Evening Star Newspaper, December 26, 1924, Page 6

OFHE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY. .December 26, 1924 — THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office, 11th St. and Pennaylvania Ave. Neuior Ofice: 110 East 4204 8t. : Tower ng, m'&fi; 16 Regent St.,London, Lngland. The Prening Star, with the Sunday moraing Bdition, in delivered by carriers Within the ity at 80 cents per month: dally only, 45 cents per month; Sunday only, 20 cents per month. Orders may be sent by mafl or tele- phone Main 5000. Collection is made by car- Fers at the end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday..1yr., $8.40; 1 mo. Daily only $6.00; 1 mo., Sunday only $2.40; 1 mo,, T0¢ soc 20c All Other States. Daily and Sunday.1yr, $10.00; 1 mo., bie Daily only .1yr., $7.00;1mo., Sunday only .1¥r, $3.00;1mo, 25¢ Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press i3 excluxively entitled o the use for republication of all news dis- Patches credited o Il]or not otherwise cradited D this paper and wiso the locul news pub- lished herein. Al rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. —_— The Jusserand Bird Fountain. A fountain given by Ambassador Dusserand as a memorial to the birds ©f Piney Branch, set up on the lawn of the John Dickson Home, s dedi- €ated Christmas and the Ambassador and other men prominent in Wash- ington spoke of their affection for birds. There is a great deal of tender- ness in the human heart and it ex- presees itself in many ways. It tries to soften the path of old and sick Yeople who are poor, for little orphans, for children who do not toddle on a rose-strewn way and for wretched and hopeless dogs, cats and horses. Not 60 much can be done for the horse 25 was done of old, because his tribe has nearly passed from the city. Pub- lic fountains in the town serve such birds as live in the city the whole vear and are of service to bird vis- itors who spend Summer here or stop in their travels between North and South. A good many persons have set up bird baths and bird feeding plat- forms on their lawns, but the Jus- serand fountain at the John Dickson Home is no doubt the largest of them, and being given to the birds by an Ambassador, long resident of Wash- ington and friend of all our people, will be a noted memorial. The foun- tain is so situated that the birds of Piney Branch, of Rock Creek and of the northern new Washington will ‘visit it. Scores of bird families that evoid a city as men a plague will drink and bathe there. The opening of this new drinking place and bathing beach is an event in birdland. It will eventually become popular, but it takes time for a new resort to build up a reputation among birds. One by one the feathered folk will visit this place, and if they ap- prove the service they will come agaln and bring their friends. Spies sitting in tall trees not far away will see these crowds and report to their chiefs that something is going on at the John Dickson Home worth looking into. Daring scouts will be sent out ®and they will bring back word that the Jusserand fountain is doing busi- ness and drawing crowds. The news will spread through the woods and this resort will establish a large pat- ronage among the chicadees, juncos @nd sparrows, and when Spring comes &t will be thronged by grackles, rob- fns, catbirds and finches, and all the thrushes, all the warblers and migrant sparrows will give it their support. The crow will come to the fountain, §f he finds his ancient enemy, the king bird, is not on guard. ‘There will be a babel of flutelike and ‘whistling voices at this new watering resort. The leader of a band of early- coming cedar wagwings will say to his followers: “Let me introduce to you the Jusserand fountain built here for our accommodation by e gallant Frenchman,” A purple finch, one of the early tourists from the South, will pipe: “Let us drink to Monsieur,” and & little finch will trill: “And a health also to Madame!” A rollicking robin will sing of the fountaln or its giver, @nd a shimmering, iridescent grackle ‘will strut pompously to the front end fn a volce not much esteemed for €aintiness of modulation will say: “A ‘hearty health, my chippies, to the good man and his charming wife who gave this fountain, and I now give You ‘The Republics of the United States and France!’” Then all the birds will sing “La Marseillaise” and fThe Star Spangled Banner.” ———t An East Indian prince goes to Lon- @on and involves himself in a black- mall incident. He would have done far better to come to America, where the greatest imposition he had to fear ‘Was that of contributing more or less voluntary publicity to Broadway gomedians and choristers. ————e It is reported that Mrs. Margot As Wquith is willing to go on the stage. “The politics and literature of the ‘world are beginning to look like one west amateur night, ——————— e Enough has been said about ‘Peace en Earth” to warrant hope that the sentiment will create some impression fn international politics. The United States and Japan. It is stated by a member of the House of Representatives that a good gervice has been rendered by the in- troduction of the resclution calling for a conference of the white peoples of the Pacific, inasmuch as this pro. posal has forced the question into open discussion. The resolution, he says, should not be allowed to die in the committee on foreign affairs, but should be reported back to the House with a vigorous report in condemna- tion and & recommendation that it be Pejected. ‘Whatever good service may have been rendered by the presentation of thia resolution, it should be definitely @isposed of by the committee and by the House in the manner indicated. its submission has had a decldedly ad effect, which can be cured only the United States call a conference of white nations bordering on the Pa- cific is to suggest plainly that Japan is not to be included, is not to be con- sulted and has interests which are inimical to those of this country. The relations between the United States and Japan are now sound, though affected by the recent adop- tion of an act prohibiting Japanese immigration. The government at Tokio has accepted this action, though with protests. The people of Japan are offended and have manifested their displeasure in various ways. Yet the two governments are on friendly terms and will remain so unless the jingo spirit in either country prevalls. It would be a most lamentable mis- fortune for this country to give of- fense to Japan by taking the initiative in summoning a congress of nations from which that country would be excluded. Such an invitation would probably not be accepted. The United States would stand alone in’ proposing to segregate Japan. Therefore, it is desirable that the House of Representatives should dis- tinctly declare its disapproval of the proposition, and go on record to that effect in a way to demonstrate that the American Government has no thought of giving Japan offense. It is unfortunate, however, despite the view that a service has been rendered, that such an action should be neces- sary. No conceivable good can come from compelling the United States to make a declaration on a moot point which should never have been raised ———— Jusserand. Am dor Jusserand has not been “rebuked” for a “faux pas” either by this government or by the Krench government. No “faux pas” has been committed. His thoughts and hopes concerning the French debt had gone first, properly, to the debt commis- sion. His public remarks on the sub- Ject did not anticipate and substitute themselves for his official expression, but followed and reflected that expres- sion. Ambassador Jusserand as the able, accurate and sympathetic interpreter | of France to the United States and of the United States to IFrance has on the occasion of his departure been de- servedly eulogized from every possible angle and in fitting terms. In yester- day's gift of a bird fountain placed in the grounds of the John Dickson Home the diplomat disappears eand the man Jusserand and Madame Jusserand come to us as lovers of the birds, the trees and the flowers. And this gift, to be cherished by Washingtonians as fellow sympathiz- ers with the songbirds will serve to remind us always, not of the accom- plished diplomat who helped to bind closely together the two great repub- | country with an enormous death toll (Yo ) No explanation comes as to the reason 1 it was weakened b; lics, but of the Jusserands who per- sonally in Washington’s suburban parks held communion for a quarter of a century with the trees, the birds and the flowers and who by this sim- ple gift at the time of their departure tighten the bonds, not between the two republics, but between them and us personally as men and women and nature-lovers. Norway's Renamed Capital. The renaming of Christiania, capi- tal of Norway, which will occur on the 1st of January by law, is merely the restoration of the ancient name of the seat of the government. Nine hun- dred years ago King Harold III found- ed Oslo as the capital of his kingdom. For 600 years he and his successors reigned there. Then a fire occurred which swept the site clear. King Christian, whose realm included both Norway and Denmark, chose a spot across the fjord and founded a2 new town, calling it in his own honor Christiania. For 300 years that has been the capital of Norway. Now the old name will be revived, the name that has been meanwhile borne by the restored town of Oslo, which hes developed as the capital's neighbor. Oslo will be, therefore, the title of the combined citles. ‘This shift of names in Norway sug- gests the change in Russia, where the capital title was, after the Kerensky revolution of 1817, transformed from St. Petersburg toc Petrograd, which means “‘the city of Peter.”” Then after the bolshevik overturn it was changed again to Leningrad, or “the city of Lenin,” in an attempt completely to obliterate the memory of the Roman- offs. The capital meanwhile had been transferred to Moscow. Leningrad it is today, though not the seat of gov- ernment. Thus in Norway reversion is had to the ancient name, while in Russia a modern one is established. Probably if the Soviet rule in Russia should be overcome the name Lenin- grad will be dropped and Petrograd, or possibly St. Petersburg, restored. —_———— It is hoped that postal rates will not compel any megazines to go out of business without completing the stories which halt in breathless in- terest with the line “To be continued.” ——————— Fewer fires are started by Christ- mas trees, from year to year. There is a safe and sane December 25, as well as a safe and sane Fourth of July, B — Trotsky is described as being in il health. Doubt persists as to whether the temporary retirement is prompted by his medical or his political adviser. ———— Congress deserves a& holiday recess, and 8o does the entire country, ——————— Two Tragedies. Christmas eve 'was shockingly marred by two tragedies in this coun- try, of a most unusual nature. At e little town in Oklahome, a mere ham- let known as Babbs Switch, several score of people were trapped by fire in a schoolhouse where they had gathered for @ Christmas celebration. A candle on the tres started the flames, which spread so swiftly that the assembled persons, including many children, could not escape. The door- way became clogged, and the windows could not be used because of a heavy woven wire metting that had been stretched over them to exclude prowl- ers. Thirty-three were burned or crushed to death, and nearly as many THE EVENING all the warnings given against using open lights on Christmas trees, this catastrophe has occurred with appall- ing toll. This wes in & remote com- munity and, of course, there were no electric lights. The old-style of Christ- mas tree illumination was all that was possible. The schoolhouse, with its barred windows and single exit, was the only avallable place of assemblage. Thus the conditions were perfect for the holocaust. At Parmartown, Ve., another ham- let, with about 200 inhabitants, occurred another dreadful thing on Christmas eve. Without warning a dam burst above the village, loosing an immense quantity of lime refuse called “muck,” material used in an alkaline manufac- turing process, This flood, accom- panied by a great volume of water ac- cumulated by the rains, poured into the valley and destroyed the town. Many of the people were gathered for a Christmas eve party at a house which was directly in the path of the flood. Nine were killed, 10 are still missing and 30 are desperately injured, some of whom may die—a casualty roll of nearly 50 in @ population of 200, one- quarter of people, with every house destroyed. Floods caused by the breaking of dams have occurred frequently in this the in the aggreg: ever before, how- ever, has so gruesome a catastrophe befallen any community as the flood- ing of a settlement by a corrosive, smothering muck. It was comparable with the lava flow of a volcanic erup- tion, though more sudden and swift for the maintenance of this dangerous mass so near to the settlement, and no reason is known for the breaking of the dam, though it is belicved that recent rains. The breaking of a dam impounding a large quantity of water is usually accompanied by heavy fatalities. For almost invariably there is a settlement close below the dam. Safety would naturally dictate the establishment of the community above the point of danger, but habitations gather around :ndustrial works. which are commonly situated below the point of power as in the case of impounded waters used for hydraulic generation. Water sup- piy dams, too, are established above the point of use. These artificial lakes fill the valleys, and when a break comes the waters pour down upon the people below. ———————— The New York Stock Exchange had @ Christmas tree and everybody was happy. Santa Claus may yet be persuaded to abandon his bleak quar- ters at the North Pole and take an office in 'Wall street. In a government by representation almost everybody is willing to take a slam at Congress, but nobody would be willing to consider the idea of trying to get along without it. e Now that the Christmas holidays are about over, & great many people will realize for the first time the prac- tical value of all this advice to econ- omize. ——————— Arguments as to protection and free trade are Interesting, but the con- firmed smuggler pays no attention to them whatever. e e One of the pleasures of CHristmas is its annual reminder that some of the simplest and most cherished melo- ates have not yet been syncopated. ————— It {8 not difficult to sink a battle- ship, but it is almost impossible to compel remote laboratories to call a halt on their poison gas experiments. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Happy New Year. Wish you Happy New Year— It's the thing to do. Don’t want any blue year As we start anew. Bound to be some worry, ‘With Congress still in view; Say it in a hurry— Happy New Year, friends, to you! Superstitious Restraint. “Don’'t you think you are entitled to a larger salary?” “Certainly,” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “Then why don't you go after it?” “I'm afraid to. There seems to be some kind of a popular superstition that in order to safeguard the inter- ests of the people a man must be entirely unable to protect his own.” Christmas Slogan. 0la Santa sadly shook his head And sighéd, “They've sought to trim me. ‘A Merry Christmas’ they all said, But what they thought was ‘Gimme.’ Jud Tunkins says he's gettin’ so he hates to enjoy hisself momentarily, 'cause he always knows there's goin’ to be a comeback. Heart and Brain. Some people are so awful smart In seeking worldly gains That they forget the human heart And stake their all on brains. “Brain Failure” still expectant lives— ‘When grieving we must pause; “Heart Fdilure's” what the doctor gives As the deciding cause. Rapprochement. “They tell me that you danced with the Prince of Wales.” “Yes,” replied Miss Cayenne. “I felt it my duty to contribute in any way I could to the sentiment of ‘feet across the sea.’"” — Big Possibilities. Our authors write—and will not quit— Improper words from day to day. ‘When one finds thought his phrase to fit, He'll be another Rabelals! “I likes to see a man have a fine opinion of hisself,” said Uncle Eben, “if he's willin’ to go to work an’ con- vince de world dat he's got good L R mmecitc awjection, T Sromoss (At more. Were critically mjured, Withjjudgment: L o STAR, WASHINGTON, D. O, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1924. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “Yes, this 1s me. Who {s this? Hello, yes. Who is this? What? Oh, I really haven't time. Somewhat Somewhat. Who's this? Aw, tell me! Who's this? I haven't got time. I asked you If you were Mr. Smith. Not? Who is it, then? .Huh? What? Who? What's that? Oh—- Bang! The receiver smashed back on the hook put an end to this actual tele- phone conversation, or at least so much of one end of it as 1 was privi- leged to hear. Shamelessly T jotted the sentences down as the falr damsel uttered them. What the young man at the other end of the line said could only be conjec- tured from the “line” of talk given above. Do you remember when you went on like that over the telephone? How you stood at the phone by the hour, participating in a perfect stream of chatter which seemed to be In a fair way to have no ending, even as it seemed to have had no beginning? Perhaps it was that afternoon you called up the beautiful Miss Jones to ask her if she would not honor you with her company to the dance to be given that evening by your fraternity. Now, Miss Jones knew as well as you did that, according to the ethics of the thing, you were lamentably late, nay, criminally so, in Inviting her to that dance. She was well aware—and so were you—that you already had asked several fair ladies, each falr one in turn having turned you down, or for some other reason having been un- able to accept vour kind invitation. Perhaps that was why Miss Jones and you found it 50 necessary to talk over the telephone from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., going over and over the same ground time and time again, With va- rlous inflections of the voice used to bring out the precise meanings. It was a very important matter. Looking back upon it now, you wonder what on earth you managed to say then to be able to stand at one end of a telephone line and keep up a continuous fire of chatter for three solid hours. You have learned economy of words since then. If you had It to do over again, you would take about three minutes: “Hello, Miss Jones—will you £0 to the dance with me tonight— well, see you at & Good-| * % Wonderful old days, when you took an hour to tell your best girl good night! x * % “Me and the Boy Friend” is the title of a catchy popular song that gives a cture of nice little flapper who talks y ungrammatically, but deliclous- and who, no doubt of it, would say, “Yes, this {s me,” over the tele- phone, in defiance of all the purists. After all, that is ono fine thing about the telephone. It does not cor- rect our grammar, or stop to call us down when we happen to make some pet mistake that it happens to know about. The telephone merely transmits what is put into it. It takes it in at one end and sends It out at the oher. In between are scores of men and women who handle the mechanical end of this marvel which we accept so complacently. Behind all ars the brains of men living and dead, the in- ventors, electricians, engineers, “hands” and business men who made and make the telephone a possibility. We accept all this as a matter of course, which is as it should be; for this is an age of marvels, what with the alrplane, radio, phonograph and many other wonderful discoveries. Yet, when we stop to think about it, the far-flung telephone still holds Its place among the wonders of our age. IN TODAY’S But we Lold several counts against 1t, just the same. In the first place, it introduced that universal nuisance, the woman who gets on the other end of the line and sayi “You don’t know who this is No, we don’t know who she is, and the way she makes us feel is that we don’t care a whoop §f we never know who she is. The rise of this species Is one of the severest arraignments we can make against the telephone company. ““You don’t know who this is!"” Of course, it would be manifestly improper to tell the lady just the way we feel about it. She, no doubt, is a triend, all right, or she would not be calling us on the phone, but for all that and all that, we wish ghe would come right out and tell us who she 1s. You see—as you know—she is do- ing her best to force us into & trap, where any way we guess she will have us at a disadvantage. As a mat- ter of cold fact, that {s exactly what she wants. She will be terribly dis- appointed if we guess right the very first time. She prefers to dangle us on & hook, making us writhe in the effort to Buess who {s the lady attached to the volc If we guess, she i3 sore; if we do not guess, she is very angry, in- deed. . (o Surely we ought to know who she 8! * %k ok X Then there is that other great bore who, when you answer the phone, blurts out: “Who's this?” If there is anything in the world that makes me mad, it is this sen- tence. You run down the stalrs, slip on the rug, nearly break your neck getting to the phone, take the re- ceiver off the hook, politely say, “Hallo, “Who's this?" greets you. Ninc out of ten times the question {s fired at you in boorish tone of volce. There {s no effort made to soften the inquiry. The party on the other end never says, “May 1 in- Quire who this is?" or, “You won't be offended, I'm sure, if I ask you who this {s.” Nothing of the kind. “Who's this? curtly comes question Now, in type the quesfion may not look s0 terrible, but it s not printed over the telephone, of course, there- fore the sterility of black and white is not ‘In it. The spoken word is the spoken word, colored with the whole per- sonality of the speaker. Some folks can say “God bless you” in a way that makes you want to murder them. I knew a chap once who could thank a store clerk in a way to drive him or her frantic. The speaking voice usually its worst when it crles out, via tele- phone: “Who's this?" There ought to be a national law agalnst this form of salutation over the wires. If not made unlawful, the proper answer to it ought to be ad- vocated. “None of your darn business!” is the only right answer to the impertinent question. I belleve the company has advo- cated the statem t of one’s name instead of the use of the indefinite “Hello.” For business firms good practice, but in & pri dence it has Its drawback 1f & stranger should accost the street, and without prelim inary ask, “Who are vou?" you probably would tell him where to go. Similarly, one should not use such a form of address when entering a home over the is at the telephone wire. It is impolite and unnecessary, and ought to be dropped by unanimous consent. SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL V. COLLINS. “The irony of fate” has never been more clearly fllustrated than in the lives of Christopher Columbus and Vasco de Gama. Columbus was alone in his courage to strike west in order to arTive east He blazed the way to a hitherto un- known world. He never realized the magnitude of his discovery, and his chief reward was to be loaded with chains and sent home, & disgraced prisoner, after his third voyage. This hero of ploneer courags and achieve- ment died without honors—not even his name being attached to the new world he had brought to the grasp of Western civilization. Columbus never wronged the eav- ages; he never made conquest upon the unoffending Azteo nation, nor did he rob the Incas of Peru. All he did was to bring glory to the throne of an ungrateful kingdom, allen to his own birth. * ok w % Vasca de Gama! Yesterdoy—Christ- mas—was the four hundredth anni- versary of his death, and even the United States Navy jolned with the navies of Great Britain and other powers, at the invitation of the Re- public of Portugal, in sending war- ships to assist in the commemoration of that event. In his lifetime, de Gama was loaded with honors by the King of Portugal. He was elevated to the rank of a noble, and became the King’s adviser—practically min- ister—of forelgn affairs. What had de Gama aocomplished that he deserved such honors? In 1498 he followed the trall of Bartolo- meo Diaz_who, in 1486, had first found the Cape of Storms—afterward called the Cape of Good Hope—the southern terminal of the great bar- rier to the route by water to the Indies, The world belleved that Columbus, in his voyage of 1492, had found the westward route to India, yet Colum- busg achievement brught no ready money to the King he served, and only excited the wiocked jealousies of place-hunters in the kingdom of Fer- dinand and Isabella. Vasco de Gama gained the imme- dlate favor of the King of Portugal, not through any accomplishment, but through blandishments at court, and the King sent him in command of the first expedition to India over the route demonstrated by the explora- tions of another—Diaz. This was six years after Columbi first voyage westward, and 12 years after Dias had opened the way westward by rounding the south of Africa. Skirting close to the eastward coast of Africa, de Gama put in at a port called Melinda, somewhat north of the Island of Madagascar, and there he had the good fortune to find a native of Indla, familiar with the instruments of navigation, who led the ships which were en route to be- tray his native land. History does not give the pilot the questionable honor of publishing his name, but he it was, and not Vasco de Gama, wh(; first opened the commerce o tg‘e“]ndleu to Occldental civilization and greed. x kK ¥ The new route appealed to Portu- gal in that it showed that India could be reached without passing under the dominance of Venice, the then “mis. tress of the seas.” Theretofore, the route had been through the Mediter- ranean and the Red Sea, or overland by caravan. Venice thus lost her monopoly of the Oriental trade, and Portugal becama the gateway of Eu- ropean commerce with the “land of spices.” Porfugal grew enormously in importance and wealth. The Spanish glory of Columbus' di covery of & new world of prom ac listle Lamediate fplillmos! hopes of wealth, was far outshone by the {mmediate aggrandizement of Portugal's trade with the Indies, made possible by the newly found water route, discovered by Diaz, and the credit of which was assumed by de Gama, * ok ok ¥ Another discoverer cotemporaneous with Vasco de Gama and Christopher Columbus was Pedro Alvarez Cabral. He accomplished, by accident, far more than de Gama, and thereby be- came the object of de Gama’s intense Jealousy. Perhaps it was “poetic jus- tice” which deprived Cabral of the credit of accidentally discovering South America and adding to the Portuguese possessions what later became known as Brazil, for the story of the wonders and resources of that “new world” was told so eloquently by Amerigo Vespucius that the whole hemisphere became known, not as Co- lumbia, nor even as Cabraliana, but as America. In 1500 CabrMl was given command of a flect with 1,200 men, and com- missioned to make a voyage to the Indies by the route traversed by de Gama two years previous. On that voyage Diaz, the original discoverer of the water-gateway to Indla, via Cape of Good Hope, was a subordinate under Cabral, and in a storm was lost when his ship went down. Off the coast of Africa the flect sail- ed farther out Into the Atlantic than intended. It was there caught In the Westward current and driven by storms across that narrow part of the ocean, until, without prescience, the voyagers camo upon the unknown coast of South America. There they took possession, in the name of their King, of what is now known as Brazil. Cabral sent one vessel back to re- port the discovery and possession to the Portuguese throne, while with the others he proceeded across the At- lantic, around Africa to the Indies (1499). * ok ok % When de Gama left India, after his entry there in 1498, he left behind 40 Portuguese to establish a factory and a base for commerce. In 1499, when Cabral finally reached that country, after his adventure in discovering South America, he found that the jealousy of Arab merchants in India had caused all the Portuguese to be massacred, and Cabral brought that news home to King Manoel. To avenge that massacre, equipped 20 ships, and, refusing Cabral _the command, put the fleet under Vasco de Gama, who made the plea that he had to fight his way out of India, and that it was his men who had been massacred, hence he should be the one to avenge the deed. Cabral went as a subordinate, just as Diaz, the dlscoverer of Cape of Good Hope, had safled In the first Cabral expedi- tion in a subordinate rank. De Gama bombarded and conquered the cities of India and then pushed his expedition on to China, where he unexpectedly dled. His body was brought back to Portugal in highest :anor, as that of Portugal's greatest ero. the King ok K An incident of De Gama’s expedition of revenge, which was apart from In- dia, throws light upon the standards of the age and of the hero whose memory was observed yesterday. While crossing the Indian Ocean he oame upon single ship laden with 300 passengers—Mussulmans and ‘women and children en route to Mecca as pilgrims. Assuming that the pas- sengers were African Moors, with whom his King was at war, De Gama burned the ship and drowned all | aboard, except some 20 women, whom he “saved.” Later he was convinced of his error, but the mistake was easily condoned by his King, and did mot detract from his fame. haprisat 1024 y Posl Yo Cellinad VITAL THEMES America and Red Russia. By Robert Underwood Johnson, American A:nbassador to Italy, 1920-21. At least one exception must be made to the charge that the only foreign policy of the United States is to have no foreign policy—namely, our determination not to have rela- tions with the present ‘government of Russia. This purpose has persist- ed under three Presidents—Wilson, Harding and Coolidge—and it has been vindicated by the blunders and the disillusionment of those govern- ments of Europe which have been se- duced into the opposite course. Our attitude in this matter is something to be proud of. Great Britain, chasing the ignis- fatuus of trade advantage, was the first to plunge into the Serbonian bog. Mr. Lloyd George, to propitiate Socialist sentiment, admitted and reo- ognized Litvinoff, Krassin's commer- clal agent, who at once began to vio- late his promise not to indulge in Soviet propaganda. It was the time of the great strike of British miners, and Litvinoff came near glving the trustful prime minister a taste of chaos, and, although at San Remo Mr. Lloyd George denounced the treachery, he did not scruple to dine and counsel with Litvinoff at Genoa. The flirtation with Moscow was renewed by Mr. MacDonald, but the publication of the incendiary Zino- vieff letter has opened the eyes of Englishmen, who now see that they were being fed on husks and poison ivy. Germany also burnt her fingers at the alluring flame. Her alliance with Il(uswu.. revealed at the Genoa con- ference, which was to establish anew balance of commercial power and also carried . threat of military co-oper- ation (Soviet diplomacy feeds on threats) gave a thrill of joy to the Teuton and a thrill of dismay to the allies. But not only has there been no gain to Germany in that foolish and futlle entanglement, but it has been full of recurrent peril to the German republic Her statesmen are now apologizing for the blunder and wondering how American politicians can think of falling into the same trap. Italy, too, advantag. but empty that Mussolin sces that her hopes of from the Soviet treaty are , and there are eigns . conqueror of bolshe- vism, come to regret his astound- ing toleration of the viper that has been warmed at Italy's hearthstone. And now, latest among the disillu- sioned, comes the premler of France. Mr. Herriot probably would never have favored recognition of the Soviets had he not Leen confident of the re-election gt MacDonal What is the first resuit of this makeshift diplomacy? The red flag is legitimized and is flaunted in the streets of Paris by 29,000 Communists, Then comes the triumphant and soft-spoken Krassin as ambassador and tha ter- rorists renew thelr purpose of de- stroying constitutional government in rance, as in every other count: and Mr. Herriot, in order to save his precarious political situation, is en- deavoring with all his might to lay the ghost that he himself has con- jured up. Thefe is only deal with wild beasts, Mr. Herriot appears be taking it. What a comment this all is on the states nship of Europe! For once ‘amateur American diplomacy,” as represented by Mr. Colby and since by Mr. Hughes, has proved wiser and more farsighted than that of the trained veterans of Downing Street and the Quai d'Orsay. The consistent refusal of our government to rocog- nize the Russian usurpers and cut- throats, avowed consiprators against our public order and our tdeal of liberty under law, has been the great- est obstacle in their path. Our steady adherence to this pollcy will help to hasten the end of the most sordid and impudent revolt against author- ity since the fall of Lucifer. (Copyright, 1924.) Accidents at Night. On Streets Discussed To the Editor of The Star: A surprisingly large percentage of Washington's traffic accidents befall persons waiting at stopping points for street cars. Accidents of this par- ticular nature occur almost entirely at night, and a little observation serves to show why this is so. Pros- pective street-car passengers are, in most instances, after nightfall com- pelled to stand out in the street as the car they wish to board ap- proaches, for it is reasonably certain that unless they thus make known their desire to get on the car it will not stop, desplte tha fact that definite points are indicated as “car stops.” On the other hand, too many motor- ists are Inclined to regard only In the letter and not in the spirit that reg- ulation which provides that vehicles should stop 15 feet behind street cars taking on or letting off passnegers, and in most cases the motorist makes a desperate effort at stopping points to pass the street car befors it comes to an absolute standstill. Conse- quently, citizens are compelled to risk their lives if they insure the stopping of the car they wish to board. The remedy. {s obvious, and its strict ap- plication would do much to remove one of the most prolific causes of ac- cidents. Street cars should be com- pelled to stop at stopping points suf- ficlently long to give intending pas- sengers time to walk from the curb to the track. Moreover, cars should be made to actually stop at appointed “car stops” as at regular stations, even if it were found necessary to make these stopping points less fre- quent than they are at present. R. T. JOY. Visitors Make Rite At Premier’s Doorway A very curious custom has grown up in London which we must walt for the psychologists to analyze, so | Inexplicable does it seem to the lay mind. It has become a rite to dash up the flight of steps which leads to the door of No. 10 Downing street, the residence of the premier in power, and to touch the knocker. No sound 1s made, the household is not roused it is only necessary to have a fleet- Ing contact and retire. So general has the habit become that the crowds now line up in an orderly manner and each devotee of this new item in British ritual takes his turn and passes on. By suggestion the desir- ability of the act has been communi- cated to visitors and it Is said that many Americans are recognizable in the daily queue. It will be remem- bered that among ancient peoples, dedicated to the superstitious there has been the belief that to touch certaln sacred rellcs meant new strength and power to the partici- pant in the ceremony. It would be interesting to know by what strang mental process mystic influence ha: become assoclated with the knooker at No, 10. Perhaps the enthusiasts hope to derive Inspiration from an historio object. Disraell’s hand has touched that knocker. To touch it after him may communicate mysti- cally some of his cleverness. Or it may be Gladstone's eloquence which the ritualists hope to gain, or Lloyd George's ingenuity. Tt is impoesible to say. But this much is certain those who pretend that in our en lightened day picturesque credulity has disappeared must examine the evidence oncq more~St, Paul Dis- oatchy one way to | and at last Q. How far ithe center of M E. C. A. The geographical center deter- mined by the United States Coast and Geodetio Survey falls in Smith County, northern Kansas, In latitude 39 degrees 50 minutes; longitude 9% degrees 35 minutes. therefore is more than 1,000 miles from the geographical center of the United States. is Washington f.om the United States?— Q. Did the granite for the State, War and Navy Building come from Stone Mountain, Ga.?>—A. D. K. A. The granite used in the con- struction of the basement and sub- basement came from Maine, while that used in the superstructure came from Richmond, Va. Q. Is the Capltol Building in Washington larger than the Union Station?—A. M. A. The Union Station covers more ground. It is 760 feet long and 343 feet wide while the Capitol is 746 feet by 270 feet, Q. Who was Knight?—J. P. A. Madam Knight the daughter of Capt. Thomas Kemble and the wife of Richard Knight of Boston. She was born in that city in 1666 Following the death of her husband in England, Madam Knight opened a school in Boston. Among her pupils Samuel Mather and Benjamin Frankl. Madam”, Sarah Q. How long has “Mutt and Jeft” been in the papers?—W. F. T. A. Budd Fisher originated the character Mutt in 1807. A month after Mutt appeared he was joined by Jeff. Q. Ts a knot a unit of distance or of speed J. F. A. A knot equivalent to hour. Q. Is Gen. Robert E. Les buried in Arlington?—T. C. A Gens. Lee and Jackson are buried in Lexington, Va. of speed mile ar a unit one nautical Q. Do robins see, hear or smell the ‘worms that they catch?—C. T. B. A. The Blological Survey says that in all probability the robin hears the worms that it seeks. It hears worms, then hops over the creating a jar that causes th to come to the surface. Other worms are disturbed and come up. These the robin probably sees and devours. Q. When was Christmas first cele- brated?—J. A A. It is not definitely Christmas was first ¢ institution of the festi uted to Telespho: in the reign of Antoninus Pius (1 161 A. D.). This, however, is not his- torical. It has often been objected that December 25 cannot be the true date of the birth of Christ, for it is then the rainy season in Pales and shepherds would scarcely been watching their sheep by r {the flelds. The reason for the choice of December | determined. A widespread feast o the Great Mother may have influence | the decision, also the d a Christian feast in opposition to | Roman feast of “Sol Invectus” at Winter solstice. At the Winter etice, the Germans held their great Yule feast in commemor: ght | final sol- the bellefs and usages of the old Ger- {mans and Romans relating to this matter passed from heathenism to Christianity and have survived to the present day As Christlanity spread, the feast of the Winter solst the time when the day begins to increase, and light to triumph over darkness, was changed Into the Feast of Christ, the Light of Life. Q. How many Indian war pen- sioners are there?—. J. C. A. The Pension Office says that there are 3,940 soldiers and 3,000 wid- ows drawing pensions by reason of all the Indian wars. reau does not keep a record of the individual Indian wars. The sum pald last vear to all Indlan war pen- sioners was $1,919.223.65. Q. When and by whom was wheat introduced Into America’—K. S. G. A. It is not definitely known who first introduced wheat Into America, History shows, however, that it was not grown in America prior to its discov- ery by Columbus. Q. What kind of wood should be used for excelsior’—E. W. od from which it is made Washington | when | 25 cannot now be | sire to place n of the | return of the fiery sun, and many of | The Pension Bu- | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN should be light in welght, tough, n, brittle, soft, ntralght-gratned and from odor, though in some cases, for example, where the excelsfor is to 1 used for furniture king, a sligl odor is not an objectionable quallt It must also be well seasoned bef: £oppg into the machine, but sho: never be allowed to air season for mors than two years, as it becomes brittls ¢ tacked by decay, which render it worthless for excelsior. A 2 soned wood is more desirable t kiln-dried, because the latter is clined to be brittle ’ had the first R. chusetts was the first ¢ form one. It was organized in 172 but was incorporated in 1794. Q. Does “the indestructibility of matter” mean that coal in the proc ess of nature will be restored to coal after it is burned? If not, wil earth gradually lose weight?- When coal or other materlal 1= mined from the earth the actual weight of the earth is not ‘altered. No such change could be effeciad goe less the gas and smoke ) which the coal is changed in combustion eas caped entirely from the atmosphere and passed out Into space. This doe: not occur. Although the weight of the earth as a wh not alterea by mining operations, there doubt th 1 of welgh at the e anged. Q. What is the employment of suc expressi as black pitch and gree: verdure called?—A. H. D. A. Pleonasm consists in the repet - tion of an idea implied in somse ott er word or element in the sentence Q. At clouds K. D, A. The Weather F the distance at wh are ) the h one f clouds. t country ta are the naked stor at visible to in & nd the clouds a: - other hand, ir is quite well developec cumulo-n or thunderstorm cloud m in born in Ital £ 1 in 1880 teacher to and re land, 1 name of Dor: subjects of 1896. She Ledger Svndicate Q aur tion bridge, rubbers ara the play of on to the ho: each board is kept and compa: its score in duplicate, the ga How is the s auction b re is cou cept The Star maintains for and prosit of service under pleasure he directorship of Fred-{ eric J. Haskin. The scope of the burea s national and international, and subject is too clementary or too bre to enlist the personal attention of @ epe cialist. Addres r Informatio Bureau, Frederic Twenty-first and C streets northa Duke and Eastman Gifts Seen As Examples in Philanthropy James B. Duke, tobacco and electric power king, announces a gift of $40,- 000,000 to advance the cause of cduca- tion, health and religion in the South. On the same day George Eastman, the kodak king, announces a gift of $12,000,000 to education in the East and South. “An interesting feature of theso munificent gifts,” declares the Okla- homa City Oklahoman, “Is that neither Duke nor Eastman ever had the bene- fit of a college education, Nelther ever felt the joy that comes from associa- tion with ambitious students in aca- demic shades. The memory of what fate denied them in their most am- bitious days drives Duke and Eastman to spend fabulous fortunes In making the road easler to the unfortunats youth of America. The contemplation of what Duke and Eastman have done should inspire every American college student to make ths most of his pres- ent privileges. For life presents few spectacles so sad as that of a wealthy student slighting the opportunity of college life, while so many indigent youth are eating tho bitter bread of Tegret for the opportunities that are denled them.” “These large contributions carry & moral,” in the opinion of the Rock Ts- land Argus. “It is that all of us, from the prince to the pauper, are at some time In our lives guided by the sama impulses. The Bible teaches man to do what Dukes and Eastmans are doing. The owners of these huge fortunes are but executing the lessons they Jisped in boyhood @t the paternal knee Mr. Fastman and Mr. Duke, says the New York Sun, “will go down as two of the men who made possible an increasingly high standard in ‘American education. It is one of the splendid things about America that 50 much of the money of her citizens has gone Into eternally active me- morials instead of into the ‘ockets of heirs unable to use it with the wis- dom that enabled their fathers to amass It.” * ko ¥ «Mr! Duke holds an aversion to the idle dollar and the idle man,” says the Providenoce Tribune. “He wants every man to work as hard as the dollar does when it is properly invested. George Bastman, on the other hand, is more the dreamer and the idealist. He looks forward to the time when they will have mere lelsure than they have now and believes in preparing them for that leisure by the cultivation of tho less practical and more human studles. Mr. Duke, on the one hand, is using his mone by active participation in it, Mr. Eastman, on the other. is devoting his wealth to emrichen life by the intelligent use of leisure. Both men, each in his way, are driving for a Better life for more people, whioh is— to inteneify life ! while | | ever, places w new or should be—the basis of all phlla Compare these gentlemen,” gests the Cincinnati Tim “who fought their battles In great competitive field of popula consumpt with the favorites o other d: who received monopolis tic privileges from their kings. M Duke and Mr. Eastman received wk they could get from the peorle, and they are now returning much of their profits to the people. The people have been twice served, in the taking and In the returning. Mr. Duke has his own ldea of a duchy, which is i the vicinity of Durham, N. C., a Mr. Eastman has his own idea of principality, whose capital is Roch ester, It is an entirely moderx idea, which in benignity far outdoes the plutocratic exploits of other days.’ To which the New York Times adds: “Chinese and Hindus press the bulbs of Mr. Eastman's kodaks. d Nova Zembia contributed their puffs to Mr. co fortune. But it is natural enough that In the ev¢ ning of life a man’s thoughts shoul }turn most often to the home folks.'[ x Kk kK “Mr. Duks has offered a great sum ! observes the Grand Rapids Pres “either to a new university bearin his name or to a certain old colleg on condition that it will change it name to his. This minor satisfactio of personal or family pride s th least onerous of the conditions com monly ttached to large philar throples” Mr. Duke's ambition establish a great university that sha bear his name has honorable prece dent, in the opinion of the Spring fleld, Mass., Republican, which adds “It is natural also that he should pre fer that it should be a university de veloped from an old school of higl standing In his native town.” Whil the Louisville Courier-Journal be lieves “love of home, of State, Is th fine quality that marks Mr. Duke benefaction.” From Mr. Duke's native State, which benefits most from his gift, the As ville Times has this to say: “Thz New York Herald-Tribune in discussing the $40,000,000 gift of Mr. Duke de- clares sententiously: ‘North Carolin is fortunate in the richest of her sons’ Mr. Duke has not lacked for crities in his native State. He was very bitterly assailed in the days when his American Tobacco Co. was at the peak of its monopolistic power. Even in his later and more placid years he has not escaped attacks from newspapers and individuals in North Carolina. The announcement of hie munificent benefaction, how- aspect upon the huge fortune which he am d du ing bis lifetime. It wakes his sharp- est enemies discover In him virtues which they were unwilling to com= @ede him on other eccasionss