Evening Star Newspaper, March 12, 1924, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Kdition. WASHINGTON, D. C. ‘WEDNESDAY. ...March 12, 1924 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. mi wspaper Company | o,y formed mainly by bolters from | The Evening Star Business Office, 11th St New York Office: 110 Fast 42nd St. Chicago Offie: Tower Bouding. Buropean Uffice: 16 Rezent St., London, England. The Evening Etar, with the Sunday morst edition, fx delivered by carricrs within the eity ai 60 cents per month: daily enly, 45 erats per mouth: Sundas aniy, 20 cents per month. ~ Orders tny be seut by mail or tele- phone Main 30(0. ~ Coilection {5 made by car- Tlers at tho end of each mouth. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance, Daily and Sunday..1yr., §5.40: 1 mo., 70¢ Daily only 13T, $6.08 ; 1 mo., 50c Sunday only. All Other States. Daily and Sunday.1 yr., $10.00 ; 1 mo., 85¢ Daily only ...... i Sunday only c | Member of the Associated Press. The Aswociated Press is exclusively entitled for republieniion of ull news il 10 it or not otherwise cred this paper and also the local news pub- lished ‘herein All rights of publication of wpecial dixpavhes herein ace also reserved. e = P Why Impossible? Just why it is “utterly impossible,” &8 some Of the congressional leaders declare, to enact the immediate- reductica resclution requested by President Coolidge in his spectal mes- sage yesterday is not readily under- stood. Arvything is possible in Con- £ress, evem when unanimous consent is required, if there is a disposition there to accomplish results. Just so, anything ‘s impossible on the same basis if 1% objection. One nega- tive voice would prevent action. By the same token, the absence of a sin- gle negative voice would permit it. Whose voice is likely to be raised at this time against immediate reduc- tion of taze: The Treasury declares that immefiate reduction is feasible without disturbing the balances. The President voices the popular demand forfrelief at once from the needlessly heavy burden of taxation. The House has alveady passed u measure for re- duction, the only conflict in that body relating to the scale of the reductions and not to the orinciple. Some meas- ure of reductih is confidently ex- pected to pass.th. Senate. v The only questica really is whether the reduction is to 1ke éffect at once or later. It has been the confident belief that, in whatever specific form the revenue measure finally pa: the reduction, certainly in respect to the lower-income taxpayers, would be made retroactive, to affect the pay- ments due this year for last year's incomes. Now the President, finding that owing to the delays in the House and to the Senate’s schedule of pros- pective -action, there is no chance of enactment before Saturday, when the first payments must be made on the 1923 returns, asks immediate emer- gency legislation by a simple reso- lution. Repeatedly Congress has met such emergencies with prompt action, by Jjoint resolution or by bill. Again‘and again unanimous consent has been given to permit the passage of meas- ures required in the public interest in a hurry. And often these enact- ments have been made while oppo- sition was expressed, though not spe- cifically and obstructively registered. So again, Why it is “utterly impos- sible"? nd Penneyivasia Ave. i l A storm that destroys communica- tion so that weather reparts cannot be received allows the observer to draw his own conclusions, which are ac- curate enough for all practical pur- poses. —_——— There are two “Zevs,” each dis-| tinctive in his type of performance. | One has recently taken several hurdles | and 2 new hazard known as “the oil jump.” —_—— A third party, to be reasonably safe from suspicion, should be led by statesmen old enough to have experi- ence and yet young enough to be re- garded as perfectly innocent. A star witness in an investigation has all the customary attention in the ‘way of advance notices. The Third-Party Call. If the plans of the third-party or- ganizers carry through there will be a national convention nearly every week in@June next. First will come that of the"republicans, at CJeveland on the 10th. Then will come that of the— Just what they are to call themselves 8 not yet disclosed, if determined— progressives, let it be said for con- venterice, on the 17th, at St: Paul. Finafly will come that of the demo- crats at New York on the 24th. A call for the St. Paul meeting has Jjust been issued by a conference of delegates from eight states, represent- ing thirteen organizations, held in that samge city. The purpose is declared to be to nominate candidates for Presi- dent and Vice President and to adopt « national platform. %8¢ 1s noted that in the talk at the St. Paul conference there was discus- | THE EVENING pressing dissent from the policies of The law is inexorable, and Imposes _the two major parties, sometimes a penalties if the job is not done. March | convenient means of sliding over, by 15, the timelimit when these tax re- a transition allegiance, from one to turns must be in the hands of the col- the other of the maln organizations. lector of internal revenue, draws near, In only one case since the start of |and everybody who has not already party government in the United States done this yearly task might as well has a third party grown into @ major buckle to it. If a tax-reduction law is party. That was when the republican 'passed applicable to incomes for 1923 the whigs in 1856, became the anti- slavery party in 1860 and won the na- tional election in consequence of a division of the democrats. Those who are now promoting, the third-party movement cannot reason- ably hope for success at the polls in November. They may prevent an election by the people and thus throw the election into the House of Repre- sentatives, where, as the state delega- tions now stand, there would be no clear majority for either of the major parties. Or they may so split the re- publican vote, especially in the north- west, as to effect a democratic victory lin the clectoral college, playing the role of the progressives of 1912. Much may happen between now and June 17 to determine whether the con- vention of the dissenters, called by delegates from eight states represent- ing thirteen organizations, will be ac- tually held. Many a third-party move- ment in this country has slackened between start and convention time. Plunkett’s Charge. If Rear Admiral Plunkett has been correctly reported he has in the course of a police trial in New York city de- clared that Washington is the “wet- test” city in the United States. The President, it is stated, wants to know whether the admiral said this, and furthermore whether his charge is based on facts, and finally why this condition prevails, if the fact is as the admiral is reported to have declared. It is one of the easiest things in the world to make a breadly sweeping statement about a city. Just the other day a witness before a House commit- tee said that Washington is the “wickedest city in the United States.” It bas been called the dirtiest city and the bumpiest city and the most poorly lighted city and all sorts of other things in the superlative. But those who fling these slurs at it have never yet come forward with figures that stand test to prove their generalities. If Washington is the wettest city in the United States the evidences are certainly remarkably well concealed from the observer. If it were such a city drunken people would surely be seen rceling about the streets at all hours. Wild reveiries would be heard in places of public diversion and in private homes. But somehow even those who are about a good deal, and { Who are perhaps rather hopefully look- ing for evidences of the utter failure of prohibition, which {s the vaunt of the “wet,” fail to find these outward and visible and audfble signs of the collapse of and widespread fljsregardl for the law. . But, anyhow, here comes & high of- ficer of the government, saying pub- licly that the Capital is the wettest city in the country, which, if true, would mean that the law is flagrantly defied in the very seat of its enforce- ment. That is to say, he is mid to have said so. Now he is to be asked for the basis of his assertion, for his specific and comparative facts and figures. He owes it to himself, not to speak of the government he represents and serves, to give the proof or else confess that he spoke in hyperbole, which is so often the speech of the advocate. Keep the Hospitals Supplied! During the last fiscal year 10,008 cases of illness and injury requiring immediate attention, some of them most desperately urgent, were treated at the Emergency and Casualty Hos- pitals. During the present year an even larger number will be go treated. To collect these cases requires an am- bulance service. To treat them re- quires a large medical and surgical staff. To attend them requires a nurs- ing force. Altogther a large organi- zation is necessary. To maintain that organization calls for money, more than is granted by Congress in appropriations, The de- mands on the hospitals, now wisely and effectively united under single control, are growing more rapidly than the allotted public funds can possibly begin to accommodate. So the people of the community are now asked to aid. It is to their interest to ald. No- body knows when the ambulance may the collector of internal revenue will take care of those who turn in their money now. Those who pay on the quarterly instaliment plan will be credited with the first installment against the reduced sum owed the government and “in those cases where the tax is paid in full the excess paid will be refunded promptly without walting for a claim to be filed.” This ought to satisfy most persons. Of course, it would be most unusual for the government to refund money promptly and without the claimant having to spend in court and lawyer's fee more than the sum claimed, but the collector of internal revenue makes the express promise to do this in case Congress passes and the Presi- dent approves an act reducing the amount owed the government on the 1928 income. —_— Underwood’s Alabama Victory. Senator Underwood is declared to be Alabama's favorite son, but not without a struggle. In the prefered- tial . primaries yesterday, with two other names presented, the democratic voters gave him a majority of 25,000 His principal opponent, Musgrove, was sponsored by William Jenning: Bryan, who entered the state and spoke against Underwood. The third candidate, Dinsmore, was hopelessly distanced. It had been announced that if he won the primary he would throw his delegate strength for Mc Adoo in the national convention Thus Underwood's winning in his own state puts somewhat of a check upor the Californian and at the same time administers a blow to democracy's perennial possibility, three times its candidate and always its “available” representative. There is no particular significance in the primaries in Alabama. Senator Underwood had been proclaimed a: the state’s candidate, and it would have been astonishing if in the first popular test he had not been definitel. indorsed. Unanimity was hardly to have been expected, even in the case of so eminent and capable a man a: the senfor senator. In a state like Alabama, where there is no “opposi tion,” in the sense of an active counter political party that has a pos sible chance of success, it is natura’ and, in fact, desirable that rival as pirations should develop within the ranks of the dominant party. Mr Musgrove, defeated as he is at this time, has at least the gratification of having given the “favorite son” a run Itor the nomination. He has had his in troduction to the voters of the state, which may later prove to be of value to him. In the presence of so much crude oil the Senate feels it a public duty tc establish itself as a refinery. Like other disturbances, the storm: has “blown over”; leaving, however, a great deal of damage to be repaired. Agitation distinguishing Mexican politics may be explained to some ex tent by the fact that it so frequently engaged from one angle or another in the discussion of oil. Actors are confident that there wil! not be any strike next summer with managers in need of so much high- class talent to entertain convention visitors. ‘By resigning, former Secretary Denby - gave himself opportunity tc enjoy, without Interference with of- ficial duty, a remarkable series of en- thusiastic ovations. —————— e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Cynical Sinner. ‘The sinner fills our hearts with scorn. Our thoughts are duly grim. And yet—though he should. be for- lorn— How many envy him! ‘While some compute their income fees And toil and ne'er relax, The sinner bootlegs at his ease be nceded. No householder can re-| And dodges every tax. gard himself as immune. The sum of $500,000 is asked for the maintenance of the two hospitals. But the money need not be paid immedi- ately, or within a short time. By a ‘wise arrangement the subscriptions are payable in six semi-annual install- ments. That puts subscription within the range of everybody. The workers for this most worthy cause are scouring the city now with their subscription blanks. They should not have to argue the case. It is per- fectly well known. These hospitals are absolutely essential institutions, and they must be provided with sufficient funds to enable them to render the service the community requires. So let the half-million be subscribed sion ‘of the matter of a presidential | promptly. Let the figure of the am- candidate, and the name of Robert M. | hyignce on the building at the corner La Follette was most prominently|of 14th and G streets be sent climbing mentioned: This may account for the | yp the hill at a rapid pace. ‘Wisconsin senator’s recent refusal to afiw the use of his name on the preferential primary ticket in-North De¥ota. Sandwiched in between the repub- Pen ————————— Not a thing has been said to reflect on Mr. McAdoo either as an able lawyer or a vigorous campaigner. ——— It has evidently been decided by Mr. Daugherty that even a resignation n and democratic conventions the third-party meeting may have the ap- pearance of a bolt or break from the . republican party. Planned so long in | TUTOF Ought to have its limitations. advance, however, it will actually lack that character. There can be no “bolt” Income Tax Returns. before the parent party has declared| Procrastination is a vice. We were itself. In 1912 a bolt occurred, but|told this in the ancient copy books, only after the regular convention had [and the mottoes set down in those ink- refused to heed the demands of the |stained and tearstained tomes were Roosevelt faction. sometimes good ones. Here we have This third-party movement has been | the matter of the inecome tax return. *in theair” for a long time. It has, in- | Some of the fortunate or unfortunate deed, been “in the air” for many,|among us must make out such re- many years. Never since the very be- | turns. For the man on wages or salary ginnings of government under the[it !s not a complicated thing to do. Constitution in this country, save dur- | For the professional man it often in- ing the era of virtual unanimity for | volves considerable difficulty unlees George Washington and in the “era of | he has a good bookkeeper and his jpood feeling” a couple of decades later, | books show what they ought to show. has there been & distinct two-party | For many business men the making solid alignment of the people. The jout. of the tax retwrn Involves great 1hird party is the usual method of ex- | difficulty. But the job must be dome. Y A man well meaning, should he make A blunder, will turn pale. { The sinner grabs a liberal stake And has no fear of jail! Limitations, “Human wisdom 1is incapable of fathoming all the mysteries of this existence,” remarked the ready-made philosopher. “That's right,” answered Senator Sorghum. “In one brief investigation you mey discover more things than you can hope to understand in a life- time.” Jud Tunkins says he’d have more faith in human nature if everybody was as reliable as old Mr. Ground Hog. % Service Monopolized. ‘When storm has touched the tele- phone And you set up a row, Jack Frost replies in boistercus tone, “The lne is busy now!™ Apples and Peaches. *“You are pretty as a peach and the epple of my eye,” sald the effusive man. '“Let us be candid,” rejoined Miss Cayenne. “It is not necessary for us to use code messages.” Practical Assistance. “*The government ought to do some- thing to help the farmer.™ “It's too much to expect,” repled Farmer Corritossel. “There ailn't a ehance of getting & few squads of able- bodied men on the government pay roll that *ud be willin’ to get up before daybreak an’ help do the.milkin® an® feedin'.” “De world owes you a livin’, son,” #aid Uncle Eben, “but it ain® so anx. fous pay its debts dat it's g'ineter wake you out of & sound sleep” STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1924, CAN YOUR TAXES BE CUT? A Series of Articles on BY JOBN the Cost of Government; «Where the:Money Goes, and Why. . SINCLAIR, Author of “Can, Europe Hold Together?” CHAPTER XVIL ° The Cost of the War. " . & “Good afternoon, gentlemen! ‘s I have just sold some more military. supplies to the Mexican government.! Silence. v i “Did you get, pald for it?". asked one inquiring newspaper man. “The government, has received full compensation for It,” replied the Spe- retary of War, very soberly, pmidst the smiles and chuckles of teen ‘Washington newspaper en.’ This was all the war news for. the day. The brief intertiew was héla lute in January, 1924, in’ Washington, |n' the private office of the Secretary’ of War, John W, Weeks. Then ‘the newspaper men retired. I remaiged. John W. Weeks is sixty-fout. yel old. He Is a graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy. He has been an alderman, mayor, congressman and United States senator. He has been a successful investment banker and broker. After his defeat for re-elec- don to the United States Senate in 1919 he retired for two years. Then on March 3, 1921, he was appointed Secretary of War. He is from Mas- Sachusetts. So is the President of the United States. So is the Speaker 5f the House of Representatives. So s the Republican leader of the United States Senate. Weeks Is a real con- crvative, from the conservative east. “Mr. Secretary, in asking for ap- propriations from COnKress to carry i this department, you have in mind he problem of national safety. What s your yardstick by which you judge the amount necessary for national I asked. 11, there is really no yardstick (hat can be used,” declared the Sec- retary. “It is more or less a matter )£, personal opinfon.” But why should the American peo- . through Congress, give your de- partment about $1,000,000 a day be- cause you ask for it I said. “There aust be a rational basis on which you build your estimates.” Bases on Minimum Needs. “There certainly is. My estimates ire given the greatest scrutiny be- .ore being given to the bureau of the vudget. Those estimates are based ;n the minimum demands of the de- sartment—the minimum need for pub- ic safety.” “If the minimum demands are not net, then do 1 understand that the American people are in real danger?” ( inquired. . “Yes; that {s so. We are in great| ianger from the work of the pacifists wmd_all such well-Intentioned, mi <uided people,” declared the Secre- ary, with considerable emphasis. “In fy_report for 1923 you will find that 1850 we had one soldier for every 0,000 of national wealth. - In 1923 naintained one soldier for every ,500,000 of national wealth. There s'one yardstick for you Lo go b; ‘Agaln, human nature is w oclety must guard against the o sses of {ts own members. The 1920 sus discloses the fact that there were_in this country at least 32,000 uarshals, sheriffs and detectives, over 2,000 policemen and over 115,500 watchmen, guards and doorkeepers— a total of more than 229,000 employed for protection against dangerous im- pulses. Added to this total there were over 50,000 firemen, making a total of about 280,000 engaged in the protection of our institutions against the clements which force us to insure our private affairs. Yet we maigtain less than half that number asjour share of the police of the world! Ome-fifth of Insurance Total “Again, in one year the Insurance companies of the United States pald out to the policyholders, as insur- ance against death, fire, marine losses and industrial losses, over $1,125,000,000. We invest in a mili- tary preparedness policy less than one-fifth of the amount paid for In- ternal insurance and protection.” The white marble clock—the same une that ticked-tocked for Jefferson Davis when he was Secretary of War in 1853—ticked away on the top of the mantel. “Lot me glve you some more inter- esting figures,” continued the big, pleasant Secretary. “In‘a year we spend three times as much for chew- ing gum and candy as we spend for military preparedness. For sodas and confections we spend more than three Umes as much; for tobacco, more than four times; for perfumery, jew- elry and other items of adornment, more than three times. In other words, this military preparedness that appears to cost 8o much really costs_us one-eighteenth of what we spend for mild vices and amuse- ments.” This is the point of view of the present Secretary of War. With this preliminary statement, let us now move a little closer into the inner activities of the War De- partment. I have before me the costs of the Department of War since 1791. In that first year the United States spent $632,000 on the department. Then for twenty years the annual! /| expenses were from one to two mil- lion dollars a year. The war of 1812 boosted them again to about an aver- age of fifteen millions for the next five-year period. For another thirty years the average annual expenses for the department were from three to five millions a year. And the Mex- lean war boosted the figures again. From 1846 to 1861 the amount aver- aged about $20,000,000 a year. Eighteen Billions in War Period. Then came the clvil war. It result- ed in terrific expense. The nation |luenl. from 1862 to 1866, inclusive, an laverage of approximately $580,000,000 |8 year. Then another drop. Sixty millions & year on the Army. was not again reached until 1898. Mark that date! The big Army expenses have risen rapidly from that time on to the present. The year §908 saw 175 mil- lions reached.” Five years later 200 millions annually had been passed. Then the big war, with its titanic war expense Hocount., Now listen! From 1917 to 1923, inclusive, the people of the United States, through Congress, gave to the War Depart- ment, in round figures, cighteen billions of dollars to spend. Well, it was spent. Here is one case: Three bundred and ninety-five thousand horses and mules were purchased by the govern- ment during the war. Not over 300,- 000 were serviceable at any one time. Although not half the animals re- quired harness. the rest being cav- alry horses, riding horses and pack mules, a.total of 2,551,087 sets of har- ness 'were —purchased—nearly nine sets for éach animal. Nine hundred and: forty-five thousand saddles were { bought—about tine for every animal reqniring a saddle: 2,850,853 halters were bought—about nine for each animal. The end of the war saw & huge surplus, of leather goods on hand. They wWere disposed of with just as much negligence as they were purchased. But how much iz eighteen billions? It is 86 large, so vast, so difficult to grasp, it can mean little to any of us in the abstract. Let us try to make the figures more concrete by com- parison. ‘What It Would Do for Schools. What could be done with this huge lamount? It could bave paid the 679, |00 teachers in the 271,000 public| | schools of America. twice the salary ! they received during this period, paid all the running expenses of all the | 618 colleges in tha United States dur- ing the period and doubled the sal- arfes of all the professors in them; doubled the endowment of all the 145 colleges in America, which have now a fund of $1,000,000 and over. But still ‘our fund would be far from exhausted. All right. We could' build 1,060,000 workingmen's homes costing '$4,000 each. Then we could buy out at par all the capital stock of the 30,000 banks in the United States. We would have enough money left to buy up all the tele. phone and telcgraph companies in the United States, and still the unthink- able sum of nearly $1,000,000,000 would be returned to the Treasury of the United States. - The sum is more than the total | assessed real estate value of the! states of Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Da- kota, Washington and New Jersey— afl rich states. We could have pur- chased all the railroads in the United | States and hgve had several billions | td spare. But instead of having assets to show for our trouble, we have (1) eighteen billions of debt, on which more than $2,000,000 interest a day ! must be collected from the taxpavers and paid to the bondholders; (2) bad | feejings generated through hate, and (3) a disorganized industrial machine throughout the entire world. The interest alone on this eighteen billions of dollars would pay for the upkeep of the State Department, De- partment of Commerce, Department of Labor, Department of Agricul- ture, Department of Interior, Depart- ment of Justice, Post Office Depart- ! ment and more than half of the! Army. and ‘Navy deparfments. even usinz their present huge expenses in the estimate. Perhaps James Bryce. former Brit- ish ambassador to the United States, theén was right when he said, must end war or war will end us. i ight, 1924, in United States and Great (O.B“:""l\.n by North American Newspaper Alli- ance, All rights reserved.) Tomorrow: §796 Out of Each $1,000 for Warn. See Cox in Democratic Race As “Muddling” to Situation The entry of James Middleton Cox into the democratic presidential arena has added a new element of confusion to an already confused sit- uation. That it would be resented by Mr. McAdoo and his friends nat- urally was to have been expected, editors claim. But this feeling against Mr. Cox, in the opinion of the Springfleld Union (republican), “is also shared by the several other avowed and un- derstood candidates for'the demo- cratic nomination, who hive been looking upon Mr. Cox as one who, since November, 1920, has been, politi- cally speaking, buried beyond any hope of exhumation; this exploration of the 1920 tomb, however, is viewed with alarm and b been strongly denounced by many prominent demo- cratologists, including that favorite son of Florida—born in Illinois and reared in Nebraska.” Quite naturally “the Ohlo editor expected at least to be ‘mentioned” when the 1924 :.m- around and when there DA chance of Democratlc success.” according to the Portland Express (republican), but “nary a mention was forthcoming,” and “it is not un- natural that to be ignored in this fashion should rankle in the breast of the Ohio editor and that he should strive to get back at some one.” That his annunciation should have lssued from the thermal atmosphere of Miami sugwests to the Reading Tribune (in- dependent) “the guery whether the one-time rless leader’ is in som OEvival'of aspiration (n the breast of the once defeated Ohioan.” * k * % The Albany Knickerbocker Press (republican) 1 McAdoo boom now something less of a boom, and with questions of avail- ability infiicting & serious blight else- where, perbaps the Cox re-entrance may be more significant than it might seem at first thought." What strength he will develop depends upon his the Brooklyn Eagle (in- %‘:r:::;:‘l‘ll“d!mocrlflc) sees it, be< cause “he has many advantages over some of the men aiready in the fleld. He has fought courageously for an afiirmative licy in foreign affairs, and has b.lgnm ardent supporter of have kept lukewarm. It that ill not be a negative cox!'h- Louisville Times the league of nations, when many lemoci the sake of ld rats, for flm egree responsible for his . feels that “with the| (democratic) points out that he “proved himself a straightforward man and a good campaigner, and left no voter in doubt as to his aims and the policies he declsred were sound.” The Hartford Times (democratic) in- dorses this opinion, admitting further that “he made a great deal in his campaigp of charges of republican corruption, .which is certaln to be an issue in this campaign,” therefore “Cox loses nothing by having started later than some of the others,” and “perhaps he gains from not having started too soon!” Ordinarily a candidate buried nnder a 17,000,000 majority for the other party, ‘the Phlladeiphia Bulletin (n- dependent republican) thinks, “would be considered hopelessly .out of. ‘the running (o future but that may oot be a factor, under the' exception: Oiroumetances of 1920 no othor demo- crat _might . have done any better.” Beoides, several factors, the Kalama- 300 Gazette (republican) holds, “are working this year to enable Cox to overcome the odium of the 1820 dis- aster.” For, a8 the Waterbury Re- publican (republi¢an) argues, “if Mr, Underwood is ‘too sectional, Mr. McAdoo too oily, Mr. Davis too eapi- talistic, Mr. Smith too wet, Mr. Cope- land too suave and Mr. Ralston too old—why should not Mr. Cox sspire, ndeed?’ Although conceding that “Cox is a fighter and. If he throws himself heartily Into the contest he will make. things interesting for the other aspirants, the Roanoke Times (democratic) insists “he is not the candidate the democrats are looking for.” The Sioux City Journal (re- ublican): agrees “Mr. Cox does not r'wk as good right now as a leader a5 some others who have been fa- vorably mentioned, not including, by the way, Mr. McAdoo.” The Nash- ville Banner (independent) suggests that “his announcement may be a call to.arms for the old guard of his party who_ believed in and still adhere to the'league of nations.”" At the same time the Banner believes “the country will hardly take the Cox candidacy seriously.” While the Salt Lake Tribune (republican) characterizes it .as only “mildly sensational™ LI Surely, as the Lincoln State Jour- nal (Indevendent republican) puts It, “James M. Cox thinks of himself only as a holder of Ohio delegates and not a8 & real presidential possibility~his party is hard up for a candidate, but not so hard up as'that.” At any rate, the 'Butte Post (republican) main- tains, “the Ohio.d tes in the na- tional convention will nave by this means an asset for trading purposes In‘l-h:'llln of that state and Politics at Large BY N. 0. MESSENGER President Coolldge s gathering them In. All the delegates to the républican npational convention thus far elected are either pledged, In- structed or known to be favorable to his nomination for the presidency. It is regarded as significant that the delegates chosen are from widely separated states, Indicative of a uni- form public sentiment in many sec- tions approving his proposed nomi- nation. Yegterday he won in three states, one in Ncw England, Now Hamp- shire, and two in the west, Kansax and Colorado. He has several south- ern states in his column and the far northwest with Minnesota. So he may be said to be going strong In all " the sections. The delegates thus far chosen, num- bering 165 out of the 555 necessary to nominate, are as follows: Missouri 2; Georgia, 2 (others to be selected) Minnesota, 27; Virginia, 17; Kentucky 26: lowa, 29; Phillppines, 2; Louisiana 4; South Carolina, 11; Colorado, 15 New Hampshire, 11; Kansas, 21. * ¥ % ¥ The President’s friends feel highly gratified at the showing made in hi: favor at the outset of the seasor when the states are to choose dele- gates to the nominating convention They point out that the returns a: they come in justify the favorable reports they have been recelving from all parts of the country. Yesterday's elections of delegate show, they think, that the Presiden has not been touched in any way » his Interests unfavorably affected b the oil disclosures. The country ha evidently refused to be stampede: and is able to differentiate in the case They point out that if radical state such as lowa, Minnesota, Kansas an Colorado are able to justly w the facts and appraise the situati the rest of the country is likely to d the saine, and the democratic hopes ot blasting "the President’s nominatior have already gone glimmering. * % % % Senator Underwood's victory in Ala bama is regarded by the politician as indicating that the Ku Klux, al, leged hostile woman's vote and re ported disaffected labor vote failed t militate against him. He is now re lieved of the apprehension of losin his own state, and it is expected th result will advance his interests i other southern states in which M: McAdoo is contesting. * % % % “Straw votes” on the contest of the several candidates for the republi- can and democratic presidential nomi nation are increasing in-vogue. Th Farm Journal is taking one and re porting the results weekly, the car ss including all sections, but chiefl: the agricultural communitics of th iddle western states. The latest bul letin reports that “slight losses for President Conlidge and Willlam G. McAdoo and_an important gain for Senator La Follette mark the tentk week of the Farm Journal's presiden- tial straw vote. La Follette has displaced McAdoo from third place in the total vote and is now close behind Henry Ford, who is still second. It is explained that al- most a third of Senator La Follette's total vote is from his own state and is now close behind Henry Ford, who is still second, while 70 per cent of Senator Ralston’s vote is from Indi- ana. In ten weeks a total vote of 19,903 . ANSW /Q. How long s a President’s tomb guarded?—J. B C. A. Upon investigation. it appears that there is no prescribed policy in this re- spect. The advisability of such guard ‘being placed, its strength and period of duty are questions which must be de- termined by the circumstances in each instance. Q. What per cent of the tobacco crop of 1922 in Virginia was handled by the “Tobacco Growers' Co-operative Associa- tion”"?—E. 8. B. A. They handled §1.73 per cent of the Virginia tobacco crop in that year. Q. What does “Scaramouche™ mean? —G. 8. P. A. The word “Scaramouche” means a boastful, cowardly person; a poltroon. The name was first applied to euch a ‘haracter in an old [talian comedy. Q. What is the penaity for usury?— 3 M. B A. Penalties for usury differ in the various states, ranging from loss of in- erest or loss of entire debt, to for- eiture of double the amount collected, i fines up to $500,' with or without im- yrisonment up to six monthe. Q. Does every stale have a soldiers’ ome?—C. B. H. A. Twenty-eight states have state iomes for disabled vo'unteer soldiers. Q. Which stops growing first, the srain or the body?—A. L. K. A. Dr. Hrdlicka says that the brain crows after the body's development ‘eases. The brain develops, with use, © the age of fifty or sixty, in some | he head is actually increased. Asid { rom this physical development, the l Jody seldom grows after the early wenties, although Dr. Hrdlicka says hat under proper exercise, diet and iving conditions the body may ETow intil about the thirtieth year. i i . How much mwney has the Car- 1egie Corporation of New York?— . The asscts of the corporation mount- to about §133.000,000, with 10,000,000 still outstanding in Mr. ‘arnegie's estate, About two-thirds f tlje gifts made by the corporation re for medical and legal projects. . How long will the airplane lQ;:ht around the world take?— it H. A. The expedition will start from os Angeles March 16 or 17 and leave cattle about April 2. No time will lost, but IN TODAY’S -ises to an extent that the size of | ERS TO QUESTIONS. BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN I haste will be made which might en= {danger the success of the undertak= ing. The flight must be completed within six months from April 1, as conditions for landing would be un- safe in Greenland wategs at a later time. 9 Wnat 1 Iitzl's real mame? A Mitzl's name Is Magdaline Ha- jos. She was born in Budapest April 27, 1891, and was educated there After appearing in Vienna in . 1905 Sho came to New York and made her rst appearance in “The B i Romeo” in 1916, R P Q. In _a bagpipe, does A. The music of a bagpipe pro- ceeds from three or four pipes. One of these, the chanter, is a primitive oboe with eight holes; the others, called drones, sound cach ome lov continuous tone. Q. What s soapstone?—T. W. A. Soapstone s a rock composed essentially of the hydro-magne: mincral tale, but never chemically pure, owing to the pr ce of vary- ing quantities of other minerals, such as mica, chlorite amphibole, pyrox- ens, ete ' Soapstone is a massive rock, of bluish-gray-green color and sofi ;nough to be readily cut with nife. Q. Why is it that mistletos grows only on the highest branches of trees” —C. L E. A. Mistletoe requires a great deal of sunlight. For this reason in bot- tom land forests of the east mis tletoe is confined to the highest branches of the tallest trees, but ir the intensity of sunlight in the southwest mistletoe spreads over t entire tree. Q. What foods undergo a_ chem fcal change in the mouth’—C. H. ( Starch is food that changed in an 1 way in the mouth, Starch is gradually changed into sugar in the alimentary can:l, the first process taking place in th mouth. Other foods are meraiy ground up and softened, in prepari tion for action by other julces. Q. In a game of auction piteh and B each have two points to mak A bids two and makes jack, &3 B plays ace and deuce. Which wit A. Tn auction pitch the bidder h~ j—W- 3P therefore, A wins th A 1 1 first count; | game. (Have you asked Hoskin? He does niul know all the things that people ask hi: but her knows people who do know. Try him. State your question briefly. wri plainly and inclosc 2 cents in stamps return postage. Address Frederic Haskin, Director, The Star Informatic Bureau, 1220 North Capitol street.) SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL V. COLLINS If Italy were to banish the Pope wnd announce that henceforth the talian parliament would pass on natters of theology and religion, and hat Roman Catholics of all Burope «nd Pan-America must look to the -cclesiastical supergovernment of ftaly, it would not cause a more pro- the conclusions of conventions and treaties of peace, the call for the de- fense of the country, belong to the grand national assembly.” “Article 3: In his capacity as ligious adviser to the sultan. Sh ul Islam (chief priest) stands at t head of the courts of the cheri. T was polled, being taken throush ‘the | -ounq gensation than has the recent | Bighest court is the houzour, composed rural states. Coolid, froe' delivery in agricultural Returns were as_follows: ge, 7,969; Ford, 2,532; La Fol- 2,27 McAdoo, 1,819; Capper, Johnson, 1,194; Bryan, 696; Cox. Ralston, 408 238; Borah, 180; Pinchot, 1 wood, 165; Lowden, 123; Watson, 71; scattering, 147. * K x % A “John W. Davis-for-President” club was formed in this ciiy Monday. when fifteen prominent democrats met and perfected an organization with Carter B. Keene at its head. The statement issued by the meeting de- clared that John W. Davis of West vVirginia is not seeking the momina- tion. He recently wrote to an inquir- ing friend, “It is one thing, of course, to decline a nomination when it is tendered and another and a wholly different thing to go out and seek it, the Iatter of which I have no inten” tion of doing.” The statement said: “Two para- mount consjderations will govern the action of the next democratic national convention—first, the nomination of a man who will appeal to the calm judgment of men and women of all walks of life; second, the nomtnation of a man big enough, and far-sighted enough charge the duties of that high office, if elected to it, that the greatest good may come to the greatest number. Both considerations point directly to John W. Davis to lead us from this era of vaunted normalcy to a reign of plain _honesty and intelligent ac- tvity.” to so dis- *REw The objection raised by some demo- crats to Mr. Davis' connection with an important law firm, having “big busi- ness” among its clients, will be met, it is stated by his friends, by point- ing out that Grover Cleveland upon his second nomination was actually in the same law firm of which Mr. Davis | is a member, and no protest was raised to Mr. Cleveland. The Davis candidacy is understood to have important backing in influen- tial democratic circles. LR There is mo doubt about the ac- tivity and enthusiasm of woman workers in both the republican and democratic camps. They are taking to politics “as a duck takes to water.” The national organization of each party {s welcoming their co-operation and is appreciative of their efforts. Mrs. Louise M. Dodson, chairman of the field workers of the republican national committee, has returned to headquarters after a tour of cam- paigning in the middle west, and cites her experience in Nebraska and Iowa especlally. “If there is any doubt in the mind of any one,” she said, “about the interest of women of the middle west in politics the activities of the women of Nebraska would dispel it. Just at present men and women are working together leading up to the Nebraska primaries, and they are brave enough | iction of the grand assembly of Tur- key in deposing and banishing the -aliph, He was the Mohammedan ‘pope,* as well as the former ruler of Turkey. He was the voice of God to 300,000,000 Moslems—as mighty in number as the total population of North and South America. Turkey to- day has fewer people than Mexico, and its ignorant masses have less intelli- gent voice in its government than the former peons of Mexico have in their ‘requent revolutions. Turkey to dic- tate to all Islam! * x ¥ ¥ In the old regime the Sultan of Turkey was also caliph of all the Moslems in the world. Following the world war a Turkish republic was formed, under the leadership of Mus- tapha Kemal, and the sultan was deposed, but told that he might con- tinue his functions as caliph. The right of Turkey to interfere with the caliphate, though abolishing the tem- poral power of its sultan, 1s not con- ceded by the millions of Moslems out- side of Turkey. A holy war (jehad) may follow, if | the banished caliph but speaks the jword. Not such a fiasco of a holy war as came when the Christian Ger- man kaiser urged it upon his ally, Sultan-Caliph Raschid. . That failed because the national spirit had al- ready been stimulated among the Moslem French of Africa and the Moslem British of India. They refused 1to hear the call of their caliph against { their respective governments. Today !such a call would rally all Moslems {against the Youns Turk—the usurper. |the unrelizious opponent of the suc- { cessor of the prophet. Let the caliph spea {is upon soil uncontrolled by any other Ipower but Moslem, and the faithful, though in the act of raising his coffee to his lips or of transacting the most {important business, will not sip that coffee nor complete that business, but will_instantly respond to the voice lof Heaven—"To- Arms!” So say |George M. Lamsa, a native Turk, a: ither of “The Secret of the Near East E The present or deposed Caliph Med- 131a will not rally the Moslem world to {fight. He is feeble and hag no spirit of !warfare. He was living In his elegant ipalace in Constantinople—a scholar land artist—with no ambition’ to take |conspicuous part in politics, when less ithan two years ago he was notified {that he had been chosen head of the ichurch. Now he has fled to Switzer- land, taking with him but four wives jand he is dazed by the refusal of that little country to permit him to stay {unless he chooses one wife and di- jvorces the other three. He cannot !do_that without urffaithfulness to Mohammedanism. . providing he A caliph must have ifour “legal wives” who shall bear princes of the realm. He may extend this wife list as high as he likes, and s| making attempts to secure the con- jhis Moslem popularity is measured by zent of representative women to stand |the size of his harem. mrflw-mom cnttllw de]%l;n.uons to (lne |ke§h§;‘;::|:o§;l:; l&aeu::u:: &m‘-;; various conventions, ey are al e looking after the future woman reps harem. It is that extravagance which resentatives with the party organi-|has brought on the present crisis and zation. {deposition of the caliph—not through “The ol providea i8pecial objection to Caliph Medjid, but for the par:lfimallewbn'h&h men :,,efl ito the great economical burden which o s v oSS (o Sefgnd Tk ol b s anis worna chaimer sormed Of [tively limited harem of Caliph Mod- :)h:: edoflle!'-lol lmr{; the precincts at x{:‘o‘{vfi? 2’;.'&‘::3%’::35 hael;::: sl:.; women of Tows have been es- 'the really luxurious Sultan-Caliph pecially active in the caucuses which (Salim of ‘the last century, averaged have just been held for the selection of FuURRIng expenses of $200,000,000 a delegutes to the county, state and na- YeAr. It is the same there as it is in tional conventions. This is only the sec- | America—the cost of high living ond caucus in which the women of Iowa |Which makes the taxpayer wince and have been able to participate. Their if- (finally brings the assembly to do_this terest has been greatly increased since 2stounding act of banishing the Mos- the first caucus. On this occasion there 1eém “pope” out of the office, with the were Instances where women outnum- |Strict precaution that he leave the bered the men in attendance, and there |JéWwelry behind, as the confiscated were more woman delegates selected |Property of the state. than men.” ST * kK * ‘What. of tomorrow? . The Moslem ‘William Jennings Bryan has taken ac- [ world will .refuse allegiance. in.ec- tion'te allay the fears of those democrats | clestastical matters to the Turkish ‘who are constantly a prey to the horrify- | assembly (congress). Mustapha Ke- ing bogey that Mr. Bryan is a perennial [ mal is president of the assembly and potential candidate for the democratic ruler of the republic. The funda- presidential nomination. He has written { mental law (cqnstitutfon) of the new: to @ recently organized . “Bryan-for- republic, organized after the death President” movement in Arkansas that|op ;unm—mnua. Just prior to the he is not a candidate, and urging the > i ovides: state to:indorse Senator Robinson, . |tfesty-of the armistive, provides: ‘Thus 1s. lost another good topic for “Article 7: Fandamental rights, such political wise guys when they are hard |as the enactment and disposition. of. e ‘”fl‘ o3 the C the sheriat (Moslem religious law), the making and abrogation of laws, of several religious functionaries and presided over by the Sheik ul Islam.” It is predicted by New Turks and others who know Turkey that tho assembly will elect the Sheik ul Is- lam caliph, under dictation of t. assembly, which will seek to retair the power it has usurped from the old caliph. The clection would not be partici- ated in by the other Moslem peoples, § may roceive the tacit support of reat Dritain, which is jealously guarding the route to India No elec- tion will be welcomed by communist Russia, whose propaganda is extreme- active in denouncing all religion The Young Turks are not devout; they follow Mohammedan rules, but o little for worship. They are listening to soviet Russia’s commu- nism and atheism, yet they will seels to support the Sheik ul Islam as caliph to retain the center of Mohammedan- ism_in Turkey, and to fight the King of Hedjaz_the real candidate of the British_ influence. ! * ¥ x % | The King of Hedjaz is seeking the | caliphate because he is directly de- scended from Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed, who married Aoli, the fourth caliph. He is king over the holy city of Medina, the birthplace, and Mecca, the sacred burial place, of the prophet. He is supported by Great Britain with a subsidy of $400;- 000 a year. His son is King of Meso- potamia, and aiready Turkey i whis pering of a coming war with Mesopo- tamia. The King of Bagdad is a candidate; jand argues that Bagdad is the geo- graphical center of Islam—equally distant from the Pacific and At- lantie. It has in times past been the capital of Islam, and the present king is descended from the-uncle of Mo- hammed. Then there is King Fouad of Egypt. He wants to beat the King of Hed- jaz, his rival. He wants to be elected caliph because he is an Egvptian pa- triot and desires to make it the cen- ter of Istam, for the very special rea- son that this will necessitate com- plete freedom from Great Britain. No caliph can live on land he does no% wholly control. The Eritish are only nominally freeing Egypt. The cali- phate would bring all Islam Egypt's defense and drive out the idolaters” of England. The treas. ures of the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen will finance the Egyptian caliphate. No caliph can be ordained without possessing the sacred turban, flam and sword of Mohammed. Alas, these symbols are held bv Mustapha Kemalg president of the Turkish srand as- sembly. Turkey holds the key. The deposed caliph-sultan {8 charged with having engaged in plot~ ting against the republic while We was in Constantinople. Switzerland" is bothering him about his few wives, and he would go to Paris, but pe caliph could function ther. iy the Parislans consented to h for he would not be in control. He would join the Moslems in Moroeou or upon some island of the Mediler- ranean, but there are too groes there in Africa, and “G cursed them by making them black. It has been a dream of ecaliphs for ocenturies—indeed a prophecy—that some caliph would conquer the world, but the world war with its ras and bombs and airplanes convinced Ce- liph Medjid that with himsf on o yellow camel and his followers armed with curved knives he cculd never conquer the modern world. Tho dream is but a vanished vision. Yet the Koran plainly teaches warfare and murder against the idolators who refuse to accept the true faith. Henr its words: “And when the months wherein e are not allowed to_attack them shall Le nast, kill the idolators wheras ever ye shall find tnem, and lay wait for thém in every converlent place. It 1s_a tradition amoug the igné- rant Turks that for every eeven Christians or Jews one kills thete will be 300 more wives given him in beaven. They kill only men, but marry their widows 4a dauzhtera. The general beiief that Turks are prebibitionists and teetotilers is ecvh- trodicted by Georze M. Lamsa, “For thirteen centuriss the Moham. medan religion proaibitzd the mak ink of wines and tiguo-s, and for con- turies the Mohammedans bave care- fully obeyed the law. Howeyer,. the Tarks actually drink liquors, mmore than do the Armenians and Greeks. | Though they never . manpfactére | them, they eciaim that it Is no.sifito buy them from others. The mwjotity | drink secretly and lrink from a icoy- ered cup that they might not see $£* (Copyright, 1924, by Paul V. Colline) | |