Evening Star Newspaper, September 28, 1924, Page 31

EVERYDAY RELIGION By RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, D. D., Bishop of Washington. BUILDING STRAIGHT PATHS. T was said of Sir Walter Scott that he enjoyed more in 24 hours than most men do in a week. Possi- Dbly the secret of it was that he lived his life very largely for the benefit of others. After all, there is nothing so compensating as the con- sciousness that what we are and do bears directly and helpfully upon the lives of those about us. To the most casual student of life one thing is clearly-evident, namely, that we are put here to do two things—first, to live our life by standards that will result in our highest and truest development, and, second, to relate that development to the highest and noblest interests of those whose lives come within the radius of our influence. Self-develop- ment that is purely selfish, that means only self-satisfaction, leads uitimately to disappointment and failure. Self-development that means the raising of the standard, the en- riching and bettering of those less fortunate or weaker than ourselves, lends a zest and enthusiasm to life that results in dividends of Ly and sarisfaction and crowns it length with a peacc that is altoge - in- comparable. Stralght Paths for Others. Onc of the best directions 1 know of for what might be called consistent or balanced living is found in the oid Book of Hebrews at the twelfth chapter and thirteenth verse “Make straight the paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way: but let it rather be healed.” This clearly implies that self-de- velepment or helpful living is condi- tioned by the relation it bears to the difficulties and problems of others. To build straight paths for one's feet without reference to what they may mean to others is an unsatisfactory and profitless busines It hardly <eems possible that any one would regard anything that has come in the way of a blessing as a purely per- sonal possession. Nor does it seem reasonable that, having accom- plished through persevering service a satisfactory way of living, they should regard it as exclusively their own. Think of what the world owes to the men and women who have shared with it their great gifts. What a contrast between such a life as that of Henri Amiel. gifted, scholar that he was, and Victor Hugo. The first, utterly selfish and insular, stortng up knowledge for self-con sumption and self-gratification, shar. ing it grudgingly in his fragmentary | “Journal”; the second giving all that he had of rich, imaginative and to pring genius in his prolific and glo ing writings. Amiel's life was like the fig tree that Christ beheld—prom- ising but unfruitful. Hugo's life bore bountiful harvests that will continue o enrich mankind so long as men think and read. The rarest treasures of art, literature and philosophy have come to us from the generous hands of men who not only build straight roads for their own feet, but in build- ing them helped others to happier, truer, more satisfying ways. The ad- venturesome engineers who with dar- ing and amazing skill built our great transcontinental highways, doing the seemingly impossible, must be re- zarded as the benefactors of the race. They built paths that countless thou- sands might pass in safety upon their errands of pleasure or commercial en- terprise. Highway Builders of Race. Every great invention or discovery that has lightened human burdens, stayed the ravages of disease, in- creased efficiency, facilitated travel and communication and alleviated brilliant | pain has come from those who might very properly be called the highway. builders of the human race. They have helped those less strong and skillful than themselves, they have been benefactors to countless thou- sands whom they never knew, and generations yet unborn will call them “blessed.” But, quite apart from theso gifted few who have wrought miracles in art, science, literature and mechanics, there are those who, like John of old, “did no miracle,” and yet in their time and place have con- tributed to make this old world a fitter place in which to live. We find these helpful people in small and ob- scure places as well as in great cities. They seek no notorlety or dis- tinction, they ask for mo acclaim or applause. All they ask is the privi- lege of doing their bit, contributing their modest part to the common good of all. There lived in New York some years ago a gentle women who con- ceived the idea of ministering to the.| unfortunates in the city prison. She had nothing to give of material gifts, but much in the way of a glowing, buoyant personality. Week after week and vear after Year she gave herself without reserve to those who for one cause or another had suf- fered misfortune, and so helpful did her ministry come to be that she won at length the proud distinction, “The Angel of the Tombs.” Her accepted task was to try to make crooked paths straight—straight not only for her own feet but for the feet of others. Thousands of men and women felt the healing touch of her gentle life, and when at length she passed to her great reward the metropolis itself paused in its mad haste for wealth and power to do her honor. Not long since I officiated at the burial service of a simple country woman in one of the litgle villages in southern Maryland. The scene was a homely one—a country churchyard, the plain people of whom Lincoln said that God made so many because He loved them so much, the simple vet beautiful setting of a glowing Spring day, nothing of ostentation. no eulogy: only the exquisite lan- guage of the burial office. Yet there was woven into the whole incident a devotion and love that needed no spoken word to give it expression. Pathmaker for Community. She whom we laid away had for many a year been the pathfinder and pathmaker of the little community. She had softened many a hard pillow, brought sunshine to many a darkened home, courage to many a tired and discouraged neighbor, plaved the homely but helpful role of good Sa- maritan to many an unfortunate, and had won a place of unfailing devo- tion in the hearts of the people of the entire countryside. It's really wonderful how much such a life can accomplish through littileqdeeds of service, and vet thou- sands stand and wait for something great to do. There's nothing quite comparable to this business of build- ing straight paths—straight paths for our own better and more satisfactpry pilgrimage, but straight paths ‘for others, especially those who have been bruised or lamed through ad- versity or misfortune: yes, through sin. To know that somehow we have been helpful, that we have brought comfort, that we have lightened a heavy burden—that is really to know that ‘we have not lived in vain. “He went about doing good"—what a sub- limer testimony to the Great Master's life might be written. This was His unfailing lesson to His followers—to be pathmakers, to learn to go in straight ways ourselves, and then to help others to do the same. This means life at its best—the life of deepest, most enduring satisfaction. (Copsright. 1934.) Air Race Expected to Set 180,000 Attendance Mark From interest shown by pilots, both etvilian and military, as well as air enthusiasts all over the country in the international air races scheduled to be staged at Wilbur Wright Field in Dayton, October 2, 3 and 1, the air classic promises to be the greatest sporting event, particularly in the matter of attendance, cver held, An expected attendanca of 180,000 persons at the concluding cvents on Saturday, October 4, will set a new mark for attendance at sporting clas: sics in this and many other countrie: In support of such claim it is pointed out by air race officials that the largest crowd in this country to wit- ness a sporting event was at the In- dianapolis specdway two years ago, at which time 150,000 persons saw the classic. One hundred thousand persons saw the Firpo-Willard fight: the largest crowd to witness a bascball game was at the final game between the Yan- kees and Giants last year, who played to a gate of 63,000 persons, while the biggest crowd to witness a foot ball same is estimated at about 75,000 persons. Estimates on the attendance at the air race mect this year, which for the three days is expected to be ap- proximately 250,000, is based on the placing of orders for box and re- served seats in the grandstand, which is to be one mile in length and will accommadte 24,000 persons. Many Seats Are Sol To date, with the races still one month distant, approximately one- half of the box and reserved seats available in the huge structure have already been sold or ordered, and it is expected that practically all such seats will be disposed of or orders placed for them long before the week of the opening of the race meet. That the races are of interest not alone to air enthusiasts and participating pi- lots in the United States but other countries as well is shown by the sev- eral race entries already received from pilots in Canada, with two such filings also expected from Mexico. No less than nine countries will be officially represented at the race meet, formal acceptances having been re- ceived from officials of these coun- tries stationed in the United States or their native land. ‘With the largest list of entries al- ready on file for the 12 racing and exhibition flying events, the largest purse of cash prizes, totaling $50,000, bl T i A Uncle Sam Lists School Materials With the schools just opening Un- cle Sam is forehanded to help the teachers. All publications and other ‘material from all the federal depart- ments that might be of use to teach- ers have for the first time been put together in a catalogue by the United States Bureau of Education. This material includes periodicals, maps, charts, mounted exhibits, mod- els,. stereopticon slides and moving plcture films, reading courses and considerable other matter. By thus having listed by sources this wealth of material readily avail- able throughout the- federal depart- ments, the educational world will benefit greatly, because few educa- tors now know that this material is prepared for their use, nor do they know where to apply for it. The catalogue, which will be dis- tributed free throughout the States, 35 treely illusirated, so as to visualize the types of material that Uncle Sam 4s prepared to supply, with an additional $30,000 in trophies, plaques and medals and with indica- tions of a record attendance, there is every reason to believe that the Day- ton meect will be the most successful vet staged in any city Business Is Bur;ened By Statistics Deluge (Continued from First Page.) United States Coal Commission’s in- vestigation turned up material which was already available at the Census Bureau and the Geological Survey, and that it cost several hundred thou- sand dollars to reobtain this mate- rial. But that may be only another wicked and biased story which has never been verified. One of the interesting things about the Government's search for informa- tion is the fact that in some cases a private industry will put time and energy in obtaining facts for the Government when no power under the sun could compel them to divulge those facts unless they wanted to. It speaks well for the spirit of co- operation between private industry and the Federal Government that the majority of the reports and arfSwers to questionnaires are made out of kindness and good nature and not from any sort of compulsion. Awed by Official Letterw. The representative in Washington of a large and powerful group of allied industries in this country said that not long ago he wrote to his clients advising them to disregard all questionnaires and reportinsz forms sent out by the Government, with two exceptions—those from the Census Bureau and those from the Bureau of Internal Revenue. But he doubted, he said, whether his clients heeded his advice. There's something about a franked letter from a Government department which inspires awe within the heart of the most hard-boiled manufacturer or business man. If it is a simple request for figures and other information concerning his work, he is most liable to furnish it without complaint. Refusing to fur- nish the most confidential sort of in- formation to the Bureau of Internal Revenue is as foolish as offering to race a motor cycle cop, and in the end amounts to about the same thing. The Census Bureau requests are also regarded seriously and complied with immediately. The requests of the Federal Trade Commission for infor- mation have been questioned in.the courts, and in some cases the Federal Trade Commission has found its hands tied in trying to get informa- tion ordered by Congress. The pack- ers and the Department of Agricul- ture have been at it nip and tuck, and meither knows how far it can go in asking or refusing information, and in some cases they have put the matter in the hands of the courts. Any fair-minded person will adniit that this is a great and glorious coun- try, and it is necessary that the peo- ple know every detall about what is going on within its boundaries. But he can sympathize with the. manu- facturer who is bombarded by two or three different Government agencies during the year for facts concerning his business which require time and money to furnish. And while he is wondering how much of this vast amount of intimate knowledge gained | barism, ignorance and vagrancy. 1SS ELLEN C. LOMBARD is known gratetully by some hundreds of thousands of boys and girls to whom she has thrown open the doors of romance, travel, adventure, giv- ing them an opportunity to know the world's heroes, explorers and In- vontors, and to cultivate a love for poetry and the other arts. Miss Lombard is blessed daily by hundreds of thousands of wives, mothers and other home-makers, for whom she is making possible home- education, thus broadening the horizon of their lives by glimpses into the past and bringing them Into associz tlon with the cultured of all ages and all lands—and most importan of all, by making it possible for those whose educational opportunities were limited in early life to make them- {selves better fitted tosdirect the read- ing and education and home culture of their children. Just how many are thus bencfited by Miss Lombard's work can never be known, for she is “shooting ar- rows into the sky,” but it is certain that generations yet unborn will be bettered through the zeal of this un- assuming, - self-effacing woman who sits in a little office on the sixth floor of the Interior Department Building, marshaling the best and most huma writers of the world into reading courses for all America. * 2% Miss Lombard is the dircctor of home education in the United States Bureau of Education, but even before she had taken up this new line of work, 11 years ago, she had started thousands of young teachers on the sight road as superintendent of prac- lice in a Boston training school for teachers. The first United States Commis- sioner of Education, Dr. Henry Bar- nard, urged the constant co-operation of parents in realizing the work of the schools and the regular attend- ance of the pupils. He called atten- tion to the fact that an obligation rests upon parents and guardians not to allow children to grow up In bar- e recommended and then directed the preparation of official circulars on self-cducation or hints for self-infor- mation, with examples of the pursuit of knowledge under difficulties. These recommendations were made more than 50 years ago. In 1913 an- other commissioner of education took active steps to further the education of mer and women and of boys and girls at_home by establishing a di- vision of home education in the Bu- reau of Education, with the co-opers tion of the National Congress of Mothers and Parent-Teacher Associa- tions. Two definite lines of work intended to Lenefit the homes and the schools and eventually to raise the stzndard of inteilectual lite and citizenship in each school district have been devel- oped. First, to bring parents and teachers_ into closer relationship, and. tives for the further education of the tamily in the home. * ¥ ¥ ¥ Miss Lombard, on account of her cxceptional qualifications and espe- cially en account of her zeal for such a task, was selected to head up this work. In her office she bends her trained efforts toward two ends— (1) to stimulate activities of parent- teacher assoclations and (2) to pro- mote home -reading. Fer 10 vears she has been chairman of home education for the National Congress of Parent-Teacher Associa- tions, and in this way has direct con- tact with 700,000 women intcrested in carrying forward the crusade. Through these local leaders Miss in each State to realize the impor- tance of having books in the home and the parents reading to the chil- dren in the home. She is recommend- ing daily that parent-teacher associa- tions.should organize circles to stim- ulate home reading so that the boys and girls will grow up with the habit of reading the best literature, and has prepared 27 reading courses to of- fer to such circles. * % % % Here is the situation she face: BY HENRY W. BU) HE following is a brief sum- mary of the most important news of the world for the seven days ended September 27: —Dr. G. Clyde Fisher of the American Museum of Natural History has just returned from a visit of some weeks In Lapland. Lapland is the name popularly given to the area in- habited by the Lapps. which extends across northern Norway, Sweden and Finland and the northwest corner of Russia. The Swedish and Norwegian dis- tricts are the most important, and to these Dr. Fisher's visit was confined. Our knowledge of these fascinating people is all too limited, and it is, therefore, to be hoped that Dr. Fisher will give us a full account of his in- vestigations and experiences. It is fairly established that the Lapps orig- inated in eastern Asia; that they once were spread over a considerable part of Europe; that they were dispos- sessed and forced to take refuge in their present habitat by the later ar- riving Alpines and Nordics, the an- cestors of most of the present north Europeans; and that a large part of the firy lore of northern Europe was not the pure product of fancy, but was fantastieally, developed from tra- ditions of the ancient contacts with the Lapps. No doubt the Lapps were the authentic originals of the fairies, dwarfs, .elves, “good people,” “little folk,” ete., who made our childhood 50 pleasant. The Lapps of former days went in strong for “medicine” and almost to our own day they retained among the Norwegians, Swedes wnd Finns their ancient reputation for wizardry. The principal stunts of the wizards were making themselyes invisible, trans- porting themselves with the speed of thought through the air, and raising darkness and tempests. The expres- sion “Lapland witches,” is a libel on the fair sex, for the Lapp magicians were all men. The Lapps of today are a hardy, sufficiently intellgent and amiable peonle. They are remark- able for shortness of stature, (averag- ing somewhat less than five feet) and for brachycephaly, (breadth of round- ness of skull). In brachycephaly, in- deed, they lead the world. They are fishers, farmers and semi-nomad herders of reindeer; the best of them stilh in the last-named category. Their chief food is reindeer meat, fish of many sorts (salmon being the staple), and, in the season, berries in great variety. Enough grain is raised for wheat, rye and, barley cakes, and a sufficient commerce is carried on-with the outer world to allow of importation of some luxuries. Coffee, for example, is in ordinary use. But in general it is to be said that their mode of life is very primitive. It does not appear, how- ever, that they are less happy than | other Europeans. Down to modern times, of course, | they were. badly treated as-a subject by. the Government is necessary he|race, but it is now many years that can join with the manufacturer in paraphrasing a once-popular song: “It's not the dost of production that’s making us sad; it's the high cost of reporting.that's driving us mad.” Swedish - philanthropy -has been very active in their behalf. The education of the Swedish Lapps is provided for by an excellent system of “nomad schools” and illiteracy. is very rare. sccond, to furnish means and incen- | Lombard is trying to get the people | LLEN LOMBARD, is™% Ewing hoto. There are in the United States | approximately 85,000,000 persons over 10 years of age. Nearly 5.000,000 of n neither read nor write. Nearly 78,000.000 can read in the Eng- lish language, or in their native tongues. The number of men and women attending high schools and colleges increases every year, but there are still thousands who leave school before reaching the high school. In hundreds of communities there are no public libraries, and few books in the homes. In many communities in which libraries are established the people have not developed the read- ing ha In every community eon- siderable numbers do not read even a daily paper. »r them, the only information is what is obtained from |contact with neighbors: the news is confined to the gossip which is tongued from door to door. For them the world of books which would fur- nish a glimpse of great issues, great ideals and purposes is unknown. These people are not confined one State, nor one section of United States. If means are not pro- vided by which such people may en- rich their lives, and unless these op- portunities are brought to their atten- tion, they suffer an inestimable loss, and their children also must suffer. The community, the State and the Nation are afforded by the lack of enlightenment and breadth of vision. ¥ to So Miss Lombard make people throughout conscious of what they - of home education reach them appealingly courses carefully best authorities. last vear there were more than+15.000 applications for these courses, which means many times that number of readers. She knows that many thousands more are being “reachcd” than she ever hears about. Seventeen States home education committees to work out the problem of reaching the homes with a better type of litera- ture. A recent study showing the rank by States of the readers on 13 “highbrow” magazines studies the how to States lack in the nd how to with reading prepared by have Swedish Lapland contains iron de- posits among the most extensive in the ‘world, and the Lapland forests (pine, fir, spruce and birch) are vast. No doubt in course of time these riches (and other awaiting discovery) will be thoroughly “exploited” and the Lapps, who now total perhaps 30,000, will be absorbed in the Nor- wegian, Swedish, Finnish and Russian populations. The race may pass, but €0 long as children are children their 1 should add that the Lapps call themselves “Samelats,” “Lapp” being originally a nickname, meaning “Lands- end people,” applied by the Finns. FE The Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovens—The new coalition cabi- net of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is headed by M. Davidovitch, a Democrat. Apparently it is to have the support of the strong Croatan peasant party, headed by M. Raditch, but on what precise terms does not appear. Raditch has been agidating for revocation of the con- stitution, which provides for centrali- zation and for territorial-subdivision and political organization on the French model. He would have a re- public of federated states correspond- ing to ancient groupings: Serbia, Cro- atia, Montenegro, etc., each state to thus to preserve its peculiar culture. The Democrats have been much di- vided on the issue of centralization or federation. I cannot discover what precisely is the attitude of M. Davido- vitch on this issue, but apparently he and M. Raditch have agreed to work together for a compromise involving retention for the present at least of the reigning dynasty. It is proposed to hold elections in the near future for a new Skupshtina or Parliament. It behooves the people of Jugoslavia to get their internal difficulties set- tled on a permanent harmonious basis if they are to exercise that in- fluence on general Balkan affairs, which they aspire to exercise. Presumably M. Pashitch, head of the so-called radical party (not radi- ca’ at all in the usual sense of that word), champion bf centralization, predecessor of M. Davidovitch, for long years past the most powerful figure in Serbian politics, indeed one of the ablest statesmen of Europe, is still to be reckoned with. Only the other day Pashitch was for bringing Raditch to trial on the charge of treasonable correspondence with the Soviet Russian government. The matter is obscure. Certainly Raditch was in Moscow taking notes and holding conferences with the authorities, but apparently without treasonable” intent. His grand aim is to save Croatia from domination by Serbia, whose people, though superior to the Croats in some important qual- culture. * ¥ ¥ ¥ Greece.—M. Rousos, Greek minister of foreign affairs, and one-time min- ister of Greece at Washington, is to head a Greek debt-funding commis- sion to the United States. Before en- tering politics he. acquired a great reputation as head, of the interna. the | the | enjoy the most liberal autonomy and | oichih ities, are greatly their inferiors injimportance, with respect to population gives Miss Lombard encouragement. This shows that the District of Columbia ranks first, with California sccond, Nevada third, New Hampshire fourth, Wyo- ming fifth, Oregon sixth, Vermont seventh and Washington State eighth. Most of these stand high because of a sparse population, but Oregon and Washington both have very active State library commissions. In Cali- fornia the standing is high because of the attention the people pay to higher education, and because the State has a very active county li- brary system. Massachusetts ranks ninth, even in spite of a large for- eign population, because there is a library in every town and the State has a noted edpcational stem. Only last week Miss Lombard had an experience that well illustrates what she is doing. Seventy-six boys and girls from Brunswick, Md.. en- rolled in a reading course in poetr: and have already sent in their criticism of the first poem read as is required. They are children of the seventh grade, and they are reading the course de- signed for third and fourth grades, their teacher very wisely deciding to build up their literary appreciation by start- ing them on the first list. Their criti- cisms were on “The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat” and “Wynken, Blynken and Nod.” * X *x x Miss Lombard is now getting monthly ci out cular letters for the use of | parent-teacher associations in further- ing this work. Three of these letters have been issued; the first carried sug- gestions for programs for parent-teacher associations, the xecond was entitled “Ten Questions a Parent-Teacher Asso- ciation Should Ask litself Before Begin- ning a Campaign for the Health of School Children,” and the third covers what parents should look for in visit- ing the school: The present United States commis- organized | sioner of education has given impetus to Miss Lombard’s work by calling two conferences on home educaiton. The first was held in Lexington, Ky., in 1822, in conjunction with a meeting of the number of | National University Extension Associa- tion. At this initial conference there bers of the Greek cabinet are of the caliber of M. Sophoules, the premier “famous both as 2 man of action and as a scholar,” and M. Rousos, Greece is well served. The refugees from Asia Minor have transferred to Greece the rug and carpet industry that of old contrib- uted so much to the wealth and fame of Smyrna. Industrially and com- mercially the loss of the Asiatic Greeks and Armenians is likely to memory will be green and delightful. | prove a much heavier loss to Turkey than was the loss in_those respects of the Huguenots to France. * ¥ k% Russia.—Conflicting reports con- tinue to arrive concerning the revolts in the Soviet republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Daghestan, in the Caucasus. One notes without dissatisfaction that the relations between the An- gora gnd Moscow governments are becoming less cordial day by d The International Barnsdall Cor- poration of America is reported to have thrown up its concession in the Baku oil fields and_quit, finding the conditions imposed by the Soviet au- thorities too vexatious and ham- pering. According to probably trustworthy statistics the total foreign trade in Russia in 1923, was less than one- that of 1913! the acreage planted was about three-fourths that of 1913; the daily car loadings averaged about 11,600 as against 30,- 500 in 1913; the national income of 1923 was only half that of 1913. It is reported that the Russian gov- ernment has suspended grain exporta- tions. > * ok Ox X United States of America.—Our world ffyers reached Tucson, Ariz., on the 21st, San Diego, Calif., on the 22d, and Santa Monica, Calif., on the 23d. On reaching Santa Monica, they completed the: girdle round the earth in_six months and six days. That indefatigable Arctic explorer, Capt. Donald B. MacMillan, has ar- rived back in Maine with the schoon- er Bowdoin. He is reported to bring fresh evidence to support the hope entertained by some of us that another ice age is close upon us. The captain says he will head North again next June. Congress will be asked in Decem- ber to approve a recommendation of the rivers and harbors committee that the Hudson be dredged from Hudson City to Albany, so as to provide a 27-foot channel all the way (150 miles) from New York to Albany, thus making Albany a port for ocean shipping. The -cost of the work is estimated at $11,000,000, a mere bagatele in consideration of the re- sults contemplated. No doubt Albany, as a trans-shipment point of firsi would soon become a very great city. Its present. popula- tion is 118,000. It is proposed to keep the 'river open by means of ice- breakers throughout the Winter. Addressing the sixth annual con- vention of the United States Fisheries Association the other day, Secretary Hoover presented striking statistics showing the orying need of conserva- tional bar of Egypt.. If all the. mem- tion measures for our fishqries. With-. was & general discussion of pur- poses, means and materials. Extension directors were invited to discuss the practicability of co-operating with the Federal bureau In its home education project. The second national conference on home education was recently held in conjunction with the National Congress of Mothers and Parent-Teacher A soclations at the University of Minne- sota, in Minneapolis. Three important groups were invited—librarians, exten- sian directors of State universities and leaders In parent-teacher associations. There were discussed the possibilities of a plan of co-operation of these three agencies with the United States Bureau of Education in reaching people more effectually with opportunitics for home education. * K Kk This conference gave great en- couragement to Miss Lombard's work, and resulted in the formation of a committee of seven to study the whole subject’ of home education in the United States. The personnel of that committee is a guarantee of stimulated activity in this good cause. The mem- bers are: Representing the National University Extensfon Association, Prof. Charles G. Maphis, University of Vir- ginia, and Prof. Richard R. Price, Uni- versity of Minnesota: representing the American Library Association, J. T Jennings, librarian of the Seattle Public Library, and L. L. Dickinson of the American Library Association; repre- senting the parent-teacher organiza- tions, Mrs. A. H. Reeve, president of the National Congress of Parent-Teacher Associations, and Mrs. D. W. Cooper, president of the New Jersey Congress. Besides setting forth reasons why the Federal bureau should have the co-op- eration of all pgrsons interested in home cducation throlgh the parent-teacher associations, and that a well organized extension division should be maintained in every university to make mportant contributons to the educational program of the State, this conference reported that: “We believe that every community should maintain a public library, ing rural as well as urban population; that every library should be encouraged, with reasonable financial support, to emphasize those types of service which are distinctly educational in character, and the public schools and public libra- ries in co-operation should provide such library facilities and instruction as will insure the training of every pupil in habits of rcading and studying.” *x x % All of this national-wide drive thus weil organized, heads up in Miss Lombard. She now has special colla- borators in 18 States. In one State, Oklahoma, a special demonstration is being made by having the work conducted by the State library com- mission. and with considerable suc- cess. In Louisfana it is conducted in the State normal college. Besides these 18 State eollaborators, the University of Hawaii is also co- operating. As an illustration of the reading courses which Miss Lombard is broadcasting, the last four issued will give an excellent idea of their scope—"Citizenship and Government”; “Pathways to Health,” a reading course for parents; “Sixty Selected Stories for Boys and = Girls” and “Poetical Literature for Boys and Girls." “It is a tragedy that our boys and girls have so little help in the selee- tion of the right kind of reading mat- ter,” savs Miss Lombard. And she is laboring with a woman's persis- tency to correct this condition throughout all the States by encour- aging the cultivation of the habit of reading the best literature. So, you see, there are folks in Uncle Sam'’s service working out their ideals, shooting at stars, and in a practical way helping the citizens to make their lives better, broader and brighter. and to improve the intellec- tual atmosphere of the home. Of course, Uncle Sam has to haggle over taxes and appropriations, but he also works for and takes pride in such work as Miss Lombard is doing to improve the quality of citizenship. The Story the Week Has Told in the last 30 vears the shad and lobster yields have decreased ap- proximately 70 per cent. and the yield of oysters from the Chesapeake by 50 per cent; and a like melancholy tale is told of crabs and other deni- zens of coastal and tidal waters, The Census Bureau estimates that on July 1, 1924, the population of the United States was approximately 112,679,000. The census of 1320 shows 105,711,000. The gain during 1323 Wwas about 1,943.000. The population of New York City is now a little above 6.000.000; that of Chicago about 3,000,000; "that of Philadelphia about 2,000,000, * ¥ %k ¥ Mixcellancous. — Unemployment in Britain continues to increase. after some months of steady decline. The percentage of registered unemployed at the end of August was 10 6-10, as against 9 9-10 at the end of July. The British Trades Union Congress, in session at Hull, England, on Sep- tember § resolved strongly in ap- Dproval of Premier MacDonald's utter- ances at Geneva and of the recently signed Anglo-Russian treaty. A bill submitted by the Danish gov- ernment to the Danish legislature calls for practical abolition of the Danish army and navy. It is proposed to have a frontier constabulary of 7,000 men and a few armed .vessels and seaplanes for maritime police, i. e, the fisheries, etc. The popula- tion of Denmark is about 3,200,000. Of the 4,326,250 French acres ren- dered unproductive by the German in- vasion, 4,023,000 were again under cultlvation Japuary 1, 1924. The .inspections by the interallied military commission of control in Germany have been proceeding sweetly; no trouble whatever. The work began September 8. Negotlations between representa- tives of the governments of Great Britain and Germany, looking to a trade treaty between those govern- ments, were broken ofl. The reason has not been officially disclosed, but it is rumored that the Germans were a “leetle” unaccommodating. Per- haps the true explanation is that the German ‘representatives were embar- rassed by lack of sufficient authority, for the German Foreign Office an- nounces that negotlations are to be re- sumed, “with every prospect of satis- factory results.” The Chinese warriors seem to have been taking it easy during the past week. I do not discover from the dispatches important developments either near Shanghai or in the north- east, where Chang Tso Lin and Wu Pel Fu are expected to try bloody conclusione. Premier Zaghloul of Egypt is in London, discussing with Premier Mac- Donald the Egyptian and Sudanese questions. The Chinese delegates at Geneva continue to agitate for a permanent seat for China on the league council. Thé demand seems to be a perfectly reasonable. one and is supported by the Japanese—a fact which may have more or less significance of whatever sort. Santo Domngo has applied for mem- bership in the League of Nationa AMERICAN MOVIES RULE { Ninety Per Cent of Films Shown in Europe To- | day Originate in United States. BY EDWARD F. ROBERTS, MERICAN movies have conquer- ed the world. In every direc- tion of art, business, science or sport foreign competition may be a factor to be reckoned with, but in the silent drama America stands today ®o supreme that she practically exercises a world- wide monopoly. ery day of the year millions of people, regresenting practically every race and Yanguage Known to carth, sit in theaters scattered from Alaska to Australia and from Pcking to New York, watching antics of American comedians, the daredevil exploits of “wild West” cowboys and bad men or the love ‘passages of our movie queens and heroes. What is more, in the opinion of Marcus Loew, one of the half dozen men who predominate the American moving picture indus- try, America’s movie realm grows wider day by day and there 1s not the slightest’ prospect of hersupremacy being even threatened Ninety per cent of all the films be- ing shown in Europe today are Amer- ican in origin and this percentage is even greater in such countrics as Australia, Japan, China and South Africa, where native production virtuaily nil. What Is the Seeret, T asked Mr. Loew what, in his opin- lon, was the secret of the world-wide popularity of American movies and his answer might be paraphrased by the rather surprising statement that American movies are popular because they are un-American. “France, England, Italy many challenged us in turn in the early days.” said Mr. Loew “Each of them lost the fight because each persisted in thinking in terms of its home market. Krance was the pio- neer, but her producers persisted in making pictures which wer en- ¥ French that they had little ap- outside of their own countrs The two big French producers of those days were Pathe and Gaumont and tod; they are our agents and is and Ger- French production has almost ceased. | The same thing is true of England and other lluropean countries where production was attempted on any large scale at all. American produc- ers saw easily that if they were to win the foreign market they must make pictures which would be as far as possible free from purely national or sectional appeal, but which would tell a story which would win sympa- thy and understanding of men and women of any race.” “How about the ‘wild West' movie? and ‘bad men from the bad are surely 100 per cent Ameri- can and vet they are reported to be very popular in foreign countries.” “The ‘wild West' movie is popular replied Mr. Loew, “just as good adventure stories are popular. “Treasure Island” and the “Three Musketeers” have, 1 believe been translated into alm. language, but t (Continued from First Page.) it is true that if Germany should now or eventually enter the league and become a voluntary member of an or- ganization to preserve peace. ther both Hungary and Bulgaria would be left without any real chance of up- setting the decisions of Paris. There- fore, the real.decision for all three rests with Germany The present session at Geneva amounts to no more than a pro- longed attempt to bring about a com- promise and a viable compromise be- tween the British and the French views of the maintenance of peace. To put the thing a little differently, the effort is to find some way of insuring security, which will be acceptable the Britlsh and the French, some w by which security will be guaranteed not by a combination of nations, act- ual members of the league, but bound to act together. since the league has, as yet, neither authority nor power. but by the league itself. Now it is fairly evident that the so- lution cannot come while Germany remains outside the league or while Germany. inside the league. pays only lip_service to covenant obligations. Today Germany is minded to insist that her entrance into the league shall be accompanied by, benefits, that she shall have restored to her the Polish Corridor, the lost fraction of Upper Silesia and at least some spe- cial privileges in those of her colonies which fell to Great Britain. Such con- ditions if insisted upon would end the discussion at once and Germany would stay outside. Unhappy Outside League. But Germany’s position outside the league s almost certain to become less and less attractive. Her isolation will be embarrassing and her refusal to enter the league will alienate pos- sible friends both among the neutrals and in Great Britain. It will consti- tute in some measure a confession that Germany does not desire peace, that she is really planning a war of revenge and reconquest and this will play into the hands of France and that group of nations adjoining Ger- many, who are insisting upon the need for security. 1f there is one thing which is cer- tain now it is that the great ma of the people of Europe desire peace. The group which centers about France and that which more or less closely follows Britain are a unit on all save the question of how peace can be established and preserved. Any na- tipn which stays outside the league— any European_nation—and manifestly continues to cherish and formulate plans for provoking a new war must presently find itself the object of common European suspicion. The clearer German purpose to make war becomes, the better will be the case of France for guarantees and the more closely France and Britain will be drawn together. Would Tie Germany's Hands. Sooner or later Germany, than, will be forced to enter the league En- tering the league, Germany will un- mistakably recapture a considerable European position. She is bound to be a great power again, but the meas- ure of her influence for a long time to come must depend upon the de- gree to which she accepts the com- mon object of the league, which is to prevent war. Surrounded by na- tions large and small, all of which desire peace, all of which would suf- fer and few-of which could hope for even the minutest gain as a result of a conflict, her hands will be meas- ureably tied for a considerable period of time. The German alternative is_some sort of alliance with Soviet Russia and perhaps a limited understanding with Italy. But to be useful to Rus- sia she would have to depend greatly upon forelgn capital, while the whole bolshevist conception is foreign and hateful to the orderly German mind and the racia) antipathy between the Teuton and the Slav is almost un- extinguishable. As for the Italian alliance, it could hardly be more valuable than the last, the memory of which remains in all German minds. In sum, then, it seems to me almost inevitable that within a relatively brief time Germany will join theY League of Nations, receiving certain- ly a permanent seat upon the coun- cil, Pending German admission, in English or French fiction supreme iff the world. The triumph of the Amer- ican movie has not been based .ow ‘wild West’ pictures, but on what we call ‘social drama’ which simply means stories dealing with the great fundamental human emotions whick are common to men and women -of every color and tongue.” “That is rather a simple recipe™ 1 remarked, “which it would seem foreign producer could follow as well as an° American.” “He could,” responded Mr. “but he has another and bigger handicap to face which is in- surmountable His home market -is so smail that he could not possibly compete with Americans in the amount spent in producing first- class pictures. We have about 17 000 moving picture theaters in the United ates and that means a market that would justify spending vast sums on the production of a picture even if it was never shown outside of this country. All the countries in lurope put together have only about the same number of movie theaters. The German producer has a home market of about 4.900 houses Great Britain has about 3,500, and France has not many more than 2,500 Belgium with its 1,600 theaters and Italy with about 2,200 are fairly well equipped cone sidering their population But there are not more than 1.000 in Spain and about 2,000 in the countries of east- ern Europe. With such limited homa markets no producer in any European country could spend the money which his American competitor spends and the result is that the making of mo- ’non pictures in Europe has practical- | v vanished as an industry. They are "makm: some pictures in Germany |and Ttaly, but not enough to affect | the general situation.” | Russian Possibiliticn. “How about Russian possibilities®” Ru Loew, a is negligible today either s a producer or a consumer, but |there is an enormous market there | for American pictures and some day there will be as many theaters in | Russia as therc are in the United Perhaps the Russian pro- ill come into his own then, a long way ahead to look. “There is another advantage which the American producer has.” continu- ed Mr. Loew, “which gives him a big handicap over any foreign rival. Our enormous cosmopolitan population makes it possible for us to develop stars of every type. We can supply |from our home talent the type of actor or actress who makes the sreatest appeal to any country in the world. A curious thing in connection with that is that the most popular screen stars in Latin countries are not runettes, as might be expected, but | blondes. But whatever type is want- [ed we able to supply it and our hold on the world market is so firm | today that I cannot see any circum- the future which is likeiy it nee in to 1o World Hope of Peace Lies Today in League of Nations en | the very nature of things | anization of peace will be inconclu- | sive. Within the league Germany | will find security against much that she fears—for it must be recognized that German apprehensions of French designs, however unreasonable, are just as’ acute as French of G but her pathway to restored ence in Europe will be easy or diff cult precisely as she accepts or re- jects the European demand for peace. Popular With Small Powers, The League of Nations has no greater recommendation or hold upon vermanency than the opportunity it gives the small states of Europe to exercise a considerable influence upon | European events. Never possessing | it before, helpl ¥ towed after the ETeat powers to their own bitter cost, they have seized upon it with great unanimity and have invariably sent their ablest men to Geneva In the new situation, moreover, the great powers have been placed in the posi- | tion of bidding for the support of tha small, and this is likely to continue for a considerable period of time, given the incvitable differences be- tween the great powers. But since the small powers are the victims of war always, they are bound to bend all their energics to the preservation of peace and to the support of the nations whose efforts are directed to this end. After tho present session of the League of Nations, then, it seems to me, the Geneva experiment will enter anew stage and acquire a greatly in- reased importance, but purely as a uropean factor. If Germany en- and that, too, seems assured, for a period of years, at least the League of Nations will become the embodiment of that rather vague thing which we used to call the con- cert of Europe. What has actually happened, rather suddenly at the end. disclosed alike by the MacDonald triumph in Britain and the Herriot victory in France, is the revelation of the general Eu- ropean desire for peace. Those having this desire have suddenly seized upon the league as the single immediately available instrumentality. It is easy to say—just as it Is obviously eccu- rate—that the real factor is not the league, but the desire for peace, but since the league is now to be the | expression of this desire for peace in Europe, its importance is imensely enhanced. Limited Without Germany. If the German unwillingness to ac- cept the decisions of Paris, in so far as territory is concerned, prevails, then Germany will not enter the league and the league itself will have only a limited importance, since the element of security will long have to be dealt with by some form of spe- cial alliances actually if not techni- cally outside of the league. But such a German course would inevitably put Germany in the position of a common enemy and in the end become intol- erable for her. Germany may enter the league, se- cretly reserving all her aspirations and purposes, but for a considerable period at least she will be fatally handicapped in serving them by her membership in the league. Meantime the frontiers themselves will tend to become established as did those of Vienna, which, constructed to last seven years, endured nearly seven times seven, and finally went down, not from the attacks feared when they were constructed, but under the attack of forces unforeseen when they were drawn. In any event, aside from all else the present Geneva session must be long memorable as the first au- thentic and unmistakable demonstra- tion of the return in Europe of the eftective desire for peace. (Copyright, 1924, by the MecClure Newspa; = Syndicate.) i e Champion Barrel Builder. From the Popular Science Magazine. In these days of dancing, whistling and fiddling champions there now ap- pears William J. Murphy, who {claims to be the champion barrel | maker in the United States. He holds a record of making 120 barrels a day for 44 days straight, a total of 5,230 barrels in all. Murphy, who is em- ployed by a cooper in South Bos- ton, Mass, challenges all comers to dispute his title 4