Evening Star Newspaper, February 17, 1925, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR __With Bunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. TUESDAY.....February 17, 1925 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Corapany Business Office, 11th Rt. and Pennsylvaata Ave. New York Office: 110 4204 St. Chie: Office : 3 Buropess Sace X6 Reront slase. The Evening Star, with the Sunday morning edition, 1is a.‘mmu by c:hrgi within !:; b it By oniy: 20 coats ber ooty per month; Busdey sely. 0 e eoe: th, Ord Phone Maln 3000, Collection {s made by eut- Ph riers at the ead of each momth. Rate by Mail~Payable in Advasce. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday. .1 yr., $8.40: 1 me,, Y0c 'y only. -1yr. 36 Sunday only. 1y, $2. All Other States. Daily and Sunday.1 yr., $10.0 Datly only.. 1 37. Sunday only.... Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitied to the use for repubiication of il mews dis- patches credited to i: or not otherwise credited in this paper and alec the Jocal T:;:"w:‘ lished he: All 7 of pubts " opat n o reserred. Berein are a pecial dispatches bereln ai et The Air Controversy. Out of the controversy over the rela- tive importance of land, sea and air forces to the defense of the Natlon the full truth has yet to emerge. Yet as the argument between the Mitchell- ites and those opposing the thearies of the aggressive young assistant chief of the Air Service develops, certain facts seem to have been brought out which might well be summarized. It has been established, for instance, that, whatever the relative impor- tance of the land, sea and air forces would be in the matter of effectively protecting the United States in the future, no one dentes the great impor- tance to both the Army and the Navy of an adequate air force. It has been established that, whether or not capl- al ships can readily be sunk by air attack, planes in numbers are essen- tial to maritime war tactics and equal- ly essential to the defense of the American coast line. It has been estab- lished that other nations of the world are fully aware of the importance of air supremacy and are acting accord. ingly. And it has been established that both our Army and Navy are today pitifully lacking in adequate air equtp- ment and personnel. With these facts brought out Into the open it ay well be judged that Gen. Mitchell has performed a na- tional service in his fight for an altera- tion In policy. Yet it cannot but seem & pity that the service could not have been rendered without resorting to the imputation of methods and policies which would discredit, if not dishoner, many men grown gray in the naval and military services of the Nation. It may well be that certain of the older men charged with the development of the plans for national defense have not placed sufficient emphasis upon the eir forces. But the theory that, aware of the vital importance of this new arm, they have deliberately sought, for one reason or another, to conceal the facts impiles a betrayal too infamous to be within the realm of the possible. ‘Whether or not a separate air force is the wise answer to the problem of how to furnish the Army and Navy with adequate air equipment and per- sonnel remains to be seen. Certain it is, however, that with the existing in- adequacies demonstrated and admitted there will be a popular demand that this condition of affairs be promptly remedied in one way or another. Afr forces will, in war time, of necessity be auxiliary branches of the two es- tablished services, essential to each of them in offense and defense. It would Seem that, predicating adequate appro- priations from Congress, peace-time development could best be carried for- ward under the condition of friendly rivalry between Army and Navy. Yet if there is .eason to believe either that appropriations or the im- petus of encouragement from the high Army and Navy staffs would be lack- ing in the future, then the adoption of Gen. Mitchell's proposal is essential. Exaggerations met by exaggera- tions, bitter denials met by bitter dentals, poohs met by pishes, are not 8oing to get any one anywhere. Talk of the bombing plane as having ren- dered a fleet an obsolete extravagance, or of the anti-aircraft gun as an ade- quate defense against planes cannot but seem to the lay observer the con- tentions of men whom the heat of de- bate has rendered extravagant of phrases. Is not the wiser course for all, Navy, Army and the air cham- plons, to cry togther, “We need more planes, more fyers, more plane car- riers,” and then, having obtained them, to press forward about the busi- ness of making our air force the most efficient in the world? For only so can our Navy or Army ever attain to full efficiency. ————— Rain spofled the carnival at Nice. Disappointed merrymakers, if they hurry, can be over here in time for the inauguration. The Memorial Bridge Bill, ‘Tomorrow the House of Representa- tives will ave an opportunity to pass the Arlington Memorial Bridge bill which, already passed by the Senate, requires only action by the lower house for enactment. The ocoasion will be “calendar Wednesday,” and this measure will probably be the first to be taken up for consideration. Under the conditions it is virtually certain to proceed to a vote, and although there is some opposition the present pros- pect is that those favoring this neces sary construction to link the Capital with the national cemetery at Arling- ton and to furnish an adequate factor of connection with the Southern high- way system will be in the majority and that the bill will pass. It is es- sential that those who recognize this need should be present and by their votes essure enactment. The need of a broad highway bridge between Washington and Arlington has long been recognized. It was emphasized sharply on the 1lth of November, 1921, on the occasion of the entombment of the Unknown Sol- dier, when a great multitude of people, crossed the river tp attend the cere- monies and conditions developed that were highly dangerous. Buch a con- gestion may occur at any time when a ceremonial occurs at Arlington. Buat apart from the question of traf- fic the construction of this bridge is required in development of the Capital plans. It has been contemplated for many years. Its need was recognized four decades ago, before Arlington be- came through successive wars so im- portant & national shrine. It was pro- posed as a physical bond of unity be- tween the Nofth and the South in token of the reunion of the sections. In the wars that bave peopled Arling- ton with a great army of heroic dead, that reunion has been exemplified, and the national cemetery is the mymbol of the harmony between the two great sections of the country as the Memo- rial Bridge is planned as a link be- tween them. The other day The Star presented in a cartoon a picture of the conditions that are to be met at the southern end of the Highway Bridge on the way to Arlington. It was not too strongly drawn. Those conditions, while, of course, curable, are likely to prevail for a long time. It is intolerable that the approach to the last resting place of the country’s soldier dead, to which g0 representatives of foreign govern- ments as well as patriots from all parts of the United States in reverent visitation, should be through such scenes as are now to be met by any route. Two Out of Five. ‘Washington is grateful that on the second occasion of a special Senate evening session for the transaction of District business at least two measures out of the five that were scheduled for consideration were passed. These were the bills to close a part of Thirty- fourth place and the bill to authorize a five-year bullding program for the public school system. The Senate de- bated the traffic bill for more than two hours without result, and passed over the biil creating a board of public wel- fare because of the probability that it ‘would lead to debate, and it was hoped that the evening would not pass as did Friday without any result at all. ‘Washington Is, indeed, appreciative that it has secured even this small meed of attention. The achool build- ings bill is of the most vital impor- tance to the community. As a result of this legislation, when completed, the Capital will be in the way for the first time in its history to enjoy a school outfit adequate to its needs. It can abandon makeshifts and ex- pedients for the housing of the school children that have militated against their education and their health. With a reasonable assurance of adequate annual appropriations in succession after this serfes of constructions has been authorized—the five-year pro- gram making good the arrears and the annual appropriations meanwhile car- ing for the immediately prospective increases—the District will not again suffer from congestion and the school children will not again be deprived of their proper training in healthful sur- roundings. Until the gavel falis at noon on the 4th of March In token of the close of the session and the end of the Sixty- eighth Congress, hope will remain that action will be had at least upon the traffic and the public welfare bills of the program of legislation affecting the District. Hold-Up of Taxi Drivers. Desperadoes in numerous cases are holding up taxi drivers. A day or so ago drivers reported to the police that they were robbed at pistol's point by bandits operating in @ifferent sections of the city simultaneoualy. The taxi driver seems to carry enough money o attract bandits, and with one or two “fares” in the cab, and the driver with his back to them, robbery seems more stmple than hoiding up a man face to face. Usually the “fares” want to be driven to some quiet part of the city and choose hours at which few persons are abroad. Reaching this form of crime is a job for the Police Department. It might be a good plan for taxi drivers to form the habit of having little money on the person at night. It is not recalled that in the time of hacks drivers of ‘“night. liners” suffered from bandits. It was Mot uncommon for the driver of a bob- tafl horse car to be robbed at the end of the route or at some dark and lonely part of the line. The fare box would be taken from the car and the driver's tin box of change and his tickets, done up in little envelopes, would be carried off. The hold-up of the modern street car is sometimes heard of, but one of the new styles in bandttry is holding up taxi drivers. ————— A very briet investigation will en- able the United States Senate to dis- cover a large amount of important business to which it will not have time to attend. ———————— There are always disappointments in store for people who think the stock market can go one way in- definitely. ——r—————— Parts is now advising economy as a local policy, but not as a foreign custom. ——————— The Eastern Parks. Action by the House yesterday com- pleted the enactment of the bill al- ready passed by the Senate providing for a survey of proposed national parks in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the Smoky Mountains of ‘Tennessee and North Carolina and the Mammoth Cave region of Kentucky. This measure does not commit the Government definitely to the establish- ment of any of these proposed parks, but takes the first step toward their designation and the acquisition of the lands necessary for them. Naturally the people of Washington are most directly interested in the pro- posal to preserve as a national park the Blue Ridge area, which lles only a short distance west of the Capital. It is @ space of great natural beauty, only slightly occupled and developed, and in a condition to warrant segrega- tion permanently as a national pre- wserve. In a few months it will be with- in easy reach by direct motor route from this cfty, and i€ It in taken w8 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1925 . park and is treated in accordance with the usyal policy of making these re- serve areas accessible by the construc- tion of improved highways it will af- ford unlimited pleasure to great num- bers of people, not only from here, but from all parts of the country visiting the seat of Government. Comparatively few people are ac- quainted with the attractions of the Blue Ridge region because of the lack of good roeds. ‘The Shenandoah Val- ley, which lies to the west of the ridge, is, on the contrary, familiar ground. The caverns, which likewise lie beyond the range, have been visited by great numbers. The ridge itself may con- tain numerous caves, for the country found about is honeycombed with sub- terranean openings of great beauty, with limestone formations. It is quite possible that the Blue Ridge Park, when established, will be as great an attraction to tourlsts and the campers as are the larger and better known areas in the Western country. Floyd Collins. Keen sorrow and disappointment are felt at the failure of the efforts to rescue Floyd Collins from his cavern prison. That they would suc- ceed was regarded as extremely doubt- ful. The man had lain pinioned under rock and earth for days, and for a long part of the time without food and probably without water. Yet in the face of that slender chance the en- deavor to reach and free him persist- ed. Probably it would have gone on even though there was assurance of his death. The entire country walited for the word that Collins had been reached. The greatest interest was felt in his welfare. Yet he was not an heroic figure after all. He was caught while exploring a cavern, a pursuit he had followed @ long time. He had been caught before, at least three times, and rescued, the last time by one of the men who took part in this present endeavor to free him. He was an in- trepid delver after the, secrets of the underground world. The real heroes of this case are the men who risked their own lives in the work of rescue, who crawled through crevices barely large enough to admit their bodies, into unknown dangers; who went repeatedly to the prisoned man with food; who after the passage was closed by a strange upheaval wrought desperately to open & new passageway, with the risk that at any time the walls might collapse and bury them. The sympathy that has been felt for Collins by millions of people is @ natu- ral sentiment, always manifest when- ever a human being is trapped and while there is a chance at rescue. Had Collins been killed outright in the first fall of rock not more than a flutter of pity would have been felt outside of the immediate circle of his family and friends. The discovery after days of dangerous digging for his rescue that death hed ended his sufferings before they reached him evokes universal sorrow. ————— Argiiments to the effect that war is beautifu! and desiruble are no less unreliable than arguments against a reasonable preparedness. As {nflu- ences on public opinion, the confirmed militarist and the extreme pacifist should be paired. ————— Among the causes of difficulty in meeting the cost of current living con- ditions is the fact that in a number of cases the bootlegger is present, though not conspicuously mentioned. ————— Nothing in the history of oil in- vestigation 0 far encourages the average citizen to hope for any direct ‘Pecuniary advantage from an inquiry into gasoline prices. e Europe shows a newly acquired modesty in being willing to stand aside in the hope that Uncle Sam will set the pace as a bill collector. ——— American literature has developed a series of graceful resignations and complimentary acceptances as one of its most distinguishing features. ————a————— In no very long time a discussion will come up as to how the airship 1s going to affect the business of bus lines and street railways. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. “Meanest Man” Centest. The “meanest man on earth” no more 1Is that misguided elf ‘Who says, “There won’t be any core” And keeps all for himself. He is no grouch. In wildest glee He seeks what he calls fun. Earth’s meanest man just now is he ‘Who hits and tries to run. Temptations of Talent. “Would you advise & young states- man to study oratory?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum; “being @ great orator these days sim- ply tempts & man to take & chance on saying the wrong thing.” A Large Order. If paths of righteousness have been forsook, As goodly people say, By great and small, Ere long we'll need & cop for every crook— And even then we may Not get them all. Jud Tunkins says when & man gets mad too easy it's a pretty sure sign his conactence ain't clear. Peace in the Home, “Do you enjoy grand opera?” *Very much,” replied Miss Cayenne. “It's a great comfort to find father and mother sitting quietly and letting other people tell their troubles.” Ordeals, From college rough stuff should be barred. Just now we hear this chatter; ‘They sometimes make exams s0 hard That hazing doesn’t matter. “Dar’s one thing I likes 'bout @ man dat tells me to fohgit my troubles,” said Uncle Eben. “I kin least be sure heatn’t 2o -{Army today. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Twelve seed and rome catalogu equip any imaginative person for th: fascinating occupation of fireside gardening, as it has been led, about the only form of gardening one may Indulge in at this time of the year. Fireside gardening is quite neces- sary, too, If the real gardening begin- ning here about April 15 is to be a success. No matter how much seed you may have saved from last year, there Is always plenty more to get, ne plants to secure, more and better rose bushes. July and August will show to the world whether the gardener Was one who prepared beforehand, by fire- side gardening, or whether he was one of those happy-go-lucky fellows who just “let things grow.” With catalogues free for the ask- ing, and a cheerful fireplace or warm radiator, there is little excuse for not putting much thought on the garden well In advance of the grow- ing season. It 15 not only in war that pre- paredness avalls much. In the happy Deace-time pursuit of gardening, es- pecially in the raising of flowers, a thought in time truly does save nine failures. It may be remarked here tha! although we call it fireside gardening, it {s just as happy an occupation and Just as beneficlal to those who en- gage in it, If it is carried on by a radlator. The fireplace Is something that every home does not possess in these modern days. But every home with a small dooryard—as they used to be called—ought to have a flower gar- den, no matter how tiny. One rose is the epitome of all roses. A llac bush in full bloom is worth as much as all the lilacs in creation. The garden is one place where qual- ity, not so much quantity, i{s the living ideal. * ok x % We have our garden well started, as the result of last year's work. The dooryard has a carpet of grass, that fundamental of all good gardens. It came up in six weeks from red clay and today seems as if it always was there. We have 20 or more small rose plants, which seem to have weathered the Winter in good shape. We made a mistake In buying those little fel- lows. We know that now, in the light of our fireside gardening. The amateur gardener should not waste his time and effort with the baby rose plants, but always should pur- chase the two-year-old plants. It is roses he wants. He should leave the propagation to experts, at least that first year. The plants of hardy phlox and fox- glove are showing green already. The small lilacs have buds and the mock orange stands firm by the gate. The two rose bushes transplanted to the front of the house, where they could get more sun, Aid the best of al bushes taught us one thing—that roses Iike sun, and more sun. You cannot give & rose bush too much of it. ‘We look forward to the Spring, when the bulbs planted last fall will begin to peep through the grass. The tulip, the crocus, these will appear early. The peonies will show up later. This year we want to have more roses and better roses, and some new plants to put into the ground at the earliest possible moment. ‘We turn to our catalogues, big, thick books, {llustrated in beautiful colors, showing everything from _beets to Dansies, cabbages to roses. The wealth of them confuses one at first. The il- lustrations are 8o gay, the descriptions are so fascinating—and all the flowers seem equally grand! But therd is one thing we have learned, from our experience of last year—not to be “taken in” so easily by the glowing descriptions of the enthu- siastic seed men. What we are after, in our fireside gardening, is real help. When we find a catalogue in which every plant is equally “magnificent,” where no rose has a fault, where the buyer i thrown helplessly upon his own Judgment, then we quletly place that catalogue on the bottom of the pile. It may be a good one for the expert, for the professional, but it is not good for us. * % ¥ % Here 18 g oolored illustration of the hardy phlox, Rijnstroom, “the most beautiful pink.” Yes, we will have to have at least one plant of that. Put that down on the list. Here, out of this next oatalogue, let us select six delphinium plants, the Bella Donna, heraided everywhere as perhaps the best blue among flowers. The delphintum, with its long, straight spikes of flowers, 1s a great favorite in England. Look at this new hardy hibiscus! Surely we ought to get some of that. “This 18 one of the finest in the hardy flowers,” says the catalogue, ‘having blooms often 5 to § Inches across and ranging In colors of red, white and pink. “It is hardy, and has large fleshy roots like the peony, which gets larger each year. The plant is sure to bloom the first year set, and gets to be about 4 feet high. It is very beautifut as a single plant or as a bushy hedge. So far it has no disease or insect enemles. Plant in Spring ave to have half a dozen of that—two red, two white and two pink When an honest man such as the one who gets out this catalogue tells us that the plant 1a sure to bloom, and that it has no disease or insect enemles, we are interested right away. It sounds almost too good to be true, This yéar we must plant some more gladioll. The “glads” have undergone a wonderful development from the old brick-red flowers. We will try out just a few, say two Schwaben, a yellow; 1 shell pink and 2 Marchal Foch, a bright rose pink. We are going to try Northern BTOWn sweet peas and try inocu- lating bacteria mixed with the seed. Last year our sweet peas were some- what of a failure. In midseason they began to wilt and get brown. * % % % Our favorite rose catalogue this Season s one that seems to be honest. I would not accuse any rose grower of being dishonest, but some of them are so familiar with roses that they seem unable to put themselves in the place of the amateur growers who scarcely know one rose from another. To put out a catalogue equally praising rose after rose and telling none of the demerits of any s scarcely fair to the newcomer in Roseland. This new catalogue tells if a rose is a shy bloomer, or if its flowers hang low, or If its bicoms fade in_strong sunlight. Its list of 100 “best roses” ought to go & long way toward helping the amateur lover of this lovellest and most fascinating of all flowers. The first 12 roses, given In order of preference, are: Radiance, Ophella, Frau Karl Druschki, Red Radlance, Duchess of Wellington, Los Angeles, Mrs. Aaron Ward, Columbla, Kaiserin Augusta Viktoria, Gruss An Teplitz, Jonkheer J. L. Mock and Lady Hillingdon. My small experience with roses tells me that no one can go wrong on that list. Take the Gruss An Teplitz, described in this catalogue the “most friendly of all roses.” It is just that, and a dellght in any garden, One busy Washingtonian, whose garden is his pride, has concentrated on Radiance, Red Radiance and Columbia as the best all-around roses. Planning the rose garden is one of the most delightful phases of fireside gnrdening and one to which too much thought can scarcely be given. Editors Divided on Merits In Controversy Over Aircraft The controversy over the fitness or unfitness 'of the flying service, the question whether the Navy with its present equipment Is rapidly growing obsolete, hus been stirred and the country stirred with it by the points brought out before the congressional committee preparing the Army ap- propriation bill in the testimony of Brig. Gen. William Mitchell, assistant chief of the Air Service. Editors have taken decided stands on both sides of the question, and Gen. Mitchell comes in for a lot of praise and about an equal amount of condemnation at the hands of editors. Some reflect that tho country is entitled to know ex- actly what the truth of the situation is, regardless of the differences be- tween Government officials, military or civil. “Gen. Mitchell,” says the Bangor Commercial, “may be right, or he may be wrong, but he is doing the coun- try a service by his free speaking.” And the Detrolt News declares: “G Mitchell deserves the Nation's thanks. An officer, observes the Wichita Eagle, “can’t go around criticizing the Army or Navy whenever he feels like it; but, on_the other hand, if Congress wants facts and opinions from ofi- cers for intelligent legislation it cer- tainly ought to have them.” There has been intimation that the heads of military or naval departments have suppressed the views of officers. Of this the Eagle says: “Gagging is a process that must be handled with care. And the average citizen won't be able to shake off the feeling that no institution was ever hurt by hon- est criticism at the proper time and in the proper place.” The Oakland Tribune adds: “The files of -the news- papers for the past two months show that the Army and Navy men have Dbeen setting forth their opinions, just as they always have, with all the Vigor at thelr command. If there are any muzzles they seem to have been pretty well concealed.” (R “There has been much criticism of Gen. Mitchell,”™ says the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, “on the score of his impetuosity and disregard of his superior officers, with talk of dis- ciplining him for his indiscretions, but what the country wants to know 13 whether he fs right in his asser- tions that the present system or lack of system is inviting disaster.” In the opinion of the Houston Chronicle, “what Stms did for the Navy years ago Mitchell may be doing for the It is not quite safe to assume that a young officer working for betterment and modern ideas is only fit for the disciplinary barrack. It was well for us we gave Sims his head, and it may be just as well to listen to Gen. Mitchell.” “It {8 a clash between two schools of thought,” says the El Paso Her- ald, “and {t is not likely to be mettled -uthom‘nuvely by the punishment of 3 m their own ob- servations.” Secretary of War Weeks, observes the Reno Gazette, sked the country to remember the oppo- nents of Mitchell's air policies in- cluded Gen. Pershing and many of the other great figures of the Amer- fcan war Army.” To this the Ga- zette replies it 13 of mo particular moment what ‘Gen. Pershing and many of the other great figures of the American war Army’ think about the subject unless they can be shown to be aviation experts.” “There is unfortunately anmother great and good need arrayed on the side of this controversy opposite to Mitchell,” may not have the right men manag- Ing our aircraft services; ‘the men we have in such service may be in judgment.” While the Kansas City Post declares: “Between upholding military discip! or up- holding a man who knows at least something of what he is talking about and isn’'t afrald to say what he thinks, we vote to uphold the man.” “Giving Gen. Mitchell credit for both good intentions and sincerity,” says the New lork World, “it s neverthe- less inescapable that he has made a deplorable mess of presenting his ca Gen. Mitchell, advocating a separate (alr) department, has vir- tually taken the position that every officer, either in the Army or Navy, who opposes him is dishonest, stupid, or both. He has set himself up expert on the efficiency of the Navy, although his qualifications in this di- rection are somewhdt obscure.” Of- fering its idea of a solution of the dispute, the Columbus Dispatch say: “This dog-in-the-manger attitude is not 50 marked in the Army as among the older naval officers, but the one logical course for the Government to pursue is to cut the air service loose from both the older organizations and make it an independent branch of the national defense, on a parity with the other two, all three being co-ordinate members of a ‘department of national defen. with a single cabinet secre- tary at the head, and undersecreta- ries of equal rank in charge of each.” “Gen. Mitchell is assistant chief of the Army Air Service,” observes the St. Joseph News Pre: is the branch with which he is most famil- iar and in which he has the most faith. The general's testimony is val- uable, no doubt, but the committee may be pardoned for making a liberal discount on account of enthusiasm and zeal” In the opinion of the Muskegon Chronicle: “To the aver- age American there is something in. triguing in the spectacle of a subordi- nate ‘bawling out’ his boss.” Tells of Language Of South African Dutch To the Editor of The Star: I wonder if you will kindly permit me to correct a statement made in your issue of Wednesday, the 11th, as to the language spoken by the Dutch in South Africa. It was stated that the most com- mon “dialect” spoken was Low Dutch ~—similar to Low German. Such, how- ever, is not the case. I know this becatse I lived in that country for 11 years. ‘The educated Dutch, of course, speak English as a rule, though some of them use a medium oalled the Taal, which is almost entirely employed by the real Boer or farmer clase as well as the half castes. The word “Taal” meane language, and it is based on Dutch, but it {8 not a dialect. Its vocabulary has shrunk to a few hun- dred words, shorn of almost all their inflections and includes a great man: ‘words from native sources. It is Im- possible to express through this medium any wide generalisation or subtle shade of feeling, owing to its limitations. It is entirely removed from Holland Dutch, which is used almost exclusively by the preacher and the student. It has been saild that the true counterpart of the Taal can be found in the negro language of America as seen in “Uncle Remus.” Efforts are being made to form a Taal literature, but this presents the | many difficuities on aocount of the small aumber of w« _ .. CHROIL B, BASTGATE, NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM LG M. WITH LAWRENCE IN ARABIA. Lowell Thomas. The Century Co. A tale, this one would have besn, for Sheherazade to add to her “chou- sand nights and a night” of story when, ten hundred years ago—or more or less—this daughter of a grand vizier sought to placate the fury of the Sultan. Shahriar upon his dis- covery of the faitiflessness of the sultana. You all recall that story— such an old story, such & new ode. You remember the bright morning so lonig ago when, the sun just gild- ing the eastern hilltops, the Sultan Shahriar, at the head of a gorgeous cavalcade, swept out to the royal hunting, prepared for him with in- finite pains and resource. You re- member, too, that with Shahriar well upon his way there stole softly into the dewy garden rendezvous the sul- tana and her lover. Then, the pro- verblal mischance. Then, discovery and the fury of Shahriar, a fury that swept only higher with the speedy destruction of those wicked ones. A thousand women should pay for the monstrous sin of this one against him—so the sultan swore in a mighty oath. Each night he would wed one of the lovellest of his subjects. The next morning death would serve as a single step on his long road of re- venge. It was then, so the story rur., that Sheherazade stepped so boidly out in an open bid for the chances of that death chamber. A wily She- herazade who deep within her heart knew the magic of her own story- telling, who knew bestdes, it is as- sumed, that a resolute and loquacious woman can talk any man either to death dr into a state of harmless quiescence. Such, in the rough, Is the origin of those storles that for a thousand years have enthralled the hearts of listeners and readers. * X % % And now, a full millennium away from Sheherazade weaving the mir- acle of forgetting and forglving out of the wizardry of more words fitly chosen, there stands before us a new Arablan knight whose deeds of high emprise must seem to Sheherazade— wherever she may be—as parts raped from her own store of enchantment. * x x ¥ A magic carpet. To be sure. What else for an Arabian adventure such as this one? And here we are. Away in far Jeruslaem. In a little street— Christian street that leads to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. No more than a lane, this street, through which bright bands of color weave and blend and change in a rich rhythm of chromatic ebb and flow. Jostling one another here are Arab merchants brilllant in gay turbans and gowns; fierce desert nomads, their goatskin coats remindful of the days of Abra- ham; balloon-trousered Turks; Rus- sfan Jews in corkscrew curls priests in tall black hats and flowing robes. Christian and Jew and Mo- hammedan. And who is this one passing by? Who is this blond Bedouin, fair as a Norseman, with eyes as blue as the waters of the Mediterranean? Over his hair he wears \ kuffieh, white silk gold embroidered, >:1d In place by cords of silver and g*ld. His heavy black robe covers a snow-white undergar- ment held at the waist by a wide belt of gold brocade. Thrust within the belt is the curved sword of a prince of Mecca. Who is this? A king? A caliph in disguise stepped out from the pages of “The Arablan Nights"? And the magician standing by an- nounces, “This is Col. Lawrence, the Uncrowned King of Arabla.” k&% And here Lowell Thomas tells us the astounding story. The story of the achievmeents of Thomas Edward Lawrence, young Oxford graduate, poet and archeologist. He the one who, laying aside his poetry and his search for old civilizations in the Arablan desert, brought the nomadic tribes—scattered and disunited—into a unified campalgn of the World War against the Turks, who had so long oppressed them. ~ “A dificult and splendid stroke of policy which cal- iphs and statesmen and sultans had been unable to accomplish through centuries of effort” “He united the wandering tribes of the® desert, r=- stored the sacred place of Islam to the descendants of the Prophet, and drove the,Turks from Arabia forever. Allenby liberated Palestine, the Holy Land of the Jews and Christians; Lawrence freed Arabia, the Holy Land of millions of Mohammedans.” This man “one of the most plctur- esque of modern times, a man who will be blazoned on_the romantic pages of history with Raleigh, Drake, Clive and Gordon.” * *x x % Does this sound to you like an over- ardent champion? Like a man swept away, and astray, in the flood of ro- mance let loose around him? Let us remember, however—under such pos- sible suggestion—that Lowell Thomas was evewltness to many of the ex- ploits of this young Englishman; eye- witness also to the astounding per- sonal influence of this youth of another race and faith over the Mos- lem tribes of the desert. He spent days and nights with Lawrence. He made forays into the desert with him upon one mission or another. He watched the methods of achievement in so difficult a fleld, in a fleld so- well-nigh impossible in returns. He accepted the whole-hearted sincerity of Lawrence toward advancing the nationalistic idea so slowly forming making headway against the age-old tribal exclusions and tribal warfare of their whole racial existence. o x % And upon the whole Lowell Thomas tells a plain story. That is. he tells as plain a story as the tremendous excitement of the actual facts in the case would permit any live man to tell. It is true that, now and them, he does come to pause in a sort of ec- stasy over the sheer romantic drama of one or another guerrilla triumph of Lawrence and his nomads over the organized warfare of the German- schooled Turks. But, by and large, this is & no-stop story. Certainly there are no delays for the mere purposes of laudation and eulogy. Like the orthodox biographer, Mr. Thomas gives us a picture of this undersize young Englishman at home, and at school, turning, curi- ously toward anclent clvilizations as the mental pabulum of his student years. A course that latér sent him into the East on a quest for those old days of rich advancement and ultimate obscurity. Then the war came on. And from this point the story grows by leaps and bounds, ad- venture piling upon adventure, haz ard and escape following each other in a spectacular series of events. It is at one of those times when he simply has to stop to wipe off the sweat and gather himself for another leap into new romance that Lowell Thomas exclaims, “Fate never played a stranger prank than when she transformed ‘this shy young Oxford graduate from a studious archeologist into the leader of a hundred thrilling raids, creator of kings, commander of an army, and world's champlion train. wrecker.” Then folows the thrilling story of “Lawrence the Train-Wreck- er.” And many another story, some of them departing just enough from this central commanding figure to give out a deal of Interesting information about a practically unknown region. Here are pictures of old desert chief- tains and fighters—Abu Tayi, the Bedouin Robin Hood; Mohammed el Dhellan, the “Father of Eloquence,” “a drinker of the milk of war,” and another and another flerce nomad “My Lord the Camel,” like faot com- Aradian ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN = Q. W>a* “-ma it that President Coo- lidee~3i% noout saving in connection w7 iis tnsurance?—IL. F. D. '~ A part of the statement follows: Mawey one knows that it is not what is earned, but what is saved, which measures the difference between suc- cess and failure. This is a difference #0 slight from day to day as to seem unimportant and of no consequence, but in the aggregate of even a few years it amounts to 2 sum of great importance. The ability to save is based entirely upon self-control. The possession of that capacity is the main element of gharacter. It paages over at omce into the realm of gwod citizenship. He who sells an ingyr- ance policy sells a certificate of quar- acter, an evidence of good citizenghip and unimpeachable title to the »eght of self-government. Q. Is the greates' penetrating v~lat directly at the muzzle of a gun?— P.B A A. The National Rifle Association says that the greatest penetrating point of a firearm is at a point some distance from the muzzle. This point varies with the velocity, shape of the bullet and muzzle material. Q. What money will be used to pay the new soldiers’ bonus?—M. M. A. Money is appropriated by Con- &ress for the payment of the bonus out of the ordinary receipts of the Government. Q. How large s the Cathedral of St. John the Divine?—H. M. B. A. When completed, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City, will be the largest in the United States. We are giving its dimensions according to the schedule of its de- signer: Area, 109,082 square feef height, exterlor, 500 feet; helght, i terlor, 130 feet; length, 601 feet; width center aisle, 60 feet. Q. On what ship and from what port did Lafayette come to America? —T. K. D. A. The Marquis de Lafayette crossed to America on La Victoire. She welighed anchor and stood down the river toward the sea March 26, 1777. The port of departure was Bor- deaux, France. Q. Will the children of deaf par- ents be born deaf?—G. S. L. A. The Public Health Service says that a child born of deaf parents may or may not be deaf, depending upon the condition producing deafness in the parents. Q. Are the Philippines a Territory or a colonial possession of the United States?—A. K. A. The Philippine Islands are not classed either as a Territory or as a colonial possession, but as & depend- ency of the United States. The United States Government, on receiving the islands from Spain, declared its pur- pose to maintain its authority over the islands only until they should be in a position to provide for them- selves a feasible form of government, able to maintain themselves at home and against foreign aggression. Q. Are fresh violin strings as durable as older ones?—D. A. C. A. Borta Nanoe, an authority on the subject, says tjat, contrary to the general beligf, fresh strings are not so dytable as older ones. Q. ‘Were Spanish land grants in Califoraie honored by the United States Government?—W. H. A. The concessions of land granted to residents of California by both thq Spanish governors and the Mexican governors were recdgnized and con4 firmed by the United States. They amounted to approximately 9,000,000 acres. — Q. Has Germany a form of insur+ ance for its citizens, particularly it laborers?—H. D. H. A. Germany has for many years had a system of social insuranoey which includes working men's aocdi~ dent, sickness, invalidity and other forms of compensation. th em~ ployers and employes are obliged by law to contribute to the funds. It is estimated that over 50,000,000 policies are in force. Q. Was there any regular nurses’ uniform during the Clvil War?— | S. W. T. A. There Was Nno nurse corps as early as the Civil War. There were some women who volunteered to nurse the soldiers who wore no uni- form. The Army Nurse Corpe was established in 1901 and, although the nurses have worn all white, there was no uniform until the World War. Q. At what temperature is vul- canizing done?—H. H. It is usually done at a temper- ature between 275 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Q. Please glive the quotation which begins, “He who knows not and knows not he knows not."—B. J. A. “Men are four: He who knows , not and knows not he knows not, he is a fool—shun him; he who knows not and knows he knows not, he is simple—teach him; he who knows and knows not he knows, he is asleep —wake him; he who knows and knows he knows, he is wise—follow him” (an Arabic maxim). Q. How long would it take a man of average weight to drop a mile in a parachute?—G. S. D. A. He would drop at a rate of 12 to 15 feet a second, taking 6 or & minutes to drop a mile. Q. Can you Inform me how much money is spent on pipe organs in this country?—C. E. G. A. It Is estimated that $1,000,000 is invested each month fn the in- stallation of these instruments. . Q. I have never been able to find the number of jewels that a watch is supposed to have. Are some of them out of sight’—P. R. A. Where a jewel is visible there is always another jewel directly be- low the one seen. (The Star maintains for the pleasure and profit of its readers an information service under the directorship of Fred- eric J. Haskin. The scope of the bureau is mational ond international, ond no subject is too elementary or too broad to enlist the personal attention of G spe- cialist. Address The Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Twenty-first and C streets northwest.) BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. Shall the United States harbor allen criminals and dependents? The House of Representatives has passed a bill extending the powers of the Department of Labor in deporting undesirable citizens; that measure is now pending in the Senate. with no great assurance that it will be con- sidered before adjournment, two weeks hence. The consideration of the situation In the House has brought to light some conditions which confront the department in its efforis to rid the country of immi- grants who came Into it surrepti- tiously and illegally, men and women Wwho left their native country for that country’s good, and who brought criminal records with them here, or who have persisted in violating our laws. * % % x The extent to which aliens are abus- ing the hospitality or the inefficiency of enforcement of our laws was {llus- trated when the writer hereof, coming out of the Department of Labor bulld- ing, chanced to stop at a bookstall directly opposite the bullding and picked up a circular letter signed “In- ternational Workers' Aild,” appealing for funds. Quoting from that cir- cular: “The inclosed pamphlet tells of the renewal of the ‘red ralds,’ of the at- tempted raiiroading to prison of 30 leading members of the Workers' (Communist) party of America, under the Michigan criminal syndicalist law, on the sole charge of holding a political convention in that State. * ¢ * A hundred thousand dollars is needed for defense. There are 1° stamps Inclosed. Price, $1, or as much more as you can give. Stick them on 10 letters to your friends and ask them to help along. Or send us their names and we will write them, men- tioning your name or not, as you wish. “We are not giving up our help to the victims of reactions in other coun- tries, but until this crisis is over- come here we urge all our friends to help fight the reactionary tide in America. To save on administrative expense please send your contribution to the Labor Defense Council- o The heading of this letter bears the following motto: “No World Reconstruction Without Soviet Russia.” . “Workers' Ald Without Conditions —Without Discrimination.” “Self-Help and International Class Solidarity.” The margin of the letter contains the names of some 40 local “coun- cils” and alleged labor unions, scat- tered over the entire country; the names of well kndwn agitators. ‘With such “endless chain letters” in the mail, what is Uncle Sam going to do about {t? * % % & The efforts of this Government to restrict the presence of undesirable allens began in 1883, when a law ‘was passed authorizing the deporta- tion of illegal immigrant or criminal aliens within one year after their entry. In 1903, and again in 1907, the law was amended, and the time Umit was extended to three years within which deportation was per- mitted. In 1917 the first real legis- lation of immigration control was enacted, and the time limit for de- portation of undesirables was extend- ed to five years, except a limit of thras Years as to seamen who desert their ships and remained in this country and aliens who entered without de- tection of the officers, Those exemp- tions were demanded by certain ele- ments in Congress, influenced by im- migrant constituents. Prior to the World War the “hyphen” cut a much larger figure in American politics than it does today, according to Mr. A. Warner Parker, the then head of the law department of the Department of Labor. Mr. Parker drew the bill of the 1917 leg- ————————— wealth. All of these stories link up, finally, with the intimate knowledge and the daily practice of this amaz- ing Col. Lawrence in his preoccupa- tion of winping the heart out of the b rt. Oh, a most thrilling e advsntuge, this, islation, and notes the advance in public opinion today over what then controlled Congress. This change looking to gTeater protection of American _institutions permits the Holaday bill to pass the House with the bars down as to time limit for prosecution and deportation when it is shown that the allen is clearly of the criminal or dependent class; and in cases of dependency, such as in- sanity or the presence of disease, the burden of proof that such delinquincy arose from causes since coming to America, rests upon the alien and not upon the Government. * x % % Whether the change of public sentiment noted since the war is due to the war Influences or to class agi- tation is not =apparent, but the change is very evident, Whatever ecause has produced it. It has been suggested that it is the fruit of an agitation beginning away back in 1852, under what was popularly called the “Know Nothing party,” or more politely called the “American party” or “the Supreme Order of the Star Spangled Banner.” This more or less riotous faction elected several State governors upon a platform “America should be ruled by Americans.” It was antagonistio to certain religlous sects and es- pecially to immigrants. An effort was made in the 90s to revive "know“mhh:-lgum”r tective Associa: American Protectiv - 1’;§n"‘(in= “A.P.A."), but without much success. Whatever may be the objects of such agitators in arousing senti- ment to be alert in protecting Amer- ican institutions, it has no bearing upon the purposes of the officials of the Department of Labor, or of Con- gressmen, in advocating more power to rid the country of criminals, dis- turbers of the peace and public the restrictive provisions of the im- migration law, based upon a 2 pef cent quota for each nationality; it 1s wholly directed to deportation of allens already within our bounda- ries but who are here fllegally or who commit crimes against our laws or develop diseases from causes orig- , inating prior to coming here, and thereby make the allens public charges. * kX % The bill is not a manifestation of an- tagonism to forelgners, but, as is pointed out by Representative Holaday, who in- troduced it in the Houss, it will protect law-ablding allens and inure to thelr advan! in overcoming prejudice against all immigrants, so often {ncited by the lawlessness and undesirability of & very few. * k kX Under the old law of 1817 an alien could not be deported unless he was con- victed of a felony involving “moral turpitude” and resulting in a year's im- prisohment. Under the proposed bill, if an alien is gullty of even petty offenses resulting in a total imprisonment of 1% months, h sentences of & court o} record—not a mere police court—he will be deported ; if his violations of law relates to the prohibition laws, a totas of sentences aggregating 12 months wili result in deportation. This is especially aimed at bootleggers and dealers in narcotics. The five-yeas limit for prosecution is abolished. Tha Secretary of Labor's decision in all shall be final, but it is the practice S the department to make full trial of evs dence as thoroughly as in any oourt, and the alien is permitted to have coun- sel. It is pointed out by lawyers that under the Constitution prohibiting the depriving of any man of life, liberty or property without due process of law, no arbitrary decisions of the department in- vestigators would bar appeal of habeas corpus requiring proof that the process was orderly. A new provision appears in the Hola- day bill, penalizing a deportee who re- enters after he has been escorted beyond our border. It is said that frequently a deportee would take the next steamer , back to Ame: as soon as he arrived in his native I , Ot if deported to Can- ada or Mexico h' pould sometimes beat the officer in recesing the boundary. Under the new bill such a repeater would ‘be sent to the penitentiary. (Copyright, 1925, by Paul Y, Collined under the name [ & { i 4