Evening Star Newspaper, November 7, 1924, Page 6

* mted with the Liberals. He held vari- THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY.. .November 7, 1924 THEODORE W. NOYES. . . Editor **The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office, 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave, New Yort' Office: 110 Fast aimd St. Chicago Offce: Tower Building European Office : 16 Rtegent St.,London, England. ‘The Evening Star, with the Runday moraing @dition, is delivered by carriers within ""J wity at 60 cents per mouth: daily only, 43] Cents "per ‘month; Nunday oniy. 20 cents per Smonth.” Orders inay be sent by mall or tele: Phone Main 5000. "Collection is made by car- Tiers at the ‘ed of each wonth. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance, Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday. .1 yr., $8.40; 1 mo., 70c Daily only LEyr, $6.00; 1 mo., H0¢ Sunday on 1y, $2.40; L mo,, 20¢ All Other State: Daily and Sunday.1 yr., $10.00; 1 mo., Daily Sunday only. $3.00; 1 mo., Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled o the “use for republication of all news dis- watches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the I news pub- lished hereln, ~All rights of publication of ®pecial dispatches herein are also reserved. The Busted Bugaboo. When the La Follette third-party Mmovement was launched last spring | it was freely predicted that it would prove to hold a balance power in | enough States to determine the elec- tion, perhaps to the extent of thro ing States to the Democrats sufficient- 1y to give them a majority in the ele toral college. Later the belief pre- vailed in many quarters that it would cause such a loss to the Republicans | in the West as to prevent Mr. Cool- idge from securing an electoral ma- Jority, thus throwing the election into Congress. Toward the of the ! campaign the latter possibility was/ virtually the sole hope of the Demo- crats. In those States where party movement was Republican party close the third- strongest the conducted an in- tens e campaign, aggressively at- tacking the anti-constitutional pro- posals of the third party., Good times | brought great numbers of farmers | back to their traditional allegiance. ‘The chance of a default in the elec- ! toral college served as a challenge to the voters to determine the choice for | themselves. And, above all, the pe sonality of the President served to bring into the Republican lines many | wavering voters, who had earlier been | drawn off by specious promises, by | Tecitals of the scandals attaching to earlier administrative conduet. A study of the tables of votes. as| sle to compile then Follette movement | h strength to hold | the balance of power. In eight State that are now -carried in the Coolidge | column the Follette vote was | greater than the President’s plurality, | in some of them La Follette leading | Davis, in others trailing. But the elec: | toral votes of those eight States are | | La small. They only total 43. This num- ber, deducted from the 382 which are Tiow accredited to Coolidge, according to the latest revised returns, which in- clude Arizona, New Mexico and North | Dakota, would leave 339 rlr«-lnrdll‘ votem, or far more than enough to] elect. H The States in which the La Follette | vote at the present recording was| greater than the Coolidge plurality | are Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Mary- land, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico end North Dakota. Had the Davis and La Follette votes been combined in these eight States in favor of the leading one of the two Davis would have carried four, Arizona, Kentucky, Maryland and New Mexico, with electoral votes, and La Follette four, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and North Dakota, with 16 votes. Thus a com- plete coalition in favor of the dom-| inant minorities in all of the eight States named would have given Davis 163 electoral votes, La Foliette 29 and Coolidge 339, thus giving the President an electoral plurality over | Davis of 173 votes and an electoral majority over all of 147. To throw the election into Congress it would have been necessary for La , Follette 1o hold the balance or secure the plurality in such States as Cali- fornia, where the President had 206,- 000 plurality at the present reckoning; Colorado, where he had 111,000; Towa, ‘Wwhere he had 257.000; Kansas, where he had 218,000. If, asiit is now indi- «<ated, he polled 4,000,000 votes it is Plain that those votes were too widely scattered to have affected the result. For example, approximately 350,000 of them were cast in Ohio, 450,000 of them in New York, 300,000 of them in * Tlinois and 270,000 of them in Penn- - sylval Thus 1,370.000 of his votes were cast in four States in which he had no chance whatever of victory, end where they had no effect upon the result The La Follette bugaboo thus ap- Pears to have been a very flimsy af- falr, after all. ——— Present political indications make the prospects for cow-milking contests as features of Washington social en- tertainment less favorable than In the | past. ————————— The New British Ministry. Stanley Baldwin, the new prim minister of Great Britain. has an- : mounced his cabinet, with the result : of causing much surprise and griev- ous disappointment in London. The first name on the list, that of “Winston Churchill, has giver a, seri- ous shock to the old-line Conserva- tives. He is appointed to the office ©f chancellor of the exchequer, swhich is the most important in the ministry below the premiership. (Churchill broke away from the Cons servative party about 20 years ago on the free trade question and affili- w©ous offices in Liberal ministries, but he gradually developed differences with his new party associates until . |t the last election he broke away mnd ran independently for Parliament ¢ms a “Constitutionalist” and won his seat. His return to the Conservative Fanks is now manifested in the grant ©f this high office, on which it is Xknown he has set his ambition for years. His father, Lord Randolph (Churchill, held the chancellorship | Garden when he resigned from the govern- ment at Christmas in 1886, upon the breakdown of his health. The appointments have caused the displacement of several men of emi- nence in the Conservative party. Evidently Premier Baldwin is bent upon organizing a ministry capable of co-operation and-avoiding the fric- tions that were developed during the last Conservative regime. Lord Cur- zon of Kedleston, who many expected would be the foreign secretary, is given the honorable, but not so im- portant, post of president of the coun- cil and leader of the House of Lords. To Austen Chamberlain, son of Jo- seph Chamberlain, goes the foreign office, and this appointment is be- lieved to indicate, together with that of Churchill and Birkenhead, who be- comes secretary to India, that the “die-hard” faction, which sought to dominate the preceding Baldwin min. istry and brought about the election in which MacDonald’'s Laborites gained the control, has been displaced. These appointments have caused an outburst of rage in uitraconservative circles. It is evident, however, that Baldwin's purpose is to reorganize the ‘onservative party and to seek ac- cessions from the Liberals, who are nearly at the vanishing point as a distinct political party. i The political situation created by these appointments is pecullar. The discontented Tories, or “die hards” of the Conservative party, have no place of refuge. They cannot conceivably Jjoin the Liberals, for whom they have ©ven less regard than for the Labor- ites. AIll they can do is to sulk in im- potent indignation. If Stanley Bald- win's ministry makes good in con- structive administration, this dissent is not likely to weaken it. He has so large a majority in the House of Com- mons that he can easily get along without the steadfast support of the comparatively small faction of die hards. —————— Democratic Plans for 1928. Scarcely had the last of the ballots fallen into the boxes on Tuesday be- fore leading Democrats began to talk treely and openly about 1928. During the campaign they could not discuss the party prospects for the next fight, or engage in personal comments on leadership and management. Short of actually Dbolting the Davis-Bryan ticket, they could only go through the motions of loyal keep silent about the Madison Square convention and the make- shifts of the campaign. made neces- sary by the peculiar situation which that meeting created. Now they are at it, the McAdoo supporters and the Smith supporters— at it vigorously—and are talking about 1 in a way that indicates four vears of fively work for their respec- tive favorites. Mr. Davis declares that he is now tired of politics, is keeping apart from these discussions and will soon make a sea trip to rest from the campaign before resuming his law practice. It is not believed that he will again figure in national Demo- cratic party affairs, @ov. Smith’s “successful campaign for re-election against the great tide of Caolidge sentiment has undoubtedly given him an increased prestige as a natfonal Democratic figure. It has in the judgment of some made him vir: tually the leading Democrat. Mr. Me- | Adoo had no suoh success at the polis to sustain him in his ambition to take the party leadership. He has, in fact, never won an elective office. Yet he has a large ‘and, as the New York convention showed, a loyal following. There are many who are now con- tending that if he had been nominated he would have given Mr. Coolidge a harder run than Mr. Davis did. On this point, however, there s con- iderable dissent. For the present, "probably, Mr. Shaver will continue as chairman of the Democratic national committee, though he has no inclination to re- main in that post. He was Mr. Davis’ personal selection. Upon the question of his successor will probably come the first conflict of the two major Democratic factions, and doubtless maneuvers will be started early by both of them to secure a majority of the national committee. Already there is talk of further Honors for Gov. Smith, His new term will expire on the 1st of January, 1927. In November preceding New York will elect a Senator. His name is even now being mentioned as a pro- spective candidate for that office against Senator Wadsworth. Should he be then a candidate for the Senate and win he will have a decided advan- tage over Mr. McAdoo, unless the lat- ter has meanwhile manifested politi- cal strength, ¥ A senatorship likewise will be voted | for in California in 1926, and a Mc- Adoo candidacy for that office is now rated as one of the possibilities as a move in this most interesting contest for leadership. Meanwhile, & revival of the discus- sion over the two-thirds and unit rules of the Democratic conventions is ex- pected. Those rules played an impor- tant part in the deadlock at Madison Square Garden, and an effort to change them is likely to be made. Judging from the past, however, it is safe to predict that at the nomination meeting of 1928 the Democratic party will proceed as in the past with both rules, certainly the two-thirds rule, in operation. v ——————— The Russian government shows a hopeful inclination to be more inter- ested in business than In bolshevism. A Strange Dog. * It is hard to turn from politics to dogs, but the actions of a particular dog that has just broken into the news are interesting. He fs interest- ing, not because of actions, but be- cause of inaction.- When the feading dogs of his party hear about it they are likely to read him out, dr chase him out. Headlines havé many times announced: “Dog Saves Master From Drowning,” “Dog Gives Alarm of Fire,” *Dog Chases Off Burglars,” etc. But this dog stood supinely by while danger and & pistol faced his master. It is told that'a man of. Yonkers party support and ! | ] THE EVENING - for the dog.” Yet he handed over his wallet and the rasval drove away in his automobile. Not once did this dog annihilate the chair-section of the footpad's pants. Not once did he call in accents fierce, ‘‘Begone, thou evil one, and let my master take his peaceful way!" Not once did he think to treat the rob- ber's heels as a wad of chewing gum or a ham bone. Not once did he lift his voice in protest. It 'was shameless. It would be in- teresting to know the family history of that dog. His father must have been a coyote and his mother a Welsh rabbit. He must have been fed on warm milk out of a gold-rimmed gaucer and have passed his'cvenings on a sofa cushion embrvidered with the words ‘“My Pet.” No dog like this Yonkers dog is known in Washington, ———t————— Rain Coming? The Weather Bureau forecast this morning a partly cloudy day, and the forecast for tomorrow is: “Rain and colder; fresh southwest winds.” Many days of this remarkably fine Fall have been partly cloudy. Sometimes a gray and misty sky has made threat of rain, but often this overhead condition has been brief and slanting sunlight has broken through. There has been that smoky, hazy outlook normal to Fall in the Potomac Valley, and some persons see in this haze not only gray but many shades of purple, blue | and rose. ¢ 4 in in considerable volume comes tomorrow most of the Autumn leaves will pass. The varied reds of the caks and maples, the pink and crimson of the dogwood, the scarlet of the sumacs, the gay reds of the sour gum, the pinks, wins and purple- black of the sweet gum and the yel- lows of the poplars, beeches and sycamores will vanish. The colors of Autumn have faded, and the remain- ing leaves have but a feeble hold on the trees. Many of the elms, beeches and caks have dropped a large part of their foliage, and the floor of the woods is deqp under this year’s fallen leave With one heavy rain the branches of the trees will be bare ex- cept in the case of some of the hard- iest caks, which will hold tufts and clusters of dry, rattling leaves through all the storms of Winter. All the species of golden rod have turned or are fast turning gray, the white and blue asters have grown old and frayed, and that vast and per- plexing family of yellow ray and disc flowers has nearly disappeared. A lit- tie rain and a few gusts of wind will change the face of the country. No one complfns. The trees and plants need a rest to make ready for the leaf-and-flower festival of 1925, and we have had a Fall which com- penmtes us for the tardy Spring. —————. There is no doubt that John W. Davis made a gallant fight. But no one who listened in on that Madison Square Garden convention could fail to be impressed with the idea that he had gotten a bad start —————— China's affairs are interesting and highly involved. One of the needs of that country in adjusting itself to modern civilization appears to be a competent and industrious news serv- ice. SO — Conflict might be postponed indef- initely if an understanding could be reached that Europe‘is not to start another war until the last one has been paid for. ———————— National issues do not suffice to obliterate local popularities. La Fol- lette was as strong in Wisconsin as Al Smith was in New York. B e —— The great and absorbing topic of evolution may now claim the studious attention of Col. W. J. Bryan without fear of further interruption. Al Smith succeeded in scoring in a year which has been rather conspicu- ously unfavorable to- favorite sons. — SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER, JOHNSON. Talk, “The Silent Vote” through And bade the Nation start anew. ‘They sigh, who failed the vote to clutch, “We Talked Too. Much! Too Much!” came romping ‘We Talked The saddest words of tongue or pen That bring remorse to mortal men Are these: “I put myself in Dutch. I Talked Too Much! .I Talked Too Much!” Starting a Slogan, “Didn't you express the suspicion that the election might result in a deadlock that would make the Gov- ernor of Nebraska President?” “Sur replied Senator Sorghum. “I'm the fellow who started the slogan, ‘‘Coolidge or Chaoe!'” The Campaign’s Over. We listen now to bedtime tales And to the saxophonic screech. The radio its jazz exhales Uninterrupted by a. speech. Jud Tunkins says a college profes- mor gets in the habit of meeting youngsters who know less than he does that he's liable to get to thinking the whole public is that way. Looking Forward. The vote has silenced all regrets As patiently we wait. Already they are meking bets On 1828. Sympathy. “We have had a lot of sympathy,” remarked Si Simlin. “Yes,” answered Farmer Corntos sel, “and we're liable to need some more. There's a slick feller around in this neighborhood sellin’ oil stocks.” Investigations. Investigations have dispersed ‘. My faith, and.I regret it. I really think I know the worst. I'm struggling to forget it. . “De discovery of a new comet,” said Uncle Eben, “makes a heap o' talk. was walking with his dog-at night. A |But when you comes right down to robber came . up and said: “I want human requirements, 'taint. near as The man, thus rudely| important as de discovery of & two- : “You'd better look out dollar bill in last Winter's pants.” ST, WASHINGTON ‘D. C; FRIDAY; NO THIS AND THAT By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Where are they going to, all these people who move up and down Penn- sylvania avenue? The “sidewalks of New York” may be more crowded, but they offer no more variety in human nature than do the pavements of our own broad way. On them daily pass so many people that there is scarcely any one who has not, at some time or other, stop- ped to wonder. Where have they all come from, and where are they going? Ceaselessly they stream by, from early morning hours to late at night, in both directlons, at varying paces, in variegated clothes, old, young, mid- dle-aged, the old-young and the young-old, walking, walking, walk- ing. Similarly on other streets the peo- ple pass, so that Pennsylvania ave- nue may be taken as a sample of them all, not only here, but of every blg street in every great city. Where do they come from, where are they going? * * % % If T could answer that T could write a novel greater than Balzac ever con- ceived, because it would be the hu- man comedy up to date, in all its flashing aspects, with all its humor and all its tragedy. Think not for an instant that this passing throng is commonplace. Be- cause we meet it dally, and are very part of it, does not take away from the mystery of its daily flow. Tt is humanity in action, life “do- ing its stuff,” men and women going about their business, and, it is to be hoped, minding their own business. Minding one’s own business is one of the biggest jobs in life, and at the same time one of the most important. Mind your own business, and other folks' business will more—or less— take care of itself. Every one of these passing people (“persons” may be technically cor- rect, but it is too impersonal!) is a human being just exactly like our- selves. Let this give pause to the snob, the stuck-up, the supercilious, the indifferent. Every unit in this crowd. endlessly changing faces and places, is the cen- ter of the world to itself. One does not have to be conceited to admit that he is the center of the world—to himself. Around him. necessarily, the world revolves, botk actually and figuratively. He is like a radio transmitting stad tion that sends its waves out broad- cast, flashing in all directions at the rate of 186,000 miles a second. Im- pressiona of the world come to him from every angle, and in every way, and | from everywhere, but they must come to him where he stands. 1f he goes to Eufope, then news of America must come to him across the sea. If he comes home and stands himself on Pennsylvania avenue to watch the pedestrians. he views them from where he stands. Life is like that. We look at it from our own viewpoint. That is why it is necessary to have clear eyes and a clean heart, and try our best o be fair-minded, for if we do not we will find our viewpoint smeared up considerably. Each one of these men and women comes from some sort of home, and will g0 back there ultimately. Basical- 1y it will be a home such as you adorn, the kind of a place Paine wrote “Home, Sweet Home” about. He did not write it with such and such a style of architecture in mind. He did not declare that the home must contain the latest thing in table lamps, or have the menials segre- gated on the ground floor, while the IN TODAY’S BY PAUL V. COLLINS. The exhaustion of America’s forest supplies is a familiar topic, and many solutions of the problem have been offered by statesmen and forestry students. They cover plans for re- forestation of denuded areas both through Federal and State aid, not only as to pub@: lands, but also pri- vate, cut-over holdings. Now comes an effort from a standpoint which is not so hackneyed—a study as to how the waste of timber by the lumber mills, the factorieg. the paper mills and the public generally may be cur- tailed. The annual wastage isin- credibly enormous. Shortly before his death Becretary Wallace of the Department of Agri- culture called a conference upon “Wood Waste Prevention,” to be held in the National Museum November 19 and 20. This has been confirmed by Acting Secretary Gore, and prepa- rations, under: the direction of the Bureau of Forestry, indicate that the conference will be one of the most important that have been held this year. “In the official agenda of the-con- ference is the following statemen “In addition to the drain of 32.4 billion cubic feet, there is a waste in the forest itself, from fire, decay, én- sect attack and windfall of about 2.4 billion cublc feet. * ¥ % % “It is obvious that if the present rate of drain continues unrelieved, and if there were no growth increment the nation’s entire stand of timber would be wiped out in a comparative- ly few years—the saw timber in about 37l2 vears, and the cordwood in about 22 years. “The rate of drain is not likely to decrease; In fact economic studies point to the conclusion that, although our per capita consumption of wood is_declining, our wood requirements will increase from year to year with the increase of population.” While the time limit for exha tion is estimated as nearly four decades—though other estimates put the limit at half that period—the praetical eonsideration is that within fifteen years, the near-by lumbder will be gone, and the only remaining sup- plies will come from the Far West, and even from points 8o remote from railroads that the cost will become prohibitive except for extreme needs. Every State except Oregon, Washing- ton and Idaho imports lumber. Origi- nally the territory east of the Mis- slssippi River contained acres of forest; now only 68 million acres are left. West of the great plains there were 140.8 million acres of forests; now there remain only 77 million acges, and much of that is distant from railroads, and in moun- tain regions. * x x % It is pstimated that if the economies in the’ handling and use of lumber, which are already demonstrated as practical, were put into general prae- tice, about two-ninths of the present drain on forests would be eliminated. Additional economies through such conferences as the forthcoming meet- ing will add another two-ninths to the saving. For example: A raflroad track re- quires 2,640 ties per mile. Untreated with preservatives, the ties last only five years, so it is necessary to re- place an average of 528 ties per mile annyally. If the ties are treated with preservative, the operation makes far less labor than that labor required to replace the rotten ties annually, and the treated ties last fifteen years. The snnual need, therefore, is 176 ties per mile; and 328 ties are saved. One tree does the work of three, 3sid from the saving of labor. Similaf wastage ocours is bufld- tngg and in all manufscturiag. "THis wastage is out of all proper- “higher ups” held lofty conversation upstairs. Paine did not prescribe either brick, stucco, siding, shingles or any other material for home, sweet home, but said simply: “Be it ever so humble, there's no-o place like home.” From homes and back to homes— that is the history of all these pass- ersby, from yonder well dressed busi- ness man to that ragged fellow just sprinting out of the way of an auto- moblle, * ok ok K Let us take a good look at the first 10 people who pass, for as these are all the rest shall be. You might spend the remainder of your life studying Pennsylvania avenue types, and at the end yougwould know no more or be any further advanced in your study. Here are the tenpins in this game of life: 1. A typical business man, dressed in neat gray-blue suit, somewhat but not too much English cut, cavorting along In bright yellow shoes. He is a “go-getter,” whatever that is. He belongs to a luncheon club, where he sings songs and does other pleasant things which no respectable business man would think of doing by him- sell. 2. A girl in a striped coat, bearing a paper-wrapped package under her left arm. Nothing particularly strik- ing about her, just somebody’s girl, or somebody’s wife, homeward bound from a store, or on her way to spend the day at the home of a fricnd. 3. An old man, gray, thin, gold glasses, stand-up collar with neat black tle. He is healthy in that wiry way many elderly men have, never has a cold and chews tobacco at a lively rate. He seems in a tremen- dous hurry this morning. 4. A mounted policeman, unmount- ed, in no hurry at all, leisurely saun- tering along, looking at the parked automobiles. He has gray hair, and a face that reminds one, some way or other, of the clean-cut features of Col. C. O. Sherrill. 5. Another elderly man, blue suit, standardized felt hat, gold eyeglasses, typical of millions of good husbands and fathers—one of the silent heroes of whom that classic was written, “Everybody Works But Father.” 6. A copy boy for some newspaper. He has a batch of copy in his left hand —copy that probably ought to have been in his office more than an hour ago. You will be lucky if you ses it in the paper today. 7. A respectable, clean-cut looking colored man, maybe a messenger from one of the Government departments. 3. A young man, gray cap, grayer suit; his curiously red face gleaming in between. Is that color the result of sunshine and wind, or was it put on with a cream guaranteed to give one “that manly, outdoors look?” 9. A typical middle-eged lady. ‘There is no need to describe her—she is every one's mother. 10. A blind man. % ¥ ¥ If Socrates would come strolling by now, we would yell, “Look at that crook,” and call for the police. Soc- rates himself said, “I know my face depicts all villainy, but I have a mind that outbalances my tendencies.” It is a hard thing judging persons by their looks. We may be all wrong in our list of 10. Maybe if we could only know all about them that there is to know we would have to revise it considerably. But there, let it stand, a record of Pennsylvania avenue in an off mo- ment, as typical of all moments as the drop of water is typical of the 681 million [\ ocean, from which it came. “SPOTLIGHT tion to the annual lumber production, because it takes place in the lumber already in use. In the case of railroad | ties, the annual needs of new ties amounts to about 110 million, but the number already upon tracks and there decaying, exceed 1,150 million. The annual cut of timber for new build- ARLINGTON “Unknown, yet well known.” . Armistice day, which is fast ap- proaching, will find many m: pilgrimage to Arlington, the “God's Acre.” It is a visit ever to be remembered. First, in the scquence of time, appropriately we come to the Civil War burying ground and the old amphitheater with its graceful arches, vy and trumpet vine richly covering stone and brick and mortar, It is beautiful with the mellow beauty of age and treasured memory. Lee's dig- nified colonial mansion, and nearby Soldiers and Sallors’ Monument, then the mast of the battleship “Maine, recovered from Havana harbor, guard- ing like a sentinel the gravestones of the men whose bodies were brought forth from their watery grave when the ship was raised. These latter re- call the history of a short, vigorous war fought for a great principle. The memorial stone of the “Rough Riders teems with interest and memory of their great colonel, the strenuous, full-lived Roosevelt. The wew amphitheater impresses You at onee with its perfect propor- tion and. the feeling of rest which you get from balanced architectural structures, Within the building is a beautiful statue of gold raised on a high marble pedestal which bears an inscription in Chinese, cent as a gift from China. The figure bears an olive branch. Glass covered cases on tables and along the walls inclose various other tributes. The signed cards and ribbons which came with the bou quets sent by prominent men, Presi dent Harding, Gen. King George of Kngland are in a separate case, On the card of the last is written: » “As Unknown, yet well known, As dying, and behold we live. GEORGE R. 1" Also there are a great many fine tab- lets and carved bronzes of palms and wreaths from France, Belgium, Eng- land, Italy and Portugal, combining the richness of taste and wealth of imagi- nation characteristic of the foreign artifices. Al the medals awarded for bravery given by our country and the allies are there. A huge golden star from the Gold Star Mothers and a large medal from the Daughters of 1812, rec- ognitions from the American Legion, the Disabled ‘American Veterans of the World War and kindred veteran or- ganizations here and abroad, as well as civie clubs such as the Rotary, are represented. An Indian chief’s full cos- tume hangs by itself in a case on the wall. * % % % Across the road from the mew am- phitheater building, at the foot of its steps, lies the severely plain, bold de- sign of the Tomb of the Unknown Sol- dier. France has buried her unknown hero beneath the famous Arc de Tri- omph, the British Empire has honored hers by ing the symbolic body of her unkn soldier in the historic Westminster Abbey, where he keeps company with Kings and poets and statesmen which have distinguished the Anglo-Saxon race, but it is doubtful in a country dedicated as is ours, to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” if another spot could be more fittingly chosen. The great expanse of country about breathes the very spirit of free- dom. The ground slopes far down to the Potomac River, with richly clad hills surrounding. You look over the tomb to memorials to two other na- | tional heroes, the heaven-pointing tri- umph of marble shafts and the dignity and beauty which combined make the Lincoln Memorial rise so_majestically across the water. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is of plain white stone, carrying to conclusion the mystery and reverence enshrined in America’s heart for her unknown hero, for there is no inscription on the tomb itself. Here is carved imperishably our gratitude as a Nation to all those who, regardless of their rank or position in the Army or Navy or private life, paid the supreme sacrifice, An officer may be buried here, but greater honor than to a liv- ing general is gratefully rendered per- haps to a buck private. Nor wealth nor birth nor position count here; only an heroic death. As silently you stand in civilian salute it seems as though you are not alone. All that countless host who obey the highest impulse in man— impassioned love for country — gladly having given their all as their greatest privilege, are nearby, unseen comrades. Your choking is not an emotion of ings is 15 billion board feet, but the lumber already in bufldings and subject to decay is 250 billlon board feet, 5o that it is necessary, accord- ing to the Bureau of Plant Industry, to use 15 per cent of the annual out- put of bullding lumber simply to make up for deca: The same suthority reports thet 50 per cent of the annual supply of rail- road ties goes to cover decay; 50 per cent of fencing lumber, 50 per cent of telegraph poles, 25 per cent of piling and 10 per cent of pulp wood— all this is the annual tax caused by decay. In_the case of pulp wood the wastage comas in the piles of supplies lying in the yards of pulp mills. Bet- ter handling and the general appli- cation of preservatives would elimi- nate two-thirds of the decay, * Kok x There is wastage, to0, in.the use of large dimenpion stuff where small pieces and small timber would answer the same purpose. It is in that that lies great economies to the mills making “ready-cut houses” since they use up the seraps. Similarly, furniture factories may utilize small pieces for chairs and table legs and other parts of furniture, where now they waste the small scraps and cut the parts out of large dimensions. In the making of paper it has been supposed to be necessary to mix a certain amount of spruce’and hem- lock with the cheaper aspen to pro- duce a strong paper. Thé booklet which contains the program of the conference is printed upon a very superior paper made in Cloquet. Minn., exclusively of aspen, or, as it is popularly known, “popple.” Thus a very important gaving of spruoe and hemlook is demonstrated as prac- tial economy—timber indispensable in buflding of bridges and other structures. * ® XX Aside from the prevention of waste in the mills and”from deoay, it is possible to economize greatly by bet- ter architecture and engineering in the construction of wooden bridges and bulldings. In former times, when there appeared no limit to timber, no attention was given to accurate knowledge 'of strains and resistance of timbers, and in many cases from three to four times as much wood was used as was really needed. * K * ¥ Out of this first conference on the proper utilization of forest products will come propositions for standardi- zation of practices both in forestry and in manufactures and extension of educational agents for the purpose of informing the public as to the best practices in such lines. The research work to study the wastage and the means for meeting or eliminating it will be urged. This is quite aside from the old efforts to encourage re- forestation and is even more im- mediately practicable and beneficial, for, while a newly planted forest will serve the needs of generations 100 years ahead, the lumber economies will gerve present needs. A perma- nent advisory board will be estab- lished to consjder utilization of for- est produets. Europe long ago ceased to use lum- ber as we are still doing and substi- tuted -stone buildings, concrete and metal. Europe's fire losses are known to be much less than ours, but, in addition to the saving of fire loss, there is an equal saving in the decay of lumber and the loss through jn- sects attacking lumber ia houses and other structures. (Copyright, 1924, by Pasl V. Oellias.) which to be ashamed. * % X ¥ “Row on row” white crosses, mark- ing the graves of the soldiers and sailors of the World War, mute testi- mony of the Unknown Soldier's bud- dies giving their lives, make an un- forgettable impress upon mind and heart. By their very simplicity—only the name and branch of service, sur- mounted by a small Maltese cross or star—these unpretentious yet digni- fied stones, uniform in size and shape and design, make a supreme appeal. Thinking of scenes overseas, once again seeming to see the faces, toO hear cheery laughs, voices long still- ed, all of which even in memory had been crowded out by the push and progress of the bustling everyday world, here is a profound peace and a triumphant assurance of what is worth while, the choosing to die for a noble cause, not to live in com- placent, selfish security. You stand in the presence of the mystery of the ages, death; you are taken out of yourself into a truth transcending human knowledge and experience, immortal life. Your heart is one with the Unknown Soldier, and his peace yours. ROSCOE CONKLING HATCH, Formerly First Lieutenant, Chaplain 168th Infantry, 42d Division. Tree Obstructs View of Clock To the Editor of The Star: Your announcement of the decision of the city heads to replace the trees on Thirteenth street was gratitying, and their action will be appreciated by pe- destrians in the downtown district dur- ing the hot, long Symmer days. ‘There is one street, however, on Pennsylvania avenue, opposite the Post Office Department building, where for a long time only two trees have been left standing, and the lower branches of one tree are allowed to completely ob- struct one face of a handsome street clock, especlally from street car riders approaching it from the west. This useful clock and others like it, which are kept in order, should be appre- clated as a public benefaction, and I am sure the tree experts of the city would receive the grateful thanks of the com- munity if they would remove those ob- structing lower limbs, or remove the tree altogether and replace it with new plantings at the Raleigh Hotel corner. HARRIETTE HIFTON KING. Defends Plain Clothes Traffic Policemen To the Editor of The Star: 3 The Washington Safety Council has a sign reading, “Play fair in-'tramé. Await your turn.” This 'is good advice, but it would be better observed if required by a Government regulation providing that no vehicle pass any other vehicle in motion in any very congested area, such areas to be designated by signa. Experience shows that officers . in plain .clothes are necessary :to, cagch -ro(nr-« - Bpeeding 'usually.’-occurs when no officers ApPear to be in sight. A speed domon has no conscience. THOMAS W. GILMER. Pershing and | Q. Is there a word for the setting of the moon which corresponds to.the word “moonrise?'—C, J. M. A. The word “moonset” it used just as the word sunset is. Q. What language is used in the Swiss Parliament?—A.. D, F. A. In the Swiss Legislature members addressing the house may use either German, French or Italian, since edu- cated Swiss are apt to know at least two or three languages. If requested, the interpreter must give the sub- stance of the address made. Any mo- tion or report is read in the two of- ficlal languages, German and French. Q. What per cent of the people of the United States are lefi-handed?— B. R. A. It has been estimated that about 6 per cent of the population of this country is left-handed. Q. How much crude rubber is there in a fabric tire?—J. F. McF. A. There are about ‘five pounds of crude rubber used in a 30x3%-inch fabric tire. Q. Has the mummy of King Tut been taken from fts tomb?—W. B. A. The body of King Tut-ankh- Amen has not been removed from its tomb. At the present time the sub- Ject is not under discussion. Shortly | before the tomb was sealed it was |announced that the body of the King would not be placed on exhibition in th’o. as rumor had said would be one. Q. What is the average monthly consumption of gasoline in the United States?—T. S. | A. During August all reeords for {consumption of gasoline in this country were broken. The quantity used, according to the Interior De- partment, was 918,500,000 gallons. ‘This was 30,000,000 gallons more than in July, and 16.5 per cent more than in August last year. Q. Who now has the guardianship of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusa- lem?—L. S. A. At Bucharest the Greek Patri- arch Damianas officially conferred the guardianship of the Holy Sepul- chre on King Ferdinand. The King succeeds the late Czar Nicholas of Russia in this office, since Romania is now censidered the chief Greek Cath- olic Orthodox power. Q. When will the next total e-lipse of the sun be seen in the United States?>—G. T. A. A. It will occur on January 24, 1 and will be seen in the Minnesota to Byffalo and New Haven. It will be seen as a partial eclipse practically all over the United States. Q. When was tea first used as a beverage?—H. B. G. A. According to a Chinese legend it was discovered by the Emperor Chinnung 2737 B. C. From China it was carried into Japan and finajly reached Europe through the Dutch. . Q. Please send me formula “for colorless iodine?—O0. A. S. A. The farmula, according to the 70 gr.; potassium iodide, 50 gr.; dis- tilldd water, 50 mils.; alcohol, suffi- cient quantity to make 1,000 mils. Q. Why do hydraulic companies plant_pine trees around reservoirs? —B. B. C. A. Pine trees are planted around the reservoir as a protection for the property from lightning. Q. Is it true that in ascending and descending the workmen on the Shenandoah are shifted to accom- plish_same?—W. E. J. A. In ascending or descending the ZR-3 and Shenandoah do not shift the crew. The airship ascends by letting off sand ballast and desoends by letting off gas; through the use of the elevator, the nose is pointed either upward or downward. Q. Who first served “pork and beans’?—W. N. ; A. A national dispenser of this popular food says that they were first served by an Englishman, Daniel Day Good, who, on the first Friday of every July, invited his friends to a picnic of pork and beana Q. What is rogue's yarn?—J. G. A. This is & yarn of a distinctive twist, color or material, incorporated into navy cordage te identify it if stolen or to trace the maker in case of defect. Q. What Presidents were related to each other Lew Dockstader, famous minstrel man whose jokes and songs enter- tained thousands of two generations, is mourned by the press as the last great leader of what probably is the most truly American form of stage amusement—the old-fashioned negro minstrel. “If monuments are raised to men who make the world think, surely flowers should be planted for those vho move it to Kindly laughter,” suggests the Atlanta Journal, and “to that blessed company belonged Lew Dockstader, whose firal curtain has fallen upon half a century of minstrel mirth.” As a comedian Lew was ever unique, adds the Journal, for “he brought to the stage so homey a sense of humor and a manner so unprofessional that his audlence looked upon him more as a pleasant com- rade who had dropped in to enter- tain them than as one with a part to play and a singularly difficult reputation to sustain.” He had “a lovable hilarity that seemed and and probably was inborn,” continues the Baltimore Sun, because “he did not make fun; he produced it already 'made from the depths of his cheerful personality—and - what a stock of it he had on which to draw for the en- tertainment of a grateful public!” In the opinion of the Albany Knickerbocker Press, “Lew Dock- stader left to the people of America 2 legacy of more than happy mem- orfes, framed in the glow of the foot- lights and worded in the language of Mr. Bones. The greater legacy is in_his psychological analysis of the public mind in the matter of fun. Dockstader proved that America likes simple, wnaflmmc humor, and that it is not nmecessary to_ obtain the American laugh by the route risque.” He began with clean fun, recalls the Ohlo State Journal, “and he kept it clean, no watter ~how great tlie temptation “might have been to broaden the minstrel -wit and -draw the applause of the unthinking.” In this_connection the New York Her- ald-Tribune adds: '“Few_men have had higher jdeals of public life than this ‘last minstrel’ or have done more to make a belief in them contaglous. While he liyed and took part in it the minstrel show énjoyed widespread popularity. - He had ;no vanity, no conviction that it was his mission to uplift the masses. Yet he did far more toward giving the American people the right perspective than have many men of far greater preten- slons.” ;. Sk ok ok ok i Aftor all, the: Manchaster Union thinkg “if & man's mission in lite 18 that of amusing people;-of causing them to forget mundane troubles and of sending them- out into the world i s s ing eastward | Great Lakes section, coming e: o anacer | nated United States Pharmacopoeia—iodine, | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN A. The sixth President, Johr Quincy Adams, was the son of the second President, John Adams. and the twenty-third President, Benjamin Harrigon, was the grandson of the n‘lnlh President, William Henry Har rison. Q. What names occurred mos! frequently in the Army?—W. L. A. During the World War, in the United States Army, Navy and Marine Corps there were 56 names which appeared on the rolls- more than 4,000 times. Smith led, with Johnson, Brown, Williams, Jones. Miller, Davis and Anderson following Q. How is the name Magdalen as applied to ope of the colleges of Ox- ford, England, pronounced”—F. H. E A. Englishmen pronounce it as if spelled Maudlin, Q. Which damages a road more. automobiles and loaded trucks or wagons and loaded wagons?—J, E. R A. Automobiles and loaded trucks cause more damage to roads ‘than wagons. Q. If a man enlisted in September 1917, and in September, 1918, was given the rank of major, would he be entitled to anything under the present compensation act?—M. F A. No officer above the rank of captain is entitled to compensation under the adjusted compensation act However, if he served in exocss of 60 a. of action (rank of captain or lower) after April 5. 1917, and before July 1. 1919, he is entitled to com- pensation for that pericd under the adjusted compensation act. Q. What is the title of the mar who appears in the tower to ca Mohammedans to prayer?—B. H. W A. “Muezzin” or “Mueddin” is the name given to the Mohammedan who sounds the call to prayer. Q. When is Boxing day?>—T. 0. I A! Boxing day is the 26th of De- cember, and is one of the four lesa holidays in England. It was on this day that in olden times the gentry made presents, especially of money to their servants and dependents. These presents came to be known as Christmas boxes. Q. Will black powder burn in ear- bon dioxide gas?—C. A. M. A. Black powder contains the oxy- gen for its own combustion and will burn in an atmosphere of carbom dioxide. Q. What is the formula for the reparation which is used in coating he wooden insulators which sepa- rate the plates in an automoblle to prevent them from being acted upon by the acid?— G. W. V. A. Wooden separators for use in storage batteries are not ordinarily coated with anything to protect them from the acid. The wood is treated to expand the pores and remove sub- stances which would be injurious te the battery. The methods which have been described for doing this are numerous and varled. In a few cases manufacturers have impres- their separators with sub- stances to protect the wood, but the methods for doing this are manufac- turing secrets which have not been made public. Q. What is a gargoyle?—C. M. F. A. This is a name given to a pro- jecting spout, so placed that it drains the roof gutter. The modern metal pipes have superseded the use of gar- goyles to a great extent. In Gothic architecture, these long and gro- tesquely carved spouts have heads of /men, beasts or birds in preposterous combination with bodies, paws and wings of monsters. The gargoyles of the Cathedral of Notre Dame are particularly famous. Q. When was the S. S. Olympic built and was she used to carry troops during the war?-C. C. S, A. The British ship Olympic was commissioned in 1911. She was built at Harland & Wolf, Ltd, Belfast, the largest shipyard in the world The Olympic was used as a transport during the World War. Q. Is there a goiter clinic in Wash- ington?—J. Q. P. A. There is a goiter elinic con- ducted at the Woman's Welfare As- sociation, 1022 Eleventh street north- west, Washington, D. C., on Tuesdays from 2 to 3. (Let The Star Information Bureou, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Twenty- frst and C streets morthwest, onswer your question. The only ohgrge for this service is £ cents in atamps for return postage. Warm Tribute of Editors Given to Lew Dockstader again mentally refreshed, that mis- sion is an admirable one, and such as Lew Dockstader’s,” . and while “the performances of the famous minstrel and his company probably were not ‘art; perhaps at times their humor was a trifle broad, now’and then the fun may have been bf the slap-stick variety, but it alwave brought out a laugh—and thundering applause.” Any man who can make the driving modern laugh and forget his troubles and ambitions, the Dallas Journal considers “a servant of his time and his fellows—Dockstader did that. and thousands in this country will de- plore his passing.” “He belonged to a school that has almost passed,” remarks the New York World, “a school which took as its basic axiom the theory that at heart we are all children,” thus “there was a mellow simplicity in his art which reached deep into us, and it was simplicity lacking on the mod- ern stage that seems left out of the Cantors and Jolsons, who now have at us with sophisticated banter.” Lew Dockstader outlived his day, the Cincinnati Times-Star believes, for *he was a negro minstrel in the American sense, and not a black-fa comedian, in the Broadway sense’: moréover, “Be was a man of real wit and humor, which were superseded by the jumping-jack methods of co- . medians who stole his grease paint, but could not steal his originality and his satire.” The St. Paul Dis patch also finds: “The specialists in eve and ear entertainments no longer favor this particular form. Indeed it might be said that with Mr. Dook- stader the Institution {itself has passed. We may no longer hope to see the rows of cork-smeared faces nor hear the ready retorts of M Bones to the searching cross-exami nation of the interlocutor. We have seen the last of the red satin dress coats and we must go ts the comic strips for the sort of repartee which once we found beguiling with the minstrels: But the theater must re- capture Mr. Dockstader's buoyance or something valuable may be for- ever los 2 “Millions nf people who nearly lost the buttons of their vests laughing at Lew Dockstader 20 or 30 years ago, when.he was premier laugh- maker of American minstrelsy,’ Davenport Democrat is sure, be sorry .to learn ‘that Lew has cracked his last joke, strugsling with his last. ill‘fitting suit of cloths and gone on to a land that can be little happier than he tried to make this one.” -Indeed, the¢ Hartford Times feels, “few persons have done more to promote laughter and good feeling in this generation than the man who called himself Lew Dockstader.