Evening Star Newspaper, February 9, 1925, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY .February 9, 1925 THEODORE W. NOYES. . . .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office, 11th St. and Pennsyivania Ave. New York' Offce: 110 Fast 4ind St. Chicago Offic er Building. European Office : 16 Regent St.,London, The Evening Star. with the Sunday morning edition, s delivered Dby carriers within the 'y at 60 cents per month: daily onlyy 45 ats per month; Sunday ogly, 20 cents per month. Orders may be sent by mail or tele »-oe Main 5000. Collection is made by car- ricte at the end of each month, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday. .1 yr., $8.40; 1 mo., T0¢ Taily only 1¥r. $6.00; 1 mo., 50¢c Sunday only 1¥r, $2.40; 1 mo,, 20¢ All Other States. Daily and Sunday.1 yr., $10.00; 1 mo., Tiaily only 1yr, $7.00;1mo, Sunday only. 1yr, $3.00;1mo. Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dis patches credited to % or not otherwise credited in_this paper and alse the local lished “herein. ~ All rights of pub fispniches herein are also res Genuine Fair Play. When the House overwhelmingly passed the District surplus bill, al- ready approved with practical nimity by the Senate, The Star voiced the grateful appreciation of Washing- And in ssing the kind of relative national contribution which Congress in appropriating this local tax money would equitably make, whether 30-50 (for which The Star argued) or 40-60 or 33 to 36 per cent under the lump-payment plan, The Star expressed Washington's absolute confidence that Congress would show in actually appropriating the surplis and in applying it to District uses the same wisdom and sense of justice that characterized its recognition of the existence of the surplus and its au- thorization of the surplus's appropria- tion and expenditure. tepresentative Cramton in recent discussion of the District appropria- tion bill characterized as grotesque the suggestion that the national con- tribution relative to the surplus tax money should equitably be on the 5050 rather than on the 40-60 or lump- sum basis, and rebuked the Washing- tonians as insatiable petitioners. Congress, representing the Nation, serenely conscious of its absolute and exclusive power of decision, will not be disturbed or excited even over un- reasonable petitions by the unrepre- sented District. But is there anything unreasonable in Washington's conten- tion concerning the surplus? What is the tax out of which the surplus ar By what authority is the tax imposed? From whom and in what amount is the tax authorized to be collected? For what purpose does the law command that the tax shall be expended? These pertinent questions are ail answered by the unambiguous provi- sions of the organic act of 1878. That law directs the District Com- missioners to submit estimates of the | District's needs through the Secre- tary of the Treasury to Congress. It then says: “To the extent to which Congress shall approve of said estimates, Con- gress shall appropriate the amount of 50 per cent thereof; and the re- maining 50 per centum of such ap- proved estimates shall be levied and assessed, upon the taxable property and privileges in said District other than the property of the United States and of the District of Colum- bia.” 1. Who, Congress. 2. Upon whom or what is it levied and assessed? Upon the taxable prop- erty and privileges in said District other than the property of the United States and of the District of Colum- bia. 3. What amount of tax is author- ized? An amount equal to one-half of the District estimates approved by Congress for a given year; an amount exactly the same as the amount direct- ed by the law to be appropriated by Congress from the national Treasury for District purposes. 4. What is the sole purpose of the tax for which it must be expended? To enable the District to pay its half of the District appropriations, that is, one-half of the District estimates as approved and enacted into law by Con- gress. The law assumes that only the pre- cise amount of one-half of a fixed sum, previously determined, shall be levied and assessed upon District property. But in practice the amount of tax col- lected is never precisely the amount levied and assessed, and Congress by supplementary tax legisiation made certain that there should always be either a deficit or a surplus under the law Dby guessing at the amount needed and by imposing a reasonable tax, raising approximately the amount to be required and levying and assess- ing it before the approval of the esti- mates and the appropriations by Con- zress which fixed the precise amount of the needed annual District tax, Thus in some years taxation pro- duced. more than onehalf of the amount eppropriated by the District appropriation bill; in’ other years less. In the years since 1878, in which Uncle Sam wanted to expend in wise una- ton dise then, imposes the tax? time, the process. has been reversed, and surpluses instead of deficits have accumulated. Uncle Sam has each year (1916, 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1920) spent less than twice the local tax which he has collected for Capital maintenance and development. Dur- ing the war he needed his money for other and more urgent.purposes. The World War had to be won, and in this period the Capital's growing munici- pal needs were comparatively neglect- ed. instead of deficiis, unexpended surpluses of local taxes thus developed and accumulated. And the municipal needs which the taxes were collected to meet were in corresponding meas- ure neglected and unmet and also ac- cumulated. Now that the war is over Uncle Sam takes note of the war-time neglect of the Capital’s municipal needs and of the imperative and urgent necessity of spending upon them, at once, large sums, for example, in increase of pub- lic school buildings and-in general maintenance and development of our neglected public schools. # As we have seen, deficits in the Dis- trict’s tax revenues occurred in seven years between 1900 and 1910. To cover these deficits the District borrowed from Uncle Sam $3,992,515.08, and re- paid the advances, with $585,076.68 in- terest. In the years 1916, 1917, 1918, 1819 and 1920 surpluses of District tax revenues instead of deficits developed. These surpluses aggregated approxi- mately five million dollars. As Uncle Sam took mnote of the deficits and protected himself, so now he has taken note of the surpluses and protects his ward, the District. He will extend this protection whole-heartedly and not in any grudg- ing, half-way fashion. The law of 1878 thus declares tnat one-half of the Commissioners’ esti- mates as approved by Congres$ shall be appropriated from the Treasury, and that the other half shall then be obtained by taxation of District's property. Every cent of the District's five-million surplus was collected un- der the provisions of this law to be spent immediately for the Cap- ital's benefit in combination with an equal amount already appropriated from the Treasury. This money was collected from the District taxpayers, but Congress failed to expend it in obedience to the law with an equal amount of money appropriated from the Treasury in the year for which these taxes were collected. This same failure was repeated vear after year until today. Now Congress has provided for the ex- penditure of this accumulated tax money. Equitably it will be spent as a part of the District's propor- tionate contribution under the terms of the half-and-half law, which alone authorized the tax collector to exact it. When he comes to spend the Dis- trict tax money, Uncle Sam will con- tribute either an equal amount under the half-and-half- law, or two-thirds of the amount of the surplus under the 60-40 rate, or a specific addition to the basic lump-sum payment in lieu of any definite proportionate con- tribution. The only decision of Uncle Sam on this issue against which the District would have @ right to protest would be his refusal to make any national relative contribution, in connection with the tax surplus, either as an ad- dition to the basic lump-sum payment or in accordance with the 40-60 or 50-50 ratio. It is inconceivable, how- ever, that Unclg Sam, having collected this tax money solely by virtue of a law which bound him to spend the money for Capital upbuilding in con- nection with a like contribution from himself, should, by his own omis- sions, neglects and failures to appro- priate in obedience to law, first post- pone for many years meeting his ob- ligation to appropriate, and should finally so appropriate as to avoid en- tirely and repudiate altogether his ob- ligation of proportionate contribution in respect to this District tax money. It is inconceivable that Uncle S8am would thus permit himself to take advantage of his own wrong. ————————— ‘While many charges of deception in higher activities may still be expected, the taximeter will at least be provided with a guaranteed reputation for truth and veracity. ————————— So far es the oplum treffic is con- cerned China sees for the present only the prospect of being allowed to dream on. e The French Debt to Britain. Widely varying views are expressed in dispatches from Paris and London as to the meaning and effect of Chan- cellor Churchill’s mote to France re- garding the French debt to Great Brit- ain. It is described as both favorable and unfavorable to France, as both a concession and a harsh demand. It would appear, however, from the care- ful examination of the text that it covers three main points; first, that Great Britain declines to agree that the payments of France should be de- pendent upon Germany’s full payment of annuities under the Dawes plan; second, that in order to facilitate re- payments Great Britain is willing to accept fixed annual amounts, irre. spective of the proceeds of the Dawes plan, with a further annual charge on the French share'in those proceeds, and third, that Great Britain will de- vote any surplus beyond requirements for her own American indebtedness to diminish the burdens upon Great Brit- permanent public improvements at the Capital much more than twice the amount that he had collected that vear in local taxes, he took note of the temporary deficit in District reve- nue under the law. He advanced from the Treasury to the District approxi- mately the amount of these deficits and reimbursed himself for these ad- vances with interest from the District revenues of subsequent years. Such deficits occurred (and were met by money borrowed by the District from Uncle Sam and later repaid with in- terest) in 1901, 1902, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908 and 1909. On account of these advances to meet deficits the District paid to the United States $3.992,515.03 in principal and $585,076.68 in interest. In 1916 the last of these advances was repaid. . Of recent vears (between 1916 and ain’s allies. It is the third point of this pro- posal that most keenly interests the French government. It means that Great Britain asks from her con- tinental debtors only the amount nec- essary to meet her needs in liquidat- ing her American debt. Asking, that fixed sums be paid, this is in effect a demand by Great Britain that her war debt to the United. States be paid by her Europedn debtors. British pay- ments to the United States, however, are not contingent upon British col- lections on the war debt account. Should France and the other - con- tinental governments fail to pay the London government the British in- stallments must continue to be paid to the United States, short of default. It is reported that the Churchill note is well received at Paris, that it is THE EVENING derstanding. Yet on one point it s'dis- quieting. For the British chancellor declares that Britain will consider re- ducing the French debt “provided that the principle of definite payment by France from her national resources, fixed with due regard to her wealth and taxpaying capacity, is assured without reference to reparations.” In other words, Great Britain asks that the “principle” be established that France will pay from her own re- sources to. the limit of taxpaying capacity. Realization of this factor of the British requirement may cause & reaction in France, where taxation is anathema. Back of this question is undoubt- edly a fear, felt in England and prob- ably in Paris, that Germany may not keep full faith under the Dawes plan, may make one payment only. Hints to that effect have come from Ger- many. Just how it is hoped at Ber- lin to evade further payments is not suggested, but there is a growing fear that after the initial payment has been made Berlin will find excuses for defaults. It would seem that the clause in the Churchill note regarding the “principle” of payment from national resources is inspired by this lack of confidence in the continuity of repara- tions. The. British chancellor of the exchequer, speaking now for his gov- ernment, would seem to be seeking to underwrite the French debt to Great Britain, offering as a concession a re- duction of that debt to a proportionate amount relative to the British needs on the score of the debt to the United States. ———————— The war is over, and the time when people were compelled to take holi- days whether they desired them or not is e faraway reminiscence. In- stead of inviting workers from all parts of the country to come to Wash- ington to eid the Government, econ- omy now becomes the rule, and pri- vate industry is not expected to de- prive itself of needed assistance. The readjustment may create impressions of hardships, but the extraordinary conditions of military exigency could not be expected to go on indefinitely. ——————e—— A discussion of debt cancellation necessarily creates doubt as to how far sentiment ought to be brought into business. The expert accountant oan- not be expected to keep books ac- curately if his sympathies are too strongly \aroused. And yet accurate accountings are the basis of friendly interchanges. There are relationships in which the proffer of too much generosity becomes discourteous. ———e——— Owing to the exemption of Federal employes from jury duty, in connec- tion with other exemptions, only a relatively small proportion of this city’s residential population can be called for this important service. If Senator Walsh doubts the capacity of Washington to afford satisfactory juries his doubt might be based on the consideration of overwork rather than that of mental attitude. ———— High prices for wheat encourage the farmer. People who eat bakers’ bread feel differently about the matter. No system of economics has yet been sug- gested which will prevent some from losing when others gain. ’ ————— It is insisted that Mr. La Follette and his associates make good their plans to establish the nucleus of an outside party, even if the nucleus is not as large as was expected last Sum- mer. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. A Questions We use a scientific phrase Of most impreesive gravity, When some wild youth a case displays Of general depravity. Though scientists are much revered— No doubt we should be thanking ‘em— Were not the youngsters better reared ‘When fashion favored spanking ‘em? Wings. “A woman is en angel without wings,” remarked the chivalrous citi- zen. “Maybe it's lucky for her to be wingless,” rejoined Senator Sorghum. “If our angels on earth had wings they might have to be drafted for sky scouting in an aviation emergsncy.” Target Practice. In time of peace, in time of war, In houts of woe or witticism, Our statesmen need the Navy for A mark for well aimed criticism. Jud Tunkins says out his way wem run along quiet for nearly four years, and then aenother election will come along and interrupt the cross-word puzzles. Annexation. “Snake Ridge now has a fire engine house, two garages and e motion pic- ture theater.” “Let 'em go ahead,’ commented Cactus Joe. “Us Guichers is jes’ waitin’ for them fellers to git their town fixed up to suit us, an’ then 'we'll move over an’ take possession.” Birds and Aircraft. The dove of peace remarked one day Unto an airship liner, “Though you're the larger, I display A nature vastly finer. “A bird can never hope to match An eirplane’s- spacious showing; But we are easier to hatch And cheaper to keep going.” Boisterions Drama. “What kind of a play are you work- ing on now?” “One of the kind,” replied Mr. Stormington Barnes, “that have to be rehearsed in whispers for fear of at- tracting the attention of the police.” Plowshares. The swords to plowshares let us beat And unto Peace show deference. Since Wlizzards we again must meet, Let's give the snowplows preference. “Mebbe it'll be easier to get help,” said Uncle Eben, “if de time comes when a stiddy, sho’ 'nuft worker gits patted on de bick, same as & banjo 1920), and especially during oux wax 'viewed s clearing. the aix of yaisun.!player.” STAR, WASHINGTON, D, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. A police patrol wagon came hum- ming along busy F street at the very busiest time of the afternoon, when shopping was at high tide, the side- walks crowded with women and girls as the thoroughfare was with auto- mobliles and taxicabs. Just as the patrol, going west, started to cross Eleventh street, the trafic policeman there switched the ‘Go—Go” sign to “Stop— Stop,” whereupon the police vehicle halted with the remainder of the traffic. Curious pedestrians looked into the patrol wagon to get a good look at a real live prisoner. It is not often that the average cultured woman or &Irl gets a chance to give a real law- breaker the “once over.” They saw back in the wagon, seat- ed with a policeman on either side of him, roughly holding his arms, a middle-aged man with gray hair and red face. He wore a black coat, but had no collar on, the neckband of his shirt standing up in all its glory of shining gold front-button. The prisoner's iron-gray hair was rather rumpled, as if he had resisted the officers of the law a bit before they managed to bounce him up that pair of steps at the rear of the wagon, where now a cop stood. As the women looked curiously at the prisoner, that culprit returned their gaze, principally because there was nothing else much to do; and, perhaps, he was somewhat curfous, in_his turn. They were on the outside, looking in, and he was on the inside, looking out. It made quite a difference, did it not? “There, but for the grace of God. goes John Wesley,” sald that great churchman, as he saw a man being led off to the gallows. * x ok % It does make quite a difference, in this (world, whether one views a thing from the inside or from the outside. I have always thought that what we need is not so much the power to see ourselves as others see us as to be able to look at matters from both sides. “T'd rather be on the outside, a-looking in, than on the inside, a-looking out,” went the popular song of some 20 or more years ago. But that, like so many popular concep- tion is only partly true, being stated to fit the particular exigences of the song, which probably had something to do with a colored man seeing some of his friends raided, placed in that patrol wagon, maybe When a man gets to the point in the conduct of his life where he is more or less able to view any mat- ter from the side of the other fellow, as well as from his own, he has done more than most men seem able to accomplish. The majority go through life look- ing at-men and affairs from a terri- bly narrow standpoint—that of their own precious mind. They seem un- able to view a policy from any but the individual position and that po- sition usually @ very selfish one. Right and wrong never rules such men, but simply expedlency, and that expediency, it must be stated again, an expediency of narrow, petty indi- vidualism, as if mankind and, indeed, the whole world centered in one be- ing. Kapoleon failed because he would not look at Europe from the outside, but in- sisted on seeing it only from the inside, and from the interior of France in par- ticular. 1t Napoleon had been able to look upon mankind with a broader, more humanitarian policy, his name would be remembered today even more widely than it is, with a stream of books about him still pouring from the printing presses, and his famous snuff-box por- trait hanging on the walls of homes owned by men and women who in ac- tuality would shrink from that incarna- tion of cruel selfishness and indiffer- ence to the best welfare of others which was Napoleon L These words are written, it may be added, by one who has the snuff-box picture, also a bust, and many books about the great Napoleon, and who ad- mires the man for what he was, and not for what he was not. * kK We sit around and “pan” the Presi- dent whenever he signs an act—or does not sign It—without once trying to put ourselves in his place, and attempting to think what we would do if we were President. We lambaste Congress in much the same spirit with which we speak of gut- ter sneaks. I heard a man on an eleva- tor, a very fine-appearing man, make the following statement : “Oh, all the members of Congress are crook He seriously believes it, too, despite the manifest absurdity of the thing, and every time he says it, and is not con- tradicted forthwith, he believes it even more. Indeed, it some one defends the members of our two great legislative bodles he is all the more firmly estab- lished in his own opinfon. You see, he doesn’t know a single member of the House or Senate, and, what {s more, isn't able to look at them from the inside, or even from a decent outside standpoint. As a _matter of cold fact, the mem- bers of the Senate and House are just such fellows as you and I, per- haps a little more hail-fellow-well- met, undoubtedly having been born with a political urge. Almost invariably and talk on they can think their feet, something which the average man cannot do. This combination of qualities— rough, hearty personalities, the po- Mtical urge and the ability to make speeches—is responsible for our Con- gressmen. Down at bottom they are just men, most of them with an amazing ability to work and to understand the big questions of government. If you do not think so, bustle up to a public hearing some day and marvel at their grasp of the situation. When a ridiculous proposition 1 made in government, and for a time seems to be carrying the day, the common sense of Congress is there to turn the proposition inside out and vote it down. It seldom fails. That is why most of us who are not of the political nature need not worry too much. Congress has great good sense, after all. * K ox x It s not necessary, however, to look to such exalted seats as those on the HIll to see the value of belng both on the inside, looking out, and on the outside, looking in. Every parent can benefit both him- selt and his child by remembering the days of his youth. Perhaps the most utterly absurd sight in the world is that of some staid father or mother forgetting absolutely how he or she acted and felt when young. Yet it is done every day. Many men, for instance, seem to lose their sense of proportion when they grow a mustache. They impute to little Johnnie motives the kid never had, nay, could not have. They simply forget: to remember themselves as children; they refuse to look at the problem of the moment, no matter what It may be, both from the inside as well as the outside. In the business world storekeepers and clerks often fail to put them- selves in the customer’s place: and, no doubt, the shoe is on the other foot, in many instances, and the cus- tomer will not place himself in the position of the storekeeper and the salespeople. Perhaps all of us ought to be more chary of harsh statement against others, unless we absolutely know how the matter 16oks both from the inside as well as from the outside. This would save many unjust accu- sations, many a feeling of having done injustice to others, many a heartache, ‘many a regret. How do we know what the man in the patrol wagon did? WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE These are days of melancholy as well as high pressure on Capitol Hill, for men who have been in Congress together, in some cases for years, are preparing to part company. Not only lame ducks will be hobbling from the scens in House and Senate, but mem- bers who voluntarily relinquished the opportunity to remain in office. This means interrupted friendships formed long ago and cemented by time, de- spite the externalities of partisan differences. Some of the closest ties in Congress always exist between a Republican and a Democrat. Men snarl at each other across the aisle, but as often can be seen making their way to the cloakroom arm in arm. Even the La Follette “rebels” read out of the G. O. P. in the Senate and to be subjected to the same castiga- tion in the House later in February, maintain their personal intimacies with their old friends. So the ap- proaching end of the Sixty-elghth Congress brings pangs to more than one political bosom. In some in- stances it will mean “never again’ for men who have fought and work- ed together term after term. * k x X Pennsylvania, with 36 members, is believed to hold the balance of power in the apporaching election for Speaker of the House. The rival Mad- den and Longworth forces, in accord with time-honored custom, are claim- ing that the Penn delegation, if not at least equally divided in its affec- tions, is “overwhelmingly” in favor, respectively, of the Illinoisan and the Ohloan. Until the votes are finally cast and counted nobody Will know just how Pennsylvania’s solid Re- publican delegation plumped. But there seems general agreement that the 225 Republicans who will decide the issue are almost so evenly divided that Penn’s big total will be of de- cisive influence. Voting for Speaker is viva voce. Everybody stands up and confesses his choice out loud. Representative Fred A. Britten of Illinois, Madden's Foch, and Repre- sentative “Jim” Begg of Ohio, Long- worth’s Pershing, are the glad-hand- ingest men in Congress nowadays. * X K X Maj. James Franklin Bell, U. S.'A. Engineer Commissioner of the Dis. trict of Columbia, says he likés his job because he loves a scrap. Scrap- ping, either with disfranchised citi- gens or hard-shelled Congressman, is one of the duties incumbent upon District Commissioners, so Maj. Bell has a plenty of his favorite pastime. From the time of his graduation at West Point in 1898 up to and includ- ing a strenuous career as engineer liquidation - officer of the American expeditionary forces in France Bell has been scrapping. Thus he, finds familiar and congenial employment on his present detail. One of the En- gineer Commissioner's ideals is to cement & better feeling between Con- gress and residents of the District. He 18 inclined to think that criticism of “the Hill” is, often extreme and unjustified. Bell contends there are dozens of members of both houses with intelligent, sympathetic and in- dustrious interest in the District and doing their best for it amid chaotic and often discouraging conditions. * % %k X i When the American Association for Advancement of Science was in session in Washington in January an authority set forth that unysual height is coming to be the ocutstand- ing physical {rait of the race” The Senate of the United States is coming more and more to bear out that theory. The upper house is rapidly filling up with tall sycamores. The longest of them all has Jjust arrived—Senator Hiram Bingham of Connectieut, who towers 6 feet and 4 inches or more !nto space. Bayard of Delaware and Shipstead of Minnesota are nearly as high. Willis of Ohio and Shortridge of Callfornia are among the sky-. ecrapers, too, while Heflin of Ala- bama, Smoot of Utah, Pepper of Pennsylvania and Harreld of Okla- homa are uncommonly big men. The House of Representatives has its full quota of giants as well. * ok x X . John Bull sent a Roman Catholic, Sir Esme Howard, to represent Prot- estant Britain in Washington, and Paris has sent a Protestant, M. Emile Daeschner, to represent Catholic France. M. Daeschner, who looks enough like Gifford Pinchot to be the Pennsylvania Governor’s twin broth- er, is a Calvinist. John Calvin was a Frenchman, born in Picardy. Perhaps M. Herriot thought it wouldn't be a baq idea to station on the Potomac durfng the Coolidge regime an Am- bassador of the faith founded by John Calvin, whose name runs through the whole Coolidge dynasty. Ambassador Daeschner's accomplish- ed young chief of staff, Count de Sartiges, has Massachusetts mater~ nal ancestors. The count was sta- tioned In Washington during part of the Taft administration and was hers in the Wilson administration till he joined his regiment in France in 1913, . R Secretary Weeks had an official en- gagement the other day at the office of Secretary Work in the Depart- ment of the Interior. The hour was 4:30 pn. The Secretary of War ar- rived eight minutes late. Dr. Work chided ' Weeks merrily for lack of military ‘punctuality. “Got in a trafio jam caused by your 4:30 home-going clerks,” sald Weeks, *and I had to detour to the other end of. the building.” Secretary Weeks, who averages 12 hours a day In the War Department, thinks the eplsode throws an amusing sidelight on the relative ease which departmental employes enjoy. (Copyright, 1925.) Unifprin Retirement Age Urged for U. S. Workers Te the Editor of The Sta — There is up for consideration b fore the two Houses of Congres: Federal retirement bill according to the proviaions of which younger em- ployes might retire while older on, ‘would be obliged to remain In serv- ice. Briefly, the bill provides for the retiremernt at 60 of those who have served 30 years, and for retirement at 70 of those who have not served this period. of time. Irrespective of the years of service the standard of efficlency is the same with all of a like age, and to prevent the ridiculous situation of one. man. of 60 retiring..whenm the-one'at the next desk must continue serving tntit he reaches 79: théré should- be’-an amendment providing a uniform re- tirement age with the amount of the annuity to be ‘ovarnaz by the years ot sexvicey C., MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1925. THE PUBLIC LIBRARY 10. AMERICAN HISTORY. The “gentle reader” has among many books on the subject two in- teresting sources for a general back- ground of American history, Wood- row Wilson's “History of the Amer- ican People” in five volumes (F83- W69h), and the “Yale Chronicles” in 50 volumes (F83-C466). The work of tho late President is “based on secondary authorities, and is valuable for broad outlines, gen- eral accuracy and lucidity of general- izations and interpretations of events.” The make-up of the volumes Is at- tractive, combining good paper, large print and pages broken with many in- teresting {llustrations. The ‘“Yale Chronicles” also are beautiful examples of book making, tempting the reader to perusal of one small volume after the other. Each is by a competent historian and writ- ten in an easy, agreeable style. Possibly somewhat lacking in schol- arship, but remarkable for fts lit- erary qualities, Irving's “The Life and Voyages of Christopher Colum- bus” (E-C720), relates the inspiring “story of the sallor, who, full of faith in his mission, and caring nothing for danger or for present reward, by his unfaltering resolution opened for Eu- rope a path across the Atlantio and by 80 doing altered the whole course of human affairs.” John Fiske, “more than any other writer of his generation has brought home to the national consciousness a philosophic view of American his- tory by his remarkable power for lucid statement of balanced judg- ments.” Through his brilliant series covering the colonial and revolu- tionary periods, Fiske has done much to popularize history, and the reader can do no better than to follow him through “Old Virginia and Her Nelghbors” (F863-F34), “Beginnings of New England” (F84-F34), “The Dutch and Quaker Colonies” (F831- F54) and “The American Revolution,” two volumes (F832-F54). Affected with such bad health and eyesight that at times he could write only six lines a day, Francls Parkman nevertheless achleved the highest rank among America’s historians. “He was falthful and thorough, and his brilllant powers of analysis, characterization and description have been rarely excelled by any writer of history who has used the English language. Until one has wit- nessed the glowing pageant of new France in ‘La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West' (F816-P23 1), “The Old Regime in Canada’ (F$16-P230), ‘Count Frontenac and New France Un- der Louis XIV" (Fg16-P23c) and ‘Mont- calm and Wolfe' (F$16-P23m) he has missed one of the high peaks in his- torical writing,” writes Prof. Edwin W. Pahlow of the Ethical Culture School, New York. A readable and well fllustrated single volume account of the Revolution is Lodge's ‘“The Story of the Revolution’ (F832-L822). A brilliant account in four volumnes giving the point of view of an Englishman, who saw in the cause of the colonists the cause of civil liberty at home, is found in Sir George Otto Trevelyan's ‘“‘American Revolution” (F832-T728). For the stirring frontier days, the reader has Roosevelt's “Winning of the West” (F89-R6Tw), and Frederick J. Turner's ‘“The in American History" which interprets the influence of the frontier upon the national character and institutions. Rhodes’ “‘History of the Civil War” (F834-R346h), was awarded the Pulitzer prize as the best piece of historical writing of the year 1918. It presents an .extraordinarily vivid picture of that critical time. Among the notable biographles of American history are Wilson's “George Washington” (E-W2Twi), Beveridge's “John ~ Marshall” (E-M356b), Lord Charnwood's “Lincoln” (E-Lé3cha), Lewis' “Life of Theodore Roosevelt” (E-R763 1), and the recent life of Wood- row Wilson, by William Allen White (E-W69Twh). For a backward glimpse over the whole of our career as a Nation and an intimation of what the future may hold Prof. Pahlow recommends The United States: An Ex- pel;mglt lln D;_mocracy" (JG-B385u), an Veyl's “The New = (JG-W548n). S Author of Amendment. Writer Defends Claims of Sena- tor Platt. To the Editor of The Star: In the issue of The Evening Star of January 29, 1925, under the heading “In Today's Spetlight,” by Paul V. Collins, T note it is stated that “The much-talked of February, 1901, . Platt amendment” ® * * “wag not written by Senator Platt, but by Secretary of State Root,” and the statement ends by referring to this historic doc- ument ~ as “Secretary Root's Platt amendment.” Of course, Mr. Elihu Root was not Secretary of State when the Platt amendment was enacted into law. He was Secretary of War. In an article in the Review of Re- views for January, 1903, Walter Well- man credited Mr. Root with writing the Platt amendment, basing his statement on a letter of instructions written by the War Secretary to Gen. Wood for the guidance of the latter in connection with the withdrawal of American forces from Cuba. This, for the first time, raised the question of the authorship of the Platt amend- ment, and created much press com- ment and consternation among the senatorial assoclates and the friends of Senator Platt, who was deluged with a flood of leters and telegrams regarding the article of Mr. Wellman. Senator Platt refused absolutely to be drawn into any newspaper con- troversy over the matter, but to many he wrote briefly the facts. To Charles Hopkins Clark, editor of the Hartford Courant and personal triend of long standing, amo®€z other things, he wrote: “It is not a matter that I care enough about to make any issue of, but Mr. Wellman is a little off. The letter of instructions to Gen. Wood was written by Secretary Root after the Platt amendment had been con- sidered by the Republican members of the Cuban committee. The origi- nal draft was my own.” To John H. Flagg of New York, he wrote: “It (the Platt amendment) started with an original draft of four propositions by me, submitted to President McKinley and Secretary Root. It was the subject of many conversations with Mr. Root, and many consultations between the Re- publican members of the Senate com- mittee.- * * * While these consulta- tions were going on BSecretary Root gave the order to Gen. Wood. * & The meat of the whole thing was in my original proposition, long anterior to the issuance of the order.” . “The original draft, written by Sena- tor Platt, across the top of which, in pencil, he had also written in his own hand, “Proposition submitted to the President by me,” dated long before the order was sent by Secretary Root to Gen. Wood, I personally compared with the Platt amendment as it stands on the statute books. That original draft, written in his own hand by Senator Platt,,contained some interlineations, the substitution of a synonym, in a few instances, for words used more than once, by the late Senator John C. Spooner of Wis- consin, Who went over the final draft with . Senator. Platt, and.in. this_form it ‘is identical with the Platt amend- ment as-it now stan@s. In this form ‘it -was -submitted -to - the “committee on Cuban relations by Senator Platt, the chairman, on February 25, 1901, and by & resolution of that committee -BISCOE, adopted, Oa-ihe-seme day-Sepator ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN Q. What was the first national newspaper in: the United States?— W. W. T. A. The National Intelligencer, es- tablished in, Washington, in 1800, by Samuel Harrison Smith, was claimed to be the first newspaper in this country that might justly assert it- self as “national.” - Q. Which of the Government de- partments was the largest when the Federal offices were moved from Philadelphla to Washington?—W. G. D. A. In point of personnel, the Treas- ury Department, with 69 employes en- rolled, was the largest. The War De- partment had 18 employes, the Navy 15 and the Post Office 9. Q. How can I become a teacher in the Washington public schools, pri- mary classes’—E. P. ‘A." In order to teach in the pri- mary grades in Washington, D. C., it is necessary to have two years’ nor- mal training in an accredited normal school, or its equivalent. If you could fill this requirement, the next step would be to apply at the Frank- lin School Building, stating your training, qualifications, etc. Q. What_was finally done about the Island of Yap?—N. B. A. On December 13, 1 . the State Department announced that an agree- ment had been reached between the United States and Japan with respect to Yap and other islands of the Pa- cific Ocean. On February 11, 1922, a treaty embodying the agreement was signed By the terms of this treaty the Island of Yap remains a Japanese mandate, but the United States is permitted the use of one cable. Q. How many drug addicts are there in the United States?>—K. C. W. A. The Public Health Service says that evidence seems to show that a maximum estimate of addicts in the country today would bs 150,000. The estimates based on actual counts points to about 110,000 which number is belleved to be nearly correct. Q. How many foreign coins were turned out at the Philadelphia Mint last year?—D. S. T. A. Of the 160,000,000 coins struck last year in this mint, 12,663,198 were forelgn coins. Q. Ts the New York Stock Ex- change on Wall Street?’—N. E. V. A. It is not on Wall Street, as is popularly belleved. It is on Broad street and runs through ‘to New street. Q. What State produces the most honey?—F. K. A. California leads in honey pro- duction, furnishing 15 per cent of the country’s total. Q. If a2 man who had a disability got into the Army during the war, can he get compensation for it now? —D. A. J. A. The controller general of the United States has ruled that when a veteran was mustered into service having a disability, and in.the event that his condition was aggravated by his service in the United States forces, he should be entitled to com- pensation for the disability aggra- vated beyond the natural progress of the disease. + Q. Where were the first banks?—J. J. W A. The earliest banks on record were the national temples, such as Delphi and Delos in Greece. The money they recelved in deposit they loaned out at rates of Interest vary- ing from 10 to 30 per cent per year. Private bankers were first heard of in Babylon {n the time of Nebuchad- nessar about 600 B. C. Theocritis Tacitus and Suetonius all allude t the existence of banks in their his- tories. Q. How many people are engaged in fur farming in this country?>—W. R. D. A. It is estimated that approximately 1,200 fur farmers are engaged in the production of one or more species of fur-bearing animals in the United States and Alaska. The majority of them, however, are raising silver and blue fox. Q. What is the parcel post packages going abroad’—E. B A. The rate is 12 cents per pc all countries. rate on L. nd to Q. How many pounds are there in a gallon of lnrd”—m:. . ¢ A. The Department of Agricultyre says that the standard gallon of lard contains approximately 7.93 pounds Q. What part of a flag taken up by the blue field? A. The proportion of the blue field. in the American flag is: Width, 2 of the hoist; length, 76-100 of the hoist. The dimensions of the flag vary. Q. How many tons of coal are thers in an acre of coal’—L. S. A. In estimating coal in reserve it is usual to figure that in a vein of coal 1 foot thick there would be 1,800 tons under an acre. In a vein 3 feet thick it would amount to 5400 tons. About one-third is estimated as wastage, thers- fore, mined, it would amount to 3,60, tons. The amount might be some less or possibly more Q. I read of the “Work-Study-Play™ plan followed in some of our public schools. In how many citles is it in use?—A. R. A. Frank M. Phillips of the Bureau of Education is quoted as saying that already 67 cities have the plan in use in one or more schools. Q. How many foreigners are there in the Philippines?—L. H. H. A. The population of the Islands in 1918 census was 1 which all but ab 2,000 were Filipinos Q. What were amous words of the sailing ocder sed by Sir < to his <h D. E. A rve God daily: love one anothar preserve your vict of # and keep good comp Q. Can the water-alcohol mix for motor car radiators be kept in Summer?—A. C. G. A. It can be kept if placed in closed jugs and stored in a cool placs. Q. Hoéw can I get a new $10 bill for one that is torn and a part lost? —E M. A. The redemption division of the Treasury Department says that if a person has three-fifths a bill 1t can be redeemed for full value. 1f he has less than three-fifths, but more than two-f will deemed for one-half value. It be sent to the Secretary of the Treas ury, aftention of fhe redemption dai- vision, Washington, D. T it Q. Each vear the phlox T raise have blighted half way up the stalk How can this be avoided?—R. L. A. The Bureau of Plant In says to spray the plants with bor- deaux mixture eve 10 dayvs during the early part of scasom. Russian governm: A. Russia is ruled b missaries, headed A Q. How many be squeezed frc —W. W. C A. Approximate lons of juice can be ton of grapes. lons of julce can ton of grapes? 145 pre: Q. On the road to Thebes is Colossus called the “‘vo Why Is it so named? A. The name is occasioned tradition that the colossus emitted sounds at davbreak when the sun's rays fell upon it Q. When T E. A. The Thursda Friday is known a about 1200 and 1 the day day, Holy Thursd day. This last & came into called because twen Psalm was usually the se is “Green Thursd: preceding Maundy Th have been co- or Green Thurs tion f (Have you a question you want an- swered? Send it to The Star Information | Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Direct | Twenty-first and C streets northwest The only charge for this service is cents én stamps for return postage.) Mixed Impressions Recorded Of Coolidge-Daeschner Meeting an eff Editors of the country view through somewhat different, eyes the meaning of the exchange of felicitations between President Coolidge and Ambassador Daeschner, France's new envoy to the United States. Some see a friendly meeting, well planned in advance, that will make for better understanding be- tween the two countries over the debt question. Others gee a bad break on the part of the Ambassador and a quick comeback by President Coolidge that leaves no doubt as to the country’s posi- tion in the matter of the debt owed to the United States by the French govern- ment. “After being tossed from politician to editor and back again the French debt entered the White House and became the subject of an official exchange be- tween French Ambassador and Ameri- can President,” saye Herald-Tribune. It would scarcely have recognized the thing. Diplomatic jargon aside, M. Daeschner said France meant to pay and would pay, and Mr. Coolidge said America was glad of the same. This plain talk was all-that was left when the tumult of the trouble makers on both sides of the Atlantic had been eliminated. Yet trouble dies hard. The first reports of the episode insinuated that M. Daeschner had blundered into denying the debt, and that Mr. Coolidge had taken him to task. This version represented the exchange as extempora- neous repartee. The fact of such formal presentation is that the speech of the new Ambassador is always eubmitted to the State Department in advance, and the President's reply is correspondingly a matter of careful preparation.” “The setting and the circumstances of the meeting,” thinks the Milwau- kee Journal, “gave the affair a studied dramatic effect, doubtless intended to reach many ears, both in this coun- try and France, and thus put a stop to loose talk.” The President’s state- ment that the United States has paid its debt of gratitude and Is now in- terested in the material debts, in the opinion of the Kansas City Post, “has continues: “You Platt submitted it to the Senate, Wwhere, on February 27, it was adopt- ed practically without debate. The House promptly accepted the amend- ment, and, on March 2, 1901, it be- came a law. The original draft, files, correspond- ence and papers bearing out the fore- going, are in the possession of Mrs. Orville H. Platt, Kirby Corner, Wash- ington, Conn., the home of the late Senator Platt, or in the Gunn Me- memorial Library, Washington, Conn. Senator Platt of Connecticut would be the last man in the world to lay claim to anything not his full due. What he stated unequivocally over his own signature may well be ac- cepted without question. The same is true of Mr. Elihu Root. Neither need have a care, so far as personal fame goes, a8 to who wrote the Platt amendment, but in the interest of truth and historical accuracy, and particularly at this time, .when the. Platt amendment is @gain to: the' fore through °the “debate ‘on the’ I8 of Pines treaty now pending' in the- Ciite- ed States Senate, it may be fitting that the facts concerning this great state paper be retold. KATHLEEN LAWLER, Y the New York | significance, but to be disagreeable. The Post continues: “It fs no mora an effort to be disagreeable than was M. Herrfot's statement that Ameri {ought to ask a little less—a sta | ment obviously made for home con sumption. Both gentlemen—all three gentlemen, fact—understand that the friendship between the two na- tions is rooted in sofl deeper than any monetary necessity.. They un- | drestana that the two countries will {continue to be friends, if those both countries who make mountai out of molehills will permit them to be it is not “With understanding brought to this point, there should be less dif ficulty in coming to an agreemen with respect to the money due.” thinks the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, which adds: “Our President exhibite fine diplomatic quality.” York World believes “Mr, and M. Daeschner are pract Both know that some feasible com promise must be arrived at with gard to the French debt,-and t they are charged with thd wogk fewer exhibitions of vocal fireworks there are about it, whether “in th French Chamber or the Americar Senate, the sooner and the better ca it _be accomplished.” “For once President Coolidge forgot Hs reputation for taciturnity,” de- clares the Hartford Times,. ‘“But his reply lacked nothing of charaoteristic laconism.” The Times continues: “H declaration that the debt of gratitude already had been eatisfied and that both nations might well proceed tocansider- ation of their material obligations, ma: not have helped materially toward set- tlement of the debt questiom, but it may serve to clear the atmosphere. The French Ambassador, savs the Wa- terloo Tribune, “‘takes occasion to tell the President that the ‘material debts’ of nations must be paid as well debts of gratitude. The President re minds the Frenchman that the United States has repaid the debts of grati- tude owed France for its aid during the Revolutionary War. We .are even then, except as to the ‘material debts.’ 'he Frenchman's thrust:was pre- observes the Philadelphia Pub- lic Ledger, “but he left his guard down and the Coolldge parry turned aside the thrust and the point of his blads slipped home to the very heart ‘of tho debt issue.” In the opinion of the Post, “the Ambassador did pay anything—he wasn't expected to— and the ceremonial interchdnge didn't make a cent .of difference in' existing conditions that relate to the French debt.” While the Oakland Tribune thinks “The -fact that the retiring Ambas sador, M. Jusserand, put his foot into things with a similar statement did not deter the new one, who evidently shares the belief of many other French spokesmen that repeated reguests and orations will have an effect upon opit fon in this country. On the“word of French officials presumably entitlad to speak we. have it that the French debt wilt and will not-be.paid, -and. that cor cessions - are and -ure ‘ot expected The Nashvillé Baune adds: “The w of M. Daeschner but classify him de nitely as another player in the gamo the French government has been carsy- ing pn for years aud moge,”