Evening Star Newspaper, December 24, 1924, Page 6

THE ,;EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, A LA EODORE 7. NOYES. . oft 32 or 'he. Evening Star Newspaper Company Busthsis ORMEY, 1100 8t. and Irania Ave. New fark Office: 110 Xast 43nd Bt Chicaga Offica: Tower Bullding. Buropeamoiice: 16 Regent 8, London. England. The Esuing Star, with the Sunday morning | litign, TisVdelivered by carriers witiln the | ity .af, 00 gents per month: dally enly, 45 <afita “gor hidn unday only, 20 cents per 0 rders may be sent by mall or MM 5000. " Collection is mude by car- Fers st the ead of - Rate by Siail—Payable in Advance, > Mgyyland and Virginia. i 1 mo, 70¢ ., 98,01 mo., 500 | day only. ..1yr, $2.40; L mo,, 20c (<."All Other States. .+ $10.00; 1 mo., b3¢ $7.00; 1 mo., 80c 1 mo., 26¢ Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republicstion of all news dis- yatehes credited to it or not otherwive credited n this paper and aleo the local news pod- Jished ‘herein. Al rights of publication of #pecial dispatches herein are also reserved. —_— Official Election Returns. Complete official returns of the elec- ftion of November 4 do not fulfill the | expectations of those who were count- | ing on a large increase in the total | vote and the percentage of the eligible vote. To be sure, there was an in-| crease, amounting to 2,208,883 votes, and an increase also in the percentage. but the advarce was not as marked in either respect as was hoped. The ac- | tual ballots cast for Coolidge, Davisand | La Follette were 28,920,070, as against 26,711,183 in 1920. In 1920 a small | fraction over 49 per cent of the 534,165, 907 eligible voters went to the poll In 1924 a little less than 51 per cent of | The 26,646,273 eligibles cast their votes, | While this is the largest percentage of eligible voters ever balloting for President since the organization of our Government it is by no means as great a number as should go to the polls in the supreme test of public will. A full analysis of the table of popular Votes cast in November would show some interesting facts in connection with the “stay-at-home” disposition of the franchise holders. It would show conspicuously a small percentage of eligible votes placed in the ballot boxes in the Southern States. Two examples may be cited. In Virginia the total vote cast November 4 was 222,988 out of a total eligible vote of 1,243,482, or less than 18 per cent. Tn Florida 101, 741 votes were cast out of a possible | 552,424, or & fraction over 18 per cent. | In contrast with these two Southern States are New York and Indlana. In the former 3,245,759 votes were cast cut of 5335624 eligibles. or 60 per cent plus. In Indiang 1,266, were cast out of a possible 1 or 77 per cent. Had the general ratio of 51 per cent of the votes been maintained through- out the South the averago for the whole country would, of course, have been much higher. But with the re- sult of election assured in advance in 10 of the States there is small incen- tive for the people to respond to the summons to give expressions of their preference. These complete official returns give Mr. Coolidge a popular plurality of 7.339.527, the largest cver given a presidential candidate. Yet Mr. Cool- idge’s total vote was 433,411 less than that given to Mr. Harding, who polled 16,152,200 votes, This was due to the presence of a third ticket in the fleld. The vote for Davis, 8,378.962, was 768,319 less than that given to Cox in 1920. The sum of these two reductions popular vote, that of Coolidge un- der Harding and that of Davis under Cox is 1,201,730, The total La Fol- lette vote was 4,822,319. Assuming that the 1,201,730 of combined Repub- lican and Democratic votes short from the 1920 poll went to La Follette, there vemain 3,620,588 votes to be accounted for of the La Follette total. The in- creased total vote over 1920 was 2,208, S87. This leaves 1,411,701 votes still to he located of those cast for La Fol- fette. They probably came from the scattering parties of 1920, These official figures will doubtless afford material for speculative calcu- lations with reference to the possibil- ity of forming a third party with a chance for success at the polls. Doubt- less computations Will be in order in Progressive party councils between now and the February meeting, when decision is to be reached as ta the con- | tinuation of a party organization. ; ————rmo—— Human nature is such’that when the possibility of war is mentioned | many people revert to primitive im. bulse and become enthusiastic instead | of scared. Lo et | In spite of painful experience Ger- | many finds it necessary to discuss her probable attitude in the event of “an- other war.” 2 > - Zero’s “‘Jobless” Army. i rbain Ledoux. who has taken the | alias or title or professional name of 4Mr. Zero," as leader of the unem- ployed, has been making a character- iStic gesture in New York. The other day he led a squad of the jobless into a church for shelter, and since then the doors of several churches have Been thrown open to the unemployed and provisions have been miade for L | Sekars: WEDNESDAY . December 24, 10241 xp s iz Yo 3 i | {nomic conditions. | emptoyment. |as essential to a | sparkling white. The open posts for which there were no bidders comprised restaurant por- ters, cafeterfa chefs, plain cooks, ga rage washeys, engineers, unskilled la- As a matter of fact, a great many of the “down-and-ouiers,” who are per- fectly willing to listen to harangues by demagogues and accept free food and shelter, do not want jobs. They want to be supported. There are, it is true, many earnest, honest, worthy men who cannot find the I)I-l'th':l.ll-l'1 positions for which they are qualified and who are suffering in consequence. But these are not members of “Zero's" | army of unemployed. They do not loaf about in the streets or at shelters fuming upon the injustice of eco- They keep tramp- ing around from one employment agency to another looking for places that they can fill, for any kind of work they can do and without dis- crimination as to pay scales. These ure the men who flll up the vacancies. ‘They are the ones who deserve sym-| pathy and encouragement and help. New York draws jobless men to ft| as a magnet draws iron filings. They flock there in the hope of getting sup- ported, not in the hope of finding work. BEvery big city has its quota of | unworthy loafers, just as every city has a certain percentage of men will- | ing and able to work who cannot find | The problem is to fit the man to the job, and the solution ! of that problem is constantly sought by official and unofficial employment agencies acting as distributing centers. Just as there will always be “job- less™ men, so wliil there also be leaders to exploit them. The workless work- ers are in a class apart from these | workless non-workers. A Rebuke to the Forest Service. | Certain Government officers have been arguing as to what tree makes | the best Christmas tree. The Forest | Service, in a bulletin, has said that the | fir is the Christmas tree par excel-| lence, that the spruce is a competitor in some regions with the fir and far down it says, “When fir and spruce are not available the scrub pine of Maryland, Virginla and the District finds 2 way into many homes.” In the first place the Forest Service is not the highest authority on Christ- mas tress. The exalted authority on that subject is Santa Claus. This gen- tleman knows more about Christmas trees in the twinkle of an eye or the tinkle of bell than any employe of the Government has learned during his term of office. Santa Claus has been dressing Christmas trees for a thou- sand years and more. He was hang- ing strings ef popcorn, candy caneés and silver stars on Christmas trees be- fore thess forest experts were born, and he also dressed trees for them. Thirty or forty years before they en- tered the Government service they had a better understanding of Santa Claus than now. They knew then that Santa-Claus was the foremost living authority on Christmas trees. The effrontery of these Government ex- perts must be dealt with firmly. If| this unwholesome tendency in Govern- ment is not checkedl some of our Gov- ernment functionaries may get the notion that they know more about sleds, dolls, drums, horns and top- boots than the world's premier toy- maker. 1t is known by everybedy to whom Santa Claus has talked on this matter that he has no preference as to what kind of & tree is set up for him to dress 50 long @s it is green and has many branches for holding gifts. He has said many times that he is not particular as to the kind of tree he dresses. but that he is particular that he shall not be disturbed while dre: ing it. There is another point in the atti. tude of the Forest Service which com- pels rebuke, The service seems to pick on eur scrub pine, our beloved jack pine, or more formally pinus vir- giniana, and sometimes pinus rigida. The Forest Service giyes this pine of our homeland an Inferfor position as a Christmas tree, yet for nearly 300 years Santa Claus has been dressing this tree for Maryland and Virginla children, and has never sald one word | in disapproval of it. If Santa Claus is satisfled with our native pine tree, | why the Forest Service should worry ———————— People who {nsist on zero weather | merry Christmas have the faculty of relegating coal bills to the unconscious mind. e 1 A veto is the executive challenge to | opposition. A great-many American | voters cast ballots for Calvin Coolidge, i vetoes and all. ——————— The ‘‘shop-early” slogan still holds g00d, although it now applies to hours instead of days. ———— The Weather. i No doubt most.persons in Washing- | ton know that there was no snow this morning, and up to this writing the| day.has been dismal gray instead of | The science of | meteorology has made a wonderful advance within the quarter century, and it has come to have place as one of the world's essentlal sciences. It | does not pretend. yet to foretell the degree of heat or cold at a given hour for onme small bit of territory, and when all the indications are for “fall- ing weather” it cannot always cer- tainly foretell whether the precipita- tion will take the form of rain or relieving. their immediate wants. His latest proposition is to take his army of workless men into Wall street and line them up before the financiers, claiming that there are 100,000 unem- ployed in that city. Richard J. Cullen, dcting State industrial commissioner, réjoins to this threat of semi-direct action that, glthough, as always, there are a large wumber of men without jobs in New Yerk, conditions are now bettr than for many mjonths. Mr. Cullen gives figures resulting from a survey of the unemployment situa- tion. In two blocks on Sixth avenue, for an example, there were 400 jobs n, at wages ranging from $20 to 380 2 week, with no takers. On Mon- day morning 150 men refused employ- ment as laborers at $3.20 a day and car fare to the $ob. Specifications are not wanting in re. .&nwf 6 this 'Sixth avenie situation. snow. Sclentific weather forecasting is of mighty service to man, and there is no reason to doubt that in due time the meteorologists will perform won. ders which dre not possible now. During the past few days they have seen weather changes hours and a thousand miles ahead of wise men who base their weather forecasts on the almanac, rings around the moon, bark on hickory trees, honks of the wild goose and all that. When the Decem- ber days were Maylike, the scientific forecasters told us that within a few hours freezing weather would be with us. Right. The cold came as they foretold. Yesterday they told us that the weather would be warmer and that rain or snow would fall today. The weather turned warmer and the precipitation took. the form of rain and sleet. In some parts of the ter- Fitory covered by yésterddy's predic- tion it is likely that snow fell. This morning the forecaster at the Weather Bureau said: “Rain or snow today and tonight; tomorrow, mostly cloudy and colder; probably snow tomorrow morn- ing.” On the basis of this forecast, Christmas will be cold, and probably snow will cover the land. B - $6,000 Yet to Be Given. The day before Christmas finds the Fourteen Opportunities fund about §$6,000 short, a little less than half of the total amount needed to carry the 14 family groups through 1925 in bare comfort. This is not an ade. quate showing of the Christmas spirit of this community. There have been some generous gifts, one particularly generous, that of the Kiwanis Club, which took one entire “Opportunity. But there have not been enough small subscriptions from many people to make up the total. The ideal “Opportunities” fund is one that is made up of numerous small donations. For this is really the busi- ness of every Washingtonian. These 14 groups have been chosen typlcal cases, selected with special reference to their needs and put in a class apart to permit specific charity giving by those who wish to place their funds for the benefit of worthy individuals. Every dollar given goes to the support of these familles. There is no “overhead.” Christmas morning should find the fund complete. with the remaining $6,000 fully subscribed. An oversub- scription would not be amiss. All sur- plus dollars could be set to work to relieve the wants of other unfor- tunates who are now, as a result of sickness or misadventure or the de- fection or injury or bad luck of wage earners, left dependent upon public charity for sustenance. Washington hae never yet fafled to meet these “Opportunities.” It must not fail now to close the account by Christmas morning. ———— Spanish Valor. Vicente Blasco Ibanez, the Spanish author, is a militant patriot who fights with his pen for Spanish liberties, and who s willing to fight with his sword as well. But he is a fighter of dls- crimination. He is no promiscucus Don Quixote. He knows the difference between windmills and real antag- onists. As 3 consequence of his recent writ- ings on the subject of conditions in Spain Senor Ibanez, who is sojourning at present in France for precaution- ary reasons, has received @ number of challenges from ardent Spaniards holding ,different political opinions. One of these is a certain Senor Valera, Senor Ibanez refuses to fight Senor Valera. He is not acquainted with him. He has not attacked him in his writings, and there is where he draws the line. He will only fight men whom he has assailed directly with his pen. He specifies two of them, King Al- fonso and Premfer Rivera. All others are barred. Thus it is plain that Senor Ibanez is a man of discretion, and that, it is per- fectly well known, is the better part of valor, —ate——— Fact again proves more wonderful than fancy, and truth stranger than flction. The sleigh of Santa Claus is a myth, but the airplane is not. ——te 4 Prison philanthropy has not yet suc- ceeded in making a penitentiary so comfortable that the inmates will not try to escape. —_— e There is still a trace of reverence for old 1deals. No one has yet under- taken to jazz a Christmas carol. ————e——————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Lays, Be kind to animals, I say! Ye poet finds but grudging fame. But when ye Hen an egg doth lay, Ye neighbors rise in glad acclaim. And 80 I wonder, as we stress Our duty to our fellow men— Is it of greater usefulness To be a post bwa Hen? Economy. Are you in favor of economy?” “My sentiments on that subject,” said Senator Sorghum, “are the same as those of everybody else. I'm in favor of it as a public policy, but not personally.” ‘When Influence Ceases. Old Santa's power is immense. Has is our philanthropic star; And yet he lacks the inflyence To make long whiskers popular, Jud Tunkins says all these Merry | Christmas wishes don’t prevent any- body from sending around the same old ‘‘please remit” notices a week later. Pecuniary Results. “We must educate our young men for practical and lucrative careers,” sald one college professor. ““Of course,” replied the other; “but I don't see how we are to go much further in that direction unless we es- tablish a special course in rum run- ning.” The Natural Born Loser. I hung my stockings up on Christmas eve. Tt was a sad experience, I declars. For me no presents did old Santa leave. Even my good old stockings were not there. Semsitive Art. “What made Mesa Bill get 30 red- hot mad at that feller from Snake Ridge for saying there wasn't any Banta Claus?” “Well,” answered Cactus Joe, ‘‘we had considerable trouble persuadin’ Bill to put on the fur-trimmed suit’and the canton flannel beerd. But he final- ly threw his heart into his art, and when some one says there weren't no Santa Claus he took it as a reflection on his make-up. “De recent cold wave,” said Uncle Eben, “has ’casioned de usual Decem- ber inquiries f'um various sections as to whers dey gits all dis talk "bout de Sunpy Southland’ P‘_“: Readers of this column will re- call that during the past few weeks the writer has put some stress on the idea that children are nearer to cer- tain truths than their elders. This was not done with any con- scious forethought, but arose merely from the progress of ideas in the com- position of the individual articles. That tremendous ode, “Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood,” by Willlam Words- worth, undoubtedly played s part in shaping these ldeas, however. It {8 & certainty that no one can read those lines at any time in his life without having the malin {des of that great tour de force stick in his mind forev Something of the thought and its musical expression lingers even when the cumbersome name of the poem {s forgotten. This one poem constitutes the best answer I know to those prophets of the “new poetry,” who insist on pre. dicting the extinction of rhyme. In cu"t.h: work has been golng on for Only recently a prominent review carricd articles by two most success- ful adherents of the theory that rhyme is distinctly a thing of the pa‘t, fit only to entertain children in thelr Mother Goose. he‘l‘:“un :u‘hr“ of end-rhym was 0 very neat scorn, properl. labeled and deftly applied. One. was forced to agree to many of the things these men sald. Yet at the end con- viction was lacking. Wordsworth's ode on immortality brings home clearly just why thou- sands will never be browbeat into believing that there s anything sickly or sugary in the composition of poetry in which rhyme and arti- fictal form have large plac This poem shows even the most obdurate that the old poetic forms, In the hands of a master, are capa- ble of expressing great thoughts in & grand manner. After all, is not that the aim of the better thinking, the better writing? It makes no difference what the form Is, or what it is not, so long as the thought is expressed in & way, which, when apprehended, lea: one With the feeling that here, indeed, something has been said in an unfor- gettable way. * k% % one who at any time ex- the idea that children s de not owes & debt to Wordsworth, although he may not recognise it. The poet, whose hulking figure was at variance with his precise poetical form, gathered up the best thought of the world on this matter, added some géod thinking of his own, and welded the whole together into a song. To thousands of readers still there is such a thing as music in printed words. Let the new poets laugh it Idea is not Form is Impressions are not all. is something, whether it forth as rhythm, melody and harmony, or whether it doas its best to sing to us from the somewhat dif- flcult medium of cold print on a t page. 1f a composition succeeds under such circumstances in giving us a legiti- mate feeling akin to muste, I say it has succeeded in doing something. There are certain poem down to us through th that succeed in doing this ver: and for them we have only lov scorn because they do not happen to it in with the critical theory of cer- tain modern authors who have more or less failed in attempting to dupli- cate them. \ l * ¥ w % There was a time when meadow, grove tream, VITAL THEMES| | The President and the Farme: IB SENATOR ARTHUR CAPPER President Coolidge amplifies evi- dence that his professions of sym- pathy with the farmer in his efforts to establish his industry on a basis of permanent equality with other business are not mere lip service. Almost his .first official act after the recent election was to call to- gether a group of leaders in farm economics and in operative farming to | recommenda measures for Government | co-operation in restoring and main- taining a normal relationship between agriculture and other industries. His recent message str the farm problem as of immediate and primary national {mportance. He assures Congress of his hope and intention to present in time for action, this | session, definite suggestions for leg-| islation. Congress has every dispo-| sition to treat with these sugges-| itions in fullest desire to co-operate | in the task to which the President| has pledged the good offices and best efforts of the Government. { Quite in this tone is the President's { more recent address before the in- ternational live stock show at Chi- cago. He leaves no doubt that he understands that recent improve- ments in pric of farm commodi- ties—timely and encouraging as they | were—are rather the result of tor- { tuitous circumstances than evidemes | of restoration to a stable and perma- {nent prosperity. He maki equally clear his views as to proper avenues of Government and legislative co-operation. He frankly declares against price-fixing by law. “The troubles of the farm- he tells us, “are on the farm and in the market. We know by all ex- perience that Governmént subsidies and price-fixing would increase pro- duction and aggravate the evil.” In this the President is in harmony with the views of practical operative tarmers and of economists and of the majority opinion, I believe, in Con- i Government efforts toward restor- ing the farming industry are by no ntirely a matter of the fu- inds us. Many helpful and necessary steps have been taken. The farmer has been protect- ed against foreign competition. Prac- tically every commodity he needs in s has been Lept on the Government credit ble without stint to rarming community to help its ry fram the fell blow of de. flation. The Federal Government has practiced economy that tax burdens— direct and indirect—might be les- sened. Local governments might profit by this example. Yet with all these the farm prob- lem must remain a problem until the farmer is in position to manage the selling end of his busine The President so understands it. He ap-' peals that “farmers everywhere shall in which to organise and associate themsel together in the determination to employ effectively every means of improvement that has been placed at their disposal. The means to which the President refers are the steps already taken by legi: alize group market- Ing. The Government is ready, too, to take such other steps as sound economics recommends to. make co- operative marketing widely effective. our Government,” the President as- sures "the cer, “will do every- thing and proper for a gov- ernment (o do to cmcourage .your certain literary reviews this lcone- | THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. and every common sight, Appa: ua‘!;' Ceiegtiai“Nan el o Tae Blory and ine’ freshoess of & dream. 8o begins Wordsworth's ode, in the oourse of which he succeeds in say- ing about all there is to be said con- cerning this feeling, which most of us hyve held at some time or other, that as children we were nearer to the solution of the mystery of life than we ever will come again. “The things which I have seen I “How true that is perhaps the new poets will sneer at my childishness, but— The longer one lives, and the more he investigates, the more he comes to the conclusion that each great thought in the world has been said once and for all in the perfect form. “The eternal God is thy dwelling place, and underneath are the ever- lasting arms, harangued the Israelite Search the world's literatiure, from far back as you can get to the ery latest edict, you will never find a more perfect expression than that of the great fundanfental idea which it contains. Moses said about all there was to be said, and he put it in such a way that succeeding generations have not been able to Improve upon it. There have been many attempts to do so, of course, but, after all, Moses excels. “The eternal God is thy dwelling place, and underneath are the ever- lasting arms. * % x x The rainbow comes and goes, And Tovely is the rose; The moon doth with delight Look _round ber when the beavens are bare; Waters on & starry Are Deautiful and fs The ‘sunshize is & glorious birth; Rut 8t T know, where'er 1 go, That there bath pass'd away the earth. The birds are singing their joyous song as of old, the earth is gay, the babe leaps upon his mother's arm, but all things speak of something that is gone. Whither s fied the visionary gleam? Where is it gow, the glory aAd the dream? For the life of me I cannot see how those two lines are made any the worse because “gleam” rhymes with “dream.” 1In the hands of a master the end-rhymes come so naturally that you have to go out of your way 1o be offended with them. 1 cannot see how the thing would be improved by putting it something ke this: Where, bo, went the bunk? slory from Where did the man with the gostee go to? | Come, then, those perfect lines: Qur birth & but a sleep and a forgettin, The woul that rises with us, our life's star, Hath elséwhere ite setting, cometh from a Not fn entire forgetfu And not in utter nakedness, But trailing clouds of glory do we come From God, who {n our home Heaven lies about us fn our infe The vision fades away into the lght of common day, he , and man is made to forget the glories he has known, and “that imperial pal- ace whence he came. Does Wordsworth overdo it a trifie when he calls_a child “thou best philosopher?’ Well, maybe he do but we can forgive him, because we know what he trying to say. is trying to express: Troths that wake, Our souls have sight of that immortal sea ‘Which brought us hither, Can {8 & moment travel thither, And see the children sport upon the shore. 4ad hesr the mighty waters rolliog evermo: White Indian Origin Writer Believe They Deseended From Spanish Army Deserters. To the Editor of The Ktar: I have read with interest the vari- ous articles published in your paper regarding the so-called white Indians brought from Central America by Richard O. Marsh, and herewith offer 2 suggestion pertaining to their origin which has not yet been stated, and although shattering the romance that scientists and others are trying weave about them, will at the same time come nearer to establishing their identity than anything heretofore pub- lshed. - My contention is that instead of these so-called white Indians being albinos, or offshoots of anclent Pale- othic stock of a' Nordic strain, or that they mark a new racial differentiation, comparable to the development of the early white Nordic stock from the parenthal Paleothic stem, 15,000 years 0, as stated-in the recent newspaper articles upon this subject, they are nothing more nor less than the d cendants of deserters from the Spanish armies of ear)y colomial times. This assertion is no doubt substantiated to a great extent by the white-skin na- tives of the Philippines referred to in a recent artigle in your paper by Man- uel G. Zamora, whose progenitors were no doubt derived from the same source. It those who are .questioning the origin of these people will just peruse the pages of European history th will see that Phillp II of Spain in- herited the Nethelands in the year 1685 from his father, Charles V, Haps- burg emperor, and who immediately began a course of persecution for all Protestants in his newly acquired do- minions by the aid of the “inqui tion” superintended by his blood- thirsty chief lieutenant, the Duke of Alva, and other methods at his dis- posal until he was overthrown by Wil- liam “the silent” of Orange. Spanish rule, as well as its sphere of influence, was not finally ended over that part of Europe until the lapse of 80 years, brought ut by the treaty of West- phalia, 1648, which ended the Thirty Years War. His armies were no doubt recruited from the oppressed subjects of his and adjacent dominions by means of the “Press. Gang” so prevalent in those days as a means of obtaining soldiers by all the countries of Europe, and also a great number were forced to serve against their will as retribution for opposing and differing with his mighty majesty on questions of religion or questioning his divine right to rule, and, as an alternative, had to serve him as sol- diers in his dominions over seas, or end their days upon the ‘rack” or other instruments of torture. Having been forced against thejr will to serve in the armies of the hated and detested King of Spain, they deserted (whioh would be a natural thing to do) as soon after-landing at their stations in the Western H sphere as opportunity afforded. Not having the means with which to re- cross the sea back to their homes, they took to the brush and jungles of the interior, establishing new ones, and thereby leaving their progeny to mystify the seekers of the romantic at a later day. HENRY H. CHAPMAN. strivings toward the goal of prosper- ity, stability and security.” ‘There the power of government ends. . It can—and has—legalized the means. It can facilitate them. It can foster and encourage their wid- est usefulness, but they are the im- plements of self-help. 4 (Coparight, 192 He | to| Politics at Large BY N, 0. MESSENGER. While there is much academic dis- cussfon among Democratic leaders over the reorganization of the Demo- cratio party and refererce to possible presidential candidates for 1928, some of them find time for speculation as to what the Democratic party will consist of in that year. Reference to the figures of the last election dis- cloges that in 12 States the Démo- crats ran third in the presidential race. Senator La Follette's party polled more votes than the Demo- oratio party. The States in which the Democratic candidates for President and Vice President ran behind La Follette and Wheeler were California, Idaho, lowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and ‘Wyoming. In States north of Mason's and Dixon's line, which are regarded as fighting ground for the Demoorats in presidential elections in the past, there was an appalling falling-oft in November's Democratic vote, com- pared with some other presidential elections. In Indiana Coolldge received 703,942 and Davis 482,245 votes: in Tilinols, Coolidge, 1,453,321; Davls, 576,975. New Jersey, Coolidge, 676,- 082; Davis, 298,013. Ohio, Coolidge, 1,176,130; Davis, 477,888. West Vir- ginla, Coolidge, 635; Davis, 257,282, But hbpe springs eternal in the Demooratic breast. and the unterri- fled Democracy will spend the inter- vening years in girding for another Iwhir] with the enemy. The friends of Willlam G. McAdoo, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gov. Smith of New York and Gov. Silzer of New Jersey will busy themselves in behalf of their favorites. There is a new national leader looming up in New Jersey in the person of Mayor Hague of Jersey City, who promises to be a force in Democratio politics of the East George Brennan of Illinols will con- tinue to lead the forlorn hope in the Middle \West. The Democratic party of the Northwest and the Pacific coast is almost extinct, and the lead- ership is not worth contesting. % % Gov. Alfred E. Smith of New York will be inaugurated January 1, and will commence his tussie with the legislature, which may have an in- fluence upon his presidential aspira- tlons four years hence. The governor will find himself in a position which will have its advantages. He is sure to be in deadlpck with the Republi- can Legislature. This will relieve him of responsbility for failure to enact the measures of State reform which he will recommend, thus averting the poseibility of making any blunders | and leaving his political slate clear, while he can hold Republicans up to ensure. He will still have control| of patronage, and can keep his per- sonal machine intact i { Already the various elements in| the State seeking legislation are pre- paring to move on Albany with their demands to be incorporated in Gov. Smith’s annual message. The State Federation of Labor presented its| case to him this week. Labor wants a recommendation in favor of the legalization of light wines and beers, | and is opposed to any proposal to re- | enact State prohibition enforcement. Labor also wants recommendation | favoring State and municipal distribu- | tion at cost to home, farms and work. | shops of electric light, heat and pow- | er generated from water power owned by the State. . It also presented a formidable list of recommendations | on general legislation under some | { two-score heads, covering almost everything from a demand for free dental treatment and furnishing of lunches at cost to school children to the - restoration of direct primary| nomination of State offices, United | States Senators and State and dis- trict judges. The governor is cer- tain to lock horns with the Legisla- ture on many of these demands, if not the majority of them. There will be a bitter fight over the control of | water power of the State beyond a | doubt. | * x x The work of Legielatures of other is expected by soclologists to include manded by labor and by woman vot- |ers. Politiclans say that the last |election showed that the woman vot- { ers got their first real taste of political power vested in them under their en- franchisement and that they showed evidence of relishing it and enlarging its use. They will use it along the| lines of benefiting women and chil- | dren and the reform of social laws and conditions. New York State wom- i en will probably set the pace in these | directions and furnish a model in their demands for the women of other States to follow. The woman voters stand, of course, |in a solid phalanx ready to go to the | front and “over the top” whenever | the prohibition law is assalled, but they seem to be less fearful, the politicians report, of attacks upon it | in the near future. | *® % %k ¥ o~ The question of what is to bécome of the third party is now being de- | bated among the leaders who headed | {that movement. It will be decided at a meeting of the Conference for | Political Action to be held in Cleve- land in February. Many of the prom- inent men in the movement feel very dubious of the future of this political enterprise. When they glance over the popular vote of last November they have occasion to look down the nose. When they see those Repub- lican votes to the number of 1§,- 718,789; with those Democratic votes to the number of 8,378,962, and con- trast them with the 4,822,319 third party votes, things do not look good for them. Political leaders of all factions be- lieve that it is certain that there will be no combination between labor and any proposed third party in the fu- ture. The experiment of 1924 was so disastrous as to be convincing that labor cannot. be consolidated into a unified political force. It is said that the late Samuel Gompers, Who is re- ported to have cast the vote which decided a tie in the executive coun- cil at Atlantic City, was against the proposal to turn labor over to the Democratic candidates, but allowed himself to be overpersuaded by the radical faction in the executive coun- cfl. ‘lulatlon along sociological lines de- | * k % % It is thought that the Conference for Political Action at its Cleveland meeting will be influenced very largely in deciding whether to con- tinue the organization by the consid- eration that labor cannot ever be counted upon in such a movement. Another, influencing_element In that decision is likely to be careful weigh- ing of the lesson of last November in the verdict rendered against radical- {sm. Any third party movement must have issues in which revolt against conservatism and an appeal to radi- callsm must figure. The American voters showed in last Fall's elections that they are not ready to embrace radicalism yet, and that any assault upon the fundamentals of American Government and policles will serve only to consolidate the conservative vote under whichever party at the crisis seems to furnish the most ef- fective weapon of resistance. Politicians say that the demonstra- tion_of this attitude by the voters ast November is, in fact, the founda- States which are to meet this Winter ! | consideration of a great mass of leg- | !be contrasted ith ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN Q. Plesse Inform me how com- missions are obtained for service in the District National Guard?—W. . B. A. All commissions in the District National Guard a issued by the President of .t United States. Recommendations are made by the commanding general of the National Guard of the District of Columbia to the President. Recommendations are based on competitive examinations. For further information we suggest that you communicate with the Adit. Gen., District of Columbia Nation: Guard, 472 L street northwest, Wash- ington, D. C. Q. How does the number of churches in the United Btates compare with the number of theaters?—R. L. A. There are about 204,000 churches, ‘while the total number of theaters, museums and concert halls is about 24,000. Q. How many airplanes are in com- mercial use in the United States and in the world?—A. A. O. A A. The Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce estimates that there are 1,200 aeroplanes in commercial use in the United States. They have no es- timate of the exact numbcr of aero- planes in the world. Q. Is Amontillado a Spanish wine?— K. C A. It s a light dry Spanish sherry, taking its name from Montilla, a town near Cordova, Spain. Q. How many languages are spoken in New York City?—E. R. 8. A. It has been sald that 33 foreign tongues are spoken dally on New York streets. About 2,000,000,000 New Yorkers use other languages than English. Q. How could a teacher with a per- manent certificate in Canada teach in the United States without taking a teacher's examination?—F. A. §. A. A Canadian certificate would not entitle one to teach in any of the States without re-examination. Q. What < is meant by the term “burning in” as applied to piano fin- ishing?—J. B. A. “Burning in” is a term used to desoribe the finishing process used on planos and furniture. A polish is ap- plted and burned in by means of heated devices. This not only serves to give the article a highly polished and pores in the wood. Q. I have recently seen the pedi- gree of a German police dog with breed-shepherd. Is this a genuine police dog?—T. E. R. A. All kennel clubs register police dogs as shepherd dogs. The breed is shepherd, the “police” training. Q. Are there any flies as far north as Alaska?—B. B. A. Dr. John Aldrich of the National Museum says that there are no house fifes. The common fly is by origin a IN TODAY’S | When Signor Mussolini, the Fascist premier of Italy, proposed. a few days ago, to dissolve parliament and appeal to the nation for vindication of the Fascist government, he difl so in the face of & recent overwhelming vote of confidence by that parliament, and also of an election of that par- liament by the people, which gave the Fascist 4,683,690 votes out of a total of 7,625,839 that was 65.25 per cent of the popular vote. In addition, several of the candidates of other parties who were elected had declared | themselves supporters of the govern- ment. Furthermore, the national and pa- triotic sentiment of the country was manifested by the fact that i3 per cent of the registered voters partici- pated in the election, as contrasted with only 52 per cent who had voted in the 1919 election, preceding the coming of the Fascistl. It may also the mpathy of Americans, of whom only about 50 per cent of the eligibles Show suffi- cient interest to vote in our presi- dential elections. The name “fascist” is derived from the old Roman symbol, “fasce” a “bundle of sticks tled together.” It stands for a united Italy, the units tied together. Formerly and today, among other parties, Italian spirit stood for city against city against district—"state right than nationalism. PR The spirit of Garibaldi crying for a unified Italy was dormant. Mus- <olini has revived and stimulated it, almost into a religious fervor. Ttaly! Italy awakened! Italy as one of the great powers! Not Italy for Fascismo, but Fascisti for Italy and the king! The communists and the sociallsts—the bolshevists who had boasted that they would Russianize Ttaly—and above all the traitorous ultra-pacifists, who had stabbed the Valiant army from the rear, in the midst of its heroic and gloriously successful campaigns for victory over the German-Austrain invasion. and who, under the administrations of Giollotti and Nitti had shamed the soldlers for their herolsm by grant- ing amnesty to all traitors in Jjail, have been rebuked by the outraged Ttalian people. * %k k¥ Mussolini will go before the people for confirmation of the constitution- ality of his “revolution,” for he will dissolve parliament soon after New Year, and an election will be held in_April. " rhere is a law, whereby whatever party secures at the polls more seats ™ parliament than any other one party shall be entitled mot only to Dich seats.as are then voted to it at the polls, but shall have not less than two-thirds of all the seats. That slves the administration a safe work- e majority of parliament, insuring it a free hand to carry out the poli- cies of its party. Under the law, the Fascisti were sure of 356 seats, leav- ing to all the other parties combined omly 179 seats. The opposition has criticized the Fascisti as ruling with- out the popular support, by virtue of that law, . Mussolini has now pro- posed a bill repealing that advantage 204 giving only such. seats as are ac- tually ‘elected by the people. i * ok * x At last April's election all parties, except the Fascisti, sent orators abroad over the country with appeals %o local or party prejudices; the Fascisti depended upon posters set- ting forth facts of the accomplish- ments of the Fascisti—Mussolini ad- ministration. These posters could not tell one story In the north different from what was told in the south. Tt is claimed that the previous adminis- trations of Glollotti, Orlando, Nitti and tion of the present prosperity which seems to be setting in for a long stay in this country. They assert that the disclosure that the country is safe in the hands of the voters gives a basis of confidence in which Business can &0 ahead making plans for the future assured that politics, passion and prejudice will not be allowed to the work, « 5 V- Facta had undertaken to bolster up the disturbed finances of the coun- try and camouflage the cost of living by such false economic measures as buying foreign grain at the market price and confiscating Italian grainat less than the cost of production and selling bread at less than cost. The result was the discouragement of ‘home ’Mflc&l'fl; of .food -and ihe. appearance, but fills up all the holes | referring to | tropical nsect and cannot endure cold weather. Hven In our Northern States only a few house files survive the winter. Mosquitoes, however, are & common pest in Alaska. Dr. Aldrich found two species thers previously unknown to entomologists. Q. Please give the correct pro- ll'x‘uncllllon of “Mountbatten”?—&. M A. The English surname *“Mount- batten” is pronounced exactly as it is spelled, there being slight emphasis on the first syllable. ° Q. Is the crape myrtle a tree or & shrub?—J. R. W, A. The craps myrtle is & shrub in this part of the country, although i assumes the proportions of a tree farther south. It should be planted preferably in a somewhat protected and well drained location. It is prop- agated by secds or by hardwood cut- tings in the Fall Q. Where can I purchase 100 per cent whole wheat bread?—S8. H. K A. One hundred per ocent whole wheat bread can be purchased at mos: any bakery which handles varioue kinds of bread. In Washington the bakers cali 100 per cent whole wheat bread bran bread and it can be pur- chased under that name. A product called “Crushed Wheat Bread,” which is In reality bread made from the whole wheat grain is also sold b. some bakerles. Q. What percentage of the popula tylong ofJBflulh India speaks English A. The proportion of the Britisl Indies who have an eiementar: knowledge of the English language 1,600,000 out of a population of 240 000,000. Q. Who was it that sald “The more I see of men the better I lik dogs?'—N. M. A. The saying is attributed gen erally to Mme. de Sevigne. Q. Is there any difference in foo valus between olive ofl and othe vegetable oils? M. G A. Olive oil is practically 100 per cent fat and has energy value about 4,000 calories per pound TI A¥sociation of Official Agriculturs Chemists includes among edible ves | #tables oils and fats of sufficient in portance to warrant standardizin the olls of cottonseed, peanut, sesa sead. poppy seed, cocoanut, raps ser | sunflower ‘and maize. Of these pr nut oil bears the closest resemblan to olive ofi in its chemical and ph ical properties. { (The person who loses out is the o | who guesses. The person who gets on | always the one who octs upon retiabl information. This paper employs Fre: | eric J. Haskin to conduct an informe tion bureaw for the public. There is . | charge except 2 cents in stamps for .- | turn_postage. Write to him today fo |any facts wou desire. Your ingui | showld be addressed to The Star I, | formation Burcau, Fredevic J. Hask director, Twenty-first and C strects | northwest.) SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL V. COLLINS. burdening of taxes to make up for losses on bread and traneportatio. and other socialistic government en terprises, In 1920-21 the deficit was over milliards of lire: then when Mus- solint came jitopower, the bread sub- 2idy of 4,300 milliards was suppressed pIn 1932-23 the deficit was 4,526 mil liards; for the vear 1923-24 the defi cit was reduced to 1,187,000,000 lire and last March the minister of fiinanc: announced that by the end o the fiscal year even that deficit would be wiped out and the budget balanced Government bonds issued at 83, fell 1o 79.65 prior to the Fascisti govern- ment, but by last May had risen to par. The minister of finance declared that “the state by suspending all ir crease of debt, would no longer al Sorb any part of the nation's sav- ings. A prediction was oficially mad that next year Italy would fund th American loan. * o speech last In a month Mussolin | | sa | _ “A government should not 1. judged by one part nor from only one side of its politics. nor only by wha it has accomplished, but upon wha it could do, and by the tendencies which inspire the government. Ther the judgment will be fair and objec jtive. ® ¢ ¢ Tt ig not true that the government wants to maint its power in all eventualities: if the King at the close of this session, should call me to declare that it is necessary that T leave, I shall ober.” The puri fication of the Fascist party is real- ized, very severely. The militia has been organized and sworn abs .Iutc loyalty. Ninety-five per cent o ith officers of the natienal militia has been provided from the regulsr army. * x ok The ideals and charac of the Fascisti have been much misunder stood. outside of Ttaly. Conditions i our own country have never been comparable with those in Italy, where socialism controlled the government and bolsevism confidently believed it was om the eve of accomplishing a revolution, overthrowing the king- dom and enthroning the -roletariat where strikes were ram; : and, as claimed, were openly supported by the administration. The populaw re action against suoh conditions, mani fested in the Fascisti, might be liken ed to the ideals of the American Legion. The legion, however, has never bee: faced with conditions calling for such patriotic action as that of the vet erans of Ttaly. The Fascisti of Ital are mainly the former soldiers of her victorfous army. The men in office today are no longer men of old age. such as formerly were thought alone fit for responsibility. Mussolini is about 40 years of age—his cabinet is made up of no older men. They are men of action, not proscrastina- tion. They do not represent the prole tarfat nor the aristocrats. They might quote the American Legion’s own con- stitution, for they seek “to maintain law and order, to inculcate a sense of individual obligations to the State and Nation; to make right the mas- ter of might; to promote peace and good will on earth.” There was little or no violence when more than 100,000 Fascisti marched into Rome, and the King asked Mue- solini to become premier. There is no militarism in the creed of the Fas- cisti, but neither is there apology for patriotism, and Mussolini said recent- Iy that if conditions ever werc again in Italy as they were in 1915, the Fas- cisti would again leap to her defense and g0 to war. Opposed to that spirit were all the previous administrations since the war began, and it was that menace of ultra-pacifism and of igno- miny upon the former defenders of the nation—the soldiers—that made Fascismo imperative, as the only safe- guard against bolshevism. An American traveler who makes frequent visits to Italy and who re- turnied: from there within the last fortnight, comments upon the fact that all beggars have disappeared from her streets. This, he said, was in most remar! le contrast to con- ditions familiar to all tourlsts up to two yeears ago. Today begging is forbidden, able-bodied beggars are forced to go to work and cripples have been putinto charitable ipstits- tions. A * (Copyright, 1924 by Paul V. Collius,)