Evening Star Newspaper, July 23, 1924, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Marning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY. ....July 23, 1924 THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company . Editor Tower Dluflding. nt 8t., Londoa, England. The Evening Star, with the Sunday morning. edition, is delltvered by earriers within the eity at 60 cents per month: daily only, 43 cents per mouth: Sunday only. 20 cents’ per month. Orders may be sent by mail or Pphone Main 5000. ection is made by riers at_the end of each month. Rate by Mail--Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Dally and Sunday..1yr., $8.40; 1 mo., 70¢ Daily only .......1yr. $6.00; 1 mo. 50c Sunday only 1yr, $2.40: 1 mo, 20¢ All Other States. Dally and Sunday.1 yr., $10.00* 1 mo., 85¢ Daily only mo., 60c Sunday only Member of the Assoclated Press. The A ted Press is exclusively entitied to the use for republication of all news dis- patches credited to it or Dot otherwise credited in this paper and also the local mews pub- lisbed herein. ~All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. Chicago Office: 5 omee: 16 A Blacklist Campaign. ‘While the preliminaries of the La Follette nomination were in progress out at Cleveland the suggestion was made that the Wisconsin progressive ‘was not in fact beguiled by the idea that he might be elected President, but he was really starting the cam- paign to increase his following in Con- gress, in order to obtain a hold upon legislation as the balance of power in both houses. Yet the procedure of making a National ticket was pressed, and now the ticket is completed and is before the country. Yet the thought that the major purpose of this move- ment. is to gain strength in Congress persists, and is given new force by the disclosure that plans are now mak- ing to establish a blacklist in the con- gressional campaign. It is reported that members of the House and Sen- ate who have been renominated, and all the candidates for Congress whose utterances or platforms are regarded as unfriendly to organized labor are to be opposed and if possible defeated. This is not the first time labor black- lists have been framed and efforts made to compass the defeat of in- dividual fhembers of House and Sen- ate who have failed to win the ap- proval of the unions or brotherhoods. Mr. Gompers could doubtless tell those at La Follette headquarters something along this line. For he has under- taken blacklist campaigns and seldom to his satisfaction. Tt may well be doubted whether Mr. La Follette will be aided in any way by the knowledge on the public's part that he is aiming at reprisals. Of course, if he is a serious candidate for the presidency he is fully entitled to seek the election with him and his ticket mate of a progressive House and Senate. But that means making nominations in all States, in all dis- tricts. That means, in turn, a country- wide orgenization, which it is patent is lacking in the La Follette move- ment. The best he can do is to secure the re-election of members of House and Senate here and there who are known to be friendly to if not directly affiliated with his peculiar policies. That is entirely praiseworthy. But the mere defeat of others for the sake of beating them, to punish them for their views and votes, is not regarded by the country at large as partaking of that good sportsmanship which, after all, is one of the fundamentals of the American political game. It is likely to be resented, and, as in other campaigns where this same attempt has been made, to result in even in- creased votes for those attacked. Fruit Crop News. Fruit crop news in the East and South is disappointing. In much of the section near Washington the ap- ple and peach crop is smaller than blossom time indicated it would be. State marketing officials of the Mid- dle Atlantic division report a general shortage of apple crops throughout the Middle Atlantic States. The secre- tary of the Maryland State Horticul- tural Soclety has said that the principal apple-growing counties in Maryland show a general shortage in the crop, though fair crops are prom: ised on the Eastern Shore and in a few counties on the Western Shore. Shortage in the peach and apple crops in Delaware is reported. From the peach belt of the South comes news that peaches are being thrown away because the Northern market price for them is 80 low that it does not pay to ship them. The Star has printed a dispatch from Ma- con that “The aroma of fermenting peaches is arising from the streams and fields of middle and southern Georgia, for during the last ten days peach growers have thrown away ap- proximately 4,000,000 bushels, or 8,000 carloads, of the fruit.”” It is said that peaches in the North “are not bring- ing shipping charges,” and that 2,000 cars have been sold during the last week at prices below the actual freight charges.” e If they would be of any assistance there are large quantities of German marks held by foreign speculators that would be freely donated to pur- poses of relief. ——at. There is every inclination to help Europe out of present troubles, pro- vided she will provide reasonable guarantees against getting into more. v Incompetence on the Boston. Survivors of the collision between the steamers Boston and Swift Arrow -off Point Judith, R. 1., in which four - persons lost their lives, criticize the ,. Qscipline on board the former, es- " .pecially in point of the handling of " the lifeboats. Owing to the confusion end inexpertness of the ship's com- . pany it took two hours to get sll the - boats overboard, the launching of the “* fitst one requiring 45 minutes. In one case the drain-plug of the- boat was “mot in position, so that water spurted i when the boat was lowered. Fortu- +nately the Boston was-not s6 badly in. . jured that she was in danger of sink- " ing, al that fact was not known " at the time. The risk of delayed boat Iaunching was just as great.as the e the craft had been cut dawn below the water line. * This is probably not an uncommon condition, especially on the coastwise craft in this country. The crews, and especially the steward service on these boats, are constantly changing. During the' Summer season many mere “landlubbers” take service on {them. It is doubtful whether 10 per cent of the men on board these ships have any knowledge whatever of the process of launching lifeboats. They are probably put through a perfunc- tory drill or two at the beginning of a season and that is all. The possibility of a wreck is always present when a ship puts out to sea. It is imperative that all the life-saving facilities should be at maximum ef- ficlency. If lifeboats are unplugged, or if the davits are stuck, or the ropes are twisted, or the blocks are choked, or if the men assigned to handle them are incompetent to hoist, swing and ower them 5o that they will reach the ~ater safely, they are valueless. Dependence is put upon a slender chance of mishap. Reliance is had upon the low percentage of casualties at sea. Life preservers are regarded as sufficient if they match up in num- bers with the passenger capacity, and yet probably, even though inspection at the beginning of the season is se- vere, toward the end of the season many of these devices are worthless because of rot and mildew. Memory of the steamer General Slocum, burned in the East River in June, 1904, re- vives. In that Qisaster 958 lives were lost, many of them as a result of the worthlessness of the life preservers, which were composed of little better than cork dust cased in rotten canvas. A passenger-carrying ship whose crew cannot launch its lifeboats in less than two hours should not be per- mitted to ply the waters. e A Novel Trial. A judicial proceeding worthy of particular note begins this morning in Chicago, where two young men are placed on trial for their lives before a judge, with the jury box vacant. Testi- mony will be presented after a formal statement of the case by the prosecut- ing attorney. .The purpose of the pro- ceeding is to acquaint the judge with all the circumstances of an atrocious crime to enable him to determine the penalty. Upon him alone will rest the responsibility. He must decide whether to send the accused to the gallows or to imprisonment for life. Inasmuch as a plea of guilty has been entered there will presumably be no appeal from his decision. Nothing like this has ever happened before in American courts. There is a great gain in this, a gain for society at large and for the imme- diate community of the trial. The country is spared a spectacle which there was reason to fear would shake public confidence in the efficacy of the law. The community i§ spared the loss of the services of a large number of men, possibly women as well, drawn first as venire men and then as jurors to serve an indefinite length of time as the judkes of fact. ‘Whereas this case was expected to run for many weeks in the first in- stance, and to be protracted for many months in the supplementary proceed- ings, there is now the prospect of a determination within a fortnight or & month at most. Many witnesses will be heard as to the facts. The defense, however, has abandoned the plea of insanity, and thereby has forfeited the right to call alienists as witnesses. It must take the facts as established by the State as the basis for arguments for the mitigation of penalty, for im- prisonment for life as against capital punishment. It would be well if this course were generally followed, if in cases of as- sured and flagrant guilt defendants were to be thrown upon the mercy of the court without the intervention of juries to determine the degree and na- ture of punishment. The example of Clarence Darrow, counsel-in-chief for the accused in Chicago, whose recom- mendations undoubtedly have influ- enced this course in the present case, should be followed by the attorneys in other causes, where no question of fact can reasonably be raised. The Ameri- can courts would gain greatly in ef- fictency by such e procedure. : Campaign speeches will be com- posed by Mr. Davis on the beautiful estate of Charles Dana Gibson. He will be fortunate, indeed, if he can make his announcements as appealing as were the Gibson girls of years agone. ——te— ‘When Leopold and Loeb pleaded guilty they hurt the hopes of many amateur peychoanalysts who hoped for a long succession of new thrills in ' phraseology. —_———————— Every now and then W. J. Bryan finds @ campaigner ready to appro- priate his political thunder. La Fol- lette is just as willing to antagonize ‘Wall stréet as anybody. —_——a——————— A vice presidential candidate is ex- pected to do enough energetic cam- paigning to entitle him to a four-year rest. Ford and Prohibition. “The eighteenth amendment is part of the fundamental law of this country; it ‘'was meant to be enforced, and so far as our organization is concerned it is going to be enforced to the letter.” ‘Thus says Henry Ford to-his employes in an order that has been posted in all of his factories, coupled with the ‘warning of immediate dismissal with- out appeal for any person in the Ford organization who has the odor of beer, wine or other liquor on his breath, or has intoxicants on his person or in his’ house, In issuing this order Mr. Ford is following his normal lines-of -proce- dure. ‘'He demands efficiency on the part of his workers, and he holds that efficiency and liquor are not compati- ble. This, indeed, was the rule that had been with more or less stringency -adopted by many employers in this country -before the eighteenth amend- ment was adopted. Ford goes further, however, in ‘demanding tull respect for thé prohibition law outside 6f the hours. and plades of employment. 2 In-view of thé high scale of pay pre- vailing &t ‘the Ford establishments, be desired, it is probadble that this order will be effective. Few men who draw the Ford pay rates are likely to risk their loss by surreptitious indul- gence. It is reported that prohibition en- forcement agents are calling upon large employers in industrial centers urging them to follow Mr. Ford's ex- ample of good citizenship. Such e move adopted generally would un- doubtedly have a material effect in checking the opposition to prohibition and the sly maneuvers for its defeat. At present prohibition is to a large extent a moral mandate. If it is given an economic aspect it will be more generally obeyed. Asset or Liability? The = two-million-dollar campaign fund which the La Follette supporters are seeking was boosted to the extent of $500,000 yesterday when that sum was pledged by representatives of the United Hebrew Trades and the Jewish Socialist Alliance in New York. As this action was being taken the na- tional executive committee of the So- cialist party met and unanimously in- dorsed the candidacy of Senator ‘Wheeler for the vice presidency, the committee having previously indorsed Senator La Follette for President. At night a mass meeting was held at which the speakers stressed the neces- sity of making an active campaign for the radical ticket. These occurrences probably were very encouraging to the La Follette and Wheeler supporters, but there may be a reverse side to the shield. As the radical and sinister forces of the electorate gather in solid phalanx to the support of the radical ticket headed by these two, is it not likely that the effect will be to cause the thoughtful men and women who will exercise the franchise this Fall to stop, look and listen and later to gird themselves to do battle with the radi- cals? Ever since the La Follette move- ment started there have been daily in- dications of the intention of the radi- cals and Socialists to attach them- selves to the movement. To be sure, Senator La Follette at the outset sought to discourage the communists from getting on board, but he cannot keep them from voting for him if they ‘want to nor contributing their money. It is an open question whether the support of the La Follette-Wheeler ticket by such pronounced radicals, so ostentatiously proclaimed, will be an asset or a liability to the ticket, once the people take it seriously and put on their thinking caps. o —— The Western farmer may find it difficult to see why he should carry his resentment away over to the New York Stock Exchange when the Chi- cago Board of Trade is so much nearer. e The names of Bryan, Dawes and ‘Wheeler sound loud in the ears of the people. A Vice President is expected to be self-effacing, but a vice-presi- dency candidate cannot escape atten- tion. —_————— Statesmen profess- great confidence in radio as a means of getting before ‘the public. It takes an accomplished political orator to compete with a steel-guitar orchestra. ————ee. Public economies are promoted by the eminently successful effort of the Republican notification managers to point out & practical use for the “Syl- van Theater.” ————— Europe is considering Dawes as a planmaker, and America is consider- ing him as e candidate. Dawes is a ‘world figure. —_—————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Neglected Now. «When snowflakes filled the Winter air ‘We often murmured, *“Where, oh, where, Are all the blossoms, birds and bees 'Neath skies of blue and leafy trees?” ‘Well, here they are! We grimly say, “Who wanted Summer, anyway? ‘This life will be much better when ‘We see a snowflake now and then.” The Present never satisfies. ‘When dreams of happiness arise, They picture, as our fancies stray, A Morrow or a Yesterday.” On Record. “This radio is & wonderful means of reaching the public.” “It has its disadvantages,” com- mented Senator Sorghum. “If you happen to say something you want to take back next day there isn't a chance to come out and say the inter- view was garbled.” Jud Tunkins says the man who wants people to think he knows 'most everything would be considerable help if he was willing to study and try to make good. e Sunset. Beyond the hill is. Midasville. ‘The evening air is warm and still, And in the west the clouds unfold The regal purple and the gold. ‘There is the Land of Dreams Come True For those who.golden dreams pursue; A shifting picture, yielding fast ‘To the eternal stars at last. ‘We view yon iridescent strand And soon once mare in darkness stand ‘With strange and disappointed thrill— Beyond the hill is Midasville. Uncertainties. “He says your refusal to marry him “But we might s well have it over with. As many people are complaining because they did -get married -as because they aidn’t.” Disputes, Large and Small, .- The boundaries of nations ‘We'd peacefully define, While folks have altercations About & fencing line! ‘Mebbe some o' deshere lawyers,” sald Uncle Eben, “would place mo’ -'sponsibility ‘on de- Ten ‘Command- ments if-Moses had put in sumpin’ 'bout ‘wheress'-an’ ‘be-it: Answers to Questions BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN Q. How much money is realized from tha sale of products made in States’ prison?—F. W. A. The value of the products of all States’ prison industries for last year ‘was $69,000,000; of this prison-made work clothing was valued at $19,000,- 000. Q. ‘What was Great Britain's debt selere the war and what Is it now?— A. The total gross liabilities of the state on March 31, ‘1914, were 706,- 154,110 pounds sterling. On March 31, 1922, the figure was 7,812,562,525 pounds sterling. Q. How many prep schools for ‘West Point and Annapolis are there in the United States?—E. E. W. A. There are over 100 such institu- tions. Q. Is Senator Pat Harrison related to the late President Benjamin Har- rison?—G. M. L. A. He is a distant relative of Pres- ident Harrison's, their grandfathers having been cousins. . Did the Government ever coin 25 and 50 cent gold pieces?—C. K. A. The Government has never |s- sued gold coins of less than $1. The 25 and 50 cent gold pleces were pri- vate issues. Following are the de- nominations of gold coinage of the United States: Fifty dollars, coined in 1915 to the amount of $105,950 as Panama_ Pacifie International Exposi- tion coifs; double eagles, eagles, half eagles, quarter eagles and dollars. Why are dog days so called? . R Q. WA A. Dog days comprise the hot, sul- try season of summer during parts of July and August, so called from the fact that the rising of the dog star, Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens, Is coincident with the rising of the sun. The ancients thought this conjunction caused the intense heat of Summer and the maladies which then prevailed, hence the popular supposition that dogs are speclally liable to go mad at this season. It was by mere accident that the rising of the star coincided with the hottest scason of the year in the times and countires of the old astronomers. Its rising depends on the latitude of the place and is later every year in all latitudds, owing to precession. In times the star may rise in the dead of winter. Q. Why were the German warships sunk when they surrendered at the close of the World War?—J. N. W. The sinking of the surrendered German war vessels was unlawful and was done to escape the humilia- tion of seelng the German fleet held as trophies of war by the allies. Q. What part of the desert land of the United States is now under irri- gation?—C. A. The Department of Agriculture says that less than 2 per cent of the arid and semi-arid land in this coun- try is now irrigated. Q. What will remove cocoa stains and grass stains from summer dress- es—Y. R. B. A. Sprinkle chocolate and cocoa stains with borax and soak in cold water. Rinse with boiling water. Alcohol will remove grass stains. Q. What did cavalry horses cost during the war?—W. E. D. A. The cost of a cavalry horse varies. The average price the War Department paid for horses in the World War was between $150 and $200 each. Q. When was Columbia College established>—T. T. H. A. Columbia College, which was first known as King's College, was established in the middle of the eighteenth century, and save for a few years during the Revolutionary ‘War, it has carried on its work in the City of New York. It was the college of Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Robert R. Livingston, De Witt Clinton, Hamiiton Fish and many other outstanding figures in the his- tory of this nation. Q. How long did_the Reign of Terror in France last>—O. E. L. A. The Reign of Terror was that period of the French Revolution be- ginning with the fall of the Giron- dists in June, 1793, and lasting until the overthrow of Robesplerre, July 27, 1794. During this time the coun- try was under the domination of a faction which carried on wholesale executions regardless of age, sex or position. Q. Did Nathan Haie, the American patriot, succeed in getting the infor- mation he ®wanted concerning the British Army before he was cap- tured?—E. M. H. A. Hale entered the British line at New York dressed as a Dutch school teacher and was returning with val- uable military information when he was captured. On the following morning he was hanged by the Brit- ish. His final words were: ‘I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Q. What service in the Navy is sometimes referred to as the Suicide Club?—P. L. R. A. The Navy Department says that the mine sweeping forces of the United States Navy are known as the Suicide Club. Q. Are pennies legal tender in settle- ment of a debt?’—K. G. F. A. They are legal tender only up to 25 cents. Consequently a creditor cannot be forced to accept more than 25 pen- nies in payment of a debt. Q. What is the total world population of the negro race’—T. D. K. A There are about 100,000,000 ne- groes in the world. Negroes conetitute one-sixteenth of the world’s population. Q. Is the Suez Canal longer than the Panama Canal?—R. D. A. The Suez Canal, which was opened in 1869, is 90 miles long, while the Pan- ama Canal is but 50.5 miles in length. It cost about $100,000,000 to construct the Suez Canal, while the cost of build- ing the Panama Canal was almost four times that amount. Q. What is_the Drago dotrine _in ref- erence to the Monroe doctrine?—H. F. G. A. When Germany, Great Britain and Italy blockaded the ports of Venezuela in 1902.3 in an attempt to make the lat- ter country settle up its debts, Dr. L. F. Drago, a noted jurist of Argentina, maintained that force could not be used by one power to collect money due to its citizens by another ountry. Argentina and other South American republics up- held this doctrine, which has since be- come known as the “Drago doctrine.” Q. Are motor boats forbidden for duck ehooting?—H. F. A _Federal regulations prohibit the use of power boats in taking wild fowl. ‘While it would be unlawfal to hunt wild fowl in a boat equipped with an engine, it is permissible to go to and from duck- ing_ grounds, attend to ducking outfit and pick up dead ducks with such a boat. . What is used to enamel copper wire?—J. Z. A. A Copper wire is taken through a bath of enamel made espectally for wire and baked on. 5 Q. What is meant by the law of pro- tective. coloration in animals?—L. M. A. It relates to the law of nature ‘which gives animals and birds the colors ‘which enable them to hide themselves readily. For instance, some birds are colored about the same as the trunk of a tree. Any reader cam get the answer to v v by writing The Star In I rilege. IN TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL V. COLLINS The recent murder of Maj. Imbrie, American vice consul to Persia, and the serious wounding of his Amer- fcan companion these two were attempting to photograph Moslem worshipers at a holy place in Teheran, the capital of Persia, has been a subject of official regret of that country and due apologies have beon received and acoepted. Two or three *Persian police were also se- riously Injured by the same mob— one fatally—and that is cited as proof that the atuhorities did try to protect the foreigners when they were attacked by the mob. * % k% ‘What had so infuriated the people? The first report was that the two Americans had been mistaken for members of the religious sect called Bahals, which sect is persecuted and anathematized by all good Moslems, but that story is denied by later re- ports. The only explanation given by responsible Persians in Washing- ton is that the Americans had of- fended by attempting to photograph a holy place in the midst of the worship of the faithful including many Persian women. To picture a woman is an insult.” To picture a mosque or any holy place is sac- We in America may grasp some idea of the feelings of the Moslems if in the midst of Liaster services a barbarian were to intrude, carrying some strange apparatus close to the altar and diverting attention from sacred ceremonies. What was the religious, political and mental atmosphere in which the Imbrie tragedy occurred? Mr. H. G. Dwight, a member of our Department of State, has lived in Persia and traveled extensively in the Mohammedon Near East. In his book, Persian Miniatures, he vividly portrays scenes of Persia, similar to conditions under which the mob at- tack of Maj. Imbrie probably took place. The tragedy occurred in the month of Moharren—the month in which Caliph Hosein, son of Ali, the Fourth Caliph, was murdered, thirteen cen- turies ‘ago. In remembrance of the killing of Caliph Hosein that month is observed with tedrs and groans, and with processions of flagellants, wherein the devout march, stripped to their belts so that the whipping they give themselves with metal- tipped whips, and the slashing of breasts and heads with sharp swords, shall not fafl to draw blood. The women stand beside the roads to watch the flagellants, and they lift their voices in wild mournings, while real tears course down their cheeks as the papier-mache image of the late Caliph Hosein is borne by them in the procession, his decapitated head upon one bier and his body upon another. The flagellants and spectators become wildly excited and irresponsible under the intense dem- onstration of their grief. * ¥ ¥ ¥ The Sunnites, or orthodox Moslems, revere the first three successors of Mohammed the Prophet, but the Shiites never refer to these three Caliphs without the expression: “Cursed be their names!" The Persians are Shiites (schismatics), and they worship Moses, Jesus, Mo- hammed and the Fourth Caliph with his direct successors and descendants. According to tradition, the Angel Gabriel instructed Mohammed to let his mantle fall upon Ali, who had married Mohammed's daughter, Fat- ma, and had two_sons, Hasan and Hoseins but Abu Bekr, Mohammed's father-in-law, usurped the caliphate. After Bekr came his two sons, Omar and then Osman, or Othman. These three died violent deaths, and then the “real successor” (according to the Shiites), Ali, the Lion of God, came into his rights as the fourth caliph, but soon was treacherously murdered. Editors Bestow as was his son Hoseln, who, after Hasan, became caliph. Hosein was killed in the interest of Yesed, son of Abu Bekr, and thus was restored the iine of the alleged usurping caliphs; Upon that issue rests the schism of Mohammedanism, and the two sects desplse each other with as much hatred as both show toward Chris- tian unbelievers. * % * ¥ There are many “holy places” throughout Moslem lands. In Teheran there is a holy well, or “fountain,” where it 1s said some miracle was performed in the ages past. It was there that the American tragedy oc- curred, when Maj. Imbre undertook to photograph the women and men at worship. The Shiites are not quite so strict concerning the making of pictures of human beings or of mosques and holy places as are the Sunnites. This may be demonstrated by noting in Persian rugs crude weavings of images of men, which are never found in Turk- ish ‘or Arabian rugs. Unbelievers, duly sandaled, are admitted into Per- sian, but never into Turkish, mosques, But there is no laxness amongst either Shiite or Sunnite Moslems as to photographing women. * K k% Persia has been struggling against great national obstacles for many years. The population is estimated at about 13,000,000, largely cut up into nomadic tribes. The country has tew modern improvements—no good roads, no railroads, telephones, eleec- tric lights or plumbing. In recent years an effort has been made to establish some public schools, but illiteracy is the rule, not the excep- tion. Twenty years ago the Shah was obliged by the people to proclaim adherence to a constitutional, instead of an absolute, monarchy, and, sincé& then the country has been governed by a premier and responsible minis- try elected by a parliament. Graft in taxes and customs duties and in public expenditures has been So rampant that national bankruptcy has been almost chronic, in spite of the efforts of the ministry and parliament to-correct the looting and reorganize the finances. In 1911 the government appealed to neutral America to send an expert to straighten out its. finances, and President Taft sent a commission, headed by W. Morgan Shuster. These experts became Persian officials, Mr. Shuster becoming treasurer general, with ~ absolute power, paramount above that of the minister of finance, to reorganize taxes and tariffs and control all disbursements. Mr. Shuster's work was brilliantly successful, and in less than one year he had so eliminated graft and col- lected taxes that he converted a de- ficit into a surplus, in spite of an unsuccessful {nvasion by the ex-Shah, brother of the reigning Shah. But then Russia and Great Britain inter- vened and Mr. Shuster was compelled to resign. These two countries are charged with seeking their own in- terests and, by mutual agreement, undertaking to establish two “zones of influence,” contrary to the inter- ests of the National party or the Monarchists of independent Persia. Two years ago Persia again ap- pealed "to America for ‘ulp rn straightening out her finances. Dr. A. C. Millspaugh of our State Depart- ment, with a staff of specialists, was sent ‘and still exercises even fuller power over finances than had been accorded Mr. Shuster. A movement to overthrow the mon- archy and form a republic, with Prime Minister Reza Khan as Presi- dent, was announced early this year, but "abandoned last March on the ground that the masses of the people were not yet competent for self- government in a republic. The Shah stays among the gayeties of Europe and the government {s left in the hands of Reza Khan and Parliament, much harassed by foreign intrigue. (Copyright, i Great Praise On Finnish Olympic Athletes It was no surprise to Amerfcan editors wheh their countrymen car- ried off the honors in the Olympic track and fleld contests*for the eighth successive time. But the remarkable accomplishment of the Finnish ath- letes, who won 10 to America's 12 first places was unexpected and call- ed forth the warmest expressions of admiration for little Finland as the real hero of the 1924 Olympics. “The hats of their countrymen are off to the American premier ath- letes,” says the Minneapolis Tribune, “but it is good to think that these same hats are,off to the plucky con- tenders from Finland, runners up in the general competition,” for, ‘re- markable as were the performances of those whio represented the United States, the feat of two or three Finlanders were evgn more notable.” Nothing hitherto 1in_international sport, the New York Herald-Tribune declares, “has been so spectacular as the achievement of the Olympic Finns.” Great athletes would be ex- pected from America, the Chicago Tribune feels, but “the success of the smaller countries is more remarkable and that of the Finns, particularly in the long runs, is conspicuous. It is consistent. It is not a flash at one| meeting. but can be depended upon, evidently ~emerging from national characteristics.” It would be hard to say, continues the St. Louis Post- Dispatch, ‘“whether the American Olympic team gains more glory by winning or the Finns by losing in the track and fleld competition of Colombe: for, “Finland’s moral vic- tory in achieving second place is in a way more impressive,” certainly “there is a sturdiness in this little nation’s sons which the overcivilized may well envy.” * ko % “With all the praise given the Americans that is their due, the moral victory must be accorded Finland's competitors,” agrees the Indianapolis News, which holds “the country that is hardly more than a speck on the map of Europe is a rival to be ad- mired and respected when it comes to physical endurance, an indication of other admirable qualities in fts people.” When one thinks of “Great Britain being represented in the Olympic finals with the figure, 35%. and sees that the Finns had nearly twice as many points” the Sioux City Jourral remarks, “one may readily believe that the Finns are remarkable people.” America has maintained her general supremacy in the Olympic games, according to the New York Evening World, outstanding heroes of the are the hardy sons of littl Compared with all other n: sons of the flelds and forests were as giants to weaklings. Compare Amer- ica with Finland in population, and then compare the records in these games, and who shall say that ours has been the triumph?" The Milwaukee Journal is “pleased and proud that our athletes have Rept our record unblemished, but in our rejoicing we must fnun to_ex- press our admiration for little Finland h—l::lr en gave 8s a clean, hard 2 Of nlvdlvuuul rpl:. g. .‘:"" chester Union pein ou o inns “have the hardest struggle with ex- istence, the coldest cli the poor- o e S s Ys e long yet “there has resulted this remark- N2 : _athletes and for intellectually they rank among the best in Europe.” ... The Brooklyn Fagte explains that the farm lads, from whom the run- ners are largely recruited, do not know the meaning of ‘high living’ they learn to run because it is the natural means of locomotion in a country where towns are few and far between and where transportation facilities are rudimentary.” The Buffalo News, however, believes ‘“if one looks for the secret of Finland's strong showing in athletics one will find it in the schools of the country; in them is somewhat of the spirit of ancient Greece; every school is a gymnasium for ‘the young,” and, “the wonderful performances of Nurmi, Ritola, Sfenroos and Kolehmainen in- dicate that thers is far more to the system of the Finns than the - ing of & drill.” peRng EE It seems to the Omaha World- Herald that “the United States, if it is to maintain Olympie supremacy, had better begin to import a few of these blond young super athletes of the North right away.” Another poiat the Des Moines Register notes is that “the Olympic games rurnish addi- tionaf evidence of the value of peace- time training,” because “our Ameri- can representatives won_ the games with as many points as Finland and England both scored, and none of these three leading aations can be called at all militarisuc. The Baltimore Sun reminds us that even “nations like Chile, Esthonia, Japan and Argentina, never before considered as Olympic competitors, all gained points in this epoch meet, and gained them at the expense of ormer world records” and adds, “Never has there been a finer and more splendidly contested athletic carnival; never an international gath- ering which roused more real inter- est and contributed more to interna- tional understanding — the Olympics have more than proved their worth.” ‘Wants Merrimac’s Ram In National Museum To the Editor of The Star: The cast-iron ram or prow of the Confederate iron clad Virginia (Mer- rimac) is now lying In front of an iron foundry in Baltimore Md., at the Jones Hollow Ware Co. 1,000 block, Ashland avenue. It could be destroyed by careless workmen it thrown into one of the foundry furnaces. Its authenticity is vouched for and it undoubtedly is the original Mer- rimac ram, having been positively identified by Mr. H A. Ramsey who was chief engineer of the Merrimac. There is absolutely no local inter- est in the preservation of this Civil ‘War Confederate relic as it ia in no way assoclated with timore City or State of Maryland history. After careful considerati: matter the canclusion reached that this ram is in every sense a national relic and logically should be in the possession of the United States Government and placed on public exhibition at the National Museurn where it could be seen by ple from every part of the world. 'or every person who would look at this Merrimac relic in Baltimore at least 10,000 visitors to Washington could see {t. It prodably co be obtained as a national relic trom the Ppresent owners without cost and aa it before it is irre- Politics at Large BY N, 0. NESSENGER For a new party, just a-borning in fact, the La Fbllette party is cer- tainly getting its stride in a hurry. And it is full of pep, too. “Fighting Bob” i living up to his reputation and is running true to form as a scrapper, if he earries out b gram as outlined. Me is not going to allow any grass to grow under his feet, and his war cry to his follow- ers is “Up and at 'em, lad His first campaigning, it is an- will be in_the East, “the enemy’s country. ‘That will exhibit liticians say, and is full of that same. e thought that he would “warm up” first by & campaign in the West, where he is assured of a rous- ing welcome, but he does not need any such stimulant. He will warm up as he goes along, his followers say. * % k% His foray into the East will be watched with great interest by poli- ticians of all sorts and kinds. There is at present a disposition in that section to minimize, if not disparage, the La Follette movement, after the fashion of those who think that the Hudson River is the western border of all that is worth while of the United States. “The East is due for an awaken- ing,” say the La Follette managers, who predict that Senator La Fol- lette's campaign among the indus- trialists will surprise the old-line Democrats and the Republicans. * % % % If the prediction is verified it might have a benemnclal effect upon both the old parties by arousing them to their peril in time to take meas- ures to check the rising tide of La Folletteism. A whirlwind campaign in August would be easier to deal with than a whirlwind campaign in October. * X ¥ % One consideration which is causing concern to the managers in the two old parties is the support being ex- tended to Senator La Follette by the rallway men. Railway employes are recognised as among the most intel- ligent of union labor’s forces. They do mot_include many socialists and certainly no communists or anar- chists. They measure up to average American citizenship in every way. ‘Thelr support, it is held, is calcu- lated to attract other elements of labor to the La Follette ticket. * % ¥ % Referring to the Cleveland conven- tion which nominated Senator La Follette, L. White Busbey, the vet- eran newspaper correspondent, recalls that the first insurgent attempt to split the Republican party was for- mulated by a convention held in Cle- veland. Harking back an the trail of politics, Mr. Busbey said: “That was sixty years ago and its purpose was to prevent the re-elec- tion of Abraham Lincoln. In the early summer of 1864 the radicals in Mis- souri who had quarreled with Lin- coln, started the insurgent movement. They were joined by the radical abo- litionists of the East in calling an independent convention to meet at Cleveland, May 31, 1864, to organize an independent party and nominate Gen. John C. Fremont for President. * % k% “The call in the West was signed by Grats Brown of Missouri, who was a constitutional insurgent and in 1872 was nominated for Vice Presi- dent on the Liberal ticket headed by Horace Greeley. In the East the prin- cipal heading the call was Gen. John C. Cochran of New York. While Brown was one of the organisers of the movement, he failed to attend the convention, as did Wendall Phillips. the stormy petrel of abolition, who sent a letter viciously attacking the President. A good many men and ‘women who either thought the Presi- dent was going too fast or too slow in putting down the rebellion, wrote letters commending the movement. * k% ¥ “In numbers and distinguished names the convention was a failure, but it was a success in the loud lam- entations and virile criticism of President Lincoln. There were about four hundred in attendance, and not a doszen men whose names carried any weight. The two wings of the insurgents were as far apart as to Ppolicies as either was in disagreement with the President. * X k% “When a report of the convention was given to Lincoln by his secretary, the late John Hay, with the remark that there were only 400 present, President Lincoln reached for the Bible on his desk and turning to the First Book of Samuel, read: ‘And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented gathered themselvs unto.him; and he became a captain over them; and there were with him about 400 men.’ “That first_Insurgent convention re- ported by Samuel, was held in the cave of Adullam where David had taken refuge from King Saul, and Lincoln recalled it when John Hay told him about the convention of in- surgents at Cleveland to set forth a movement to prevent His re-election.” * ok kX Chairman William M. Butler of the Republican National Committee has recently outlined the general policy of the committee in the coming cam- paign. It is not to be a sectional campaign, he says, but nation wide in its scope and purpose. The commit- tee will not overstress issues in one section and soft-pedal other issues in_ another gection. The issues ap- plicable to the best interests of the whole country, from the Republican viewpoint will be explained patiently and persistently to the voters. There will not be much encourage- ment to the demagogue in this plan of campaigning. * ok k ok ‘With Calvin Coolidge and John W. Davis as the candidates of the two major parties, this is to be‘a closed season for mudslinging. * x * % The new chairman of the Demo- cratic National Committee, Clement S. Shaver, is described by a man who knows him well, a8 a man “whose distinguishing attribute is the pos- session of unusually good hard com- nse in unusually large propor- * K X K This is going to be & mighty hard campaign for the political “wise guys, soothsayers and prophets” to make good on, the newspaper com- mentators are saying to one another. The campaign will require the closest kind of finetooth combing of the, country from coast to coast and the resort to every possible source of in- formation to get the drift of senti- ment among- the voters forecasting the possible outcome. * ¥ % ¥ The difficulties will be enhanced by complications likely to arise in cer- tain States over the National and State tickets, which will set in mo- tion bafing cross currents of poli- ties. This will be particularly true in New York and Indiana, two pivotal states. The Klan and the religious issue are likely to cut a figure in the presidentiai.and State situation. As this will be “underground” it will be dificglt for observers to “get a THIS AND THAT BY C. E. TRACEWELL. “A life on the ocean wave! A home on the rolling deep. Where the scattered waters rave And the winds their revels keep' Like an eagle caged I pine On this dull unchanging shore Oh. glve me the flashing brine, The spray and the tempest's roar:” Lacking the ocean’s wave, the spras and the tempest’s roar, the city dwel- ler must be content with sprinkling the lawn. It might seem a great come down from rolling deep and flashing brine to coiling rubber hose and misty Spray, yet the main thing of both is the same. Water. Whether one gets it where the scat- tered waters roar, or merely where fhey rush out of firty feet of gar- . the myster: is much the same. BRI chinem Those caged eagles who pine for more boisterous scenes may be con- tent for a while, yet, with the hum- ble back yard task of watering the grass in the evening, during the hours kindly set aside for the task by_the benevolent government. ‘Watering the yard, if entered into In the right spirit, is not a task at It may become, looked at rightly, Something of a rite, wherein the high priest who presides at the noz- zle communes with the heart of nature, or, to steal Harry Leon Wil- son’s stuff, “the great outdoors, where men’ are men. The sprinkler, rightly oriented to his task, becomes one with all wis- dom and water, sees the sea in the mist that floats over his yard, senses the mystery of great spaces of water in little, and comes about as near communing with the infinite as any one can. Does this seem a great deal be doing merely while sprinkli yard? Why, back of any one Eoing about a dreary task 3 thoughts that eventually will aston- ish the world. And if not that, th thoughts that lift a mere drudger not only to a pleasent diver but to greater things. * ¥ ok x Surely your government watchm sitting in the halls of our great public bulldings day after day, must have dreams he never tells to the world. He does not sit there like an in- sensible clod, from 9 o'clock in the morning to 4:30 in the afternoon merely cooling his heels through th hours, waiting for the time to g home. No cynic can convince any sane man that he so sits. No, his must be a superior wisdom. Surely he sits there brooding over the woes of the world, and some day will produce a poem that will make men sit up and take notice, if not read it. o So stands your true sprinkler his back yard. The base, mechanical detail of con- necting the hose to the faucet has beén attended to, the tightening of the washers looked after; all is in readiness for the real job of water- ing_the lawn and fowers The true sprinkler both stands and sits at his work. Your ordinary waterer only stands. He makes a pure task out of it The connoisseur stands to the job at first, too, but when he begins to tire—he sits down. Nothing could be simpler. He just sits down on the steps, and proceeds as before. * k% x The detail of taking his weight off his feet relieves his brain, releasing it for flights into the ether. After all radio waves are not more marvelous than thought waves. “Thought is deeper than all speech Feeling deeper than all thought; Souls to souls can never teach ‘What unto themselves was taught While the sprinkler is lulled by the rhythmic swish of the water, as he shoots it over sweet peas, nasiur- tiums, phlox, roses, zinnias, there comes before him the vision of the sea, the booming roar of the surf, the scudding white clouds in the bluc Elue sky, the salt tang of the wind. * ¥ % % Far on the horizon stands a sail, just where the sky and ocean meet Near in lies a steamer, a trail of black smoke arising. How the wind beats down the beach, rolling the narrow iron hoops of the children along the boardw without any assistance from their hands, except a deft touch of the stick now and then to keep them on the boards. Faster and faster spin the hoops, until boys are left behind. The circles run on their wav, getting nearer and nearer the edge, until suddenly they dive off the walk and plunge down into the sand Yellow fiddler-crabs scurry across the sand, beating it sideways to their holes, their pop-eyes standing up on stalks, as they survey the world on all side at once. Great waves, curling green, pound into the shore, breaking with a roar of froth, to scatter out into a foam- flecked carpet, which rushes high upon the beach, then recedes, leaving a fleck of seaweed and shells along its edge to mark its prosress until it shall do better next time. The feel of the sand on bare feet. the sharp, pleasant Blowing of the cool air, the pleasant odors from the brine, the sense of being alone in a great world all one's own—all this, and much more, comes back to the sprinkler. n * ok ok ¥ Let no onme, then, confined to his city task of sprinkling the back yard, bemoan his fate. My dreams take me back to the seashore, yours may transport you to the “ol' swimmin’ hole,” or a great river where the canges float yet. Wherever water is, there man finds his sport and his dreams, An ocean compressed becomes a Sea, and & Sea a lake, and a lake a river, and a river a brook, and the brook—a Stream of water out of a hose! Parley on Superpower and cov Has Big Potentialities International conferences or con- gresses of men of science, of indus- trial leaders and of representatives of the liberal professions having long been a feature of modern civili- zation, it is the more surprising that the power conference now in session at Wembley, England, is the first of its kind. It was called, however, to a * specifically with superpowe w‘h‘llch may be looked upon as a mew phenomenon having great potentiali- ties. Engineers of national and interna- tionai reputation are taking part in the conference to exchange notes and discuss the various novel and impor- tant questlons presented by super- power. The paper sent by Secretary Hoover of the American Department of Commerce, who is also an en- gineer and organizer of high repu- tation, indicates some of those prob- lems. Superpower, Mr. Hoover points out, means chiefly the interconnection of isolated power plants in the interest of economy- and conservation. At present American plants, for exam- le, are operated, on the average, at gd per cent of capacity. Intercon- nection would raise the proportion to 50 per cent, in Mr. Hoover's opinion. Superpower means also bet- ter utilisation of the water power of rivers and of the secondary power of floods, now all but wasted and often destructive. Again, superpower tends to decentralize Industry, and thus contributes to the .solution of certain difficult problems, such as urban con- gestion and excessive costs of distri- bution. Indeed, in_the opinion of ny sociologists abreast of applied sclence, superpower is bound to re sult in a beneficent social revolutiod in the sense of restoring comfort and beauty in regions naw ugly, crowded d - with~ soot.—Chicage