Evening Star Newspaper, February 28, 1924, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR ‘With Sanday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D.C. THURSDAY. ..February 28, 1924 THEODORE W. NOYES. ... Editor ‘The Evening Star Newspaper Company Tower Build: = ntst., Loudon, England. The Evening Star, with thw Sunday morning | #4itioz, is delivered by city af 60 cents arriers within only, nday only, 20 cents’ per t by mail or tele- n 18 made by car- may be seal ghons Maia 5000, ~Cotlee Fiers et the end of eac . Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance, Maryland and Virginia. 2ve All Other States. duy.1vr., $10.00 7.00 1mo., Daily only . 1mo., Sunday on s entitled for repuniication of a1l news dis- credited 10 | otherwise credited ~ pub- lon of Tex-Patching in the House. Tomorrow effort will be made in the Houss of Representatives to.effect romise on the tax-revision bill. 12 tes and normal e exception of the low- 'mal rate, placed at 2 per cent, «ill be offered by the regular repub- ship in the hepe of gaining emocratic votes and some pro- ve votes. 1t is desiréd by them g the bill back 1o the closest possible approximation to the Mellen plan when it 18 put to a final ‘vots in the House Up to this time in the House pro- e on the tax-bill a coalition of progressive republican s ruled in the adoption of departing y the original measure. If the bill were to pass in ts present stage it would be whally different in principle from Mr. Mel. ition. Nobody knows what ield in revenue production. The amendments have not been co- ordinated. There has been no sci- entific adjustment. Everybody has king. The esult is that as the bill now stands it is a hodgepodgs of provisions, the net of which is @ puzzle. . ose of the Mellon plan s revenues equitably 00,000 a year. nment could stand such a reduction without curtailing its debt- - d without quibbling nance provisions. lan the higher sur ax charges would be reduced as an sncouragement to capital to flow into investm king for the develop- ment of Amerlcan industry, Under it also the persen of smaller income would be relieved in material measure from his present heavy tax burden. The changes t *hus far adopted in the House have heen aimed @t the higher taxpayer and have been adopted with little or no regard for the actual result in revenue production. Amendments of- fered from the floor under the revised rules, and never considered by Gom- mittee have been accepted after only brief discussion in committee. of the 2 provision was th bill for a material increas on cigareties as a revenue producer. In point of fact, it & the probable effect of such a would be to check the sales of eclgarettes and reduce thé revenue. s no work for ama- political” economists. It i ly technical considera~ fons affecting trade. Experience is necessary to frame a balanced revenue bill, Partisan considerations are the poorest imaginable factors for such work. The countr: Xpects. revenue re- duction that, will relieve the burden upon the small taxpayer and will at the same time free capital for invest- ment in the industries upon which the prosperity of the country depends. 1t will be impatient with any political ‘maneuvers that are partisan in nature and are aimed at the embarrassment of the administration by denying it enactment of a workable law which accomplishes these purposes. ————— Mah.Jong is considered 2 very wicked game Ly the Chiness. By the time Americans and Europeans get through speeding it up its ancient form will seem.comparatively inno- cent. ———— Many people have talked about “in- visible government.” It begins to ook as if ex-Secretary Fall had been ambitious to be it. George Washington Temple. As 21l Masons know, and as. most other persons in the District -and neafby Virginia also know, a Masonic temple, to be one of the great temples of the world, is being built on the crest of the ridge west of Alexandria, an eminence which time out of mind has been called Shoodters Hill, or something very like that. Why it s called Shooters Hill seems not to have been explained by historians in Alex- andria, though ‘there 1s° mot much doubt that they could do it. Itis clear that some man ‘mamed Shooter or Shuter of Sutter or something like that lived on this hill or at its base in the long ago. Through the land vecords of Alexandria, Fairfax and Prince Willlam counties the story of this land has been traced, but.no con: nectlon between it and a man named Shooter has been found. On the maps of the geological survey it is Shuters Hill ‘The name Suter is an old one in these parts, and was familiar in Georgetown long before the estab- iishment of the District of. Columbia, end the name no doubt goes back in Virginia before the establishment of Georgstown or Alexandria. But the name of this hill is not & matter of great importance. There are in' our part of the country many place-names which. ere hard to account for or ‘which- cannot be accounted for. 0ld people in Washington know this hill weil. it is the southeast end of @ region of high hills'and plateaus Pounded o the porth by Foursmile - = = run, on the west by Holmes run and York and 3 number of other oitles. As jon the south by Caméron run, Old to vice, @ Washington zlley ought not | folk rémember it as the site of Fort to be compared with slum districts Ellsworth, a landwork which was be-| in some cities. The situation in zomel 5 per cent | at the coalition has | s now made plain | tax | |gun on the day Col. Elisworth was shot by Jackson ut the Marehall | House in Alexandria in May, 1861. {From that high land one gets as broad a view as can . be bad in the District or adjacent country, and the tower of the temple on that hill will r 300 fect above the ground. It will be an impressive object on.the southwest skyline of Washington. This structure, though not finished, is already called the. George Wash- ington ational Masonic Memorial, and.- the association in charge of the work has just met in its fourteenth annual session. It was said during the session that more than $2,000,000 | has been raised by the 80! fraternity of America for this Wash- ington Memorial, and that an eppro- priation by the association of $1;350,- 000 will soon be made for carrying on i construction. And thus the work on this great temple goes on. It is expect- ed that the memorial will be completed in 1937. Speedy Justice. ‘Three mopths from the day ‘of-the murder of two Brooklyn bank mes- {sengers on the steps of an -elevated raflroad in that city and the theft of Ithe cash they were carrying, the fourth of the gang arrested and ac- { cused-of the crime has been convicted of murder in the first degree. The fifth gangster, known by name, is still at Targe. This is a remarkubly speedy | aisposition of a case thut in ordinary cifcumstances would huve protracted for many months, perhaps more than «.year. The fourth man, convicted yesterday, was an employe of the {bapk which the messengers served, and it was upon the information given to the gunmen about their -habitual moves in thg carrying of money that the crime was plotted. He pleaded that this information had been forced from him by the gangsters under threat of death. But unfortunately for him he had told different stortes in the course of his statements after the erime and before his trial. The disagreement be- tween them was such that the jury found no ground for reasonable doubt as to his gullty intent in supplying the facts that led to the murdere. What this New York court has done in the speedy administration of justice othe: viction of four gangsters of murder thres months after the commission of the crime is proof that the public can be protected if the processe: speeded, without denial of justice to the acoused. With enterprise on the | part of the prosecuting officers thes: cases can be brought to trial while the crimes are fresh in the public | | mind and in a way to create the deep- est possible impression upon the | minds of the members of the criminal | world. { Undoubtedly fallures of justics and ! protracted trials have bred a contempt | for the law on the part of the pro- fessional or habitual criminal. He is willing to take his chance, inasmuch | as that chance seems to be good for escaping the penalty. -which the law | provides for his misdeeds. 1 i i Englznd than-in-this country in pro- | portion: to the -population. This is| doubtless due in large message to the | fact that British “justice Is more | | sSpeed¥ ‘and more certain‘than Ameri- can justice, that criminals are more | quickly caught and tried, and when { convicted punished. *Congestion In the courts is the 1nai cause of delay in trying criminal| cases.” This congestion is due in large | part to the undue protraction of trials. In some celebrated cases in this coun- try many weeks are occupied in testi- | mony and many days in argument, | not to speak of the days required to secure juries. Meanwhile other crimes are being committed and other cases pile up awaiting action. And when 2 conviction is tecorded thére are ap- Déals and other means of delay, some- times: with retrials lasting almest as long s the original ones.. All this makes for crowded calendars and for long lapses between -crime and punish- ment. The New York cases should set a pace for the courts in every juris. diction in this country. —— A minor operation compelled Jack Dempsey to linger a little while in & tospital. It must have been irritating to undergo physical punishment with- out prospect of a share in the gate receipts. —————— It is insisted by Mr. McAdoo's friends that there is no justification for “gefting his "law firm's ledger of our alleys is serious enough without giving way to exaggeration. Holes in Cheese. Of course, the holes {n Swiss cheese —Schweitzer, it used to be’ called—are not the particularly delectable parts of that highly esteemed comestible, but they are characteristic. They are @ sort of trade mark. So it is re- | garded as highly desirable to put holes in that Bort of cheese. As well try to have macaroni or spaghetti with- out holes as Swiss cheese. Macaroni without holes would be noodles, and be just plaln cheese. It is all in the hole. It_rnow appeirs from testimor siveRn Dbefore a congressional commit- tec , on agricultural -appropriations that sometime ago the Department of Agriculture managed to get two of its experts to the point of finding out how to put the holes in Swiss cheese. This was a great achievement, uslthough the department is not in ihe cheesc-making business. The hole-mekers recefved the usual salary paid to government experts, which has never been regarded as mu- nificent. Then somehow the secret of ‘their ‘success in hole-raking leaked out, and soon along came one of the {1ig cheese companfes of this coun- {try and hired them away from Uncle Sam. They are now making hol {in Swiss cheese for the trade. his 15 the ws partments. Men—and some women, too—develop as highly expert worl {ers in special lines, reach the maxi- mum of pay allotted to their grades and then are lured off to pr ployment at two, or three, or even | more, times their government cor uehsation. They undoubtedly add fo the value of the industrial orguniz- tions of the country, but they leav vacancies in the government serv that are as hard to fill as the holes in the Swiss cheese. Uncle Sam should eventually learn a lesson from these vacuities. te em- or -A Novel Suggestion. Judge David Ladd Rockwell, who is William G. McAdoo's campaign managet-in-chief, comes forward with courts can surely do. The con-|a new idea. Ile would have the oil| investigating committee interrogate all candidates for the democratic pres- idential nomination who are lawy are only ;as to what fcos they have cbtained in | | their law practice and w were thelr clients. He is quoted as saying that | he is in earnest in the suggestion. He nsists that what is fair for one is fair for all. Mr. McAdoo, he says, bared his business relations with his clients to the investigatars and he thinks that others should do likewise. He particularly would like to have Senator Reed show up his books. He thinks the Missourl senator should reveal the names of all his clients since 1920 and tell the amounts he has recely So that is where the shoe pinches! Senator Reed has been mercilessly grilling Mr. McAdoo'in his speeches in alleged by him to have taken since he lsft the cabinet to practice law. From Judge Rockwell's demand 1t would seem that Senator Reed has touched upon the raw. In the name of the Prophet, enough! Is the country going mad over inves- tigations? ——— Invitations to become a presidential candidate do not dazzle R. M. La Follette. Many people who were once candidates have become more quies- cent than Mr, La Follette would ever care to be. ——— The average tenant complaining of illtreatment at the hands of 2 land. lord may &t leust feel that ho was not treated as roughly as settlers oh Teapot. Dome. i —_——— Some of ‘the witnesses came from Palm Beach in such a hurry that it would not be surprising if they were to turn up in the Capitol in their bathing suits. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNEON. Electricity. ©Old Ben Franklin, he was wise. He coaxed the current from the skies. That Hghtning did not hint at half The ehocks we get by telegraph, mixed up with the tentative material for a campaign textbook. ——— Perhaps all Mr. Doheny " really meant to do was to dispel the grow- ing suspiclon that there isn’t any Santa Claus, —————a Washington “Slums.” It 15 repeatedly urged that the “slums” of Washington be -“cleaned lup,” and one is given to understand (that the' “slums” are in some of our lalleys. The word “slums” @s applied fo a part of Washington is new to many of our people. They have be- lieved witli reason’that there were no “slums™ in Washington in the sense that there are slums in London, New York, Chicago end other cities of the |largest class. It must be true that some- of our alleys &re in bad shape. The housing shortage swélled the alley population, and with the District's shortage of money and other. jerplexi- ties alley’ paving, alley lighting and alley cleaning suffered. Principal streets have been in need of paving and lighting. Thefe was a winter ac- cumulation of trash in back yards abutting on allefs and on some vacant lots, and the authorities have exerted themselves toward a clean-up of such places. There should be no inhabited alleys in Washington, end our people have done what they could and will con. tinue to do what they can to correct this. But to say that Washington al- leys are worse than anything to be found in New York-or Chicago is go- ing a little 'too far. There is over- population in some alleys, but this is not to be compared Witk congestion in extensive tenemsnt ssctions of New Old Ben Franklin could not know How far inventive skill would go; Nor sense the things that might shown Through listening in by teléphone. be Old Ben Franklin never thought Of distant waves by radlo caught, As fine for carrying gossip as For propagating joyous jazz. Difficult to Arrange, ““We ought to forgive and forget.” - “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum: “but you can't make the average voter sée it that way.” Jud Tunkine says if enybody ‘wants to buy his influence he's willing to meke @ reduction for cash to $9,999.99. : Final Result, The grafter faces with a laugh, The world, end seeks to play valh it; Then earns the gloomy epitaph, * “He didn't get away with it!" . Revelation. “Your new dress is a revelation! “I'm afraid &0,” answered Miss Cayenne. “I'm going to quit having my dresses made in Paris. The more a French dressmaker economizes in material the higher the prices go.” Scandalous. “This bootleg liquor,” sald the chemist, “is full of fusel oilL™ “Gosh!" exclaimed Uncle Bill Bot- tletop. ‘Jes' one oil scandal after an- other? “'Rastus Pinkley got into de hos- pital by bein’ too cautious,” said Un- cle. Eben. “He wouldn"t shoot craps s0 Swiss cheese without holes would ; all through the de- | In the past few days: \ 'D. 0, THURSDAY, -FEBRUARY. 28, 1924 A’ Seri Author of “Can Eur CHAPTER 1IV. Ome Cent in $100 for the White House. Many ‘Americans think the White House !s typically American in style. They are proud of it for that reason. Leave It to the Irish. The man who bullt it was an Irishman by the name of James Hoban. -Ability won. James M. Hoban's plans were chosen by open competition which closed July 15, 1792. He came from Dublin, Architect Hoban modeled the building after the palace of the Duke of Lei- cester.. The duke was an Irishman, Hving in Iretand. But the site was eclected by Presi- dent George Washington and Maj. Pierre Charles L'Enfant at the time the city of Washington was belng lald out. That was in 1791 The corner stone was laid October 13, 1792, by George Washington: It was the first publie bullding erccted at the new seat of government. The bullding was constructed of | Virginla freestone, which s a gray i sandstone. It has ons hundred sev- jenty feet frontage, and a depth or width of elghty-six feet. It has now a beautiful setting—placed in the center of broad grounds and sur. rounded by magnificent trees. The | building cost, orginally, about $200,- {000, but this expense did not come | from the government of the United States. The cost was defrayed out of the sale of public lands donated by the states of Maryland and Vir- ginla. The bullding took eight years to build. It was ready for occupancy in November, 1800. However, George Washington and his wife, it is said, | inspected the entire structure but a | fow Thit days b his death in 1799 the W ¢ impressive and very becoming as the home of the President of the United States is everywhere recognized. There is a spirit of simplicity about it that seems to command instant admira tion. The house was set fire to by the British troops during-the administra- tion of President James Madison, in 1814. Oniy the four walls were left standing. Even the President and | his wife had to grab the family silver {and fleet for their lives. This. dis- pute with the British wax soon ended Marks of Smoke Painted White. Then, in order to obliterate the marks of the fire, the stone was {painted white. It his since remained white in color. From that date on. lias heen known through- America and the world as th White House. Before that it had been called the executive man: d the President's house. Every President since Johu Adums has I1Ved there. George Washingion ever lived {n the White House. It s finished in 1800, while Washing- ton retired_ from ofice three. yea earller, in 1797, Going back over the ea we find that the first moner the Ubited States government on the White Houss was on April 24, 1800, 000 for furnitur sven years arch 3, 1807, $15,000, was spent on repairs. It so remained until 1519 year Congress appropriated | $3.137 for enlarging “the offices west lof the President’s hous: 823 the south portico was fin- at cost of $19,000, while -the 3 o was fnished in 1826 at @ cost of $24,769.15. % John Adams found the White . House ‘extremely uncomfortable that [first winter of 1800. It was & hitter jcold season. Coal and wood, which {were used in the twelve grates and fireplaces for heating it, lisckmg in Washington. o cutters or carters to be had at any |rate” declared Mr. Adams in a letter | i | i Capita! crime is less prevalent in | Illinois and Missouri on the subject|to & frisnd. of the enormous fees Mr. McAdoo is ! _ It {5 interesting.to. nofe that the White House was latar heated by gas. {That was in 1845. A more modern svstem. of heating_and ventilation | was installed in 1853. Last Lump Sum fa 1802, Then came the big expense of 1502. A thorough overbanling and restora- jtion was made under the direction ot the New York architeqts, McKim, Mead & White, during the adminis- tration of President Roosevelt. This work was zll done In the summer of 1902. - . Congress appropriated, in all, $476,- 448 for the work. It was all used ex- cept = small sum of a little less than $3000. which was returned to the United States Treasury, An esplangds leads to the new executive offices, which immediately adjoln the ‘White House propef. S0 much for the ex- - Kee‘pi That the prowiées made by Ram- say. Macdonald in . assuming his duties s prime minister of England are being kept is the bellef of the majority of American editors. ‘They feel that: his address, outlining the position his-‘government would as- sume, was not alone conservative instead of radical, as had been feared in certaln quarters, but that it is being followed out as the work of the labor government progresses. *Macdonald ‘was not revolutionary,” asserts the Youngstown Vindicator, “because thers is Bot & hint that he intends to destroy the social system under which England attained her greatness." - His speech :aleo has em- phasized, s the Wilkes-Barre Record Points out, that “Ho one .had. the right to assume that the labor party’s only concéptipn of. capital wag that it was to bé raided and disturbed the point of national bankrupte The. old parties are out of line, .as the Providence Tribune sees it, while “laboy has new men to offer and new tasks to suggest in clearing up the besetting difiiculties. It deserves to be given the chande to apply these without" the hindrance of .partisen politics. : 2 The new ministry “has made-a good impression,” ~the Springfleld Republican is convinced, and satisfies both from: the “domestic‘and Inter- national standpoint.” The attituds of Macdonald. the Spokane Spokes- man-Review' dlso adds. “is indicativ of . statesmanship' of ‘a high orde while the Cleveland Plain Dealer contimues: “On- the basis of the labor polidy as ‘now defined it will be ex- reedingly difficult for the liberals to take & position that will not make them an]agpendllh to hbo't. 1. they ort labor's: program, or a reac- tlomary party if they defeat labors announced aims. ~ Evervthing. con- + Aered, the Bfltl” »-rltlunanm;y‘ jtuatfon sSeems to present & mo liffeult problem to Asquith than to Macdonald. Asquith has no place to . ana, .while Macdonald, for the mo- ent at least, has his feet pretty irmly on the ground.” . * ok ok % “Macdonald’s is a fresh voice out of Europe,” says the Newark News, and | “his statement rings true. A socli istic prime minister might have been expected to outline all sorts of vision- ary schemes. He has limited himself and his party to the practical things which can now he done. The fact bat he is working, through the league of nations to Testors-economic tran- ujllity to Europe brings from the hattanooga . News.: the ~ suggestion hat, “4f his efforts ¢hali su ‘there will be little.nedd of the United| States Jolalng the MASUA 8o faT A8 CAN YOUR TAXES The North: Window BE CUT? es of Articles on the Gst of Govern : Wl!_ere_ the Money Gées, and Wh BY JOHN F. SINCZAIR, ments ope Hold Together?” pense. of the White House. Let us see what the executive department of ‘cur-government costs annually. First, there is the salary of the President of the United States. H: now receives $75,000 a year, or $6,250 a month. This Is paid to the Presi- dent each month. The salary of the President was the cause of much dis- cussion in the First C.mwgress. The Constitution of the United States did not fix his salary, merely saying that he should Teceive compensation. for his services. Washington had noti- fied his fellow citizens that he desired no salary. But Washington was a rich man. The" limits suggested in ranged from $15.000 to $75,- as finally placed at $25,000, is ‘remained untll President second term. Then, March 3, 1872, it was Increased by Congress to $30,000. There it remained until March 4, 1907. Congress passed an act “ap- propriating for traveling expénses of the President of the United States, to be expended at his discretion, and ac- unted for by his certificate solely, $25,000 anpually.” Then, in the & ond session of the Sixticth Congress, the President's salary was fixed at $75,000 2 vear. So today the Presi- dent receives approximately $100,000 a year and the White House. What White House Clerks Cost. In the matter of organization the Vice President of the United States 1s considered as part of the executive department, and not the legislative, even though as Vice President he presides over the United States Sen- ste. So the salary of the Vice Presi- dent is part of the executive depart- ment expense. It is now $12,000 a: | nualty. | Then come the salartes and ex- penses of the executive offices. Be- sides the secretary to the President, who receives $7.500 a vear, there are thirty-seven other employes associat- ed with the business of the depart- nt. 'Thess | $113,000 in 1921 $140,000 in 1924, The Executive Mansion grounds cost $11,500 In 1923 but this ftem will be slightly decreased in 1924. The White House police cost $50,000 In 1922 and are expected to cost $58,000 in 1924. Then comes the big expense of re- pairing, lighting and heating th | White House. This s paid for by th: United States government and not by the President. These items cost the Stutes government $82 490 in $7,500 has been lafd aside . “Another extraordinary ex- for ‘the White House repairs s been lald aside for 1924 of For all expense, then, in the exoeu- itive department—including salaries of President and Vice President and up- keep of White House—a total of $§43.265 was spent for the fiscal vear cnding June 30, 1923, This has been {increased in thé estimates.for 1324 to $416,894, i { -~ So far as government expsnditures iare concerned this is a mere bagatelle. It amounts to lees than one-half & cent per capita for 1923. It means & collection each vear totaling 5 cents | from every twelve people in America. Usex 1 Cent in 8100. For everv hundred dollars ralsed in serica for the government of the { United States, just 1 cent of it is used by the executive department to carry on their work. For every million dol- lars spent by this government in 1923, the President and his official family in the executive department spent ons hundred dollars of it. Manifestly, if government expenses are going to be reduced, the efforts should bs made | ure occurs. parisons. Let us make a few com- could buifld an executive mansiol £ $1.000.080 {n each one of the €ight states .in the United States, pay each governor $75,000 a year: each of the forty-elght lleuten- ant-governors $12,000 & yvear, and give state the same amount appro- priated in 1923 for the executive de- partment of our government—and it uld not equal what we spent in 23 on the of the United States every ninet, 'S, nor what we spen on the cery six days in the am 15 e pensive. e spends $24,000 @ m ute. But the executive department spends only $2.40'of it. So we pass on from the executive department to the legislative department of our gov- emment. Tomorrow: What It Costs to Run Congress. Macdonald Labor Government l?g Premier’s Pledges the accomplishment of European tranquillity is concerned, aithough it will becomie very much more of & ne- cessity that it go in for its own in- terests and economic ‘weifare of its ‘own people.”” On the other hand, the New York Post sees “the socialist claws showing through the labor glove. and something more than re- eponsibility helps to sober the wild men of Macdonald. That thing s the lack of 2 majority and the realization that labor rules by sufferance. One of these days, when the labor thews are stronger and its political strength is more set, labor will have it out with the liberals. Given power to match its responsibilities, what then? Given a clear, unhampered majority, an end toward which the Macdonald government will work by day and by night, then Britain will see what she will see. : “There Is no evidence of an Inten tion to press revolutionary doc. trines,” asserts the Syracuse Herald to_which the Louisville Times -adds “There is also nothing of communism and anarchy in the expressions of this 1abor leader who has bacome a prime minister.” His example might well be followed here, in the opinion of the Lansing State' Journal, - because “Great Britain Is prepared to pull to- gether; the United States is not.” He is to be commended as well, the Woston Christlan Sclence ° Monitor 1 for “demanding, as he should be accorded, the privilege of approv- Ing the adaptability, where other: have talled, of his own peculiar po- Iitical and industrial remedle: He also expects, and probably will re- ceive, says the Bangor Commercial, “bearty co-operation abroad, and it 1s not unlikely or impossible that the definiteness of his position as con- trasted with the shifting policies of former administrations may prove the method out and result in more ami- cable relations with France and { other European countries. * K %k ¥ ‘The Roanoke World-News is in- clined to dissent from this latter con- tention because “the aims of lsbor are difficult to square with French conception of either reparations or security, but the new government is plainly anxious to co-operate with the American advisers of the repa- ratlons commission. If, as s gen- erally expected, they reach conclu- sions that meet the essentials of the French demands, it is difficult to be- leve that Mr. Macdonald will not find 2 way to accept them.” Mac- donald, as the St. Paul Ploneer Press voints out, “Is a socialist. but before that he is prime minister of England. He takes a consolentious view of his responsibllities, and, unkke our dema- gogues, he is apparently governed by reason-and -not by-prejudice - er- dog- prepossessions’t - matio— sio cost the United Stutes | and are estimated at | t the places where the vast expendi- | ‘The people of the United flt-ten‘[ BY LEILA MECHLIN Between the pessimists who think that art {s dead and the optimists who, like the barkers at the circus, pro. claim its present-dey, triumph In su- perlative terms, there ls little to choose. Probably the former are the least objectionable, for, in any event, they make lebs nolge. Furthermore, their Statement can be controverted; art is not dead and never will die ‘so long as man lives, but when art is ‘made fulsome and that which s spu- rious is presented as pure gold it fs difficult to malntain an honorable po- sition: But the chances are that conditions In this particular are not very differ- ent today from what lbg have been all along. The thing i that the past has perspective,.the present 1s' viewed face to face. Timeswecde out the un- worthy and _sBceeeding generations fix relative values through concur- rence of judgment. - It is true that certain perils beset art in this twentieth century that are peculiar to the time. International- ism, for instance, from the point of view of civilization greatly to be de- sired, but from the standpolint of art injurious, for its tendency is to do away with differences, to cast all more or less in the same mold, and it is difterences which have lent variety and flavor to art—national differ- ences. When we all come to dress alike and live alike, have common pieasures and common interests, we shell think like to o great extent and our art will be very similar. It 16 today; it will be so tomorrow. But, as internationalism may give birth to a higher civilization, §o it may in time bring forth a greater art ex- pression. ¥ % % There are other perils which con- front twentfeth century art, and these are modern advertising and publicity methods. Inherently art fe a modest flower; like charity, it doee not flaunt itself nor behave in a way which i unseemly. An advertising artist is an anomaly, something which cannot exist. for no true artist would stoop to advertise his wares. But the ways of progress are devious, and the in fluence of “big business” is subtle. Royal Cortissoz in his “Fleld of Art” in Scribner’s Magazine, recently told of a young artist who went to an art dealer and requested an exhi- Dition. He was told that he could not be given an exhibition until he had attained a reputation. But how. could a reputation be attained unless {he were given opportunity to show his werks? In New York, at-the height of the season, there are some- | times ‘as many as thirty or forty ex ihibitions oPening - simultaneously. jHow are patrons to be found unless soma one proclaims the virtue of these exhibitions, as it Wwere, from the housetops? To the average young painter pub- loity Is the key to success: there- {fore, If he or che puts forzh an effort | to cbtain press notices it Is quite nat- {ural. “Competition is sharp in this as {in other fields, and as art is not sub- isidized, it is a questicn oftem of {making a lving. * ¥ ¥ % | But there was competition, and {sharp competifion, in the days of | Michaelangelo and Rephael, and mot i unusual was §t then to have Influence Ibrought. to bear _to.secure favorite painters “commissions. = There was | competition in the days of Sir Joshua { Revnolds, Lawrence and Raeburn; in jfact, Jt will be recalled tiat when Ra {and opening a studio {Lawrence wrote him that there was no room fn London for another por- trait painter, and that he had much better stay in Edinburgh—which he did. A certain amount of competition s healthy, but if it is carried too far, like ma Tha artist who is too much engrossed 40 zetting hisor her work before the Public and making sales is very apt to sacrifice quality and to ld%e inde- pendence of viewpoint. * % ox % - But If the living conditions and the atmosphere of the present day are not altogether propiticus to the produc- tlon of art, what is its effect upon the general publiv In the matter of ap- preciation? It i{s commonly agreed by authorities that to ful i the spirit of art one must have a calm leisure, - How many among us todey can lay claim to either of these valu- | able possessions? Life is zo full, so | hurrted, eo exciting. 1t 18 said that the conductor of one of our great orchestras complained one time because a subscriber came to an_afternoon concert w { apparently acquired on a shopping ex | medition. ~He contended that no one | could properly appreciate the music iof an orchestra when turning so ab- {ruptly from other things—sandwich- | ing @ concert, as it were, between the shops and dinper. This was taking a | pretty extreme view, but, in 2 meas- { ure, as_Washingtonians, who have most of their concerts immediately upon the conclusion of working hours, will testify, it is not altogether incor rect. It is dificult to adjust one's thought from an absorbing occupa- tlon to intellectual recreation, and this !s what art at-its best provides is. e tendency of the present day to @ great extent is toward lazy thinking. Comparatively few realize the meaning of having fun with one's mind. So much thinking is done for us ‘that - we almost ceass to think for curselves and, consequently, much of our intellectual plessure is of & passive rather than am active sort. Art undoubtedly makes appeal to the senses as well as the intellect; it creates emotion. A great painter, seeing recently for the first time the statue of Grant in this city, was moved to tears. The power 'to so move the acutely sensitive and sym- pathetic is a test of great &rt, but art which appéals only to the emo- tions is of a purely ephemeral sort. * % % ¥ The question has been asked what place art has in the lives of the American people today. difficult question to answer, even by those who have given the matter con- siderable study. Urndoubtedly -exhi- bitions of paintings and sculpture do not rival in interest professional base ball or intercollegiate foot ball, but the Chicago Art Institute has a record_attendance of approXimately one million a vear; the attendance at the Metropolitan Museum in New York is still greater, and in some of the smaller cities when exhibitions of paintings and sculpture are held the attendance In proportion to the population is still larger. A well known American painter, Walter EJ mer Schofield, recently took am ex- hibition of his paintings on a tou of the middle west, and after exhib- iting In thrée places -had to tancel further engagements because all jof his pictures had been sold. Not many week ass that an. nouncement 1s not made of munificent gifts on the part of private citizens to art museums. In Chicago at pres- ent a wing of the Art Institute is being built at_a cost of over a mil- ion dollars. In Toledo $850,000 has just been given by a single citizen, Mr. Edward Libbey, for an addition to the Toledo Museum. The demand for exhibitions, for art books, for study courses, for instruction in- { éreases steadily. Certainly many of our people must find. pleasure in art and reckon it one of the joys if not the necessities of life. K * ¥ ok ¥ All this, however, does not answer the question as to what proportion of time, attention and expendtture should go to art. Take, for instance, our public schools: What allotment of time should be given to the culti- vation of appreciation of art, musié, poetry, the drama? Obviously such instruction should up(-gln'la‘r‘l: witl ought of going to London | Sir_ Thomas | ny virtues, it becomes hurtful. | y enter into ! mind and-a reasonable amount of | This .is a ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ]. BASKIN Q. Do more people commit murder in the United States than in England? —C. C. ‘A. ‘The homicide rate twelve times as high here. Q. What novel of Dickens ie sup- posed to be a story of his life?—G. L. E. A. “David Copperfield” {s regarded as being, to a great extent, an au- tobiography of Dickens. Q. How did Bud Fisher acquire his nickname?—G. F. R. A. His little sister first called him “Bud.” Q. What was Cadman's occupation before he attained success as a com- poser?—M. P. D. A. Cadman as a young man wrote musieal criticisms for the Pittsburgh Dispatch. In the course of his duties as critic, he reviewed a concert given by Mme. Nordica. The article pleased the singer, who sent for Cadman. In Cleveland, the following night, Mme. Nordica sang Cadman's song, “The Land of Sky-Blue Water.” From that time on success has come to this American composer. is about Q. Why do open “parks” occur in the forested regions of the west?>— N. 0. G. A. The reason has never been ex- plained in 2 wholly satisfactory man- ner; they are probably due to a com- bination of factors rather than to any one. Absence of reproduction in “parks” in the southwest is due to a heavy, compact clay, in which seed- lings have great difficulty in becom- ing established, because such solls rapidly lose moisture near the sur- face and the seedlings die from drought. Q. Are cablegram from England than 13137—E. T. A. The Western Union Telegraph Company says that in 1919 cable- grams from England to America were 28 cents 2 word. The present rate is 24 cents a word for fast telegrams and 123 cents for deferred. Q. What country has the greatest available military man power?—C. M. A. The United States has the great- €8t—15,699,800 men being available. Russia has 15,685,000 and China about 15.000,000. Japan comes next with 8,519,000; Germany, Great Eritain and Frande following closely with avail- able man power between 5,000,000 and $6,000,000. Q. Are there more preachers than there are churches?—W. D. A. The Federal Council of Churches estimated last year that there were 243,583 churches of all denominations in this country and 214,683 ministers. Q. What proportion of our ships now burn oil?—A. G. A. The United States leads the world in ofl-using vessels. Out of a total tonnage of approximately 12,- 500,000 on June 30 last 399 tankers of 3 gross tennage of 2.497,675 tons d 1,709 steamers of 8.798,776 gross tons wers fitted for burning oil fuel. cheaper now they were in Q. What were the distinctive fea- tures of President Harding’s adminis- tration?—G. I P. A Among the outstanding acts of President Harding's administration may be enumerated: Re-establish- ment of peace with Germany andl tAustria; the limitation of arms con- | ference; settlement of terms of En, {land’s war debt to the United States; { recognition of the Obregon govern- { ment in_Mexico;. ratification of th Colombian treaty; revision of tax and | tarift laws: immigration restrictlo: { farmer aid ‘legislation; establishment | of the budget bureau: veto of the sol- diers’ bonus blll; advocacy of Ameri- can participation in the world court. Q. How is camphor made?—T. F. A. Camphor gum fs obtained by | distilling the leaves, bark and chips wood of the camphor laurel with | eam’and afterward driving out the water and volatils oils from the di tillate with a low degree of heat, and | then subliming the gum at 350 de- grees Fahrenheit. Synthetic camphor { It was & bitterly ironical coincidence | {that Harry M Daugherty’s fate should | !have been under constderation on the {day that Congress set aside for a { memorial service in honor of War- ren G. Harding. Between Hardlng and Daugherty there existed a friend- | ship of the Damon and Pythias fiber. Brothers never loved one another more. For a quarter of a century they were political comrades and bosom companions. Daugherty first endountered Harding when the latter was making his maiden political campaign—for the Ohio state senate In 1800. It was Daugherty who rescued Harding from the dumps in 1914, and induced him to run suc- cesstully for the United States Senate, after Harding four .years previous had been beaten for the Ohio gov- ernorship. “Harding insisted he was through with politics,” Daugherty once told this observer. “I went to Florida, told him to ‘enap out' of the blues, come home, and take my word for it that we could nominate and-elect him to the Senate’ The Test is history. v ¥* Ok ok ¥ Warren Harding would never have asked Harry Daugherty to quit the former's service, Thers was a time, about four years ago this tragle month. when, under other circum- itances, men 'sought the removal of Harry Daugherty from 2 place of olitical responsibility. Mr. Harding ad just appointed Daugherty his preconvention manager for the presi- dential campaign about to open. A rommittes of Marion friends, nelgh- “bors and political supporters came to Washington to see Senator Harding. Thels purpose was to plead with him to dispense with Daugherty’s serve ices, on the ground they would prove more embarrassing than effective. “Fellows.” Harding rejoined, “you've contrived to ask the impossible. I'd rather lose with Harry than win without him, * ¥k ok % Since his accession to dency, Mr. Coolidge has the presi- practically 1s praxiréé from_turpentine oil by methods in .whieh several patented processes &re-used.’ , 3 Q. How long has the Post Ofce Department or the pastal service col- lected mail from street letter boxes? A The custom.of callecting lefters from street boxes was inaugurated by Nahum Capen while he was poct- master 2t Boston, 1857-1861. Q. How much is a motgen of land? —IL M. A. A morgen !s a unit of land measurement -in South’ Africa svhich equals 2.116 acres. Q. Where did the name cantalonp: come from?—§. C. C, A. Cantaloupes are o named fro Cantaloupe, Italy, where the mel were first grown in Europe. Q. What books did Lineoln read at a boy?—B. R. R. A. The list included the Biblc, im’ e ¥ Lite of Washin the: United. Stitcs” #ng the “Statute: of Indiana' 3 Q. Ie the District of Columbia = territory?—>. F. X A. The District of -Columbia is neither a stgte nor a terrifory. It is merely a district set. aslde for- the purpose of affording a.place for the seat of goverpment, Q. Where ahd'shat is the Porta: of Peace!—D. V. Hs A: The -Portal of Peace {s 2 mas- eive concreté structure in the form of a gateway. It is located at Elaine. Wesh,, and was dedicated September 5, 1921, in honor of the peace between the United States and Canada, whick had lasted for more than 100 years without a break. The memorial which cost §40.000, stands 100 vards from the _international boundary where the forty-ninth parallel meets Boundary bay. Q. When wae the Federal Trade Commission established?—F. J. W. A The Federzl Trade Commission was created by Congres by the act of September 26, 1914. Q. What {s the “Intefigence quo- tient"?—C. P. A. The intelligence quotlent of 2 feeble-minded person is found by di- viding his mental age by his actual age. Thus a child of twelve with the intelligencs or mentality of nire would hawe an intelligence quotlent of 9-12, or 75. Q. What is the origin of the words wholesale and retail’—J. A W. A. The word wholesale is merely 'a combination of the words whole and sale. Retall is from the cld French retall, meaning a cutting, and con- nected with the modern French re- talllier, meaning to cut off. Q. What raflroad in the United izataes earns the most money’—A. A. The Pennsylvania system head- ed the list in 1922 with net operating revenues of $78,5655.146 and totel oper- ating revenues of $646,352,108. Q. If ‘& refrigerator iy I & room at freezing .temperature, will keop- ing ice in ths box keep food from freezing?—J. E. B ~- A. The Department of Agriculture says that the insulation of the ice chest would h; preventing the erator from freezing than the Ica would. Furthermore, a pall of water or a pile of bricks would be more effective than the ice, because it would take a longer time for these articles to cool. (Take advantage of the free in-, formation au which this news- Ppaper maintains. If there is a ques- tion you wantanswered, Gow't hesi- tate to use this service. All replies Gre aent direot lo_the inquirer. Ad- dress Frederic J. Haskin, director, 1220 North Capitol street. Inclose 2 cents in stamps for Teturn postage.) WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE are those of Mr. Washburn, a lawy friend, to inquire informally into thi bureau of engraving affair President’s behalf, and of "Ji Willlams, editor of the Boston script, to be a member of the ann. board of visitors to Annapoifs. * k% % Senator Thomas J. Walsh of Mon- tana, the democratic battle-ax of the oil investigating committee, has the reputation of being the most solemn man in Congress, as well as one of its most eminent lawyers. His smiles and lighter moments are sald to be as rare as Calvin Coolidge's conver- sational Indiscretions. In private con- tacts with iutimate friends, Waish flashes frequent shafts of wit, but there is little of the hail-fellow-well- met about him. He shuns the ef. fusive arts of the hack politician. ‘The Montanan blossomed forth at the beginning of the present sessiol strangely rejuvenated in appearance. His barber is entitled to the credit, rather then his doctor, for Waleh during the autumn decided to kave himselt shorn of a conspicuously drooping “walrus” type of mustaches. The operation took ten years from him in looks. * % ok ok The editors of a certain cynical magazine offer 2 prize of a large custard pie for the outstandingly grotesque event of the preceding month. Two episodes of recent oc currence In Washington are herewitt submitted as worthy recipients of Jobel prize for boli-weevilis 1. Washington's birthday audience at the White Hoyse for Jack Demp- sey, followed by visit of our greatest peace-time fighter to the tomb of Woodrow Wilsen, where he was pho tographed 'laylng a wreath on the war President’s tomb. 2. Photographing of two members of the cabinet, on the steps of the White House offices, arm In arm with a quartet of chorus girls from a "foi- lies” company now giving = tired business man's show In Washington. ¥ ok ¥ Count that day lost whose low de- scending sun has not gone down boycotted Massachusetts England in the realm of federal ap- pointments. A deceat resvect for the opinion of western mankind, which 1as no overwhelming fondness for pilgrim - predominance at Washing- ton, is back of this policy of self- denial. Appointment of * William Phillips to be ambassador to Balgium s virtually the first major appcint- ment the Coolidge neck of the woods has secured, and that is a promotion for, acknowledged merit in the diplo- o service. Phillips Is a native of Beverly, Mass, and a graduate of Harvard. The only -other known Massachusetts appointments, outside of postmasterships, since August, 1923, —————— R's,” but whatever tends to broaden vision, to increase powers of enjoy- ment, to enrich and ennoble life is eminently worth while, The fact is that a great deal is bs- ing done today through our public school systems to accomplish this end. it would seem, however, can be said of our college curricu- lums. The tendency of the time is toward those courses which fit the student to earn a living without re- ard to whether or not he or she Enow- how to live. Of course, those who have no knowledge of art, no contact with art, are unaware of its value as & oumzI of pl nlsdun;, of _recdrenlllun. ‘A- Hawthorne said of stained-glass win- 0?:,11 those within can realize theis beauty, and New a new republican vice presidential boom. The very latest has Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines, director of the Veterans' Bureau, for its hero. Such a nomination, as tail end of 2 Coolidge _ticket, would supply the western balance which the G. O. P. is planning for. Also it would be an undoubtedly popular choice, as far 23 ex-service men are concerned. Hines hails from Utah originally. It was e that he joined the Army private during the war In recent years he has lived in New York state, but Utah is his -political domiclle, and from the land of Smoot comes word of a husky Hines - for - Vice - President movement. ¥ % ¥ ¥ Representative Fres of California. arch-advogate of Japanese exclusion. says the Nipponese. who must soon vacate the isol}. of the Pacific coast states, on accotint of the new sllem land laws, have designs on this part of the country. Free has heard from North Carolinian colleagues in Can- gress that a formidable Japanese in- vasion of the Tar Heel state is in contemplation. ~ Californian exol sionists frankly rejoice over such & prospect. They say that casterners would view the Japanese question through less rose-tinted glasses 1f they bad .the. “yellaw. peril’.nsare: their. on.wm&_ with Spain.