Evening Star Newspaper, August 17, 1924, Page 30

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SUNDAY........August 17, 1924 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company ‘Business Office, 11th St. id Pennsylvania Ave. N York O 1 Eaxt 42nd Chicago Office: Tower Huilding. European Oftice: 18 Regent St.,London, England. The Evening Star. with the Sunday morning edition, in delivered by carriers within the city af 8 cents per month: daily only, 45 cents per month: Sunday onis month.” Orders may be sent by mail or Thone Main 5000 ection i made by ¢ riers at the end of each month 5 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. and Sunda, mo,, 70c . mo., 50¢c Sunday only . 2.40; 1 mo., 20c All Other States. Daily and Sunday.1 y! Daily only Sunday only Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press ix exclusively entitled o the ‘use for republication of all news dis- patches credited to it or not otherwise credited in thix paper and also the local news pub- lished ‘herein. ~All rights of publication of pecial dispatches herein are aiso reserved. A Law Unto Himself. In a symposium recently conducted by the New York Independent on the subject of prohibition and enforce- ment one respondent to the inquiry boldly claimed that he buys prohibited liquors, and that in many cases his Ppurchases have beeri from bootleggers, Wwhom he regards as honest tradesmen and an cconomic necessity. He says that he is not stupid enough to think all laws of equal obligation, and he Lreaks mere police regulations when he chooses, accepting punishment without complaint if he gets caught at it. This respondent is described in the report as a counselor-at-law. He makes 4 strange confession in his answer for one who is sworn as an officer of the court to sustain the Constitution of the United States and to uphold the laws of the land. view of the statutes may be forgiven on the part of a private individual on the ground of ignorance of the ttue meaning of law, but in the rep- resentative of the law itself such a position is indeed extraordinary. This man avers that it is stupid to think that all laws are of equal obli- gation. He would doubtless not be stupid enough to condone the act of a burglar who enters his house and steals his plate and jewelry, his cash and valued souvenirs. He would probably not be stupid enough to fo give the housebreaker who kills a member.of his family in making such an entry. He would not stupidly grant remission to a business associate who stole his profits. The laws forbidding burglary, murder and embezzlement are, from his point of view, good laws and should be enforced to the limit and all violators of them punished fully. 1f it is stupid to regard all laws of equal obligation, then one wonders how civilization has managed to de- velop on the basis of law. If the law- abiding citizen who does not differen- tiate for the sake of his own comfort and taste and appetite, but regards all statutes as equally binding is stu- pid, then, indeed, is society sadly de- ficient in mind and reasoning. You are a fool!” cries the one who picks the laws he chooses to observe to the man who considers law as ab- solute and not relative. “You are stu- pid in that you resign your own per- sonal judgment to the judgment of legislators, statute makers and voters who adopt amendments. Be an indi- vidual, be your own judge of what is law and what is not law. Be a man and cut loose from the courts and from law enforcement: This is the expression, in effect, of one who is rated as counselor-atlaw, one who, as stated already, is a sworn officer of the court. It is a most extraordinary attitude. If it reflects the average point of view of Ameri- can cltizens, then indeed is the ground here in America fallow for the seeds of communism and anarchism which have sprouted into such a malevolent growth lately in Russia. —————— An atrocious crime arouses violent public indignation. It is impossible for emotion to remain long at white heat with reference to one topic. In- itably another atrocious crime ar- rives to command popular attention, and perspicacious lawyers thoroughly understand the advantage to be gained from this fact. There is more psychol- ogy in the conduct of a trial than the alienists have time to point out. ——— When William Gibbs McAdoo re- turns to America in September he will find conditions so changed that he may easily feel able to disregard the events of early Summer and develop mew enthusiasm. —_———— The unkind things William Jennings Bryan has said about Wall street never went so far as to imply belief that the old thoroughfare was beyond hope of reform. s Raules to Be Enforced. The suggestion made the other day by The Star for a concentrated en- forcement of the rule against continu- ous parking in the congested district has been favorably considered by the Commissioners, and orders will be shortly issued to that effect. The proposition is to concentrate the available force of policemen upon a ‘block or two at a time without notice, of course, as to the areas chosen for this attention. By this means it is believed in a short time motorists who have fallen into the habit of parking their cars downtown all day in the hope of escaping police attention will be made to realize that the rule is in cffect. They will then probably seek other parking ‘spaces for their ma- chines if they persist in bringing them downtown to remain during the work- ing hours, or will make other arrange- ments for their transport to and from work. Fear has been expressed lest en- forcement of the rule against all-day parking may drive motorists to leave their machines elsewhere than in the congested district, which is bounded by B, K, Seventh and Seventeenth streets. This would, in effect, create, A sliding-scale | another congested district, and would militate against the convenience and parking rights of residents. Let that condition develop as it may, the point of Immediate importance is to demon- strate that the rule against all-day parking is operative, that it means something, and that it must be obeyed. If as a result of the clearance of the congested area all-day parking is per- sisted in to the inconvenience of householders and the congestion of other streets, it may be necessary to extend the ‘“congested area” within which all-day parking is not permitted. The purpose of the Commissioners in ‘their handling of this problem should be to discourage the use of the streets of this city for garage pur- poses day and night. The principle should be established that the streets are not the proper place for the keep- {ing of motors that are not in active use for the transaction of business. They are certainly not the proper place for the keeping of cars at night in lieu of garages. The streets of this city, as all othgr cities, are for the movement of traffic, not for storage. They are for the transaction of business, not for the money-saving parking of private cars that should be housed somewhere off the streets. That is the only proper basis for the regulation of parking. It must be assumed that those who are taken in the net of the police for keeping their cars on the streets over- time will be given penalties sufficient to make them realize the vitality and meaning of the rule. Only thereby will the all-day parking habit be cured. Reparations Assured. Definite agreement has been reached between the French and Germans ugon the date for the ultimate with- drawal of troops now in the Ruhr. By the 15th of August, 1925, all troops will be removed from the regions not covered by the treaty of Versailles. This is the period that was demanded by the French and resisted by the Ger- mans in the preliminary negotiations. Thus the German delegates at London have yielded on the point that at one time seemed to threaten failure of the reparation conference. Thus it looks as though the repara- tions plan would be definitely adopted and put into effect with little delay. There have been times when the con- ference seemed on the verge of failure. But each crisis has been passed suc- cessfully, and now there is ground for Delief that this most difficult of the post-war problems has been solved. In their bearing at London the Ger- man delegates, it is reported. made a most favorable impression. Chancellor Merx was conciliatory, pacific and reasonable. Had he and his associates gone to the meeting in a different spirit the conference might have tailed. Of course, it has been to Ger- many’s interest to secure this settle- ment as speedily as possible. In ac- cepting the plan the German dele- gates have worked for their own wel- fare rather than for the solution of the problems of the allied govern- ments. Germany has, in short, as much to gain from this adjustment as her former enemies. Now will come the question of par- liamentary approvals in France and in Germany. Some opposition is to be expected. It may become obstinate. It may menace the stability of the Paris. when the final test comes both the Reichstag and the French Chambers will put their marks of approval upon the agreement, which is the best that can be conceived, and which gives as- surance of a final settlement of ques- tions that retard the rehabilitation of both countries. i e —. {Loud Speakers and Circuit Riders. Off the coast of Sweden lies a little | island named Utoe. It is hard to reach because of rough seas and swift tides. In Winter time it sometimes is isolated for weeks by the ice floes. Its people are of a religious bent, but are too '®oor to maintain a pastor of their own, so they depend for ‘‘supply” from the mainland. Owing to the dif- ficulties of transit they often must go for weeks at a time without spiritual direction. Now, however, the radio has come to their rescue. A loud speaker has been set up in the little church, and they are getting their sermons broadcast from Stockholm. They are assured of a regular con- tinuous service. This is not a novelty in America, church services having been broad- cast for some time here. But so far as known this is the first instance of a loud speaker actually “occupying the pulpit” in a church edifice. One thinks of the old-time circuit rider making his way by stage coach, or in most places on horseback, fromr vil- lage to village over wide stretches of country. It was hard then to cover the field. Congregations waited for weeks in some places for the coming of the preacher. When he arrived it was an event of moment. Even now the circuit rider reaches his flocks on horseback, for they live in regions of no roads. Trails are the only way of access to them. Perhaps the radio will eventually replace these patient min- isters of the gospel, who are devoting their lives to a service of the highest merit in difficulties that are the surest test of sincerity. ———————— An improvement in conditions must be conceded when it is noted that no- body is now ‘picketing” the White House or heckling a public speaker. Automobile Mashers. The chief of the woman's bureau of the Police Department tells of con- ditions in the streets that require treatment by the police. Her story is direct and there is no doubt that it is accurate. It shows that a ‘woman, attending to her own business and not inviting attention from old fools, or young fools, is not only not safe from insult on the streets, but is subjected to repeated insult. The automobile masher is the chief of- fender. This type of creature seems to be about the smallest insect wear- ing coat and trousers. A police judge, given proof of the guilt of these fel- lows, would do the city a good turn by sending them to Occoquan, which is & pleasant name for the work- farm, which is the softer name for the workhouse. - The evidence is that a woman not [ present governments at Berlin and |- But it is to be believed that [} THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, AUGUST 17, 1924—PART inviting male consideration will be honked at, leered at, commented on offensively, invited to ride, and so forth, by loafers in machines. It is shown that these shrimpe often-draw close to the curb, follow @ woman they would favor with their addresses, and if interrupted by some fellow with red cells in his blood, will*step on the gas and fiee. It may not be easy to deal with these mashers. A woman shrinks from: making such a charge and the insect of this species would tell the cqurt that it was the woman’s fault, whereupon other insects of the species would leer and grin, and the Judge might dismiss the case. The Police Department ought to make it possible for the long arm of the law to get a strangle-hold on these gentry, and when the automo- bile masher is “landed” he should spend a more or less joyous vacation building a road, wheeling brick or taking part in one of the numerous diversions on the workfarm. We Have always had something of a masher evil in Washington. ‘But the old masher who stood on the street cor- ner when the shops and offices: were letting out, or who stood at Seventh and the Avenue on Saturday night, was not as vicious as his successor who uses an automobile. ————————— Silver Dollars. With a tremendous store of silver dollars in its vaults the Treasury De- partment is now endeavoring to re- lieve. itself of some of the congestion, and has taken steps to put these “‘cart wheels” into circulation. On Friday the pay envelope of each of 5,000 em- ployes of that department contained one of these money tokens. If this can be done with other Government de- partments in a few months the silver dollars will be circulating in Wash- ington, at least, with a freedom that has not been known for many years. It is estimated htat there are now about 509,000,000 of these silver dol- lars in the Treasury, 439,000,000 of which must, under the law, be held there against silver certificates and notes now outstanding, so there are in theory approximately 70,000,000 of these money pieces that may be dis- pensed with, though the Treasury of- ficials believe that only about 30,000,- 000 could be safely put out for general distribution. The public in this city and other cities of the East has come to prefer paper money to silver coins, as being more convenlently handled. In some parts of the country, however, “hard money" is favored. It will be interest- ing to note whether Washington will absorb a large number of these silver pieces in its general circulation. Should the prejudice against them be too strong they may find their way back to the Treasury in a short time through the banks. Persistence by the Treasury Department, however, es- pecially if the scope of the distribu- tion is widened to include other de- partments, is likely to overcome the prejudice and to cause the retention in circulation of a good many thousand silver dollars. ————————— Possibly Trotsky can convince his public that sovietism is a good thing in so far as it dispenses with a royal figurehead and permits the people to deal directly with the political boss. 5 ———————— Perhaps it is wise on the part of Henry Ford to rest his claim to the laurels of statesmanship on his well in- dorsed declaration that Calvin Cool- idge is a safe man. —_———— It is customarily dangerous for a man to be regarded as bigger than his party, but this is a chance that Rob- ert La Follette will have to take. B — The fact that a pugilist is too old to g0 into the ring does not always pre- | vent him from looking around for some one that he ¢an manhandle. ——————— Stories of extravagance in Berlin may be due to a desire on the part of citizens to spend their money while it is still good. —_——— There is a tendency among the fore- casters to agree that the next presi- dential election will not be any land- slide. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSO! Return, When evening shades begin to fall The herds that slowly graze Give heed to habit's subtle call And homeward turn their ways. So weary men when years have passed And twilight greets the view ‘Will seek to find a scene at last Like that which boyhood knew. Sharing the Glory. “You frequently mention George Washington in your speeches.” ““Oh, yes,” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “An orator has to mention those old-timers once in a while to show he is not trying to take all the credit for saving the republic to himself.” Jud Tunkins says e golf club looks to him like a sort of union to resulate the conditions of a day’s play. A La Mode, For France again we all avow ‘An imitative passion, And even a divorce must now Be in the Paris fashion. Extremes. “What do you regard as the most important thing for & motorist to learn?” ““To avoid extremes,” answered Mr. Chuggins. “If you go too fast you get arrested for speeding, and if you stop you're taken up for violating the park- ing regulations. Feminine Fancy. The man who has a gentle heart, 1In vain is all his wooing. The ladies bid him stand apart Ang naught for him is doing. But some rough party without brains, Unfit for earth or heaven, ‘Who from all courtesy refrains Can marry six or seven. “Some o' de hotels where I has wait- ed,” said Uncle Eben, “showed sense in havin' music at dinner so's to help de gues's minds off'n de food” LY Use of the Term “Progressive” Has Become Almost Meaningless BY THOMAS R. MARSHALL, Former Vice Prealdent of the United States. The man seeking public office today Who denies being a “progressive” stands no more chance of being at ease in Zion than & man with a cleft palate at an ice cream festival. The term “progres- sive” has superseded Union, the flag, the Constitution, as an American shib- boleth. I have no doubt that each man who proclaims himself a ‘“progressive" honestly believes himself to be one, for, like Brutus and his assassins, all are honorable men, but as there is no defini- tion in the political dictionary for the word “progressive” any man has a right to define the word for himself, and natu- rally enough every man is progressive according to his own definition. But I doubt 1f the word “progressive” means anything new to the public or the same thing to any two persons, and I ques- tion whether many who call themselves “progressives” are really proposing any- thing that has not hitherto been tried in government. If the word “progressive” means sim- ply to change something that is into something else or to reapply principles of doubtful value or to readopt ideas that have been tried out before in the hope that that which once has failed may yet prove a auccess, that is some. thing in ftself. But If it means the dis- covery of something new in the last dozen years, then the term ‘‘progres- sive" is not being accurately used by its protagonists. * ¥ X ¥ Unless the railroads and the coal mines will make a price reduction of 25 or 30 per cent, then the only relief open to us, we are told, is Government ownership and opera- tion of the carrlers and mines. But Government ownership is not a new thing nor a progressive thing in economic history. We have govern- ment ownership aplenty in Europe. I have seen it work there. 1 paid higher fares and got poorer service in Europe than anywhere in America. And I was far more inconvenienced by a strike on a government-owned ailroad than ever I was on a pri- vately owned carrier. The kind of progress that government ownership represents does not promise apything new; it simply means an experiment to ascertain whether America can succeed where Europe has failed. 1 assume there is no thought of taking over the railroads and mines without paying for them, and I as- sume furtner that it would get no- where to take over the mines without taking over all coal deposits as well This would be expensive. We would have to issue bonds for the purchase price. One thing to be remembered is that if the mines were taken over and paid for the interest on the bonds would require a fixed charge of $2 on every ton of coal consumed in America’ I doubt whether the Amer- fcan people desire this kind of pro- gressivism. O Approaching the question from its other side, we are not going to ‘“‘progress” this way if the rallroads and mines will reduce charges to the public. But that is not new, either. A Roman emperor fixed prices nearly 2,000 years ago. The British Parlia- ment for seven years after the black death fixed the maximum prices for labo?, and in its efforts got nowhere. To fix the price of one thing involves the necessity of fixing the prices of all things. Many of us would be pleased by a 25 or 30 per cent cut in railroad rates and the price of coal, but we would not wish price- cutting to stop there. Why should we not serve notice on doctors and surgeons that if they don't knock off 25 per cent of their fees we shall take them over and control them? Why not notity bricklayers, carpen- ters, plasterers we are going to take them over if they do not reduce their scales? Why not give the bakers to understand that unless the price of bread comes down one- fourth the Government will start a bakery? Why not, in view of the mad craze foi bobbed hair, demand of barbers that they cut the price of hair cuts, under penalty of being put out of business by a Government beauty parlor, established for the benefit of American women? Oh, it may be progress to threaten Govern- ment ownership and Government con- trol as an attempt to reduce prices, but it is not new. It is as old as the hills. And it has always failed and ewer will fall, * % It has not been mary years since political speakers in addressing the “gum boot districts” of Indiana in- variably referred to the opposition as the “silk stocking crowd.” But the assaults on silk stockings and thelr wearers accomplished nothing. If the politicians had assaulted the ‘gum boot brigade,” time would have vinditated them for with goog foads and improved drainage gum boots have ulmost disappeared while silk stockings are to be found on all feet except those of a few persons rich enough to laugh in the face of style and dare to wear the cotton stocking our grandmothers wore. So long as ambition to get along ir the world exists and desire to get more of the things that the world calls luxuries continues, just that long will it be idle and foolish to assault lux- uries and those who crave them. If we are really going to be pro gressive, 1 would suggest thas change our method of attack. Let quit jumping on men and on wesith. Let’s begin our reform not with Gov- ernment ownership nor with Govern- ment price-fixing, but by Government abolition of the things that are not essential to the life of the republic. Let's abolish the sleeping car. Men may believe that they must get some place in a hurry and travel in comfort, hut business was successfully con- ducted before Pullman cars were heard of. Let's abolish all sorts of automobiles, particularly the expen- sive sorts. ' A standardized inexpen- sive car will get any one anywhere. Let's abolish the telephone. We have the United States mails, which may be slower, but just ‘as sure. Let's go through the “entire list of luxuries and abolish everything that is not a necessity or a decency. Let's build no more good roads, abandon our parks, convert our art galleries into something useful and close our places of amusement. * % % % We could get down to a paying basis easy enough if that was the idea. But that is not our desire. We know that would not be a wise thing for us to do. We cannot look the past * the grievous inequalities of Ameri can life, that the present average of living is not higher and not constant- 1y being raised. It is going up all the time because of a free play of oppor- tunity which every citizen enjoys to make and to do without_interference by his Government. We are com- paratively free of the threat that if, we do not do the Government's way’ it_will put us out of business. The real “progressive” from my viewpoint is the man who would move forward to the point of the least gov good, who insists that the honest man shall'be allowed to make all the money he can and that dishonest men be confined in our penitentiaries. We have had a rather successful and sat- isfactory career as a people. Things are not all right, of course. never have been and probably never will be, But more and more we are advancing and approaching a clearer sense of our responsibliities, one to another. Let us not re-experiment upon ex- failures lest “like the base Indian we throw away a pearl, richer than all hix tribe.” (Copsright, 1924, by 2Ist Century Press.) TESTING AUTOMOBILE BRAKES BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN If automobile fans of the 90s could have looked forward to a scene which occurred on the grounds of the Wash- ington Monument recent!y ther would have been surprised. They would have geen a Government expert spending two entire afternoons testing the brakes of automoblles. We can imagine the drivers of 1898 speed wagons aying to one an- other, “To think of having to be care- ful about stopping an automobile! Why an automobile can always be counted on :: stop even when it ought to keep go- ‘This is by way of saying that brakes may not have been a vital organ of early motor cars, but as high-powered engines have become more common, and as traffic has become more and more congested, brakes have increased in im- portance. Whether on a city street or on a broad highway the motorist never knows when he may need to etop his car quickly within a short space. _ There are no conclusive _statistics showing to what extent defective brakes are responsible for accidents. Some writers have gone so far as to express the opinfon that the majority of traffic accidents could be traced to brake diffi- culties. This statement may or may not be an exaggeration. There are definite statistics, however, on the condition of brakes in cars that are in constant use, and the figures ehow that few cars have brakes in ex- cellent or even good condition. Last week the Bureau of Standards offered to test the brakes of any car that was brought to the Washington Monument grounds on two afternoons. The announcement brought 180 auto- mobiles, including Gen. Pershing's car and that of a Traffic Court judge. H. H. Allen, mechanical engineer of the Bureau of Standards, was the tester who officlated, and he had for equipment only a decelerometer. This instrument with the long name is small and portable. It is placed un- attached in an automobile, and then the engine is run at any desired speed and the car brought to a stop by use of the brakes. Whatever the actual speed of the car, a needle om the decelerometer indicates the number of feet the car requires to stop at the speed of 20 miles an hour. How Cars Are Rated. The Bureau of Standards’ scheme of rating cars is used with the under- standing that it is arbitrary and only tentative. The service or foot brakes of any car that could not be stopped in 50 feet were rated poor. A car that stopped between 40 and 50 feet ‘was rated fair on its brakes. A stop between 30 and 40 feet was good, and under 30 feet excellent. Tested on a dry asphalt pavement, 18 per cent of the cars were poor, 23 per cent fair, 44 per cent good and 15 per cent excellent by the Govern- ment rating scheme. The general average for service brakes on all 180 cars was 45.4 feet. The best stop was 17 feet, and the poorest was 80 feet. The cars of Gen. Pershing and the traffic judge came off with the rating of good. ‘When pavements are wet, traffic dangers increase and the need for in- stant response from brakes is greater. What can be expected from the foot brakes of the average car on a ralny day is shown by the test ratings. None of the foot brakes tested by the Government was good and none ex- cellent on wet pavement. The average stopping distance in the poor class was 63 feet. Only one car got into the falr class. Its stopping distance was 43 feet. The 12 cars having four-wheel brakes ‘made & better ‘showing, The | general | compared with | brakes of all cars. | The ar | ably depends to a considerable extent | on his emergency brakes. He knows | that they are there, and in a tight | place he would instinctively reach for them and jam them on, and he would expect them to respond. According to the Bureau of Standards tests, however, he would be a singularly lucky or a singularly careful driver if his emergency brake responded ef- fectively in an emergency. Mr. Allen says that the term emergency brake is a misnomer, and as far as the average car is concerned the emer- gency brake is a delusion. This is not because of any inhherent defect in the brakes that are put on auto- mobiles, but because of the treatment the brakes receive. Seventy-one per cent of the emer- gency or hand brakes tested were found to be poor. Eleven per cent were fair, 13 per cent good and only 5 per cent were excellent. The best stop was 25 feet. There were 32 stops of more than 100 feet and three stops of 200 feet. The general aver- age for all the cars was 75 feet, or poor. On wet pavement all the emergency brakes were poor. A large number of the drivers who had their cars tested said that they had never tried out or used their emergency brakes in the entire time that they had been driving. Mr. Allen suggests that it is a good idea to test these brakes once in a while. They should be somewhere near as good as the service brakes. Drivers Are’Careless. The lamentable showing of so many cars is attributed to neglect on the part of the drivers. Few drivers fol- low the advice once given by a safety council: “Glve your service brakes a road test every day when you leave the garage. Make a thorough test of brakes every 1,000 miles, or at least once a month.” Brakes should be kept in good ad- justment, neither too loose mnor too tight, and so that they grip the rear wheel on each side of the car with equal force. Poorly adjusted brakes cause a car to skid. Some of the hand brakes tested by the Govern- ment were in such poor adjustment that they would not hold & car stand- ing still on a bill. Other suggestions given by safety organizations are: Have brake lin- ings washed with kerosene every two months. Clean and ofl brake mechan- ism at least once a month. Rosin applied to linings to increase friction causes brakes to jam suddenly, which is hard on the tires and the passen- gers in the car. Never oil brake linings. One woman who brought her auto- mobile to be tested told the Govern- ment expert that she knew the brakes slipped. Mr. Allen investigated and found that the brake linings had been oiled 50 that they could not very well do anything but slip. The car owner recalled that the brakes had been squeaking, and that a garage man had giled them to stop the annoying sound. She was surprised to learn that this would prevent the brakes from holding the car. In another car slipping brakes were found to be floating in oil from a leaxy axle. So far as use of brakes is concern- ed, drivers are advised not to use the service brake oftener than necessary. When coming to an ordinary stop, the recommended technique Is to shut off the gas and leave the clutch en- gaged "yntil just before making the 245 feet average was 454 feet, for as the { coat in the face and say, notwithstanding i ernment consistent with the common | | “Flags of the World,” a compilation periments that hitherto have proven | r of the average car prob- | -tion ifeither annulling nor repealing o Capital Sidelights | BY WILL P. KENNEDY, Just what will Calvin Toolidge, John W. Davis or Robert M. La Fol- lette get as prizes in this quadren- nial popularity contest in which they are rivals? Of course, the greatest prize of all is to be chosen as the one man out of ali the 110,000,000 of their fellow citi- zens to represent them before the world and speak for the greatest na- tion in the whole history of the world, and to be general manager of’ the greatest civic trust in all crea- tion. \ But co-ordinated with that the President has many emoluments and rewards and perquisites, for example, he gets— A salary of $75,000 a year; travel- ing expenses amounting to $25,000; a home upon which is focused the at- tention of the world, furnished and maintained by the Government. A private office in the Capitol build- ing within which millions of visitors to Washington have stood and ad- mired its appointments; a flock of the finest automobiles that American factcries can produce; a private de- tective force and a private police force: a private art gallery and pri- vate library; a private yacht and a private railroad train whenever he wants it. A score of greenhouses to keep the White House &Bcorated and to pro- vide plants and blooms for dinners nd_receptions; the finest brass band in America; a private flag that none else may use; a personal physic and naval and military personal aide a picked office force and private right-of-way telephone and telegraph wires. He gets the right of way when- ever and wherever he may go, and has a digest of the leading news- papers of the world made for him every morning. A cabinet of expert advisers on all matters pertaining to the problems of the Government—international in- tercourse, legal, agricultural, finan- clal, regarding the public domain, la- bor, commerce, the postal service ete. The first lady of the land, who is the social leader of the country, has a social secretary. Appropriations made by Congress take care of the upkeep and main- tenance of the White House, includ- ing furnishings, repairs, heat, and, in fact, everything except President’s family eats. Commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy, he can get his pantry supplied at the Army and Navy commissary at reduced market prices. The White House linen is specially made with the United States of arms woven into the tex- ture of the goods. The china and | glassware have the United States real, and the White House is supplied with 10 dozen of everything to prop- v set the table for formal dinners. all of the furniture is expe- The President’s flag. because it seen only on extraordinary occasions and because its design is of more re- cent adoption than our other flags. probably escapes recognition or arouses curiosity of many who do take particular notice of it. This flag now consists of the Presi- dent’'s seal in bronze, upon a blue background, with a large white star in each corner. The design of this seal may be seen in the floor of the entrance corridor of the White House, and was used by at least one Presi- dent in his stickpins. The custom governing the uses of the President's flag and the history of its adoption are described in by Dr. Comdr. Byron as follows: “When the President visits a vessel of the United States the President's flag is broken at the main the mo- ment he reaches the deck and is kept flying as long as he ig on board. When the President is embarked on a boat he usually directs that his flag be dis- played from the staff in the bow of his barge. When he passes in a boat fiying his flag, vessels of the Navy parade the full guard, four ruffles are given on the drum, four flourishes are sounded on the bugle, the na- tional anthem is played by the band, and officers and men salute.” Previously there were two designs displayed on flags and on colors to be used by the Commander-in-chief of the Army and Na The double dis- | play of flags and colors at the Grand Army review in 1915 caused consid- erable comment and as a result the new President’s flag was designed, the President himself directing that the coat of arms as shown on the President's seal be the central motif on the President’s flag. In these days, when political lead- ers are seriously considering the con- tingency that the election of the President may be thrown into the na- tional House of Representatives and the election of the Vice President may be thrown into the Senate, and that as a result of a deadlock over the choice between three candidates in the House, the Vice President elected by the Senate might step into the White House when the Presi- dent's term automatically expires— we have a precedent that merits at- tention. David R. Atchison, a Senator from Missouri, by virtue of his office as President pro tempore of the Senate, was President of the United States for one day. Gen. Zachary Taylor was entitled to assume the duties of the presidency on March 4, 1849, but as that date fell on Sunday Gen. Tay. lor was not sworn in until March 5. Senator Atchison,.for whom Atchi- son, Kans., was named, and whose name, therefore, has been perpetuated by the great Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad, is thus given his- torical recognition- as President in the Congressional Biographical Di- rectory: “Elected President pro tempore of the Senate; * * * this office made him President of the United States dur- ing Sunday, March 4, 1849, as Gen. Taylor was not sworn into office until the following day.” It is pointed out that this being the record in a public document, “compiled under authority of Con- gre: and the act of 1886 or the twelfth amendment to the Constitu- Gilbert G M svenor and Lieut. Chandless, U. S. N., any right which the President pro tempore of the Senate might have, there is authority in this precedent for Senator Cummins, as President pro tempore, to become President of the United States temporarily in case of a deadlock over the election of the President, in the event that the elec- tion is thrown into the House. stop. This saves the brake and pre- vents skidding. The Bureau of Standards hopes some day to be able to formulate a code which could be used a stand- ard for brakes all over the country. Some of the local police codes are reasonable; some are rigorous and some are lax. The Government's aim would be to point out a middle course to which every driver could attain with a little care. It would not be difficult, the Bureau of Standards finds, for a local traffic bureau to test the brakes of any car when granting a license to the driver. The driver of a car that had defective brakes could be required to put his brakes in good condition before receiving his license. The American Automobile Associa- tion is taking an active interest in promoting brake safety. Krnest N. Smith, general manager, says that the 600 motor clubs of the association have been asked to set up brake- testing statlons, if possible, and that mbre than 100 clubs have donc sqy { this MEN AND AFFAIRS BY ROBERT The two most famous pairs of whiskers in all America returned from Europe this week, side by side, on the same steamer. One adorned the face of the Secretary of State, the othe: lent color and effect to the physiognimy of no less a person thar the Honorable James Hamilton Lewis of Chicago. The steamship President Harding, proudly flying the Stars and Stripes, gave safe passage to the twin hirsute delights. Mr. Hughes' whis- kers seem a little more closely cropped than the. have ever been before. Mr. Lewis' fair facial adorn- ment, as was to be noticed at the Democratic national convention in Madison Square Garden, is fast turn- ing from its effulgent golden pink to| a sort of ashen gray. Time will have its toll. Both Messrs. Hughes and Lewis| went abroad to attend the meetings of the American Bar Association in London. Both were guests at a gar- den party given by King George. Then there were three famous pairs of whiskers together. Although his father and his grands father, were addicted to the beard, the young Prince of Wales swears he will never, never wear 'em—not even if they could make him look like Jim Ham or the revered Secretary of State % Friends of Harry M. Daugherty, former Attorney General of the United States who have seen him re- cently report that his health seems to have been fully restored by the rest he has had since leaving Wash- ington. Mr. Daugherty, furthermore, is said not to be in a vindictive frame of mind, but will turn in later in the campaign and do all he can to see that Ohio is made safe for Republi- canism on election day. Mr. Daugh- erty and Gen. Charlie Dawes, the Re- publican vice presidential candidate, have long been the most intimate of friends. Harry Daugherty always has had a philosophy of life, which has helped to carry him over many a rough stretch of road calculated to break the bravest of hearts. He gainad it in the days of his active practice of law. No matter what happened he always believed there was but one thing to worry about—the verdict of the jury, the final entering of the case. This philosophy, he has told some of his most intimate friends, still is keep- ing him in good cheer. None of the old fighting quality of the man, which even his bitterest enemies admire, has disappeared. One very prominent man, when told by a friend that he was “going atter” Harry Daugherty, advised that friend to take along a full dinner pail : “Because,” he said, “you are going to have a long day.’ * % x * Visitors to N York always are| amused at the sight of two immense policemen riding around the streets in a flivver runabout with the top down. Evidently the head of the po- lice department of the metropolis al- ways selects his huskiest men for duty and they seem to fairly bulge out of the sides of the tiny car. Several hundred flivvers are used in Heard and Seen T. SMALL this way, and as a patrol system thev are said to have proved a great suc- ce. ¢ coppers ride around together for 8 hours at a time. Sometimes they are op duty for 12 hours. They ride around the same super- beat all the while. Seeing them day after day on their tours, one cannot but help wondering what they find to talk about. Curiosity in this respect got the better of the writer, so a day or two ago_he asked one of the “Dolly Sis- tel as New York calls them: “What do we find to talk about?’ repeated the copper. “Well, not much of anything. Sometimes we go_for hours without saying a word. Just today we had been riding two hours, saying nothing, when my driver gave me a jab in the ribs with his elbow ‘What the hell's the matter with you?' he said. I punched him back in the ribs and said ‘What the hell's G matter with you? then we rose on till it was time to go to the station house and report off duty.” * ¥ ¥ % Radio fans in New York City, es- pecially those of a Republican turn of mind, were furious Thursday morn- ing when they looked at the daily programs in the papers and found that station WCNY had made no pro- vision for the Coolidge notification ceremonies at Washington. All of the other s ions that were not actually participating in the broadcasting of this notable event announced they would be “off the air” so long as the ceremonics at Washington were under way. Mot so, however, with WCNY. To get the proper angle on the situatior, it must be remembered that WCNY is the broadcasting station of the City of New York, and it must fur- ther be remembered that the City of New York is Democratic—Tammany Democratic. The station was silent when the Davis speech was broadcast from Clarksburg, and that made the Republicans still more furious. They wondered how WCNY could have th. effrontery to try to interfere. As a matter of fact, it turned out that WCNY had no such intention Some one at City Hall pulled a bonc In announcing the program. WCNY was as silent as the night when Mr Coolidge was presenting his views to the Nation. 4 The radio bugs call the city station in New York “Red Mike" in honor of Mayor Hylan's auburn tresses I When President Coolidge, in his speech of acceptance. discussing par- ticularly the heavy burden that high taxation was laying upon the people. exclaimed, “I want the people of America to be able to work less for the Government and more for them- selves,” Washington sat up and took notice. Washington wondered if this meant more people were to be separated from the Government pay rolls. Some unregenerate Democrats said the President was referring to Sec- retary Denby and Attorney General Daugherty. (Copyright, 1824.) Fifty Years Ago A new way of getting hot under| the collar was discovered last week | by a Washingtonian who is not given | to getting angry easily. | This particular form of rise of | temperature, indeed, had nothing particular to do with anger, at least | not until the whole thing was over. | Then amusement conquered ire. | This chap bent his head forward, | only to feel a sudden sharp pain at the back of his neck. | ow what is the matter with me?" was his mental question to himself. Again he bent his neck, and again | came the sharp flash of pain “Quch!” he exclaimed. Visions of mysterious maladies floated before his eyes. It is a su- percilious man who has not, at some time or other in his life, toved with the idea of having this, that or the other dangerous disease. It is fortunate for us that in_this, as in most of the other affairs of life, the old motto is true. “I am an old man, and have had many trouhles— most of which never happened.” The man with the stabbing pain at the back of his neck bethought him- self to remove his collar. When he did so, out flew a large| bee. * i An acquaintence had a similar ex- perience at the front of his neck. ex- cept that a perfectly harmless collar button took the role of the bee. This was many years ago. The gentleman involved—not quite so old a gentleman then—was riding on one of the Sixteenth street herdics. Who remembers the herdics? They plied up and down the wide street, horse- drawn vehicles that took you there and brought you back. This man was riding along, when, happening to swallow, he felt a sud- den curious crinkling along his Adams apple. He tried the experiment again and again, each time to feel that odd quirp in his neck. He, too, got stage fright. Men are more subject to this than women. When he got home, holding his neck perfectly rigid to avoid causing that curious feeling, He rushed into the house, tore off his coat; then yanked his collar off. Like most mysteries, it was easily explained, with the light of day shin- ing on it. The collar button had be- come twisted around, in some way, so that every time he swallowed it pressed against his Adams apple. It had never happened before, and it has never happened since. But it happened then. { e Those Sixteenth street herdics have ! long given place to the busses, but| hundreds of persons remember be- ing passengers in them. Standing on the corner waiting for the herdic was ame of the favorite outdoor sports 15 or 20 years ago among those living in a broad band of a block to either side of Sixteenth street. . They ran from U street down to Fifteenth and H streets, ending up over on G street some place. The her- dic, for the information of this gen- eration, was a sort of sawed-off street car drawn by two horses. The driv- ers reminded one of men out of Dick- ens, and surely were lineal descend- ants of his coachmen. Two gray horses drew each herdi The floors of the vehicles were cov- ered with straw, a material that was known to be not entirely lacking in fleas and other vermin. Many a child had its legs bit up in this fash- fon. For many months enterprising per- sons were able to “beat” the connect- ing street car line at H street by securing transfers, which one was able to use at any time of day or night. Tn some bland, childlike manner the herdic company trusted its patrons, and gave them transfers, but did not | punch them. They could even be | used day after day. Every time one went downtown on a herdic he asked for a transfer, and stowed it away in his pockets for future use. Thus he was supplied with a re- | turn ticket for use at any .time he chose to walk to Fifteenth and H streets. After a while the children got to collecting herdic transfers, | officer Ib In The Star In The Star of August 10, 1874, is a paragraph relating to the doings of % an officer of the Custer in the ‘Army whose name a < little less than two Rlack Hills. Jecars later was to occupy the public attention in con- nection with one of the greatest tragedies in this country. “Gen. Custer is making it lively for hostile redskins in the country through which he is moving his ex- pedition. He has the usual Army officer and frontier opinion, taught by experience, of the treachery of the Indians and puts no faith in their peace professions. He does not be- lieve in parleying, but in fighting with the savages and reducing them to submission at the point of the sword. It has been intimated that he was not exactly the kind of an to send on an expedition ection inhabited mainly Indians. since the exer- greatest caution re- to avoid giving offense to tribes. Thus far, however. has apparently pro- through trien cise of the aquired friendly is expedition voked but little opposition from the Indians and this he has swept away in his usual dashing manner.” % In connection with the Custer ex- pedition it is stated, in an article in : The Star of August 11, Discovery 1 that glowing re- ports of the minera of Gold. T'iatin of the Brack Hill country were being sent eastward by a correspondent. accompanying the party. He wrote that indications of gold were giscovered about a week before and within two days its presence in sufficient quantities abun- dantly to repay working had been established bevond a doubt. He had in his possession 40 or 50 small, particles of pure gold, in size about that of 4 small pinhead. Most of it was ob- tained from a single pan of earth The Star gave warning that un further investigation is had regard ing the richness of the deposits of gold. no opinion should be formed Veins of what the geologists c: “bearing quartz" cropped out on most every hillside. & The correspondent gave a glowing picture of the country which in respect to the flora he called a “new Florida.” * % In The Star of August 12, 1874, is a summary of dispatches from abroad ., Eiving the particvlars of Bazaine's the escape of Marshal Bazaine from his prison Escape. on tne Isiand of St. Mar- guerite, off the coast of France Bazaine was the commander of the French garrison at Meta in the Franco-Prussian war, and after a seven weeks' siege he capitulated with an_army of 170,000 men. For this act he was tried by court-martial in 1871, was found guilty of treason and was condemned to death. This sentence was afterward commuted to 20 years in seclusion. It would seem that the marshal had been only lightly guarded. being considered rather as an exile than as a prisoner, and one night he made his escape by eluding a sentry posted upon a ter- race built upon a lofty and precipi- tous cliff overhanging the sea. Gain- ing the edge of the precipice he made his way by a knotted rope down to a boat in which were his wife and a cousin. Her husband's hands being painfully injured in the descent, Mme. Bazaine took the oars herseif and rowed to a steamer that had been chartered for the purpose. It was re- ported that the marshal landed at San Remo and traveled by way of Turin to Basle, where he took a train for Brussels. He eventually made his way to Spain, where he spent the lat- ter part of his life. The French authorities declared that Bazaine had given his parole not to leave the island and that consequently precau- tions had been relaxed. It was sus- pected that the rope over the cliff's edge had been planted there to mis- lead and that actually the escape was made through connivance with those in_charge of the pri in the same manner they collect milk bottle tops. Finally the company got wise, and put a man on the corner, to whom one had to apply, for transfers. Good women, who thought nothing at all of storing up their transfers, waied indignant. 5 But the good old days were over. CHARLES E. TRACEWELM