Evening Star Newspaper, December 8, 1924, Page 6

6 THE EVENING STAR ‘With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY. .. ...December 8, 1924 THEODORE W. NOYES. . . . Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Qfice, 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New Yo Oifice: 11" East 42nd St Chieago Office: T.wer B\llldlllt Furopean Office: 16 Regent St.,Londo: land. The Evening Star, with the Sunday morning edition, ered within the Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance, Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday. .1 yr., $8.40; 1 mo., 70¢ Daily only ....1y¥r., $6.00; 1 mo,, b0c Sunday only.......1yr., $2.40; 1 mo, 20c | All Other States. Daily and Sunday.1 yr., $10.0 Daily only.......1yr, Sunday onl Member of the Associated Press. | The Assoclated Press fs exciusively entitled to the nse for republication of nll news s | paiches credited 1o it or not ofherwise eredited | this ‘paper and ulso the local news pub hed “herein. Al rights of publication of speclal dispatches liereln are also reserved. = R | No Acquiescence in Inequity. | Admonition is sounded in the House | of Representatives that the people of | the District should not raise anew the of fiscal relations betw the United States and the District Columbia. It is intimated that it will be useless for them to question the present plan of making Federal con- tributions for District maintenance the appropriation of a lump sum cad of a percentage of the amount granted. Simply question cen by ins total because this matter tled adversely to the District ble claim at was set- s equita- the last session does not mean that it was settled permanently, or that it should not be reopened. The substantive law provides for a 60-40 split of District costs between the local taxpayers and the Federal Treas. ury. Departure from that law at the last session was in terms to cover only the current fiscal year. That it was the hope of those members of the House who are opposed to the fixed ratio principle that it would become the permanent method of financing the District is well understood. But as the appropriation act was phrased it was not a definite departure from the substantive law as a repeal of that act, and it does not govern the appropriations for the next fiscal year by itself. his matter must be brought up for consideration by Congress itself. It must be determined in the initial framing of the hill, not determined definitely, but tentatively, if the House committee should elect to follow the language of the current law. Of course, the District hopes for a rever- sion to the substantive law, with its definite proportion. To acquiesce without claim protest in a con- tinued lump-sum provision would be an act of infidelity to the taxpayers of the District. Merely because injustice was com- mitted at the last session of Congress does not warrant continued injustice. The principles supporting the definite ratio plan of appropriation remain un- changed by that action. To suggest that the District will suffer in a re- duction of the amount of the appro- priation if this question is reopened is to put the matter on the lowest con- ceivable plane. The Capital taxpayers cannot rest supine under the imputa- tion of willingness to sacrifice & prin- ciple of vital importance to them for the sake of an enlarged allowance of funds, most of which they will pro- vide themselves. t looks to Congress hope- judicial and not a prej- of this matter at the pres- It hopes that the inequity of last session will not be repeated. The District's only privilege in th connection is to petition and to hope. 1t inconceivable that any of its legislators, with final, entire and ex- clusive power of decision in the mat- ter, will by threat of injury to the| helpless seriously seek to prevent the District from respectfully asking Con- sress for what it wants and for what wisdom and equity demand for it. The unrepresented and impotent Washingtonians will not, of course, be deprived by violence of their sole re- | maining privilege of petition. o While Col. Roosevelt goes after big same in the frozen North, Gov. Al Smith will as usual be content with the political excitement on the side- walks of New York. - A large element of the housing shortage is due to the lingering im- pression through the country that in @ big city people may find chances to live without working. for a udiced view ent session, is ) Germany Votes for Stability. Germany voted yesterday for mem- bers of the Reichstag and, according to the returns thus far received, the vote was for the maintenance of the present government and for the ratifi- cation of the Dawes reparations plan. The extreme Nationalists, who are monarchists, and the Communists who are anti-movarchists and anti government, both lost heavily. The central parties, a group of four or five organizations which have united in of | extreme groups. Of much importance, too, is whether the Centrists and So- clalists can muster a sufficient strength in the Reichstag to be able to dictate positively to the Strese- mann group. Stresemann, former premier and now minister of foreign affairs, has been inclined to lean to- ward the monarchists. He was with difficulty prevented from securing ministerfal positions for Admiral von are decidedly monarchical in their views. The division of the German elec- torate into numerous groups makes parliamentary government difficult. There are no less than 11 distinct parties, with some that are classified in the tabulated election returns as “others.” These 11 are the Social Democrats, the German Nationalists, the Centrists, the Communists, the German Pebple's Party, the Extreme Nationalists, the German Democrats, the Bavarian People's Party, the Eco- nomic Party, the Farmers' Party and the Hanoverians. The diminution of the Communist strength in the Reichstag is evidence ganda to sway the German people. That Moscow has striven vigorously to spread the red doctrine is clearly understood. The Communist ment reached its height in the Sparti- cide revolt, and since its suppression there has been a steady recession. move- e Emotional Economics. It would be interesting to know how { many of that large number of Ameri- cans who like to think they are think- ing about at social and economic problems took the time and trouble {to read painstakingly the two most irovpnt utterances of President Cool- | idge—his annual message to Congress !and his address at the international live stock exposition. I: would be gratifying, though difficult, to believe they were as widely read as they de- served to be, because of both the sub- jects treated and the treatment of the subjects. The two presidential utter. ances are notable for many things, but chiefly for absence of what might aptly be described as “emotional eco nomices. a matter of fact we are highly emo. tional, and once our emotions are aroused they are likely to lead us into | When the armistice ended the World War, a great wave of emotion swept over the country. It was, in fact, a | wave of spiritual exaltation. We were highly resolved that we were going to make America a better homeland for our sons who had borne the burden of battle and for the sons who came after them. A nobler emotion than this it would be difficult to imagine. {But the trouble was that we wanted {to take up the job of making over America and finish it overnight, or in a week or so at the longest. And when the patient did not respond so readily to treatment as we desired our en- thusiasm began to wane, and it kept on waning until there was precious little of it left. From the peaks of ex- altation we slid into the slough of despond, until a good many of us were about ready to believe America was all but done for and hardly worth and to a realization that while mir: cles might be denied us, there still was substantial reason to believe this country could in time be made a fairly comfortable place of abode. What so many of us thought we could do right after the armistice a lot of “‘economic thinkers” still want to do to cure the ills of agriculture and other ills which inevitably beset a community of more than a hundred millions in our present imperfect state of civilization. They want to issue a decree for universal prosperity and happiness, go to bed for a good night's sleep, and wake up in the morning and find poverty and injustice and other ills vanished from the earth. The trouble with these people is that instead of being economic thinkers they are economic feelers, or emo- tional economists. Their minds have not progressed beyond childish belief in the potency of a wishing lamp. ‘They rub the lamp and expect prompt fulfillment of all desires. They are disappointed, of course, and then they are down-hearted and despairing of the future. But things are not as black as they seem to these folk of generous im- pulse, but faulty reasoning, even if the sun does stubbornly refuse at their bidding to shine day and night. If they will only read the President's message and his Chicago speech, read them painstakingly and thoughtfully, they will find therein a lot of reason to be hopeful for a people who are willing to get ahead by practice of such old-fashioned virtues as indus- try, economy and self-help. ———— The ex-Kalser still draws a liberal revenue as a result of his old dis- tinctions, although the present elec- tion in Germany means nothing to him. He is the world's most historical- 1y eminent lame duck. — e The “hit-and-run” motorist can hope for no applause, either from grand- stand or bleachers. the support of the ministry and are favorable to the reparations settle- ment, have gained, and may control a plurality over the other extreme #.parties. This is a most gratifying result, giv- ing assurance of a continuance of the settlement policy which is bringing Germany back to industrial health while stabilizing European conditions in general. The setback suffered by the Ludendorff fascisti, who are work- ing for the restoration of the mon- archy, is equally important with the defeat of the Communists, Both of the antipodal forces are checked. Ger- many is not moving toward monarch- ism or toward communism. It remains to be seen whether the center parties, the Socialists, Centrists and People’s party, will be able to muster an absolute majority over all of the other scattered factions. If they _do so they will be in a position of command, irrespective of the unlikeli- hood of a coalition between the two The Coast Guard. Behind the bare statement in the annual report of the Coast Guard that during the past fiscal year 2,462 persons were rescued from positions of peril lies a story of continued hero- ism. The men in the Coast Guard Service constantly risk their lives in the patrol of the coasts of this coun- try and the succor of those in danger from the violence of the sea. It is not only when they put out in the surf boats to reach a stranded ship that they are themselves imperiled; they must walk the shore at all hours in all weather. Back and forth they haye tramped from station to station, exchanging checks as they meet, al- ways watohing the sea. Sometimes they must go forth in the fiercest gales. Indeed, it is when the weather is worst that they‘mult keep the closest watch for trouble off shore. The maintenance of this service is Tirpitz and Count von Westarp, who |are plying the water: of the failure of the bolshevik propa- | 5 | We like to think of durselves as a practical, common-sense peopie, but as | making over, after all. But gradually | we came to a better frame of mind | one of the supreme acts,of Govern- ment care for the welfare of the peo- ple. Many years ago, when this was known as the life-saving service, the facilities for patrolling the coast and rescuing those in danger from the [tury of the sea were meager. They | ere the best possible, but crude in comparison with modern equipment. The spirit of the men who faced the dangers of the coast, who maintained long sleepless vigils, was high. They were poorly paid. They were barely able to live on the meager stipends granted them. It was hard to keep the force fully manned. and times, owing to vacancies, the guards did double duty. They were in- spired by the fecling that they serving humanity. The same spirit prevails in the Coast Guard today. Additional duties have been allotted to this service. A patrol of the coast is maintained at sea as well as on shore. The range of the protective system is extended. Cutters some- were continually, on | the lookout for lawbreakers and for ships in distress. They go far out at sea to answer radio calls for help, fac ing the roughest weather. is too great to deter them A computation of the lives and prop- erty saved by the Guard the old preceding life-saving and internal revenue servi were merged the present corps, { would yield astounding total figures. | The cost of this service has been made good many, times. That fact should always be borne in mind when the time comes to make provision an- nually ment. et The American Federation of Labor is always willing to elect Sam Gompers president of the organization, reserv- ing the right, however, to reject his suggestions as to who ought to be elected President of the 1. S, A. r——— ar No storm Coast and service which in many for maintenance and develop. No inauguration can be so “quiet” as to prevent citizens from all parts of the country from being present for the occasion. T asters will be heard with all the customary interest as the Fourth of March proaches. e weather forec B Opposition by members of Congress as implying any doubt as to the Sen- ate and House of Representatives I work. S It may be a little hard to get Wis consin’s O.K. for the dismissal of Ser ator La Follette from the Republican party, in spite of the fact that the position of favorite son appears to be one of increasing insecurity, o Mussolini has insisted on a relaxa tion of news censorship, the Italian government being going con cern that has only benefit to expect from honest publicity. now a ——— Speaking of holiday cheer, hoth cannot be dis. instead of that the bootlegger missed as a myth, Claus. . France is taking the liveliest in terest in automobiles and airships, but has not the slightest use for political movement calculated to en- courage @ “man on horsebac’ any e~ Reasserting herself as a style leader France points to the fact that Paris is producing a number of-the most fashionable divorces. ——— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON Modest, But Influential, Among the authors that T read Is one who brings me joy, indeed. He satisfies my every need; The press agent. He tells me when to smile or sigh And what T must applaud and why, Till half the show is given by The press agent. . With gifts, by very few acquired, He labors in a spot retired That other folks may be admired; This press agent. In all the realms of art sublime, | In this or any other time There's nothing to compare—or rhyme | ‘With Press Agent. Essential. “When you address uents do you ever feel nervousness?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum “It's when I find no opportunity to orate that I begin to feel nervous. A true politician cannot be calm and confident unless he realizes that he is your constit- a touch of still speech-making.” Dividing Up the Day. These are the times of great delight, As we our ways pursue, There's music in the air all night And all the daytime, too. My Resolution’s under way, With “Therefore” and “Whereas,” To have a six-hour working day And eighteen hours of jazz. Jud Tunkins says the fact that Santa Claus is @ myth doesn’t prevent him from being a wonderful salesman. Benefigial Publicity. “Crimson Gulch isn't nearly as rough e place as it used to be.” “No,” answered Cactus Joe. “The boys seems kind o' ’shamed to cut up the way they used to. With all these flivvers passin’ through, an’ the air full of conversation, there ain’t nothin® like the old privacy.” Landlords and Tenants. The heartless landlord Tn the play, ‘Where boyhood hours I spent Would mercilessly sneer and say, “Pay up! T want me rent!” On theaters no more 1 call My sympathies to test. The cruel landlord now doth bawl Me out, with all the rest. “If you can't manage yoh conduct 80's to keep in de straight an’ narrow path,” said Unclé Eben, ‘“vou'll be runnin’ big risks, same as any other life- | | to salary increase cannot be construed | strange, and sometimes foolish, paths. | having been for long hours and hard | { genuine and spurious, it is regrettable | Santa | Reading while you eat is another indoor sport frowned upon by that Jealous tribe which seems bent upon trying to take all the joy out of life. A man gets an enthusiasm against something, feels the urge of the pioneer, wants to convert the world 80 that others may share with him the pleasant feeling of righteousness which fills his bosom. Evidentiy the strain and stress of the emotion is too much for one frail soul to bear alone in this world of care and strife. Like a true philan- thropist, he must “divvy up” with | others, even if he has to force them to gecept ths manna. Reading vaile you eat has not es- aped this good man. As innocent as this habit might seem upon first thought, mature consideration has | shown it to him in its true light, Does it not upset the digestion, spoil the disposition, ruin the eye- {Sight? These are the counts made gainst it by those who have not tasted deep enough of this enjoyable { spring, and, undoubtedly, there some truth in what they say Who can gainsay scientific experl- ments, or declare that the scales of knowledge are inexact, or that some wight aked lead onto the far balanc Who can, indeed, would ybe the counts are all true—but what of it? There are compensations, | felicities that only the culprit knows, {and only he who fully knows is in a position to really decide this matter. T Coleridge, in his “Lake Poets,” 1 believe. tells the diverting story of {how Wordsworth cut the leaves of {a fine new set of books with a knife which had just done duty in butter- ing the toast. As horrible as this may seem to him who loves books as things in them- selves, as well as for what they con- tain, compensation is found in the indisputable fact that Wordsworth read while he ate. One has to be a connolseur to read while he eats. It is not the easiest | thing in the world to do, as any amateur will discover who attempts it without proper instruction. Some are born to it, naturally, others have | it thrust upon them. | To others some instruction is | ry. Tt is the easlest thing in {the world to have your book fall { forwhrd into the butter, or leap into | | | has sn the soup tureen, or even seem to | manifest mad affinity for coffee The fine art of reading while you reaches its zenith in preventing ust such escapades on the part bur volume of the moment, whether it be fiction, poetry, philosophy what not No matt it must | or what sort be rendered hand and made to the material foods which you consuming are not for it. The feast of reuson and the flow of soul are proper to it, and it must be so informed, once and for all, or reading while you eat degenerates into messy operation unworthy either of the of reading or eating. Wordsworth cut the Gordian by first buttering his toast, separating the leaves of his new s of pigskin-bound books, each opera- tion being performed with gusto But Wordsworth displayed totally unnecessary piglike traits, Most of us will do better to knives away from our books | while we are pursuing the combined pleasures of reading and eating. We had best select books already cut. * ks What more appropriate time, indeed to feed the mind, than when one is N TODAY’S BY PAUL ¥ of a book it docile under understand the that are name knot How often the stability of the United ates Government has been thrown {into jeopardy by the uncertainty of the | presidential succession! | There was much discussion during the |1ast campaign as to what would happen {if the electoral college failed to regis- ter an actual majority s<hould fail to elect a President and the | Senate should deadlock upon the choice {of a Vice President . 5oy bill has been introduced in the by Representative Cable of Ohio vide more clearly for meeting all gencies | A Housq to pr conti executive | succession in c: vice presidency should be vacated by |death or inability prior to inauguration {of the newly elected. This bill provides the same line of cabinet officers as successors, in turn, “in the event the House has not chosen a President or the Senate a Vice Pres- |ident” as was provided in the law of 11886—the Secretaries of State and War, |the Postmaster General or the Secre- taries of the Navy, Commerce and Labor, in the order named, as heirs to the presidency. Prior to 1886 the legal successor to the presidency, after the Vice President, was |the President pro tempore of the Sen- !ate, under the law passed in 1792. The | death of Vice President Hendricks while |in office was the direct cause of chang- ing the law in 1886 and making the suc- cession through the cabinet, in place of through the President pro tempore of | the Senate, yet it applied only to vacan- cies after inauguration. Cabinet officials, except the Post- { master General, hold office until they | resign, die or are removed. Hence, in case of a non-election of a Presi- dent, the old cabinet would hold over indefinitely; the members need nof resign March 4, as is the custom when a new administration begins. The only change proposed by the Cable bill lies in applying the 1886 successlon to cases of vacancy oc- curring prior to inauguration. It does not attempt to reach some of the very serlous contengencles which | can be handled only through a con- | stitutional amendment. Present ac- tion by Congress rests upon the pro- visions in the Constitution, clause 6 section 1, Article II, and in the “im- piled powers” covered in clause 18, section 8, Article I, but it must be exercised through enactment of law, and Congress has never before under taken to enact any law providing for (a) vacancy due to failure to elect a President and Vice President, either by the electoral college or by Con- gress; (b) in case of death of the elected between election and an- auguration; (c) to define the limita- tions, if any, existing upon the power of the electoral college, to ignore the popular vote and to choose as Presi- dent and Vice President men who had not been nominated by any party. The electoral college, in the first years of its existence, was supposed to have absolutely untrammeled power to deliberate and to select its own choices forthe offices, but that was before the days of political par- ties in this country. The powers of the electoral college cease after the vote is cast on Janu- 12, and forwarded to Congres: it never convenes in any delibera- tive body, but the electors cast their ballots in their respective States, and they are thence sent directly to Con- gress to be counted. The powers of Congress to elect ,through a failure of the electoral college to do so, also lapses, In case Congress fails to do s0 prior to its time limit—March 4. Then ari the question as to how long the legal successor from the officials, and for the orderiy or who | of | sl then | keep for one of the | |three candidates, and then if the House | of failure of the people | of Congress to clect these supreme the presidency and | BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “feeding his face,’- to use an ex- pressive Americanism? To do this, however, with the mini- mum amount of harm'to the digestion and eyes, it is necessary to eat foods that are light in quality. 1 could not recommend “First Principles” with prime roast beef, or a treatise on the higher mathematics with Welsh rabbit. The thing is more subtle than that. Mush and milk, now, will go with almost any book. The proper enjoy- ment of "reading-eating calls for something that will last as well as something that is not too heavy. First get a big bowl of very mush. Then, no matter how much cold milk you pour over it, the mush will be too hot to eat for a time, This gives you a chance to read several pages undisturbed. No one could say that this was hard on the diges- tion. The steam from the mush has started the appetite julce to flowing, and you sit there inhaling the fumeés. The diversion of the attention to the printed page does not divert the trusty appetite juice in the least. The stomach {is not interested in your mental fare, but only in the pabulum in the bowl. Preferably Spencer’s hot one, sits close to the table. The book held tightly in the left hand, at an angle of 45 de- grees, more or less, the proper angle for reading. This position allows the eyes to travel and up and down without changing the focus too much, No wonder they say reading when you eat is bad for vou! Think of any one trying to combine these pur- suits who knows no more of the technique of the art than to place the book flat on the table! Such a position forces tha eves to unnecessary work, diverts blood from the digestive organs and spoils both reading and eating Holding the book properly, is the first point. The second is to have a minimum of dishes on the table. How ecan vou read while vou eat if the book butts into the butter, or how can you eat while you if the volume blankets the grub? It takes all the pep out of the pepper ®o lose that totally unneces- sary condiment behind the pages of your paper, while at the same time the position of the paper is made un- casy by such interference The third great point is to be only person at the¢ table. This ma seem selfish, but it ‘is absolutely nes sary Every husband who has tried reading the morning paper at | the breakfast table knows this to be a fact No, when you want to read while you eat, get a table all to yourself Banish the rest of the household for the time being Play Napoleon. Hog the entire table, clear off the dishes and go to it. A spoonful of ed—half a page of other spoonful of mush-—another half page of the book—mush—book— mush—book—mush—hook— So it goes. It must not be thought that mush and milk is the only thing one can when he reads at table But the article, whatever it may be ought to be like some linked sweet- ness, long_drawn out. It ought to be capable of infinite prolongation, like the Tarzan tales. The animal crackers of one’s youth too, are excellent stuffing when read- ing. They go particularly well with exciting novels of the “Graustark’ | type. One may allow two pounds of crackers for a two-hour novel, four | pounds for a four-hour book, and ' s0 on, ad finitem and ad bustum. SPOTLIGHT . COLLINS. is then | | mush properly salt- your book-—an- cat argued by high authority that be would hoid the office until the next regular inauguration following a reg- [ular election by the people—four |years. It is declared that the Consti- | tution does not contemplate any elce- tion except for a full term of four vears, beginning always on March 4 Other authorities argue that the implied power” given Congress by |the " Constitution would cnable it t | meet the emergency. In case the late | popular election had reversed the | position of the political parties and had defeated the party of the hold- over cabinet, would not the cabinet successors to the Presidency find it critical ta attempt to function under vaguo “implied powers” of | ity party? To avoid any such crisis it is argued, it is “criminal negli- | mence” not to legislate in advance of lany political excitement * ok * * While six Presidents and seven Vice Presidents have died in office, it has never happened that both officials have died in the same term, nor that either one has died between election and inauguration. According to the veteran -clerk of the House, William Tyler Page, who has made a special study of the law and precedents in this connection, there is high au- thority for questioning the power of Congress to call a special election for the President or Vice President; hence, it would be possible that the offices might be vacant for four yvears, with most serious confusion, even to anarchy or coup d'etat. At best, the office of Chief Magistrate might be, for four yearsy in the hands of a man of a minority party, not selected for his special fitness for that supreme oftice. e sk . According to Mr. Page, highest au- thorities do not agree as to when and how a state of inability of a Presi- dent to function may be dectded. The Supreme Court would decide the law, but not the facts in the case. Some lawyers contend thatit would be the duty of the Vice President to take the initiative in declaring the emer- goncy and assuming the powers and functions of the office, in case the President became {ll, or mentally in- capable, or possibly even if the Presi- dent absented himself from the terri- tory of this country, permanently or temporarily. Likewise, if a Vice President succeeded to the presidency and later became disqualified, it would be the duty of the Secretary of State to supersede him, by the Sec- retary’s own initiative. But what authority, except force of arms, could sustain such action, when one who would thus so profit by his own action should attempt to seize the reins of Government? There have been many cases wherein officehold- ers refused to be ousted from minor offices—even cabinet offices—upon the claim that the incoming officlal was not entitled to oust them. There have been Imminent menaces of the peace of the Nation, in disputes over the presidency—as for instance in the case of John Adams and later that of Samuel J. Tilden. Should the su- preme office of the Government, it was asked, be held up as a tempta- tion to self seeking, at the risk of public peace? * ok ok ok Representative Cable does not un- dertake to meet all cases with his bill now under consideration, He has also introduced a joint resolution to appoint a commission of nine to study some 17 questions involved in the matter of presidential succession, and to formulate an amendment to the Constitution, reporting the result to Congress on January 1, 1926. Three members of the commission would be appointed by the President, three by the President pro tempore of the read | the | VITAL THEMES The President on the Protocol BY JAMES T. SHOTWELL, Who, With Gen. Tasker Bliss, Defined Aggressive War n the Protocol. There is one portion of the Pre dent's message which will be read with more interest throughout the world than most Americans realize It is that section In which, repeat- Ing almost verbally his statement in the letter accepting nomination last { Summer, he indorses the attempt to outlaw aggressive war, reminding the country that such a plan is but the fulfiliment of its traditional volicy, but indicating at the same time that its achievement must come only after mature study of the actual plans proposed. This does not sound like an inspiring program to those who wish, as has been sald, to “take heaven by storm”; to them it will seem unduly cautious. But the President’s action is none the less sound and enheartening to all who really weigh the greatness of the step proposed. To outlaw war is a revolution which Eoes to the roots of international ;v(wnl(llk\‘ War has been the final gKument of states and nations since ! before history began, and to declare [it illegitimate as a means of settling | international disputes is the greatest | the world. The President, it is tru confines himself to the outlawry of | aggressive war, that is, of a war at- | tack, but if no one can strike first it | follows that no one can strike at all. Hence the whole war system is out- lawed if aggression is forbidden. De- fense is, of course, legidimate and | proper measures taken to help any unarmed victim which trusts to inter- | national law instead of to courts would also seem to be necessary, but the President does not discuss these | matters, merely remarking as an axiom that we must not commit our- selves to plans which jorpardize our own independence or invite the in- | vasion of our domestic rights. | 7To the consideration of these matters the President apparently 1 118 for study not only by Congress {but by the American people as a whole. He calls for study, for ma- ture and serious realization of the | momentous nature of the reform | proposed. This call should go ring- |ing into the conscience of the coun- |try, benumbed and self-satisfied as it |has become iIn these post war years. | Unless we listen to it our moral judgments and denunciations of the | governments and peopies who were sponsible for the last war may be turned against us for our responsi- | bility in not preventing the next war | We have protested much of our | peacetul policies. Now the President {asks us to examine what we really nean ! ™Hut the President speaks to the { world as well as to America. He cays In substance that the protocol | of Geneva should be studied smue‘rel)' | ana not in partisan mood. This is a wh that we have at last turned _lmu a new era when plans and pol can be weighed for what they really lare and party advantage and per- sonal rancor no longer block the free path of America’s a piration h.' co-operate for world peace with ail peace-loving_nations. (Copyright. o 1924.) | | | | Restoring Warder Home. }l.\lr. Totten Corrects Report of i Presentation to Museum. | To thin Editor of The Star: 1 would like to correct the stat {ment in The Star of Saturday, No- {vember 29, to the effect that I had presented the front door of the War- | der house to the National Museum. The residences of B. H. Warder, John Hay and Nicholas Anderson were { designed by the late H. H. Richardson, who is recognized as the greatest archi- | fectural genius of the last century. The Warder house, Mr. Rk‘hnrdsonv L‘(\nlh‘!- ered his best example of domestic archi- |tecture. | 'haq an ardent admiration for the | |house, and was greatly dismayed while passing one day to see work- men taking it down. Upon inquiry I !|Parne~d that it was being wrecked to {make room for an office building, and {that the material was for sale and {that, through the generous efforts of | Mesérs. Peaslee and Donn the front idoor had been saved and presented by I Mr. Whitty, the contractor, to the rv\.\flnnnl Museum. 3 I felt an instant desire to save this building, and immediately bDthl leverything that was available. This included much of the beautiful oak | | {and mahogany interior and the entire | exterior except the doorway and gate. {1 had been impressed as a student |in Paris with the artistic value of cuch buildings, for the French gov- ernment has preserved in the court- {yard of the Ecole des Beaux Arts | portions of the facade of the Chateau | de Gaillon and the house of. Diane de Poitlers, etc., and_the French would | have classed the Warder house as a historic monument, and seen to it that it was preserved as a work of rt. T endeavored to get several wealthy persons interested in the re-erection of the house. Failing in this, some one suggested that, as the house was rather large for one family, T re- erect it for three families, with but one large “apartment de luxe” on a floor. T am now carrying out this suggestion, so that the house, when recompleted, will contain three very large and very handsome apartments, one of which will have offices so that it may be occupied as a foreign em- bassy. The building is now in course of erection in my garden on upper Sixteenth street and, although I have not the front door, I shall apply to the Museum authorities to allow me to incorporats it in the building, where I believe it would be of more value to the world, as thousands of people would thus see it, rather than being isolated in the courtyard of the Museum. Should my request be denied I will have a replica of the front door made. I am re-erecting the exterior, following as nearly as the changed conditions will permit, the original design of this beautiful building. GEORGE, OAKLEY TOTTEN, JR. Smaller Auto Numbers Urged for Law-Breakers To the Editor of The Star: Is the solution of the problem of catching traffic wiolators made any simpler by having the District gov- ernment use all the smaller license tag numbers for its slow-going trash carts and similar vehicles? ‘Why not reserve the small, easily read numbers for those who have been convicted of serious traffic tran gressions? Even the victim of an aoccident stands more chance of catching a short number with his eye than he does a long number—the only num- bers that are available to the gen- eral public under the present system of distributing the tags. JOHN DENTON. —e the House. They would serve with- out pay, except as to expenses. In the meanwhile, the proposed amend- ment, requiring some years to adopt, would not interfere with the prompt passage of the Cable bill to meet all possible emergencies that can be met wit] slation. ! = % cabinat would retain ofise, It is|Senate, and shree by the Bpeaker of w:at.ml.'r-ux.mm! ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN Q. What number and percentage of Washington's traffic accldents oc- cur in the area designated as con- gested”—W. D. C. A. The Metropolitan Police Depart- ment says that during the month of October 455 traffic accidents occurred outside of the congested zone, or -6623 per cent, and 230 occurred in |the congested zone, or .3377 per cent. Q. How large was the city of Alexandria, Va., in 18607—W. A. The Bureau of the Census says that in 1860 the population of Alex- andrla, Va., was 12,652, Q. Are the plans complete for re- surfacing the Conduit road, aiter the conduit is complete?—L. N. G A. The District engineer's office says that no plans and estimates have been given in regard to the resurfacing of the Conduit road in the vicinity of the new water main. Q. Does the Government bury the widow of a soldfer?—M. C. L. A. The War Department says that there is no appropriation by the Federal Government for the burial of soldiers’ widows. In cases where a soldier is burfed in a National cemetery, and it is anticipated that his widow wishes to he burled in the same grave with him, arrange- partment made deep asket can dier's casket 50 that the grate will enough that a be placed in the same grave. Q. What was Johnson's record for strikeouts in one game?—E. F. S, A. Johnson's best strikeout per- {z:rmn‘r:(ca for a nine-inning game is strikeouts, made in a game against St. Louls in 1910, * Q. Who pays the Government for the coins struck for the Stone Moun- tain fund?—E. L. K. *A. The Government furnishes the bullion out of which the Stone Moun- taln memorial coins are made, but the Stone Mountain Memorial Asso- clation will pay the Government the face value of the coins before they are delivered from the mint. These coins bear the images of Jackson and Lee. They will not be colned until after the Christmas holidays. Q" What will remove oil from concrete floors?>—S. H A. The Bureau of Standards says that it knows of no method that will entirely remove oil stains from con- crete. The stains can be partly re moved by soaking the concreta with gasoline, then taking up the excess by means of a porous material like blotting paper. By repeating this process several times at intervals a good portion of the oil can movea. Q: What was the so-called “im mutable system” invented by Pytha- goras?’—U. E. A. About 550 years before Christ Pythagoras, the noted Greek philoso- pher and mathematician, invented a musical scale which consisted of seven tones corresponding to stains be re- Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. He }also conceived a similar analogy be- tween color and sound. the seven colors corresponding to scale. Q. He regarded of the rainbow as the tones of the Is it possibie to remove from newspapers?—B. V. A. A. Such a process has hesn de- veloped at the Forest Products Laboratory. It consists of washing the old papers with bentonite, a very fine clay which carrles the carbon black off with it after it has been loosened by the use of alkalis. ink Q. When was there a postage stamp having a picture of Andrew Jackson?—J. D. M. A. The Post Office Department says that a two-cent stamp printed Andrew Jackson was issued July & 1863 Q. Who was the Chinese who ap- peared on Redpath Chatauqua pro- gram in the Summer of 1923 —K. V. A. The Redpath Lyceum Bureau savs that the name of the Chinese who appeared on lIts program in Bditors view with varied reactions the sinking of the battleship Washington in conformity with the disarmament | treaties. Some regard it from the angle of the lesson taught remaining craft for future war use. Others see it as having taught nothing new in that respect, while still others believe the cost thor- oughly justified in the exemplification of the epirit of disarmament held by the Tnited States. “So far as has been disclosed the sinking of the Washington simply con- firmed prior judgments, founded on ex- will stand a poor chance, or none at ail. if it can be hit.” in the opinion of the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, which goes on to sav: “Protective armor is a mi nomer. The real defense of warcraft is speed. And speed, plus gun range, its chief reliance in effective attack nothing more than this has been demon- strated in the sinking of the Washing- ton nothing has been learned that was not known many years ago. But the underwater tests carried out against the Washington may prove of value. The craft seems to have withstood these, which may be important in view of the expanding use of submarines and mines.” The New York Times does not doubt that the experimenters learned something of importance to the ord- nance experts and the naval design- ers, but adds: “The great question is whether it {s worth while to re- tain the battleship as the backbone of the fleet. That question was evi- dently not settled to the satisfac- tion of the airplane bombers. They will ask what would have been the effect on the buoyancy of the Wash- ington if a 2,000-pound bomb had been dropped on her deck; and there is the use of poisonous gases to be kept in mind, gases discharged on contact with parts of the ship occu- pied by the crew. As it has been al- ready proved that large bombs sink when exploded in the water at her side, one would iike to know some thing more about the bombs explod- ed ’'round the hull. of the Washing- ton". On the other hand, the Mil- waukes Journal holds, “these tests made on the Washington would ap- pear to tell us that the backbone of sea strength has not been transfer- red to underwater craft nor to bomb- ing planes, but is stjll the great bat- tleship, bullt with power to resist any attack.” * ok k¥ ‘Whatever the bombardment of the Washington may prove to the satis- faction of the naval -experts.” the New York World holds “its destruc- tion is a demonstration that the world has come to a pause in the mad race of naval armament. It may seem a tremendous waste of money to sink this great warship, but it is a sacrifice that the United States makes toward the limitation of armament. For that reason, regardless of everything else, it is worth doing, because disarmament by agreement among the powers makes a day of peace more sure.” The important thing, the Brooklyn Eagle also thinks, “is not whether the Washing- ton was destroyed by gunfire from the Texas or by bombs or torpedoes, but that in the fact she has disap- | the seven planets—Moon, Mercury, Venus. | in black bearing the full portrait of, perience, that the mightiest battleship | | innovation in the political history of |Ments are made with the War De. | | i | | | i | | good shape. 1923 s Dr. Teyh! Haleh. He is di- rector of the Chinese Labor Bureau in this country. Q. How tall Is the largest giraffe in this country?>—P, C. L. A. The National Zoological Park says that the largest giraffe fr this country Is found in the Zoological Park, Cincinnati, Ohio. It measures about 17 feet from the ground to the tip of its head Q. In current English magazines I see so many references to “The Duenna.” 1Is this a new play’— ART A. “The Duenna” {s & somio opera written by Richard B. Sheridan. His father-in-law, brother-in-law and Jackson of Excter zontributed musi- cal numbers. The first production was at Covent Garden In 1775. Dur ing the first season it ran for nights. Q. Where the record waj: was buried during the —W. R. T. A. Morris Island is a sand Island at the southern entrance of Charles ton Harbor, S. C.. the site of For Wayne and other fortifications during the Civil War. Morris Island, whera * u certain soldier Civil War? Q. Describe the Eskimos?—C. A. The Eskimos are between 62 an be | 64 inches in height with broad. round second | faces uvon the sol-|are well built, usually fat. and many and high cheekbones. The of the men have remarkable muscula development; the eyes are narrow, the hair is stralght and jet black, the beard is very thin and often en tirely wanting. The skin is light brown or dark brown. They are short-lived people, rarely attaining an age much bevond 60 yea Q. Has a clock ever been con- structed of straw?—T. O. T. A. Such a clock has been made by a shoemaker of Strasburg in the Uckermark in Germany and exhibited in various European countries. It has been going for the last 17 vears. The mechanism consists of weight of 200 grams, that is raised by pressingk on a knob, and arrangement of eight pendulums, in place of the usual wheels. Rye straw is used in the entire construction, with the excep tion of the hands and numbers, which are of oat straw. on boats grounded Are radios They are grounded to the meta hull of the ship or to the engine or ometimes direct to the water Q. Has the kick-up of a pistol an: effect on the intended destination of a bullet?—J. M. § A The National Rifle Assoclation says that the recoil of a pistol or any other firearm naturally has some effect on the point of Impact of the bullet. This effect is constant and is compensated for in adjusting the sight. Q. T have read that in the “Under- ground Palace” in Constantinople there are many beautiful pillars. Can vou give me the number of them?- P. G. A. In the reservoir of which you speak there are 336 marble columns Justinian's reservoir also has many columns — 200 — which support thr roof. Q. When was the battle of Fred- ericksburg?—W. O. H. A. It was fought on December 13, 1862, Q. What is the total wealth of the United States>—P. T. D. A. The estimated national wealth including all tangible property, real and personal, public and privats, was $320,804,000,000 in 1922, the latest fig- ures reported by the director of the census. (The Star invites its readers to uas this information service freely. An ex- tensive organization is naintained to rre you in any capacity that relates to information. Fadlure to use the service deprives you of benefits to which you are entitled. Your obligation is only a 2-cent stamp, inclosed with youwr inquiry for dircct reply. Address The Star In- formation Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin director, Twnety-first and € streets northwest Sinking of Washington Seen Both as Lesson and Pledge peared from the Navy's records the United States stands as having kept the faith with the other powers who joined with her in an effort to stop the building of certain classes of na- val vessels as a move toward world peace and national economy.” “What the country and the world Is really interested in” according to the Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch, ‘s whether the destruction of this great vessel is really a step In the direction of disarmament. 1If it is the matter of cost should not be considered. But if this Natlon is only disfurnish- ing itself to the benefit of the other great powers, why—that {s another story concerning which much may be heard in the future.” e feeling of | regret to see the Washington destroyed, the Columbus Dispatch claims, *“would have been less pronounced if Con- gress, since the Washington confer ence, had made any adequate pro vision either to keep in good condi- tion the battleships of the first class which the treaty permits us to re- tain, or to build enough of the auxiliary classes of vessels not re- stricted the treaty to keep the Navy in_its entirety somewhere near the 6—5—3 ratio upon which the treaty is based.” * ok ok ok Feeling that “the Britlsh and Japa- nese are taking every advantage of their rights under the treaty and the United States is not the Chicago Tribune says: “If we will take care of what we have we may drop a te; on the Washington, but we'll be in The treaty is not dan- gerous until the United States begins to neglect the rights it has under ft. Then it is. There is worry about the fleet that is gone, but none about the fleet in beinz. The fleet in prospect was sacrificed to a theory of peace. It may have been a good or bad the- ory. We have regarded it as good, onsidering all the elements involved n it. It was bad if the fleet in being is to be sacrificed to the pacifists. We cannot sacrifice both, and that is what we are doing.” “To the land-lubber, the tolling taxpayer who foots the bill Kansas City Journal thinks, “the ne- cessity for sending to the bottom of the ocean a vessel which is sald to have cost about $30,000,000 does not appear particularly urgent. Perhaps the ‘lessons are worth the fee, though it is dificult to reconclle the studied sinking of a stationary tar- get with the conditions of actual na- val warfare. No enemy vessel will ride at anchor while depth bombs, broadsides from warships and bombs from airplanes rain down upon her. The layman can see little value in finding out just how much steel it takes to sink an enemy vessel, which must be sunk, no matter how much it takes.” As the Des Moines Regis- ter views it: “The money invested in the Washington was wasted anyway, and to sink it to the bottom of the ocean does not losus any more. On the contrary, if it will foster a tend- ency to disarm and avold future costs, if it aids in preventing or de- laying wars, it will be money well spent. The u will have found & service to perform.”