Evening Star Newspaper, August 14, 1921, Page 30

THE 'EVENING STAR, With Sunday Morning Edition. -—_— WASHINGTON, D. C. SUNDAY.......August 14, 1921 = THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company ania Ave. The Evening Star, with the Sunday morning edition. is delivered by carriers within the city At €0 cents per month: daily only, 45 cents per month: Sunday only, 20 cents per month. Or- ders may be sent by mail. or télephone Main 5000. Collection is made by carriers-at the end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday Daily only. Iy Sunaay only. ~1yre e All Other States. ily and Sunday.1yr., $10.00; ., 85¢ Datly ol y-1yr. 31000_ 1 mo., 85¢ Sunday only. . The Threat of a Holy War. The king of the Hedjaz, it is report- ed, has proclaimed a holy war by Mos- lems in order to aid the Turkish na- tionalists in their war against Greece. The effect of this move may cause a change in policy on the part of the allied nations, which have heretofore held aloof from the Greek military en- terprise in Asia Minor. A holy war by the Moslems has been the menace of the Christian powers in Asia and Africa ever since they en- tered those areas in colonization and the maintenance of protectorates. Un- der the leadership of the Turkish sul- tan, however, it was never possible to: align all Moslems against the Chris. tians, for great numbers of the Mohammedan peoples refused to recog- nize the religious authority of the head of the Turkish state. The heads of clans and secret societies among the Arabs and the Moors were actually more influential than the sultan. ‘The king of the Hedjaz established himself in opposition to the old Turk- ish regime, with the aid of the Brit- ish, who skillfully used him and his following to break the Turks in Arabia and Palestine. Since the armistice, however, there has been much discon- tent among the Arabs owing to what they have regarded as a failure of Roo0 faith on the part of the allfes. Hedjaz was not recognized in the Ver- sailles treaty as fully as Emir Faisa! expected. Now it would appear that he 1s turning back to his old al- legtance. England has much reason to fear the development of a holy war. In India, where there is great unrest among both the Buddhists and the Mohammedans, a religious uprising would be a most serious development. The Turkish nationalists, withdrawn nco tae middle portion of Asia Minor, are m themselves of slight military or political consequence. The Russian reds are giving them but little sup- port, for the bolshevists have all they can do to maintain themselves at home. The Greeks have accomplished unexpected success in pushing the nationalists back from their estab- lished lines. The campaign has slack- ened somewhat, but it is apparently for the purpose of strengthening com- munications and bringing up sup- plies. There is no reason to believe that Constantine has shot his bolt. If the Hedjaz enters the campaign it must be across the British and French lines of mandatory authority, and such a move would surely precipitate a gen- eral intervention. Neither England nor France could afford to let the Mos- lem movement gain headway. Seep- age of the revolutionary spirit into India would make trouble for both of them. Unless this “holy war” declara- tion is a mere gesture, a bluff to gain consideration for purely Arabic inter- ests, London and Paris must consider the possible necessity of taking active part in the Asia Minor campaign, from which they have thus far held strictly aloof. The Petrifiction Mystery. That strange “petrified” figure just dug up from the Tennessee mountains may be all right, whether it be a for- mer human or a biological freak or an Indian idol. But memories of the Cardiff giant are irresistibly revived by the announcement that several thousand people have already paid ad- missions to view it. There are still living people who personally recollect the great stone image that was pre- sented to the public some decades ago as a veritable petrifiction of a mon- ster man of a long-past age. Immense numbers of people paid to view it. It was put on exhibition, after interest had been thoroughly aroused by pro- found scientific discussions over its possible origin and genuineness. It proved to be one of the biggest money makers of the time. Long afterward some of the artisans who helped to carve it out of gypsum confessed to their part in the hoax, and the “Car- diff giant” became a synonym for a clever fraud upon public credulity. This object in Tennessee may be all right, perhaps a genuine Indian idcl. But again it may be of very modern origin. And it will continue to draw fee-paying observers, for curiosity is always stronger than skepticism, and ‘besides probably very few of the peo- ple nowadays know enything about the celebrated trick of the last cen- tury. If it is a hoax, hats go off to the inventor, who has evidently read his history to good purpose and knowa human nature well. Italy gets Caruso's fortune, but! America had the benefit of his wonder- ful talents. —_——— Tramps on & Treasure Car. Two tramps rode on the blind end of an express car for 400 miles from Buf- falo toward New York the other day. ‘That was not unusual. But the con- tents of the car were exceptional, gold bullion to the value of $1,250,000. A dozen armed guards accompanied the gold. They were quite unaware of their rear-end company until the train stopped at Harmon, N. Y., and then some of them took a stroll around the car and found the tramps. The ‘atter were at once “covered” and es- corted to a safer place. Fortunately for the hoboes they were not armed, else their treatment would have more drastic. At Croton they were put Off the train and sent to a police court, where they paid fines of $3 each, and allowed to make their way to the big town by usual means. Those tramps were taking a tre- mendous chance when they annexed perches on the express car. Doubtless If they had had the least suspicion of the gold within they would have avoid- ed that car as if it were laden with T.N.T. For it is unhealthy nowadays to show too much interest in treasure carsr There has been too much ban- ditry. Tramps are as a rule harmless, and in the major sense law-abiding. They steal now and then, but only unconsidered trifles. They have their code of morals, and highway robbery or train-looting is not accepted by it as warranted. Now and then a black sheep of a tramp is lured into the big game of theft, and- sometimes a pro- fessional thief drifts into the ranks of the wandérers and behayes himself thenceforth. . Tramps are simply restless, shift- less, undependable creatures who pre- fer to move about rather than stick to a job. They enjoy life, in their way. They have na ties and no responsibili- ties. enough to get money to pay their way —not in railroad fares—to another resting place. They regard trains as made for their -free transport. They endure hardships that would kill most other people, in order to ride free. They become ‘expert at riding on the rods and trucks. They are as adept in “hopping” trains as the most ex- perienced brakemen. Studies of tramp life have never re- sulted in any sound conclusion of the causes of this phenomenon or the cure. ‘Tramp ranks increase somewhat dur- ing periods of general unemployment and dwindle when labor is in demand. But there always remains a residuum of sidleness that cannot be accounted for by any economic rule. The tramp is a phenomenon of temperament, not of industrial slackness. The Playground Program. An estimate of $455,000 has been made as the cost of acquiring land. superintending and maintaining an adequate playground system for the District. A movement has been start- ed to formulate this estimate as @a recommendation for appropriation. Tt should be vigorously pressed. ‘Washington's public playgrounds have had a Topsy-like growth. They started in a very small way, through the use of the school yards. Public grounds were “designated” on vacant land of private ownership. loaned for the purpose. Equipment came slowly. Funds for the purchase of the cus- tomary playground fittings were in the beginning provided by public sub- scriptions. Children gave entertain- ments and raised a few dollars here and there to buy bits of apparatus and other necessities: Only slight help was given at the outset in the form of pub- lic funds. Later, when the playgrounds gained a foundation, having been recognized as essential to the physical and moral welfare of the children of the capital, Congress decided that they should be supported wholly out’ of the District's revenues, a decision warranted by no argument or view of the nature'of the institution. But the ruling once made, it remained the basis for subsequent appropriations. And even on that foot- ing allowances for playground pur- chase and equipment and maintenance were grudgingly given, 1t the owners of the private grounds used for this purpose were to foreclose now the city would be left with the poorest outfit for public recreation in the country, exceeded by any well ordered small town in proportion. And there is no guarantee whatever against such foreclosure. One of the most frequented grounds in the Dis- trict was recently taken back for building purposes. The District should own every pub- lic playground, whether attached to a school or separate. And every ground should be fully equipped and fully manned and supervised. And the funds for the acquisition and for the support of these playgrounds should be provided in the appropriation bills, on the usual proportion of division between District and federal revenues. The present movement for the de- velopment of this system should be promoted strictly upon those prin- ciples. f Small as his compensation was for important service, it must be admitted that the dollara-year man did- not solve all the problems of economy. i No mayor of New York can hope to be as secure in his position as the leader of Tammany. ‘Washington, D. C., will rank with Paris itself as a city of historic con- ferences. To Make Speeding Unpopular. Excessive speeders, those who “burn the pavement” in their reckless haste, and those who have been previcusly arrested, will henceforth be taken to court, regardless of collateral. An- nouncement to this effect is reassuring to those who have felt that the pres- ent system of taking virtual fines at the station houses, with little or no thought for repeated vialations of the rules, makes only for contempt of the law and for danger in the streets. It seems that there is to remain a margin of judgment for the police. If the offense is only a ‘Ilittle one,” and the first one, collateral may be taken. and forfeited . without further proceedings. But if the offense is serious, or a repetition, the offender will be haled to court. And when taken to court the fact of his af- tempted forfeiture should weigh against him jn the determination of the ‘penalty. A man who obeys the summons, appreciating the privilege that he has been granted of remain- ing at home overnight instead of in a station house, should get more con- sideration than he who regards his collateral as a . fine and refuses to appear for trial. ] Careful note, however, should be taken of the arrests, in slight as well as ‘serious ‘cases, so that repetitions may be observed and properly pun- ished. mmmm.,—:um They work now and then, just|' if he starts by going over the limit by two or three miles, is apt to be- come the dangerous street racer. And it is better to check him by a stiff penalty on his second or third offense, while he is still going at-@ mildly un: lawful rate, than to"Jfet' him go to extremes and eventually take life. Another point remains in this col- lateral business. Frequently mo- torists are cited.by police notices to appear in -ourt the next day, and not haled to the station houses. At the court they find the calendar con- gested with a long waiting fine. They g0 to the corporation counsel’s as- sistant, who frequently permits them to deposit collateral and lets them go, with fhe understanding that the de- posit is to be forfeited. This is & usurpation of the court's prerogative of trial. Tt makes the corporation counsel’s office virtually a court, with the collateral as penalty. This should be stopped. Even if the court is con- gested, those Who.present themselves there should be tried. Until Congress establishes by law a -traffic court no such institution - should ‘be set up, either in police station or in counsel's office. ——————t——————— Lenin Lightens Cargo. Skipper Lenin has started to jettison his cargo. The ship Bolshevy is leak- ing badly and has a decided list. The pumps cannot make headway against the inflow. The crew is in panic and the rats are starting to swim off, hope- less though their venture may be. So the master is ordering the ship to be Hlightened. Maybe it can be saved, but ithrowing overboard the stuff in the hold will not close the seams. The case is desperate. Some of the cargo was tossed into the sea some time ago, notably the ‘prohibition of money. Lenin found th@t it was too bulky for the ship's hold. Now the crew brings up to the decks the goods labeled *‘government ownership.” Overboard they go, while bitter tears roll down into the beard of the man on the bridge. Yes, ‘government ownership” Is abandoned in Russia. Lenin excepts from the new order restoring private ownership a few industries, but in the main business is to go back into the hands of the people as individuals. The decree to that effect was pub- lished in the official newspaper Izves- tia August 9. All but the few exempt- ed industries are to be leased to in- dividuals, co-operative bodies and la- bor organizations. ‘And up from the swashing cargo space comes another lot of stuff, styled free postal, railway, telegraph and tramway service. Over it goes! It is explained officially that this is abandoned in order ‘“to restore the value of the currency.” Just how this will work out to that end remains for the imagination. Much of the soviet system of economics is interpretable only by the imagination. Perhaps the lightened ship will keep afloat. But no vessel ever weathered a storm that opened its seams and filled its hold and compelled the sacri- fice of cargo if the crew lost their heads and refused to obey orders. Demoralization has set in on the Bol- shevy and scurvy has developed. The seamen are rattled and intlined to jaw the skipper. “Marlin spikes are kept handy for rough work in case of a break. Agitators who go to seviet Russia usually become discouraged as soon as they. have realized thg scarcity of funds in their new envirghment. It will not be surprrnz if the Northcliffe publication! hereafter make prominent use of the formula, “It is stated on excellent authority.” ‘The Chinese people are rated so high for honesty that their opinions in the coming conference cannot fail to be heard with interest. —_——————— ‘The Sam Browne belt is regarded as such a good thing that many practical soldiers believe there ought to be more of it. ——————————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Shunning an Extravagance. “I'm willing to economize,” Said Hezekiah Bings. “I'll sacrifice the food I prize and lots of other things. I advocate with all my breath Economies anew. Yet if I starve or freeze to death ‘What will my family do? ““The flowers and the carriage hire Entall a great expense, The somber splendors we admire Foot up to sums immense. So to appreciate I'll try The comforts that life brings, The cost of funerals is too high,” Said Hezekiah™ Bings. 0 Problems. “Surely you approve of my plans for universal content and prosperity,” eald the man who argues. “I like the content and prosperity idea all right,” replied Senator Sor- ghum. “But these social problems are more or less complicated by people ‘who insist that they know the answer without doing the necessary figuring to make sure it's correct.” Conversational ‘Compromise. “Why are lectures so popular with your social club?"” “Because,” replied Miss Cayenne, “we get on’ better by deciding in ad< vance just who is going to monopolize, the conversation.” Large Order. The man now called upon to serve ‘With simple toil in life's affairs Must be eguipped with' brawn and nerve 3 And also answer questionnaires. Jud:Tunkins says it's hard for peo- ple to know the details of what they have to talk about. Nobody ever ac- tually counted a billion dollars.in all his life. ' > 5 Arts of . Publicity, “Do you take any-interest in the Bacon-Shakespeare controversy?” “No,” ‘replied ' Mr. ' Stormington Barries. “Whosver wrdte ‘em, Shake- speare had all the best of the press s AN tains in support of their personal lib- erty cantention. They are overlooking no bet, and they know the game of politics. : : | The eighteenth amendment is on the The effort to effect a change in the! chairmanship of the democratic na- tional committee has taken a new turn, Bowjng Mr. White out by offer- ing him his hat failed last winter. Talk now is of removing him by pro- motion. Next year the democrats of Ohio will ‘need a candidate for governor, He has the matter under_considera- tion. If he accepts, presumably he will retire from his present place. It would hardly be seemly for him to re- tain it while standing for an elective office. of Ohio would argue a belief on his part of improved democratic pros. pects, and this, in turn, would create a very lively contest for the committee place he fad vacated. Who would get 1®t? As The Star stated the other day, the most prominent men in the demo- cratic party appraised in connection with the next presidential campaign are Gov. Cox and former Secretary McAdoo. Each has an organization, and each is believed to have his head out for 1924. Either would profit by having a supporter at the head of his party’s national committee. Mr. White is a Cox man, though there . is no charge that he has been since last November, or is now, using his chair- manship in Gov. Cox's behalf. The chairman of the democratic na- tional committee, be he Mr. White or another, will have a man's job in hand. If party prospects improve, great skill will be required to steer by “the bright light.” If they continue poor, and get poorer, even greater skill will be necessary to create an impression that there is something to fight for, and to put the faithful into the posture of battle. Independence at the Polls. ‘Will there be much independent vot- ing this year and next? There is some prediction of it. The argument is simple. Last year, we are reminded, great numbers of men broke away from regular affilia- tions—climbed out of ruts, so to say— and went their own way. ‘When the San Francisco convention adjourned everything seemed smooth enough in the democratic party. The politicians had had their scrap, and were now talking harmony and har- monious effort. Gov. Cox had won, and—for publication—everybody was pledging support. But, on election day, support was lacking. In the vernacular, Gov. Cox was not “in it” at the polls. Majori- ties confidently counted on dwindled to the smallest size, or disappeared altogether. The shepherds, with their crooks in their hands, stood paralyzed. The flocks had scattered at their own sweet will. This taste of freedom, it is suggest- ed, has created an appetite. Oliver Twists are pumerous. They are bob- bing up everywhere. They want some more. Hence the play in New York this year for the support of independ- -ents. Hence the play in Virginia by the republicans for the support of! voters who are thought to be none too welt pleased with the democratic nominations. . ‘The general situation is very con- fused. and lends itself to all sorts of speculation. And this speculation ap- plies to both parties. Will the divi- sions now showing in the republican party show next year when a solid front and the utmost energy may be necessary to success on election day? They are growing in number and spirit, and if they get out of hand will impair morale and may invite defeat. S O O N N ‘Wets, Foreign and Domestic, “Pussyfoot” Johnson, who lost an eye to a wet rabble in London several years ago, has gone by invitation to India to participate in a nation-wide prohibition campaign. His itinerary will take him to all the leading cities. At the close of his Indian visit he will visit Ceylon on a temperance mission, and then return to England, where he will tarry awhile before returning to America. ‘This will be a bit of travel, and call for a bit of talking. Mr. Johnson will give his audiences of the best that is in him, but he ought to be careful not to exhaust himself. He will ind work awalting him here at home which wil tax him as prohibition crusading has not taxed him hitherto. The leaders of the dry cause, from Mr. Bryan down—and Mr. Bryan is still at their head—are warned about what is coming, and getting ready to meet the wets in battle array. Indeed, in a way and to a degree, skirmishing has already begun, and the strife will be active and incessant until -election day in November, 1922. It will be a long and vigorous tus- sle, during which the wets will bring up all their reserves. Their latest move is an effort to annex the Consti- tution, and play it next year for all they can persuade the voters it con- books, but will amount to nothing un- less the laws growing out of it are en- forced. Today, as we all know, they are mocked, secretly by and openly by those giving bootleg- ging the encouragement of ingenious reasonings and excuses. ———ce——————— There is no reason why the reports of John D. Rockefeller's personal frugality should not be credited. Money is so commonplace a matter with him as to prevent & desire for an ostentation of wealth: ¥ Neither Ireland nor the British gov- ernment can see any definite advan- tage in possible reversign to a status quo which has been of 8o turbulent a nature. . Commuters in some parts of the country have to put their pictures on their railnoed tickets. This is one way| of compelling & commuter to .“look and Mr. White's name is suggested. | Mr. White's candidacy’ for Governor | for farm .pi mpuko"i mh‘;‘l’: in) u%"m;:lm.d&- 8l A leq! poztation tachities are D BY THOMAS R. MARSHALI Former Vice President of the United 3 States, OW that the season in’ which proscuting attor- neys are permitted to hunt widows and demand of them either to confess that they killed their late husbands or give reasons why they did not is closed, it is possible that .the public may have time to consider a vital ques- tion in the economic life of the re- public and to crystallize opinion so as to compel action. ‘Weé have believed the statement “that a dollar is a dollar until the statement has become almost an axiom. Perhaps a few kindergar- ten remarks may disclose its falsity and suggest the necessity of mak- ing it true. We have been con- founding & medium of exchange with a standard of exchange: We have stabilized every measure of exchange save the dollar. Time was when the yard was the gird of the chieftain. If something had not been done to standardize the yard, business contracts for goods entered into under President Taft to be fulfilled under President Wil- son would have created a panic in the cloth market. But the yard was standardized and at all times and m all places in America a con- tract for & yard will inevitably pro- cure the same length of cloth. All other measures save money likewise have been standardized. The old lady in the country atore who gave a man 2 pint of shot for & pound on the theory that a pint is a pound the ‘world 'round {8 no longer doing busi- ness. * % * § In this kindergarten talk let us keep in mind that we can't eat our money; that jts value consists in ‘what we can get for it. It is a de- velopment brought about by the needs of modern business. I do not care how many dollars I can get for what I have or what I do; the important thing to me is what can I get with the dollars I get. This money business is just a labor- saving device in the commerce of the world, and commerce, after all, is barter. A fine illustration of the difficulties of barter in modern business life was given by Lieut. Cameron, touching his efforts to buy a boat in Africa. He said, “Syde's agent wished to be paid in ivory, of which I had none; but 1 found that Mohammed Ibn Sahib had ivory, and wanted cloth. Still, as I had no cloth this did not as- sist me greatly until I heard that Mohammed Ibn Gharib had cloth and wanted wire. This I fortu- nately possessed. So I gave Ibn Gharib the requisite amount of wire; whereupon he handed over cloth to Ibn Sahib, who in turn gave Syde's agent the wished-for ivory. Then he allowed me to have the boat.” In the beginnings of commerce the supply and demand wers just equal and there was no need for a medium of. exchange. But ctviliza- tion changed this; barter became too slow and cumbersome. It be- Politics at Home|Stabilization 'of the Dollar Deemed Most Pressing Nee - of came necessary to have a medium ‘|° of exchange, and money was in- vented for the purpose, but its in- vention brought trotible, for money stopped the equality of supply and demand. As soon as it was dis- covered that money might be used to obtain what was wanted the holder of it found that he could keep it until he wanted to use It and then that he could use it as he pleased, buying what he pleased, when he pleased and where he pleased. But the man who ds, wares and merchandise had if he expected to do busi- ness, when and where he could | find a customer, and largely at the price. which the customer would pay. It thus became apparent that the medium of efchange might be used .to disturb market conditions. * k% % Notes, bonds, mortgages, all are modern inventions. They are in- clined still further to disturb pure- ly commarcial transactions. Money is borrowed quite frequently to keep goods off the market. The medium of exchange does not in- crease proportionately with the in- crease of production. As T recol- left it, production in America has increased only 4 per cent in the last five years, yet the currency has more than ‘doubled. To in- sure stability the increased expan- sion of money—using the word to include bank and other credits— should just equal the increase of production. Unfortunatély no way has been found nor do I believe a way will be found to guarantee this. It will get nowhere to enter into & discussion as to whether the con- traction of the currency causes low prices or low prices cause con- tration of the currency. It is equally profitless to discuss wheth- er expansion of the currency pro- duces high prices or whether high prices are the se of expansion i . cost of living. & the currency. The average business man of fifty years knows that expansion of the currency has | resulted in the transfer of men . from Poverty flat to Easy street and that contraction of the cur- rency has moved them back from Easy street to Poverty flat. * ok x x ‘Though we must live the individual life, we judge conditions too much from the individual standpoint. A comprehensive view will disclose that the last remaining evil in the finan- clal system of our government is that no effort has been made to sta- bilize our medium of exchange. We ‘have 80 long considered the dollar a dollar that we have forgotten its pur- chasing power. Lately we have as- certained that no increase of wage has been sufficient to supply. the shortage of goods and the increased ‘Many evils arose in the business life of America because it lacked a financlal system which would enable it to respond to the demands of busi- ness. This evil was corrected by the federal reserve act. There yet.re- mains, however, the problem of mak- ing the dollar measurably not only a medium but also a standard of ex- change so that it may purchase prac- tically the same amount of a neces- sary supoly at different times. We have fallen Into our error by con- sidering the dollar along with the yardstick and the pint cup. * %k x T do not propose to enter into the question of the intrinsic value of the gold reserve which backs the cir- culating medium of our country. In the long discussion of the federal reserve act it was universally ad- ‘mitted that It was needful to have 2 15 per cent gold reserve. That vardsticks and gold dollars are not alike is shown by the fact that no merchant has as yet insisted upon having on hand 15 per cent of vard- sticks in proportion to the goods he has to sell. There is either an ap- preciation of prices when there is a surplus of currency or a contraction of currency when there is surplus of products. The academic discussion interests me but little. 1f T have typhoid fever, I have no objection to the doctor in the intervals between calls on me trying to find how I got it, but my demand is that he try to cure me, whether he learns how. I got it or not. The stability of the dol- lar is the leading factor in the bank- ruptcy of Europe. I have no objec- tion to an attempt to standardize ex- change, but it will be found to be idle unless the exchange will buy the same things at the same prices in different countries. We have spent much time and a quantity of credit dollars in an effort to assist in the rejuvenation of Europe, permitting at the same time the shifting dollar to work its sad havoc in America It will not be a perfect cure for all the ills of business life in America, it will not dispose of the gambler and the speculator, but if some- thing can be done to standardize this medium, which seems to have such an intrinsic value as to up- et the contracts and business of the world always favorably to some and unfavorably to others, it will dispose very largely of the fiomvlllnt which you and T now ave, namely, that our medium of exchange, our so-called standard of value, our gold dollar of the year 1813 is worth only 38 cents for the purpose to which we desire to put it, namely, to exchange it for necessities. * % x 8 The government is not to be criticised for failure to approach this subject. Data which may en- able it to standardize the dollar only recently have been obtained. The index system, showing the variation of cost in all the princi- pal necessaries of life for many years. ig now at hand. Prof. Irving Fisher of Yale believes that by stopping the coinage of gold and by adding to or taking from the content of the dollar and ‘harging a brassage fee of 1 per cent for either the deposit or with- drawal of gold bullion from the Treasury of the United States this standard may be made practically accurate, so that the purchase of goods with the dollar will be the same, and that contracts will be kept, not by a shifting and uncer- tain, but by an essentially stable standard. ‘There may be other and better ways of standardizing the dollar. The Stable Money League is try- ing to find out. We are lost to- day in a mase of legislation, try- ing to readjust business conditions in America. If the love of money is the root of all evil, it is the entire tree on: which grow the leaves for the healing of business diseases. Stabilize the dollar and other matters will readjust them- selves. But readjusting other mat- ters_and leaving the cause un- touched will result only in the trouble breaking out elsewhere. (Copyright, 1921, by Thomas R. Marshall.) Hitching Farm to World’s Wagon Only a few years ago the farmer was a 'segregated person, cut off from modern advancement. It was a wearisome task to haul his produce over rutty roads to the four-corners store. Today the farmer is a citisen of the world, and his crops go to the far corners of the world with no more physical ‘ exertion on his part than it took to get them a few miles to_the country store. Today world problems of transpor- tation, efficient packing and the eco- nomic’ conditions of other lands and peoples are' of vital interest %o the farmer, who is studying his markets Just as scientifically, and preparing to meet the world demands with just as efficient syatem as the American man- ufscturers. - Where for more than fifteen years before the great war the world was nsking lgss and less in food supplies from the United States farmers, in the last couple of yedrs, since the cessation of hostilities, the demand roducts has been growin erplex- y in the same way cel‘ngren .'K of & transporta 151" the butidim ‘\‘\ ir pub) wi few years ago. » s Farmers have great powers of pro- duction in reserve, The war came. on and. more of their produce was need- ed. The ratio of values of agricul- -oduction was down with 100 not many o tursl exports-to to 65. the values of their exports to that of their production by nearly one-third, and they did this with surprising quickness. Animal products had a greater resiliency than crops had in the re- bound of the exported fraction of the production in the war and post-war inrlod. 1914-1919. For each group, 00 is taken as the base line of the fraction for 1898-1902, and the frac- tion of exports of animal products sank to 41.2 in 1908-1913, or much !’% er than the fraction af crops did, * x ¢ Compared with the results secured by other countries in export trade, American shippers have much to learn in packing -fruits for foreign ship~ ment. Australian apples, it is pointed qut, require about two months in transit to England, but the fruit enerally Arrives in good shape with fttle or no breakage or decay. same {8 true of South African oranges, not ‘only sound but free even from the little Cllli and marks which the American s lpx:r has come to accept as inevitable. igian hothouse grapes arrive in England with every berry perfect and the bloom almost un- touched. Barrels are not entirely satisfactory as containers for apples in export shi) the Mltvlwl of the fed- e reau say. It might be worth ‘while to experiment rather extensively with third and half barrels or with some’ form of box or crate as a pos- ble and barrel in acceptable for the ubstitute Eastern distri In any évent_there is little excuse for using rrels on which some a pro of the hoops not fastened, or in trude to and Heard and Seen Walter F. Brown, chairman of the joint congressional committee which is reorganizing the government depart- ments, did some interesting figuring while aboard his Pullman returning from:a visit to Ohio last week. Some members of Congress recently took umbrage at the way Mr. Brown's modest “staff” of two workers—a sec- retary and clerk—is paid. There was a great deal of talk about this way and that way of paying these work- ers, and about this fund or that fund being used. Nobody seemed adverse to the pay- ment. but dispute arose as to the method. This. despite the fact that perhaps no such large job was ever un- dertaken here by such a small force. Chairman Brown figured out that more valuable time was consumed and more actual money was spent in the House and Senate arguing about those salaries than the .entire cost of the salaries for a year. * * *x Dog days in the Senate chamber drew fairly good galleries last week, especial- ly when Senator Ball was attempting to get through his bill extending the Tent act of the District. & Women and girls in cool summer dresses added a picturesque touch to the galleries, while Senator Borah and others, on the floor below, made strenu- cus speeches to add to the interest of the occasion to the visitors. One party of sightseers, comprising a man, woman and children of assorted ages, left the Senate after attempting o decide upon the merits and demerits of the rent law. They probably failed in that attempt, but found a harder problem in locating the elevator. Finally the family hit the staircase, and streamed down it, with the man in the lead. Maybe the heat was re- sponsible. Anyway, he was hot. “They ought to have somebody around here to show people which way to go,” he fumed. l l Pt A broken flagstone, in the shape of a calf, has attracted attention of passersby on the sidewalk in the rear of the State, War and Navy building. The pavement there .is ' much broken, the elements evidently hav- ing wrought their havoc for many months undisturbed. So the walk is cracked, chipped and even great slices have scaled off the surface of the stones. Over near the west end of the walk a huge chunk is off the walk, in the exact shape of a calf. If one hap- pens to be walking along in the right direction and looks down at the right moment, the calf is unmistakable. Clerks and others who pass that way might find many more shapes in that chipped walk, but it needs little imagination to see the calf. - * % Appearance of the United States Official Postal Guide this summer was an event, in that it marked the first publication of the guide by the gov- ernment printing office, publication in the past having been by a private firm. The guide is a much used book in certain circles and deserves an even wider circulation than it possesses In the past some fun has been poked at the book, with its long list of post offices and officials and related| information. But when a person wants just ' those facts that book comes in pretty handy. f A postal official of this city recently received & book as a present from a friend in New York. The official im-| mediately wrapped up a copy of the Postal Guide and dispatched it forth- | with, accompanied by a nice letter. | “The book I am sending you is a| very interesting work.” he ‘said. "It | is so filled with characters and places | of interest.” 'HARLES E. TRACEWELL. Exchange of Students With France Nothing. in the opinion of edu- cators, has done more to promote international understanding than the comparatively modern movement for exchanging university professorsand students between nations. The im- portance of this is just beginning to be impressed deeply on France, for the French are notoriously a stay-at- home people, and some stimulus must be provided if large numbers of Frenchmen are to have an opportu- nity to study foreign countries and cultures and absorb the best of what they have to give. An article in the Petit Journal of Paris emphasizes these and other ints: § POThe government is busying itsell with encouraging voung Frenchmen to study abroad, and especially in England. ln May, 1920, the minister of public instruction issued & circu- lar proposing the exchange of young man and woman students between France and England in order to ‘for- tity our friendly relation with Eng- Jand and found our friendship on mu- tual understanding.’ “’The execution of the plan was in- trusted to a Parisian professor of English, M. Desclos. The idea was to pertuade parents to exchange their Phildren with English parents for pe- riods of from two months and a half (the duration of the summer vaca- tion) to six months. Relations were established between about a hundred French educational establishments— ‘cees, colleges, upper _primary l!’(‘;%eo.l!—and similar institutions abroad. More than 250 fi ossible of equal i:‘; = pe occupations, were brought into relationship. Most of the visits were limited to the vacation period. “The moral benefits of this exodus were undeniable. We asked Desclos himself for his impression! on this point. and he said: “‘In the first place, our students made remarkable progress in the English language. As to the general development of the mind and forma- tion of character, it was an astonishy ing step forward. ‘The nts lod‘ observed that their children return more alert and at the some time more serious, more conscious of their re- sponsibilities, more mcll!lnmedh o taking care of themselves without assistance. The ministry has decided to continue the experiment, which may have an important influence on the French mentality of the future. already have eighty-five re- uests, but there is still room for ovement to ETow.’ % “hmlu mdo-d‘ c:mmun‘ that these hanges, wh lalx':“ and yet are so productive intellectually, are not counted by thousands. It is interesting to know, the reasons that temporarily arrest the extension of the enterprise. “They are as follows: Hesitation on the part of the French parents, especially the mothers, to be Be| from their - children; fear of not being able to offer the visitor all. the comfort 4 ootk of MVing: on \ise of the high cost of living. the Engllsh _side certain parents fear social or international disturb- i “As for long-term visits, there is to be @ change in the plan, whieh will facilitate them. ~Chikirén . going for six months will leave, not in July s at present, but at Easter. When the greater part of the annual ourriculum has been S will be mo! to the nex! :\ey ;:cu nw(gotom. along with lassmates. u‘"gflcv.\nn with America exist also in the university. At the request of our transatlantic allies in 1918 we created a committee to encourage exchanges of letters between schools and- lycee students. A few ’f""‘ will give an idea of the extent of this organisation. From ! rather cost the parents| - Spa to April, 1931, 5 o the z; live on FIFTY YEARS AGO IN THE STAR In the cld days of volunteer fire departmentg it was the fashion to name the “en- Changing Names of ®ines.” and the 2. - members of the Fire Engines. % different com- panies took great pride in their titles. Sometimes controversy raged over the question of naming the ma- chines, and as the following in The Star of August 7, 1871. shows, Dro- posals to change the names evoked sharp criticism: “About as silly a bit of business as sensible men can be engaged 'n was the action of the board of fire commissioners recorded in The Star of Saturday last in changing the names of certain steam fire engines * ‘Franklin.’ " to ! “George “Sales J. Bowen.' r spectively. The old names were ap- propriate enough and unobjectionable in every way, and in changing them. if the authorities have not laid them- gelves open to a charge of toadyism, they have at least paved the way for 2 new change every time they have offic:al successors entertaining differ- ent views of men and things. With- out touching upon the question of how deserving the recipients of the honor may be. or how much they may enjoy the laurels thus bestowed, we think the public verdict will be that, though the matter may be of trifitng importance, the precedent is a bad one in every sense.” * * % As a mark of public feeling on the subject of the local improvements a i mass meeting of Citizens Protest citizens was held 2 2 to protest against the Injunction. ™ “frcer- rosed by the injunction against the bond issue. This is thus noted in The Star of August &, 1871: “If any evidence were needed as to the wishes of this community in re- gard to public improvements, such proof was amply furnished by the fact that a very large number of our representative men should assemble together the hottest evening of the season, under an anonymous call, to discuss the subject and to hold up the hands of those engaged in the important work of lifting Washing- ton out from its late unenviable posi- tion. “But such testimony is not needed here, where the temper of the public is well understood, although it may be useful in showing to the country at large that the people of the city are aroused and thoroughly in earnest in their determination that the cap- ital shall be made worthy of the nation. Upon this general point there can hardly be said to be two opinions. The only open question ix as to the manner and form of accomplishing the end in view: and in this view of the case such assemblages as that of last evening must be of great good in bringing about a thorough unde: standing between conflicting inter- ests and in harmonizing points of difference on a general subject upon which nearly everybody is agreed “There cannot be too wide or 00 | frequent interchunge of opinion on & subject of so much importance as im- provements and taxation, and we. think it apparent, therefore. that mistake was made by the munagers of this particular movement in call- ing the meeting anonymously, and also in partially oficering it with gentle men not present. The first step is « sign of weakncss, which does not exist in this case; the second is sort of impertinent fraud, which, though winked at on account of its common use, must in the end do harm than good to any cause iu Lehalf of which it is practiced.” DIGEST OF FOREIGN PRESS names of 35,178 French correspond- ents. A regular fortune for French stationers and considerable resource for the postal budget! In voluminous miseives the correspondents inform each other concerning social culture in their respective countries. and in addition to this, exchange of news- papers and magazines constitutes a new and effective means of cation. “Few students have as yet crossed the ocean to fraternize with their correspondents. But it is obvious that such vovages will be under- taken in the near future by many of our young people who are preparing for careers In industry, agriculture, education. ete. , “Among the sons of the fighters of the great war are many who determined 40 go and seek in foreizn lands the inspiring ideals that con- stitute the wealth of individuals and of nations.” A Book of Many Tongues. A book containing scriptural read- ings in no fewer than 543 differcut tongues and dialects is being printed by the British and Foreign Bible So- edu- ciety, reports the London Daily Chronicle. It is called “A Book of Mauy Tongues.” and is to be published next month. Even in this composite work th the society has not exhauste linguistic peculiarities of human clety. “We have in hand no fewer than forty new languages.” said Dr. K gour, “and last year we added ten new languages to our publications. So that a version of the Scriptures in a new form has been turned out from the language factory in Queen Victoria street once in five weeks.” These included translations into Afrikaans _ (Cape Dutch), Venda (Northern Transvaal), Popo (a Togo- land language). Tangale (for ne- groes in Northern Nigeria). Chokwe, tongue used in Angola; Hmar, spoken by hill tribes in Assam, and Patpatar, for tribesmen in the Bis- marck Archipelago. Franco-Spanish Troubles Coming. Pushed out of the spotlight by more sensational happenings, a misunder- standing between France and Spain over the partition of Morocco has been brewing for many months. More attention is paid to it in Spain than in France, for it is the principal for- eign question now occupying the Spanish_government. Yet European observers realize that the germs of a serious dispute are contained in the affair. S Juan de Aragon, one of the Spanish political writers who warned his government United States in 1898, writes in the Correspondencia de Espana: “Just as 1 was bold enough to risk unpopularity before by saying that quarreling with the United States was folly, so today Jadeclare that it would be an egual y to quarrel with. France. Unfortunately, 1 was right on the former occasion. Un- fortunately. I am right again today. “Is it a virtue to see straight? Not at all. The simple fact is that I live in a world of realities, while others Jive in @ world of fancy. Like Don Quixote, more courageous' than the Cid, they attack the windmills. I, more prosaic, more plain-minded, more human, am content, 1tke Sancho Panza, to see the windmills, to per- gelve that their wings will overturn the horse and the horseman, to an- ticipate catastrophe and express the hope that we will abstain from such adventure. “Am 1 lacking in patriotism? Noth- ing of the kind. We who called for peace with America were not unpa- triotic. ‘The unpatriotic were the others who, to the tune of the Cadiz march, cried “War! and foretold the triumphal entry of Weyler into the Capitel. And So today also, patrin‘- ism is not on the side of the rash and impulsive, but on the side of the cool and cautious people. in! - When will the basis of the Hurope? -