Evening Star Newspaper, January 7, 1923, Page 37

EDITORIAL PAGE = EDITORIAL SECTION "= - - NATIONAL PROBLEMS Ehz gu! 1 H %iaf SPECIAL' ARTICLES Bill to Be Pushed in Congress for More Stringent Government Control of Radio Activities. BY WILL P. KENNEDY. ITHIN two months the babel of the air will be in a large measure quieted, and the traffic jam of the ether will be directed along one-way routes. Thus promptly does Congress expect to bring at least partial order out of the present confusion much confounded in this newest method of communication. 1t is the intention of House Leader Mondell to make the Kellogg-White radlo control bill one of the four prin- clpal pieces of legislation to be passed A/t this session of Congress following the disposal of the annual supply bills, which will soon be out of the way. The other threce urgent meas- ures on the House program are the Winslow bill for restoration of allen property, the Green bill to do away with tax-exempt securities and the 5ill for registration of aliens recom- mended by President Harding and urged by the Secretary of Labor. Need of Control See: Probably the alr will never be com- pletely cleared for radio communica- tion, but the pending bill placing con- trol of this new science in the’hands of the Secretary of Commerce is ex- Dpected to result in much improvement. Hearings were held on this measure last Tuesday and Wednesday. Every one conceded that there must be larger powers of regulation and ap- nrove the general plan of the bill. Suggested changes are mostly of minor importance. Briefly, this measyre gives Secre- tary Hoover authority to put through what was recommended by the technl- ~al committee and the full committee of the radio conference held here sev- eral months ago. That includes es- tablishment of between twenty and thirty classes of radio stations. There are now more than 21,000 radio transmitting stations in the United States. Nearly 17.000 are amateur stations. The second largest group are the ship stations. The next &roup in number are the broadcasting statlons, of which there are approxl- mately 570. There are a number of other stations, but they do not seri- ously affect the problem Value Being Destroyed. It §s impossible to estimate with any wocuracy the number of persons listen- ing in on broadcasting stations. The figures vary from 1,500,000 to 2,500,- 000. The service furnished by these broadcasting stations is of supreme importance to this vast number of ltsteners. But the value of it is sadly impalred today, Representative Wal- lace H. White, jr., author of the con- trol leglislation, points out, because of the amount of interference arising from the number of stations—inter- ference so great that it Is often dif- feult for recelvers to get any In- telligible sounds from the air. Under existing law the established regulating power s Impotent to ade- quately meet the situation confront- ing it. One of the prime purposes of the pending legislation is to enlarge the powers of the Secretary of Com- merce so that some degreo of order may be brought out of the existing chaos. It is hoped to accomplish this by respect to the establishment of sta- tions, their classification, the assign- ment of wave lengths, the fixing of the time in which stations may oper- mte, control over the external effects of transmitting Instruments, ete. It 13 proposed also to {ncrease the bands of wave lengths avallable for this olass of service. Under the existing Jaw the amateurs have, practically “peaking, the whole fleld up to 300 meters. Under the present law the wave lengths from 600 to 1,600 meters are reserved for the purposes of the Army and Navy. This leaves wave bands between 300 and 600 meters #s the only ones now available for broadcasting service. ‘Waves for Military Uses. The radio control bill aims to take from the military branches of the movernment the exclusive right to the new and enlarged authority with | meters and make them, in part, avail- able for broadcasting service. This will relieve tremendously the pres- sure upon the narrow bands now be- ing used for broadcasting. The proponents of this bill, Repre- sentative White explains, believe that the furnishing of crop, weather and health reports, the dissemination of news by papers and press assocta- | tions, the fullest publicity to sermons | and matters of educational nature, and carrying to the homes the ad- vantages of musical and other enter- tainments of proper character should be furthered in every possible way. They also believe that while the fullest hopes of owners of receiving sets may not be realized, that the enactment of the bill and the exer- cise of the power therein given to the Secretary of Commerce will greatly improve the present situation. This particular phase of the matter Is mentioned because at this time probably more people are interested in that than in any other. Cannot Forecast Future. Uses to which radlo is now being put are many. No one may safely forecast future developments. *“We must do everything possible to safe- guard messages relating to the move- ment and safety of our ships agalnst ‘interference’,” Representative White suggests by way of fllustra- tion. It is anticipated that more and more radio will be utilized as a means for train ordfrs and train control, and many other services of a general pub- | lic character which must be safe- guarded might be mentioned. The interests of amateurs have not been overlooked. The bill allocates to the amateurs an increased wave length over that accorded to them by the 1912 act and, it is belleved, fully safeguards thelr Interests. The amateurs are a numerous body, In- terested in radio largely for the art’s sake. They have made many valu, able contributlons to the soclence in the past and will undoubtedly be of sreat value to the country In the fu-} ture. Control of U. S. Stations. | One of the most troublesome questions in connection with this legislation has been the extent to ..which governmental statfons should be controlled by other authority than the particular depart- ment operating the'station. It has been urged, particularly by the mili- tary branches of the government, that military stations and milltary person- nel should not be subject in any de- gree to other control. On the other hand, it has been' argued with force that while the military and naval de- partments should be supreme with re- spect to stations required and used for governmental purposes, other sta- tions operated by departments of the government for private and commer- clal purposes should be subject to the same control exercised over all pri- vately owned stations, the thought being that no effective effort to bring order in the air can be made if the regulations adopted apply to some transmitting etations and do not reach others. 1t is believed thaf if there is to be an efficient use of the air that all statlons used for commercial and pri- vate purposes must observe the same rules and regulations. It is belived that an agreement will speedily be reached between the different depart- ments of the government with respect to this matter. Hearings on the Kellogg-White radlo control bill were closed Wednes- day before the House merchant marine committee. Every witness who ap- peared was generally in favor of the bill, though many changs in phrase- ology and in a few instances changes in substance were suggested. The bill was referred to the subcommittee on radio, which will consider the criti- clsms and suggestions made during the hearing. Tt is the expectation of the subcommittee to malke {ts recommenda~ tlons on the final draft of the bill by wave lengths between 600 and 1,600)the end of the week. Broadcasting To Give Higher Quality Service Radio broadcasting stations in Washington, which are furnishing entertainment to at least 50,000 local listeners-in and countless numbers spread over the eastern section of the country, have joined in the na- tion-wide movement which has as its definite aim the improvement of the broadcasting service. Through the recently organized ‘Washington Radio Broadcasters’ As- wociation the-broadcasters are ocir- lating among the listeners-in, ques- tionnaires which are designed to de- termine the‘desires of the radio pub- lic concerning the nature and fre- quency of broadcasts. What the radio public wants in the way of entertainment, the amount and quality, are big, vital questions confronting the broadcasting sta- tions, nationally as well as locally. Because of the curious relation be- tween the broadcasters and the li: teners-in, the former have no effect- ive agency of ascertaining the kind of programs the latter desire and their opinion of them. - And herein lies a problem. The artist appearing before an au- dience is almost immediately aware of the success or failure of his effort, " the theater manager has a barometer ¢ [} in his box office, and the newspaper or magazine can tell by its circula- tion to.what extent it is meeting Stations Anxious broadcasters in ~their undertaking have not yet found an effective means to sense the feelings of those who make use of their service. The broadcasting stations are anxious to change this situation and Wwish in some way to obtain a closer touch with their Invisible audiences. Besides, they would like the listen- ers-in to have a better understand- ing of radio matters in general and the problems that must be solved in an undertaking of this kind. The broadcasting problem really divides itself into two major di- Visions, the first of which is that of regulation. Radio receiving stations have been established at an almost inconcelv- able rate, so that now they number into the millions, and radio service has become actually a public neces- sity. Unfortunately, however, this growth {s not confined to the recelv: ing or listening public, but the num. ber of broadcasting stations also has increased by leaps and bounds until now there are in the nelghborhood of €00 broadcasting stations, all bunch- ed on two wave lengths. Thus huge and miscellaneous bunch of broadcasters and listeners s now confronted with a condition border- ing on chaos. There is no existing plan to correct this almost chastic condition or to prevent interference. n:,nssmz.-yr- pola o i e Y WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY- MORNING, JANUARY 7, 1923. BY N. 0. MESSENGER. OV. ALFRED E. SMITH of New « York gave the statesmen in Con- gress something to think about in a suggestion made by him in his address last week. Gov. Smith thinks there should be a change in the method of ratify- ing amendments to the Constitution of the United States. His idea is that when the states are called upon to ratify a consti- tutional amendment it should be done by the people as a whole and not by the legis- latures of the states. “I recommend,” said Gov. Smith, “the initiation by this state of a proposed amend- ment to the federal Copstitution requiring submission to the people instead of to the legislature of all future proposals to amend the federal Constitution. Guarding the legal rights of the individual when he is secking justice is an obligation as important as safeguarding his political and personal rights.” ok ok ok Doubt has arisen as to the construc- tion to be placed upon Gov. Smith's recom- mendation. Tt is asked; does he mean to wipe out' state lines altogether, and ratify a constitutional amendment by the mass of the electorate? It is suggested that this would, indeed, be a revolutionary proposition. He may have to clarify his proposal. Wik D If Gov. Smith’s suggestion, under such construction, were adopted it would mean that in passing upon the ratification of an amendment to the federal Constitution, Nevada, with its comparatively handful of population, could not cast a vote of equal weight in ratification or rejection with New York or Pennsylvania or Ohio. The voters as individuals would count, not the states as units. In order to effect the change, however, the Constitution must first be amended, and on the ratification of the amendment pro- posing the change Nevada would count as of equal strength as New York or any other commonwealth. * ok ok ¥ Adoption of the Smith plan, as thus con- strued, would prevent the occurrence of such another coup as the prohibitionists effected in the ratification of the eighteenth amendment, unless ‘a majority of the in- dividual voters of the nation assented. - * ¥ %k % There would be a protest from the con- servative element against the proposed change, however. They would see in it the handing over to the people the power to secure a strangle-hold over capital and in- dustry, taking it for granted that the ma- jority is not sympathetic with ultracon- servatism. . If a resolution for the submission of such an amendment to the Constitution is submitted to Congress by the initiation of the legislature of New York, an epochal debate will be inevitable. * * % In the House, within the next week or ten days, will come a contest over a pro- posed amendment to the Constitution, the resolution submitting to the states for rati- ficajon of an amendment to restrict the issue of tax-exempt securities is due for consideration. Secretary of the Treasury Mellon, who, with President Harding, sponsors the pro- posal, contends that there is really no ground for the' charge that an invasion of states’ rights is contained therein, nor is there any attack upon the borrowing power of the states or their political subdivisions. In writing to Representative Greene of Iowa, prospective chairman of the ways and means committee in the next Congress, Sec- retary Mellon said: “The amendment would apply with ab- solute cquality to the federal gevernment on the one hand and the states and their political subdivisions on the other hand, and in the interests or the general welfare would put exactly the same restrictions upon future borrowings by the federal govern- ment as upon future borrowing by the states. The constantly growing mass of tax- exempt securities threatens the public rev- enues, not only of the federal government, but of the states as well, and it is reaching such proportion as to undermine the de- velopment of business and industry.” * ¥ k X They are still speculating at the Capitol over the chances of an extraordinary ses- sion of Congress in the spring or summer. Current legislative conditions continue so favorable to a clean-up of vital measures by March 4—unless the ship subsidy bill is .to be classed as vital—as to dispel the threat of an extra session being forced by failure to pass the supply bills. But, never- thless and notwithstanding, the idea per- sists in haunting many statesmen on the hill that outside conditions may compel the calling of the new Congress before the first Monday of next December. President Harding hopes to leave. Wash- ington right after this Congress adjourns sine ‘die, March .4, for a six-week rest in the ‘south, so there is no thought in his mind of summoning the new Congress., Imdeed, the belief among’ the Tawmakers is that’he wants Co’ngress off his hands until the con- stitutional date for its assembling arrives. And he has the “say” in the premises. * % %k ¥ The politicians, however, are pondering the political considerations in the question. There are two schools of thought, those who think that “the less of Congress the better for the country and the fewer the chances for political turmoil,” and a group that views conditions from another angle. It is the contention of the latter that it would be advantageous to the republican party if the progressive legislation. which the republicans have in view could be,cleared up before the presidential campaign of 1924 is in full swing. They feel that if the Con- gress gets into a snarl in the early months of 1924 over the progressive legislation, am- munition will be furnished both to the demo- - crats and the radical progressives, with the consequences that the republican party will enter the actual campaign under a fire of criticism calculated to be damaging * %k ¥ % It is a delicate question “with much to be said on both sides.” If one with sports- man's proclivities sought to place a small bet, he would probably/think the odds point to there being no extra session and the G. O. P. elephant lumbering into the next national campaign surrounded by a swarm of hornets. 3 It is regarded as certain that in the long interregnum between March 4 and the first Monday in December the radical progres- sives will make it very hot for the rcgular republicans, pointing out alleged sins. of omission and commission. must soon be taken to restrict the number of stations broadcasting if there 15 to be any hope of enjoving non-interfering reception. Further, they emphasize that there must .be supervision and regulation that will | require both quality and service of | the broadcasting stations. | In the range of wave bands allowed | by the.government for broadcasting there are comparatively few avall- able for that purpose, and even if all of them were made use of it would not permit more than thirty or forty stations throughout the country, and location and wave lengths would | have to be very carefully allotted and adhered to, to permit these to op- | erate at the same time without in- terference. The problem of accomplishing this nearly 600 stations now operating, and possibly as many thore starting in the near future emphasizes that the situation is out of control. Pend- ing such time as there is proper fed- eral regulation to remedy this situs- tion there have been many sugges- tions made to improve existing con- ditions. The one which has most fr quently been urged is that of a si- lent night to permit of long distance | reception. The silent night question is one of those which appears on the question- naire sent out by the local broad- casters’ assoclation. The organiza. tion also is trying to learn whether in lieu of the silent night, the radio sudlence which they serve would rather have all broadcasting stop promptly st 9 or 9:30 am. so that they could receive the long distarce stations. SEES MILLIONS LOST IN U. S. AUTO USE Aroused over reports that the use of government automobdlles by gov- ernn‘::;v. employes in the District of Columbia and elsewhers was being abused and that the cost of provid- ing and maintaining automobiles for government employes was amounting to tens of millions of dollars “an- nually, the Senate yesterday adopted s resolution, offered by Senator Mc- Kellar of Tennessee, calling upor the heads of all departments, independent bureaus and the District Commis sloners to give the Senate compfete information as to the number of pas- senger automobiles in use and the cost of their operation. The resolution calls for the name of the person to whom an automobile is assigned; the cost thereof; the cost of the upkeep and operation; the pay of chauffeur furnished, if one 'is furnished, and other information re- garding the use of sutomobiles. * It asks for the number, location and cost of any garages maintalned by the government. Separate reports are asked for regarding the operation of automobiles in the, of Colum- bia and those maintained and oper- by the government outside the District. ‘The alleged extravagant use of gov- rhment ‘omeils and employes rua o o: SR N S Ssiare e Sterior " Depariment. appropristion r blIL Senator King of Utah declared that he had been told it cost the “ASTS By William Note.—In publishing this ar- ticle_by the brilliant editor of the Emporia Gazette The Star does not necessarily indorse the views he expresses. But Mr. White brings to the discussion of current events a fertile mind and an entertaining style, and a discriminating public will place its own valuation upon the opinions he advances. NTO the muddie of the eastern question has come some contro- versy as to the possession of the site of the Garden of Eden. Just why with humanity in its present low state of moral probity, any one should oare for possession of th, place where we hit the toboggan, heaven only knows. Possibly the would-be pos- sessors want to return to the garden and start humanity all over again. Well, 1 they do want to start some gort of a back-to-the-farm movement, we have this one suggestion: Bar the activities of the Apple Growers' Asso- olation and .get a competent snake charmer. Adam and Eve were all right. Outsiders made the trouble, It 1s doubtful if even apple ple is good enough to pay for the grief that has come from the acquired taste for fresh fruit which the snake and the devil imposed upon our ancestors. The new owners of the garden will ido well to get back to dried apples which sufficed for the world till Eve got 8o plokey and choosey; then if the promoters of the scheme can tune in and get Billy Sunday to banish the devil and Bt. Patrick to drive out the snakes, we may get & mew breed of humans that will consistently vote the straight ticket and give three cheers for the surtax. Christ in Businees. HE press dispatches, which give us more romance than the flotion ‘writers ever devised and better, were telling the story last week of the business faflure of a ran In Wiscon- sin, who made & speclalty of intraduo- ing “Christ in business.” The man was a banker who preached a little on the side, and had much to say about the Iniquity of modern comme! clal methods. He is faced with cer- tain embezzlement and malfesance charges which will keep him so busy that he will have to let the wicked system jog along for a time until he gets rid of the laywers and balliffs and things who are bedevilling his life just now. In the meantime, busi- ness will suffer but slightly by his lect. & " For the truth is that business, as the day’s work goes, is not so crooked as the crooks make it out to be, Bus! ness i{s but one of the activities of men, and mankind keeps its lines of progress fairly straight. Business is as clean as the home or the school, or the church or the courthouse. Men are as decent In one relation as in others. And Christ is abaut as much in business as He is in the church or the sohool or the home. The Golden Raule is the basic philosophy of our EE IT.” faiths test for his weary and per- plexed spirit. He who burns s church destroys a harbor where the souls of men find anchorage. It may not be.a deep. harbor. It may not be the harbor where his sails may be | furled. But in its calm the tempest Allen W hite. | |@erfect men, and no perfect Insti- tutions, but man and his ordinary ac. tivitles run along about 70 per cént 8ood and the rest only fairly bad. And it may be lald down as a rule that the man who has time to talk and brag and bluster about Christ in business has less time to put Him there than his competitiors have who are shy on time for blowing the plous | bazoo! The Animal Fair. | “Democrats Going Wet Next Year and G. O. P. Hope to Capture West With Dry Plank.”—Newspaper head- line. T Come, listen to my ditty and try to check your tears, The donkey of democracy has fins fn- stead of ears; His hoofs have sprouted duck webs and his lungs have turned to gills And the donkey is a hootch hound now whose guts are copper stills, 2. And, now behold, the elephant has swiped the camel's hump, | The elephant has bitten every bar- | keep on the dump; The elephant has signed the pledge, no more will he get drunk, But peddle tracts and moral saws and sermons from his trunk. Burning the Churchens. | Quebec the blaze of religious fanaticism has attacked the Cath- olic churches and every week the news comes that some Catholic church or cathedral has been . de- stroyed. A curfous bigotry that which Incites men to destroy that which they misunderstand sufficiently to disllke. We are in the midst of a world-wide madne which takes the form of maliclous intolerance. Men seem to forget that any church is better than no church for a man. Our religious néeds are as deep as our physical wants. Every human creature buffeting the adverse winds of this world feels a great need of some falth, rellance, trust, hope or anchorige gripping the force outside ourselves which makes for righteous- ness. Even an 1dol of wood and stone is better for & man than the perversity of blind unbelief. And generally a man picks the faith he needs. If in a community there are many churches it means that there are many kinds of men. Any church which men will support is needed. It is evident in looking over the church membership of any glven soclal unit, a town, a country; a township, & city, that men of & kind flock together; the stupid go to the church where they can cast the safest anchor. Those whose na- tures need no material symbols go to the church whose creed is sim- plest. And between the top and bot- tom are many grades of mind. “In my Fathers house are many man- sions.” We could not all be Unitarl- ans nor Christian Sclentists nor Cath- olics mor Methodists nor Congrega- tienalists. But each of us may find semewhers:in the hroad category of breaks in vain. Of all futile and useless forms of destruction_church burning is_proba- bly the most odious. Bigotry can go no farther. Only ignorance inspired by malice could justify such a deed. A Conservation Victory. JOSSIBLY the reason why Secretary Fall fs to retire from the Presi- dent’s cabinet is that the President has publicly and definitely announced that the Department of Agriculture shall not lose its dominion over the national forests. Those who opposed what may be called the Pinchot theory of conservation, desired that the control of the natlonal forests should be taken from the Agriculture of Department, which is traditionally liberal and progressive, and given into the hands of Mr. Fall's, Department of the Interlor. Thoss who opposed this change felt and safd that the change would be the beginning of the Ballingerization of the forests serv- ice. The President stood by the con- servationists. Fall lost his fight. Generaly speaking, the reactionaries under every. branch of the govern- ment are losing thelr fight. The nation is going ahead about as fast as it went under Wilson or Roosevelt. Even under Taft it did not stop. The momentum of public opinion forced the forward movement. ‘What good does it do to make the fight against the tendency of the time? The urge of humanity to a more complicated system of govern- ment, for a more equitable distribu- tion of the world's production, for better living conditions for the aver- age man is the strongest impluse in the world. Your reationary is merely kicking against the pricks. Yet let us thank heaven for him. What a world it would be with the brakes off, ; Straws. JROHIBITION, of course, does not prohibit. Sure—the bootleggers voted California and Ohio dry. Yoa bet—we are buying more booze than ever before in the history of the country. Here is the proof of it: In St. Louis one brewer is offering his brewery plant for sale for other pur- poses than brewing, and another brewer has killed himself because his business has gone to pleces. Let us hasten and repeal the Volstead law and wipe oyt the eighteenth amend- ment. Say, aren't they dead letters? Hasn't public sentiment deserted them? Light wines and beer are just around the corner where a thousand years are ag a watch In the night. Straws in the wind show which way the mint julep is going. Dantes and Dollars. Itallan fascisti signalized their entrance into power by requiring that & bust of Dante should be set up in every Italian embassy and consu- late. Dante, to the world outside of Italy, is to be the symbol of Italy. Yot the fascisti is supposed to ex- press the aspirations of those Itallans who would “treat ‘em rough”—the PLAN OF TES TING BOOZE STIRS IRE OF THE DRYS | l lSpencer Bill for a | Federal Commission .Not to Pass Without Bitter Opposition. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. HE Anti-Saloon League, prohi- bition senators and other “drys” scent light wines and beer in the blll introduced a day or two ago by Senator Spencer of Missouri, republican, providing for the appointment of a commission by the President to determine just what alcohollo content makes a bev- erage intoxicating in the meaning of the elghteenth amendment to the Constitution. The “drys” are up in arms imme- diately. They insist that the pro- posed commission and investigation could only weaken the prohibition cause. Opposed by Bootleggers. Senator Spencer, on the other hand, | takes the stand that his proposal is really & step in the direction of Teal enforcement of prohibition. He holds that the present Volstead prohibition enforcement act is too apparently drastic, with its declaration that no beverage shall contaln over one-half of 1 per cent of alcohol; that because : it interferes to too great an extent with the personal liberties of the Dpeople 1t is bringing law and order into disrepute. Furthermors, he con tonds: that the bootleggers, who are reaping fortunes under the present prohibition laws, are dead against any modification, and that the “drys" are really playing into the hands of the bootleggers by opposing any change. Hax Hard Fifiht Ahead. The Spencer resolution has been referred to the judiclary committee of the Senafe. There, in the due course, it probably will be referred to a subcommittee, and that subcom- mittee, it is expected, will be headed by Senator Sterling of South Dakota, republican, who was chairman of the subcommittes which cared for the so-called anti-beer bill, which passed as an amendment to the Volstead act and dashed the hopes of many that beer would be available. Sena- tor Sterling has frankly announced his opposition to the Spencer plan for a commission, and he will do all in his power to preyent its adoption by the committee on judiciary and by the Senate itself. The chances aro, it is said, that it will not reach the' Senate, certainly not at the pres- ent session of Congress, .The brewers, say the “drys” are advancing the suggestion for the ap- pointment of a commission by the President to study and determine what s really an intoxlcating beverage. And the drys are against anything that the brewers are for. Growing in Activity. Proponents of light wines and beer, however, are becoming more and more active. They have formed an “al- lance,” not a “league.” But thelr organization is stirring up sentiment in faver of permitting the sale of light wines and beer wherever it can It has been holding “votes” in many clties, and it proposes to hold one here tomorrow. Give us light wines and beer, they #ay, and levy a sufficient tax on them, {and it will be possible to raise three- quarters of a billion dollars, or even a billion dollars, from that source of taxation every year. In twenty debt. - They have faith in the thirst of the American people. Furthermore, they insist that If the law were amended 30 as to permit the manu- facture and sale of light wines and beer—which they insist are not propery “intoxicating beverages'—it would put such & “crimp”An the boot- legging business that the lawless element now engaged in rum running and selling would have to look for something €lse to do. Senator Spencer, the author of the proposal that the President appoint a commission of seven persons, two at least of whom shall be women, said last night that he would take the matter up with members of the committee on judiclary. It may be years this tax would pay off the war | that hearings will be asked for af a later date, he indicated. Chance for “Leme Ducks.” His resolution puts at the disposal of the commission $100,000 to make the investigation in a highly scientifie { manner, and the commissioners would be pald at the rate of $760 & month, or $9,000. No time limit is placed upon the commission, but merely the injunctfon that it shall make a vers complete and scientific investigation, While a number of the senators take the resolution and its purpose seriously, there are others who SUg- gest that the “lame ducks,” the sena- tors and representatives who failed of election to the next Congress, might become engaged in a great scramble | for places on this commission. The investigations conducted some years 2go by the Department of Agricul- ture, bureau of chemistry, to deter- mine whether certain foods or pre. servatives wers deleterlous to the human health would, they say, pale into Insignificance in interest when compared to the investigations as to just what percentage of alcohol would make & man, or woman, wabble in his or her walk, or blur their minds. A call for volunteers to be experi. mented upon would be answered, is predicted, by a veritable army. League Dead Against Tt. The Anti-Saloen Leazue is tak: the matter meriously. however, and Wayne B. Wheeler, zeneral counsel for the leazue in Washington. h { declared that practically every tem- verance organization and church ar- ®anization is aeainst such a pr nosal as that of Senator Spencer's Tt. he said. would only create a feel- ng of unrest. He declared that no sclentific commissian—no matter how nclentific—conld determine just what was an intoxicating heverams for 100.000 000 people. He said that al- c6hol affects peovle diffarently. ac- cording to age, temperament. accus- tomed use. etc. No accurate conclu- sion could be reachad by the propesed commission. he said Gettinz down to the practical side of the matter. Mr. Wheelar pointed out that more than forty states have adopted in their own cndes of Jaw the standard of one-half of 1 per cent or a lower alecholle coftent for the enforcement of prohibition. Only two of the states have fixed 1 per cent as the maximum amount of al- cohol which may be contained by 2 non-intoxicating beverage. H Cought in Their Own Net. | The brewers and lauor veople. it }is said. have only themselves to ! thank for the original establishment lof one-half of 1 per cent as the }limit of alcohol 4n 2 mon-intoxicat- ing beverawe. Years ago, when the | brewers and manufacturers of hard |llguor were overating under the 1i- cense of the government and paying § j1axes on=thelr isoduy Stnay; sitv cated stringent laws against the hoot j1eRgers of those days who put out un ) taxed alcoholic beverages—“mocn {shine,” it was called then as now 1So to protect the licensed manufuci turers of alcoholic beverages thd istandard of one-half of 1 per cen | was adopted. The prohibitionists say i they needn’t now attempt to wrls* &le out of this, The United States Supreme Courl | has held that Congress has a righ | to say what the alcoholle content of an intoxicating beverage fs. The prohibitionists rejoiced when this de- Ichllon was made, because it upheld , the right of Congress to fix one-half of 1 per cent as the limit. But it } Congress, under the decision of the - | court, hias the right to say how small a content of aleohol there shall be in beverages, then, say the “wets” it has the right to say how large it shall be. If they can get Congress, through the means of & sclentific in- vestigation conducted by a presiden- tial commission, to raise the limit, they will do the rejolcing and not the “dr. American Exporters Not Remiss |. In Extending Reasonable Credit American’ export methods have come in for frequent criticism from foreign purchasers, but most of the allega- tions that are golng the rounds are plainly misstatements of fact, accord- ing to the Department of Commerce. Among the false charges frequently leveled against American foreign trade is that American manufacturers jall insist on cash with order and that ,mroln exporters all sell on twelve months time, or more liberal terms. America's export totals in themselves should prove an adequate refutation of this charge, the department says. Americans are good business men, whether they are selling abroad or at home, and they are accustomed to ‘doing business in 3 business way and in accordance with the requirements of the market. American exporters, however, have never belleved that unreasonable credits were of any genuine benefit to either the buyer or the seller. Any arrangement which tends to postpone payment of the Invoice unreasonably tends. to make the buyer careless of his obligations and in that way en- courages speculation on his part. Exporters in the United States are not only granting terms ag llberal as those offered by others, the depart- ment -points out, but they are con- stantly extending the dates qf their drafts, or what amounts to the same 4hing, allowing drafts to be met by, | the acceptance of new drafts bearing a later date, although perhaps re- | quirtng payment of part of the drat: | in cash. There is no rule—no regular procedure—in regard to this. It is simply the American habit of doing business on & business basis, and with due regard for the interest of the customer. Some American houses do demand {cash in New York or confirmed fr- irevocable credits. Frequently these | terms are insisted upon because the |buver’s currency has reached a state | Of depreciation that suggests the pos- 1 sibility of the buyer not being ablé to pay for his goods in dollars or isterling, if payment is. deferred Sometimes these terms are demanded «on shipments to the far east because {these terms are customary in far east- ern trade. On the other hand, American im- porters are buying large quantities of goods continually sgainst confirmed credits. The experience of importers two years ago, when quantities of American merchandise were brought back to this country from foreign ports, or were put back into foreign ‘warehoquses, or were sold to the orig- inal purchasers at large discounts, because the goods had been shipped on accepiance draft basis or on some: more liberal arrangement, will be