Evening Star Newspaper, April 15, 1923, Page 79

Maudlin Sentiment Banned When Women Now Face Court, Says Mrs. Willebrandt BY MAYME OBER PEAK. N the last ten years the criminal business of the United States has increased 800 per cent. State prisons and jails are so crowded that cells intended for two have had to be stretched to contain double. Because of congested conditions in state penal institutions the govern- ment authorities are finding it in- creasingly difficult to get any federal prisoners farmed out. And, as the federal penitentiaries have passed their normal capacity, a serious emer: gency is being faced. Espectally is this true in regard to the female portion of Uncle Sam’s un- invited guests. With the exception of two Institutions—and these with the combined more—the government has no place to board federal woman prisoners. Aware of the situation, judges are holding up sentences in, many cases. until places of confinement can be designated. Department .6 Justice offictals state there igffo need of con- victing men ‘and “women and going through the précess of trial without & Place to talse care of thém. WhatAs the reason for this rapidly growfng prison population? And to what extent is woman answerable? Is ‘she enjoying “equality” In crime as in everything else? Or it that woman #& at last zetting equality of justice? These questions were put to Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt, assistant attorney general. * ¥ kK HE second woman in the country to reach this legal, official pin- nacle, Mrs. Willebrandt, like her predecessor, Mrs. Annette Adams, comes from California—a state that gave suffrage to woman some time before the passage of the federal amendment. As one of the women who helped make that “land in the making,” Mrs. ‘Willebrandt lived and worked on an equality basis, her sex proving no more of a handicap than it does in her present position. While she is comparatively young — and, inei- | dentally, a very charming looking woman, her life has been active and full of experience. She has very capacity of only twenty | and Jury Are Increasi practical’ and level-headed ideas on the subject of woman's rights—and ! wrongs, approaching it with none | of man's chivalry and “chicken-, Leartedness” toward woman, and with | all of woman's understanding of her | sex. | Her replies to questions were re- | plete with common sense. unbiased | judgment and justice. and showed no | evidence of woman's inhumanity to| woman.” | “There isn't any more crime.” she stated, “but more criminals are be- ing brought to justice. This is due to increased activity of the law-en- forcement machinery of the states and federal government, and the ereatly enlarged jurisdiction of the federal criminal department during the past ten years, caused by the en- actment of a number of statutes which oreate new federal offenses. “In the last three or four sessions of Congress, new criminal laws have been passed, such as the anti-nar- cotic act, the espionage act. the auto- | theft act, the Income tax act and the prohibition act. Sixty per cent of the increase in the criminal population has come with the passage of these laws. “In prohibition cases alone, there are 19,000 over the country awaiting trial, and, roughly speaking, some- thing ltke 3,000 income tax and tax fraud cases. There is also a large number of convictions for violations of the Harrison anti-narcotic act. “The more laws, the more lawless- ness, it seems,” the writer Yemarked. “No, but many offenses which were formerly not punishable in federal courts have now been made so. Tak: ing into consideration the increase in population, the loosening of ethi- cal bonds following every war, there 18 no Increase In crime to any appre- ciable degree. “This likewise applies tc women. More women are being sentenced by federal courts than in the past, but it must be remembered that up to ten or fifteen years ago women did not come under the federal laws as they do today. “However, while there is no in- crease In crime among women, there is an increasing tendency on the part of law-enforcement agencies to recognize woman's responsibility in law-breaking. Judge and jury are more and more willing to hold a woman who has violated the law responsible for her act.” “Has suffrage brought about this ohange of attitude?” “Indirectly. Suffrage has increased woman's participation in the activi- ties of the community, and has caused the public mind to ‘uniergo a change in relation to her respon- sibllity for her acts—good or bad. “From the standpoint of ,justice, there is only one standard of respon- &ibil'ty for crime. Maudlin sentiment has no place in justice at all. Nor does chivalry belong to it. .Chivalry never gets at the heart of things; it is an outward expression, like manners. What justice needs to back it up is a stern and understanding sympathy. And the place to express it is in the adequate way you handle the unfortunate who has trans- gressed, rather than in excusing him, or her, in wholesale fashion from the clutches of the law. “Woman's security from the death penalty for killing has been too long taken for granted. Women were really encouraged to commit crime by the misplaced leniency with which the law treated them. Now we are getting to the place where we can bring women to justice the same as men.” * ® ok % .« AVE women in the jury box had something to do with this?” 1 inquired. “Out in your state, in the famous hammer murder case, for instance, a mixed jury convicted, the defendant in short order.” “Yes, with women on juries we will get more correct’ analysis of fact. Naturally, women are not susceptible to the wiles and weaknesses ‘of ‘woman as are the 6ther sex, and are more able to get beneath the surface. ¥or them, “the personal squation’ does not enter in as it does for men, who see In nearly every. woman pris- oner . their. own mother, wife or sweetheart. . Siegane *Then, too, the woman juror.is Assistant Attorney General Declares Judge ngly Willing to Hold a Woman Who Has Violated the Law Respon- sible for Her Act—"Woman's Security From Death Penalty for Killing Too Long Taken for Grnnted"—Female Juror a Factor. MISS MABEL WALKER WILLEBRANDT. ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES. generally of a higher type—a club or college woman, who is more con- scientious about her jury duty. Whereas the business or professional man will do everything possible to get out of serving.” “If justice is to be equally di tributed among the sexes, will it not be apt to bring about a sentiment in favor of abolishing capital punish ment altogether rather than sentence mothers and potential mothers to the chair or gallows?" “I wouldn't say that woman's en- tering the criminal picture has any- thing to do with this phase of the problem. There has been a growing wave of humanitarianism for some time in favor of abolishing capital punishment and if a poll of public opinion were taken today this would no doubt be clearly shown.” “Do you believe that women are answerable for a large amount of crime in men?" “That theory is as old as Adam,” laughed Mrs. Willebrandt, throwing back her exquisitely coiffed head. “I don’t subscribe to it. But I do believe that women play a far more impor- tant part in crime than appears on | the surface. “A case In point is one in New York, recently discussed in the newspapers. Without two women prohibition em- ploves who were in collusion with the defendant, he could not Ppossibly have obtained blank permits and operated his scheme. One woman, older than he, acted as his accomplice; the other, much younger, fell in love with him and was therefore an easy dupe. “By turning informer the - older woman saved her skin, and -the younger went scot free. The. man was given twenty years in the penften- | tiary. Yet women were the important factors in the crime. Neither one will | be any better ‘off by reason of escape | from punishment.” “I recently saw an interesting claim by a criminologist that the female criminal {s more callous and indiffer- ent than the male. What is your .opinion about this?" “In-my experience, I have not found this to be- true. And I have talked to several thousand woman prisoners, | accused of murder on down. In Los Angeles, where I practiced law, we have what Is called & publie defender, to ald prisoners without funds and prevent their falling into the hands of unscrupulous lawyers. The bar a sociation sponsored the office as an experiment, and it grew into some- thing 8o fine it was eventually eatab- lished as a part of the city govern- ment. “I assisted the defender in the ex- amination - of the young girls and women who drifted through the po- lice courts, and from this experience gleaned something of the tempera- ment.of sex. In many cases, I would be told, ‘Oh, she is hardened, Mrs. ‘Willebrandt.” ‘But she isn’t,’ I would insist. And oftener than not I would find her quick to réspond to the ‘woman's understanding approach. “To be sure, the larger part of these criminals were- soclal ~ offenders, women of the str with little edu- cation or refinement. In the case of the federal prisoners,' we have a dif- ferent type-from the uneducated po- lice court type of criminal. -Of course, ther: some habitual eriminals and mental defectives among them who will.never be. anything- but a menace, but-the average s more intelligent Copyright by Harris & {from a social standpoint and needs | more intelligent treatment X % ok ox $6/JHE federal woman prisoners, of which we have a standing \average of about 300. may be classed {as follows: Bootleggers—those who bootleg themselves, those who act as amouflages in automobile ~trans- portation of liquor and the wives of bootleggers who assist their hus- bands: violators of the Mann and Dyer acts; accomplices in bank de- falcations, usually the stenographer of the absconding cashier; bank | thieves’ woman accomplices or sweet- hearts; woman bank cashiers who go wrong; woman postal-law violators, clerks who pilfer the mail and blue- sky operators who use the mails to | defraud; violators of the anti-narcotic |1aw and narcotic drug addicts, who | ask to be imprisoned in order to get | | away from the drug. | “These last mentioned are particu- {1arly of a better class of women, and | need special treatment to help re- | cuperate from the drug. With but few exceptions, however, the jails to | which the government has been forced to send them have no hospital | facilities to handle such cases. | “Recently the warden of one of these ill-equipped-jails wrote the De- partment of Justice: ‘Can’t you, as the federal government, do some- thing to prevent sending us federal woman prisoners who are dope ad- dicts? "It I8 not only inhuman to put them In cells. without treatment to bridge themover the intense suffer- ing. following the lessening of the drug. but it has a bad effect on prison morale.’ “Another warden wrote: ‘We have tried to get _you to take away these woman prisoners. “Now, inasmuch as you are faced with an emergency, we are going to double the price. “At the present time Wwe are pay- Ing out $95,000 a year to states and counties -for caring for federal woman prisoners. The method has been ‘to make eentracts with the wardens at so much a day, the women to be subject to the penoiogy laws of that- state. Some of these laws are good, but some are extreme- Iy bad and work a hardship and in- justice on- the women -subjected to them. “With hardly enough room to take care of their own prisoners, however, state and local institutions that for- merly accommodated federal woman prisoners have now closed their doors to ‘more of them in every instance except two—the Caldwell jail, in New Jersey, and the Sonoma Farm for Delinquent Women, California. -And even these have recently advised that they are able to take only twenty more. “We have combed the country to make contracts with local institu- tions for women who are now in jail awaliting designation to proper place of confinement. But, with the excep- tion of the two places mentioned, haye been unable to find any accom- modations whatever.” “How about: the federal prisons at Atlanta, Leavenworth and ' McNeal Istand? . Could not some provision be made therefor women?’ % “These penitentiaries were estab- lished for men only. To place women’ there would only intensity the prob- lem of dealing with each sex. Be- sides, there is hardly enough ground to: admit ;of ‘necessary : enlargement “There are two plans to meet the emergency—one to establish a s arate prison, or reformatory, for male first offenders and the other to es- tablish a federal reformatory for women. Bills providing for the same were introduced at the last session of Congress, but on account of local opposition which developed and the short period of time before adjourn- ment,. final action was not had. “There are two classes of criminals that -should be taken care of differ- ently—the male first-offenders and the women. When I came to the De- partment of Justice I realized that these were the two propositions that needed first attention. “The government has had no con- structive method of - segregating first-offenders from hardened crim- inals. There has been no sueh thing as a federal reformatory. The re- formatory ' clasa of prisoner was either farmed out to state reforma- tories or sent to federal prisons along with the long-termers and habltual criminals. “The way in which the government handles its prisoners, in truth, is so far ‘behind the way in which practi- eally all the states handle theirs, we | cannot avold the conclusion that our prisoners, in all likelihood, are prov- ing the greater menace to soclety when they are released. The federal prison methods are archiic, belonging to the most unenlightenéd penal ideas. It is a national shame. * X % ok §THERE are 400,000 criminals turned back into society every year. Their restoration is a problem, and the law should employ every agency to guard and assist them in making a new start. We are not meeting our part of the problem until we provide them with the means to return in a way that will not cause them to be a menace. “In the establishment of a federal industrial reformatory — which the measure provides shall be on the abandoned cantonment at Camp Grant, Illinois, the government plans the development of a model place of confinement for first offenders under thirty years of age. Modern shops, with facilities for education and re- construction, will be erected.- The idea is not only to lead the inmate of the reformatory to regard himself as not yet sunk to the level of the criminal class, preserving his selt- respect so that he can go out feeling he has not been branded as a felon, but to aid him in his restoration to useful citizenship by providing- him with the means of making a living. “Similar provision iv made for wom- en in the pending bill for the estab- lishment of a United States industrial home for women at Mount Weather, | Bluemont, Va, This property is owned |by the Department of Agriculture, and | was formerly the government weather bureau. There are two large stone | bulldings in good condition, artesian well, and water and heating systems. With but small additional expendi- ture a hospital and cottages could be erected. “Of all the government-owned sites visited by a spectal committee, this site was decided upon as the most logical and ideal, It is perched on a {high summet of the Blue Ridge—six | miles from the railroad and fifty from | the nearest city of any size. Its iso- lation lessens danger of escape, as well as of smuggling various kinds of dope to the prisoners. This is a problem that must always be faced in penal institutions whece there are many woman prisoners. “The motive of the measure is the development of an institution for women on the most modern methods | known to penology. It would be equipped to represent in its facilities the highest type of training for the rehabilitation of a disadvantaged womanhood. Only those eligible to its advantages would be sent there, | dangerous and incorrigible woman | prisoners being placed elsewhere. | “Bearing in mind the superior in- { telligence of the women to be incar- | cerated, we would place them under | the care of.the most enlightened pen- | ologists, the nurses and women doing | the Individual training to be cultured college women. With proper sewing equipment installed, the women could | be taught to make the pajamas and | sheets and a great deal of the mater- {ial for the upkeep of our federal prisons. “In the institutions I have been | connected with and had occasion to observe, it has been quite a problem |to find, and to teach to women, any | kind of work that they were interest- ed in. Weaving and handwork seem | to be the most popular. In these, we would receive help from the depart- ment of education, which has a bu- |reau specializing in that work, and from the Department of Agriculture in teaching them butter-making, cooking, small farming and garden- ing. | “Sounds more like a domestic sci- | ence school than a prison,” sald zncl | interviewer.- “After all, it looks as it | women are not.going to get equality of punishment.” i * K x * ¢6QOCIETY has always ‘made it harder for-a woman commit- ting an offense against it to return. Because of age-old tradittons and prejudices, her explation-is doubly hard. Therefore, during her-restraint, double effort should be made 'to equip her with some trade, some- usetul calling. In punishment, we should reform, not degrade. What we would like with an institution of ‘this na- ture is the opportunity to demon-| strate the fine art of restoration to good citizen#hip, of the woman social offender.” “You say there was local opposition to the measure “Yés; the major portion of it com- ing from a group who had summer homes in that locality. With the es. tablishment of a penal institution, there are always those who oppose it from a purely selfish,. ‘holler than thou' attitude of mind. What is wrong with the world today is that too much of it is willing to do good to ‘unfortunate creatures’ providing that good is done by somebody else.! and the unfortunate creatures are never brought within the sight of the protestants of good will!” ‘ Meanwhile, until Congress convenes th December, a hundred or more fed- eral’ women prisoners will languish in rat-infested jalls, Who says wom- en.are notgetting equality of. pun- ishment? i What Is Etiquette? ! O EDITOR STAR, celebrated printer, whose head is fat with rich ideas, Dearest Sir: Because I am in North America to! obtain-college education in dishwash- ing, sweeping and Gen. Housework, I wish know everything possible and often umpossible. I have learned all to know about Baseballing, Divorces, Murders, Tariff. and other publisk ovils, but sometimes 1 meet ideas which make my brain curl up so it does not seem to fit my head. I ask to know. Yet there is np answer. For instancely: What is Etiquette? My cousin Nogi, who are learning poetry-writing by mail from the University of Marion, Ohlo, say there 1s no such object as Etiquette. If ther was, he require, how could Col. Har- | vey remain so long in the Court of | St. Jas? To prov what he say he show me following hand-wwritten dog-rhyme: Old King Tut Was a jollified Nutt Til Egypt voted dry. Then he hired a room In a stylish toom And started to mummify He was satisfled With the way he dried For a million years or more Til the British Museum Broke into his dream With an ax on his big front door. They hired a man With a moving van And never said “Axcusge!” They was kind of curt When they took his shirt | & his throne &#his pants & his shoes. | shoes. They took his chair And his kitchenware & the whole of his bedroom set. It was all so quaint! But yet it aint What 1 call Etiquette R ‘ HEN Cousin Nogi come to see me last Wednesday morning a.m. he | show me this Japanese Sonnet, which | 1 should admire, but I knew it was, Jjust another axcuse to borra my cigar again. 1 ask him how it was that' “JUST A FEW WORDS TO THE EDITOR.” every American remain so umpolite yet keep studying Etiquette books all time. “How can they help being rude?” he | snagger. “So much study of Eti-| quette- give ‘theth- no time for mere | kindness” - = | And 0 forth to-suit yourself and your printer. s Yestday; Mr- Editor, my life col-| lapsed with great vigger, and I shall | tell- you about this in ‘my study of| Etiquette. Mrs. C. W. Bottle, for who 1 was then - -working, approach to Hon. Kitchin where she find me bathing the dishes. From the enraged ex- pression of her eyebrows I knew she was thinking Etiquette. “Togo,”" she whop out, ‘“your man ners are gorilla in the axtreme. Unless you patch your ways you must leave me and make place for an insane Fin. nish cook which I am thinking of. “O sweethearted Mrs. Madam!" I ob- Ject, “what could I do to oil my be- havior?” “You should learn Etiquette.” say that. I.faint away slightly before my next _questionaire, “What is Etiquette?” know. 2 “Sometimes . one thing, sometimes something else” she dictate ‘schoal- ishly. “Etiquette are a variety of Science which teach persons where to put their feet, hands, faces, hats, & etc. when meeting with ladies, sena- tors and others of weaker sex than what they are at that time. It gives you lessons in standing up, laying down, expressing your legs.” “I. have read. the Daly % Doz by Hon, Walt Camp,” I corrode. “Is that the .1 D. you afe shooting at?” “NO. ¢Multiply this by 1000000)” she amputate. . “Hon. Camp merely.teach you how- to, get“a backache at home without_ instruction. .. Hon. Etiquette are’ something valuable ' which .you can_carry.in.your pocket to make you welcortie at houses. of ‘refinement.” “ARh!*Thea it is Gin,” 1 narrate, She 1 ask to | her with my revolver,” THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D.-C, APRIL 15 1923—PART -5. Letters of a Japanese “BY WALLACE IRWIN. “THEREFORE I DIVE THROUGH SOCIETY. KNOCKING IT DOWN IN MY SPEED.” Wrong beyond reckoning:” she! decry. “Etiquette are more difficult to obtain than Gin or any other form of prohibition. To get Gin you must merely know a policeman. But { Etiquette do not grow ‘in the leg of boots.” I stand ghast for that phenomenal. “I have a Etiquette Recelpe Book." she say for sweetly_smiling. “By reading those recipes carefully even the most uncoothless clodd can learn how to enter wealthy residences with- out attracting attention.” “That would be nice to know, it 1 was Burglar.” I negotiate. “SIppos- ing T was entering the home of 1st Ntl. Bank. At instant when I reached out to snatch diamond neckless from burro drawer Hon. Mrs. Banker would income dressed in her lace nightly. “COUSIN NOGI COME TO SEE ME TO SHOW ME HAND-WRIT- TEN DOG-RHYME.” The would know how to meet her.” uld not stand such a shock in Your conversation.” she tell off. “How could an Etiquetter meet Mrs. Bank- er in her robe de nightly “Ah. But 1 would quickly cover I renig. “You are talking garbage.” she snarled. “Therefore 1 shall show you my Etiquette Recipe Book.” * ok ox % RETTY soonly she came back with 1b. Book which we!gh more than ‘Outlines of Hysteric] but less than ‘How to Dlay Getting Well” by Dr. Coo of France “This* Book™ she romp, “are en- titled ‘Ten Thousand Easy Blunders a Day “With Kitchin,” hi so much work -in Hon. 1 incorporate, “I could not ave time to make so .many “I have faith in your ability.” she say-so. “Take 'this little volum & study well. This pm. at 4.Soclety will meet at my home for tea-drunk. You will serve that beveridge to all, and I shall axpect you to know sifficient American Etiquette to carry you through from Ist to last.” Ten Thousand Basy' Blunders a Day. I set that book on my lapp & by weight it resembled making love to the German indemnity T turn to hansom ‘front page where there stands a portarit of a Dinner. One (1) Society Lady is using a hairpin to pick the mussrooms out of her soup while her Husband (if married) is combing his musstash with a slice of toast. “What Is Wrong With This Pic- ture?” require Hon. Editor who wrote the Book. I axamne that portrai know. What is. Maybe it was drawn with a fountain pen. Other- wisely it was too good.to be truth- ful. That Lady had very sweet eve- brows and I admire her for the patient smililng which she showed ‘while her husband arranged his mus- stache with toast. How many women would endure that without shriek and toss of tablewar And yet her hus- band was equilly kind, He remained sweetheartedly looking pleasant and talked about his nuralgia while Hon. Wife ate mussrooms her own way. ‘Were that not picture of happy home? I ask to know. Therefore I set turning pages with my skillfull thumbs. From time to time 1, find ‘what is wrong. Every- thing. It was like reading the Life of Trotsky by Lenin. Persons should not enter a room in front of a Lady, even it she is ‘leading in a crocodile. If you are a President and the train gets wrecked you should shake bands t and ask to with the fireman but not with the Engineer, axcept in Presidential , Years when you must shake hands | with everybody. Who would think that? * %k % HEN 1 commence turning pages with wetter & wetter thumbs, be- cause time was soonly to arrive when Society would come to Mrs. Bottle's axpecting tea. At lastly I come to where I was looking for: “How to Enter a Room. “If it is in the Afternoon it will all depend on what Sex you are if any. Please decide rapidly, then knock to front door. If you are a Lady keep | your hat stuck to your hair as usual. Look careless and enter by walkine. Pretend to be pleased “But if You are a Gentleman ar- | range it so that you can be told from | 2 Lady at first glimpse. Enter a room | with pictures of Jno. Drew in your mind. Wear your Hat in one hand, vour Cane in another. Take care to borra a Cane with a hook in it so it can be attached to something when trouble comes. “Ist shake Hands with the Lady who rents or owns the house. After this you may shaké hands with Grandmother. if alive, to show reverence for wrinkled people. Nextly you are permitted to set down be- side Lady of Wealth & Fashion It { you are dishabled to think of any- thing. as usual. say the following canned dialogue: “Question—How jaw do? Answer—How jaw do Question—Is your Father fering? Answer—I have no Father. “Question—Accidents will happen. And how is your Grandmother, Aunt | or Ailing Sister, as the case may be? Answer—Don't you read the news- | papers? “Question—Will you have a cup of | tea or (optional) a—Cocoa b—Milk c—Gooseberry wine?” 1 read this intelligence with op- | pressed elbows, not missing plenty. | Then come most umportant knowl- | edge of all: | “How to Shake Hands: “1—Select the Hand shake. | i | till suf- you wish to | —In preparation put vour Hat | anywhere axcept on your Head. “3—When you see the Hand ap- proaching stop it by strong seizure | between thumb & 2nd joint. | *4—Push away, jerk up. drop. | times 1s too much. |~ “6—Talk about something eise.” Mr. Editor. I might of got to New- | port by reading this Book, but at that | instant Hon. Mrs. C. W. Bottle in- croach into Kitchin with very mad | hair. “Will you serve tea or elsewhere?” she derive. “I TURNS TO HANSOM FRONT PAGE, WHERE STANDS A POR. TRAIT OF A DINNER,” ’ velidrome. - She slamdoor. 1 only await 4th.glimse at How to Enter a Room. Then 1 obtain my derby & cane. | 1 * k ok ok R. EDITOR, have you ever seen an emotion picture showing Paris receiving Gep. Hindenberg? ~ If &0 | niture smoat the | tiquia. [ tury or more, it — = 3 Schoolboy will know how it looked when 1 entered Parlor with my brain con- aining what 1 had read from that Etiquette. All society was there in vou clumps, making words. W T downhearted? Not yet With Hat in my intense right hand and Cane in my respectable ‘left 1 sonter through the door. I could ob- serve Hon. Mrs. Bottle in central cir- cle, surrounded by her Grandmothers. What did quette say about that? T must go after that Lady and pick out her hand. Therefore 1 dive through Socigty. knocking it down in my speed There was Mrs. Bottle. Setting Hat on one of my fearless feet I hold out all my fingers to her. “What to do?" she ask peevly. “1 am on time for T. like you re- bright word T sent back. " she bark. “What in Saml « the translation of your be- tiquette,” I nafrate while holding her cross hand. “I have lcarned How to Enter a Room.” All Society turn at me with hooting ook So she growl like a snake ou have studied How ha!" And perhapsly to Leave Same “I did not got that far,” I dib, but that was useluss Hon. Husband arrive on the strong. Crashe age of window-pa & 13 pianna-movers scenery and act quite That was I. Break- ns followed by fur- spot where 1 arrive cracked elbows & col- lision of the spine while awaiting ambulance gong with memories of how Etiquette look pretty estranged. by golly, when standing wrong side up. Hoping on lawn with vou are. the Yours truly Hashimura Togo. $. and Great Britain, Alliance.) same 1923, ¥ by American Newspaper (Copyright Nort Facts About Dynamite. (‘L‘NPO\\'['ER. one of the great T factors iu_the growth of the na- tions. has come down the ages from an unknown source, and the old black granulated material relgned supreme as as explosive until the middle of the last mysterious dynamite came to occupy the former’s place al- most entirely. Since then scores of va- rieties of far more powerful and smoke- less explosives have been compounded Chief among the many features of the modern explosive is that curious prop- erty of “blowing up” with such tre- mendous force and suddenness. Tie layman marvels at that. Scientists ap- pear to derive a great deal of satisfac tion from the facts and apparent expla- vations with which they have described the phenomenon. Yet there is always something behind the apparent cause of a thing, and so the matter of research soes on all the time. Nitroglycerin. a clear. colorless, o too ‘“‘touchy” to handle un: mixed with a queer earth called kiesel guhr, forming a substance resembling heavy brown sugar "’)Id thereafter call- ed dyramite, and-all the detonating ex- plosives “going off" with extreme sud- denness upon recciving a pronounced Jar. This dynamite does in something like one twenty-fourth-thousandth of a second. All this is quite similar in ac- tion to that strange thing called the ruper drop, a little globule of glass that has been solidified from the molten state into a form much like that of the pollywog, by precipitation in water. By simply breaking the tail of a rupert drop, the balance of the mass flies into a myriad of fragments. century, when Wonderful Metal. A LTHOUGH the existence of tanta- 4X lum nas been known for a cen- is only within the past few years that the metal has been prepared in a pure state. This is effected with the aid of an electric furnace. Tantalum combines extreme ductility with extraordinary hard- ness. When red-hot it is easily rolled into sheets or drawn into wire, but upon being heated a second time and then hammered it becomes so hard that it has been found impossi- ble, even with a diam~rd drill, to bore a hole through a shee¢ ~= millimeter thick. Such a drill, work- ing day and night for three days, at 5,000 revolutions a minute, made a depression only a quarter of a milli- meter deep, and the diamond point was badly worn. ‘How the Sun Rotates. JTUDIES ‘at the Yerkes observatory have determined the varying pe- riods of the solar rotation, in zones five degrees wide, from the equator to latitude 35 degrees. Within five degrees of the equator, on either side, the period of rotation is a trifle more than twenty-four and a half days. The length of the period grad- ually increases toward the poles, be- coming about twenty-five and a half days between latitude 15 degrees and latitude 20 degrees and nearly twen- ty-five and a half days between lati- tude 30 degrees and latitude 35 de- grees. B s