Evening Star Newspaper, April 8, 1925, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. ‘WEDNESDAY. ....April 8, 1025 T:IEODORE W. NOYES. . ..Editor 5 = The Evening Star Newspaper Company Husivess Qffice, 11th St. and Pennsrivania Ave. N Pork Decs 110 Best 42nd 8 Chicago Office: Tower Bullding. Buropeun Oftice : 16 Regent 5t.,Loniou, England. The Evening Star. with the Sunday morning edition, {s delivered by carriers within the city at 60 cents per mon h: 45 e o3l wouth,” Orders may e sent by Dhone Maln 5000, Collection is made by car- Tiers at the end of eath month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Datly and Sund Dany only Bunday All Other States. Daily and Sund 1 vr., $10.00; 1 mo., 85c Daily only oo = Bunday only. \Member of the ‘Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclnsively entitled t the ‘use for republication of all news dis patches credited to it or not ofberwise credited In (s paper and alto the local news pub lished. hereln. Al rights of publication of special dispatenes herein are also reserved. pas The District Budget. A modernized budget for the Dis- trict of Columbia is proposed by Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, auditor and budget officer of the local government. It is a move which should result in greater efficiency and upon which the auditor should be congratulated. In its efforts 1o nail down every dollar expended for the city government to specific purpose Congress in the past has made the administration sometimes too rigid—has prevented a certain amount of elasticity which would have | worked to the people’s benefit. The “modernizing” process advocat- ed by Maj. Donovan consists in con- solidation into lump sums many items of expense now covered as separate accounts. Already, Maj. Donovan points out, Congress has seen the wis- dom of such a course in connection with the administration of the public parks and new street improvements. In the case of the park administration, for example, under the new method it is possible for the city government to expend not more than $1,000 on a cer- tain park, when Congress might have provided $2,000 for that purpose, and to use the other §1,000 for anothér park, for which the appropriation might have been too small in the be- ginning. In the same way money ap- propriated for new street improv ment may be used under the new plan, where hitherto the estimate of appro- priation for a particular street had to be rigidly adhered to. The District appropriation act now contains 475 different accounts. By the consolidation of many items, han- dled separately, under the various de- partments of the District government, this number of accounts can be re- duced materially and at the same time greater efficiency may be obtained. There is & growing sentiment in Congress looking to greater power in the hands of the District Commisston- ers and their subordinates in handling many District matters, in which de- tails of administration rather than principlés of government are involved. The suggestion put forward by Maj. Dornovan is in line with sentiment on| Capitol Hill..In the effort to say by +law just where each dollar and cent shall be expended the Congress in the past necessarily has made errors of judgment, resulting sometimes in- de- ficiency ' appropriations béing dsked, and if not granted, in.the failure to perform certain tasks which should have been performed. — American Forest Week. American Forest week, this year designated by President Coolidge to be observed from April 27 to May 3, is of special interest to the lumber indus- try, which is taking. the initiative in forming a special committee truly- rep- resentative of those organizations most actively interested in the promo- tlon of sound forestry policy through- out the Nation. The National Lumber Manufacturers’ Association will hold its twenty-third convention in Chi- cago April 28 and 29. The Tllinois For- estry Association and the Izaak Wal- ton League of America will join with ihe lumber association in featuring American Forest week. The American Forest week commit- tee will report its activities and its re- sults, and its entire program will be broadcast. Unusual efforts will be nade to interest public attention in the subject of conserving and increas- ing the forests of the country. An extraordinary campaign of publicity is to be carried on by the committee of which former Gov. Frank O. Lowden of Iilinois is chairman. It is estimated that fully 20,000 newspapers will be reached with the Forest week:publicity. For four years the United States Forest Service has directed the observance of Forest Pro- tection week. This year the Forest Service felt that the best interests of | forestry will be served by transferring | arrangements for observing the week 10 non-governmental agencies. conservation and propagation of for- estry is one of the important problems of the time, and the intensive cam- paign of publicity to be undertaken is calculated to emphasize it. — In an era of thrift everybody sin- cerély hopes that somebody else is economizing. ———— The Barometer of Trade. 1t is a generally recognized propo- sition that the steel industry is a re- liable barometer . of business condi- tions in-this country. Just now the barometer indicates fair weather, with no storms in sight.” According to Judge Gary, chairman of the United States Steel Corporation, and Eugene C. Grace, president of the Bethelehem Co., the. outlook today is about the best in the history of the industry. Judge Gary expresses the belief that “this country has a good business fu- ture, which cannot be impaired by political, congressional or any other kind of agitation.” £ That is_encouraging, eoming from The | Senate committee on irrigation and than political ‘and congressional agi- tation. In fact, such agitation is one of the least of the menaces to pros- perity. A far greater one is selfish- ness and greed, Persistent effort of one or more powerful groups to get more than a fair share of the general prosperity has a way of killing off the prosperity and reducing the shares of all, even of those who sought a hoggish share. This greed may be evi- denced by the owners of the indus- tries, by the employes in the fac+ tories or by workers with materialy which the factories’ produce. Organ- ized capital and organized labor have in the past been guilty of greed, which harmed the whole structure upon which prosperity was based, and un: less greed is put aside today there is It is one of the inexorable and be- neficent laws of economics that one class or faction or group cannot per- manently prosper by taking unfair advantage of other classes or factions or groups, and it is equally inexorable, though it may seem less beneficent, that when greed overreaches itself all must suffer in consequence. At a time when this country -seems so blessed above all others with the promise of prosperity it would be wise for both greedy capital and greedy labor ‘to keep in mind this law of retribution. ———e—s The Clark Art Collection. Washington's interest in the mu- nificent gift of William A. Clark of his art.collection, valued at $3,000,000, s that of a. reversionary legatee. Should the. trustees of the Metropoli- tan Museum of Art, in New York, de- cide that they cannot accept this col- lection- under the dénor's conditions, it is to come to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in this city. Mr. Clark’s stipula- tion fs that the collection be kept in- tact and be given a suitable housing. That requirement will apply to Wash- ington as well as to New York in case the latter_city should not accept the gift. | = In his selection of the Metropolitan Museum as the first heir to the col- lection, Mr. Clark was actuated, doubt- less, by the fact that New York was his home for a number of years and that his collection was housed there in his own residence. His choice of the Corcoran Gallery as the reversionary legatee was evidently due to the fact interest in Washington's largest art ican salon, generously endowed by him with prizes of value. tion_of the trustees of the MetropoH- meet on the 20th of this month in thdt city to decide whethey they can accept the conditions of the Clark gift. Doubt has been expressed on this score by the president of that board. The tra- ditions of the Metropolitan Museum, it would appear, are inimical to the separate and -housed in exdtity. Yet the collection: itself is of -exceptional value. It includes a large number of masterpieces of painting, as well as many, rare objects of art. It s in itself one of the fdremost private collections in the world and will make %-rich ad- ditlori to any galfery. - 5 ‘Washington cannot forego the hope that this. collection will come hers; | that the trustees of the Metropolitan Museum: will find it. impossible to ac- cept it, and that those of the Cor- coran Gallery will, despite the magni- tude of the responsibility, find it pos- sible in such circumstances to receive and properly house this rare store of art, both in gratitude to the donor, who has done so much for art in Washington, and for the prestige and the enrichment of the Capital City. It has officially been decided that a man eannet be a safe driver if he keeps one arm around his girl while motoring. There is no doubt about the Jjustice of the decision. Such a handi- cal. ) as an octopus are no longer impres- mal, loses much of its terror when | danger the country will not realize | the fair prospect which lies before it. | that he had always manifested 4 keen | collection, having made the Corcoran | Gallery the scene of a biennial’ Amer- | It is impossible to forecast the ac-| tan Museum of New York, who will ! | ready for any emergency. aceeptance of collections to be kept | ! cap is -psychological as well as physlw; References to the Standard Ol Co.! sive. An octopus, like any other ani- | well fed and comfortable. ——————— Gov. Al Smith is fighting for.Demo- cratic control in New York. Time flies, and it will be only three twelve- months till ‘another election year is well under way. et Theatrical posters are becoming so sensational. that it is difficult to see why the avérage citizen should be willing to pay for the doubtful pros- pect of further thrills. e A Hungarian orator cannot yet ex- pect an American audience such as | the Hungarian playwrights easily se- cure. — et Reclamation. Senator McNary, chairman of the reclamation, will' offer in the next Congress what is described as the most comprehensive program yet pre- sented for dealing with drainage, irri- gation, reclaiming of cut-over lands, rescue of flooded lands and. of Jands fitted for agriculture. - The general subject has received the attention of Congress for several years past in individual bills inroduced. The Mc- Nary plan involves an authorization of & revolving fund of from $350,000,- 000 to $500,000,000, which will be usa- ble in all parts of the country to re- clalm waste and unused land of every description. Senator McNary proposes an au- thorization of funds out of which im- portant projects for reclaiming wvari- ous regions of the country can obtain advances. It is proposed that the work shall be taken up by organizations of citizens in those regions, who will in- corporate arid issue bonds. From the proceeds of the bonds sold the money advanced by the Government will be| repald. Thus, while the Government will be in the position of fostering the projects, the real financial burdens so eminent an authority, but Judge Gary knows that business prosperity may Ilyl_npnired by influences other will be bofne by the people of the area benefited. . Senator McNary feels that this method of procedure would remove the objection so often urged against the application of Government funds to; imprevement projects of & quasi- private purpose. Private initiative would be called upon to carry the project through to a successful de- velopment, and private capital, Sena- tor McNary says, would find & new and inviting field of investment. Vast-areas in the South remain to be relieved of excess water, while in the arid regions of the West the earth clamors for frrigation. In the Northwest cut-over tracts can be de- veloped for agricultural use. The plan, it is held, might also include the development under quasi-public author- ity of vast hydroelectric power proj- ects, and the sale of power thus pro- duced. It is also possible. that even the St. Lawrence power project could be brought under the scope of the bill if the assent of Canada could be ob- tained by treaty. "The Saratoga. The launclh of the Saratoga is an event, and the Secretary of the Navy summarizes it by saying: “The ship is not only a concrete evidence of the | effect of the - agreement limiting naval armament but is also concrete evidence of the fact that at the Washington conference the question of afrcraft was under consideration, and that one of the methods adopted tor limiting the effect of aircraft in transoceanic warfare was by limiting the size and number of aircraft car- riers.” The launch of the great ship tollows close upon the aircraft inquiry by Congress, and notwithstanding the confusion " of that inquiry, it seemed clear to the lay mind that the airplane was the effective de- fense against airplanes and that battleships and land forts without airplanes were an ineffective means of protection against attack and in- vasion by an enemy equipped with planes. The value of the airplane carrier and its planes was emphasized in the testimony of Admiral Sims and the test of plane versus anti- aircraft gun at Fort Monroe seemed to show that the plane had a great advantage. The people of the United States will be gratified that our national defense is'to be in line with the most approved and scientific military thought. The wish United States shall be at peace with every - other people, that the Gov- ernment of the United States shall be friendly with world neighbors and co-operative in ‘extending a neigh- borly hand to other peoples, but they want also that our national defense shall be strong and ready. They be- lieve that this will help in the main- tenance of peace. If peace should be broken the United Stafes should’ be While the moral and intellectual sentiment of the world is strong for peace, there can be no gudrantee that war will not come. ———— Kansas City hairdressers have de- creed against bobbed hair. It remains | to be seen whether New York and Chi- cago will foliow the latest step in fash- ion’s pace. e Outdoor sports assert uncompromis- ing “supremacy. Preparatiens for egg rolling and marble playing are aiready beginning to tell on the vogue of the | cross-word puzzle. ——— - ‘While there will undoubtedly be crises abroad and rumors at home this Nation s justified, with events of 1924 in mind, in looking forward to & com- paratively quiet Summer. e ——— The “pitiless publicity” idea has had its ups and downs, and finaliy collides with an unforeseen but insuperable ob- stacle in the frats. [, As poisoners the Borgias are retired to humble obscurity. They knew noth- ing whatever about typhoid germs. ——or—e. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Aviation. Aviation’s a thing of which poets now sing With a rhythm so fair or a tune that is rare. And a world sympathetic assurance ‘will bring: “We are all in the air! in the air!” We are all Aviation’s the = thought ~which our fancy has caught ‘As we're told for some future event to prepare. And we rise, in a harmony wondrously wrought; “We are all in the air! We are all in the air!” Demon and Angel. “Is it true that vendors of illicit liGuor easily secure money backing? “I'm afraid so,” answered Senator Sorghum, . “How are We going to sub- due the demon Tum ‘when a hootlegger | finds it so easy to interest an angel Fish Story. A fish story need not be boastfully bad, Suggesting a conscience refractory. In market I purchased a wonderful shad— \ Which is truthful and quite satis- tactory. Jud Tunkins says digging @ King out of an Egyptian tomb is just an- other way of showing how hard it is for a first-class politiclan to retire from public life. Space Abundant. “What is your favorite novel?” “‘Robinson Crusoe,” answered Miss | cayenné. ““I' enjoy reading about a man who solved the housing problem and the parking problem with so-much ease.” Listening In. Opinions different we meet ‘Where thoughts ‘are being thunk. One liatener sdys, “How Softly Swee! Another says, “What Punk!” “One reason 1 likes: music,” said Uncle Eben, “is dat even if it ain’ much it kin be: depended on to inter- rup' de radio annpuncer.” of all our people is that the | enduring | | |as we are, THIS AND THAT ‘BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. ome English poetry be into English prose? One of my readers thinks so. The result, it seems to me, would be something entirely novel. Much old Greek and Latin poetry, in their stately lines, has been trans- lated Into English.prose, but, so far as I know, nobody bas ever done a like service for English poetry. M. L. R. writes: ‘Easay on Man’ with a gri of interest. I suppose the e: great, all right, but poetry confuses me. “Poets shift construction around so that you have to have a monkey: wrench to straighten the ' meaning out, and then when you have done it what have you got? Just prose; s0. why don't those who feel the versitying urge use prose to begin with-and save me and a lot of others much labor. “In your articles on Pope I enjoyed you very much, but I must conf that I could not understand the illus. trious poet of the Queen Anne & When I read his stuff I feel like excla'ming, ‘What's it all about? After reading this excellent letter I felt much as the character in the French comedy, who declared, upon belng told the difference between prose and poetry, “Why, I have been speaking prose all my life, then!” 1 am emboldened, for the benefit of similarlyaficted attempt turn the rhymed couplets of Pope's “Essay on Man" into English prose, with a few in- novitions to bring the thing up to date. ' Awake, St. John, old buddy! The alarm clock has gone off and it is time we should be up and talking about something. But let us leave all the petty stuff to lowbrows, Let us talk about something worth while, say a little topic such ag the nature and state of man. ‘That ought to pep us up for breakfast, especially since life scarcely gives us more than a chance to look about us and croak. We've got to hurry even to wedge this in. Let us expatiate, to use a-fancy verb, over the whole shebang of man. Homo Sapiens—that's- us—may 100l as if he were a regular maze, but am sure it Is a puzzle with a plan, just like one of these cross-word things. You might say, for instance, that man is a sort of wild where there are plenty of weeds; or a garden en- ticing us with forbidden fruit. Any- way, let us together, hunt and stir up the . animals, shoot the funny things when they rise, and use the old hamnmers when we must. Let us laugh where we can, and be honest, too. Our big job s to tell men that God knows what He is doing. First of all, how can we reason efther about God or man except through what we know here? Though the Creator be known in Mars, we can only trace him In our own world and universe, really. The bird who knows whether there are men on the planets may be able to tell us why Heaven has made us but we can't. That's a cinch. Presumptuous man! If you want to know why we are made so weak and so blind, first answer me this: Why weren't we formed even weaker and blinder? Why, vou might as well ask Mother Earth why she made oak trees taller than weeds! 1f you admit that Infinite Wisdom would form the best possible sys- tems, then in the scals somewhere jthere would have to be a rank such as . Man, Both William Jennings Bryan and Mr. Darwin would admit that much. The whole quarrel revolves uround this question, then: Has God placed man wrong? As a matter of fact, whatever we call wrong foay. be right, considered from the huge standpoint of the unl- verse. Man may seem the whole cheese, here on earth, but stack him up in comparison with all, he is not 80 much. Man may be a poor second to'some other beings whom we do not know, for instan We only in part, remember, as St. Paul said. When the horse.shall know why man rides him, and the ox why he used to be & god in Egypt and now only draws ice wagons through the heavy seashore sand, then shall man know all about himsel Until then, bo, don't go around mouthing that man is imperfect, and that God is to blame. You ought to say that man is as perfect as he ought to be. He's got as much brains as he can stand; and, anyway, if he is go- ing to be made perfect in heaven, why worry so much about it now? R Heaven hides the book of fate from all critters. If this wasn't 8o, how could we stand to live? Take the little Bo-Peep lamb you are going to make into mutton chops. If he were even as wise as you, do you think the little cuss would skip and play around? Look at the little cuss, eating his clover ~blossoms and licking your hand, just ralsed, to. murder him in his purple velvet'suit! Sure, it is a lucky thing that we are blind to the future; and this blindness is given us by God, Who alone Is able to tell Hohenzollern get the sack. Don’t be so stuck-up, then, just be- cause you own a car that takes you there and brings you back; it you mudt get upstage, as the saying is, take it on low, and wait for the great teacher, Death. Adore God; what He has in store for you you cannot see, but can only hope. But that very hope is your biggest blessing now. Hope springs eternal in the human bre: ‘We never do feel blessed. but are always expecting our ship to come in tomorrow. 2 Think about the Injun. That low- brow sees God in the clouds, and hears Hfm in the wind. In other words, he is a crass Nature worshiper. Science has never taught Man-Afraid- of-the-Thunder to look through telescope at the stars. Yet, Man - Afrald - of - the - Thunder thinks he is going to the happy hunt- ing grounds, where he will come into possession of his own United States again, where no Christians thirst for that which the rust will consume. The Indian doesn’t pine to be an angel, and with the angels stand; he simply asks that when he gets to the happy hunting ground his dog can go with him. And you—you - insect—you holler around about your own opinion of things, and say a thing is Imperfect Just because that is the way it seems to you, and say that if man's un- happy God is unjust, and demand that you be perfect here and immortal in the next world. You think the world was made sole- 1y for you, but was it? All the other animals seem to be happy—what is the matter with us? Everything in the universe is but a part of the uni- verse—any sap ought to be able to see that. To use & man-made comparison, Na- ture is the body and God is the soul. The Creator is as perfect In a hair as in a heart. To Him there must be no high, no low, no great, no small, for His trade-mark is on all things. Get hep to this, then: That now or ‘ater we are safe n the hand of our one disposing Power. just as safe when we shall dle as we were the hour we were born. All nature is a glorious art you haven't learned vet; what seems luck is the directing genius of a Creator you cannot see; what seems discord in reality is harmony not understood. We may not like to admit it, Buddy, but one thing is clear as mud: What« ever is, s right. That Is, a rosebud is a good rdsebud, a rose in full blasm is a rose in full bloom, a withered rose is exactly right a withered rose. Tn other words, we have to be men and look things in the face. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Presideént Coolidge has determined to ‘become “Sflent Cal” on the two outstanding forelgn affairs of the hour—allied indebtedness and a dis- armament conference. - His views on both subjects have been so distorted, misinterpreted and ®generally mi, understood that, until there is some- thing definite to announce, Mr. Cool- idge will not discuss either of those questions. International relations are 80 sensitive a_plant that the Presi- dent’s decision is wise in the extreme. Crises have been created by prema- ture or unpremeditated reflection of a government's policy. The danger in the case of the President of the United States is always an acute one. He talks to the press, but the press may not quote him. The result is that correspondents are required to give their own third-person reproduction of what the President said. Inevi- tably he is interpreted differently by different men. Within the present month Mr. Coolldge was actually put in the guise of threatening a certain power with drastic debt measures if it did not reveal enthuslasm for his disarmament conference. Nothing sald at the White House, of. course, remotely justified such a comstruc- tion of the President's general ob- servations about loans of American capital abroad. * % % % More by accident than by design, one of Attorney General Sargent's first appointments at the, Department of Justice is that of a fellow Ver- nionter and old friend, White. Mr. White has been made di- rector of Federal prisons, to succeed Heber H. Votaw, who was & brother- in-law of President Harding. White was in the department before Sargent became its chief, having been in charge of the “duck mill” at At- lanta Penitentiary, where all the duck used in the Navy and the postal service is manufactured. His record in that job having proved to be so eminently satisfactory, - White . be- came, In the new. Attorney General's estimation, the logleal candidate for the prison directorship. They're tell- ing a good-story about him when he heard that his friend- Sargent was going to succeed Harlan Fiske Stone. ! People kept on referring to the big Vermonter as “John Sargent.” Where- upon White allowed as if no one up there, when: he -knew him, ever dreamt of calling him anything ex- cept “Gari”—which is short for the Attorney General’s middie name of Garibaldi. * Rk ¥ Nearly all of the Easter vacation throngs ‘that ‘stream through the White House to shake tands with Mr. Coolidge want to have a peep in the cabinet room. A privileged few realize - the ambitfon. One of the things they're always most interest- ed in {s the crder in which the mem- hers of the cabinet are seated. The crizt-cross system prevails. At the President’s right is the Secretary of State’s place. At his left is the Sec- retary of the Treasury. Then follow, in the order of their creation In the cartiest hours of the Repub'ic, the various other chiefs of executive de- partments. Next to the Secretary of the Treasury comes the Secretary of War. Across from him, next ranking in antiquity, is the Attorney General. Then the Postmaster General and, fol- lowing him in rank, the Secretary of the Navy. The chlefs of the Interior. Agriculture, Commerce and Labor departiments are seated, in the order med, one across from another. A Luther C.| tit-bit that unfailingly enlightens the White House tourist is that retiring cabinet officers, or their heirs, al- ways take away the chairs the offi- cers occupled—but they have to pay for them. Attached to each chair is & brass tablet, affixed when the offi- cer in question enters the cabinet. * * % % When the United States Supreme Court assembles next week after the Easter recess some of the most vital issues raised before that tribunal.in years will be argued. Of especially current intérest is the Governmen case against Kaneas City and Bal- timore newspapers which published lists of income taxes last year. The court’s decisfon, which will not ensue until several months later, will es- tablish definitely whether newspa- pers are -or are not within their rights in printing income “secrets.” Another. case to be argued before Mr. Taft and his associate justices is of interest to every holder of life insurance. It involves the question whether the beneficlary of a life in- surance policy has to pay the United States Treasury a succession tax. The Frick estate at Pittsburgh is the one directly Involved. The court is called upon to declde whether the proceeds of a life insurance policy, which @0 got come Into existence until after “the insured is dead, are property subject to the succession tax. * * ¥ % Col. Charles Burnett, U. S. A., has just had conferred upon him the unique distinction of “appointment for the third time as American mili- tary attache in Japan. He will pro- ceed to Tokio a little later in the season. It was only a year ago that he returned from the same assign- ment, having spent the Interval at the Army War College in Washing- ton. Col. Burnett speaks Japanese like a native of Nippon, having been 2 “language officer” In that country when Gen, Pershing was our mili- tary attache there in 1905-6. No liv- ing Americah has a more thorough knowledge of Japanese, Chinese and Manchurian' conditions than Burnett. He will have another advantage in Tokio—the Japanese like him. They admire Mrs. Burnett, t0o. A couple of years ago she achieved the unique honor of - being the first foreign |woman to win the imperial prize for poetry in Japanese. Like her hus- band, Mrs. Burnett also speaks the language. * ¥ ¥ X Gen. Herbert M. Lord, director of the budget, I8 expected to inform the Federal Business Organization at lts next meeting, Monday evening, June 22, that the “Two Per Cent Club” has accomplished its purpose. That's the club - organized January 1 to slash the present fiscal vear's esti- mates $62,000,000, In mccordance with President Coolidge's nomy pro- gram. Gen. Lord “ain’t sayin’ nuffin,” but his manner these days strongly indicates that the “Two Per Cent Club” is justifying its existence. (Copyright, 1925.) ! Alcohol Use Scored. To the Edftor of The Star: Dr. Francis G. Benedict of the nu- trition laboratory of Carnegie Insti- tution, Washington,..doubts that aloshol is h report. doubted 1t, 60— ‘sorrow " 4nd thet of his family and friends. 3 G. A. mNAVOAN, D. D 8 _'APRIL 8, 1925. Politics at Large Politics In New York State is rec- Onized as having very close bearing upon national political affaire at all times. It is a little more intimate this year than ordinarily, however. This is true in Republican as well as Democratic politics. The latest in- stance in the application of this fact is In the decision of Senator Wads- worth of New York reafirming his intention to adhere to his intended candidacy for renomination in the hope of re-election to the United States Senate. It 1s generally conceded in political circles that if, and when, Secretary of War Weeks should retire from that office Senator Wadsworth could have the war portfo}io if he should prefer to give up the leadership of the Republican party in New York State. The political gossips have had it that he might adopt such a course, but it is announced that he has no fuch intention. = Political - conditions in New York explaining that decision are readily understandable. In the first place, his retirement from the parrow will fall or Willlam| senatorship would give Gov. Smith opportunity to appoint a Democrat as his successor in the Senate. One can visualize the alacrity with which Gov. Smith would seize it, and realize, the consternation with which the Repub- lican leaders of the Senate would view the loss of one of their most stalwart conferees. e ox o There are other elements in the situation to be considered. Possibly Senator Wadsworth views the posi- tion of United States Senator to be equal in rank to that of a member of the cablnet and In his own personal case, on account of his influence in party affairs, just as important. Moreover, there is another angle to be taken into account. The whole country is watohing the prospect of a titantic_contest between two Ereat figures in public life over the United States senatorship—Gov. Alfred E. Smith and Senator Wadsworth. Should Senator Wadsworth drop out now it might be regarded as retreat- ing under fire or an exhibition of fear of engaging in the combat. It would probably be construed as con- tessing himeelf beaten as a candidate for Senator. Senator Wadsworth is not that kind of a man. * k% * Politictans in New York State in both parties are sald to be looking forward to the contest between Gov. Smith and Senator Wadsworth as a battle of giants, with the outcome in the laps of the gods. This statement should be qualified, however, by saying that there is no such feellng of uncertaitny among the Democrats and ardent personal supporters of Gov. Smith among some of the independents. There is rea- lization, however, by neutral observers that the campaign for ‘the senator- ship will not be on all fours with the campalgn for the late governorship. In that election the figures showed that unquestionably many Republi- cans voted for Gov. Smith in return for Democratic votes for President Coolidge. No such complications are | expected In the next election, which will be & straight-away fight for the senatorship between Gov. Smith and Senator Wadsworth * X% x 1t Senator Wadsworth had prefer- red to drop out of the contest for re- nomination to the Senate, for what- ever reason assigned, it is realized by the peliticians, it is sald, that the Re- publicans would find no man in New York State of caliber sufficient to con- test with Gov. Smith, but they have no doubt that Senator Wadsworth will measure up. They are not vield- ing the victory to Gov. Smith by any means. - * ok ¥ % 5 ‘New York Republicans, recovering from the daze in which Gov. Smith's legislative victories left them after the adjournment of the Legislature, are now seeking to minimize the value of his victories, taking the at- titude that “Oh, they weren't so much, after all” Charles D. Hilles, Republican national committeeman for New York and Senator Wads- worth's right bower 4n Republican leadership in the State, declares that| Gov. Smith’s budget cuts and econo- mies are more apparent than real and that the governor merely deferred lMabilitles that either he or some other governor would have to shoulder later. He asserts it to be common knowledge that the tax cut took $9,000,000 from the State treasury and that the governor cut his budget by indirection only. The deferred Ma- bilitles must be met by the State of New York, says Mr. Hilles, and he opines there will be several months of accounting and stock-taking. Mr. | Hilles contends that with one excep- tion there was not a major Republi- can platform pledge which was not carried out—the dry-law enforce- ment bill. He said that even there Gov. Smith did not influence the Leg- islature in its failure to pass this measure, but that it was beaten for the simple reason that four Republi- cans representing “wet” districts were opposed to the measure because their constituents were opposed. * ok % x The conference of Democratic na- tional leaders proposed by Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York, who was candidate for Vice President with James M. Cox of Ohio In 1920, is deemed to be losing favor as the days wear on and discussion of the project grows among Democrats. The opinlon seems to be strengthening that such a conference would be more likely to disclose the cleavage in the party than to heal it. Another fear is said to be that the conference would bring recriminations between the two factions about the conven- tion last year and cause intensified activity on the part of partisans of Mr. McAdoo and Gov. Smith. It is recognized by Democmatic pol- iticians that there has been increas- ing apprehension over Tammany Hall's influence in Democratic na- tional politics for many years past, and that it reached a climax in Gov. Smith's candidacy for the presiden- tial nomination last year. Western and Southern Democrats have in the past considered Tammany's efforts in obtaining power in the national par- ty as largely mercenary. This was charged to be especially true during “Boss” Murphy’'s leadership of Tam- many Hall. That organization was held by the Western and Southern Democrats as being mainly “out for the spoils” for Tammany, regardless of national issues of interest to the party as & who “Get the Wa pum,” Tammany's favorite song, w. alleged to be indicative of its aims. * ok ok % The prospective candidacy of Gov. Smith for the presidential nomination in 1928, despite the defeat of last year, is calculated to increase the Jealausy of the South and West of Tammany Hall. Indeed, no less a personage in the Democratic party than William Jennings-Bryan is even now adyocating that the West and South should combine against the East, which, in fact, means against Tammany. Jealousy of the Eastern Democrats would probably be les. sened in the West and South If the East's prospective candidate were other than Gov. Smith himself. Prob- ably it is not so much jealousy of the section as of the man. Tk ok % Well, there is a long, dry Summer ahead of us with plenty of time to think over and discuss the probleme of. both. the Democratic and Repub- No doubt the “dog days” usual outcropping of Midsummer suggestions to add spice to polities. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN Q. How many people docs the Dis- trict employ?—17". H. A. The number of District employes 1e approximately 8,000. These figures include school téachers, institute em- ployes, firemen, policemen, ete. Q. Who played with Ben Lyon in “The One-Way Street”?—0. W. A. Anna Q. Nilsson took the lead- ing female part in “The One-Way Street,” which was produced by the First National Moving. Picture Cor- poration. Q. What year was golf Introduced into the United States?—K. N. H. A. It has been sald that golf was played on the Pacific coast in the six- teenth century by a band of old sea captains. However, the St. Andrew’s Golf Club of New York City, formed November 18, 1858, was the first golf club in the United States. Q. How many people use electricity and gas in this country?—C. H, 8 A. The editor of an electrical trade magazine says that there are 16.7 605 customers using electric light and power in the United States. There is no doubt. only one meter to a cus- tomer. The American Gas Associa- tion says that there are approximately 10,240,000 manufactured-gas meters in'uee in the United States. Q. How long have people dyed Easter eggs?—T. J. G. A. The custom of dyeing eggs at Easter can be traced back to very early times. Red was frequently em- ployed, symtolisiig the blood of Christ. Primitive persons used the Juices of plants to dye the egga Q When was lished?—G. R. A. Mliton’s “Paradise Lost” was first published in 166’ Q. Where does Florida rank in_pro- duction of pine tree products?—H. B. A. The Forest Service says that Florida ranks first in such production. aradise Lost” pub- Q. Are stone marten, beaver, Alaska seal and nutria classed as durable furs?—R. L. 2 A. ‘According to a table compiled by an authority on fur, both stone marten and beaver are classified -as durable furs, with Alaskan seal and nutria less durable. Q Have the raliroads equipped their roads with train-control devices recommended by the Govarnment some time ago?—W. L. A. The Interstate Commerce Com- mission says that the automatic train- control device regulation order was Issued in June, 1922, and was to be- come effective January, 1925. In Jan- uary. 1924, the time was extended on some roads to February 1, 1926. While nine railroads have completed their installations between the points designated, other roads have not. However, the completion of thelr in- stallations will take place within the extended time. The order reads that 1 penalty of $100 a day will be made after the date is closed. Q. What part of Louisiana has been made by soil brought’ down by the Mississipp! River>—M. R. A. The State is practically all al- luvial land bullt up from the silt brought down by the Mississippi. Q. Do pigeons give milk?—J. L. A. The so-called pigeon’s milk is partly digested food which is found in the crop of the pigeon during the breeding season. This milky fluld Is| fed to the equabs and it makes up the larger part of the nourishment | that the young recelv: At any rate it Is known to molsten the food given them by their pareats. Q. How many spikes are rsquired to lay mile of railway track? —P. T. IV A. If the tles are 24 inches from center to center, and if four spikes are used to each tle, 21 kegs of half- inch splkes will be used in a mile. There are about 500 spikes of that size in a keg, which would make 10,500 to the mile, Q. How far s it from the El Tovar Hotel to the bottom of the Grand Canyon?—D. K. W. A. The distance from this hotel on the south rim of the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River at the bottom of the gorge is 4,435 feet. Q. What does “Ditat Deus” on the motto on the Seal of Arizona mean —P. G. B. A. It means “God Enriches.” Q. Is there a bridge across the Mississippl at Memphis, Tenn?—E. J A. There-are two. They are both between Virginia and Jowa streets One was completed in 1893 by the Kansas City Rallway and Bridge Co This is a ratlroad bridge. The second is owfied by the Arkansas and Mem- phis Raflway Bridge and Terminal Co. and was completed in 1916, This is a railroad and highway bridge. Q. When . was th Spring?—D. S. A. This year it fell on March 20 Q. Where and when was Fran Frisch of the New York Giants born —0. M. A. He was born in New York City in September, 1898. Q. How - tall do grow?—E. K. A. They grow to about 20 feet and are rather heavily follaged trees the first day of pussy willows Q. How treated—G. H. A. Loosén the hang na cuticle knife or orange stick and cu oft ae close to root as possible. If the hang nail is thoroughly loosened and cut close to the root, it will nct reappear, otherwise, it will continue to grow and prove annoying. After the removal of a hang nail a nail cream or ointment shouid be applied showld a hang nail b with Q. Will an automobile vibrate more on a pavement than on a dirt road —H. 8. A. One authority says that if the roads are equally smooth no ad vantage should be noticed to speak of in traveling over a dirt road and paved road; however, it is generally accepted that a dirt road is comfortable riding. more Q. Are there regular air operating in Alaeka’—H. T. A There s no air mail - route operating In Alaska at the pre: time. although there was an e mental route there last Winter. Q. What was the gold yield of the Transvaal last year?—J. B. A. The output of gold in the Trans- vaal mines In South Africa for the year 1924 was 9.597,634 ounces. routes (Take edvantage of the free informa- tion bureau which this newspaper main- tains. If there s a question you want answered don’t hesitate to use this serv- ice. All replies are sent direct to the in- quirer. Address The Star Informatior Bureaw, Frederic J. Haskin, director. Twenty-first and C streets northwest Inclose 2 cents in stamps for return postage.) U. S. Press Sharply Divided - Over Fascist Rule in Italy Demonstration by the Fascists of | Italy at their sixth anniversary cele- | bration. marked by the return of | Mursolini as & public figure after a | serious illnese, inspired widespread | discussion. - Tn the American press three distinct points of view are indicated—neutrality, approval of | the dictatorship and condemnation of such militant activities. “The - Mussolini regime,” according to the Cincinnati Times-Star, “has a prospect as promising as its dramatic interpretation of the national will and its sagacity in the discharge of responsibilities have earned it the right to have. In the parliamentary elections of last April it won two- thirds of the seats; it has found room for non-Fascist representation in the cabinet; it has merged the Fascist militia in the army; it has passed a more liberal election law— and under.it Italy is at work and mainly content” These benefits are not acknowledged by the Newark Star-Eagle, which asserts that “there have been signs for months that Italy was growing impatient under the Mussolinl regime.” * * ¥ “Part of the unrest may have been provoked by rivals” adds the Star- Eagle. “But most of it, we may be sure, is due to the fact that in modern days the dictator is an anomaly to be supported or borne with only when the alternative to him Is anarchy.” The latter con- tingency is recognized by the Charleston Evening Post. “The pass- ing of Mussolinl from the scene,” says the Post, “would cause great contusion in Italy and might result in grave coneequerices: There are fears among the more moderate of the party by which he is sustained in office that the radical element will acquire control of affairs .should Mussolinl pass. It is almost inevit- able that arrest of such a caree must bring about a convulsion.” It is argued by some papers that thc existence of a dictatorship carries with It the seeds of trouble. “Th regime of the dictator,” in the view of the Oklahoma City Daily Okla- homan, “because of its archaic and medieval character, from the very first has been destined to die. It doe: not dovetall with the Ideals and as- pirations of modern freedom. But the world would look with misgivine on the fall of the man who rules ir Italy, and, recalling the days that preceded his selzure of power, will be prone to ask, ‘After Mu lini what?' Further speculation e the future is offered by the Miami Dally News, which refers to “a youth- ful element growing in Italy in the , which is originatine strange ambitions. Among is the international Fascis movemept. It1s conceivable that hot- heads among the younger element may get in their hand, and, unless curbed, actually undermine Fascism: which, as & matter of fact, has accom- plished some real good In Italy.” BEEN “An irresponsible dictator,” is the term applied by the Binghamton which believes that “Musso- personality, with the backing of the big financial interests of Italy, is all there is to his power. However, though.he may live to be 100, there is a growing impression that his work is finished. Granting all that has been sald in his defense, the under- Iving political problem of Italy is the old problem of all free nations, how to get democracy on a working basis, That Is one very practical problem which a dictator never knows how to solve.” The Chattanooga Times also days: “Like most pretendors, -Mus- solini is golng to, get a great fall bacguse his_‘props, which are as artl- fcial as American opportunism, will| surely fail him.” Conceding that Italy’s leader has made tistakes, the Dayton News finds he has profited by them. “His restoration to health,” adds the New: ‘unquestioniably will mark the resumption of his power. He has lost nothing of the loyalty of his comrades. There fs still much to be done for Italy.” The significant part o the celebration, according to the Seattle Times, is: “Mussolini is agzain In the saddle. Being a man of unusual re- source and ability, it is llkely that he will be able again to prevail over his political opponents.” The Erie Dispatch- Herald sees cause for belief that “he has done more for Italy in the last few years than was expected or even thought possible.” The relations between Fascism and labor inspire commendation of Mus- solini by the Los Angeles Times, which comments upon the modific; tion in methods employed by Ital ruling force. Praise of Mussolini as & man of strong words as well as strong action is given by the Cleveland News. “He is Powerful; force is a great thing,” de- clares the News. “But the real power in this world is mental courage—it con- quers everything. Of late the murder of Matteoti, attributed to the Fascisti, ap- peared to shake Mussolini’s held on the Dpeople. Mussolini did not dodge that is- sue. He has never dodged any. He asked whether any deputy wished to avail himself of the right to accuse the King's ministers and to bring them be- fore the high court of justice. There were no accusers.” Pleads for Armenians. Reader Urges Contributions to Relief Fund on Easter. To the Editor of The Star: When I plead for the Armenian children at Eastertime, 1 ask myself what excuse can any one have for re- fusing help in this case. ‘The. only one F have yet met Is this: “We don't Itke the Armenians.” But if you were to travel about the world and realize how intensely we are disliked in some parts of the world, your hair would stand on end Is every one who Is disliked to die? 1f so. we shall be among the first, | assure you. It is true that is & very troubl, the Armenian race me one. It is al- ways being massacred! It is always in trouble. For 4.000 years. the Near East has been the battleground of nations. No other portion of the world’s surface has been so drenched with. human blood. Millions of lives and billions in property have been sacrificed. Armies and navies have fatled. They have brought only desola- tiow and ruin. They have not enriched life. Where there was hatred they have engendered more hatred. Yet there will be no permanent peace: until the Near East question 1= solved. In the Near East today there, is latent and new force that will prov mightier than all the armies of the past—Ilittle children, about a hundred thousand of them, fatherless, mother- less, homeless, pennlless, but hone the less potential leaders of a new Near Ea<t. Let us dpb for them, and for the future of the world, that piti- ful little service which at present seems to be all we can do—give our help to those who are trying to col- lect the scattered familles and pro- vide food and clothing for & hundred thousand orphans. We do not know how far a few loaves and fishes can be made to go. Here is noy gigantic, unmanageable problem, like Russia. It is a_handful ot people for whom I plead, &nd who knows how far,the belp we send may go?7 Here mre people needing only a little help €0 make good. " Shall we help them? We shall' all be bappier at Easter if we do. MAUDE ROYDEN.