Evening Star Newspaper, March 27, 1921, Page 38

THE SUNDAY: ST. WASHINGTO N, D. C, MARCH 27, 1921—PART 2. THE EVENING STAR, With Sunday Morning Biition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SUNDAY........March 97, 1021 THEODORE W. NOYES. . ..Bditor The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11th Bt and Peansyivania Ave. Offies: Tritune New Y 3 Buildiag. Qhiengo Ofice: First Natiomal Bank Bullding. London, Eagland. Burcpean Ofice: 3 Regent St., The Bveniag Star, with the Sunday meraing edition, is del v:m; by earriers within the eity 8¢ 8 ceats per moath; dally caly. ts per . , 30 cents per - ders may b sent “y mal. or telephone Matn 5000. Collection is made by carriers at the end of each moath. Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. S Maryland and Virginis. ly and Sunday..1yr., $8.40; 1 mo., 70c Dally only oo 1o ::.M;lmo 50¢ Sunday only 1yr., $2.40; 1 mo., 20c All Other States. Merger the Surest Remedy. ‘Washington's street rallway situa- tion demands attention by Congress at the earliest practicable time at the extra geasion. Plainly, relief from the present conditions. which impose a burdensome and inequitable rate of | fare upon the car users of the capital in order that one of the two systems may make a living profit, while the other makes a profit greatly in excess of its reasonable requirements, can come only through a merger of the two properties. Compulsory merger is not desirable, or likely to be at- tempted. But it is possible for Con- gress to enact a law which will create a condition that will make the more prosperous company seek a merger ‘with the other, and that should be the object of present efforts. As long as the existing situation remains there is no inducement for the Capital Traction Company to seek to merge, save upon a stock valuation based upon present earning power. ‘The very condition that makes merger desirable from the public’s point of view, therefore, acts as a barrier. The problem is to find some means to equalize the net earnings of the two corporations, 8o that their fare rates will be approximately equivalent in profit-making. A tax upon net earnings rather than upon gross has been proposed as a means to this end. Such & tax, in the nature of an excess profits assess- ment, would have two effects—to in- duce expenditures for improvements in plant and service, from which the public would gain a benefit, and to lessen the obstacle that now exists to & merger upon an equitable basis. Today the evil from which the pub- lic suffers, in the form of & rate of fare that, while barely sufficient to and small profit, piles up an inordinate profit for the Capital Traction Com- pany, serves to render a solution more difficult. Remove the excessive profit, and the reason for continuing the existing conditions disappears. However it is effected, by the im- a certain point, or by some other .method, the legislation that is sought should bring about™ & ‘condition in should not be indefinitely mulcted in excess street car rates that are jus- tified only on the ground that one of | the two ¢ompanies cannot earn a prof- it, while the other is enabled thereby to reap a heavy return. ————e———e Cleanliness and a Proverb. Some one, and though his name has ‘besn lost, his words still live by virtue of their wisdom, once observed that “ene keepclean is better than ten maks-eleans.” The proverd, true of homes and hands and hearts, is equal- 1y spplicable to cities. Yet people, as | not remember. Each spring the word goes round ‘“Make clean.” Each! speing, duly exhorted, we look about | those disordered external portions ori the premises for which we are re- sponsible to our neighbors and, with varying {such times to incite the communists. made for their emptying. But noth- ing was done. An immanse quantity of government goods is stored there, almost all of it inflammable. Condi- tions surrounding the bulldings are somewhat improved, and the chances of fighting a fire successfully are in. creased. The fireplugs are no longer concealed fn high weeds, for example, and the steamers on reaching the spot could work effectively. But it is a long haul over to those buildings from the city, and & fire once started there ‘would get dangerous headway before the firemen could reach the scene. A less appropriate place for the storage of government materfals, in short, could hardly be conceived. Protest against the continued use of these buildings is grounded, not so much on the disfigurement of the park as upon the first principle of safety. If the stuff that is stored in the shacks is worth keeping it is surely worth keeping well, and it is not well kept as long as it is stored in these tinder- boxes, in a remote location, which, if they do not burn, may crumble at any time. 1t is assuredly a matter of sufficient importance to warrant some extraordinary effort to get a relleving appropriation at the extra session of Congress. —_—————————— Symptomatic. ing the Kronstadt rebellion the ban upon trading foodstuffs with peasants was abolished and in some instances ‘workmen have begun manufacturing for their personal use in trading ar- ticles which they believed peasants de- sired. Radlical revolutionists have before now undertaken to change natural laws. The French tried to do it a century and a third ago and failed. The whole Russian bolshevik move- ment has been founded upon a total fallacy. It,is impossible to reduce an entire people to a machine basis of absolute economic equality of re- 1ationship. Lenin tried the experiment, and he now recogniges that it has failed. He is going to seek some other *solu- tion.” He will find in time that that which “must be found" He will find that the people of Russia will, after a sullen acceptance of com- pulsion, revert to their instinctive re- lationships. The people who can make things will make them, and the people with things to sell will sell them. Whether there is money or not, trade will be revived within the country. Lenin's “problem,” or rather the prob- lem of Russia, is to find & means of regulating that trade, not in prohibi- | tlon, but to prevent monopoly. And it has been monopoly that the sovict government has exercised up to this While there may be ground for sus-| time, through its bans and rules main- picion on general terms, no evidence appears that the present German So- cial disturbances are related to the de- mand of the allies for the full meeting of the reparations bill by the Berlin government. Only a probability re- mains. The thing has happened be- fore. Perhaps the disorderly radicals seize ‘upon the occasions when the Berlin authorities are under pressure to start their ructions. Or maybe something is done at Berlin just at The outbreak of radicalism simulta- neously with the exchange of notes about payments is possibly merely a coincidence. But it is sympatomatic of Germany's condition of mind. It is possible, without lessening any righteous feeling of disapproval of the German procedure and philosophy, to sympathize with the German govern- ment in its predicament. If it yields to allied pressure it is subjected to in- ternal strains. These may be caused tained by military force. —————— High-Priced Movies. Moving picture regulation and cen- sorship in the District of Columbia is now assured by the rules ordered & few days ago by the Commissioners, following an extensive hearing result- ing in a pledge by producers for clean- er pictures and an agreement for co- operation among the exhibitors. And ‘Washington now looks forward to a healthier variety of cinema entertain- ment than has prevailed in the past. This recent discussion causes reflec- tion on the development of this great industry and the part it has played in the social welfare of every com- munity in the country. The first “movies” were of the ’hmwy type, produced in simple style and circulat- ed through the country to be shown at low prices. It was indeed natural that an entertainment of such great by the radicals or by the monarchists. | possibilities should develop into the Each side is watching for an oppor- | superproductions of the present day, tunity to effect an overturn. Thus far { Which cost many thousands of dollars the government has managed to play | to produce and command higher prices the one against the other. It has fair- | at the box office. In the last few years ly well measured the radical move-|the great moving picture has become ment and s not seriously afrald of it.|greater, and the price has increased But the monarchist reaction is an un-|accordingly, many photodramas now guaged force. The Kapp revolt failed, | being shown at the price which ob- but partly because it was gccompanied | tains_at the speaking stage instead by & neutralizing communistic upris-|of the low-priced, whole-family enter- ing. Evidently the dominating force in tainment of & few years ago. It is, indeed, gratifying to realize Germany today is capital. The indus- | that the producers of moving pictures trial leaders are in control. They, more |aré working to the end of giving the than the workers, who- support the|public thé highest poseible form of radical enterprises, and the junkers,|clean entertainment, but as these high- who are chiefly land owners, are con-|Priced shows become more frequent cerned in the avoidance of heavy rep-|one 18 led to wonder If that is to be arations payments. They are astute|the general tendency for first-class politicians of the German school. They | Productions, and in recognition of the want no more war. But they will not | fact that the man of moderate means pay unless they are compelled to do| Will not then be able to indulge in so %0, and they will continue to exert|expensive a treat for his family, is every possible effort to lessen the ob-|there not cause for concern lest the ligation, even while the: radionls rage{ Cheaper grade. of cinema step in and and the monarchists plot @nd bide{ flourish? their time. A Long Drop. A parachute drop from a height of ;124,400 feet, or 4.62 mlles, is just re- ported, establishing a world’s record for this sort of performance. It oc- curred at Chanute Fieid, Iil., Ldeut. Arthur G. Hamiiton of the Army air service maMing the descent. The plane that carried him aloft was an hour and twenty-eight minutes mak- ing the upward flight. No report has quired for the drop. The air carried Hamilton eight miles off from the flying field. These parachute drops are not par- The moving picture has been one of the greatest agencies for social and moral welfare in the world. Can prices which exciude the man and his family who most need a refreshing and heip- ful form of recreation keep it so? —_——— In cofisidering indemnity many of the German people make it clear that POLITICS AT HOMEPresent an Exceptional Time to/HEARD AND SEEN|FIFTY YEARS AGO IN Cox and Bryan. Was Gov. Cox permanently done for last November? Since the elec- tion he has not figured in the news at all. His visit to Washington cre- ated only a languid {nterest. His re- ception was cordial, but far from en- thusiastic. If the earth had opened and swallowed him at the close of that fateful election day, his name as a news topic would hardly have vanished more completely. Turn now to the case of Mr. Bryan, and consider how prominent his de- feat in 1896 left-him. He continued to hold his place in the news columns. Wherever he went—and he kept con- stantly on the go—he was acclaimed by his party friends for the brilliant campalgn he had made. With the men who had supported him he was a hero; and his renomination in 1900 was ac- complished with the greatest of ease. Falling off a log was difficult by com- parison. But Mr. Bryan had simply been de- feated. He had made a brilliant cam- paign, and made it against the demo- cratic administration then in power. He had had to fight the whole Cleve- land outfit. He was entitled to the enthusiasm his party friends were now bestowing upon him. Gov. Cox, on the other hand, was not only defeated, but overwhelmed. Majoritles of such gigantic size were never thrown against a national can- didate of any party. And he had had the support of the administration then in power. Mr. Wilson had vised his candidacy and given him his blessing. Still, it ie not safe to rub Gov. Cox's name off the slate. While appearances today are against him, he may come back. The party’s national machinery is at least not inst him, and he continues as joyous and full of bounce as a husky boy. —_—————————— Robert M. La Follette. ‘Has Senator La Follette resigned all hope of the presidency? In some quarters his opposition to Mr. Esch for a national office is thought to bear that construction. Had Mr. Esch been appointed to an office local to Wisconsin, the senator’s position would have been justified on both a human end a political score. It could, and would, have been said for him that he was fighting to keep an enemy out of a position which that enemy would be able, and tempted, to use to the senator's disadvantage. In that case senatorial courtesy would have made a strong appeal. But as a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission, Mr. Esch should disappear from state politics. His duties will call for quasi-judicial activities on a national scale, and sep- arate him from all political factionism at home or elsewhere. This gives to the Wisconsin sena- tor’s action the aspect of a play for even; and when & political leader be- gins to “play for even”—to play sim- ply to punish an enemy—he is re- garded as being about “through.” ‘Upon the whole, Mr. La Follette has hgd a notable career. His name is aesociated with some successful re- form local legislation. For awhile he ‘was the “rising hope"” of the reform- era of the northwest. He is an orator of power. He has many of the ele- ments of leadership. He has made a study of governmental problems. But he has never figured influential- ly in-a national convention for him- self or for anybody else; and he is now in his sixty-sixth year. In 1924 he will be so close to the border line of they thought they were going into the | seventy, the presentation of his name War on a non-assessable basis. Lovers of music continue to regref | been made of the length of time re.|that Paderewski feit it necessary to forsake the grand piano for the roll- top desk. B e — Eugene Debe fs doubtiess hopetul of ticularly valuable as demonstrations.|TOr® thoughtful consideration of his It is well known that parachutes wil | S4%¢ than he gave to some of his re- bring safely to earth the occupants of marks. planes, and the height apparently makes no difference. If there is a ————— Bome difculty is experiemced by sufficient density of air to sustain the | Lonin in changing his rote from *lead- regards this application at least, will{ iane there is enough to open and|®r Of the mob” to “firet citisen.” hold steady a parachute. It is announced at Chanute Fleld that no further attempts will be made to break the altitude record there un- less Hamilton’s drop is exceeded by a flyer somewhere else. It would be SHOOTING BTARS, —_—— BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Evolutions. - degrees of enthusiasm, enter | yeyl for the air service directors to| Jittle boost went forth one day upon our obvious duty. Necessarily check any competition along this line. To greet a listening throng. & part of that duty toward the €OM- | There is no need to risk lives in a|Somehow the boost has gone astray. munity as & whole, the duty of ren- dering Washington as beautiful as cleanliness makes possible, must be ! seasonal. And spring is the fitting | time for that part of the work. But, | with that fact granted, it cannot but | be clear, as each spring we contem- | plate the amount of effort to be ex-| pended it Washington is to be made| clean, that much of the task should | be a weekly rather than an annual| one. that much of “making clean” might be avoided by a conscientious | community effort to “keep clean.” So' it 18 that, entering with good will and | high resolve upon the task in hand, | the words of the forgotten philosopher | offer to Washingtonians friendly chid. | ing for past errors and excellent ad-| vice as to the easter road to our ideal | of civic cleanliness. | —_——————— i A trial of the ex-kalser would add & heavy expense account to figures| which are already formidable. | Government Goods in Danger. Some of the buildings in Potomac | Park formerly occupied by troops dur- | ing the war are to be razed. But not | all of them. For some are used for the storage of government meaningless rivalry for records. ———————— A single coln car fare will sooner or later be Insisted on as a matter of public convenlence and a decision will have to be reached as to whether it | will %o up to a dime or down to a| nickel. ———e————— The magazines as well as the best sellers make it evident that American literature is largely dependent on politics. ————— Sovietism is anxious to take down; the gign “Closed for repairs” and make the announcement *“Opefi for busi- ness.” Kerensky's publicity department never works more than a few weeks at a time. Lenin Recognizes the Limit. most bitter critics have painted, but he is no fool. He knows when he has reached the end of possibility. He has, for instance, now realized that still to be | the Rreat experiment of transforma- tion of the state by turning it upside supplies, and inasmuch as there is no,down and establishing a commune other place for these materials the shacks must be preserved. Since no provision has been made for the construction of substitute storago,| warehouses the prospect is that these | buildings will stand for months to come, packed with inflammable goods, s constant invitation to fire, and pos- sibly in danger of collapse, even some of the old structures have ready weakened under the strain of heavy storage. The condition of these buildings in ! with the bottom strata in charge is doomed to fallure. In & recent ad- |dress on the economic situation in | Russia he sal “We must grant freer economic re- ! lations between workers and peasants. | As a_matter of fact, we have hitherto |acted in too military & manner, and |in some cases have gone too far in nationalizing trade. If some com- munists thought that the organiza- tion of a socialistic state was possible in three years they were dreamers. Freedom of economic relations means free trade, and free trade mignifies return to capitalism. A practical sol Potomae Park was noted some months ago, in ample time for provision to be 1 tion of this question is most diffieult, but it must be found.” It appears that immediately follow- v i Its reasoning was wrong; And as men paused to think it out, It brought a mental shock. That little boost awakened donbt And turned into & knock. A little knock was meant to land ‘With mischievous effect. The grounds on which 4t sought to stand Were plainly incorrect. And as men studled it anew Bincere applause was loosed. The little knock, with aim untrue, Turned out to be a boost. Proprieties. “Hiram,” sald Mrs. Corntossel, want you to promise me one thing. “What's that?” ‘“When you go to the big town, pass all your spare time in the the-ayters. T don't want you in the street stakbin’ at them fashionable dressed ladies.” Fame and Fortune, Nicolal Lenin may be all that hisi When I was but a little boy And coveted renown, I thought that it would bring me joy To be a circus clown. And when T hear about the pay ‘To clowns who advertise, My boyhood wish appears today A chelee not 80 unwise! Jud Tunkins says an estronomer talks in such large figures, you'd rather belleve anything he says than try to check up his arithmetic. Carefal Publicity. ‘One of these days," said Benatar Borghum, “I'm going to quit work and go fishing. “Do you feel fatigued? i “No. But I want to get an an- nouncement t6 my eonstituents that'll sound as if I have been working hase enough t0 need a vacation.” e | man, would, on the score of age alone, cause small, if any, interest outside the cir- cle of his personal friends. Ex-Ambassadors and Politics. John W. Davis is the first of the men selected by Mr. Wilson for the diplomatic service to return home. He will not re-enter politios. He will not even resume residence In West Vir- ginia, where at one time he exerted considerable political influence. The future will know him as a New York lawyer, absorbed in his profession. He was successful in the London post, and upon his departure recetved many testimonlals of regard from the friends he had made in England. Ambassador Wallace will probably shortly follow. He has had success in France. He is no stranger to politics, but has held no high political office. The democrats have always found the going hard and slow in the state of ‘Washington, and at present they are in a bad way there. The republicans are in full possession. In November Harding carried the state by twenty thousand plurality. Ambassador Johnson is a literary and received the Italian billet -in recognition of his place in litera- ture. His return to New York, there- fore, will have no bearing on politics. The situation there is too complicated, for an amateur. Ambassador Willard's return from Madrid may, when it takes place, hewe some effect on Virginia politica, A warm contest for the democratic Tead- ership In the Old Dominion is in prog- ress, and a compromise man may be- come necessary. Mr. Willard has been out of the turmoil for eight years ~—the length of his service in Spain. He was once .prominent in Virginia affairs, possesses large means, and should his party need a competent fman to heal faction troubles and ap- ply experience to the situation with which it i now wrestling, Mr. Wil- lard will be at hand and In sight, and, of course, willing. ——— A glance at Washington, D. C., at this season makes it easy to under- stand why so many who come here on officlal business decide to make the nation's capital their permanent resi- dence. ————— An unusually mild climate, together with preparations for fashionable dis- plays, warrants expectancy that March, having come In like a lamb, will go out like a spring chicken. ————— Comments now freely made would in many instances have never gotten 4 past Censor George Creel if they had Dbeem offered while the Parls confer- %wn ¢ The Unitea amended the Constif ence was in session. Establish Washington as a World City. To the Bditor of The Star: The views of Representative Benjamin B. Focht of Pennsylvania, as outlined in your issue of the 17th instant, concern- ing the future of Washington as a world city should find a warm response in the hearts of all true Americans who read it. It is well to know what various per- sons think of this live proposition, but doubly interesting when a man in posi- tion of Mr. Focht is heard from. Plans for making a “World Washing- ton” have often been discussed in your columns by the writer. At least half a dozen bills have been introduced in Con- gress looking to a survey of the project of state buildings and permanent exhib- its at the nation’s capital, and work has been done in that line by state societles here and by governors of states and commercial bodies here and /elsawhere from time to time. Political changes and enormous expenditures arising from the world war have hindered the devei- opment of these plans, but it seems time now to take them up again, although, of course, only the most immediate and pressing needs of the city and nation can now be met by Congress. LR The fact is becoming widely recog- nized that the quickest and best way to make Washington what it should be and must eventually become, the commercial, financial, educational and scientific clearing house for the en- tire world, is to provide means for the location here of permanent head- quarters for each state of our Union, each representing its own interests so far as practicable, as well as for the Latin-American countries and _such other nations as we may see fit to in- vite here for that purpose. The spirit of benevolent reserve which now marks our attitude in foreign relations, combined with our immeasurable re- sources and business mastery, gives us a peculiar power in the world of com- merce, and all nations will court our financial and commercial co-operation as never before. We should arrange to have a clearing house here for them, where their agents can meet our agents and help stabilize the business of the entire planet. | ness relations—as a gigantic switch- Let us first begin by offering to the | states enough land in or near Wash- | ington to erect their state buildings upon, and then see what we can do for | our sister nations to the south and elswehere in the same direction. A pan-American park, with sumptuous buildings and _exhibits, representing | Who will ipermanent world’s exposition there. * ! through at the time. But now, more of no less advantage to the countries themselves. The already overburdened Treasury of the United States should not be taxed to provide any of these build- Ings or exhibits; the land alone should be provided by our govern- ment; then let the states and nations do ali the rest. So far as educational and scientific institutions are con- cerned, they will be best endowed, as always. by private donations. It believed that there are enouxh patri otic state citizens throughout the country to insure the proper repre- sontation of their respective States by buildings and exhibits at Was! ington. And good financial authori- ties have stated that such a collec- tion here of commercial and statistical agencies and exhibits would be of im- mense value to interstate trade, to say nothing of its educational and scientific worth. It is a serious fact that Washing- ton, instead of being the richest and greatest, is one of the poorest capitals of the world when ed with the wealth of the country of which it is the political center. Some of the South* American capitals far out- distance it in population and wealth. Let this condition be changed so that Washington shall be the greatest of all capitals in influence and in mate- rial dimensions, through bestowing upon it the one distinguishing feature above described. The Hague, capital of Holland, has undertaken to estab- lish a commercial clearing house or * * 3 In 1912 an ambitious effort was made to establish a permanent world exposition here. Mr. Rudolph, then as now a Commissioner of the District, by request appointed a committee of one hundred citizens to represent the District of Columbia in the ente: prise. Encouragement was received from several of the diplomatic corps. Lack of a strong, unsclfish managing force caused the movement to fail than ever, it should be taken up, and such a plan worked out as will bring the nations together here—not in political alliance with us, but in busi- koard of commerce that will be world- wide in its influence, stabilizing com- merce, aiding financial exchange and tending to reduce the risk of new wars. It would be a good idea for each state society here to select a member co-operate with all the Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and other na- | Others to start a permanent organiza- tions of this hemisphere, would be an tion in favor of state buildings at immense addition to Washington and ' Washington. LINDSAY 8. PERKINS. HOWEXCHANGEFAVORS GERMANY At the time when all the needed goods made in America, and world | German mark and also to an indus- trial revival in Germany. This fall in the value of the mark Wwhen this country|not only rendered American goods Germany Gains Was prepared to de- liver those goods Advantage. anq thus get a fiying start in the keen compétition for the world markets that is now developing, the American manufacturers and ex- porters were forced to grapple with an exchange situation in which the depreciated currency of other nations gave an immediate and distinct ad- vantage to trade rivals, notably Ger- many. The anti-dumping bill, with a new clause basing the ad valorem duties on the American gold dollar Instead of upon the depreciated money stand- ards of foreign nations, which Chair- man Fordney of the House ways and means committee says will be passed in the extra session, will relieve sonte- what the domestic situation and pre- vent the American markets being flooded with the products of cheap labor abroad. The exchange situation, however, will continue to work as an extreme handicap In keeping Ameri- can goods from supplying many for- eign markets. An excellent illustration of how Ger- man goods have been able to replace American goods is seen in the ebb and flow of United States trade through the gateway of the Nether- lands last year. The facts are au- thoritative, taken from a special re- port to the State Department by Con- |sul General George E. Anderson at { Rotterdam. * i * % Just when the Uniied States was engaged in record-breaking trade with the Netherlands Decline of and through the Dutch ; gateway with Germany Guilders. .ume the exchange cata- clysm. In the opening months of the year the Dutch guilder averaged sub- stantially par. The high water mark of the country's trade was reached in June, at which time the prospects for American trade were the brightest possible. Abgut the middle of the year the value of the Dutch guilder com- menced to decline, until in October it required 3.36 guflders to buy an American dollar, whose normal value is 2.5 guilders. With this fall fn the value of the gullder there was a decline. in the volume of trade between the two countries. But back of this falling off in the demand for goods from the Unjted States there was also a similar change in the demand for American the Netherlands. This was due to a fall in the already low value of the In Twelve Lessons—No, 12. Q. What s the important provision of the thirteenth amendment? A. Tt _abolishes slavery in United States. How does the Constitution com- to deal justly with the pel the states thelr citizens? A. The fourteenth amendment for- bids the states making or enforcing the laws abridging the privileges or immunities of citizens, or depriving any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law or deny- ing to any person the equal protec- tion of laws. Q. How s the freedom of the ballot preserved? A. In _the fifteenth amendment it is provided that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United Btates or by any state on accoun. of race, color or previous condition of servitude. Q. When and why were the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments adopted? A. They were adopted just after the oivil war and were designed to protect the negroes who had been granted free- dom and clitizenship. Their broad pro- visions, however, apply to the people of every race who becomo citizens of this republic. Q. Are individual incomes now taxed? A. Yes, because the sixtoenth amend- ment, proclaimed February 25, 1913, authorizes taxes to be levied and col- lected upon incomes. Q. Why was this amendment adopted? A. Because the original Constitution declared that “no oapitation or other irect tax shall be laid," unless in pro- portion to the population. When an in- come tax law enacted by Congress was unoconstitutional by the Supreme Btates, the people | in mark prices greatly more expensive than they had been, One may attract the attention of a pretty girl and not think so much of it. The highest government offic sometimes wave friendly greeting, one does not become overproud be- cause of it. But to attract the attention of a horse is a fe at. o thinks one local man, d in making a horse take personal. intentional ifterest in him. The old horse was standing hitched to a wagon on Pennsylvania avenue, when the man stepped off the curb close to the horse's head. * That horse deliberately turned Jead and looked the man calmly in the cve, much as if it was about to speak. At least, that was the way it appeared to the man. ‘ve been passing horses all my life,” the man said, afterward, “but that was the first time a horse ever paid any attention to me.” He actually seemed “stuck up” over it. * * % A sample “rapid transit” mail box disappeared the other day out of the office of City Postmaster Chance to as suddenly reappear in the office of Assistant City Postmaster Haycock. There was a reason. 1t had to do with a woman and her income tax, and what nearly happened to her, or, rather didn’t happen to her. The mail box was sitting against the wall in the postmaster's room as a souvenir of the recent installati of the boxes on four & ning between Georgetown and Rock- ville. The wom: came into the office to get the postmaster's secretary to swear her to her income tax. When this had been done the woman sealed her letter, addressed to the collector of internal revenue at Baltimore, and | lked over to the box to was about to drop the letter She into the box when an official deterred her. And you couldn’t blame her. for the box fitted in well with its surround- ings. and had a big, “United States mail” n on it, and looked for all the world like a bona fide place to | mail letters. ‘When the woman left the postmaster and his_assistants made a hurried search of the box to see if any other recent visitors had “mailed” letters there. None had., but to prevent the possibility the box was moved into the office of the assistant postmaster. Officials shudder as they contemplate what might have happened to the in- nocent woman, whose income tax re- port would have lain untouched at the bottom of the box. * * % Unsung heroes of the government service are Dr. Mitchell and Maj. Bowie, local forecasters at the United States weather bureau. Very few people who daily read the weather forecasts printed in the up-i but in mAany {per corners of local newspapers real- cases took American goods entirely, ize that one or the other of the above out of the reach of German buyers.|mentioned gentlemen are on duty At the same time the fall in the com- parative value of the Germam mark made it possible for German manu- facturers to undersell American goods and other foreign manufacturers, not only in German markets, but in Dutch markets as well. With the fall in the value of the mark, the comparatively less decrease in the value of the Dutch guilder and the constant apparent increase in the value of the American gold dol- lar, German manufacturers of many lines of goods. for which raw mate- rials were to be had in Germany commenced to export their products in_increasing quantities. How serious the situation became is best shown by the fact that although the American trade was largely cut oft during the entire latter half of the year, the statistics for the entire year still show that 1920 was the greatest in the history of Holland- American trgde. The predominance that the United States would have at- tained in the Netherlands and through the Dutch gateway but for these un- toward exchange conditions is, of course, only problematical. * * *x The principal imports from the into the Netherlands during 1920 reach- American Trade ¢d a value of With Holland, 366370130, not or transit trafic. Consul General An- derson estimates the latter at 20 per cent of the whole and adds $2,000,000 for articles not listed. This makes the total value of goods sent from the United States to and through the Netherlands approximately $202,000,.- 000. The value of the exports from the Netherlands to the United States last year, as declared. in the Amer can consulate, reacned a total of $9% 610,650. The total turnover between the two countries in 1920, including transit traficc_was something like} $300,610,950, as compared with a turn- over of $292,811,45¢ in 1919. The United States has been showing an increased dependence upon Dutch markets for certain lines of tropical uce. The rubber market in the Netherlands has been well patronized United SLII(I i in the past year, and there has been ! an unusual demand for Sumatra to- bacco. There was also largely in- creaged exports of cinchona bark and quinine, coffee and spices. On the other hand, there was a great de- crease In the export of diamonds to pression in the diamond the Netherlands. goods in Germany, handled through lthe United States, thus causing a de- industry of lA Catechism of the Constitution BY HENRY LITCHFTELD WEST. Inwued by the National Security League. (Copyright, 1919.) Q. Are the United States senators now elected by direct popular vote? A AS previously stated, the St teenth amendment, rnu;z'd Mn.'E "s’i. 1918, provides for the election of Z'Mzed States senators by direct popular vote. | Q. ‘What is th - mete e elghteenth amend. A. It is known as the prohibition i amendment. It provides that one year| after its ratification, “the manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof to, or the exportation thereof from, the | United Btates and all territory subject | to the jurisdiction thereof. for beverage purposes, is hereby prohibited.” This | amendment has been ratified by the leg- | islatures of three-fourths of the states| and took effect on January 16, 1920, Q. What is the seco: A nd section of thig A. “The Congress and the several| states shall enforce this article by approj % v )y appropriate legls Q. What lesson is to be learned from these amendments? A. That the Constitution is mot an arbitrary, unchangeable document, but can be adapted to meet new conditions whenever the people so decide. including entrepot | {rassed by being published in British | {How about the neutrals? iof Ave concurrent power to| Q. Why should the Constitution be upheld? A._Because under its wise provisi the United Btates has developed into a great nation of happy and prosperous people; because it ocontains sacred guarantees of protection for the Indi- vidual? and because it affords freedom and opportunity for whether native-] or wnaturalised. American citisenship securely rests upon its firm foundation. fourteen hours a day to supply them, he two men alternate on the local forecasts, each taking the “trick” for a month at a time. The man on duty gets to the weather bureau at 8:30 am. each day, and stays there until 10:30 p.m. Owing to the stréss of the work, and the long hours, each man takes only a month of it at a time. * * An official of a bureau in the pension office was in a reminiscent state of mind. His visitor waited while the chief put his signature to an absence card brought in by a pretly young girl who wore the short sleeves, shorter skirt and low neck of the prevailing mode. As the young lady gracefully walked away, the official turned to his caller. “When 1 came here thirty years ago,” ne sald, “we never had anything like that around her CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. 1| doubtless lost supporters and gre: THE STAR. Following the surrender of Paris t¢ the Prussians in 1871 an insurrection developed with an out. Communism break of communism was a reminder of the in Paris. (n,( tor a short time days of the terror elghty ycars be- fore. In The Star of March 23, 1871 the situation is thus summarized “Red republicani Paris and the infc throughout Franc m iy rampant ou is spread ng h a rate that at unless the government shows more |energy than it has hitherto dond ta re-establishing order the monardly Wil soon supplant the feeble repub® {lie, which is proving itself unequ the task it has undertaken, 7 seams totally unable to grapple the relentiess force of the lusurre tion, which s rapldly becoming revolution, and his endeavor, proclamations, to persuade the chists that their course will destr the republic is not the kind of & gument which welghs with the adv cates of social disorder well as ‘m.\ persuasion of grapeshot and can- niste “The sole cause assi d for the outbreak is that the government dared (o make peace upom the best terms possible Unfortunately for France there was no army upon which the ministry could rely, and they displayed their weakness when they treated with an armed mob for the surrender of materials of war be jlonging to the government. They ¥y increased and encouraged the malcon- |tents by their delay and indecision also, and now the mob holds l'aris, 1\\'h\rh again, as often before, proves |itself a curse to France. Had Thiers {and his colleagues in the govrra- ment gone into the city and estab- lished themselves there we cannot ! doubt that all of them would have |been seized and shot without cere- mony by the infuriated and howling Jacobin mob.* ) * * Under the new territorial act the headquarters of the District goveru- ment was estab- New District lished in a bullding across the strect Headquarters. west trom the Cor- coran Art Gallery. This is noted in The Star of March 21, 1871, as fol- lows: “On the building at the northwest corner of 1ith street and Pennsyl- vania avenue you may See the cabal- istic words, ‘Executive Office, of Columbia.’ 1n lolhle; 'ordl!(' ::: Vi 's office is ere. Sl there, Secretary Chip- man is, in the most pleasant Style receives visitors on executive business. There is hardly any busi- ness transacted there yet, thoug! be yond getting the new gover: machinery in working order prepara- tory to a grand start. Quite a num- ber of residents of the county u“{fl this morning to confer with the gov- ernor in regard to the division of the Voting precincts, and after an inter- view with the secretary they all went tisfled. M:lt“-evm- that under the new order of things the voting regulations, with Which we can in the city easily com- ply. are almost impracticable in the county, as, according to the alpha- betical arrangement, & man named Brooks. llving on the Bladensburg road, would have to go where the Bs voted, which would just as likely be in Uniontown ( place farther off. dence. So that matter is under con- wideration, and doubtless, from the character of our newly appointed of- ficial, will find a ready and satisfac- tory solution. which we since learn has been arrived at by the division of the first and second districts into the following voting precincts: All on the other ride of the Eastern branch to vote at Uniontown: all on this side at the first toll gate on the Bladens- burg pike: all west of Rock creek at Tenleytown. and all east thereof ‘o!e’ in the neighborhood of Howard Un! versity. at a point to be selected hereafter.” as near his resi- DIGEST OF FOREIGN PRESS ITIl Effects of Military Sanctions. | were to The Koelnische Zeitung upembar- occupied territory, declares that the London sanctions can have no bene- cial effect and will please nobody ex- cept the militarists and annexation- ists. The paper draws attention to the serious consequences for Germany and for Europe of the econoniic sanc- tions; the occupation of the coaling ports is a serious blow to the eco- nomie life of Germany; the tax which the entente is levying on German goods In the countries where they are purchased will soon make these goods vanish. It is not vet proved, however, that German commerce will alone suffer from these Measures. Besides, will the twenty-seven countries of the entente all collaborate in this policy of economic penaities? “The establishment of customs on the left bank of the Rhine leads to the same result; damage for all those interested without any appreciable advantage for anybody. The peace treaty declares formally that every customs separation from the occupied territories must respect the interests of the populationp. Everything de- pends on the way which these inter- ests are understoud by the entente. “Every one capgble of reasoning on political economy must understand | clearly the disastrous consequences the sanctions. Bvidently the entente does not know how to reason on economics. In reality. these economic sanctigns are simply a new triumph of those politicians who have been preaching wver since the armi- stice the gospel af the Rhine frontier for France, and they only help to realize the dream of separation. It is to be regretted that the population of the occupled territories have to bear the expenses of this policy until this dream {s recognized as madness.” The Deutsche Zeitung attacks French policy, calling it oppressive and imperialistic, and has no illusions about the help that Germany might expect from KEngland, the latter be- ing condemned by the general politi- cal situation to follow France. It _ “Knowing what is awaiting us, it follows that it is our duty to master our nerves and not waver in our reso- lution from the effect of fear or weuknes Doubtless, the French armies can overrun Germany, as in the times of Napoleon. That has hap- pened often enough in our history and the German people are still alive. give ourselves up to fury and onal fanaticism, everything | would soon be lost. The entente will try to get the billions by using the sanotion, which French militarism has long claimed.” Why France Cannot Disarm. At a recent lunch in Paris, says the Matin, where M. Viviani was presid- ing, he made a short speech, in which, in a few short sentences, his elo- quence was remarkable. Addressing Col. Drake, the official representative of the American Legion in JSarops, be said: “During the war it was easy to act because our duty was plain. There was. only one alternative: to live or to die! Today we must have the de- sire to live, and that is much more difficult. “It is because, during'the war, the end was plain that it was posaib] to write three words on the sign posts. We could say: “To the en and everybody understood. Today, -life, more complicated than death, des mands that we mistrust these formuy las, which in peace time are only mirages. Today the word ‘disarms- ment’ is heard, coming from Amer- ica! “Disarmament? These four syl- lables make an impression in simple minds! But if we look closely, all | x:cnmes obscure. A country without ngerous frontiers can talk about disarmament in another tone than the one which has encroaching neigh- bors. Moreover, and this is the es- sential point, disarmament would put agricultural nations at thé mercy of industrial ones. “In reality disarmamest is for well equipped nations, who are rich in fuel, another way of arming.” National Selfishness Increased. Alfred Capus of the French Acad- emy of Immortals writes in the Gaul- ois, <copservative Catholic Paris dally, thal national selfishness and greed have beew increased and not di- minished by the wsr, which was t end such pretensiony, He finds that France, and not America, has emerg- ed the least selfish ot all, the only one that claims less thag her due. He “21R political circles theve was & mo- ment of gladness when thy news came that the United States had & commu- nication to make to the ieygus of na- tions. It was thought: gt first that The experience of history shows that enemy occupations can never last long. Tn this particular case the French may soon be obliged to recall their troops to avoid a catastrophe.” The Berliner_Tageblatt, generally 4 as pro-British, found it hard to justify the British attitude at the London conference. It belleves that the allles as & whole might have shown greater readiness to reach an amicable settlement: “With a ittle good will on the part of the entente, an understanding might have been arrived at, instead ot the sanctions. ® ¢ ¢ We have alpeady seen the allles give them- selves up to a almilar policy of lllu- ons. This time the allies will see hat it costs them to abandon them- selves to illusions instead of looking realities in the face. The days of Versallles. which wers grand days for the allles, have changed. Today the will of Germany will not be modi- fled by means of threats, nor will she abandon a decision which every Gne understands. Unity, the first condi- tion of all power of resistance, is only possible with general calm. If we she was going to ssk to jyin, wh under the present cirgumstanc would have caused a great yengation. But unfortunately it is only ths gees- tion of a note from the can Eov- ernment explaining ‘that it wishes to inform the league of nations that, al- though the United States does not belong to it, she will not aceept with- out protest any violation of her rights” “Thus from whatever side we look, national interests are taking in each a more acute form. This is & lesson of the war and it is not necessary to point out the great contrast which it presents with Mr. Wilson's prophesies. What was the inmost thought of the crowds which cheered them? That a new humanity was te come from this great victory over the barbarians, less addicted to brutal force and more accessible to pity. ‘What is the reality? There iz ni only a persistence in national selfish *_non.lz_nt an increasing gryediness in Anacostia), or some { — District} #