Evening Star Newspaper, February 22, 1925, Page 34

T HE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTO __C., FEBRUARY 22 152 THE EVENING STAR ‘With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SUNDAY......February 22, 1925 T;EODOBE ‘W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Offiee, 11th St. and Pennsyivania Ave New York Office: 110 East 42nd St. Chicazo Office: Tower Building. European Oftice: 18 Regent St. London, England. ‘The Evening Star, with the Sunday morning dition, is delivered by carriers within the ai 60 cents per month: daily only, 43 ceafs per month: Nunday only, 20 cents per month. Orders may be sent by mail or tele in 5000. Collection is made by car- he end of each month. Rate by Minll—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virsinia, Daily and Sunday..1 yr., $8.40;1 mo., 70c Daily only 1 yr. $6.00:1 mo., 50c Sunday only 1yr., $2.40i1 mo., 20¢ plio All Other States. v and Sunday.1 yr., $10. Daily only . yr., $7.00;1 mi sunday only . r., $3.00;1 mi Member of the Associated Press. The Ausociated Press {s exclusively entitied 1o the use for republication of all news dis- patches credited to it or mot otherwise crodited in this paper and &lso the local news pub. Jished herein. Al rights of publication of special dispatches hereln are also reserved. Recognition of Russia. Interest in the question of recogniz- ing the Soviet government of Russia is revived by a report that President Coolidge is considering the possibility of appointing a commission to discuss with a like commission from Russia the conditions upon which recognition might be extended, a course which was followed successfully in the case of Mexico. This government, it is repre- sented, recognizes that no progress can be made by flat refusal to give any consideration to the government at Moscow, and while the appointment of such a commission as is proposed would not necessarily be followed by formal recognition, it would afford an opportunity for an exchange of views, and would bring into light those Rus- sian policies which have stood in the way of diplomatic intercourse. There is constant pressure upon the administration, both in Congress and from outside, to enter into such rela- tlons with Russia as will afford oppor- tunity there for the expansion of American trade. The notion has been persistently circulated that in the Re- public of the Soviets there is a rich end ready market for all sorts of American products, and that all that stands in the way of our sharing in the golden harvest is lack of diplo- matic intercourse. Even the farmers have been made to believe that a con- siderable part of their troubles has been due to the fact that Russia has not been recognized by this Govern- ment. In view of the large expectations which have been built up in American minds as to the possibilities of Rus- sian trade, the experiences of other countries which have extended recog- nition to Moscow cannot fail to be of value. The French had the same large ideas about Russia as a market, and the clamer grew so strong that at last the government put aside other con- sideretions and extended recognition. The results are outlined in a dispatch from the Paris correspondent of the New York Times. “Resumption of regular diplomatic relations with Rus- sia,” he says, “has proved a delusion and a snare for France.” And he adds: Both French business men and the French government have been disap- pointed. Not only have the dreams of doing business with Soviet Ruesia proved illusory in the extreme, but after three months the best prospect of payment the French have got from the Russians i3 the suggestion that if France lent money to Moscow a part of it might be paid back, part to hold- ers of Ruseian bonds. From any point of view that is a sorry result. The net result of the political experi- ence of getting closer to the bolshevist regime has been repeated assurance that” what the Soviets are seeking 2broad is money. That and nothing else. Every time the French have tried 1o approach the eubject of Ruspian debt to France they have got in reply only Jequests for loans, and, since there is 1o prospect whatever either of a bus He cannot in present-day conditions devote much attention to any private business. If he is a man of any pri- vate means, he usually leaves Con- gress poorer than when he entered it. If he is dependent solely upon his sal- ary, he must either count every cost rigidly and live with undignified par- simony or go in debt. All these are matters that can better be said of Congress thar by its mem- bers. Perhaps if the salary increase proposal had been brought forward without discussion and allowed to de- velop public response, those things would have been said. In the House yesterday some of .them were said by those who supported the Senate amendment. But again, there is al- ways a suspicion on the part of many people that Congress is not sincere. What is Congress, after all? It is an assemblage of American citizens, drafted for duty, men—and a few women—who are taken from all walks of life, people just like other Ameri- can citizens, just as conscientious and as capable and as sincere in their in- terpretation of what constitutes a duty as others. They are inhibited by certain political considerations, now and then, from expressing themselves with perfect freedom. They must al- ways keep in mind the relative values. But when they are at work they make their way with just as much con- scientious consideration for their coun- try's welfare as would any others who might be chosen in their places. ness or a government loan by the French to the Russians, the negotia- tions have got nowhere. It may be possible that negotiations would remove the obstacles which now stand in the way of American recognition of the Russian govern- ment, but expectations that American business would largely profit thereby at any early date is likely to suffer the same disillusionment that has come to France. e Political changes are such that the mnext time Mr. Magnus Johnson milks ®ny cows the incident will be entirely in earnest. ————__ The Salary Increase. Congress has done justice to itself in the matter of adopting a proper salary scale. The House having accepted the amendment of the Senate to the legls- lative appropriation bill, after a brief discussion and without a record vote, but by a decisive majority, the item is to be regarded as finally settled. Criticism has been voiced that this Action was started in the Senate with- out discussion and, some aver, sur- reptitiously. There are two ways of Jooking at this. Congress, in adminis- tering a remedy for the financial suf- ferings of its own members, is to be granted the same degree of public confidence as may be given it in any other matter. There is a natural dis- position to abstain from self-lauda- tion. The so-called frank way of tak- Sng the public into its confidence ‘would have been perhaps to set forth in detail in debate the higher worth of the services rendered by the indi- vidual members of House and Senate. ‘While it may surprise some critics of Congress, it is nevertheless to be truly eaid that there was a very natural reluetance on the part of the pro- yonents to proclaim their merits. Those who live in Washington know that the average member of Congress, both House and Senate, works dili- gently during the greater part of each year, The business and demands of his constituents keep him active throughout the session and for a con- siderable period beyond. Every other vear he must remain here from six to nine months for the actual pro- ceedings. He is under heavy expenses. He must maintain two homes, here and in bis district. He is subject to demands that business and profes- It is well this step was taken with- out proclamation and, save for yes- terday's short discussion in the House, without debate. An act of justice has been done with a minimum of misun- derstanding and criticism. Now the country may be assured that Uncle Sam, with all his economies, is not go- ing to be a parsimonious, niggardly employer and that Congress, while strictly careful to avoid needless ex- travagance, will be properly liberal to the other Government workers in the matter of compensation. Honoring George Washington. That no community can with greater propriety celebrate the birthday of George Washington than the beautiful Capital City which bears his name goes without saying. That no cele- brations could be better, both as re- gards spirit and details, than the half- dozen or more which are scheduled here in the District today and tomor- row is evidenced by their various pro- grams, some time honored and some new. For the first time a large group of national and local organizations, both patriotic and civic, will combins in an impressive and elaborate com- munity observance in the new Wash- ington Auditorium. Beginning with the placing of wreaths at the base of the Washing- ton Monument early tomorrow morn- ing, with an annual service at St. John's Church conducted by the Sons of the Revolution in the afternoon, and ending with a great ball to- morrow night in the gymnasium of the university which also bears the name of George Washington, the Capi- tal which he established will fittingly and adequately commemorate the 193d anniversary of the birth of the Father of his Country. Washington's Farewell Address will be read in the Senate of the United States. The Association of Oldest Inhabitants will continue the procedure it has followed for nearly 60 years by holding an individual cele- bration. Three great patriotic organi- zations—the Sons of the American Revolution, Daughters of the Ameri- can Revolution and Children of the American Revolution—will, as in the past, cornbine in staging special cere- monies at Memorial Continental Hall. The National Monument Society will hold its annual meeting and reception in the afternoon. George Washington is an interna- tional hero as well as a national one. Diplomatic representatives of the great peoples of the world have been invited to honor his memory by at- tendance at the combined celebration arranged for the auditorium by a spe- cial organization created to plan and to execute proper and dignified ob- servance of national holiday here. The residents of the city which per- petuates the name of the greatest American cannot vote; they cannot select their municipal officers, nor de- termine the amount of their contribu- tions toward the support of the na- tional and lobal governments. But, led by the heads of that local govern- ment, aided by officials of that national Government and through the activi- ties of various organizations singly and in combination, they will stage a celebration that is of national interest and is an inspiration. R The income tax blank again spreads a wish throughout the land that not only might the tax be reduced, but that the method of making returns might be simplified. R R District Business Tomorrow. Tomorrow is District day in the House, probably the last occasion on which that body will devote itself to the consideration of local business at this session. Two items, in particular, are on the calendar for discussion, the traffic bill and the five-year school building bill. It is hoped also that the public welfare commission bill will be brought before the House for action. The House District committes has decided to offer as a substitute for its own traffic measure that which the Senate passed the other day. Its sub- stitution for the House bill will facili- tate final enactment, for the debates which occurred in the Senate when the subject was under discussion there indicate clearly that the House bill, which is identical with the original Senate measure, could not secure the .| approval of the upper body. It is urgently desirable that a traf- fic regulation bill be passed at this session. Conditions in the District streets are bad. Every day brings its long record of accidents and tragic re- sults of criminally careless driving. The traffic rules are not enforced ade- quately. The habit of carelessness is not being checked and corrected by sufficiently drastic punitive measures. Stiffer sentences are needed to check the grave evil of intoxicated drivers careening through the streets. The five-year school building bilt of- gional men in private life do not feel.Lfers no points of diffculty, and there is no reason why it should not pass the House quickly tomorrow. Agree- ment by the House with the Senate bill will facilitate final action. The public welfare commission bill has yet to pass either house. Tomor- row offers an opportunity for the House of Representatives to put it on its way, with concurrence by the Sen- ate only necessary to complete this needed legislation, v e Two-Dollar Bills. In addition to the effort to push |the silver dollar or ‘“cartwheel” into | circulation, the Treasury Department is contemplating a campaign of edu- cation - to popularize the two-dollar bill. The use of this double dollar gen- erally, it is urged, will save the Gov- ernment a large part of the currency printing cost. It i to be feared, how- ever, that just as much difficulty will be encountered in pushing the two- dollar bill as the silver dollar. Per- haps it will be even harder, because, while the objection to the big coin 1s wholly on the score of its weight and physical inconvenicnce, there are two objections to the two-doliar bill in the minds of the public, and one of these is somewhat psychological. The two-dollar bill is shunned by a great many people from sheer super- stition. For some reason not clearly understood it is regarded as a jinx. |1t is “unlucky money” in the minds of many. Then again, the two-dollar bill is= unpopular because of the pos- sibility of its being mistaken for a one. Of course, there is no more sim- ilarity in appearance between a two and a one than between a five and a one, but somehow folks are shy of taking this chance. Bank tellers, store cashiers and others who handle money are aware of this prejudice. They find it difficult to pass twodollar bills out to cus- tomers. More often than otherwise the bill thus presented in payment or in change will be turned back with a re- quest for “two ones, please.” Some people will not even touch the two- dollar biil, Of course, there are people who have no prejudice whatever, and some, in- deed, who actually like two-dollar bills and regard them as “lucky.” But these are in the minority, and it will be difficult for the Government to overcome the prejudice. Probably if the Treasury gave the public the choice between twos and silver, the latter would move much more speedily than the former. Some years ago there was a movement to secure ‘a law to cut the two-dollar bill out of the currency list, but it came to naught, and it is still one of the printed forms of Government obli- gation, though it languishes in the Treasury vaults. ——— e Just outside the White House grounds is a trafic epigram: “Use your brakes more and your horn les: Tourists are likely to wonder whether it is a quotation from one of Presl- dent Coolidge's addresses to Congress. ————————— Nations, like individuals, are often subject to criticism for two reasons; because they have been wiliing to lend money and because they are doubtful about repeating the transaction, P ‘Wicked plays are produced for three reasons; the public pays for them, the producers like the profits and the actors need the money. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Censorious. ‘We had a little meetin’ down to Pohick on the Crick. We want some reformation and we want it pretty quick. We've just ebout decided that our morals will be loose If youngsters keep repeatin’ poetry by Mother Goose. King Cole with pipe an’ glass we must eliminate because He worked in violation of the prohibi- tion laws— The “frog who would a woolng go,” the same as human kind, Implied that evolution was already in his mind. This “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick” is not a proper lay, Since it suggests deflance of the eight- hour working day. That tale of “Pussy’s in the well” is harrowing, indeed, And something our S. P. C. A. should very promptly heed; Each little bit of rhyme contains an element of doubt ‘Whose influence is bad, when you pro- ceed to work it out. And since to rigid morals we are all resolved to stick ‘We're going to bar old Mother Goose trom Pohick on the Crick. Polite Repression. “Do you always say what think? “No,” answered Senator Sorghum; “I am compelled to think a great deal about the inadequacy of my salary. But political politeness forbids me to mention it.”” you Growing Credulous. All forms of gossip bid me grieve In rumor I do not believe— Except a rumor down the line That some one’s going to resign. Jud Tunkins says a parrot is a fine example of conversational uselessness. He never lays an egg and he isn't fit to eat. He just talks. Memorable. “Did you dance with the Prince of Wales' “Yes,” answered Miss Cayenne. “And T shall never forget the occa- sion.”” “Because of the distinction?" “Not exactly. We didn't know the same steps.” Investigation. My curiosity's not great Though it was strong at first. No more would I investigate 1 think I know the worst. “Don’t flatter yohself,” said Uncle Eben, “dat Satan is after you. He's kep' busy wif folks dat's runnin' after him,” | Doesn’t Believe in Condemning | Capital Sidelights All Who Are Called Hypocrites BY THOMAS R, MARSHALL, Former Viee President of the United States. It is bad enough when we wrest the Scriptures to our own destruction. It I8 far worse when we do s0 to the de- struction of our fellow men. We like to draw out of the Scriptures le: sons which enable us to criticize our neighbors. W seem to be impressed with the idea that they are yardsticks with which we may measure the man- ners, morals and customs of our as- sociates. Because the Master Teacher of the world invéighed against the hypo crite. who uttered aloud prayers in the market place and thanked God that he WAaS not as other men were, we have persistently assumed that the rebuke applfed to all sorts of hypocrisy, whether the playing of a part or the living of a lie or the expressing of a false opinion. Hypocrisy and lying run in our minds as completely par- allel. As a matter of fact, it is some- what difficult in the complexities of modern civilization to determine what a lie is, and equally difficult, I am in- clined to think, to label with cer- tainty a hypocrite. * kX % In the days of my young manhood troupes used to travel around the Western States exhibiting what were known then as panoramas. These were paintings depicting great histori- cal and allegorical incidents. I re. meémber one which came to our town pretending to show Dante’s Inferno. I took my neighbor's boy, who had been trained by his father, an old- fashioned Presbyterian elder, to hate and fear the devil. George rather en joyed the horrors of the panoram He proved to be not only a born opti- mist, but a philosopher of the new school. “It seems to me that there were some good points about the devil,” he told his father upon his re- turn home. Indiscriminate abuse of whkat we commonly term hypoerisy is not jus- tified. T doubt if it can be justified by Holy Writ. The hypocrisy therein in- veighed against was that playing of a part which sought to convince others that the player was better and fimer than the average race of hu- manity. The best of us are at times hypocrites in the common accepta- tion of tne term, yet our hypocrisy is not self-laudation or self-praise, nor does it seek the applause of the mul- titude. * %A In the old days of the saloon the man who sneaked through its back door to get a drink came within the strict definition of a hypoerite; yet I never felt that the term quite square to him. He knew he ought not to go to the saloon; his spirit revolted against going, but his flesh was weak. He sought to avoid pub- lic condemnation. He was not ex- alting himself; he was trying to hide himself. A man may join the church with- out any deep religious conviction; he may not feel in his soul that the burden of the salvation of mankind rests upon him; he may fal’ far short of showing unto his fellow men the glory of God and the goodness of His gospel. There may be many who will point their fingers at him and call him a hypoerite, but not all of us. He Is not a hypocrite unless he joins the church for the purpose of exalting himself and decelving his fellow men. He may wish to bring peace to his home and satisfaction to his wife, or to set a good example before his children. He may,not be an ideal Christian, but he is not to be classed as a hypocrite, and he is much to be preferred to the avowed agnostic., A man may have in his home some prewar stuff, having stocked his cellar In anticlpation of the elght- eenth amendment, He may pull down the blinds from time to time to take a drink, yet talk unceasingly about the évils of the liquor traffic, the glories of prohibition and the ne- cessity for striet enforcement. Nat- urally, persons knowing his habits label him a hypocrite, yet he may not come within the scriptural con- demnation, for he may be really sincere. In any event, his hypocrisy is not designed to convince other men that he s better than they are. It is rather for the purpose of sisting toward a finer regard for the law and a better civillzation. EEEE It will be fine when we all are filled with love for our fellow men, when anger and passion and hatred and self-seeking shall be no more, when equality will be the basis of society and courtesy shall be the current coln of the realm. But until that time comes w 1 commonly termed hy- pocrisy will continue to be valuable at times in human relations, and therefore excusable. ‘It each guest at a dinner party acted toward the oth- ers as he actually felt toward them and said just what he or she thought about everybody else present, it would be a riot instead of a reunion. If in politics each partisan expressed his honest opinfon about every other partisan, we would split up far more than we are at present into petty groups, each impugning the motives and criticizing _the conduct of all other groups. If in our church re- lations we volced always just what we thought of our fellow members, we would be far worse off in the evils of denominationalism than we now are. We must not be too cen- sorfous of our fellow man or too ready to accuse him of hypocrisy. Let us be certain that when he plays a part he is playing it to exalt him- self above us and not to keep peace with us. (Copyright, 1025, by 21st Century Press.) COOLIDGE AND THE PRESIDENCY BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN On the occasion of his retiring from the office of secretary to the President, Bascom C. Slemp of Vir- ginla has made an announcement of importance. He has told the coun- try that President Coolidge is beat- ing his job. The announcement deals a blow to a popular tradition given wide cur- rency in recent years—namely, that the business of being President is a “man-killing” job. This had elmost been taken for granted when Mr. Slemp undertook to refute it, and left the inference that the country may get along without an assistant to the President. The retiring secretary, after 16 months of service as the President's chief aide in carrying on the routine duties of the Executive Office, gave assurance that Mr. Coolidge’is hale and hearty and that he is finding it possible to perform his daily round of duties without undue drain on his physical and mental resources. Other White House attaches are in accord with Mr. Slemp on this poeint. There is no politics involved, as the President only recently emerged from a successful campalgn for re- election. Incidentaily, he was the only one of the principal contestants who did not take a holiday after the battle. He simply went on attend- ing to the Nation's business, going for a walk every afternoon, taking an occasional week end cruise down the T-tomac in the Mayflower, and all the *ime handling this job of his_efficiently. There is no particular Coolidge secret about the why and the where- fore of it all. It is not that the Pres- ident is doing less work than his predecessors in office. As a matter of fact he gets through an enor- mous amount of work every day, and the businéss of the Executive Office is constantly increasing in volume. Some of the reasons for the Presi- dent’s ability to cope successtully with the physical demands of his office inhere in Mr, Coolidge himself, in his personal characteristics, h orderly habits, his refusal to be stam- peded, and his faculty for reserving himself for the more important na- tional problems confronting him. When all this is said and given due weight, there is a situation at the White House today which has beer generally overiooked, but which goes far toward explaining Mr. Slemp's assurances to the country. The bus ness of the White House is better or- ganized than it has -been in many years, with the result that while more work is being done, the machine is moving so smoothly and so effec- tively thac the President is not un- duly harassed by the peak load. This situation is due in the main to the men around the President—not the men like Senator Willlam M. But- ler, chairman of the Republican na- tional committee, and the various cabinet officers who have their own jobs te look after, but the men of whom little is heard, who are tually on duty at the President's el- bow during all the working hours of the day. There are four of these men to whom the country and the President owe a great deal. They are: Mr, Slemp, the retiring secretary to the President; Rudolph Forster, the veteran execu- tive secretary; Edward T. Clark, the private secretary, and Judson C. Welliver, the chief clerk. The Coolldge Innovations. President Coolidge made innovations in the White House, and these inno- vations are to a great extent respon- sible for the smooth working ma- chinery of the Executive Office. He was the first President who selected a member of Congress for secretary. Mr, Slemp's 14 years of service in Congress proved an invaluable asset to the President. The fact that he has selected Representative Everett Sanders of Indiana to succeed Slemp is taken as an indication that the President himself is convinced of the wisdom of this procedur Then again there is “Ted” Clark. It has net been customary for Presidents to have private secretaries of his grade and caliber, But here again the plan has proved highly success- ful. The first thing that Mr. Slemp did when he came to the White House in September, 1924, was to ask himself the question, “What can I do in this position to ease tbe burden of the President's office and at the same time get the maximum amount of work done every day?’ Mr, Slemp did several things, One of the big strains on the Chief Execu- tive was due to the large and ever- increasing number of people demand- Ing personal contact with him on every conceivable business and pre- tense. The President would not, of course, stand for any policy intended to keep people away from him, Never- theless, Mr. Slemp solved the problem. He set aside the morning period for callers and conferences With the Chief Executive. Wherever possible, ap- pointments were put into the morning heurs. It made the appointments shorter. It probably cut out some of the less important ones, but the re- sult of it in toto wae that the Presi- dent had practically the entire after- noon free to devote to the business on hand without undue interruptions. This. of course, did not apply to im- portant Government officials or mem- bers of Congress, who had real busi- ness, but the people with real busi- ness as a rule take less time and have greater discretion as to when it is necessary to consult with the Presi- dent. Mr. Slemp did something else in his position as contact man. He was able to keep the President better informed as to legislative and governmental matters than would have been possible for & man without his particular kind of experience. Members of Congress took him into thelr confidence and he, in turn, was able to give the essentlals to the President without a redundancy of detall. He knew by instinct when it was necessary for a Senator or a Representativ He could say or “I'll attend to it,” and the President was saved from a conference on the postmastership at Sandlake, or on the type that should got to the mayor of Hol- lowville on the opening. of a new waterworks. E » A Veteran of 30 Years. Mr. Forster is of all men living to- day the wisest in the ways of the ‘White House. The title of executive secretary does not convey any idea at all of the work and value of this high- type executive. On March 4 he will have served 30 years at the Whits House, his service covering the terms of seven Presidents of the United States. His office is the clearing house for everything that comes and goes to the President's desk, And he has the most correct instinct of what should be done in any given situation. He is the ref. eree par excellence. He is the solon when it comes to White House pro- cedure—except, perhaps, politics, which with Mr. Forster has always been ad- Jjourned. There he sits in the most orderly of all offices—usually with a bowl of roses on his desk. The desk is alwa: clean and tidy. There is never f or bluster, but the wheels are always turning around this man who has be- come an invaluable White House in- stitution. His efficiency is only sur- passed by his amiability and equabil- ity. He does for Mr. Coolidge just what he has done for six other Presi- dents. He is the Yeoman of the Guard. Mr. Clark's contact with the Presi- dent is perhaps more personal than that of any of the other aides. He was Mr. Coolidge's secretary when the latter was Vice President. He had previously been secretary to Senator Lodge and had served as an executive with one of the biggest corporations in the country. Thus he brought to the White House a knowledge of business and of politics, besides his intimate knowledge of the President himself. He knows instinctively what the President’s lin of thought is on any given subject and the ald he can bring him is in direct ratio to this knowledge. During the recent campaign Mr. Coolldge depended very much on some of his intimate friends to put his policies into effect. There were Mr, Butler and Frank W. Stearns, for example. But there are probably few men to whom the President owes as much as he does to Mr. Clark, who shied at publicity and avoide limelight, but whose judgment w: always sound and unerring. To find him at his desk in the small hours of the morning was nothing unusual. Mr, Welliver has made his own post at the White House. He served with President Harding in the campaign of 1920 and after Inauguration was asked to join the foree in the Execu- tive Office. He was very much in the position of an attache at an embassy without a specfal and defined field. ‘With an organizat composed of men like these, the no reason why President Coolidge should not continue to peat his job., . “Lest we forget!" ‘With such sentiments in mind Con- gress makes quick work these days of resolutions and bills memorializ- ing historic events. The House by unanimous consent authorized official commemoration of the 180th anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill, with a special series of postage stamps depicting major events in the Revolutionary War. * ok Kk * A replica of the Houdon bust of Washington in white marble is to be secured by the Secretary of State for lodgment in the Hall of Americans in the Pan-American Building, Wash- ington, in accordance with the plan contemplated when that magnificent marble structure was erected. Presi- dent Coolidge supported the Secre- tary of State's plea for his legis- 1ation. * K % Coinage of silver 50 cent pieces in commemoration of the 150th anni- versary of the battle of Bennington and the independence of Vermont; in commemoration of the 75th anni- versary of the admisslon of the State of California_into the Union and of Vancouver, Washington, was authorized in legislation passed dur- ing the week. * k¥ % Establishment of a natlonal ceme- tery on the five-acre plot in Jeffer- son County, Ky. where old “Rough and Ready” Zachary Taylor, former President of the United States, is buried, was authorized by a measure passed by the House authorizing an appropriation of $10,000. Zachary Taylor died in the White House in July, 1851, and his remains were first Interred in a Washington cemetery and later, in deference to a wish he expressed in life, were taken to his old homestead in Kentucky. About six years ago the United States Government took over this tract. In this connection it is interesting to note that Congress has previously provided for construction and main- tenance at Federal expense of me- morials to deceased Presidents, sol- diers and other distinguished citi- zens as follows: Andrew Jackson's equestrian statue in Lafayette Park, Washington, $28,500. Abraham Lincoln Memorial, cost to date, $2,5658,720. Washington Monument, $200,000. Monument over the grave Thomas Jefferson, $5.000. Statue of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, ‘Washington, $260,000. Monument to Gen. Hugh Mercer, Fredericksburg, Va., $25,000. Monument to the memory of Brig. Gens. Francis Nash and William Lee Davidson, $5,000 each. Monument to Commodore Barry, Washington, $50,000. Monument to the memory of John Paul Jones, Washington, $50,000 Monument to Brig. Gen. James Shields, Carrollton, Mo., $3,000. Monument over grave of John Tyler, former President of the United States, in Richmond, Va., $10,000. Joint monument to n. James 8creven and Gen. Daniel Stewart at Midway, Liberty County, Ga., $10,000. Andrew Johnson National Ceme. tery, near Greeneville, Tenn., con- taining 15 acres. It was pointed out that “Old Rough and Ready" Zachary Taylor was born in Orange County, Va, of colonial and Revolutionary stock, 2 lineal descendant of Elder Willlam Brew- ster, the intrepid spiritual leader of the Mayflower. * ok k% How American troops in their first and most recent encounter van- quished the best troops of Germany was called t0 the attention of thed House by Representative Ernest W. Gibson of Vermont, himself an over- seas veteran of the World War, in a speech on the Battle of Bennington, a century and a half ago. He said: “The militiamen of Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts rallied as if by magic and consolidated under Gen. Stark, the able and gallant sol- dier of New Hampshire. They met the Hessians and the Brunswickers near Bennington, captured or killed most of them, saved the stores and spread doubt and dismay in Bur- goyne's camp. These green militia- men met the best troops of Germany &nd defeated them. “This was the first time Germans met Americans on the field of battle. One hundred and forty-one ears later they met again, but this time on the sofl of the sister republic of France, when the citizen troops of New England helped to stop the Ger- man advance and save the civilization of the world.” £ & * In the Capitpl is a statue of Sequoya, which the sculptor modeled after the figure of a young Indian who is yet living on the reservation in the Great Smoky Mountain. * x % % Postage is a service charge and not a tax, according to no less an au- thority than Benjamin Franklin, quoted to the House by Representa- tive C. Willilam Ramseyer, when the postal pay bill was under considera- tion. Franklin said: “The money pald for postage of a letter is not of the nature of 2 tax; it is merely a quantum meruit for a service done; no person is compellable to pay the money if he does not choose to receive the servics." Representative Ramseyer quoted testimony by Franklin in the British House of Commons, when he was Deputy Postmaster General of North America, in February, 1766. Representative Cable of Ohio called atttention that “he was the first post- master ever removed for political activities.” of John * K %k % Any one calling at the Capitol these days to see Joseph J. Sinnott, in the office of the doorkeeper of the House, must undergo very careful scrutiny. Sinnott was doorkeeper at the Demo- cratic national convention in New York, where he was disheveled and torn hither and yon by all those who had been or hoped to be some one, some time, in the Democratic spotlight or pay roll. When he finally got back to Washington and took & full breath he considered himself lucky to get away with his life, and some hreds of reputation, and was even heard to whisper to himself, “Never agail ‘What was his dismay the other day to get an unsighed letter, which read: “I have just learned where you are at, and ¥m on my way. You were responsible for gatting me arrested at the Democratic convention and I was sentenced to six months in jail. I'm out and have heard you are at ths Capitol. I'm after you and when I get there you will feel my might.” ‘When any one calls for Mr. Sinnott a scout looks him over and a couple of husky friends stand by. C R Again the proposal to have the United States Congress purchase the famous painting of the United States Navy In 1891, entitled “Peace,” has fallen through, by objection of Rep- resentative Lozier of Missouri when the measure was called up under unanimous consent. This is a picture that has hung in the committee room of the House naval affairs committee for 30 years. It is important historically, for it represents the beginning of the mod- ern American Navy. The artist died many vears ago, and it was only recently brought to the attention of the committee that the picture had never been paid for. . It was ex- hibited. in. the Columbian ex tion, at Chicago. It then traveled around the country and finally was depesited in the Capitol. The country evidently has received with mixed emotions the news of the plan to increase the salaries of Sen- ators and Representatives in Con- gress, with a little sop thrown in for the Vice President, the Speaker of the House and the members of the cab- inet. As yet there has been no sug- gestion to raise the salary of the President. If such an idea ever oc- curred on Capitol Hill, Mr. Coolldge would quicky nail it. Senators and Representatives, the former particularly, have been “hear- ing from home” on the subject and while it is apparent from the letters that the people feel that the higher cost of living since the World War has Justified liberality in salaries and com- pensations all along the line, there persists in the hinterland the theory that being a Representative or a Sen- ator is not a “regular job” after all —but just a sort of pastime or hobby. That word hobby will not down. Prior to a decade and a half ago this was virtually true. Congress . gessions were comparatively short; the na- tional leglslators spent comparatively little time in the National Capital ana consequently were able to maintain at home their practice of the Ppro- fessions or their business connections, But Washington has changed, Amer- ica has changed and Congress has changed. The activities of the Fed- eral Government, once severely lim- ited, have beer reaching out and out. Amendments have been tacked onto the poor old Constitution until if it could look at its self in a mirror there would be recognition of little beyond “We the people.” The activities of the Government have {ncreased many fold. They have reached into the very homes of the people. The income tax has come, prohibition has come, there is the inheritance tax, the gift tax and a hundred and one other things. Federal employes out through the country have beén multiplied. Business has had to look to Wash- Ington; the farmer has had to look to Washington, labor has had to look to Washington. The ties between the people and the Capital, between the interests and the Capital, have in- creased to the point that Representa- tives and Senators have their hands full, even when the legislature is not in session. No small proportion of the lawmakers have found it necessary to make thelr homes in Washington all the year round, going home occa- slonally to run for re-election. * K % % Some people, as has been stated, recognize this change, recognize the new responsibilities which rest upon Congress and the new expenses in- volved in the change. These beMeve that an increase in salary not only is MEN AND AFFAIRS BY ROBERT T. SMALL. justified, but has been long delayed. There are, on the other hand, those who think of Congress only by fte public performances and it must be sald that these are rather vehement in their assertions that Congress does not earn its present keep and has e vast amount of nerve to be talking about ralsing its own pay, especially at a time when Government economy is being preached from the house: tops. . One thing is certain to those whe see the wheels go round. If Senators, Representatives and members of the cabinet were content to lead the fru: gal life which appeals so strongly to President Coolidge, there would b no need for increases at any part of the line. Mr. Coolidge did not find his $12,000 & year as Vice President in- adequate. He and Mrs. Coolidge man- aged to live modestly in the best hotel in Washington, they managed to send their two boys to school— and they also managed to put a little by, for it is the President’s belief that out of every salary, every earning no matter how small, a man can make some saving. Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge in thelr vice presidential days were entertained a great deal. They, could not repay all of this in kind, but they managed to meet all of the offictal amenities of life and customs at the Capital. The Coolidges prob- ably could have used the $3,000 addi- tional whigh it is proposed now to. give to the Vice President, but they did not. miss it. Mr. Coolidge did con- vince Congress that it would be fool- ish to provide or accept a special home for the Vice President and ex- pect him to maintain it on the salary fixed by law. He saw no need of such a home. The President is represented today as being in no way concerned over the much discussed “salary grab Congress alone has the responsibility, he feels, for raising its own pay. He agaln Is evidence of the President's determination to let Congress stew in its own juice, whether the juice be bitter or sweet. * X ¥ * Discovery this week of the latg President Harding’s telegram outlir ing his ideas of a simple inaugure] ceremony, recalled the fact that the late Senator Philander Chase Knox of Pennsylvania was chairman of the joint congressional committee on the inauguration. It also recalls the fact that Senator Knox's death was an- other tragedy among those associated with the late administration, and leads anew to the hope that with the dawn of March 4 there may be # real new era in Washington life. (Copyri 925.) Fifty Years Ago In The Star The discussion that took place in Congress over the slcoholic percent- age of beer when the Beer Under volstead act was . under consideration Discussion. /75, forerunner in a debate in the Senate in 1875 on a| clause in @ pending bill relating to the District's defining licenses for the sale of wine and beer. The Star of February 15, 1875, say: “It includes ‘lager beer, root beer and such ale and fermented drinks as shall not be stronger than the lager beer of cgmmerce. Mr. Thur- man wanted to know if a man were indicted for violating this provision how the jury would find whether the beer that was drunk was materially ‘stronger than the lager beer of commerce.” Mr. Morrill answered ‘by experts’ Mr. Thurman said he had heard of the expert who was called upon in St. Louis to prove whether lager beer would intoxicate, and oneé old German testified, ‘I drink 60 glasses a day and it don't intoxi- cate me, but I suppose if a man made a flog of himself he might get drunk upon it’ Mr. Morrill thought there uld be no difficulty in getting ex- perts, but he did not satisfy Mr. Thurman, who admitted that there were plenty of experts, but he was anxious to know where to get ox- perts of that particular beer, experts at that particular shop, experts who could teli that the particular glass which was sold and had vanished down the throat of some thirsty fel- low was ‘stronger than the lager beer of Commerce.’ Mr. Morrill se- riously answered that good experts could be secured, and, besides, there was the chemical test, to which Mr. Thurman answered that in that case there must be an autopsy.” * * ¥ Washington was not only in the grip of an unusually hard winter 50 . years ago, but was Charity Funds experiencingan : economic depression Required. ({0 Guced great suffering among a large portion of the population. The Star of February 16, 1875, says: “We have the evidence before us in many ways that never before in the history of the city has there been so much suffering among a -good class of people as exists today. The Dis- trict has given our Citizens' Relief Commission §3,400, every cent of which has been doled out to women, children, old people and invallds, and now the committee are without means, and the appeals to them from the freezing and starving poor at th¥s inclement season are said to be heart-rending. People of the most respectable standing are forced by want to apply for relief, and among these are many mechanics who would willingly work if they could find work to do. It is certain, such is the des- titution through hard times and a hard Winter in conjunction, that un- less Congress comes at once to their relief people will die of cold and hunger; for it must be remembered that there is now no other Govern- ment here having power to appro- priate money for the poor. The Dis- trict Commissioners have not that power, however desirous they may be to do something to relieve the dis- tress around them. “Mr. A. S. Solomons, vice president of the Relief Commission has pre- sented the matter to the ways and means committee with a petition ask- ing for the moderate sum of $10,00 to be appropriated on District ac count, for the relief of the suffering poor. This is so small an amount, as compared with appropriations in pre- vious years when the distress was nothing like that now existing, that we cannot suppose that a single member will oppose this measure. It may be added that tne Relief Com- mission make it a point to visit every case of reported destitution, in person, to guard against imposition, and Congress and the public may feel Heard and Seen The man dirty alley cat sneaking along, and cried out, “There goes Charlie Trace- well's old tomcat!" Jack Spratt, my cat, would have been much upset over the compar- foon, for Jack is as clean and fresh as_new mown hay. His “shirt front” gleams had just been to the laund indeed, it has, as Spratt runs a privat washing establishment entirely for his own benefit. With his rough red tongue, Jack keeps his white bosom and paws as fresh as you please, licking them assiduously in the mysterious of cats. Perhaps, this is the “most unique” habit of the house cat, and oae which has given endless generations of its friends pleasure in watching. The habit i8 accounted for, accord- ing to the suthorities, by reason of the cat's desire to be absolute! bdorless to mice. A cat, to catch mice, has to re- main very quiet, lest the rodent hear it, and free from any odor; lest the mouse smell its enemy. This latter necessity has led felis toilet. Although the cat does not like water, applied by another, it has no objection .to saliva, put on copi- ously by itself. A cat will spend several hours each day washing its face, whiskers and the remainder of its being, the proc- ess being very comical, at least from our human viewpoint. The cat, it hardly need be said, goes about its bath in the usual solemn fashion of animals. e E e The high point in laughter of the comedy, “Little Miss Bluebeard,” which appeared here last year, was the imita~ tion by the comedian of a cat washing its face. The mannerisms of Tabby were so closely imitated, the wetting of the paws and the dragging them over its whiskers, that the audience was con- vulsed. The mimicry showed a close observa- tion of cats, for every stroke is dupli- cated every day by every cat. A cat proceeds on some mysterious plan of its own. The favorite time for this wash- ing, unique among animals, is immedi- ately after a good dinner which the cat has enjoyed. Then watch Tom clean up! He lolls out that tough, flexible member, his tongue, licks his forepaws all over, curves his paw up over his ears and washes behind them. A cat will even turn his ears inside out in a way to make your flesh creep. illustrate many a lesson in cleanliness to little children. There is not much danger in this habit, to human beings, as nature has seen to it that the saliva is antiseptic to some degree. That ex- plains the healing power of the licking by animale of their wounds. * kX X A man stopped me on the street last week and told me the story of a Tabby cat and an old hunting dog, both lving in the same family. The old dog went on a ramble one day and came back minus one eye. How it happened nobody knew. Probably it got caught on a barbed wire fence. ‘When Tabby sensed the injury she immediately applied herself to its cure. She spent half an hour every day licking the old dog’s wounded eye, with the re- sult that the socket soon healed nicely. C. B. TRACEWELL distinguished artists from other parts of the country. An interesting fea- ture of the evening was the portifolios of sketches brought in by the artists. The evening’s enjoyment was supple- mented with music, reading and that good cheer always present to find. “It is remarkable that at the Capi-~ tal of the Nation there is no soclety of artists or association for the en- couragement of art. We have more than the nucleus of one of the finest public galleries in the country, the endowment of which, through the munificent gift of one of our cit~ izens, will ultimately place it in rank with some of the best European gal- assured that every dollar voted or contributed may be applied, in the best sense of the phrase, ‘where it will do the most good.'” * * X The movement for the develop- ment of an organization of artists in s Washington 60 Forming an Art years ago came : to the point of ac- Organization. . ppiishment, ac- cording to The Star of February 18, ‘A’ delightful entertainment was given last night by our delegate in Congress, Gen. Chipman, to the ar- tists of the District. Besides these there were present a large number of amateurs, a few .lovers and p: trons of art, and quite a number of leries, but we have no school of de- sign, no art building combining gal- lery and studios, no organization and no well directed effort in the least encouraging to art. There are many gotably fine small private gal® leries here, a large number of lovers of art and many more than is gen: erally supposed who draw and paint well as amateurs. Why cannot these elements be brought together and molded into a self-helping soclety? A step in this direction was the pleas- ant meeting of last night, and to start the movement Mr. Franklin Phillp was called to the chair, and by vote of those present was author- ized to appoint a committee of five who are to prepare and report at a meeting & frame of orgaai- in the limousine saw a- domesticus to unusual care with fts’ Surely a house cat could be used tg’ ey