Evening Star Newspaper, April 5, 1925, Page 43

Everyday Religion ot a Talk on Theology, Living. BY RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMA! Bishop of “The Man Who Failed.” 5t Mark One thing thou Tarkest.” ’ T.21 HE story of “The Man Without a Country” { striking ex- mple of one who signally fafled in an emergency, whose character and loyalty were chattered in a moment of unre- strained passion. It {s the tragle an- nal of one who forfeited his oppor- tunity and lost his place in the time of testing, He lost at flood tide, and all his after- lifo was characterized by disappoint- ment and regret. Repeatedly in the course of life we witness the results of lost or indifferently regarded op- portunities. The words of the poet are ture Of all sad words of tongue o The saddest are these: It migt’ have boen.” * % x % No character is presented on the New Testament page that so strik- Yy portrays this as that of the cul- tivated, reverent and rich voung man Who voluntarily sought Christ to ask Him the great question: “What shall 1 do that I may inherit eternal lfe?" Tle was doubtless drawn to the Mas- by the beauty of His teaching and he sublimity of His character. Asa matter of fact, he cume in haste, run- ning to Him, he also knelt before Him, he betrayed every evidence of « sincere desire to follow Him. Tt was in his life the moment of supreme opportunity. Christ's immedlate an- swer found him responsive. for it touched upon obedience of the mora to which the youth gladly re- sponded that he had scrupulously ob- served it There was eagerness in his accept- ance of this obligation. Then fol- Jowed the searching and severe test. The Master discovered the one great wealkness in his character. It re- lated to his love of things materfal, selfish passion for his riches. “Go and sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and come, take up the cross and follow me." Sk Christ made no such demand f an- other who had large worldly posses- sions, namely, Zaccheus, but here, in the case of the young man, He dis- covered that his riches constituted his mpediments. They were the real hindrance to his highest fulfillment They blocked the way to disciplehool. To follow Christ meant sacrifice, it meant acceptance of the cross with all its Implications. It was here the young man failed—'He went away sorrowful; for he had great posses- _sions.” He wished to be a disciple, but he could not pay the price. He welghed his material things over against the satisfactions of character the fulfillment of his highest , and he could not make the exchange. Jesus was so appealed to by him that it is recorded that “He loved him." The young man's name is unknown, and his story as given is singularly brief, but it Is the case of one who acting upon fine impulses, failed in law, Poland Adopts Famous Slogan Of War “They (Continued from First Page.) carry out the disarmament provisions ‘of the treaty of Versiilles offer an wdequate excuse to delay evacuation for the presen’ at least. The British, for their part, would prefer to give no guarantee, but they perceive that without a guarantee France will not leave the Rhine, and thus peace will not be actually re- stored. Moreover, they are becoming more and more convinced that a guar- entee to France involves little real risk, for they are satisfied that Ger- many has no intention of attacking France. Thus all British policy aims at glving France some relatively anodyne pledge, and thus arriving at a general Rhine settlement betweer. &'rance, Germany, Belgium and pe haps Holland, and agreement of these nations to respect each other's fron- tiers and also to submit all disputes to abritration. Such & pact Britain would also join, and thus, in a Mmeasure, become its guarantor. Limits on British Policy. But what the British are not pared to do security in pre- is to guarantee French the west, while France sarantees Polish and Czechoslovak security in the east, for then the fritish would in reality guarantee “he Slav frontiers, too, and particular- 1v those of Poland, against both Ger- many and Russia. In this situation 1he whole effort of British policy is directed at divorcing France from Poland, and thus putting Poland in the position of having to make con- cvessions to Germany or risk a con- flict. At the moment when I reached ‘Warsaw the whole question had be- come acute because of the conversa- tions going forward between London, WJParis and Berlin. Now the British policy is obviously based upon the notion that if Ger- many were assured of an ultimate revision of her frontiers in the cast she would abandon her western policy, as it existed before 191 would agree to regard Alsace-Lor- raine as lost forever and scek to re- coup herself by the annexation of Austria and of the re-annexation of Upper Silesia, Danzig and the corri- dor. Thus Franco-German relations would gradually improve; thanks perhaps later to economic settle- ments, and the danger to Britaln of @ mew war just across the channel which would involve her would dis- appear. France, on thg other hand. sees that £ Germany were allowed thus to g0 ~ast and south, she would become at wnce the economic master of both Poland and also of Czechoslavokia, for the annexation of Austria would cut off ail the Czech outlets to the world; that thus twe countries with forty millions of people would be- coms cconomically and ultimately volitically dependent upon Germany, while Hungary would in the end drift into the same constellation, if it did not come at once. Revives Old Domination. This would be to create the Mittel- europea which did exist for a moment in the victorious phase of German operations during the war. It would Do to make Germany actually the dominating power in Kurope to an extent never approached since Roman times by any one nation. Moreover, it would lead eventually to & resump- tion of German advance, both to the Adriatic and to the Agean. Such progress would mean that Germany would in the end win the war or at loast ail of the things which meant most to her during the war and in- penced her policy for the years be- fore the great struggle. Ihus France takes the position that tiere is no difference between the treaty of Versailles as It affects west- ern Burope and eastern; that the right Wway to insure peace is not to purchase Gierman acceptance of western fron- Miers by the Issus of a taclt permis- siom to revise eastern, but to demand from Gemmany equally strong pledges tu respect the status quo in the east But Upon Life and Right D. D. Washington. the crisis and missed immortality. He might have been another John, and had his name coupled with Christ a3 one of the band that “turned the world upside down” and changed the course of human history. He failed. tragically failed, In the great crisis of his life.” He put his hand out for the great gift of Immortality and drew it back when the price was named. Like the “man wlithout a country,” he is the man without a Master. Better is it that his name is not recorded. From the Master's presence he passed into oblivion. ® % % % There was once in our own na- tional history one, who for a space served his country herolcally and valiantly, but at length his armor of securlty disclosed its weakest spot, was plerced by the enemy, and he so0ld his birthright for a mess of pot- tage. On the walls of the chapel at West Point, a tablet records the dates of his birth and death, but his name is omitted. It ls better so, for his name is synonymous with disloyalty and treason. That Christ lald upon those who would accept His leader- ship some definite form of discipline is evident in all His teachings. He would make His followers fit for His service. He would have them prove thelr disciplehood, or to use the apostle’s words, “endure hardness as good soldlers.” It was to no soft, enervating, easy service He called them. Those who became ultimately His exponents came to know that service Involved sacrifice. Everywhere and always | they have been His greatest and most eminently successful disciples, who were willing to pay the price. When the test has been severest they have never falled, and their valor has glven the Christian cause its most conspicuous distinction * X % % Christianity cannot be enjoyed as a luxury or as an aesthetic adorn- | ment. foundation of our most cherished ideals, if it secures to us the finest things in our indlvidual and corporate life, if at the bottom of our boasted clvilization we are really Christian, then let us recognize that sacrifice is one of its most indispensable and essential elements. Our modern ex- pression of faith makes little or no demand upon the herolo or stronger virtues in our nature. Like the young man we may be reverent and highly | moral, yes, erstwhile members of good society, and yet fail of disciplehood. The indictment, “one thing thou lack- est” may be severe, but it touches a vital if vulnerable spot in each of us. The large question is, are we ready to pay the price which follow- ing Christ involves? Is his plan of life'so indispensable to our peace and largest happiness, that we will take up our cross, whatever that cross may be and follow Him? The words of the poet come back to us with re newed significance and force: The cross on Golgotha can pever «a: The cross in thine own heart al; thee whole. (Copyright, 19: thy soul, e can make Shall Not Pass” and in the west—on the Vistula as on the Rhine. s Moreover, from the point of view of world peace it seems impossible to calculate upon European adjustment made at the expense of Poland, for the simple reason that even if Poland were abandoned by France she would still_fight. Alone against Germany she would lose, but to defeat Poland Germany would have to arm, in con- travention of the terms of the treaty of Versailles, and such armament would certainly call for French pro- test and actlon, for whatever Ger- many pledges in the west the French would not consent to let Germany tear up the treaty as to disarmament and become again a great military power. Poland Building Army. It is only when one comes to Po- and and talks with the leaders of the nation that one realizes how un- founded are .any calculations based upon the assumption that without French backing Poland would yield. Poland will vield only to force and to force expressed in terms of armie on the battlefield. She is bending all her energies to organizing her re- sources for both political and eco- nomic independence, and one of her forces is an army aiready strong and srowing daily stronger. As I sald at the beginning of this article, the moment is one of great tension and anxiety, because there is great fear that France may be tem- porarily led aside, but, on the other hand, there is a determination which cannot be mistaken. The Poles feel & new partition is already in making, less than seven vears after they have regained their liberty, and the menace is bringing about a state of political unity and cohesion which had seemed tmpossible two vears ago. To me, at the moment, Poland is one of the most interesting countries which I have ever seen, because there is a sense of something big and fine being made. Tt {s a great adventure for a people, after a.long and glori- ous history of independence and then more than a century of servitude to the foreigner and division between other nations, to come back to national existence. In this situation every conceivable problem, political, financial, material, becomes instantly pressing. And one must recall that it is less than five years since the Bol- shevists were in sight of Warsaw and still advancing victorjously. Currency Is Stabilized. Yet in the brief time the Poles have stabllized their currency, they have, with even greaterglifiiculty, stabllized their politics, they have bullt rail- ways, created departments, set about the business of government, not with inspired genfus, not without endless blundering, but with a determination which is unmistakable and with a de- gree of success already visible and perhaps some day destined to be regarded as little short of marvelous. Yet in the midst of all the desperate struggle with material obstacles which might daunt peoples with vast- ly greater experfence, Poland has now again to live under the cloud of the old menace, today coming from the west, tomorrow, perhaps coming from the east and Russia, for one must al- ways recognize the near proximity of the Soviet country and the eternal enlgma that it constitutes for all its neighbors and for the whole world. To mie Poland, seen at close range, is one of the finest adventures In ro- mantic history of which I have ever dreamed. You have on all sides the sense of a people so newly come to liberty that freedom in all-ite phases is stil]l a delight, something of a pos- session of which one Is constantly wonscious. There Is a sense of exhil- eration in the crowds, the faces are a striking contrast with those of Ber- lin, the whole atmosphere is one of a If basically it lies at the very | THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., BY HENRY W. BUNN. I\ HE following is a brief sum- mary of the most important news of the world for the seven days ended April 4. France~On April 2 M. Clementel, the finance minister, informed the Senate that the government had de- cided to submit a blll authorizing increase of the note circulation of the Bank of France by a limited amount to meet commercial needs. News of this statement, coming to the cars of Premier Herriot, then in the Cham- ber, ho rushed to the Senate and con- tradicted it (or seemed to do so, for the premier's speech was far from lucid. At any rate, M. Clementel was not authorized to make such a state- ment). Thereupon, of course, M. Clementel resigned. The fiscal and financial situation is most critical, and by the same token so is the situation of the gov- ernment. The government is about to make important proposals, and highly interesting developments are likely. According to M. Clementel, a temporary Increase of note emission is necessitated by hoarding, and, the “replacement” notes under the measure indicated, being issued only for a discount of sound commercial paper, such a measure should not be styled “inflation. It seems, however, that “inflation” M. Anatole De to this writer, is the correct term. Monzie is the new finance minister. It is rumored that under pressure from the Soclalists the government will propose a caplital levy. Not liking the looks of things, M. Loucheur has withdrawn his sup- port from the government, drawing with him a radical following num- erous enough to reduce the govern- ment's majority to a precarious margin The franc, of wabbling on exchange, cumstances considered, prisingly narrow limits It is stated that M. De Monzie, who is of strong clerical sympathies, made it a condition of his acceptance of the portfollo of finance that the government should agree o a com- promise on the question of rep- resentation at the Vatican. This is very important, if true. * % x Germany.—The first popular elec- tion for a President of Germany was held on March 28. The late Herr Ebert was elected Provisional Presi- dent by the National Assembly in 1919. The provisional was changed to “regular” status by act of the Reichs- tag in October, 1921, the term to ex- pire June 30, 1925; an irregular ar- rangement adopted because of the general fear that a popular election in that troubulous time would result in a general shindy. Under the Wel- mar constitution if none of the can- didates in a popular election for President receives a majority of votes a second élection must be held. The winner of a plurality of votes on this occasion becomes President None of the candidates won a ma- jority on March 28, as appears from the following returns (approximate figures): course, has been but, the cir- within sur- In liberty and republican institutions | to be, if not cynical, at times a little | bored; freedom has become a habit, not @ precious possession of which one is always consclous. But in War- saw this day 11 years ago the Cos- sacks still patrolled the streets and seven years ago the Germans were still masters. It is only yesterday that it was a crime to speak Polish, and Polish palaces and galleries have been the plundering place of Euro- pean generals, not excepting Napo- leon, for nearly a century and a half. And now, after all the long night- mare of four generations, there is freedom again,; Polish officers have their swords (and T confess I belfeve they sleep with them); there are sol- dlers on the street who wear their caps with a jauntiness which the West does not know; even the army is not tired, because it did not exist as an army when the war was fought; everything is new and gay, accompanied.with innumerable phys- ical discomforts and even hardships. Do not come to Warsaw if you want to enjoy all the luxurles of Parls London or New York, but do not stay away too long if you still desire to see @ very old people awakening like Rip Van Winkie from a long political sleep. It is a great adventure, then, this new Polish thing, full of gavety and joy and enthusiasm. And with the Tidiculous and the impossible com- bined with it, not without the sadden- ing also, for e wake of the war has been ipcredibly terrible; but at bottom the thing one feels is the gradually hardening determination of the whole people to die rather than to submit to a new partision. There- fore T am convinced that settlements based upon the voluntary transfer of Polish territory to Germany are as out of the question as a restoration of good feeling wilh Mexico purchased at the price of the return of Califor- nia and perhaps Texas. Poland will fight—it may be beaten—but peace by such means would not, after all, be but war. =g (Copyright, 1925.) Polygamy Practiced By Indians of Chile Araucanian Indians in southern Chile still practice polygamy, al- though, it is claimed, the younger generation, educated by American and English missionaries, are abandoninig the ancient tribal custom. Under the tribal laws any male among these agricultural people may have as many Wives, up to seven, as he can main- tain. As a rule, the wives live in one house, called the ruka, each wife hav. ing her own fire, before which she sits with her children and prepares their simple fare in her own iron kettle. The husband lives with each wife a week at a time, and during that time the wife has to cook for him, mend his clothes and wait on him. As a rule, the other wives are obliged to serve the wife with whom the hus- band happens to be living. When a he stands outside, announcing® his ar- rival by shouts. The head of the house comes out to meet him, but un- less an invitation is given the caller never enters the ruka, which is gen- erally a thatch-covered shed about 16x20 feet, with a hole at each end of the peaked roof to permit the smoke from the open fires to escape. On entering such a home one counts the number of fires and kpows how many wives there are. . Greek Slaves in Turkey. Accordiing to reports submitted to the League of Nations, upward of 50,000 Greek and Armenian women and children are retained as =laves in the interfor of Turkey. Europeans who have investigated this question assert that about 10,000 of these slaves can be brought out for approx- imately $40 each. Five dollars.buys liberty and the remainder is required for medical care, food and traveling expenses. Charitable societles en- saged in attempts to free these Greeks and Armenians assert that the victorfous, ra liberated people, still almost extravagantly joyous over the merest details of their great libera- [tion. ‘We Western peoples are old enough league has not given the financial as- sistance it should give, especially visitor calls at an Araucanian home! since the Treaty of Lausanne safe- guards the rights of Christians living in Turkey. Jarres, Right bloc Braun, Roclalist Marx, Centrist . Helpach, Democrat maon, Communist . , Barvarian People’s party S A9 Ludendorff, Natlonal Social ist party (Fascists).... A second election will be held on April 26. The three parties of the Center (Socialists, Centrists and Dem- ocrats) have united on Dr. Marx. It is expected that the Right bloc will again nominate Dr. Jarres. Though, apparently, the Bavarian People's party will not formally declare adhe~ slon to him, because he is a Protes- tant, it seems as unlikely that be will get most of the Baravian Peo- ple’s party and Fascist votes. The present fndication is that there will be only three candidates, Jarres, Marx and the Communist Thael- mann. The candidate of the nited Cen- ter, representing parties professing genuine loyalty to the republic, should, unless there should be an extraordinary swing to the Right, win. The election of March 28, brought out 70 per cent of those elegible to vote. Of the several candidates the Dem- ocrat, Hellpach, premier of Baden, appeared to best advantage in the campaigning, making excellent speeches of solid intellectual quality. Comparing with the figures of the elections for the Reischstag last De- cember, it is seen that the National- ists® and the Socialists made slight and almost equal proportional gains, while the Communist vote fell off. The censtitutional term of the Ger- man President is seven years; no limit as to re-election, It is reported that the German gov- ernment has made & further com- munication to the French and British governments relating to the “security pact proposition”; a step, apparently, in the process of converting the orig- inal German proposals from liquid to solid form. “After all,” say the Ger- mans, “perhaps the pact had best be silent concerning Germany's eastern frontiers.” this head Poincare made the the following reflection: ermany vs she is ready to renew the engagement she took In signing the Versailles treaty not to attack us. But what good is that? It is only a signature, which will add nothing to her former one, and which, if it applies only to a part of the treaty, will be equivalent to a disavowal of the rest” The Journal Des Debats observes: “M. Herriot risks being caught in a trap. If we are not mis- taken, France will soon be informed that if Germarny recognizes the in- violability of the Rhine, that inviola- bility works in both directions, eve if Germany attacks an ally of France. It is understood that the French and British governments will in the near future separately send formal replies to the German proposals. One hears that the French, besides refus- ing to consider the signing of a se- curity pact’ prior to complete fulfill- ment on Germany’s part of her obliga- tion to date under the disarmament clauses of the treaty, will insist that the pact include a clause declaring German consent to a permanent APRIL 5, League of Nations control commis- slon with the function of supervising execution of Articles 42 and 43 of the treaty. The Germans (backed, it is said, by the British) contead that in- spection should be allowed only to in- vestigate a charge of a specific vio- lation of either of those articles. Japan—On March both houses of the Japanese Diet passed the uni- versal manhood suffrage- bill, which increases the number of those entitled to vote from about 3,000,000 to about 14,000,000 persons—that 1s, gives the franchise to all Japanese male sub- Jects of 30 or over except those de- pendent on public or private charity and persons convicted of certain crimes. The first Parliament of Japan w elected in 1890, when the franchise was limited to about 500,000 persons. This is the fourth extension of the franchise. Considerable public turbu- lence attended debate on the bill. The House of Peers is now under fire. A bill has been submised which proposes to decrease its powers. An- other bill proposes universal compul- sory _education. It looks, too, as though the position of the all-powerful groups in the army and navy would soon be challenged. * ¥ ¥ ¥ Egypt.—The gentlemen of the Egyp- tian expedition of Harvard University and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, which expedition is headed by the great ” Egyptologist, Dr. Reisner of Harvard, have made a very important discovery. It i{s a tomb-chamber (the approach to it, like those of all tomb- chambers of important personages, most cunningly concealed) and therein an alabaster sarcophagus covered hy & gold mat which has jncised thergon the cartouche of King Sneferu and much _hieroglyphic writing, near the great Pyramid of Cheops at Gizeh, 1t was the chief concern of the Egyp- tian kings to make provision for the security of their mummified remains and their magnificent funerary para- phernalia against spoilation by tomb robbers, and, as every one knows, the pyramids were ostensibly sepulchural monuments. But the tomb robbers were persistent and cunning; where- fore the kings were forced (expense be damned) to match cunning with cunning. They were apt to build “false pyramids”; so while the rob- bers were plying their felonious trade the mummy would be résting securely in some distant rock cavern, and no doubt, along with his effigtal compan- fons, enjoying their discomfiture, Now King Sneferu (end of the third or beginning of the fourth dynasty, more or less antecedent to 3,000 B. C.) built himself two pyra- mids, one at Medum and the other at Dahshur (both places between Memphis and the Fayum). and he gave out that he was to be burled at Medum. It Is, however, quite pos- sible, for the reasons hinted, that the sarcophagus just discovered is that of Sneferu, though it is more likely to be that of his favorite wife (Mer-Ti-Tefs, pretty name). a sort of Egyptian Ntnon de Lanclos, who was also the favorite wife in turn of Cheops and of Cheops' successor One must hop howev that it i SO THIS IS HERRIN BY IDA M. S man instinctively malicious? Does he enjoy seeing others In disgrace? Does it give him sat- isfaction to advertise that dis- grace? It often seems so. stick out their tongues at the ragged, unkempt child that finds his way into the schoolroom and later chase him trom the school yard. Grown up, they g0 on sticking out their tongues at those who are down. What,is §t? Malice, vanity, self-protection, self- righteousness? Whatever it is, it is ugly business to touch. 1 give the month of February gen- erally to lyceum work. When I showed my last schedule to my friends and they saw Herrin, 111, on the list they exclaimed “Go to Herrin! But You run an awful risk:" When I had been in Herrin and so reported in nearby towns which I visited, the neighborly comment was: “That awful place. How did you dare™” Boys and girls it isn't safe. * % ok ok Nobody is going to deny that Herrin in the last three vears has been the center of awful happenings. In 1922 a veritable massadre of some 25 non-union miners by union miners and their friends took place a few miles from Herrin. She was the largest nearby town and the only one with a comfortable hotel. ‘onse- quently all reporters made Herrin their headquarters and sent their messages from there. Hejs was the only name known to the' public in connection with the dreadful affair. To be sure, Herrin miners were in the riot, and Herrin citizens sympa- thized with them as did her mine owners accustomed to dealing with them, but Herrin furnished only a part of the rioters. The whole large coal sectlon was in it, but the out- sider caught but one name—Herrin. Therefore the town was held respon- sible for deeds whose responsibility should have been widely distributed. Two vears later Herrin began to have bootlegging troubles. reckless lawbreaking op-one side, violent law enforcement on the other. Parallelg can be found all over the country. The two factions flew to blows and dread- ful mutilations and murders followed. In the long warfare the innocent suffered. One of the pathetic sights of Herrin today is a fair and girlish woman—two black sockets where once were dancing eves—the victim of a bullet intended for her husband. * % ¥ ¥ If what has happened in Herrin in | sman ‘TARBELL. this struggle over law enforcement had happened in New York and Chi- cago—and as bad or worse is hap- pening constantly—there would have been no fixing of attention, no con- tinuation of horror, but this was a town—two years before there had been awful riots. Herrin must be a “murder-hole,” the newspapers said, and soon it was fixed in men's minds that Herrin was a “murder- “Lecture in Herrin! Who would listen? and who would live to tell the tale™ But go tg Herrin and see how “nor- mal” it all is. Friendly people meet you, a warm room and warm food meets you. There are taxis and paved streets and pleasant homes and fine buildings, and schools which any town can be proud of. As a fact and truth, I never anywhere saw as gen- erous and well equipped play- grounds as around her schools. And one could go on. Here is all the equipment of an energetic, well- to-do American industrial town, proud of itself, hopeful about the future, eager (o have what everybody else thas. A normal town which has been disgraced by abnormal violence a few miles away, but in the district of which it is a center, and by aggra- vated forms of the bootlegging activi- ties which disgrace a muititude of American cities. And the whole country contrives to intensify and advertise the disgrace, to make it a by-word and reproach. TR Why should we do this? 1 am in- clined to feel that Herrin is a less serious exhibit than the attitude of the outsiders who spurn her. For plainly with the wholesale condemna- tion there goes ignorance of what happened in the town, ignorance of the fact that her ability to entertain reporters and visitors had a large part in fixing on her the full respon- sibility of the riots in 1922; ignorance that the later troubles are at the bot- tom bootlegging troubles. Now, willingness to blacken a town or a man without taking the trouble to get all the facts in the case is proof of scant honesty of mind as well as indifference to the harm you may be doing. Nobody seems to have thought that in making Herrin a synonym for unlimited violence he was humiliating and discouraging some hundreds of sturdy, upright peo- ple engaged whole-heartedly in building up a town where they could live happily, send their children to good schools and add yearly to their wealth and cultural advantages. But that is what the eagerness of Holds Ban on Evolution Study - Is Apt to Prove a Boomerang BY JAMES H. KIRKLAND, ncellor of Vanderbilt University. he action of the Tennessee State Legislature in passing the bill for- bidding the teaching of certain phases of the theory of evolution in all schools supported in whole or in part by public taxation must seem to the outside world a most remarkable per- formance. It will be attributed to ignor- ance and to religious prejudice. From this verdict there seems to be no escape. At the sane time it is true that many influences have conspired to bring this about. An active propa- ganda seems to be working in many Southern States and in other sections of our country. Those favoring this action have been energetic and out- spoken. I am satisfied that the vote does not represent at all fairly the views of the legislators. Under other con- ditions many who voted for the measure would have been glad to oppose it. This action in all its phases, from the first introduction of the bill to its final signature by the governor, is a proof of the weak- ness of human nature under the strain of a crisis that seems to have only an intellectual appeal. The bill was openly oppesed Ly most of the © clergymen of Nashville. The opposi- tion of teachers and school officers is practically universal. The effect of the bill will probably be insignificant. It is & plece of stage play, and the parties most concerned look for other benefits rather than the enforcement of the law. In the opin- fon of many, the law Is unconstitu- tional and will be so declared if any effort is made to enforce it. In the opinfon of others, the law will be- come a dead letter from the day of its passage. No one belleves that the advancement of scientific truth will be arrested in Tennessec any more than in the rest of the world. One effect the law is sure to have is that it will direct far more in- quiry into the theory of evolution on the part of young people than has ever been made before. Consequently, those who are responsible for this propaganda will reap a harvest that they did not expect. In the mean- time those of us who have spent our lives working for the promotion of education in Tennessee are forced to cover our faces in shame that the State has gone on record in a man- ner so discreditable, both to religion and sclence. Y (Copyright, 1938.) . 1925—PART 2. the tomb of old Snefery himself; for that gentleman has never received the publicity he deserves, and he has walted a long time. He was the first Egyptian imperialist. He conquered the Sinai Peninsula for the sake of its copper mines, and he bullt a chain of fortressos in the region of the bitter lakes to consolidate his con- quest. There is & rock cutting on Mount Sinal showing him in act to smite one of the natives. He bufit great fleets of vessels 170 feet in length, one for the Nile navigation, another to bring cedar and pine wood from Phoenicia. He made a memorable raid into Nubla for slaves and cattle. He was one of the true “Elohims of the earth,” and deserves our attention a thousand times more than does that poor thing Tut-Ankh- Amen, who followed him by two thousand years. Unfortunately the art of mummi- fication was in its infancy in Sne- feru's day, so that we probably shan't learn much about its occupant from opening the sarcophagus. Many vessels of bronze and alabaster were found in the tomb chamber, but a large part of the funerary para- phernalia is of wood, and therefore of course, is in a sad state of decay. * % k ok Miscellaneous.—Yale teams made a remarkable record at the recent national {ndoor championship polo tournament in New York, winning the class A, class B and intercol- legiate titles Willlam T. Hornaday makes the following melancholy forecast: “I believe that, without a human and humane upheaval that T have no rea- son to expect, the year 1950 or there- abouts will see our country as barren of killable game as the Goble desert of Mongolia." Sickening, isn't it? The percentage of unemployed among the registered workers of Great Britain was 11.6 at the end of January, 1925, and 10.7 at the end of February, 1924 When the Austrian crown was stabilized the number of unemployed in Austrla was 50,000. The number is now 187,000. There was another extremely vio- lent scene In the Italian Chamber on April 2, Fascist and Communist dep- uties indulging fin fisticuffs and Italian Billingsgate. According to the Italian budget re- porter, Italy is now second In aerial power, France being first. But Great Britain, with larger appropriations for aviation than those of Italy, bids fair to step into second place “Wherefore, gentlemen of the Parlia- ment, a little more money, please, for airplanes.” The new Hebrew university on Mount Scopus overlooking Jerusalem was inaugurated on April 1. Lord Balfour presiding. No other univer- sity in the world has a site to com- pare with this, whether for natural splendor or for associations. unless in the latter regard one except the University of Athens. The visit of Lord Balfour to Pales- tine is a success or not, depending on whether vou are a Zionist Jew, on the one hand, or, on the other, a Palestinian Arab or Christian the ignorant to throw another stone at something that is down has done. The work of town upbuilding has been made infinitely harder for the good citizens. It has taken the heart out of them. They don't want to live in a town at which a whole nation sneers. * x % % One cannot escape the feeling that with the blackening of Herrin's name there has gone a considerable dash Jf the relish for horrors. Men and women seem to get a real satisfac- tion out’ of scandals, violence, the science of crimes. The only reason we don't all troop nowadays to hang- ings and executions is that the law forbids. Sixty years ago every house- top and trectop in the neighborhood of the gallows was crowded by a curious, chattering crowd, and men of family and education traveled long distances to be present. Let a tragedy happen today all the roads that lead to the are jammed .with -cars hastening to see what there is to see. We like horrors. like to tell and retell them, like to say, “I was there near Her- rin at the time when in 1922 25 men were killed and mutilated by a mob after they had surrendered, and 1 saw the spot where in 1924 6 men were shot down in tha town.” This and the details they pick is all they know or care of Herrin. It is @ place of murders and all the yvears of in- dustry which have developed the town and the country around are for nothing in the’ story So are all the thousands of men and women living orderly, useful * A cruel phase of the matter is that Herrin's neighbors help in tearing down her character. So far as I ob- served, she has no defenders at home “Is it possible vou went to Herrin? Do _they have lecture courses there2” ‘This hardly 50 miles away! There's & little exultation perhaps. Herrin hae been “queen” in Egypt and the queen never lacks jealous ri- als glad to cast a stone. Then there is a certain self-protec- tion and perhaps fear. All that has happened in Herrin might so easily happen to them. No town with a big population of miners can he certain that it, too, may not be the seene of future troubles. It is glad to show its disapproval of a town that does suffer from them. It may be a deter- rent. Ignorance, enjoyment of horrors, malicious satisfaction in seeing oth- ers in trouble, jealousy, self-protec- tion—all have combined to empha- size, call attention to Herrin's out- lawry. As a matter of fact, she is a normal town—normal evenin her sins. It is unfair to make her a pariah as we are doing—to ‘see only her dark deeds. Millicent Garret Fawcett in her reminiscences tells of her first ex- periences sitting on an English bench-before which parents—usually women—had been summoned to ex- plain why their boys or girls had been kept from school. The tales were so sodden—so heart-breaking that Mrs. Fawcett was often over- whelmed by pity—saw nothing but wretchedness in the lives of the Lon- don_poor. “You must not let these things make you too unhappy,” her col- league, an elderly gentleman of ex- perience told her; “these that come before us are the failures, but the great mass is very satisfactory in- deed. Now that is the way I feel about Herrin—after seeing it. What the country knows is the failures—so like the faflures of so many other places. The “great mass is very sat- isfactory indeed!” e Medieval ‘Cage Abolished. There still exist in corners of the British isles customs and laws left over from the Dark Age: Usually these have fallen into disuse, but oc- casionally some anclent practice {is ovoked that seems even more cruel against the background of enlight- ened modern civilization. For ex- ample, last August, In Jersey, 2 wom- an convicted of a minor offense was publicly exhibited in an iron cage In accordance with an ancient law. Her shrieks caused an investigation to be made into the practice, with the re- sult that Sir Willlam Venables-Ver- mon, ballllff of Jersey, has announced that the ongs has been abolished. Howe The Modern Sodom—The About Whistling Whistler—The Savage Instinct. BY E. W. “The Sage of ROBABLY every one longs to write & book to be printed only after his death, because of its startling revelations and devo- tion to plain truth. When I write my book I think I shall confess that during my life I made every mistake possible and then got along fairly well. All my life 1 have had unnecessary trouble from doing nearly everything wrong, al- though fully advised of the right way of doing things, and I am compelled to confess late in life that there is so much merecy, forgiveness, opportunity, charity, in the world that I have done surprisingly well How I have idled, sinned and made mistakes! How I have neglected the rules of health! How I have butted into dangerous places in spite of red lanterns platnly displaved! And here I am—an old fellow with enough; more friends than I deserve. T think others have been charitable with me because they themselves have been guflty of many mistakes, and often mean. They are charitable be- cause they need charity * k% % “I am peculiar about some things,” T heard » man say lately, referring to his notions. It is a frank and useful admission to make. We all are, * * In one of our Eastern States there is a very old town, as age goes in this country. At the moment of writing 1 do not recall the name, but will call it Sodom History recalls that before the Revolutionary War good men were trying to improve the morals of Sodom. For more than 150 years ef- forts have been made to Tegenerate it. Constantly certain good men have devoted all their time to rescue work, and have had the assistance of a large number of men who cheerfully do- nated a part of their time. No effort has been spared. There have been public indignation meetings, the as- sistance of a virtuous press and prayvers public and private And what has been the result? On the night of February 7, 1 Sodom pastor arose in his pulpit held In his hand a paper which a reporzer present estimated at four| feet long. The pastor said the paper | contained an authenticated list of places where liquor was sold in vio- lation of law: that he knew from per-4 sonal investigation that the liquor dealers paid city officlals $25,000 a month for protection The pastor made other charges equally serious, and closed with the statement that the town avas worse than Herrin, Ill., heretofore regarded as the very worst town in the world. I leave the story as it stands in the hands of my readers. Here is a town that has been prayed with, scolded. helped, warned, threatened, and has grown steadily worse during a period exceeding a century and a half. My opinion is that Sodom is a much better town in 1825 than it was in 1774: that its people are better, more creditable: that the reverend doctor was wrong about them. But I shall ot insist upon the opinion. I'm tired of arguing. Most people find a great deal of fault with others but none with them- selves, I have alwavs been disposed to take my share of the general blame. T'm ashamed of ourselves. Here is a vast aggregation of fools doing foolish things. I cannot avoid the conclusion that 1 am one of them. It doesn’t satisfy me to complain about the conduct of others—I know I should improve my own. We shall never do better as a race until individuals realize their respon- sibility. There is nothing in the talk that I can do nothing, that you can do noth- ing, because of the folly of others. The folly of others, in fact, helps me and it helps you It our neighbors carelessly throw away opportunities, we may pick them up. Why is a polite, industrious Teliable, capable man so greatly ap- preciated? For no other reason than that men of that type are scarce. X% % ¥ The world is agreed that Whistler was one of the great artists of all HOWE, Potato Hill. time. Also that Ruskin was one of the greatest critics of art. But Ruskin, who knew most about art, sald Whistler couldn’t paint while Whistler contended with equal fervor that Ruskin was not a capable critic and knew nothing about paint ing. The two quarreled like old-women A gallery was once opened in Londor and, of course, people walted for Rus- kin to advise them as to the exhibits Of one of the Whistler paintings he sal “The ill-educated conceit of this artist nearly approaches the aspect of willful imposture. 1 have seen and heard much of cockney impudence be- fore now, but never expected to have a coxcomb ask two hundred guinea: for flipging a pot of paint in the pub lic's face.” - Phis so enraged Whistler that he sued Ruskin for damages, and there was a famous trial, In which Whistle was awarded one farthing. One of the Whistler pictures was introduced as evidence that he couldn’t paint. Whistler's counsel held up the painting to show the jury how beau tiful it was. “Pardon me,” said Mr. Ruskins lawyer, “you have the picture upside down."” And it was actually contended court that thg picture had been ex hibited turned the other way: that Whistler himpelf couldn’t tell th difference. Here is a story well worth re bering. Whistler was undoubtedis great painter, Ruskin undoubtedly s great critic of art But art is such a shadowy, unde fined thing that Whistler claimed Ruskin knew no art, and Ruskin sa! Whistler was a dauber; that he thre a can of paint at a canvas and callec it a “nocturne.” The same ridiculous, quarrel goes on in literature. I take a certain magazine because it . is edited by a great literary critic, wh frequently declares, with amus abuse, that many of the writers ac cepted by the world cannot write at all. Lingcoln, our was abused in hi Every prominent community is abused loafers and critics. Let an American do any good thing and it is a signal for the loafe: critics to say it is an atrocious thing When Ruskin sald Whistler couldn paint, and when Whistler said Ruski was not a capable judge of painting both were plain ltars. They had quar reled about something, and did no hesitate to lie and be mean *Ex Civilization is a compact among men to fight savage nature. There i plenty in the world for men to ea and wear. Civilization is an arrange ment to get both most effectively. Food and clothing being provided there is the matter of social well being. So a part of the same compac’ includes honesty, politeness, respect for the rights of each other. If I capture and bring in an animal with which to feed mysel? and family, ! do not wish a neighbor to claim a portion of it So T do nét demand the right to eat his meat At best, getting along in life = un comfortable (enough, but men have diligently sought the easiest and best way and called it civilization The man always in trouble and of no use to any one is still a savage Those who have good homes and are of some use and least bother in their communities are civilized. Young people who annoy parents men aud women who annoy thei neighbors, those who are liars thieves, idlers—are still savages. The doctors say the appendix that causes men so much trouble is a sur- vival of a tail. I do not know how true the story is, but I do know the doctors have made many bad guesses Still, the story will do to found a moral All of us have another appendix hidden desire to lie, be tricky, idle But it is important to control this savage instinct and not let it inflame to the point where a policeman i necessary. if amusing = favorite -statesman time most furiousi man in every by shoe-shop (Copyright. 1825.) Child Marriages Declared \’[enace to Nation’s Future BY SOPHIE IRENE LOEB. The New York State Senate in its| closing days of the recent Legislature | marked to its credit the passage of a | bill that would prohibit the marriage of | children under 16 years of age. This measure, however, was stifled in a com- mittee in the Assembly in the dying hours of the session and therefore has to go over until next January. But that such a bill must pass not only in New York but in every other State is evideficed by the mass of facts and statistics that have been advanced by various social agencies such as the Russell Sage Foundation and the New York - State Commission to Examine Laws Relating to Child Welfare—the latter having sponsored the bill. In most instances, only consent of the parents was necessary to the marriage of a child under 16. And the unscrupu- lous parents are legion. In very few lo- calitiesghave public officers any choice but to grant marriage certificates. In one county of New York, however, a very wise provision has been instituted that a parent who seeks a license for the marriage of & child under 16 is at once regarded as an improper guardian and so adjudged. There is only one possible reason in this enlightened age for a child under 16 to marry—and that is where a girl is about to become a mother. But when parents go so far in the case of a girl as to make up their minds, and the child’s as well, to marry her off to some- body, it is then of vital importance that the community step in and protect the child. One has only to read the pathetic histories of these unfortunate young people to realize that a concentrated effort must be made throughout the country to stop bartering the lives and souls of young children into a union that in the majority of cases proves unbearable and is nothing short of barbarous, 3 Fancy the sorry spectacle of par- ents of a 13-year-old bride punishing her after the nuptials for playing with other children in the street and Insisting that when she jump rope sife do so in the back yard, because she is now a “married woman," or the intolerant condition of where a stepmother marries off a little girl of 14 to a man of 40! Aside from the physical aspect of the situation, every child has the right to go through the growing pe- rlods of youth and all that it implies —of joy and freedom and develop- ment of physical and mental capa- bilities, later to decide for itself as to whom each will choose for his or her life partner. To say nothing of the importance of safeguarding childhood, society must protect itself from the commu- ni.y burdens and public charges that always follow mismated marriages and wrongful unions. A survey of the domestic relations courts shows that the majority - of cases that find tribunals of family misery youthful marriages —even above 14 ears of age. And the divorce courts have similar statistics. Everywhere we are insisting on laws that will protect children in industry. We have generally prohibited children under 16 from going to work. Yet we have been woefulls lacking in safeguarding children fron 80Ing into the biggest and most difficult Job of all—producing the family. And it is upon this and the home that all so- cial progress and civilization is based Historians will record child mar- riages in the same category with the Dark Ages—a blot on humanity Every legislature of every State needs an awakening on this evil 19254 their way into these are due to (Copsrizht Ttaly’s Artificial Silk. Manufacture of artificial silk, an in dustry virtually created since the war has become one of the most importan! in Ttaly. In 1922 Ttaly was seventh in production of artificial silk. This year it is second, producing more than half as much as the United States. It i= confident of continued strides. A Turin corporation manufacturing arti ficlal silk has raised its capital fro; 600,000,000 to 1,000,000,000 lire. (A lire is worth a little more than 4 cents.) It proposes to increase its gross ouf- put fourfold. Artificial silk sells at about one-third the cost of real silk but this price represents between two and three times the actual cost manufacture. Hence there is an ex traordinary profit. The fabric is based on wood fiber. The celluloid element, which formerly made it in- flammable, has been rendered innoc- uous. The better qualities are, to the naked eye, indistinguishable from real silk. Artificial silk has almost en- tirely conquered the Itallan domestic market. Real silk is now a luxury. Mexico’s Costly Strikes. Strikes in Mexico in 1924 numbered 138, accordiing to a report by the statistical department of the Mini try of Industry. The total loss to the strikers was $1,805,101, Mexican gold, while the industrial employers suf- fered to the extent of $4,627,348. The total number of strikers during the year was 33,985, of whom 29,244 were men, 3,615 were women and 1,726 were under age. Fallure on the part of industilalists to observe the elght- hour law accounted for the majority of the strikes, while demands for in- creases of pay accounted for many Non-recognition of organized labor unions was the cause of some of the strikes, while unjustified dismissais caused numerous walkouts.