Evening Star Newspaper, June 14, 1924, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY. . ..June 14, 1924 THEODORE W. NOYES. The Evening Star Newspaper Company Resiness Office. 11th New York Office: 110 Eaxt 43ad S Chicugo Office: Tower Huilding u Office: 16 Regent St Londoa, England. The Evening Star. with the Sunday morning tion. {8 delivered by carriers within ly at 60 cents per month: du ‘ents per month: Sunday only, 2 mooth.” Orders may be sent by mall or vhene Main 5000 Collection is made by ves riers at the end of cach month Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday..l yr.. $8.40: 1 mo, Duily only ¥r., $6.00; 1 mo., Sunday Fr.$240;1mo.; All Other States. Daily and Sunday.1 yr., $10.00 Daily only -.15¥r, $7.00 Sunday only ....1yr. $3.00 Member of the Associated Pres: The Associated Press ix exclusively entitled to the for republication of all news dis- natehes credited 1o it or not otherwise credited In this puper and slso the local news pub lished herein. —All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. 0c 50c 0 :1mo., iimo, i1mo, sie §0c 25¢ No Wet Conspiracy. New York “all het up” over a charge made by the general counsel of the Anti-Saloon League of the state to the effect that plans have been made to open a convention barroom at Madison Square Garden and other barrooms in the meighborhood. and to Jdispense “Tammany hospitalis i behalf of the candidacy of Gov. Smith. He also alleges that a conspiracy exists to charge exorbitant prices for food and hotel accommodations in order to break the staying power of delegates in deadlock and to turn them in favor of a compromise candi: date of wet tendencies. Of course, these charges are in- dignantly denied. There is absolutely nothing to them. There will be no bar- room anywhere around the conven- tion. All “hospitality” will be open and aboveboard—or extremely private. ‘The benevolent hotel men and res taurant keepers and amusement pur- veyors will cut their prices down to a point even below reason to make it possible for the delegates to stay just s long as they wish to carry out the business of naming a candidate. All this is promptly set forth in declara- tions from Smith headquarters and from the general offices of the conven- tion management. It would really seem as if the Anti- Saloon League counsel had merely ut- tered a fact @ suspicion which has been felt ever since New York was chosen as the scene of the convention. Or it may be that he has underfaken & bit of countermining with no par- ticular basifl to offset by publicity any possible move in the direction of a dampening of the Democratic ticket. Tt is undoubtedly true that in case of a deadlock the delegates to the New York convention would be subjected to a heavy expense. Almost all the dele- gates will pay their own way. A few may be financed by local organiza- tions. Possibly there are other sources of revenue into which it is not always wise or kind to 1ook. At San Francisco there were many cases of actual dis- tress. The heavy railway fares had left some of the delegates with short funds, and the protraction of the meeting broke them. Friends and or- ganizations had to come to their rescue. The idea of a “conspiracy” on the part of the New York hotel and res- taurant people to wear out the conven- tion financially in order to get a wet candidate is rather absurd. The pre- vailing scale of prices in the big town in crdinary circumstances is calcu- lated to wear out almost any erowd of sojourners in a fortnight, without any specific understanding or object. —————— Germany and France on Dawes. An interesting reaction from the Cleveland nomination comes from overseas. In Germany the nomination of Gen. Dawes for Vice President is acclaimed by the elements that are now in domination in the Reichstag, though the reactionary Monarchist forces are in despair. The Impression seems to prevail in Germany, in short, that Gen. Dawes’ nomination means that the United States indorses the reparations plan. Of course, it does nothing of the sort. It is simply the second-place nomination of one of the 'wo major parties. The fact is, how- ver, that the people of this country are overwhelmingly favorable to the Dawes plan as the most practical way out of the reparations difficulties. It is not a partisan question’ in this coun- try, and, furthermore, the United States has no official connection with it, On the other hand, in France the nomination of Gen. Dawes, though it practically coincided with the election of & French president, which absorbed seneral attention, is welcomed. Dawes is & familiar figure in Paris, and the French people regard him as a good friend. Most of the newspapers com- menting on the nomination refer to him in those terms. Here, then, we have the Republican ecandidate for Vice President acclaimed both in Germany and in France with rejoicing. It will surely be no detri- ment to him in the American cam- paign or to the party of which he is the co-standard bearer to be held in sueh high esteem on both sides of the Buropean situation. e ————— President Coolidge knew exactly what he wanted. Ex-Gov. Lowden knew what he did not want and did not get it. Several figures prom- inent in the convention did not suc- ceed in either direction. Mailing Tax Bills. The Commissioners have under con- sideration a proposal favored by the District collector of taxes that tax bills be‘mailed to property owners, of whom there are about 60,000 in Wash- ington. Under the present system, which has been in use for many years, the real estate owner or his agent goes to the tax office for his bill, and as most persons postpone doing this until near the time limit for paying tazes there are long lines of people, and most of them have a wait which {often puts a strain on patience. There 1a also & jam of work for the clerks in the tax office. A taxpayer may now have his bill mailed to him {f he sends to the collector of taxes a written re- quest that this be done, but compara- tively few persons do so. The collector of taxes is quoted as saying that the plan for mailing all tax bills would result in a large in- crease in tax collections and a ecorre- sponding decrease in the number of delinquents each year. It is said that the District authorities would be faced with & mighty task to prepare an ac- curate mailing list. Under the system now followed tax ledgers are written up by square and lot num- bers and the tax office has not the addresses of taxpuyers. Mailing bills to taxpay seem to be the proper way of doing this business. Such public service corporations as the gas and electric lght companies mail bills and furnish many conveniences for paying them. Banks keep address indexes of dep itors and mail account statements and other information. Stock companies with more stockholders than there are real estate owners in Washington keep the addresses of their widely scattered stockholders up to date. Thousands of people lose time and invite fatigue in getting tax bills and have to be reminded by the newspa- pers that taxpaying time is at hand. Most persons postpone paying the bills until the last week or last day, with loss of time to themselves and rush of work at the tax office. Thou- sands of persons who have bank ac- counts stand in line for hours rather than draw and mall checks to the tax collector. P The Flag. Nearly half a million people of the | District are having their annual les- son today in the history of the Ameri- | can flag, rules of showing respect for the flag and rules for displaying the flag. This flag was authorized by Con- gress June 14, 1777; first raised over troops at Fort Stanwix, N. Y., August 3, 17 first under fire in the action of Oriskany August 8, 1777; first car- ried into battle at the Brandywine September 11, 1777; first flown on for- eign soil at Nassau, Bahamas, Janu- ary 28, 1778, and first saluted by a foreign force by the French Admiral La Motte Piquet at Quiberon Bay. Those facts are taken from a pamphlet issued by the National Americanism Commission. The flag began with thirteen stripes and thirteen stars, and it was the de- cision of Congress that a stripe and a star should be added for each state entering the Union. When Vermont was admitted, 1791, and Kentucky, 1792, the flag was changed in 1794 to fifteen stripes and fifteen stars. But behind Kentucky came Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana and Indiana, and it was seen to be inconvenient or im- possible to add a stripe for each new state. Congress enacted that the num- ber of stripes be reduced from fifteen to thirteen and that a star be added for each state. That'is the law today, though it has been necessary to alter the arrangement of the stars in the “union.” It should not be necessary to say that there are forty-eight stars in the flag, and that the number may be increased by the division of large states into two or more states, and by setting in the flag stars to represent Alaska and the District of Columbia. There are plain rules formulated by the War Department to govern the use of the flag by military forces, and the adjutant general, in a circular February 15, 1923, suggests to civilians that “the flag should not be festooned over doorways or arches, tied in & bow knot nor fashioned into a rosette.” 01d-Fashioned Names. Girls may change the cut of their hair, take it off altogether or change its color, and they do change the cut of their skirts. But they do not change their names; that is, they do net change their Christian or baptismal names. They may sometimes play loose with the family name. They will make a radical and extraordinary change in the cognomen, but they will be steadfast to the praenomen. Although new fashions have come in baptismal names all girls do not adopt the styles, and many hold themselves faithful to the older fashion. In the long lists of names of graduates which The Star has printed during the com- mencement season there have been hundreds of girls called Ann or Anne, Sarah, Elizabeth, Lucy, Catherine, Mary, Helen, Mildred, Ruth, Barbara, Martha, Frances, Jeanne, Jane, Mar- garet and Nancy. They are pleasant names. They are names of beauty in more than a single sense. ———————————— That lawbreakers in Philadelphia are defying Smedley Butler is no more than natural. Defiance is a part of their regular business. ———t——— Study of ornithology does not neces- sarily preserve a young man from be- coming, metaphorically speaking, & tough bird himself. —_— —————————— The La Follette group had ne kind ‘words to offer, and doubtless expected none in return. Sport and Politics. Times have changed greatly. In days agone political conventions were likely to be the scenes of disturbance, of factional trouble-making, even of sharp encounters. Thursday night a convention closed at Cleveland after a placid session of three days, with no dramatic episodes, no clashes, no ex- citement. Friday, in Detroit, an as- semblage of several thousand people at a base ball game went into a frenzy of partisanship, and so disturbed the peace on the playing fleld that the umpires summoned the police and finally called the game a forfeit to the visiting team. Fist fights were nu-. merous. Bloody noses were common. The game became a riot. Does this mean that the American peopie take their sports mare seriously tHan their politics? Any one who at- tends the contests between the ball teams constituting the organized leagues will be inclined to answer in the affirmative. But rioting is not common. Tt is the exception on the ball field. Players are under restraint of discipline from starting hostilities. The crowds bellow their partisan senti- ments and manifest their disapproval of unfair tactics. Now and then, as in would | THE EVENING Detroit, their superfeelings get the up- per hand and all order disappears. But those who are inclined to look to the ball fleld for a showing of the stout American feeling of partisanship may well wait a few days. In New York, at Madison Square Garden, may then be given a demonstration of the old-fashioned political “pep,” rising perhaps even to the point of uctive fac- tionism. The lines are drawn sharply. The feelings are highly charged. The stage is set for a shindy. Maybe when the gavel of the chairman has fallen for the last time the Detroit ball-field row will have been put into the shade for excitement and casualties. ——— | Doumergue President of France. France proceeded yesterday to the election of a new president with little excitement. Millerand having virtually at the insistence of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate tendered his resignation, the two houses met in joint session at Versailles and voting together chose Gaston Doumergue on the first baMot. The vote was 515 f0r= Doumergue to 310 for Painleve and 38 | for Camelinat, These thirty-six votes | were cast by the Communists for an elderly red entirely unknown to the public. Doumergue was president of the Senate. Painleve is president of the Chamber of Deputies. Immediately upon his election Presi- dent Doumergue, without formality, invfted KEdouard Herriot to form a ministry and, the invitation being ac- cepted, the new governmental orguni- zation” will proceed without delay. Thus the administration will complete- Iy change in France within a week from the time of the vote which compelled the resignation of Millerand. A singular feature of yesterday's proceedings is that Painleve, defeated by Doumergue, was the candidate fa- vored by Herriot, whose refusal to ac- cept a premiership under Millerand had precipitated the president's resignation. Painleve was favored by the more radical group of Socialists. Doumergue is a Soctalist, but of the conservative type. He was supported | by the right. Millerand's friends flung their votes to him solidly in revenge for Herriot and the left bloc. Thus Herriot, having accomplished the removal of Millerand from the presidency, does not secure his re- placement with an executive of his own type. The conservatives were un. able to save Millerand, but they were able to checkmate the radical Socialist, prospective premier. Herriot's min. istry will be none too secure in these circumstances. A e The New York City Democracy has usually addressed its attention rather closely to questions of local import. It will soon have an opportunity to study politics in its national aspect. S A R Preparations for the entertainment | of New York convention visitors are | | not likely to be of deep interest to W. J. Bryan, who usually manages to | bring his own thrills with him. e Should there be a “next war' wealth will be drafted, and the pocketbook limit will probably be less considerate- Iy adjusted than the age limit is. — - As a rule it has been the United States government’s good fortune to hold its foreign relations as friendly relations. e | SHOOTING STARBS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Harmony. The meeting was a grand success, So orderly and pleasant, With nothing said that might distress The ladies who were present; Though in some circles folks were led To fear there was no tellin’ When an excitement might be spread By a mysterious “Helen.” The meeting was a fine event, A happy demonstration, Each feeling as he homeward went Harmonious elation. We heard from Jim and Bill and Mike And Susan and Sophia. None went more peaceful down the pike Than our dear friend The Living Present. “Your name will echo through '.he’ corridors of time.” “It's a flattering suggestion,” re- joined Senator Sorghum. “But I can't concentrate on it just now. I'm daing fairly well if I can keep on being paged by old Vox Populi right where Iam.” “Maria Restraint. The generous contributor, the paign cash distributor, Now finds his generous impulse in a wreck, His bank book leaves are shivering; his willing pen is quivering, But no one wants to let him write a check. cam- Jud Tunkins says a man who stays out all night is sure sooner or later to get in the habit of looking on the dark side of life. Before and After. “The old bartender has disap- peared.” A ““He has,” assented Uncle Bill Bot- tetop. “Instead of seeing a man in a white apron before drinking you now See & nurse wearing one when yoy hit the hospital afterward. Begimming. ‘The sweet girl graduate today Steps forth and has her learned say. Ambitions new make bright her eye, Since woman’s place in thought is high. Her audience just now must be Restricted in some slight degree, But very soon her words will go Forth to the world by radio. The Lady in the Chair. “Do you regard bobbed hair as e mark of feminine precedence?"” “‘Absolutely,” replied Miss Cayenne. “A boy's mother may still insist on trying to cut his hair, but a girl un- compromisingly demands the barber shop.” “Big words is gittin’ so popular,” said Uncle Eben, “T expects to find de man dat robs a hen roost callin® his- self an oraitholigis.”™ 2o ST Chemical Warfare Service in Peace Time By WILL P. ROM the work of development of polsonous guses as the new- est of all important means ‘of - waging war, the chemical warfare ®ervice provided for by the Army reorganization act of June 4, 1920, is now developing these same gases into. curative agencies, espe- cially for the treatment of colds, as a germicide and preventive of re piratory Infection and for many other important peace time purposes. Several important developments of tary value have been completed the chemical warfare service dur- ing the last year, and as an incident to its study for determining the mili- tary value of various chemical com- pounds these Important peace time usages have been evolved. With chemical warfare demonstrat- ed to be the most deadly branch of modern warfare, this service s pro- vided with only $700,000 for keeping abreast of all other nations in thls branch of military science, notwith- standing that the greater portion of the amount will be required for the maintenance of KEdgewood arsenal, leaving a ridiculously small amount for actual research and training. The Edgewood plant is worth today $22,000,000 and it cost the government @ littie over §40,000,000. In this plant is included - the chemical warfare school. which will cost approximately $13,000 this year. v ¥ The chemical warfare service has divided control of about 5,000 acres in @ 9,000-acre peninsula. It has com- plete control of 2,000 acres and pri- ority control with the ordnance de- partment over about 3,000 acres, while Fort Hoyle has 3,500 acres. This Includes testing ranges and various areas for the different kinds of gases which are liberated. At the Edgewood plant there are twenty miles of standard gauge and about” twenty-five miles of narrow gauge railroad In addition to the studies that have been made and experimentation car- ried on for the development of chem- ical warfare materials and methods of manufacture, this service is co- operating with' the Department of Agriculture in investigating methods of attacking the boll weevil and European corn borers. Experiments also are belng made looking toward the elimination of the teredo and marine pests that destroy piling, and in development of a marine that will provide protection against barnacles. Thero are 445 enlisted men and 4 officers at present in the chemical warfare service. It conducts schools for the chemical warfare service and for certain officers from the Army at large, Navy and Marine Corps. Four courses are now being conducted. * % % % amples of what the chemical war- fare service has developed of benefit to the public in times of peace, as well as for war, are given by Brig. Gen. Amos A. Fries, chief of the serv- ice. as follows Fire departments throughout the country are adopting gas masks as firat developed during the world war. Lately these have been made more comfortable to wear, equipped with special canister which makes them safe agalnst all known gases, and a diaphragm has been added by which means a man can talk with the mask on nearly as well as without it. When all fire departments are thor- oughly equipped with these masks numerous lives among, firemen and people trapped in buildings will be saved, while the efficiency of the fire fighters in comtrolling the fires will be greatly increased. The mask is also gaining wide use in industry Wwhere poisonous gases or smokes are encountered, in foundries, mines and similar places. A so-called poison gas, cyanogen ehloride, is being substituted Ly the public health service for the gas pr. viously used in fumigating ship: The material was found practic: and effective, besides being vastly safer. In addition to being a pow erful disinfecting material, it is also powerful as a tear gas. This qua fty gives warning to all persons ge ting near the material before they can get a sufficient amount of it to injure the: Many casualties among limnaria and other | paint | KENNEDY employes disinfecting ships will be avoided. This is capable of the wid- est application for fumigating pur. poses. * % % % Another recent development of the utmost importance in war and peace training is the sprinkling of a smoke cloud. By sprinkling a chemical from an airplane a curtain of smoke is set up with the speed of the alrplane. Thls material fumes off into a smoke so rapidly that the drops falling through the alr form an impenetrable curtain of smoke. This screen can be placed in any position on land or sea, can be made short and high or long and narrow, stralght or curved. The smoke screen is a soldier’s protection in modern times on the dpen battle- jeld. This airplane screen has added greatly to that protection because of the speed and adaptability of the plane. It makes accurate aiming of rifles and guns of any caliber very difficult and in cases impossible. Un- almed fire is always ineffective o other nation to date has this inven- tion Development to the present time has resulted in curtain 1,200 yards long, 250 yards high and several yards in depth. These dimensions may be controlled within reasonable limits. * ¥ ¥ ¥ The growing use of tear gases in quelling riots and outbreaks in pen- Intentiaries, in stopping attempted jail breaks, in helping to capture barricaded criminals, and for break- ing up unauthorized and dangerous gatherings of individuals at any time or place, is due solely to the develop- ment work of the chemical warfare service in tear gases and the educa- tional work carried out in connection therewith, One firm making certain of these | gases in Chicago has equipped 3.500 banks with this device for protection, in addition to furnishing quantities | to 250 police departments. - | Their adoption by the police and public safety departments of all | cities, counties and states waits only on the development by manufacturers of plants for manufacturing ga and the production of policemen’s clubs, grenades, gas guns, etc.,, needed to discharge the materials in the most effective manner under the vari- | ous conditions, encountered | "One firm in Pittsburgh is making |a policeman’s club, with a small | trigger arrangement. Any one armed | with the club can set his thumb on its trigger and by pushing the trig- ger forward release a safety valve, and discharge the tear gas directly into the face of the person resisting arrest. The club is made in hollow form and filled with one of the tear gases. The medical research department at Edgewood Arsenal has done con- | siderable work, and more is in prog- ress, looking toward the prevention | of colds, influenza and other discases of the nose, throat and lungs by means of the disinfecting power of chlorine and other poisonbus gases. Already considerable headway has been made, enough it least to predict that, if properly used, some of these substances may be used to aid in Checking the spread of influenza or similar respiratory diseases, and may even lead to the cure of whooping | cough, coids ~and similar diseases when taken in the early stages and handled properly. d!':hvux. r\"ol, Vedder, chief of the medical research division of Edge- wood Arsenal, has produced a ma- chine for thus treating colds by chlorination. A demonstration with this apparatus was glven at \\Qllzr Reed Hospital for the benefit of Con- gress. A report shows that 547 cases Were cured, in one hour by one treat ment. Glass pearls filled with chlorine are to be manufactured. Each pearl would contain a smail quantity and the si: of the room would determine the number to be broken for a treat- ment. With a small capsule arrange ment of this kind it would be in possible for the layman to get harmful amount. Army has adopted a policy to ate a reserve of 206,000 g by manufacturing a little over 20,000 a year. Each mask costs about a Press Reviewing Congress’ Work Finds Little to Praise The country at large seems to have been well satisfled with the adjournment of Congress if the editorial expre&sicmK of opinion accurately reflects its views. Without regard to political beliefs the editors agree that there was no real rea- son why the present aggTegation of lawmakers should have remained in Washington. There is, however, no such unanimity of opinion when the work of the Senate and the House is debated. There the expressions are shaded with politics. The independent verdict is voiced con spicuously by the Springfield Republican (independent), which insists that it has been a case of a “bloe” control because “the old parties as organized have been unable in Congress to function in ac- cordance with the theory and practice of majority control and minority opposi- tion,” and, because this is 8o, the time is ripe for “an appeal to the country for a new miandate for oneof the parties suffi- clently competent, through its organiza- tion and discipline, to govern and suf- ficiently in touch with the desire and aims of the le to govern strongly and effectively.” The St Paul Pioneer Press (independent Republican) _adds, “Let it be said, with apologies to Shake- speare, that nothing in its life became it like the leaving of it.” The Republican view follows to & great extent the argument of the Pitts- burgh Gazette-Times _ (Republican), which sets forth that, while “nominally Republican in both branches, in‘fact it was anything but that, and the result of widespread want of harmony has been turmoil and disorder,” so that “the rec- ord as a whole is one of which none can feel proud, certalnly least of all those Who participated in the session.” Elab- orating the suggestion the Minneapolis Tribune (Republican) declares Congress “hag takensix months to do a poor job, whereas it might have done a fairly ood job in a month or six weeks if it fild followed out half a_ dozen of the major recommendations by the Presi- dent." * % %k kK 8o far as the Democrats are con- cerned, the New York World (Demo- cratic) feels “the session of Congress preceding a presidential election com-, monly vields new results,” and this time “Congress has departed from the rule, but the results. are de- cidedly mixed and add little to its glory, although it has doneumuch d and much harm, but 'ways s?fh an eye to the political benefits to be reaped in the 1924 elections. The Washington Star (independent) admits “it has not been a satis- factory session, from either the local or the national point of view.” Al- though “it is not falr to say that l-rlllltln bodies are to blame for all_the evils from which a nation suffers,” the Duluth Herald (inde- pendent) -llnwnah‘;l: 1s r‘h‘::-'nu'o.r); that this Congress pe than Uany " other checked business, lessened wages, increased unemploy- ment and developed apprehension. ‘The people's interests, the Flint Jour- nal (independent) concedes, “have not been well represented this session and “less leas is the public De: 1 |lieving that it has representation in | Congress.”, In fact, the Pittsburgh | Sun (independent Democratic) sug- Eests “it has been a session of revolt, |rlut4 raid and rampage,” with “r volt against party discipline, riotous battling of blocs, raid of the Trea ury, rampage in defiance of presi- dential leadership.” A5 e e The record has been “largely de- structive, rather than comstructive” continues the Lansing State Journal (independent), which is sure that “practically mone of the bills have been entirely in accordance with the wishes of the administration or the people,” but mow “the country can take renewed hope and look forward to better days.” The Manchester Union (independent republican) fs confident that Congress “will have to seek far and long for culogist indeed, it may count itself luck finds apologists.” While the Balti- more Sun (independent) asserts “there is little M its record to create any other feeling than dismay.” As the Omaha World-Herald ~ (ind. pendent) sees it, “Congress has stood for nothing definite. It has represented noth- ing definite. It has been devoted to no body of dootrine. It has made NO progress consistently headed in one direction, It has headed, rather, in every direction. And this weakness is the ' of the Republican party ich elected the congression majority and is responsible for it The record made during the last seven months, in the opinion of ths Seattle Times (independent Republi- can), “Is in most respects unworthy of praise,” for “constructive legisla. tion has been delayed by long-drawn. out debates,” and “the wise counsel of President Coolidge has been ored while Congress went vote. chasing.” . * X ¥ ok “Generally, the criticism laid at the door of Congress.” according to the Sioux City Journal (Republican), “is that it fooled away precious time when it should have been sticking close to the job, and that more good and less evil would have been done if the legislators had gone at their tasks in a workmanlike manner is a conclusion that cannot be over- looked.” Frankly, the Spokane Spokesman-Review (independent Re- publican) holds “it is not a record to boast about, and it will be par- ticularly difficult for bolting Re- publican senators and representatives to come home and explain to the voters why they should su Coolidge in November, When - these Same representatives and senators falled to support the President at ‘Washington. Despite the “great amount of mutual recrimination and political hdl{hoolnr indulged in by the members.” the Fort Worth Star- Telegram ~ (independent Democratic) points out “the Sixty-eighth Congress was a, fairly satisfactory session, if only for the reason that it turned out to be not [nearly so bad as con- itions several weeks a; country tos expect,” _‘v (e WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY, JUNE T4, 1924 The Library Table BY THE BOOKLOVER Ploneer life in the middle west in the sixties forms the groundwork of “The Able McLaughlins," by Margaret Vilson, which has recently been awarded the Pulitzer prize for the best American novel written in 1923. The book continually recalls Hamlin Garland's two autobiographical nar- ratives, “A Son of the Middle Border” and “A Daughter of the Middle Bor- der."s John McLaughlin, the head of the clan In the prairie settlement, is of the same character type as Ham- lin Garland’s father—the “old sol- dier” of “A Son of the Middle Bor- der.” His wife Isobel bears the same name as Hamlin Garland’s mother. All the detalls of life on the prairie, twenty-five miles from the railroad, are given with a realism possible only to one who knows. When Christie £0es to bring water from the slough well, 2 quarter of a mile from her cabin, she carrles a short stick to kill rattlers—a form of death which lurks in the tall prairie grass, the marshes and even about the door- yards There {s another danger in the prairie grass. In it a full-grown man may become lost and wander about for days, as in a forest, and the children are all warned by their mothers to keep away from the tall grass, for the men had searched long in it for “wee Jennie Price” and had found only her small tgeleton when spring came. Every one shivers and burns with malaria, and Isobel Me- Laughlin feeds quinine to her large brood of children every Saturday. Mosquitos feed rapaciousiy on all the settlers, especially the children, who are free from bumps and blotches only in the winter months. * % x % Barbara McNair, a new wife come from Glasgow, finds the prairie weather far from satisfactory, even when compared with Scotch mists, Day by day she stands by the win- dow of her husband's shack, which she calls a “sty,” and says mourn- fully: “It's still raining. Does it never stop?” Then almost as soon as the fall rains are over, the winter sots in. “Snow like this, continuing; winds like these, whirling darkening wild clouds of 'whiteness to burst against windows and doors, rocking the little sty as if it were an insecure cradle % * 3 She had never im- agined anything like them * . The men's ears froze, their hands froze, their feet froze. Lverything in the house froze solid. The bread had to be thawed out in a steamer over a kettle before they could get a bite to eat in the morning.” Such a winter as this was Isobel McLaugh- | lin's first one in the settlement. when | snow had drifted through the k= of her unsealed cabin ontn the | bed where she lay with her new-bo twins, and when “often insthose ie rible nights she had risen from her| bed to go about and feel the legs of her wee sleepers, tn he sure they were not all freezing solid.” Those | who survived the awful winters, the | malagial =prings and summers, the typhoid, the rattler. the unend- ing toil were of nec the sturdi- | | al est and the “fittest” and hecame the founders of states and cities and the fuod producers of a nation * % ¥ ¥ Boswell's Johnson is one of the|1917 until 1 most entertaining books in the Eng- lish language, but it is of enormous length, and its good things are em- bedded in a mass of material that is not of universal interest. Boswellians will read it all, and ask for more, but the ordinary reader passes it by alto- gether. In that he makes a mistake, because there is an immense amount in it that he would thoroughly enjoy. Archibald Marshall, the English novelist, has prepared a shortened edition of the work for the average reader, presenting a complete por- trait of the great doctor as the ad- miring Boswell saw him, but by judi- cious omissions throwing into reliet those parts of the book which make it 80 eminently readable. * o ox ¥ A new Washington novel is “The Spirit of the House,” by Anna Dorsey Williams. The events of the story cover the period of the past three decades, and Mrs. Williams has made of the novel a singularly delightful study of character and its environ- ment amid the changing ways of Washington. Two families hold the central interest in the book — the Lowdens on the one hand, aristocrats of the old Washington, impressive even amid crumbling fortunes, and the Bretts on the other, typified by Senator Brett, the wealthy, sejf-made, big-hearted politician. The story told deals with the daughters of each house, and very ably Mrs. Williams brings out the contrasting character- istics of Courtney Lowden, the fine, dealistic gentlewoman, and Coralie Brett, whose real fascination is yet matched with a selfish, unscrupulous spirit. R A full record of a long, rich and varied career will be found in A. G. Gardiner's “Life of Sir William Har- court,” who was one of the great parliamentary figuzes of the period of Gladstonian liberallsm and a pow- erful campaign fighter and debater. The quality of the work, which con- sists of two fat volumes, may be seen from these extracts from Mr. Gar- diner’s concluding chapter, giving an estimate of Harcourt's character and place in history: ““The vast contours of his personal- ity did not fit themselves casily into the small conventions of things. He needed a free air and ample room for his large movements. He bulged over enormously into_the world of consid- ered etiquette. He was himself, Har- court, large, arrogant, jovous, ebul- lient as a gale from the west and as hard to confine within the limits of artificial decorums. He had in large matters a profound reverence for the dignity of things. * * * But he was as innocent of the small correct- nesses of things as he was of ‘small vices.' * ¢ * His temper was high and undisciplined. Tt burst into flame at small provocation and scorched what- ever came within its radius. It was often unjust, but it was never mean or malicious. It burnt itself out with its own fury, and usually vanished in lzughter—not seldom at his own vio- lence.” * ok ok ¥ The man (or woman) with the mis- sionary spirit who would reform his fellows, his *town or his country should, before he begins, read Edgar Lee Masters' verses on “Oaks Tutt” in “The Spoon River Antholog: his own epitaph Oaks Tutt says My mother was for woman's righta And my.‘fllkmr ‘Wwas the rich miller at London mills. T dreamed of the wromgs of the word and ‘wanted to right them. He makes a tour of the world and then returns to Spoon River to say farewell to his mother before begin- ning his work of reforming man While on the Visit to Spoon River, Jonathan Swift Somers chalienges him to debate on th subject, “Pon: tius Pilate, the Greatest Philosopher of the World." And ne won the denat ABerbren :v{:r-ql;-h"m-r.l“.l-slr“‘l‘\.m: case angwer: the. qoestion : L v of lus Pilate: * ¥k % % Hero ls a story that comes to us on good authority: Bojer, Norwe- glan novelist; Roliand, French inter- nationalist: and one other—in a mo- tor epeeding from London to the shrine at Stratford. Roiland ocease- lessly bewails the wrongs and so: rows of the world. Bojer exclaim: suddenly: “Bother, let's be happy.” Rolland—But what else can you think of, in & world like this! Bojer—Pretty girls, | was asked how he feit Rolland—But—but—how can you write such deeply spiritual books, of such significance, as you do when-— Bojer— the reason, Answers to Questions BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN Q. How are masks clowns in circuses?—J. M. A. Clowns' masks are made of a mixture of lard, oxide of zinc and tincture of benzoln. This is rybbed on the face, made for Q What state has the largest Ley g- :T‘ljanly!'%vln“'propnnlun to the popula- A. New Hampshire leads the with a total of 424 mernb-,ru”:n her two legislative houses. This is at a rate of approximately one member for each 1,000 inhabitants. New York State has the lowest rate with 200 :egll.!]l!orl, one to each 50,000 inhabi- ants, Q. Was the one-cent postal card sold for 2 cents before the) Spanish- | American war?—T. P, A. The Post Office Department says that previous to the Spaniah- American war a one-cent postal card was not sold for more than its face value. The price was not advanced during the period of the war. How- ever, the one-cent card sold for 1| cent from November 1, 1917, until June 30, 1919. list Q. Who is the author of “Count that day lost whose low descending sun views from thy hand no worthy action done?'—K. G. A. These lines appear in David Krieg’s Album, dated December &, 1697. A copy is in the British Mu- seum. Q. Give some data about the Me- nangkabans.—H. E. 8. A. These people belong to a Su- matran tribe. Their tribal govern- ment is a matriarchy. Lands, houses, crops, children belong solely to the wife. She may, and sometimes does, sell her husband as a slave to pay her debts. Q. Did Sk Francis Drake any lineal descendants?—W. W. A. Reliable genealogists say that he married twice, but by nelither wife did he have children.- leave Q. What kind of music is rendered in "a mosque? Do the people ever take part?—J. F. A. No music is rendered during the service. The chaplain reads the serv- ice and the members of the congrega- tion participate. Q. How far north did Columbus venture on his voyage of discovery? —D.E A. ¢ . He probably visited Iceland. As a vouth he led a seafaring life and went on many voyages. He is sup- posed to have gone as far south as | the coast of Africa. Q. ‘'Why was Roosevelt's party called the Bull Moose?—E. \. It A. When Col. Roosevelt arrived in Chicago, during the progress of the Republican national convention, he His reply was “Like a bull moose.” From this chance remark rose the popular name for the progressives. Q. What articles of food were ra- | tioned in Great Britain during the | war?—l. W. D. | A. Sugar, butter and oleomarga- | rine, lard, meal, bacon, ham, jam, | cheese and tea were rationed from Q_How many fur farms are there in Canada’—F. F. A. At the end of 1922 the federal bu- reau of statistics undertook a survey of this industry in ada. Its re- port shows that there are 1,009 farms. These are comprised of 960 fox farms, 17 raccoon, 13 mink, 3 skunk, 1 mar- ten, 1 fisher, 4 caracul, 5 beaver and 5 muskrat. ‘This is an increase of 197 over the previous year. Q: What snake makes the best pet and where can it be found?—E. S. C. A. The reptile division of the Smitheonian Institution says that the bull snake makes the best pet. It is found in southern and western United States. Q. How can drum heads be clean- ed?—R. H. S. A. Parchment used for drum heads may be cleaned with benzine. Make a small pad of cotton wool, saturate it with the spirit and rub quickly and lightly over the éntire surface of the | drum head. Q. Where is tigerwood found®— D. S A._There is a wood found in Brit- ish Guiana, richly striped with black and broW%n, which is given the name tigerwood. In Gulana it is.called itakawood. Q. Who is advocatipg in Porto Rico that that country become a state?—F. W. The Americanization of Porto Rico is advocated by the Republican party of the island. This party was organized with the object of having the island admitted to the Union as a state. . When did the late President Wilson say “Would that we could do something at once dignified and ef- fective to knock Mr. Bryan once and for all into a cocked hat”?—F. T. P. A. The Clark campaign managers gave out on the eve of the Jackson dinner in Washington in January, 1912, Wilson's letter to Adrian H. Joline, president of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railway, which contained the celebrated statement. Q. Why is twelve inches called a foot, and Why is the name foot used for a unit of measure?’—W. W. D. A. The foot as used in present measurement of length is derived from the length of the human foot. The inch was selected for purposes of convenience. The word is from the “uncia,” meaning a twelfth Q. How did Thermopylas get its name?—G. W. G. A. Thermopylas, Greece, means “hot gates, anda was given to this pass on account of the presence of thermo or hot springs. = This pass constituted the only good road from Thessaly to Greece. Q. How high is the Natural Bridge in Virginia?—G. W. S. A. It is a natural stone arch, span- ning a valley of erosion. It is 236 feet high, 40 feet thick and spans 50 feet. Q. H.B. A. Lincoln green is the color which tradition says was worn by Robin Hood and his men. It was a leaf green. This term is also used for a new shade of very vivid green, unlike the original. Q. What cities does the Theodere Roosevelt highway connect?—E. C. S. A. It connects Portland, Me., with Portland, Oreg. (Take advantage of the free informa- tion bureau whioh this newspaper main- tains. If theve i a question you wani answered dowt hesitate to use this serv- ice. Al replies are sent direct 1o the in- quircr. Address The Star Information Bureaw, Frederio J. Haskin, Director. 21st and O streets northwest. Inolose £ oents in stamps for returi postage.) Salute the Flag. What color is Lincoln green?— Salute the flag—our count That stands for liberty' That stands for all the privileges Accorded you and me! No fag was e'er o beautifol or pi to The greatest and the t fag Beneath the asure sky. Sajute it, tben, with reverence, With love and with esteem— For far above all otber fagn It stands alone—supreme A million men have died for it To keep it foating high- A bundred million more today Would for it gladly die. It represents & nation stron A nation good and true! | vear DAWES’ NOMINATION “STIRS UP DOUBTS Chicago Presents Picture of Mixed Reaction to Selection of Candidate. BUSINESS MEN THRILLED Politicians Skeptical, Foreseeing Conflict Between East and West BY DAVID LAWRENCE. CHICAGO, June 14.—Here in the home of Charles Gates Dawes, nom nee for the vice presidency, one find & mixed reaction to his selection a the running mate for President Cal! vVin Coolidge. Business men are thrilled and satisfied. Politicians are | 8omewhat skeptical, for they are sure that & multi-millionaire ®ood choice in these days of La Kol lette and Brookhart, this era of co flict between the agricultural and the Lanking east Mr. Dawes is probably richer thar Any man ever nominated to be either President or Vice President, with the Possible exception of Garret Hobart While Mr. Dawe worth several millions, however, he is not rep: to be wealthy cre of the Treasury, tell But there is « among the radical leaders b they “will lay stress no method of acquiring h there is no disposit ply anvthing irregular spect. but upon the he holds toward guence of his ba background Helped to Float Loan. Mr. Dawes as head of th Trust Company of Illinoi touch with the New Yori community and it was his bank whic led all the rest in this regton in par ticipating in the recent loan floated by J. P. Morgan & Co. for the French government. He has been outspoken view ut th need of financia ion with Europe. He of the largest stockholders lso in the Pure Qil Com pany—in fact, together with I brothers, he owns that mamm concern. His brother Henry president of the one of the west P Andrew already an \\: here to in that r fewpoint whi labor as a co g and , as he is familiar However, well lik 4 mixer than the average business man. He is an cx pert in economics and has Writt suthoritative works on banking— fact. he owes his first appointment as controller of the Treasury to th work. It 18 a coincidence that last President Harding appoint s brother to the same post in Treasury Enjoyed Harding’s Favor., Mr. Harding w fond of Mr wee. He tool along on tr p to Florida and e y bis com- panionship &8 much as t of an man in the inner circle. Mr. Hardin was particularly appreciative of the fine public spirit shown by Mr. Dawes in leaving his business and coming to the government as the first director of the budget. It is due largely the initiative and aggressive tacti of Charles G. Daw: that the bud is today operatin; s well as it does Although Mr. Dawes' antipathy tc ward laocor is well known, it is up likely that be will trim his views tc meet political exigencies. He is not that kind. He has paid his respects to the waverings of politicians in such strong language that his whole make- up would rebel at the suggestion of back-tracking. He did not seek the vice presidency. The job sought him He is proud of the organization whic he created, known as the “Minute Mer of the Constitution.” It is in line with his ideas about the “open’” shoi which he regards as a fundamental issue in American industry Openshop Issue, He thinks non-union men should be permitted to work alongeide of union men without restraint and that em ployers should not have to deal with unions if they do not want to do While the that many bu: come as a good one on which to mak a test once and for all, political leaders are not anxiols to have a controversy on labor when Pres Coolidge has been able to a large ex tent to make his labor opponents for get his vigorous stand toward the American Federation of Labor in th famous Bostoa police strike The political ene are planning t rake it all up, everything Mr. Daw has said, hoping to convince torate that they are votin damental question o hostility toward labor. As a matter of. fact dent_has very little shaping of executive policies. Mr. Dawes will permitted to listen to senator bates. 1t he sits in the cabi will have a chance to express h opinfons, and the Dawcs would wield, if elected, W et largely on whether President Cool will follow Mr. Harding's custom asking the Vice Presigent ty the cabinet table. 1 Ke Is Suecessful. Whether he does or not, Mr. Dawes is the type who would find something in the rules that would permit him to make his job more interesting. iiis comments from the chair would m. good reading and rouse th enate over which, if su ful next Novemn ber, he wili preside. (Copyright, 1924.) ed the Shaw’s Humor Serves 1l Purpose at Times Bernard Shaw's talent ng rather Mr. George lies in the direction of & than of taking warnings. Even if one had his ear, therafore, it would probably be of » point out to him that Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote a verse setting vividly forth the dangers of being as funny as one could be. All manner of dire personal injuries came to the poet's victim as a result of the uncontrolled use of his humorous Mr. Shaw has repeatedly been equally indis- creet and the result has been the injury of the ideas which he presents, masked in humor. Even today the species of bookworm who daclares that “after all Shaw is only a very clever charlatan” is far from extinct And bemoan as he may the fate of hot being taken seriously. Mr. Shaw should recollect that he has no one but himself to blame. This melancholy truth was lately demonstrated when Shaw attended a gathering which wished to record tha very strong feeling that the Coal Smoke Abatement Society should be supported by every Londoner. They were so injudicious as to allow Shaw to speak and straightway the maet- ing took on a whimsical aspect. The playwright began by complaining that whenever he went for a walk he found it necessary to wash. “Eng- lishmen.” he went on. “don't seem to mind that—they love washing themselves, but as an Irishman I dis Mke it.” He went on to make the practical suggestion that a bill should be put before Parliament providing that people whose mill chimneys sent out black smok®b should be dropped down those chimneys. Laughter con- tinuously interrupted him and it is easy to see what the result of his speech will be. What has been thought of heretofore as the smoke nuigance will become one of the most humorous topics to the worid. When- ever it is mentioned, some one will recall what “G. B. 8." said, and tha Smoke Abatement Society's work will no use God bless our flag! —our country's flag' red. white and bl U OV JOHN CLAGBTT FBOCTOR. | be set back ten vears at least.—St. Paul Pioneer Press. v