Evening Star Newspaper, January 8, 1924, Page 6

THE EVENING, STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. TUESDAY......January 8, 1924 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor ‘The Evening Star Newspaper Company Busisess Office, 11th Kt. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office; 110 East 42nd 8t. Chic T Butlding. Puropean Ofice: 18 Regent bt., Landon. Eogland, Btar, with the Bunday morning ivered by carriers within —the ety at 60 centa per month; dally only. 43 cents per month: Hunday only, 20 cents’ per month. Orders may be sent by mail or tele- phone Main 5000. Collection i3 made by car- Tiers at the end of each month. The Evenin, edition, is de Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. Dally only. 1yr., $6.00; 1 mo., 50c Daily and Sunday.1 yr., $10.00; 1 m The Associated Press is exclusively entitled in this paper aud also the local news pub agreed upon by the Commissioners ! Maryland and Virginia, ‘ Daily and Sunday..1 yr., $8.40; 1 mo., T0¢ -Sunday only. 1yr. $2.40; 1 m v All Other States. Daily only. 1yr., $7.00; 1m Sunday only Jlyr., 33.00;1m Member of the Associated Press. to the ‘use for republication of all news di Patches credited to it or not otherwise credited lished herein. " All rights of publication of pecial dispatches berein arc almo reserved, Gasoline Tax Equities. The original gasoline tax bill, as and the Governor of Maryland, was caretully worded to bring about whole- some reciprocity mately oci & commus- uitfes—Maryland and the Federal Dis- trict carved from it—with a maximum of benefit and a minimum of sacrifice «n the part of both neighbors. Sub- stitution of the gus tax for the other motor taxes in the District meant only a slight increase in the total tax burden imposed upon automobiles. And this slight increase was offset by the beneflts of reciprocity. If Con- gress, acting as a legislature chosen Ly the people of the District would inevitably act, and reflecting their rea- sonable wishes should approve this agreement, it would benefit Maryland and the District and would not injure inany way the national partner in the National Capital partnership. I, however, this Maryland-District agreement is not to Le viewed as a triendly, comparatively inexpensive, gesture of nefghborly comity, but is to be treated as an enthusiastic invita- tion by the District to Congress to Diister it with a new half-million tax, then we should quit discussing reci- procity and comity, and the new tax proposition should be considered on its merits and rejected. This is the era of post-war tax reduction. It should not be marked paradoxically in the National Capital, *the nation in miniature,” by a hasty, ill-considered, unjust and hurtful half- million tax increase. The new organic act of 1922 read- Justed the fiscal relations of nation and Capital on sound lines of wise compromise. It ralsed the intangible tax Tate 6623 per cent and it took from the District hundreds of thou- sands of dollars of miscellaneous reve nue which it had heretofore exclu- sively enjoyed. It increased the Dis- trict's proportionate payment from 50 per cent to 60 per cent, and as an off- setting benefit to the District it re- afirmed definitely the principle of re- lated definite propertionate contribu- tion by nation and Capital toward Capital upbuilding, and fixed the new ratio of contribution at 60-40. This law was acclaimed as a peace settlement of fiscal relation contro- versies. When rounded out by equita- ble disposition of the District’s treas- ury tax surplus this legislation was to give the District and Congress rest for a period from irritating prejudice- breeding friction over taxes, ratios and fiscal relations. 1f, however, the suggestion of Mar land-District of Columbia motor reci- procity is made the pretext of a threat to impoe upon us a new half-million tax the fiscal relations peace settle- ment of June 29, 1922, will be re- opened, the House and Senate will be plunged into the old wearisome fiscal wrangle so hurtful to the District, the avowed main purpose of the act of 1922 will be defeated and the under- standing upon which this compromise legislation was based will be violated. The new arganic act laid out a definite plan of fiscal procedure for five years, with the suggestion of in- deflnite automatic continuance of that plan at the pleasure of Congress. Through its agent, the joint congres- sional District of Columbia surplus committee, Congress arranged to closs up equitably ,the disputed ac- counts of the past, and to dispose just- ly of the accumulated tax surplus of the present. The new law also direct- ed the accumulation for five years of " a new surplus to supply a “pay-as-you- 80” fund for the future. 1s it wise to violate so soon in the five-year period the spirit, intent and promise of the act of 19227 The sacrifices exacted from the Dis- triet in-this compromise ‘Settlement were neither few nor light. As we have seen, it8 tdx burdens were in- creased and its revenues to mieet its taxes were cut down. Its proportion- ate contribution for Capital upbuild- ing was increased one-fifth; its stand- ard of assessment was raised one-half and its Intangible tax rate was in- creased two-thirds. Do not these sacrifices suffice? Will the nation, with all power in its hands, abruptly alter the compromise settle- ment of 1922 to the injury of its im- potent partner in Capital upbuilding? On American principles of repre- sentative government an American legislature, with its members chosen by and from the community, ecta in the interest of its constituency, re- flecting the community’s reasonable wishes and vigorously protecting its welfare against assaults and encroach- ments. The fact that owing to century-old supposed national exigencies the legis- lature which acts for the half-million people of the District is not chosen by them even fractionally, but is selected for them by all other Americans ex- cept themselves, does mnot alter the .basic relationship of ‘this American legislature to its Capital constituency. Under their oath of office, end in ac- cordance with American spirit end tradition, its members are under the same obligation as other American leisiators to tax and to make lswe for between two inti- | on sympathetic, wisely constructive lines. Congress has not failed, and will not fail, to respond wholeheartedly to the suggestion that when acting as local legislature of the District its function « to champlon, to protect and to help, and not, hostile and punitive, to bumiliate and to burt. / More Tax Revision Proposals. It is stated that the Treasury ac- tuary has been set to work to deter- mine the amount of revenue that would be ylelded by the Garner tax- reduction bill "if enacted into law. This is & most important matter. It really is the foundation of any propo- sition of tax revision, and it should have accompanied, rather than fol- lowed, the introduction of the bill. At the same time it is interesting to note that another tax-revision meas- ure has been put into the hopper in the House, or rather a sheaf of bills relating to the same subject and form. ing a system of proposéd amendments to the revenueraising process. This —to regard the collection as a whole— is the proposal of the ‘“progressive’ republicans, or at least one of them. How far he acts for the entire group of so-called insurgents on the repub- llcan side is not now known. Perhaps he is moving individually, and pos- sibly there will be other bills, or groups of bills, from other sources. There lies the trouble about tax re- vision from a partisan point of view. Therc lics the danger of either crip- pling action or such confusion that nothing is accomplished. Anybody can write a tux-revision measure. Anybody can take the present law and draw lines through the rates and substitute others, lower rates for the smaller taxpeyers, and it may be higher rates for the larger ones. But will these rates work out in terms of real reduc- tion; will they work out to the point of sufficlent revenue for the govern- ment; will they be equitable? Of course, all fiscal wisdom does not reside In the Treasury Department. Secretary Mellon does not claim a corner on knowledge of how the fn- em works. The records are open to everybody who cares to inspect them and who has the hardi- hood to study them and attempt an analysis. But in the Treasury it is the business of officials to know how mat- ters stand, how the Income taxes are paid, how they bear upon the people. Those officlals have now made & show- ing to which the Secretary has given form in @ bill submitted to Congress, which, it is scientifically estimated, will yield enough revenue to maintain the government without surplus or deficit, and which will relieve the tax- payers in cquitable proportions. To counter this measure with substitutes, drawn plainly for political purposes and not with any assurance whatever that their yield, if any of them were adopted, would suffice to meet the gov- ernment’s needs, or that their work- ing, In such case, would not bring seri- ous suffering upon great numbers of the people, is to make a partisan game of the serious business of national finance. 5 Cleaning Up a Great City. Officials of municipalities the coun- try over will follow with deep interest the undertaking of Brig. Gen. Sde-l ley D. Butler of the United States Ma- rine Corps to rid the city of Philadel- phia of vice and lawless elements. Loaned by the Marine Corps for that purpose, he was appointed by Mayor Kendrick to be director of public safety and took office yesterday. While holding that office he will decline to, draw pay from the government. ‘With promptitude and vigor, cha.r\‘ acteristic of the corps, he set out on his course. He says he will “clean up or quit.” His first act wes to call in | the police captains and heads of bu- reaus and demand they sign printed forms of resignation—‘sign on the dotted line.” ese, he announced, he will hold in his desk while the officers make good, and when he is satisfied | he will throw the resignations into the waste basket. He annourced that the police and firemen's unions must disband; they will not be tolerated. Then he declared he intended to ad- dress gatherings of patrolmen’ until the 4,000 policemen know his inten- tions 80 that no officer can plead igno- rance. He promised that the alleged 8,000 “speak-easies” will not exist af- ter forty-eight hours. The reports de- clare that the policemen were “‘dazed" after Gen. Butler's declarations. “It was not only what he said, but the bloomin’ way he said it.” Supporters of law and order will wish him well. His success will not only be @ feather in his own bonnet, but a plume to the service which trained him. ——— Estimates that farm organizations did two dillion dollars’ worth of busi- ness in 1928 are encouraging, even if the individual farmer continues to protest that he failed to get his proper share of the money. —————cee—e———— .. A movement to place the telephone systems of the world under one con- trol suggests the posaibility of reviv- ing anti-trust legislation in terms of international law. Reducing taxes might be more rapid- 1y accomplished if there were not so many different ways of doing it. ——— Valleys. Plans are making to advertise the Shenandoah valley. The Star has printed a dispatch from Harrisonburg teliing: “Plans ere ‘belng formulated to organize the Shenandoah 'Valley ‘Chamber of Commerce. Its chief ob. Ject is to bring the attractions of the valley of Virginia to the notice of the world.” Of course, advertising pays when the advertising is judicious and the object is worth advertising. There is no doubt that the Shenandoah valley is worth any praise that can be given tain-bound beauty, the glories of its scenery, the richness of its crops, the goodness of its people, the smooth- ness of its roads and all its other vir- tues, It is one of our famous mae valley, the Fredetitk valley and the Cumberland valley. It is belleved, though, that one might travel from end to end and side to side of the United States without ~ looking on fairer scenes than in tbe Shenandoah, A little advertising might not hurt the Potomae valley. It is a very old and respectable valley which was much concerned that the American people should set up as & républic, and the Potomac valley has taken some interest in public affairs ever since. Above Washington it i3 & narrow val- ley to which has often beeh applied the word “plcturesque.” - Many pictures have been made of scenes In the up- per Potomac valley. Below Washing- ton the Potomac valley takes on an- other aspect and character. It Is less wild and less busy. It is broad in out. look and its manner is serene. Vast i ! i stretches of water with glorious bays ! | t and charming creeks mark it. Old wharves and bad roads make one think of other times. The farms are not so fertile as those. in gorgeous Shenandoah, but these farms were sending tobacco and wheat to Europe before the first white man chopped down trees and built a log cabin in the Shenandoah. These old farms are still at work turning out as much corn, tobacco and other things as men can coax from a somewhat weary and reluctant soil. But for charm and many virtues the old Potomac valley is a peer among valleys, and with good roads and advertising its fame would be as wide as the world. A Golf Idea From Fiji. American golfers, on reuding a dispatch that comes from the Fiji Islands by way of London, are likely to make an imperative demand upon the greens committees of their clubs for a change in the treatment of the courses. It appears that in the islands small sensitive plants grow profusely on the links. Whenever & golf ball is sliced, or pulled, or topped and disappears in the rough the touch of it causes these plants to shrivel. All that is necessary for a golfer to do to find “his ball is to follow the tracks of theso temporarily withered weeds, There Is no protracted hunt- ing. A trail of curled herbage leads stralght to the missing “pill.” If these plants will thrive in this climate and on American soil it is likely that there will be a heavy importation of roots or seeds. If that can be done much will have been gained for the sweetening of American temper. The matter is well worth consideration by the Department of Agriculture. The Philippines, having studied the American political system, now feel sufficlently advanced to take up the investigation featureé which is so im- portant a part of its operation. Poincare’s re-election to the French senate gives him the satisfaction of knowing that outside criticism, how- ever strong, has not weakened his standing with his constituency. ! When Col. Bryan looks at the list |of presidential possibilities he may i concelve the idea that another con- vention is going to need stampeding lin the near future. . Over 22,000 manuscripts were sub- mitted in the Bok competition for & prize peace plan. The men Who pa- tlently read them all were true pa- triote. | It is Senator Hiram Johnson's evi- dent opinion that the part of the re- publican party which is not progres- | sive is going from bad to worse. | Every effort is being made to per- suade a few motion picture players to depend entirely on the scenario and | not introduce impromptu thrills. The author of the prize peace plan ! might perhaps have helped some if he could have been on the ground when the Versailles treaty was drawn. Mexico has proved inadequate to the task of providing citizens with re- liable safety-first rules for election purposes. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Domiciliary Sentiment. I heard the band play “Home, Sweet Home."” = 1 loved the old refrain, And bade my memory backward roam Its true effect to gain. The home has now & telephone. A phonograph {s met That works sometimes in cheery tone To rest the radio set. The domicile of days gone by ‘Was warmed at less expense. The taxes were not near so high, Nor food bills so immense. 1 must edmit, as softly fall | “The tones of tender glee, ‘That “Home, Sweet Home" is not all The home it used to be. at Optical Iusion. “Will your constituents read the long speech you printed in the Rec- ord?” “I don’t think so,” answered Sena- tor Sorghum. “But @ good many of ‘em will observe its size and remarlk, ‘Even if Friend Sorghum isn't accom- plishing much he's working hard.’” Jud Tunkins says a regular fortune teller is less expensive and more truthful than a flattering friend. Reasonable Hope. 2 We have a plan to cheer our hearts, As hopes of peace we scan. Oh, let us hope nobody starts A scrap about the plan. Comforts of Sclence. “I hear you have taken up paycho- ““Yes,” replied Miss Cayenne. “It is 80 soothing to be able to say you have @ complex instead of & dreadful dis- tion.”” 7 WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC Col. Harvey has been assigned his 'rnla in the Coolidge campaign. He is to be the ectoplasmic expert’of the G. O. P. His job will be to evolve Ins spirational fdeas from ‘out ‘of ‘the political ether—to divine the un- known, dreami the unimagined and demonstrate the untried; in short, to unscrew the inscrutable. The colonel will have nelther rank nor title. His comings and goings 'twixt White House, Deal Beach and Pecham will be casual and unobtrusive. Natlonal committes headquarters may see him not. Coolldgian brain waves will coruscate across the oampaign with-' ‘out sign or symbol that they radiate ifrom the ectoplasmic laboratory of {Harvey. But there, unseen and un- +heralded, he will preside from June to | November, artificer of miracles, When the colonel was at the Court of St. James he used to hear Britons sing {prayerfully to Providence to “con- {found the politics and frustrate the i knavish tricks” of the king's enemies. |Something akin to that task is to be the midsummer and autumnal occupa- tion of Harvey in 1924. * k¥ ¥ ‘We llve and learn. Try to be some- thing more than facetious or ironical by telegraph mnd you'll learn that the lawe of libel are there to restrain |your unwisdom. A statesman of na: | tional renown attempted in Washing- { ton this week to met himself right in his constituency, fn vetort to an un- { warranted inndendo.” Ha grabbed & { telegraph form. To a comrade he in- ited & message beginning: “Some ass camed ———— has announced,” ete.. etc. The telephone rang. It was the chief operator of & telegraph com- pany. “Sorry.” he swid, “but your meenage_beginning ‘Some ass named — 't be sent. It might sub- foct, the company to prosecution fer ibel.” The statesman's wrath was al- most conquered by the discovery, and he said: “All right Make it read, ‘Srme bird." " L John W. H. Orim, who has just left the Department of Justice after many years of sérvice in the orim- inal division, was waited upon mot: long ago by & delegation of Wash- ington women. Théy'd come to sug- gest procesdings against local bakers for raising the price of bread. They wanted Crim to start the wheels of justice and bring the profiteers to reason—or jall. He evinoed sym- pathy, but pleaded he was powerless to ald T women were about to leave, orestfallen. “Walt a minute,” exclaimed Crim. Tve thought of something. You women e _the in your own hands." They ed up and ked what it ‘Bake your own bread.” said * * ¥ ¥ America has just lost the first round of the spirited battle for the vacancy on the directing committee of the International Hydrographio Bureau at Monaco. Rear Admiral A. P. Niblack, U. 8 N. (retired), led the poll, With 45 votes, as against 33 for Capt. Relnius (Sweden), 20 for Rollet de L'Isle (Franoe) and Other Cities Watching Butler Drive to Clean If Smedley Butler can “get away” with his new job, which he aasumed yesterday, when the new city admin- istration took over the reins fn Phil- adelphia, there is likely to be a wide demand for Marine and Army trained men as heads of police departments everywhere. It is admitted that But- ler will find his task of commissioner of safety in the Quaker city fully as strenuous as any he had in the Ma- rine Corps. There will be no oppor- tunity there of winning the coveted congressional medal of honor, which his bravery twice secured for him. Butler has started off ‘by domning the uniform of & “plain cop.” He has let it be known he and his men will exe- cute the laws and ordinances as they appear on the book, regardiess of their justice. And he also says graf is to be ended for ail time. “Maybe s0!" the papers say. “Mean- while we will watch. “Smedley Darling Butler s, Philadelphia North American agroes, “a big man for & big job and taking office under auspices incomparably more faverable than did any of his predecessors. He holds confidence of the public to an exceptional degree and will have the unqualified support of the mayor. His record Inspires wholesome respect in the forces he is to combat.” That statement about sums up the general estimato of u'.e newspaper in T b treWhich “alecusees is ap: pointment. There is, however, & note ¢ doubt whether strict military tac- tics will serve in the view of at least half of these same editors. This is emphasized probably most clearly by the Roanoke Times, which feels militarized police force is neither nec- essary nor advisable,” altho§h the Times suggests “Gen. Butlers own good sense should teach him how far 2o Senisatinnte potice situstion ac- thex Which have proven highly efica- cious at Quantico.” g DR In most oitles the police depart- ment “makes the biggest problems, the Albany Knickerbocker points out, the “great perplex! Press tios | WILLIAM WILE 13 for Capt. Soott-Hansen (Norwny), No, election resulted, as no candldati regelved a madority of the.120, Votes cast by twenty-ome countries.. On-a sedond ballot on Maroh 1 5 plurality. will slect. The first -ballot Tevealed & significant line-up of northern Eu- rope versus the rest of the globe. At present the bureau consists of Vice Admiral Sir John Perry (re- tired) of the British navy and Rear Admiral Pfaff (retired) of the Dutch navy. It would be rather anomalous to have an international board charged with supervision of the seven seas ocona'sting of men who are all from the North sea and Bal- tio regions. A wider distribution miral Niblack was one of its found- ers. The British have seventeen votes, wh'ch {f cast for the Amer- fcan candidate would have elected him on the first ballot. * Ok K % The 16th street home of former Sen- ator Frelinghuysen of New Jersey is now occupled by Senater Couzens of | Michigan. The Detroiter loased the jmansion with all its luxurious fur- nishings. Among them, dominating the perspective at the head of the grand staircase, {s an ojl painting commemorating d historlc event, the signing of the American-German peace treaty by President Harding in July, 1921, The President was spending the week end in the home of Senator Frelinghuysen, at Rari- tan, N. J, and there the ceremony took place. The only others in the pleture are “Doc” ‘Smithers, veteran White House chief clerk, who took tho treaty to Raritun, and the Fro- linghuysen family. * k% % Annapelis will unveil, on March 1, the world’s biggest and finest indoor swimming pool. It has been installed lin a new buflding, adjoining the Naval Academy gymnasium, and rep- resents an outlay of $305,000. The pool measures the magnificent di- mensions of 60 by 150 feet. A swim- ming contest between Brown Uni- versity and the Naval Academy will | feature the dedicatory ceremony In the presence of high officlals of the Navy. Brown's captain bears an ap- propriate name for a swimming match with the sallors—he is “Davy” Jones, “holder of the intercollegiate iTecord in_the 100-yard free style, having traveled the distance in 544-5_seconds. In a preliminary to the Brown-Navy meet, the Navy plebes will be given strong competi- tion by the swimming team of Cen tral High School, Washington, for flv years south Atlantic interscholastic | champlons. The Annapolis pool is the llast word in equipment—tile lined | throughout, and fitted with wonderful {filtration devices and a violet-ray plant. Seats for spectators line the pool on two sides. * x o ¥ George E. Brennan, democratic boss of Illinols, was once a coal miner in that state. His pitmate was John Mitchell, famous leader of the United Mine Workers of America. They worked at Braldwood, a bituminous fisld that will be in the news if the threatened soft coal strike materi- alizes in the spring. (Copyright, 1924.) Up Philadelphia and the demand for great and petty favors will not disappear at the wave of a military hand.” then he “canmot win® as the York Times sees i, unless people of the city, recognizing the enormous difficuities of his task, rally to his assistance” And the Times, the Worcester Telegram and s number of other leading papers cuggest “the wisdom of establishing a precedent of this kind,” through having the Navy Department release 2 high ranking officer temporarily, “may be doubted.” Yet practically every paper agrees that “If the in- novation results in oleaning up Philadelphia it will be a great vic- tory for reform. Argues on Bonus. | Charles C. McAfee Also Discusses Mellon Tax Proposal. To the Editor of The Star: The only logical reason for tying public obligations and taxes to- gether is that the latter might be adequate to meet the former. How- ever, ‘Mr. Mellon has tried to link the adjusted compensation bill and tax revision with a view to consld- oring whether to pay the obligation. But adjusted compensation to vet- erans of the world war should be con- sidered on Its merits only—do we owe {t? If no, there’s no use of further argument; if yes, we may ask how to pay it, but not whether to pay it Is Mr. Mellon attempting to ques- tion the ability of the United States to pay adjusted compensation, there- by admitting his inability to question the justness of such payment? Having made adjusted compensa- tlon his headliner in urging his tax- revision plan, Mr. Mellon appears to have attempted to offer the repudi- ation of adjusted compensation as an excuse for his plan. Another excuse, we are told, is that admission taxes should be done away with because “they are derived prin- cipally from admissions to neighbor- { coming from the ‘human element—|nood pleture theaters.” Every man, that 1s, the police officer either I8 himself on terms of personal ao- quaintance With whom he must deal, or some of his friends are. It could not well be otherwise and it is no woman, boy and girl In the country would have to go to his neighborhood rheater nearly every day In the year to raise seventy million dollars from that source alone. Moreover we all disparagement of men in the police|know that a champlonship prize- service to say they have the quality of belng human. The experiment with Gen. Butler will be watched with great. Intere He can ap- proach his task f usually know how to rht thing: dong.” His job also will “ “be com- fight or a grand opera performance collects more money in one evening than many nelghborhood picture the- aters In a whole year. If there is m thesposition of |a demand for discontinuing the tax B soldier, & marine—and the marines|on low-admission ploture theaters, i that {8 no mandate for removing the |tax from $20, prizefight tickets and plexed with many problems that doi$100 opera boxes. not confront the military executive and leader,” the New Orleans Times- Ploayune suggests. “In the Army the spy the guerrilla are few. Whien caught they are executed sum- marily. The police force fights an enemy which wears the garb and speaks the language of the people the force is paid to defend. The epy and the guerrilla prowl on their ke always. The suave cunning F the persuasive | onl: of the spoilsman, sycophancy of the professional poli- ticlan are common tools of betrayal, If Gen. Butler is to succeed he mus retain the absolutely free hand promised, and the lower criminal courts of Philadelphia, that deal with commercialized vice and the so- called 'petty crime that is always must be clean and ‘the Nashville “the marines cvmme!\:l:lM competent.” Blrtlal' will win, ‘Banner feels, because have a habit out his sutooracy and then he L e T lish wonders,” the doing what they set to sccomplish,” although the Detroit Free Press believes that to do #0 *“he must mix a little tact with he is Detroit. In direct support of the surtax-cuf feature of Mr. Mellon's plan, we are itold that that is the only way to 1coax the dodgers’ money Into | profitable . and_figures ac- companying the plan indicate that |government revenue has suffered a loss of more than a half billion dol- iars & year because of large incomes sceking tax-exempt securities. 3 A reduction of the surtax is not the y way to remedy this situation it {s not the best way. Taxing all securities will get the United Riates that half billion, and will make it profitable for much of the capital now invested in tax-exempt securities to seek investment in {ndustrial enter- prises. It seems certain that this remedy will be effected—a whole remedy—making Mr. Mellon's cut in the su: UNNACESSAry. In gn attempt to show benefit to men of 1 means thé advocates of th Mellon_ plan cite the savings to 1 comaes less than $10,000. Ten thousand {ncome, i5 far above dollars is not a low SBIEE N SSTwetn o ah thoome of o ‘which borders i counts for over §3, closely to, Teasonable 1 “he’ must - ovar- ‘and . be. ““discouragements . i, . Practical politics i | lanxes. | mental espousals menaced. nly a little | tic fond that 1924, NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM STEVENSON, a . f gc Novelist Bere turned,critfe. Not, one ‘takes 1t, as'a permanency pointing' upon the ultimate exclusion of this author's purely creative work. Such a likelthood even would promise sub- atantial loss to the cause of the modern novel, For among the later Inovelllu Mr. Swinnerton stands pret- ty much in a class by himself. Be- hind his flction appears a clearly de- fined theory. that, embodled, comes to the front as life itself. Here is actual life projected vididly and vitally through a completo selsure of the essence and purpose of art, an art to whose laws of fulfillment Mr., Swinnerton gives an unswerving devotion, Read “Noc- turne.” Read “Coquette,” or any other of his novels, for a better realization that the novel {8 more than the ready telling of a tale, more than the for- tuitous assembling of incidents how- ever Ingenlous this may be. These storles are organic, like the human body, the parts in each co-ordinated to Zecure the central and vital pur- Dose of the whole. No loafing unruly members here, no rudimentary hinder- ances, no mischievous appendix in- terfering with normal action, de- pressing general vitality, vitiating unity of effect. In the course of one's acqualntance with this authors fic. flon It becomes quite plain, too. that in the making of his own noveis Mr. Swinnerton subjected himself to rigorous training, developing thereby a critical faculty whose keen edge he turned primarily upon self-direction and self-apprai Here he make: use of this faculty for the appraisal of another author. * * % ¥ The subject of Mr. Swinnerton's study Is bound to assure, for the study itself, a range of attention that no other kindred one could command. For Robert Louis Stevenson is the widely known, the well beloved, the favorite child of genius, the object of general and | enthusisstic acclaim. So one takes up this book esgerly, aglow With tha expectation that, through the good offices of this concededly competent witness, one is about to be reasnociated with' this gifted pur- veyor of literary delights, about to add to an already rich store of high opinton concerning the artistic su- premacy of R. Lu 8 * k¥ That crash? Only the thud of hit- ting the ground from one's recent high point of expectstion. For under Mr. Swinnerton’s system of Mterary weights and measures, Stevenson, at his best, never worked in more than two dimensions, never dealt In more than the short ton of letters, skimping, invariably, the full content of literary substance and ade- quacy. Or, in a gentler and more con- gental occupation, he was the cxpert needleworker, embroidering the drab background of Scot temperament and personal debllity with exquisite pat- terns of incident, fantasy, mystery, morality. Buoyant, nervous, shim- mering stuff, wrought in designs of infinite grace and dazzling effect. Only words, though—words and more words —arranged in cadenced groups, in suave partnerships, in shining phi An attificer, thisi man, a great craftsman, gloating over the pilant fabric of his own fashioning, so velvet to the touch, so glowing to the eye, { so melting in its gracious bloom, so glamourous as an_iridescent whole. But always the artificer—or so M: Swinnerton says—modeling word into magic. Himself the proud ma- gician, openly taking charge of the wizardries that, in the fade and eves of the world, he, in J:a‘ron_trhmh. extracts from one or her of the secret pockets of his prodigal personality. Now, this is, in_effect, what Mr. Swinnerton says. What is to be done about it? Bomething, clear- Iy. For it is no slight matter to have ona's idols overthrown, one's fealtle impaired, one's intellectual preposse sions despolled or even one's senti- In plain, fair dealing, it is up to Mr. Swinner- ton to open to us some way of deliv- erance. And this he does through the simple expedient of asking us to go along with him over the already fa- miliar road of Robert Louls Steven- son's work. *h e For this back-faring adventure Mr. Swinnerton imposes the single con- dition that one move out in step with him from the starting point that he himself has set. This starting point covers the fundamentals of his own theory of writing. Literature is, to him, pure creation. Its prime pro- jective force is the imagination, an imagination that 1s, in effect, “an emotional translation of the creator's spirit into the object created.” A sympathetlc {magination, this, that lifts the writer out of himself over into the character, into the scene, even, that he seeks to embody and project. Literature derives first from character, next from a central uni- fying theme or idea. Character and theme—these are the two essentlals. All_else—particular method, special technic, rsonal idiosyncrasy—use- ful, necessary even though they be, are clearly subordinate. * kxR This initial equipment provided, Mr. Swinnerton leads one along the pleasant highways, across the green flelds, through the delightfully spooky caverns of Stevenson's work—poems, plays, essays, romances, short stories. Again one thrills to the personal charm of-the man—the playful mood, the facile wit, the fanciful viston, the frank vanity of the eternal child. Again one opens his mouth to join In the full and familar chorus of praise to the beautiful genlus of the beloved R. L. S. “Remember,” says the ad- monishing voice of Mr. Swinnerton, “this is a personally conducted tour to whose conditions you agreed, {n writing, so to speak, However, if this is the way you feel about it, tho ex- pedition 1s oft.” Then one offers prompt apology, explaining that the old spell slipped over one, unaware. “All right,” a shade gruffly, and the adventure picks up again. This is its outcome., Robert Louis Stevenson is a prince of entertainers, a master of the art of literary embelllshment. & man whose personal charm elicited a doting affection that masqueraded as critical appreciation. Biind to the creative import of literaturs, deaf to the call of character as its ohief foun- dation, regardiess of theme as its uni- fying force, he is clearly doomed to take rank as @ second-class writer, much beloved, it is true, but second- class, nevertheless. That, in & word, is the concluslom of this matter. Con- vinced? No? But .walt a minute Just read this book for the sake of coming close to the clear thinking of ita author, to his consistency of out- look, to his pralse where prais: o hia ainy Tor sheor Justice. Read it for your mind's sake. the sake of plain fair-dealing. You may not then be convinced, but you'll have had & finely stimulating exer- clse. LG. Crying Need Seen For Simpler Justice Every one must, agree with Chief Justice William H. Taft that the aim of the judiclal.system sfiodld be to provide ' the ‘means to get justice spredily and at the smallest possible cost. Litigation is now a luxury ord to indulge to et “But the matter of cont 18 not the test ovil. It is delay. This is probably the most powerful weapon employed in thwarting jus- e. There is crying need for the sim- plification of legal procedure to the a0 Shat thers, mey b ne Dentists 2y be. to & minfmum.—Nor- Ledger-Dispatehy ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN e Q. Why has the greve of the un- known;goldier nio inseription?—E. T. A The War Department says that thé unkpown soldier’s gravq at Arlin tor; c{malery has never beert completed and for this reason there inscrip- tion upon it. Fifty thousand doliarm 1s belng asked of Congress at the present time for the comples - My pletion of this monu. Q. Are duets written for th - graph and planotit. 3 0 PO A. In order to make it possible for children to practice duets l‘vl!hnul an- other plano performer, sich duets have put on recor = e iy ords for talking ma. Q. How can I e - mined?—G. T. w. oo bejdeter A Any year the number of which is ivistble by’ four in 4 jea, year, except- ing century years, which must be @ vigible by 400. This was made neces- sary to account for a small fraction of time which could not otherwise be well adjusted. Q. What was Clinten's Folly MR > A.. The Erle canal has been_known both as_Clinton's Ditch and Clinton's Folly. The reference is to Gov. CI ton's Interest in the promotion of t Erie canal project. The canal be a_political question and on this Clinton was elected governor in 1517. Q. Was Lafcadio Hearn born America?—F. 8. A. This writer on Japan was born in the Ionian Islands, the on of w Greck woman and of an Irish officer, Surg. Maj. Charles Hearn; odu- cated in England and France; came to the United States at the age of | nirfeteen; engaged in journali first in Cinclnnath then fh New Or- | lgans and New York; went to Japan | a correspondent in 1891: soon gave up his connectlon with the newspapers; taught English in the universities of Tokio and became a citizen of Japan. He married a Japanese woman and devoted his ex- | traordinary ifts of appreciation and criticlsm “to _interpreting between the civilizations of the east and the west. Q. How fast does the fastest Unit- ed States submarine travel’—H. B. C. A. The fastest submarine In_ the United States Navy s the T-boat type submarine, designed for the| speed of twenty knots per hour on! the surface and about eight or nine knots per hour when it is submerged. M n Q. What is the value of untaxed | church property in the United States?| Did not President Grant in a mes- sage recommend that such property pay a tax?—H. S. A. The amount of church property In the United States which is un-| taxed is approximated at $1,670,000.- 000. President Grant in his' seventh | annual message to Congi 8, Decem- ber 7, 1875, estimated the untaxed | church property at that time to be| about $1,000,000,000 and included | ollowing paragraph In his mes: T would suggest the taxation of property equally, whether church or corporation, exempting only the last | resting place of the dead and pos- | slbly with proper restrictions church | edifices. ! Q. What will keep a cellar from | being damp?—M. H. | A. Take old preserve cans and put.i therein calclum chiloride, one pound of this salt sufficing for a large ce! lar. This attracts the water from | the air, collecting it In the cans. The water, however, is not poured | away, but Is evaporated on a strong fire, whereby the salt crystallizes Riding Styles Change. Observer Says More Women Now Use Side-Saddle. To the Editor of The Btar: Women riding astrids does mot' seem to be as popular as it was a short time ago. There seems to be & mania on the part of female eques- | trians to ride on the cross saddle. This applies not only to the young girls, but to women well advanced in | years. It was taken up as @ fad b a few who thought it the correc thing to do, but it will be obhserved that a large majority of woman rid- | ers still prefer the side saddle. Just | how the custom of riding astride | came into VORU® & few Yyears ago is a quandary. It may be ihat the cost of the side saddle was prohibitive in | 2 way. Besides, the tallor-made rid- | ing habit was very expensive. The cost of the saddle by a good maker is about $300, and everything else in | proportion. Judging from the Lon- | don illustrated papers, it appears | that 90 per cent of the women who | follow the hounds and indulge in cross-country riding use the sido sad- | Qle, as it is claimed by those who | have had expegience that it is safer and that there dre fewer actidents in the hunting field to those using the side saddle to those who insist on riding asride. Surely there Is nothing graceful or dignified in_the appearance of & woman riding man fashion, whereas, on the contrary, a woman well equipped with a riding habit, and so forth, cannot help but be, admired ¢ tho cross saddle hak a tendency to give the rider a mannish appearance and is not altogether Pleasing, as thers is a lack of dig- ity which s present in the rider on | @ side saddle. In all pictures and sculpture of Lady Godiva she is rep- Tesented as being on a side saddle. Were she represented as riding astride <he might suggest an Amazon, who, by the way, were distinguished for their dexterity in equitation. —They rode without saddle or bridle and usually in the altogethe$. In some of Remington's pictures the Indian oman is shown riding astride, but her apparel is mo adjusted that her Jower limbs are not exposed. = See Remington’s “Race for a Bride Tn no well regulated show iing Is a woman permitted to enter a con- feat except when riding on a side, saddle. At the last Olympia show the | cross saddle was conspicuous by its | absence, and it is stated that at the Rlohmond, England, show last sum- mer only four out of twenty-odd Competitors used the cross saddle. Most of our prominent woman rid- | ers advocate the side saddle. Mrs.| Potts of Richmond, Va, and other distinguished lady riders always pear in riding habit and side saddle. Nowadays the only equipment re- quired by & cross saddle rider in ad- dition to their usual apparel is a pair of breeches, and they .ride without hat, coat or gloves,-and sometimes with their golden hair hanging down behind. From recent European advice it Is reported that “side saddle riding hub. its are to be very much in vogue. Most of the prominent tailors in New York claim that there is a great falling off in the use of other than the riding habit by the prominecni equestriang. - Other tallors report that all of their orders are for i saddle riding habits and that they are still most fashionable and in great demand. The better class of riders use the side saddic exclusivel Princess Patricla, when her fathe the Duke of Connaught, was Governor General of the Dominion of Canada, the | ncess occasionally indulged in riding e cross saddle. This however. she ned on her return to England. a few who for con- venlence's sake will adhere to the cross saddle, no matter what the pre- valling style of riding may be. ; Joan d'Arc being a warrior bold 2nd wearing armor, necessitated her riding astride. In conclusion, will say that there is nothing so impressive as a woman on_horseback, provided she is prop- erly_equipped &s to havit and her mount. Furthermore, it may have beef, no- ticed that women in their mannish costumes are accustomed to stroll about the city, even in the shopping districts. It may not be generally known, but Dr. Mary Walker, who as- TR eI Hectaliated in-act o Con” in o, N &n act of Con- gress for I;\ do 8o, Sarab Bern- 1. 5% again, and beco ol g 1d becomes fit for renowed this process is very sprouting of the j not entirely preven:o ably’ retarded thereby, Q. How take to supply th every year’—o. § A. From twelye elephants are kil nish the world's Q. How many inventions are o tions are credit ed to Thomas A. Edison, and e are the more fmportant of themi. & Q. G A. Up until 1915 Thomas e son had recelved o pnkrn:\; Ih-:rflh‘.. more important of his inventions are the quadrupiex telegraph, the phono- graph, th carbon microphaone, the carbon nent for electric lamps the kinetoscope and the nickel stor ble, since though consider ma elephants does 1t iyory that is used n thousan supply. A Since 1902 the number of I in this country has'increased s but dily. In that vear there while in 1 ther her ruler was assase vear as President Q. What ot nated the same Garfleld7—A. M. ) A. Alexander 11, Czar of Russia, was assassinated on March 13, 1881, and President Garfleld on July 2 of the same year. Is Hindugtan in Ind H sher n the Per sindnu, land beyo Q. 0. P. A. Venice turpentine fs an oleo resin obtained from the sap of tha larch. is dries very slowly. Q 7—K. A, €. g river, d the rive What is Venice turpentine?—1 Q. How can newspapers sorved in libraries?—W. F. A. The paper upon which mod newspapers are printed becomes brit- tle when exposed to_air for a long time. Some iibraries have solved the problem of preserving newspaper files by mounting eaeh sheet between two sheeots of th! Thia seals the paver from the alr, its legibility strensthening be pre th Q. What is a natural levee?- A which ke A river A levee s embankmen ps a river in its channe ke Mississippi carries a great amount of sediment from i swift headstreams (o the lower ground. Whe velocity is checked, it drops of this sediment, gradually the bed of th stream abov e surrounding coun- try. In flood time, the river over- flows its banks. depositing sedim ide of the banks. Th 1dge, which is calle (The who loses out is the who guesses person who ng ix always the one who pon reiiable information. This ric J. Hask wt an Information bureau for the public. There is no charge ez- cept in stamps for return postage ite to him today for amy Tac desi Your inquéry should be addressed to The Star In- formation Bureau. Frederio J. Has- %in, director, 1220 North Capitol street.) Wiley Raps Germa Discusses Coming Parley to De- termine Her Ability to Pay. To the Editor of The Star 1 notice that two unofficlal delegates, namely, Dawes and Young, arc now on their way to Berlin to determine to at extent Germany can pay the reparations and other indemnities de manded in the treaty of Versailles. If they are looking for the intangibls alth of Germ industria securities of othe and g and siiver, they will find little or not Ing. 1t 35 a well known fact thar all valuable of an intangible character possessed by German indus- trialists have been rufely deposited in other countries. Tho newspapers have Just carried statements, purporting t come from New York banke, that they 0 not propose to give out the amount of German securitics deposited with them, as there {s no law which com- pels them to do £6. The bankers are probably right in this respect; th guard the interests of their own de- positors. ~Any quest which our repre- sentatives may make in this directlon v is even more hopeless than looking for the proverbial “needie in the haystack.’ On the other hand, the real wealth of Germany does nof need to be sur- veyed. s is well known to all na- tions.” The wonderfully efficlent agr cultural production of Germany has practically reached its peak during the last year. The Department. of Agri- culture has published & notice that the granaries of Germany are bulging; that the quantity of beet sugar made is raj idly approaching a pre-war level; that there 1s plenty of pork and an abundance of milk cows in Germany. There seems 10 be also, according to the recent ra- ort of New Year eve festivities, an abundance of hard cash. A story in The Star of Wednesday, January 2, by Frederic William W indicates that Broadway Wwas no more lavish in the spending of good hard cash than was nter den Linden. The fields of Gerw any are undevastated; they are still yielding bumper crops. The mines of ermany have ne underzr: s0 great mate. Th i any accurate e s iron ore, coal and particularls . an clement so nec- essary to successful agriculture. The factories of Germany have never been dismantled. No hostile srmy has burned her public buildings. If the children of Germany in the cities are starving for milk_the fault 15 solely that of Ger- many. When a nation deliberately de- buses its circulating medium so0 as to plea for a moratorium, or even of its debts, the sym- world for it4 suffering raised to a y_high pitch. am sorry for all Germans un- age of nty-five, for they D no part in 'hfl‘ of Germany's financ 1 have little sympathy for those who are sufe ering and who are over the age" of and took an active part hearty approval to, all the v which the. German army inflicted upon Belgiym, France, Serbia, Italy and Russia. If it were possible, the only advice which our experts -Could give would be to appoint a recpiver for Germany. In the hands of a competent business receiver, Germany's ability to pay would be readily and speedily restored. The wealth of a country s not in its cire cuiating mediwm. Every dollar of a rculating medium might be destroyed * without touching the natural wealth of a country. Germany has an arm: rger than that of any other count of trained technical eéxperts. They have the ability and the-skill and the mate- rial for the best. agricultural output pef ‘acré of any mation. The same s truc of thelr. manufacturing output There is no reason, therefore, to shed tears over the di§tress in Germany What we should do is to let Germany know that while she was willing to wreck the world with her supposed in-. vincible armies, she shall not be allowed to wrek the work with her foolish, imbecilo_and soclalistic financial oper~ ations. Whnl‘l TINAny needs is a re- turn to normalcy—not contributions tc charitable relief. The tired of her whining. station hardt required a police permit when she appeared in masculine clothes o the boulevards of Paris. There seems fo be a growing tendency on the part of our young women to affect a bo: ish manner, which is Tt ap ajl: - coming to their sex. Sps FRANKIE STHELE A