Evening Star Newspaper, January 6, 1923, Page 6

- THE EVENING STAR, With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY.....January 6, 1823 THEODORE W. NOYES...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office. 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Oftice; 150 Nassau 8. Chicago Office: Tower Bullding. European Office : 16 Regent St., London, England The Evening Star. with the Sunday morning edition, 1s delfvered by carriers within the ity at 80 cents per mont 45 cents per t [ end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Dally and Sunday..1 i Daily only.. Sunday only. All Other States. Dally and Sunday..1 yr., $10.0 aily anly $7.00: Sunday onl Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press {a exclusively entitiad to the use for republication of atches credited to Jt or not otherwise credited n this paper and also the local news pub- Tished “herein. Al rights of publication of pecial dispatches herein are also reserved. Mount Pleasant Branch Library. The appropriation to purchase a site for the Mount Pleasant Public Library branch is temporarily out of the Dis- trict bill on a point of. order raised on the floor of the House. * Washington is confident, however, that it will be restored in the Senate and epproved on its merits by both houses in conference. The item has been approved in due course by the Commissioners, the budget bureau, the District bill sub- committee of the House appropria- tions committee, and by the full House appropriations committes. It is spe- cifically commended by Representative Cramton in reporting the District bill to the House. It is sound, wholesome legislation, meefing a community need in development of the city's public li- brary system, which Congress has de- clared by law to he “a supplement of the public educational system of said District.” Observation by our legisla- tors of the wonderfully extensive com- munity use, surpassing all expecta- tion, of the Southeast Public Library branch, recently opened, will convince them or confirm them in their pre- existing belief in the community de- mand and need of a branch library system for the capital, such as other progressive American cities of Wash- ington's class all enjoy. This appropriation not only meets a real community need and confers a genuine community benefit, but is un- der the conditions a sound business investment, involving a minimum of public expenditure. Since public U- braries are like public schools parts of the public educational system, the purchase of a site for a library and its erection e in the same relation to the taxpaying community as the pur- chase of a site for and the erection of & public school. In the case of a school the capital taxpayers, local and ne- tional, would bear the expense of site and building and equipment. In the case of this branch library the cost of the equipped building (§100,000) is to he met by the Carnegie Corporation, and the site is, in part, contributed Dby the public-spirited citizen who sells 1t at a price much below the market rate, and is, in part, paid for by the appropriation of $25,000; or, on the 60-40 ratio, $15,000 by local taxpayers exclusively and $10,000 by national taxpayers, among whom are numbered also the people of the District, who contribute to national taxes more in the aggregate and per capita than very many of the states. Thus for $25,000 paid by local and national tax- payers the capital community secures & public structure, approximately $150,000 in value, which meets an obvious community need of the high- est importance and architecturally s an adornment of the new Washington. Tt is a pity that the technical point of order against new legislation should be ralsed against this item of whol some and useful public library devel- opment, especially as the substantive legislation creating the library seems to afford reasonable ground for avoid- ing the technical objection. The Public Library item includes an appropria- tlon to purchase ground in main- tenance and development of the pub- lic library and to accept a gift of $100,- 000 for library purposes. The organic act of the Public Li- brary, approved June 3, 1896, declare: “A free public library and reading room is hereby established and shall be maintained in. the District of Co- lumbia, which shall be the property of the sald District and a supplement of the public educational system of said District.”” It further declares: “The Commissioners of the District are authorized * * * to accept and take title to all gifts, bequests, de- Vises” for library purposes. The authority to the Commissioners to accept the Carnegie Corporation gift was not new legislation, since the Commissioners are authorized by ex- isting law to accept all such gifts. The appropriation for a branch iibrary site was in pursuance of the direction of the law that the library “shall be maintained” proposed in the Commi sioners’ estimates on the same foot- ing as the proposed purchase of & school site, and met the approval of the budget bureau and the House committee on appropriations. Perhaps the point of order is not really applicable. At any rate, Con- gress will surely not permit this tech- nicality of dubious application to pre- vent this wholesome enactment. Uncle Sam has offered some valu- able suggestions, but the value was not appreciated by & few European statesmen owing to the fact that it was not directly convertible into cash. 7 The Washington Aresy ‘The logomotive, trolley car, aul mobile and improved roads have all played their part in building up and extending the area of country tribu- ‘tary to Washington. There has been a remarkable growth in the size and number of towns and hamlets whose inhabitants make their living in the capital, and the number of country homes whose owners spend their work- day in Washington increases at a fast 5“. Steam should ‘have its share ‘of | praise, though from first place it has no doubt declined to third. When the Baltimore and Ohio built into Wash- ington the morning train brought in its load of commuters. The Punnsyl- vania and the Metropolitan branch of the Baltimore and Ohio opened con- nection with a big territory northeast, north and northwest of Washington, The building of a railroad aver the | i Long bridge opened connection for commuters as far south as Fredericks- burg, southwest to Manassas, Warren- {ton and Charlottesville and west to Leesburg and thé base of the Blue ridge. A line of railroad from the Dis- triet to Chesapeake bay gave trans. port to many commuters in Prince Georges and Anne Arundel counties who had 1o other means than wagon transit_before the building of that road. The old Washington and Alex- c | andria ferry also served 3 large body of commuters. The development of the electric car and the building of trolley lines out of Washington in all directions brought large sections of the county of Washington, and of Maryland and Virginia, into quicker communication with Washington than people had believed possible. Before the coming of the trolley car a few office-holders lived in the suburbs and owned a horse and buggy on which they depended for transportation, but Mount Pleasant, Tenleytown, Silver Spring and Anacostia were, generally speaking, the outer limits of horse transport, though a few hardy men lived as far from their work place Falls Church, Cabin John, Olney, 8il- ver Hill and Oxon Hill, and drove the round trip to office in Washington each working day. The auto and the auto road have aided in the remark- able increase in the number of per- sons who live in the outlying villages and the country and who ‘“come to office” in Washington daily. Mr. Hoover's Wise Decision. It will be @ matter of general satis- faction throughout the country that Herbert Hoover is not to be trans. ferred from the secretaryship of Com- merce to that of the Interior. In tendering him the appointment Presi- dent Harding has demonstrated his continuing desire to have the-great Department of the Interior adminis- tered with the highest possible ef- ficiency in the Interests of all the peo- ple, but Mr. Hoover cannot be spared from the job he now has in hand and which is yet to be completed. Because the blare of the press agent has been conspicuously lacking, the average citizen does not fully appreci. ate the great constructive work which is under way in the Department of Commerce and which has raised that department from least in importance untf) it ranks certainly third among the great executive divisions of the government. When Mr. Hoover com pletes the work he has undertaken and the reorganized Department of Commerce is fully functioning, and the people come fully to understand its functions, the Departments of State and the Treasury will have to look sharp if they are to continue to be regarded as of greater consequence. Mr, Hoover is stlll a young man, and the time undoubtedly will come when work even more important than he Is now doing will be found for him, but for the present he can serve the coun- try best by completing the task he has in hand. It is e wise decision, therefore, which he has made, and both Mr, Hoover and American in- dustry are to be congratulated. et The public will read of horrors in tully fireproof as such a& building can be made. Indeed, it used to be said when the matter of its design was under rather severe criticism that the worst feature of the bullding wae that it was immune on the score of de- struction by fire. The interior court, it not to be again used for insugural balls or other such official and: semi- official functions, copld probably be put to no better use than in the stor- age of these papers, conveniently ar- ranged on metal shelvings, made se- cessible for immediate reference and withdrawal, provided, of course, that the stacks did not interfere with the lighting and ventilatiom of the offices. If both the stacks and the archives building are provided doubtless the lat- ter will be used for the storage of those documents which are of & his- torical character, and those that must be preserved but have passed out of current or occasional reference. Not- withstanding the fact that they have become in a sense of no further use, these papers cannot safely be de- stroyed, for they may be required at any time in the researches of his- torians or in court proceedings bear- ing upon the details of government transactions of the past. In the new building will therefore be stored the permanent records of the public work that have become, in truth, the archives of the government. The Supplies. Complaint was made the other day of too much speed this session in the handling of the supply bills. Measures of their length, carrying many items, should, it was suggested, undergo scrutiny after leaving the hands of committeemen; that in laying out the people’s money Congrees should pro- ceed with a show of deliberation. Hitherto, quite often, the shoe has been on the other foot. Complaint has been made of too much deliberation in the open chambers; that the debates were drawn out for mde purposes; that, indeed, the bills were used for ob- struction purposes. There is, of course, no gainsaying the proposition that sufficlent time should be allowed for the examination of all money bills before calling the vote on them Members should know the detalls of such measures, where the money is going, and for what pur- poses. As a rule, the committee labor has been well done, and will bear ex- planation. This session’s record in this matter has so far been unusually creditable. The supply bills are well advanced, and the prospect is bright for passing all of them In good shape and season. Let us hope that nothing interferes with the program. Supply bills should never fail. Tontinuing supplies by resolution is never satisfactory. The upport of the government is the first charge upon Congress; and the sup- port ghould always be liberal and based upon the country’s size, and the obligations growing out of fits im- portance among the nations. Because of the state of his health, Lenin requires all cigars, cigarettes and pipés to be dispensed with when he attends a meeting. This rule may be regarded as one of the most con- spicuous actual reforms that he has accomplished. Much misfortune might have been averted if long ago the world could have studied the management of Ger- many’s financial resources as indus- triously as it is studying them at pres- ent. the course of the Mer Rouge investi- gation, A morbid love of shocking de- tails will be gratified, but this will serve no useful purpose. THe discovery of the truth and the prevention of a recurrence of crime is the end sought; an end which if defeated leaves those of prurient appetite the only gainers. The investigation which gets nowhere has become too common as a source of entertainment to sensation seekers and of disappointment to prudent and self-respecting citizenship. The capital of the ngtion . needs abundant school facilitied! Even Con- gress, great as it is, cannot alone maintain the city's prope- reputation as a center of intellectual research and popular enlightenment. ————e———— France is in danger of reviving that resented rumor that she is & militaris- tic nation. . 3 More than the currency in several nations needs stabilizing. . The Government’s Archives. In its report to the Senaté the Pub- lic Buildings Commission recommends both the erection of a new archives building and the construction of great filing stacks in the court of the Pension building on Judiciary Square. From the text of the report it might seem that the latter method of caring for the government's files was regarded as sufficient, and at e much smaller cost than the erection of a separate structure for that purpose. But it ap- pears from a closer examination of the matter, and particularly the explane- tion given by the chairman in his re- marks in the Senate, that both works are contemplated as essential. For years the need of a suitable place for the safe storage of the ac- cumulated papets of the’government has been acutely felt, but owing to| economical and other considerations no step has eyen to this day been taken actually to provide such a facil- ity. Some years ago a site for an archives bullding was almost acquired, but intervention at the last moment occurred and the item was dropped from an appropriation bill. Now it is proposed to place this sttucture on one of the government-owned sites west of 17th street. The Pension office files stacks are @esigned, it would seem, for the semi- curpent papers to which access must’ occasionally be had, and which are now stored in various buildings, in ‘boxes, even in mere bales, in circum- stances to entail great delay and some damage to the papers themselves in the handling. All of these documents, most of them of irreplaceable char- acter, are exposed to destruction by fire, as well as the buildings them. sk largely by reason of their pres. ence in them. 5 In the Pension office they would doubtiess be much safer than where they are at prejent. That structure is X ; It is one of the fronies of political fate that an ex-kaiser's personal in- come should be larger then e hard- working German president’s salary. Dr. Coue might be of great help in a conference by making every delegate think of something pleasant before getting up to speak. - Many sufferers from food shortage abroad are more hopeful of dining on the American plan than on the Euro- pean plan. What apparently spoiled that fa- mous New York poker barty was the careless method of playing a diamond flush. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Oh, Maryland. Oh, Maryland, my Marylandy A lovely state thou art! Yet as thy auto laws expand, ‘We murmur, “Have a heart!” Thy hills are beautiful to see. Yet as we make the climb, The cost of each appears to be At least an extra dime. Although of highways broad and fair Thy citizens may brag, They're useless, save to those who wear Thy special style of tag. Though many an old traditiog lives Of welcome frank and free, Thy hospitality for flivs 1s strictly C. O. D. Locating the Trouble. “Why don't you get to work and solve these great problems?” “I have solved a number of them,” replied Senator Sorghum. “The trou- ble is getting the time and the oppor- tunity to convince everybody that I've got the right answer, . — Jud Tunking says he'd enjoy stay- | in ing home evenings with the family oftener, only he doesn't smoke cigar- ettes or play cards for money. © Family Disagreement. ‘While father jn delight is led To compliment such days as these The small boy with the skates end sled Bach night is praying for a freeze. Unele Bill's Invention. “Have you done your share toward helping to enforce prohibition in your ‘community?” “Yesasir,” answered Uncle Bill Bot- tletop. “I've invented a transparent suit case. “A man dat brags about hisself said Uncle Eben, “is like fiivver wher' nuffin’ ain' workin' but | ¥ Washington Observations . BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Normdn H. Davis of New York, for- mer undersscretary of state, who ad- dressed Overseas Writers in Wash- ington today on the burning issue of reparations, is probably America’s foremost authority on that subject. As financial adviser to the American peace mission at Paris, Mr. Davis was in the thick of the nmegotiations that eventuated in the terms imposed upon Germany. He sat in, aa the only ouf- sider, at many of the confidential pow~ wows held by Woedrow Wilson, Da- vid Lloyd George, Georges Clemen- ceau and Victor Emanuel Orlando. Once upon & time Mr, Davis {s"sald to have cherished the purpose of writ- ing_the Inside histo! reparations at Purls and Versallles by way of a reply to John Maynard Ke nomic Consequences of t Mr. Davis, Who {s a great Woodrow Wilson, is a young Tenn: see democrat on whom his party | known to be keeping a weat for future national emergencie is a banker by profession and m fortune in Cul * ok Kk Not many people know that Gov. “Al" E. §mith of New York, now one of the darlings of the democratic gods, has for the past two years been in Intimate business partnership with prominent republican politiclans. Un- til he re-emigrated to Albany last week the governor was the exeoutive officer of the United Sta Trucking with headquarters in Vew York city. One of the dominatin factors in that organisation is Fre: W. Upham, treasurer of the republi- can national committes. Fellow poli- ticlans of the G. O. P. fatfryer are also prominent in the concern. It 1 Upham who takes credit for Smith's_services. In the da ceding his regime truck strikes were of regular occurrence in New Yaor and other big cities. Not onlr Gov. Smith once a truckman him: but, as a master of what Disri called “the tedlous art of managing men,” the one-time milk boy of the east side was ideally equipped to qeal with the rank and file of the craft According to Upham, truck strikes stopped with the advent of “Al” Smith as the master mind of the industry. * % ok % When President Harding recently transmitted the federal budget for 1923 to Congress he passed along some figures indicating that, like everything else In these luxurious United States, the maintenance costs of the White House establishment have gone up. In 1922 actual ex- penditure for executive office pur- poses totaled $218,690.86. Appropria- tions for 1923 aggre, ed $39 5, and estimated expenditure for 1924 is put down at 3407, In other words, disbursements next year are expected to be almost double what they were lzst year. “Traveling ex- penses of the dent” in 1932 amounted to $12,349.61. For that item $25,000 was appropriated for 1923 and the same amount is eat!- mated for 1924 ected Alaskan journey accounts for the increase. There was no allow- ance for special White House police lagt year. In 1823 the appropriation is $51,555 and estimated ‘expense for 1924 is $58.890. The Vice President's salary of $12.000 i executive office to! allowance for traveling. * % ¥ & Geoffrey Dawson, who has just succeeded Wickham Steed as editor He get no Perhaps the proj-| ncluded in the | of the Times at London, used to be named Geoffrey Robinson. He as- sumed the name of Dawson by royal license in 1917 in order, it was under- stood, to be legally entitled to in- herit the fortune of a wealthy uncle, who died without direct heir. Daw- son was only thirty-eight years old when Northcliffe made him “editor of the Thunderer in 1912.) He succe: fully opposed several of Northcliff ‘more radioal policies, including the latters attempt to | fy the T with the Dally Mall cele- brated attack on Lord Kitchener in connection with the “shells tragedy.” In 1917, his mind having refused to ®o willingly slong with one of North- cliffe's anti-government crusades, Dawson resigned. He is a graduate of Eton and Oxford and once edite: the Johannesburg Star in South Africa. * ok . Japan soon again will figure in pro- ceedings before the United States Su- reme Court, when argument in ref- rence to the California land laws will be heard. Litigation to test the valld- ity of the laws was brought by a Japanese farmer in southern Call- fornla and an American land owner named O'Brien. The case contesting the statutes witl be argued by Louls Marshall of the New York bar, whil California’'s cause will by the law officers of th Our anese friends sportsmanlike preme Court tice Sutherland, denying Nippon: the privilege of American citizenship. r, the land laws cases result, be depended upon to conduct jponding dig- tuted virtual- lon of the Tokio * % % ¥ ‘What President Harding branded “s record congregation” assembled at the White House yesterday for the semi-weekly press conference. Hopes of important comment on the Euro. pean situation were the attraction. The scribes, especially the group of foreign correspondents attached to the Washington corps, were amazed to be told that notwithstanding the old world crisis, the cabinet, for the first time since the Harding adminis- tration took office, assembled. but ad- joyrned without meeting, because no business was submitted for discu slon. An American newspaper man of unique international experience, was among those present and disappointed when White House spokesm nounced there was nothing to the subject that is glving Europe its ust returned from a trip around the world. No American writ Intimate knowledge of the personal ities and psychology of the repar: Senator Smith W. Towa Intends embracing & mutually agreeable opportunity to renew an old acquaintance with Woodrow Wil- son, Col. Brookhart once was in com- mand of a rifle range on the Jer- sey coast, near Seagirt. He was on neighborly terms with the then Chief gistrate, whose summer White Hou: visitors often included a visit to the range as part of their outing at Shadow Lawn. i (Copyright, 1923.) Brookhart of - EDITORIAL DIGEST Position of Mr. Harding Seemed to Be Logical. President Harding's letter of oppo- sition to the later withdrawn reso- lution of Senator Borah demanding an economie conference to consider Europe's plight met with more Or less general approval throughout the | country. There seemed to be a some- what unanimous agreement after all, diplomatic negotiations were the function of the executive, not the legislative, branch of the government. “There is a flavor of homely com- mon sense,” suggests the New York Tribune (republican), “in the Presi- dent's reminder to the Senate that its real forte is legislation, and not di- plomacy.” The letter has a tart quality not familiar in his® public writings,” says the New York Times (independent democratic), and “it 18 clear that President Harding will do what he thinks right and wise in the conduet, ot foreign relations itk regard to_what the Senate may Thore is o doubt {n the mind of the Philadelphia Public (ind pendent republican) that Hard. ing does well to remind the support- ers of the Borah proposal that they would send the Executive into a con ference with his hunds tied.” It like- wise is the V of the Baltimore Sun (democratic) in this connection, however, that the letter “marks a di tinct advance in _the governmen position. Senator Borah is to be con- gratulated on the fact that his letter inspired it.” “Had Mr. Harding been alive t uation there would he: n no necessity for the Borah resolution the New York World (democratic) is convinced, and it argues that ‘'what he forgets, to say is that he signed the act of Congress which tied ‘the war debts refunding commission’s hands and.that he refused at.an time to make a fight to give it t power that he now tepldl: that Congress delegate to it.” I so be remembered, the Baltimore News (independent 'republican) holds, “that adoption of the Borah amen ment would have placed the admini tration in a falsa position both to- ward the foreign nations and toward its own constituents.’ This is much the view of the Bpringfield Republi- can (independent), ich _ belleves that “the President's knowledge o Furopean conditions is presumabl more ample and immediate than that te,” while the Brooklyn ocratic) fee! o the ndent that e Sixty-seventh Congress could do no better work in the clos- ing menths of its term than to re- the provision of the law which prevents the administration from' considering the issue of war indebt- edness on the basis.of Europe's ca- in the Presiden! the Newark News is, however, in this case, not one Where he definita policy or even known phil- a condition lhl?ud sitio ‘(’?ndep-n;iam) is entirely = (n' with the something may turn up. how can there be peace 50 long as the most powerful nation in th€ world does not dare to put its signature to statement that we would consider it our concern it in our own free opinion any na- tion is unwarrantably attacked, even when_the'rest of the world would consult With us for that purpo: The presidential letter ~“is _timid leadership,” the New York Post . (in- dependent) feels, and the merits his statement of the caze are larg: vitiated by a lack of faith and reso- lution. Mr. Harding s right in driv- yme on Bo: the fact that attitude on allied debts has iped 'to blook & solution of the European problem. But from Borah, too, the administration might take & Jesson_ in asive dership.” The Richmon: (inde- ent democratic) is far from eon- a & nega hope that Above all, that, | t | form. t | follow#: ~ Automobile Y | maril has any |3 disarmament or. fi Al | there is “recognition of the plight of Europe, the President is not sure he can accomplish anything even if he has that authority.” “Congress has shown it without capable leadership,” argues the Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch (inde- pendent democratic). “These times are so tense and so trying for the whole world that the United States. the one wholly independent and |almost wholly unselfish nation, needs a man who can lead and check rather blatant national Republican or democrat, dent is the natural leade to be indication of his purpose to assume leaderahip." The Maryland Gasoline Tax and Reciprocity To the Bditor of The Star: Articles appear in your valuable paper from time to time bearing on the subject of a gasoline tax, most | b, of which couple the question with that' of reciprocity with the state of Maryland. Possibly The Star, as well {as the other local papers, has not ated the question. Is it not, after all, a matter of taxing the mo- tor cars being driven about our Admitting this to be the d admitting also that motor should bear their share of ur taxes, the question then arises to the most equitable method of feels that the taxes woul equitably distributed if détermined on 1 basis, considering also the welght or capacity of the vehicle. T! nearest approach to such ibe through a gasoline motor cars use fuel In the ratio distance and weight, provide course, the car is in ordinary repair, and the road surface is fairly uni- taxation would certalnly more uniform and equitable than the pres- ent method, which considers ~only an s much tax to run his oar 500 miles as he would to run it 5,000 ml The_matter may be summed up tags are ification purposes and shoul only as Taxes on motor cars should be based upon the extent to which each car is used. Taxes should be distributed among |the taxing jurisdictions in proportion, rly as may be, to the extent in each jurisdiction. Some simple 'illustrations may be iven. ume an owner runs his ouring car an average of say 10,000 miles per year and his general aver- age gasoline consumption is say twen- lon. With a tax of lon it would cost him ch to as for ident used changed the only charge that should be made for tags would be.the actual t there Under such eircum- cen-there would be no reciprocity tion between jurisdictions beyond 6 necessity for co-operation in identificat! ‘The }ll Marylan of recipr: tion than o D?ltrh!l. It is realised that If 2 cents higher in Maryland all trict and many will replenish lh.l‘)lup 1y, 80 far as practieable, in the District and partly defaat the purpose of the land charge. Reciprocity between Mary. land and the District would be a nat- ural repuit of the change in the form of taxation. At present some Vir- ginia owners use the District streets almost it ;ot fully as much as they do the s in thelr own state. Under the gasoline tax the District would obtain revenues from such owner: rovided - they purchased gas in thi istrict. The District would also ob- tain revenue from machi fr n 01 “free | other distant states, to which In all SR %l”? sfi.\ ; In any event such method of | ki We ‘Americans have a liking for humor in our reading matter, some- times even when humor Is not called for by the ecifications. We are often like the Elizabethan sudiences, for whom Shakespeare Introduced low comedy sce into his most profound tragedies. We must be amused. “I have never cared for Mrs. Humphry Ward,” sald a member of a circulating beok club to a friend, replied the friend. they ought to be,’ the critic, " fa more interesting © “Main Stree! Babbitt, th atandardized Americ m of the prosperous small city, tak himself seriously enough, but in real ity he Is a very humorous person. In him every woman may find, {f no®her own husband, at least her fathe: brother or some man of her acquaint- ance. 1 For example: “In_twenty-three of married life;, Mrs. Babbitt en the paper before her hu ust sixty-seven times.” He ls a8 nalvely conventional and afraid of public opinion at forty-five as he was at twenty-five, when he marrled his wife use of a misunderstanding. “‘One evening when he was weary and soft-minded, he saw that she had b:cn weeping. She had been left out of & kissing away the tears—and she raised hh" hi furious intimacy with such so- cial leaders as Charles McKelvey, the Max Kruger, , the tool man- Dobson, the terior decorato: At 0] g at his wife's appeal, “T do wish you wouldn't say ‘tux.’ It's dinner jacket"; but, in public he al- ‘ways conforms. He will not be called ate man, but & realtor; and the telephone is almost too slow a m| communication wtih his wife when lected vice president of the Boosters' Club. )f.uhlonbh in * X ok % A new prophet of health has within the past few months. become the sub- Jeot of drawing-room conversation, if one may credit all one hears, the source, of much benefit to many followers. The little book, “Self-Mastery Through Con- sclous Autosuggestion,” by Emile Coue, 2 psychologist of Nancy, France, and several other books written to interpret the Coue method have found hundreds of readers among all ages and classes. Coue study is, I understand, as popular on the Pacific coast as In the east, and certainly in Washin, there are many persons who are telling a daily rosary of knotted string while they repeat the formula, “Day by day, in every way, [ am getting better and better.” * ook ok Official Washington, including mem- bers of Congress, will be interested in reading in the January North American Review an article entitled “The Outlook for the Merit System,” by Roscoe C. E. Brown, professor In the School of Journalism of Columbia University and formerly a member of the New York state civil service commission. The author expresses much concern over the failure of leg- islation carrying out the recommenda. tions of the report of the congres- sional joint commlission on reclassi- fication. He points out that although the United States government was a ploneer in seeking to establish merit as a basis of employment, it had now lagged behind private employers who had adopted “scientific methods of re- cruiting, testing and stimulating ef- ficlency, promoting contentment and eliminating waste." The author states that the United States is trying to do the work of a twentieth century gov- ernment, with activities reaching to every fi of science and industry, by methods inherited from the elght eenth century and “by employes whose pay bears little or no reiation ir service and or and chance of advancement for efficiency rather than by favor are such as to discour- age ene and loyalty.” Mr, Brown the lack of funds to enable the fon to de- velop its examination system in the lght of psychological research and the experience of mofern business. He is disturbed by the fact that more than 75 per cent of the federal em- ployes are enrolled in organizations affilated with industrial trade unions, but sttributes such.a movement to the failure of the government to pro- vide any legitimate channel for the presentation of grievances and th corraction of the injustices of the em loyes. He beli that the combi- nation of government employes gand trade unionists has ominous possibili- ties and that this alliance will con- tinue to be a menace until a really scientific personnel system is estab- lished. Then the afliations which he oconsiders unnatural can be forbidden or will die a natural death. * ok ¥ % During the war German literature suffered an eclipse from which it has not yet begun to recover. Even Hauptmann and Sudermann, general- 1y recognized as the leaders of mod- ern German drama and fiction, ceased production altogéther. Now the Ger- man republic has Jjust celebrated the sixtieth birthday anniversary of Hauptmann and the monarchists ¢ | made the festival the occasion for vehement attack on th oet and dramatist of mysticism and human brotherhood. Most American readers now Hauptmann best by his sym. bolic fairy play, Sunken Bell,' nd his soclal “Michaely Knam ceived the Nobel prl in 1912 * ok ¥ ¥ ‘When we weary of the problem novel, the analytical psychological the society novel, the domestic the aweetly optimistic novel, and above 21l the sex novel, there comes a time when we long for a dashing romance of adventure, In which thought is replaced by action and no undue consideration is given to the probabilitiee—such a romance as Dumas, Scott and'Stevenson knew how to write. Then we are delighted to happen upon such a story as Jef- fery Farnol “Peregrine’s Progress,” written (n the same charming style as his earlier romance, “The Broad High- way”; or Rafael Sabatini's “Capt. Blood,” & not-inferior successor to “Scaramouche.” * Rk ¥ Prejudices are very ocommon, owning up to them is most uncommon. uptmann re- for literature but Few persons are as honest as H. L. Mencken, who frankly entitles his volumes of essays “Prejudices.” Hé has just published his third series un- der this title, and every essay justifies the nomenclature. Conventional Amer- icanism, the American 1o worship of demo litical economis! er, whom h of plquant gosaip, are most violent prejudices. ‘Women are accused of becoming more extra Nt every year, but we notice th that it is cheaper to matic than a divogee.—] Star-Telegram. Norma Loeb of Chicago, of n.n weeks, sits up a lot-of them are finding buy an_auto- Tt Worth i CAPITAL KEYNOTES One of the best and most devout chaplains in the A, E, F.. in addre ing a camp. referred to the use of profanity and of other rough lan- guage by the boys in the trenches, and sald that he cguld not consider that as swearing, iin the ordinary nse, for the boys had to have some vent for their pent-up nerves few cuss words merely let off their steam. Somehow the attituge of District Commissioner Oyster In defending traffic policemen of Washington inst the charge of the Chamber of Commerce that they are profane and rude to unintentional violators of traffic rules yeminds one of that good and considerate chaplain. Imagine standing in one spot several hours and having crazy automobiles aimed at 2| you from all directions, at all speeds Imagine escapes, round you. and then when you barely save some toplofty dub from being smashed, m: chine and all. have him become sar castic. A policeman who can stand that sort of experlence, hour hour, and no be promoted to the rank of minis- tering angel. Day by day, at every corner fools are getting saner and saner in every way, but in the mean- while there are a hundred new ones coming down the alley and a thou- sand coming on cross streets, and what shall one human semaphore do wi@ only one pair of arms? It 1s not a trafc policeman we need at these congested corners—it's a magnified centipede, trained to stand on his hind 1 and wave all the others, each in its own direction. * ok oE ok I second the motion of the Chamber of Commerce that the District Com~ missioners be asked to establish a schodl of politeness where trafiic ofi- cers may learn how to traf. The and in violation of all rule: Commissioners refuse to sanction cers tain innovations in the public schools, but surely they will see that no sa: officer can do justice to the Washing- ton traMc In just plain English. This school of courtesy must, of course, have a curriculum made up largely of foreign langwages—and the students must learn to identify a foreign diplo- mat a block away, %o as to change his language promptly, lest the for- eigner, having ears, may hear and understand. That would defeat the entire purpose of the linguistic at- tainment. Never say if in words that might be recognized. The dead lan- guages will come very handy in this curriculum, for though trafic police. men deal with both the quick and the dead, the latter will be already so shocked that no mere official lan- guage can offend. Yes, some language from the Egyptian mummies recently awakened from their 6,000-year sleep might do. The most fluent linguists are needed, and the Chamber of Com- merce recognizes their worth, for it recommends a vast increase of pay and subsistence and commutation of quarters. 3 ko w “Who steals my hootch steals trash,’ rules Justice Balley of the Criminal Court. Liquors are outlawed. To steal them is a noble and commend- able act; it is not thievery. ©Of course, that does not authorize housebreak- | ing, but whenever any one owning the trash leaves it loose on the front step, help yourself and pour it all into the gutter. It is not property Beware of Shylock's contract as to the pound of flesh; it did not include one aunce or drop of blood. In taking the pound of flesh,Shylock was warn- ed that if he shed & drop of the Christian blood the goblins would get him. So in stealing the non- property hootch, it is important that you bring your own container, you trespass not, that you be sure the hootch owner's dog is tied up and that his shotgun is not loaded.- But technically you are as much entitled to take it as Shylock was to his pound of‘flesh. “The law doth grant it and the court doth give It.” * ¥ % & What is all this talk of requiring all who drive an automobile to sub- mit to a mental examination, by a physician, to test their sanity? Psychological tests of college profes sors have been known to rate them as only a three to five year mental grade above the morons—half idiots. Away with your mental tests—except for dubs who do not drive the same kind of a car I do. % ok % Some folks have a penchant that | for | an old cow BY PAUL V. COLLINS. to have a fashion of corresponding to their occupations. The officer in com- mand of the troops st Mer Rouge i5 / Col. Guerre, which is French for war. He 18 Col “War.” And here in Wash- ington the police arrested yesterday an alleged intoxicated man whose name was Theodore Bos Now that Booze 18 in prison, there should be no more trouble with the Volstead law. He will be out on April Fool day. * % % ¥ Senator Spencer of Missour] “wants to be shown” what amount of a&lco- hol makes a man drunk, so he has Introduced a bill to appoint a com- mission to find out. He Is told by chemists that sometimes buttermilk contains more than one-half of 1 per cent of alcohol and he wants to stop the ,/ nefarfous practice of drinking the Stuff, if that be so. Better slaughter all Buttermilk cows and depend on mere goats that don’t butt than sec this nation ruined, body gnd soul, by to0 much intoxicating ° butterm!lk, such as has made Bulgaria famous It is said that Bulgarians use vast quantities of buttermiik and live to be & century old—at least, it seems 80 to live in Bulgaria. Senator Spen- cer protests against Bulgarianizing Missouri. He would appropriat $100.000 to save the state—the Sreat state. * ¥ * ¥ But that question which he pro- pounds can never be settled by a mere commission. It will take 110.- 000,000 commissions to prove it out, for what is drunk for the®goose is only hilarious for the gander. No two individuals are set to go off at the same degree of heat, like patent sprinkler fire extinguishers. Once, there was a constituent of Senatns Spencer who did not drink butter- ) milk, and some friends got up @ bet that'Hans could *or could not drink twenty-five glasses of beer consecu- tively. Hans was called in to decida the bet, but he hesitated and finally excused himself and disappeared fo* half an hour. Then he returned smiling, and announced that he weuld double the bet, for he fnew he could. as he had just'done it, and was ready to give ths “Missouri proof” right in their presence. But 109,999,999 of the rest of us would have a different test of blood pressure. Senator Spencer used to be a preacher and does not understand buttermilk and beer. The human equation—or stomach—is the important element in this testing. Coue can make a man drunk on pure water. * % % % There was a dry agent suspected by, several Italians, whose place he was inspecting for “evidence, and the Italians put himeto the test by coni- pelling him to drink his *“evidence" In their presence. It was half a gal- lon of wine. He drank it all, before they would let him escape, but he remained sober enough to rald the place a few minutes after. This hap- pened in Washington last Wednesday night. Ffuppose that wine had been buttermilk! It probably contained from 10 to 12 per cent of alcohol, in- stead of one-half of 1 per cent, yet, half gallon did not turn that man ead, while it would have put most | men to bed. T “The basis of Thrift week.” says Chalrman Wholly of the thrift com- mittee in.charge of the program for Washington, is: A ten-point creed: Work, earn, make a budget, record expenditure, have a bank account, carry life insurance, own your own home, make _a will, invest in safe securities, pay bills promptly and share with others.” That is not just being that is being angelic. F' his glory was not these. “thrifty: klin in all great as cpe of Each stunt is to have.® day set apart for It, within the week, ang, as there aro ten stunts it shows tha the committee has its budget all laid out to get in all ten in the seven days. Admire the system; it is intensive and eMcient, card-index and all. Concen- tration Is the secret. * % % % District of Columbia doctors look with favor on some of Coue's prac- tices. He ig not a doctor. but a druggist, and he knows the futility of drugs, just like the little child from the city dicovered reasons fof re- fusing to drink milk after she had been visiting her farmer grandfather When questioned about her refusal to taste milk_on the farin, since she wa< €0 fond of it in her city home, she explained in candor of childish cond viction: “Why, mamma. I saw where they got it; they just pulled it out of Coue is & druggist, so noting that names of individuals seem | he yses no drugs in his “cures.” Wherein a Rare Bird Differs ) From a Lan_le-Du(:k of Polities RACTERIZED once a ‘rare bird" and at another time as “ne's all right” in being introduced to speak at gatherings, James T. Lloyd, former ropresentative from Missourl and now a resident of the District of Colum- bia, feels that he has run the gantlet of unique mtro- ductions in long political and civio career. Mr. Lioyd, who to Congres: 1917, when he vol- untarily retired to take up the prac- tice of law In this city, has since his retirement work- JAMES T. LLOYD. ed untiringly for the betterment of Washington. He has attained a high place In civic work and is a member of the board of education, second vice president of the Washington Chamber of Com- merce and a member of the boar® of director: He also is prominent in other organizations which are striv- ing for reforms in this city. The *rare bird” episode took place soon after his retirement from Con- gre: He and two other retiring congressmen were feted at the Na- tional Press Club. The chairman of the committee in charge of the affair in introducing them said: ‘We all know what ‘lame ducks’ are. We' have on exhibition tonight three ‘rare bird: I will now explain to you just what I mean by this characterization. ‘Rare birds' are those who voluntarily leave Congress and do not campaign for re-election, whereas ‘lame ducks' are those who try to come back and can't. The men who retire voluntarily most assur- edly are ‘rare birds.™ . Towards the close of his last cam- paign Mr. Lloyd says that he had & novel experience in belng introduced to speak at a small country church gathering. The meeting had been ar- ranged for some time and everything was expected tp go smoothly, but at | the last minute the man who was to | introduce Mr. Lloyd was called out of town. . Those in charge of the meeting wére in a dilemma, as No one suiic able conld be found to make the in- troduction. Finally. how: the preacher of the church was pressed into service, and this is the way he introduced the speaker of the even- in » “This man is all right. I have been preaching in a township only about six or seven miles from where he comes from and all the people down there say he is all right. I don't know what effice he is running for and I don't know what his politics are, but he is all right—every one va g0, Here he Is." Mr. Lioyd was dumfounded by this unique method' of Introduction, but managed to regain his pelse in time/ for the address. He says that he has made numerous inquiries, but to this day he doesn’t know whether the preacher was really serious or just trying to be facetious. At any event, the introduction t blg" and Mr. Lloyd ‘was re-elected by a large ma- Jority. ————ee tcal | %First Time on Stamps” Errors Are Corrected To the Editor of The Star: Anent your item, “Stamp, Soon Due, Is First to Bear Woman's Picture,” in your issue of Janusry 5, 1923, it may interest you to know_that the portrait of Queen Isabella of Spain appeared in 1893 on the $4 denomina- tojtion of the Columblan lssue of our atam that the portrait ot hfin#‘llflol ~wu on pur s Tegular S-cent stamp 15 the lssue of 1903-19 . L. W. MORRISSEY. To the Editor of The Star: . An item in Friday's Star anent thel new postage stamps states that t portraits of Jefferson, Monroe and tha Washington will appear for the first time on our stamps. This is _entirBly erroneous. Jefferson's portrait has appeared on at least six stamps and some post cards, the first s far back as 1851 and ss recently 4. Monroe has -been honored on the 3-cent stamp of 1904 and the lady on the §-cent llln‘ ¢ !