Evening Star Newspaper, July 7, 1924, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY.... ..July 7, 1924 THEODORE W. NOYES . . Editor Phe Evening Star Business 0f 3 e Tork O Chicnes Ote Buropeau Ofice: 16 Kegent St.. ewspaper Company Are. R Huildiug. Tondos. England. ‘The Evening Star. with the Sunday morning edition. T delivered by carriers within Siax W00 ety er month 4aily vonts “per murith: Nunduy aniy. 20 cents per month. Orders sy be sent by mail or tele- jione Ma'n 300 - Collection 3 made by car- Tiers at the end of each month Rate by Mail—Payable dvance. Maryland and Virginia, Daily and Sunday..1yr., $8.49:1 mo., 7 Daiiy only 1xr. $6.00: 1 mo Sunday only ......1yr.,$2.40; 1 m ouls. 45 All Other States. Daily and Sunday.1 yr., §10.00: 1 mo. Daily only L.1yr, $7.00:1m Sunday only 1yr. $3.0 Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitl to the use for republication of all news d Patches cred it or Dot otherwise credi in this paper and alxo the local mews pub- Tished herein. Al rights of publication of #pecial dispatches herein are also reserved McAdoo Offers a Swap. Mr. McAdoo vi tures at New York convention That he vields on the unit vule provided the opposition yields on the two-thirds rule. Such is his answer the proposals advanced by the peace commissioners named Saturday On the hand. all of the other candidates for whom votes have been cast in the convention have signed an agreement releasing all delegates from any pledge, instruction or obligation any nature whatsoever in so far as their candidacy for the nomination is concerned. This agreement, of course, 12 contingent upon every candidate signing it. Inasmuch as Mr, McAdoo has refused to sign it, save upon the conditions mentioned, it fails to be ef: fective. It is cl the is to say 10 other med by supporters of Gov. Smith that at least 100 delegates who wish to vote for him are blanketed in | have been voting | ations that for McAdoo under the unit Undoubtedly that rule has oper- ated McAdoo's advantage. He is willing. however, to sacrifice that ad vantage for the sake of the majority rule. His highest vote since the con- vention opened up to resumption of the balloting today has been 530—on the sixty-ninth ballet. That is 202 less than two-thirds of tue full convention and 20 less than an actual majority of all the votes. If, as the Smith people claim, 100 Smith votes are covered up under the unit rule, McAdoo agrees vir- tua to sacrifice that many votes, bringing him down to 430 on the basis of ™s highest mark, and advanc- ing Smith to 458 on the basis of the highest vote thus far cast for him—on the seventhysixth ballot. This as- sumes that there are no McAdoo votes Dbianketed in the delegations voting =olidly for Smith. It would seem to be rather a sport- ing proposition on the part of the Cali fornia candidate to scrap the unit rule for the sake of the majority rule, if, as suggested, it would have the effect of releasing 100 votes to his chief rival and putting the latter in the lead. On that basis McAdoo would have to gain 120 votes and Smith would need only to reach the majority point. But this, of course, would be contingent upon the Smith claim of 100 votes now covered in McAdoo's voting delega- tions under the unit rule. Mr. McAdoo cannot be called an ab- molute obstructionist if these computa- tions are correct. To be sure, he has proposed the abrogation of the basic principle of Democratic nominating conventions, the traditional two-thirds rule. But he has been fighting that for a long time. He is not inconsistent, therefore, in proposing it now. It is true that he accompanies his proposal with a further condition that each of the delegates present from each state =hall be entitled to cast his pro rata of the vote of all the delegates from such states as may have delegates ab- sent from the convention, and that after each ballot the candidate receiv- ing the lowest number of votes shall be dropped from the roll successively until a nomination is made. These, howaver, are immaterial considera- the dele; solidly rule. to tions compared with the unit and two- | thirds rules. Rejection of the McAdoo proposal is likel:. and therefore the prospect is that the convention wil! continue its weary round of ballots, with no relief in sight for itself or the country. o The ballots cast for an oil suspect and a vaudeville entertainer were meant to be humorous. As a matter of fact they denote a state of mental des- peration which renders them pathetic. —————— = Washington's Safety Work. Decision by the executive committee of the Washington Safety Council to dissolve the council, if reached at the conference that is to be held tomor- row afternoon, would leave Washing- ton without any organization of citi- zens for carrying on the work of mak- ing life and limb safer in the District | of Columbia. Yet in November there will meet in this city, at the instance of Secretary Hoover, a conference on the subject of safety in the nation, at which the problem of greater security is to be discussed from all angles and an effort is to be made for the uni- fication of rules and the adoption of measures throughout the country. ‘Washington would then be without any representation at such a meeting save through official delegates. It wexlld stand conspicuously alone in respect to the organization of civic activities for safety work. Tnasmuch as in many respects ‘Washington has been the pioneer in promoting safety, it is certainly un- @esirable that the November meeting should find it without a showing of citizens’ self-protective - organization work. But the reasons for continuing the safety council are more practical than the natural desire to be represented at the November conference. This agency has undoubtedly effected re- sults. Tt has reduced the number of casualties through persistent educa- tional effort for better driving. It has provided means of security in the streets. It has supplemented the po- s to harmony over- | instructive eéndeavors in the schools. 1t has saved the community in low- ered insurance rates many times the cost of the council's organization and activity. Even if the traffic police force were greatly increased. to the point of as- suring a more thorough enforcement of the traffic rules through arrests and punishments, there would remain the need of education. It is the func- tion of the police mainly to assure punishment for infractions, or by menacing presence to compel observ- ance of the rules in the streets. Real safety work, however, depends upon the instruction of all street users, not only in the nature of the rules, but the necessity and wisdom of a whole- hearted, universal observance of them. The police cannot carry on such edu- cational work. That must be done through such an unofficial agency as the safety council. —_—aee Mexico's Election. Mexico conducted a presidential election yesterday, the candidates being Plutarco Elias Ca]les and Angel Flores. So far as known the balloting { was orderly throughout the country. No outbreuks of any consequence have been reported. and it would seem that for the first time in a very long period the southern neighboring republic has carried through a procedure of elee- tion without interference and without disturbance. It will be some days before the re- suit of the election is known, inas- much as under the system in Mexico the ballot boxes are sealed and sent to the capital. where they are opened in the presence of the congress and the votes are counted. Thus the Mexi- can system differs from that In the United States, where the initial ballots are counted in the precincts und the results may be known in a few hours after the cloging of the polls. Here only the electoral votes are sent sealed i to Congress, but their nature is well known many weeks before they are opened. 1f Mexico has succeeded in conduct- ing an orderly election and if the choice of the majority is accepted without reaction a great gain will have been made toward stability in that country. President Obregon took office as a result of a successful revolution after a series of usurpations running i back to the days of the decline of Por- firio Diaz. Actually this election of vesterday is the first full. free exerc: of the suffrage on the presidency in Mexico in a generation. The people of this country hope that it will prove to be the beginning of orderly demo- cratic government in the sister repub- lic to the south. ——— The President’s Son. The earnest prayers of the people of this city and of the whole country are given for the recovery of Presi- dent Coolidge’s younger son, who lies in dangerous illness at Walter Reed Hospital. The lad has won the af- fection of the Capital by his modest. manly demeanor. 1t was with a shock that it was learned the other day that as a result of exercise he had suffered from an accidental infection that, spreading swiftly, menaced his life. Although the latest reports are grave and indicate the possibility of death, there is still hope that he will be spared and that his parents, so deeply grieved and concerned for their son, will be speedily relicved of their anxiety. e o A great deal of time is lost by Eu- rope because every proposal has to be examined by boards of experts in sev eral countries to determine whether there is a catch in it. oo The work done by the McAdoo forces | in the primaries was good of its kind, | but it did not go far enough to prevent a terrific consumption of time by un- finished business. o The oration by Newton Baker was much admired. but the letter from James Cox had more in it that ap- plied to the occasion in a strictly prac- tical way. o In complimenting the eminent ora- tors of the occasion mention isneglected of Mr. Fordney Johnston of Alabama, who really started most of the trouble. e Many weeks will elapse betore the public forgets that Alabama has twen- ty-four votes and that Oscar Under- wood is its favorite son. ————s | The Round-World Flyers. On the 17th of March four Ameri- | can av iators left Santa Monica, Calif., to fly around the world. One of them crashed a plane against a mountainside in Alaska and was compelled to quit the great race against time. The others went on and now are at Karachi, India, where they are installing new motors in their planes. They have flown 12,915 miles, or more than half of their journey around the world. To complete the circuit of the earth by air they have still to fly 11,815 miles. The elapsed time of their flight to date is 111 days. The remain- ing flight, however,,is not likely to require as long a period, inasmuch as after a few more “hops” they will be in Europe, where they will meet easier conditions. They are, indeed. over the worst of their journey, save for the final flight across the At. lantic. This round-world flight cannot def- initely prove any point of value. It would, of course, be a great satisfac- tion to the American people if their representatives succeed in circling the globe by air, especially if they do so in a shorter time than the flyers of other nationalities who are working their way around in a contrary direc- tion. But a round-world flight that lasts, say, 200 days, as this seems likely to last, is not a demonstration of speed. It may develop possibilities for future advance. All such enter- prises are relative. The first achieve- ments are experimental. In this par- ticular case what is mainly being learned is the practicability of landing points. Until those landing points can be placed at greater distances and plane repair facilities established real rapid flight around the world is not to be expected. In view of the non-stop flights across the Amecican coptinegl il ds clear that given dependable machines, and, of course, capable pilots, with properly spaced landing stages and equipment facilities, a round-world flight in a few days is a physical pos- sibility. Whether it will be a prac- tical utility is a’ matter for discus- sion. That such a flight will eventually come i3 hardly to be doubted, in view of the wonderful advances already accomplished. o Personal Taxes. The District tax assessor issues an- other warning. Warnings from the tax assessor have become numerous, but they are made to help'us. The as- sessor is not responsible for our tax load, and taxes must be paid by thos wito owe them. Our ancestors used to say that “nothing is certain but death and taxes,” which shows that our an- cestors knew something about taxes and did not wholly like them. The present warning is in the mat- ter of personal taxes. They are not as pleasant as other taxes might be, but those who have taxable personalty cannot escape, or at least they should not be allowed to escape. Not to heed the warning of the tax assessor will cost money. This warning is not that we shall pay the taxes, but that we shall file the tax return in July. If the blank form is not filled and sent to the collector of taxes by August 1 a penalty of 20 per cent of the assess- ment will be added to the bill. The bill is not payable until next Novem- ber, but the tax seturn must be filed this month. The wise and thrifty person will take notice and get busy. The law is that every person owning an auto- mobile on July 1 must file a personal tax return. The law also puts @ tax on household furnishings in excess of $1,000, all jewelry except watches, and on live stock and vehicles of every de- scription. That part of the personal tax called the intangible tax applies to stocks, bonds and securities in gen- eral. SO — The delegates who reside in or near New York retained their vim perhaps longer than most of the others, owing to the decided psychological advantage of feeling perfectly secure about eat- ing and sleeping accommodations. - Confidence in Gov. Smith’s ability to sway the convention simply by appear- ing before it has aroused inquiry whether to his many accompiishments he adds that of the hypnotist. ——— The Democrat who wanted to ad- journ to Kansas City did not make as seasonable a suggestion as he might have offered if he had advised retiring to Atlantic City. ————. The La Follette convention was robbed of its chance for conspicuous distinction either as the most orderly or the most disorderly assemblage of the summer. o Many Republicans feel that their antagonists will have four leisurely vears in which to think over and con- ciliate the 4.Morences which have torn their ranks. ———————— The New York convention has taken the minds of many people off the great need Europe has of our assistance in her more or less intimate political af- airs. e So far as getting results were con- cerned the delegate with only half a vote for a long time found himself as influential as anybody else. g R SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON, A Mild Demand. More modest every year we grow In what we ask at fortune’s hand. When on a joy ride forth we go We disregard the law’s demand. 1t is our habit more or less With danger merrily to flirt. We vow it was a great success— Nobody, seriously hurt! And even when men gather 'round To ponder and deliberate, On questions urgent and profound Affecting the affairs of state, Altho' emotions hold free sway As their opinions they assert, They leave us glad if we can say, Nobody seriously hurt.” Soothing Consideration. “It doesn’t seem right,” said the fair-minded man, “‘that the District of Columbia should have only six votes in this great convention.” “But think,” rejoined Senator Sor- ghum, “of how many times we let vou cast ‘em.” A Song of Desperation, “I'm sleepy and hungry,” the dele- gate said. “This excitement I cannot afford. I long to return to my board and my © bed And abandon ’ bored.” this bedlam and Jud Tunkins says: “The day’s gone by when everybody who goes on busi- ness to New York is suspected of not havin’ done much but have a good time. Go-As-You-Please Band Wagon, “We have no leaders,” some folks say, “In this well flavored clime.” Perhaps that's why the tunes we play Grow jazzier all the time. Auditors, “Does your wife lecture you s much as she used to " “No,” said Mr. Meekton. “Henrietta is too fine a speaker to waste a whole lecture on one person. Her audience is now much larger, but less atten- tive.” & Communication. ‘What's the use of telegraph? What's the use of radio? - Same old wheezes seek a laugh, Mid the tunes of long ago. Great inventions swiftly bear Messages from far away— ‘What's the use of all their care If there's nothing new to say? “Folks now listen to a heap. o' music,” said Uncle Eben. “I thought de ‘settlement was lookin’ mighty in- dustrious las' Monday, .but whut looked in de distance like clotheslines . Answers to Questions BY FREDERIC J. HASK N Q. Where in the United States na- tionul cemetery at Gettysburg is the exact spot from which President Lin- coln delivered his famous speecl —MeL. A. The superintendent of the ceme- tery says that the Soldiers’ Monu- ment was pluced where the address | was delivered, as near as it was po sible to judge. Q. Is the new President of France a Catholic?—N. 8. * A. The Christian Herald says that President Doumergue is the first Protestant President of France. Ed- ward Herriot, the new premier, is the president ‘of the League for the Control of Alcohol Q. What musical instrument does Charles Dawes play?—W. M. I A. The Republican nominee for Vice President is a violinist. He also is a composer of promise. His “Mel- ody in A Major" has been recorded on’ the disc by Fritz Kreisler. Q. How near to be this summer?—! A. It will be about 34,000,000 miles away. This is much nearer than it usually comes and astronomers are hoping to gather new facts about the planet from the observations they Will make after years of preparation. In August the ‘planet will be the closest and will rise at sunset. e earth will Mars F. Q. What novels were the best sell- ers for 1922 and 19237—C. L. F. M. A. The Publishers’ Weekly says it in 1922 the best seller was If Winter Comes,” by M. Hut, son :oin 1 . “Black Oxen,” by trude Atherton. 3 Q. What is the the Army and Navy A. The Colt .45, model 1911, is th officially adopted side ar: Cnited States service. SeEsteitones Q. What inventions are at present>—A. N. McD, oot needed A. Capper's Weekly gives a li invéntions which, according (o the bay. ent Office of Great Britain, are most needed at the present moment: Glass that will bend; a smooth road surface that will not be slippery in wet weather a furnace that will conserve 95 per cent of its heat: a process to make flannel unshrinkable: u noiseless air- plane and an airplane that can be managed safely and easily by a boy or Birl; @ motor’ engine of one pound weight per horsepower: methods to produce friction; practical ways of uti- lizing the tides; a process fo extract phosphorous from vulcanized india rub- ber o that it can be boiled and used again: & pipe that can be cleaned eas- ily and effectively: a temperance drink that will keep and vet not pall on the palate; talking moving pictures. Q. What is meant by the i A The name was applied to the route from the United States to the West Indies: from the West Indies to rope: and from Europe to the United States, ‘The mainland shipped food and Jumber to the West Indies the West Indies shipped sugar products to Europe: and Europe shipped manu- factures to the American mainland, thus closing the transaction.” Q. How many veterans of the Uni Army are still living>—D, H. S. Foie A. The Pension Office savs that on May 31. 1924, there were 145,659 civil War veterans on the pension roll. Q. What kind of park is the = tional park in lduho R, E. v o " ). The new national monument. rater of the Moon, which has just Dbeen set aside by a proclamation is- sued by President Coolidge, is a region of volcanic formation situated twelve miles southwest of Arco, on the Idaho Central highw: which connects Boise and all points west with Yellowstone National Park. This new monument has an area of ap- proximately thirty-nine square miles and was called Crater of the Moon from the resemblance of its topog- raphy to the surface of the moon as seen through a telescope. The ropy lava is as fresh appearing as though poured out yesterday. The lava caves and tunnels occurring in the flows are perhaps the most in- teresting features. In some of the tunnels snow and ice are found which do not melt entirely the year around. The whole landscape has a weirdness which at certain ssasons of the year takes on an exquisitely beautiful effect produced by the myriad clumps of delicately tinted wild flowers blooming in profusion en the ‘black, cindery hillsides. Q. How many of the Presidents of the United States received college educations?—J. W. M. A Of the men who have been Presidents of the United States, twenty, including President Coolidge, were college-bred men. Q. neant What is meant by the expres- sion “Godwin's Oath”"?—R. L. P. A. This is a proverbial expression for a false oath and originated in the story that Godwin, Earl of Kent, choked to death while calling Heaven to witness his innocence of the mur- der of Alfred, brother of Edward the Confessor. Q. What country obeys its laws most strictly?—A. W. C. A. A book on police system states that Finland has no police system and that the natives are the most law-abiding people on earth. Q Why are moths and millers at- tracted by a light?>—H. K. A. The biological survey says scien- tists have never been able to ascertain the reason. This is particularly hard to understand because of the fact that these' insects hide themselves away from the light during the day- time and seem to be attracted only by artificial light. Q. How do the coast lines of Cali- fornia, Texas and Maine compare?—J. C. 8. A. The shore line of California is 1.190 statute miles. The length of the coast line of Texas is 1,100 miles and that of Maine 676 miles. Q. When a hand is called in poker, is it necessary that the calling hand be shown?—A. C. A. Both hands must be shown, and it ‘there are more than two hands in the final call, all must be shown to the table. The rule of showing all hands is a safeguard against collusion between two plavers. one of whom might have a fairiy good hand and the other nothing; for by raising each other back and forth they could force any other player out of the pool. The 2ood hand could then be called and shown, the confederate simply saying “That is good” and putting his hand in the discard. (Readers of The Evening Star should send their questions to The Star In formation Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, 21st and C strects northwest. The only charge for this service is £ cents in stamps for return postage.) Delegates Bob Hair. Women Will Return From New York Shorn of Locks. More woman delegates with bobbed hair will return from New York to their homes than went to the metrop- olis. Badges and bobs are now the thing in the convention city. The long-haired woman delegate is the exception and not the rule, and. when it is known that few of such delegates are on the sunny side of forty the news becomes impressive. ; Tt is said that the majority of the Democratic woman _ delegates have left their tresses in New York's beau- ty parlors. The shears have been Kept busy. And, of course, the hun- dreds of visiting women who are Wives and daughters of delegates also have yielded to the lure of the modern in hirsute treatment. Those who have bobbed their hair on this trip to New York explained that they_ I people | should be—what IN TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL V. COLLINS One of the most dramatic moments in the Democratic convention was that in which the former Secretary of War. Newton D. Baker, in his eloquence por- trayed the spirit of the departed Presi- dent Woodrow Wilson as standing be- side him to plead for recognition of the league of nations. He might also have summoned up the spirit of the late Presi- dent in denouncing the continuation of national conventions to nominate Presi- dents and Vice Presidents, with so little part in the choice by the people them- selves. Has there ever been & more striking verification of Mr. Wilson's judgment of the failure of such con- ventions than is the present instance? How much influence of the people is there exercised?” * % ¥ * Less than half the legal voters take any part in elections. Less than 1 per cent have any voice—even nom- inally—in selecting candidates of either party, for whom all are in- vited to vote. It has become trite to characterize party platforms as meaningless straddles of the issues, compiled to mean all things to all men, but little binding upon the elect. President Wilson almost immedi- ately after his own election, in his first message to Congress, urged the need of legislation to restore to the masses more power in direct expres- sion of popular choice of administra- tors of national laws and policies. In place of national conventions to choose candidates—which have never been sanctioned, muth less regulated and safeguarded, by law—it was pro- posed to have primary elections of candidates, with the elimination of these who failed to receive a majority of votes within their parties. The candidates who ~were thus chosen by the voice of the people would then stand for election to the offices, as do the party candidates to- day. Two popular elections, there- fore, would succeed the present sys- tem of two conventions and one gen- eral election. e Reveral bills were introduced in Congress for this reform, but it was discovered that there is no authority in the Constitution giving power to Congress to legislate upon the sub- ject. The Constitution provides that Congress may control regulations for the election of members of Congress, but “each state shall appoint in such a4 manner as the legislature thereof may direct a number of electors” to the electoral college. It was the theory of our Constitution makers that the electoral college would it- self be a deliberative body, wherein the needs of the country would be discussed, and the two highest of- ficers—President and Vice President— would be chosen. The one receiving the most votes in the electoral col- lege would becgme President and the one having the next highest votes the Vice President. Under this plan the people had no direct voice in a presidential elec- tion. The people chose their state legislatures. upon state Issues; the legislatures chose the electoral col- lege and the college canvassed the situation and chose the President, without reference to the voice of the twice-removed people. Later the vote in the college was taken sep- arately for President and for Vice President, so that the candidate de- feated for President did not auto- matically become Vice President. But even that was without reference back either to the legislatures or to the Hence, our forefathers littie Lincoln's ideal that this it really never has been—"a government of the people, for the people and by the people.” A e Gradually the evolution of polities sought to take away some of the powers vested in the legislatures and lodge them with the people gathered in conventions of popular representa- tives chosen for specific purposes and more amenable to popular will— at least, in theory. But it came to be recognized that these conventions dreamed of were as easily managed by political bosses as had been the legislatures, and in more than half the states the convention system for all _elections, except for the electoral college, has been superseded by direct primary elections by the masses. Only the President and Vice President are till the creatures of party bosses dominating the delegates to the great national conventions. The people may vote their “popular choice” for President and Vice Presi- dent, and, theoretically, the delegates to national conventions should be governed by the popular vote, but the results show that they are not so bound. The national conventions have ostensibly taken over the origi- nal deliberative functions of the electorial college, though not bound by any federal law of control. The conventions have thus usurped—hbove law—the powers of both the people and of the electoral college. Under the unit rule in the conventions, and with the major management and secret trading by party managers and campaign manugers of candidates, the indivi- dual delegates have about as much influence on the results of the " 2 as have the ivory pawns in a game of chess. * % ¥ ¥ Reform of the system became a vital issue through the annual mes- sage of President Wilson, December 2, 1913, in which he urged “the prompt enactment of legislation which will provide for primary elec- tions througheut the country at which the voters of the several states may choose their nominees for the presidency without the intervention of nominating conventions.” He proposed that national con- ventions should be continued, but only fpr canvassing the votes of the respective states, “declaring and ac- cepting the verdict of the primaries and formulating the platform of the parties.” He proposed that “‘these con- ventions should consist not of dele- gates chosen for this single purpose, but of nominees for the House of Representatives, nominees for the vacant seats in the Senate of the United States, senators whose terms have not yet closed, the national com- mittees and ‘the candidates for the presidency themselves. in order that the platforms may be framed by those responsible to the people for carry- ing them.into effect.” The provisions of the Constitution expressly forbid the election of any mem- ber of Congress or of an office holder to the electoral college, 50 as 1o prevent an office-holding oligarchy. President Wil- son’s plan in detail would reverse that and restrict conventions to the “official oligarchy.” upon the theory that the “office holders who drew up the platform would have to explain what it meant.” e It is noteworthy evidence of President Wilson's sincerity and self-effacement in his urging the re- form, that the evils of the old sy tem were the prime influences which, apart from any action by him or his party, had brought about his own election. The 1912 Republican con- vention had been controlled by ad- inistration forces, so that the “steam roller” had become a party issue, leading to the Progressive split of the Republican forces, which gave victory to the Democrats However “ideal” was the Wilson plan, it was not welcomed by “prac- tical politicians.” and there not bolieved to be great prospect today for a constitutional amendment to make it possible, unless the abuses now charged become too obvious for public tolerance The independence of the conven- tions from influence by popular votes is shown in the votes for presidential candidates in 1920. In the popular vote in advance of the convention Herbert Hoover had more than twice as many votes as did Warren G Harding, Lowden had more than three times as many, Gen. Wood had six times as many as Mr. Harding and Senator Hiram Johnson had more than eight votes to Mr. Harding's one. Yet the convention chose Mr. Harding. The Palmer more than Gov. Cox, chose Mr. Cox. as Democrats had given Mr. votes in the primaries but the convention (Copyrigh 1 V. Collins.) Murder of American in China Shows Need of Protection The killing of Edwin C. Hawley, American employe of a Britigh ex- porting firm in China, by junkmen on the Yangtze River, and the action of the commander of the British gun- boat, who made the authorities put on uniforms and march behind the coffin to the cemetery and also com- pelied them to execute two leading members of the Junk Men's Guild, in the opinion of the American press, calls attention to the necessity of providing more adequate protection for Americans pursuing legitimate business activities in China. Referring to the drastic action of the British commander, the Boston Transcript says: “An action like this may not please the pacifisty. but oth- ers will be pleased by it. Where the incident occurred there were few to honor the last rites to this stranger in a land where funeral ceremonies have a peculiar importance. It would appear that the Chinese military au- thorities intended by their omission to show disrespect and the British {commander saw to it that they did nothing of the sort. It is a pleasure to recall this action and thank him for it. As well, it is an appropriate occasion to point out that navies are still of much use.” The Worcester Gazette mentions that Hawley had disregarded promised protection, and that only one skilled in the niceties of international law can say what the United States government can do in such a case, but “we should still mighty well like to know the name of the British navy man who turned the guns of the Cockchafer on the town of Wanhsien and made its local officers pay tribute of respect to the body of the slain American. He was there with the goods. We like him.” * %k ¥ % Because conditions are so bad in China the Saginaw, News Courier maintains “there seems no other way to reach the inner consclousness of the Chinese just now. excepting by the application of superior force; and it is unfortunately the case that American gunboats are too scarce in Chinese waters to afford protection to Americans. Outrages of all kinds are constantly committed upon for- eigners, with the so-called Chinese government wholly unable, even if willing, to prevent. Law and order are unknown, and about the only pro- tection foreigners can look for is that given by the armed forces of their own governments.” The thought that “blood is thicker than water, that the British flag does offer some protection to Americans, some deter- rence to future violence, where a murder has been committed, is grate- ful enough,” continues the Brooklym Eagle, which argues, however, that here is another angle from which'| the Wanhsien incident is regret- table,” because “action toward a weak power that would not be attempted against a strong one is hardly defen- sible—international law is finterna- tional law, und under it all powers are equally entitled to rebpect.” The Minneapolis Tribune agrees that “technically, the Briton was wrong, and the demand for such retribution as was appropriate was up to the United States government, but the a5 AL Mood G4 counjs SMROAlY when they run between men and peo- ples of common ideals.” “The scene has perhaps a little of the Kipling flavor. but it must have been effective.” observed the New York Herald-Tribune, for “in the land where piracy, banditry and kid- naping are all recognized industries something of the Sort is necessary, furthermore, “prestige is essential in the complicated trade relation of China, and Americans in China are protesting that it is impossible for them to carry on their business with- out better protection than is now offered by the American flag.” The Springfleld Republican feels that “‘possibly so extreme an application of corporate responsibility fits the far east better than it would our own country, yet in China's present state of temper there may be danger that such reprisals will have the op- posite of the intended effect”; more- over, “such measures can bring no permanent solution,” and “it may be necessary to curb somewhat the dis- position of naval officers to inflict re- prisals for crimes which result from a malady too serious and too compli- cated to be cured by a local use of force.™ * ko x “Washington should demand that Americans peacefully pursuing legit- imate activities in China be given protection against bandits and bu ness rivals” the Newark News de- clares, but “we should not go as did the commander of the British gun- boat,” for “that was illegal and un- warranted, and the United States should not support such an action, but we should tell Peking in lan- guage that will be understood that if the government there does not show itself strong emough to sup- press banditry and protect our na- tionals, then America will refuse longer . to recognize Peking rule— that would bring Peking to terms or result in the fall of that heepless regime, which has been able to main- tain itself only by reason of its rec- ognition by foreign powers. The New York Sun nevertheless suggests that “a foreigh gunboat is one thing that Chinese bandits and pirates re. spect and that move Chinese officials to action,” and since “there is no security for Americans in the interior provinces, the only course appears to bring them under the pro- tection of foreign war vessels on the Chinese coast.” Discussing the pro- tection of the British flag, the Seattle Times finds it “a mattera of consid- erable satisfaction that the govern- ment of the United States has adopt- ed a more vigorous policy in recent ears than formerly,” because “there s a determination on the part of our government to give force and effect to the doctrine that the protection of the Stars and Stripes goes with every American citizen engaged in lawful business everywhere on earth. —_————— Hereafter a speeder is to be called a “motormoron.” But experience shows that the only words that mean anything to speeders are “Sixty ys,” coming from the lips of a judge.—New York World. It used to be that a man who drove with one hand landed at the altar, Now he lands in the hospital— Newark American Tribune. Nearly ‘every man thinks his wife lacks the sense of humor.—Illinois State Journal. i “Look _here, waiter, I've been THIS AND THAT BY C. E. TRACEWELL. | Such sights as one may see on a | street corner! Any corner, it does not matter which, will do for observation pur- poses if one brings to it Sympathy and a sense of humor. Saturday is perhaps the best might to look things over, although any other will do. But there is some- thing about a Saturday night the! world over that is different. From the days when it was “bath night” there has been little change It is still Saturday night, in Wash- ington almost the same as it is in the smallest village of the land There is a spirit jn the air, & subtle something that makes Saturday night unlike Monday night. Perhaps it is due to the fact that Saturday is “pay day” with many. Maybe it is because the next day is Sunday. Anyway, it is the best evening for our observations. Here are some ot the things | saw on such & night: * % x % I saw three little negro children, each holding a bit of paper shaped like a mask, each paper adorned by large round circles of colored isin- gluss. They were looking at the world through green, red, vellow. I saw two girls, perhaps twelve or thirteen years old, walking by carrying colored canes. One stick was enameled a bright green. the other was red. The canes made tie girls strut. I saw a pompous business man roll- | ing along in his automobile, one of the brand that is popularly reported to cost as much as & good house still can be purchased for—$15,000. Al- though he was seated, he sat swag- geringly, 1 swear. 1 saw a young girl, perhaps sixteen years old, maybe eighteen, prance by in new shoes, at which she looked lovingly at every third step. * % % % Each one—child, girl, man—was as proud as proud could be over the latest acquisition. One had some- thing given away with a loaf of bread and another a thing that cost khouannds, but each inspired the same eeling. As Alexander Pope put it: Behold the child, by nature’s kindlx law. Tleased with & rattle, tckled with & straw: Some livelier plaything gives his delight A littie Touder. but as empty quite Scarfs, garters, gold, @muse bis riper suge, And beads and praver books are the tors of age. Pleased with this bauble still, s tbat ‘hetore. Till tired he sleeps. and life's poor piay is oer youth e It was one of the corners. too few | in number, on which there is & pub- lic drinking fountain, that the little pageant of youth and age was en- | acted for my pleased benefit In viewing these spectacles. in get- ting the most out of one's street cor- ner. if you please, it is necessary to look at the world as if it were a show for which you had paid ad- mission In fact, life is just that. We have all paid a big price to get in and will pay a_ larger cne before we pass through the final door. So it be- hooves us to get our money’s worth To see one's corner, any corner, through golden spectacles,” such as the little colored child had, it is not necessary to look at it through the cager eves of youth, such as glowed from behind the colored isinglass. Any one who half tries can see a street corner, any time, as if he were looking at it for the first time. No matter how many times he may have | stood there, looking at it this way makes it new again Against the fountain lounges an old man. Gray and thin, in an old suit, with trousers baggy at the knees. Al gray mustache droops in a tanned | face. He has stood there many a| time. waiting for a car, but you never noticed him before Tonight it is different. You see,| not just somecbody in vour way as| you make for the car. but a worker. a man who is going home to his family, the same as vou are going to| yours | Even the hulky Aframerican who slams your hat askew with a great burlap ‘bag carelessly slung over his shoulder becomes a fellow human being, as seen through your magic | glasses of sympathy. ! * 2 % x ! Stand with me on the street corner. | and watch the pageant of life go by. Such color, such movement, such unbelievable tragedy and silliness as parade themselves there, each Jectified to the seeing spectator. Clanging street cars, whirling au- tomobiles, old ladies pantinz along. young ladies prancing by, small boys pushing and shoving. a woman wheel- ing a baby carriage, a delivery boy on a bicycle, a stray dog sneaking along the guiter, seemingly realizing that it has no tag around its neok, and therefore has violated the laws of its god, man; the traffic “cop” in his natty white gloves and cap, the delicatessen proprietor, standing in the doorway, looking out. hoping for more trade; the dirty-looking cat, ambling along the sidewalk, close to the stores, keeping a sharp lookout for dogs! What Main street in what town can show any more varied array than that, witnessed on a street cormer in the National Capital one Saturday evening! ob- * x Viewing the street through our golden glass, it is easy to be charita- ble. Perhaps Pope put the case a bit too s(roq:l}. One should be easy with Pope, however. He was ill h entire life. He never had the blessed health of even a littie pickaninny strolling by with a colored toy. That was why he spoke of prayer | books as and of life as a “poor play. We of another age and land, blessed with more health and less genius, can see value in prayer books and life, while appreciating the point of view of the poet and enjoying his pleasant sarcasm. 3 So we will be pleased still with our latest bauble—a street corner on a Saturday night o Recognition of Russia. *w Ends French Foreign Policies Dominated by Emigres. The decision of the French govern- ment to recognize Russia marks the end of the domination of French foreign policy by Russian emigres. The argument of the emigre has been that until the old regime was re- stored in Russia it would be useless to attempt to obtain a settlement of the Russian debt to France or to hope that any part of the value of Russian bonds held in France might be_salvaged. But it 15 now obvious. and has been for some time, that the old regime is not coming Back. or at least is going to take so long about it that the event isn't worth waiting for. If France is to realize anything out of Russia in the near future, either in the way of money on account or in the wav of trade, France must deal with the soviet government. Whether she is likely to fare better by nego- tiating in regard to the debts before or after recognition is a question on Which even the representatives of French industries were discovered by M. Herriot to be divided. ‘That is only & matter of method. PLYMOUTH INFANT CITY BESIDE VARNA Pilgrims’ Landing Place But 300 Years Old, While Latter Marks 2,500. BULGARIA TO CELEBRATE Town Was Settled in Centwry That Cyrus Took Babylon and Bowan Rennblic Began. Jamestown, Va., had a tercentenary 1907. Plymouth, Mass, celebrated the 300th anniversary of her settle- ment in 1920. Varna. Bulgaria, plans a modest commemoration of her 2,500 years this month Varna was born that Egvpt was province. in in the century made Persian Baby- that saw Cyrus take lon, that heard plea for forming the Athenian constitution and experienced the founding of the Roman republic.” says a bulletin from the headquarters of the National Geo- graphic Solon's re- Society Among World's Oldest Cities. “In of continuous ex the Bulgarian seaport ranks with the ancient cities of the world; it flour- ished when the famous ot Europe— London, , Berlin, cow—were yet unborn “It nestles on the hilly north shore of the Bay of Varna, near the border of Rumania. That country’s acquisi- tion of Dobrudja was a blow to Var- na's shipping. “It was having its 300th birthday when & strip of territory now rough- ly comprised in Bulgaria and Serbia was known as Moesta, not conspicuous province of the Roman empire. The Romans are reputed have acquired this region about 2 B. C. from the Celts. Indeed, a coi- cny of Milesians is supposed to have been located there. Since the Milesi- ans are a legendary early Irish race, Varna might appropriately invite an Irish delegation to help her celebrate point tence Pari; Mos- very Absorbed by Conquerors. “What more the point Bulgarians of today is that Varna is in a literal sense the Piymouth and Jamestown of their country. Along with the Slavs and the Avars, the Bulgarians swarmed into Europe in the sixth century, and the Bulga- rians formed a thriving kingdom in south Russia between the Volga and the Danube. In that same century a colony of these Bulgarians pressed on south of the Danube and estab- lished themselves at Varna. “Like the Franks in France, they Rave their name to the country they founded, but, as a pure stock, they disappeared. And like the Normans. in England, the conquerors were ab- sorbed by the conquered. Today they are accounted a Slavic people. “Varna strangely modern for so ancient a city. Its breakwater and its quays. its public library, woman's college, and branch national bank, and various other business and official buildings are new—new Bul- garia gained an wutonomous identi in 1878 is to with sinea Had Stormy History. “Between that tin and the loss of Dobrudja. Bulgaria has had a stirring military history, in which Varna has been conspicuous. It formed a corner of the so-called ‘Varna quadrilateral This quadrilateral comprised, besides Varna, the cities of umla, Ru chuk and Silistria, the last mentioned now being in “At Varna Wiadisl Hurngary Rumania in 14414 romangic 111, King of Poland and was sfatn by the tesatical Murad I The former P timely end he resded a treaty as a scrap of paper “In 1915 a Russian fleet “Despite the ness, Varna continues shipping out cattle and v ucts. grain, skins and cloth. The city is decidedly ‘wet' in aspect, because of numerous breweries and distil- leries. It also has important tan- neries and cotton factories. ATOMS BY JOHN CARLYLE. the mer un- becamse Varna was bombarded by loss of Dobrudja busi- a busy port— dairy prod- If you are minded to disregard the importance litte things, behold the atom You have other hasn't an isn't a figure analyze it. An complex of somebody or That when that o itom of sense. of atom said zood speech you is an im mensely and wonderful thing To be sure, an atom is rather small The number of atoms on the top face of the head of a pin is estimated to be more than two quadrillions But the of the atom doesn't prevent useful ac and it doesn't prevent the which compose it from having speed that makes the movement of the earth seem slow. All honor to Niels Bohr, a Dane. Prof. Bohr belongs to the University of Copenhagen. The university and the Danish nation may well be proud of Bohr. He -has told us more about what matter is made of than anybody ever knew before in the world Matter is composed of thes measurably small atoms With spaces in between. o that m that seems matter is merely space in between countless atoms But the most interesting thing about matter that the wise Mr. Bohr has to tell the world is not just that atoms make up matter. The most interesting thing is the construction and habits of the atom itself. For, Small as it is, it has a definite plan of being and action. In that way it is superior o many humans. Every atom is a little solar system after the fashion of the universe, With its sun and the planets which whirl around it on fixed courses. In every atom is a central nucleus and around this central nucleus re- Volve “electrons.” In some atoms there are few electrons revolving around the central nucleus and in other atoms there are many. In otber words, some atoms are more complex than others. Fancy a body moving at a speed of 39,000 miles an hou Yet this is Whay an electron is estimated to be able to do. 1t isn't strange, his healthy state is full of energy We are creatures of speed and activity. One scientist says man is a “maze of motion.” We are just beginning to learn smallness ity parts a its im is it, that man in From any realistic view, recognition itself is inevitable. The new regime in France is properly looking after waiting half an hour for that steak |the interests of the French people.— |Seized with 1-epsareds A 3 something of the real wonders of life and the world in which we live. ./ When we know more we shall be an ambition to do more. (Copyzighia 1224 ey,