saxon peril’! 1It|old continent. §t is an ul trick, rtainly is not very agreeable for but will it please ~