Evening Star Newspaper, May 27, 1925, Page 6

THE EVENING With Sunday )lornlll:fil‘lfllflofl- WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY. .. THEODORE W. NOYES. The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office 11tk St. und Pennsyivania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 43nd 8t. Chicago Office: Tower Building. ropean Office 18 Regent St.. London, England. The Evening Star. with the Sunday morn- In edition. 18 delivered by earriers’ within the city at 60 cents per month: daily only. 45 cents per month: Sun on! Do hontir . Grdec may telephone Main 5000. Collection s m carrier at the end of each month. Kate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sund: ..1yr..$R40: 1 mo. Daily only . o> .10 01 5r. $8.00: 1 m Sunday only 1yr. $2.40: All Other States Daily Gad, Sunday.- -1 31 $30.08: s only . 3 ade by Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the uee for republication of all news dis- [athes credited ta it or mot otherwlss cred: ted in this paper and also the local news Dablished herein, All rights of publication of special dispatehes herein are also resel The Residence Qualification. Hope is strongly felt throughout Washington that President Coolidge will not urge upon Congress a change of the law which prescribes the quali- tions of the civilian Commissioners the District. That law specifies that the person appointed to the office must have been a bona-fide resident of the District for three years prior to appointment, claiming residence mno- where else within that period. It was o framed to insure the selection of men as Commissioners who were iden- titied with the community, whose in- terests lay with the District, who rep- resented the local population, deprived of all voice in its own administra- tion. It was designed to prevent the selection of mere sojourners in Wash- ington, perhaps political “lame ducks" or partisan favorites. Chis statute w: a feature of the “organic act” which reorganized the District government, substituting the ppointive Commissionership form of administration for the old territorial form, which in time had replaced the elective municipal government form. It was recognized by Congress that there was danger of using these posi- tions as political patronage. that danger it was provided, wisely, that the civilian Commissioners should | Personal cholee of € not be voters in the States: should be genuinely Washingtonians by residence here for at least three vears. Under the operation of that law, for nearly 47 years, Washington has been administered capably, honestly and progressively by executives named from the local population, with the aid of Engineer Commissioners detailed from the Army. In the selection of these civilian Commissioners there has been no evidence of lack of compe- tence on the part of the legally quali- fied Washingtonians. No President has ever been embarrassed by a dearth of good material from which to make selection. And just so today in the emergency caused by the death of Commissioner Oyster there is no shortage of the supply of competent District citizens of sufficient residence for qualification. Any proposal to change the organic act in respect to the legal residence requirement of civilian appointees to this office is to be resisted. There is, in the first place, no necessity for a change in the law. There is, in the second place, a very great danger in any disturbance or weakening of this safeguard against the using of these District offices for patronage. This residential qualification for civilian Commissioners, which is a vital feature of the organic act of 1878, is the last vestige of self-govern- ment left to the pecple of Washington. They have no voice in Congress in the making of their laws. They have only now the privilege of nomination through the President of their own fellow citizens for the office of Com- issioner. Removal of the three-year residence requirement would virtually deprive them of even that privilege. To propose the repeal of the resi- dence requirement for Commissioner- ship is tantamount to the suggestion that it is impossible to find in the Dis- trict men, of at least three years’ resi- STAR .May 27, 1825 .20 cents | went by mail or | Greenland with 35 men and found a country to which he gave the name Vinland, because of the abundance of wild grapes. The Sagas relate that about the year 1,000 a rich Greenland settler with 60 followers founded a colony in¢ Vinland, but Norse tradi- tions give us nothing as to what be- came of the colony. There is no doubt that Norsemen macde a settlement in Greenland; it Is quite easy to accept the Sagas as authority that they went to Vinland, and it does not strain the imagination to think that Vinland was the coast of New England. Northmen was a name given by more southerly peoples {to those of ancient Scandinavia, or | Sweden, Norway and Denmark. They were bold and venturesome, and |among their conquests were England {and part of France. As invaders of England they were called Danes, and as invaders of France we have called them Normans. They established themselves in parts of Russia and in the Orkney and Faroe Islands, car- ried their colonizing operations west to Iceland, and without doubt con- tinued west to Greenland. It s plau- sible that from Greenland they wan- dered south and made a settlement in a kinder climate. If the MacMillan expedition comes upon ruins in Greenland clearly of Norseman origin of 10 centuries ago it will have gained some extraordinarily interesting in- formation. ————————— The Democratic Chairmanship. Reports in political circles point to the probable selection of Repre- sentative Oldfleld of Arkansas as the new chairman of the Democratic national committee to succeed Chair- man Clem Shaver, whose retirement from the office has been forecast for some time. Mr. Oldfield is at pres- ent chairman of the Democratic con- gressional campaign committee and has been preparing since the last election to wage a vigorous campaign for the election of a Democratic House of Representatives in 1926. The choice of Mr. Oldfield for chairman of the national committee will be the first move in the direction of restoring harmony in the Demo- cratic ranks, which were disordered by the fight for the presidential nomination in 1924. Efforts of the best Democratic minds have been bent upon restoring it ever since the To avoid | Madison Square ballyhoo. Chairman Shaver, who was the ‘andidate John W. Davis, has been holding the office legal | Until harmony could be restored. He made it known that he would not turn it over until a successor was chosen who would be acceptable to both the Smith and McAdoo factions.: If Mr. Oldfield is named, as now seems altogether likely, he can prop- erly be cailed the “harmony” chair- man. Recent communications be- tween Gov. Smith and Mr. Oldfield, and between Mr. Oldfield and Mr. McAdoo upon the occasion of the lat- ter's recent visit to Washington, are said to have tended to the reported decision of the party leaders to ask Mr. Oldfield to accept the office. Mr. Oldfield will be eminently sat- isfactory to all the Democratic fac- tions. He is one of the most popular men in the House of Representatives and is held in high regard for polit- ical acumen and managerial ability. He has demonstrated his political sa- gacity in conducting the affairs of the congressional committee and is given credit for saving as much as was salvaged from the Democratic wreck in 1924, Democrats are look- ing to him to make the Republicans realize that they have a real fight on their hands in the congressional cam- paign of 1926. —_—————————— Old controversies reassert them- selves. Vaceination is resisted: the theory of evoiution is assailed and in religious controversy the ancient ques- tion of how many angels can stand on the point of a needle may be expected to reassert itself at any moment. — e It seems impossible at catch Grover Bergdoll. Time is an ameliorating in- fluence, and resentment has about sim- mered down to the hope that he gets terribly homesick. o Andrew Jackson. Men who hold in particular regard dence here, who are capable of local {the memory of Andrew Jackson are municipal administration. be believed, however, that the Presi dent means to intimate that he is suf- [recently printed. fering from any embarrassment on this score in the present instance. ha 1t is not to | protesting with animation against a biography of that famous American At Nashville rep- resentatives of patriotic organiza- He |tions have held a mass meeting to before him the names of many |express sentiments against the au- Washingtonians of ability, experience | thor and the periodical in which his and high character who are willing to |article was published. serve if chosen, and in whose compe- The first reaction of educated men tence and integrity the community |to this pother is as to why a new has confidence. list will fully meet requirements. If a man is of & capacity adequate to warrant his selection as Commis- sioner of the District he should be sufficiently interested in its welfare to make it his legal home. No man who divides his alleglance, retaining a vot- ing residence elsewhere while sojourn- ing here, can give to such an office the undivided attention which it re- qlires. e A polar exploration requires its re- lief expedition in these days of air- craft no less than when only seagoing vesscls were available. e Hindenburg's prestige as a man of power is sustained by his evident abil- ity to keep the ex-Kaiser from mgking @ -dash for the center of the stage. e Viking Ruins in Greenland. The MacMillan Arctic expedition which is to be sent North next June under auspices of the National Geo- graphic Society will seek knowledge of many things, including the report of remains of Norse settlements in Greenland. Explorers have heard gtories from Eskimos that Norse relics exist about one hundred miles inland from the southwest coast of Green- land. A number of historfans have devoted themselves to the rovings of the Vikings and books have been Ja frontier country. A selection from that | biography of Andrew Jackson should be published. All available informa- tion of this remarkable man has been ‘printed. Scores of competent writers have sifted all matter relat- ing to Jackson and have published their conclusions on his character. Any new biography must be a re- hashing of old stuff. From the brief press notices it would seem that in the biography of Jackson under discussion or dissen- slon many of the stories told against Jackson In his life are set anew in type. Jackson’s enemies were nu- merous and voluble. In what they told there was often much truth, but not enough to take from him one whit of glory. Jackson was born, reared and entered law, politics and soldiering in Tennessee when it was He was not a learned lawyer, but he knew all the law necessary for his practice and as much as other lawyers and the Jjudges of his place and time. People in what was then Far West cared nothing for mere law, but insisted on rights, then closer to natural rights than in. the Atlantic Coast States. A large number of these people knew Jackson to be a man-leader. In war he had no military book schooling, but more military sepse than 99 per cent of the schooled sol- diers of his time, and perhaps of ours. By crushing Indian power in the Creek War he made possible concen- written on their voyages to America. | tration against the English of all mili- Traditions prevail of Viking memo- | tary resources in the South. He drove rials or remains in New England. In the Saga narratives is one that|ish territory, the English out of Florida, then Span- without waiting for Yrik the Red made settlements in|orders from Washington. Washington Greenland and that his son Leit left | would probably have had a diplomatic Iy guiv iU discussion as to the presence of Eng- lish troops in Spanish territory. These moves led ‘to American concentration at New Orleans against the English, and gave us the victory. It was the only land battle of the second war with England of which Americans could think with much satistaction. In national politics he strove against Federal encroachment on ‘the consti- tutional rights of the States, and he fought effectively ugainst the rise of special privilege, monopoly and “the Interests,” ubout which millions of Americans still talk and vote. His op- ponents jeered him for being uncouth. They jeered at his alleged illiteracy and at his vulgar ways. He was an American pioneer. He had not been trained in the polished manner of the “best society” of the East, and he despised both the manner and the “so- clet Many of the charges made against Andrew Jackson were made against Abraham Lincoln when he was rising to prominence and when he became great. - A System of State Parks. At the fifth national conference on State parks, at Skyland, Va., with a full representation present of all of the 48 States, a plan proposed five years ago for the establishment of a system of S e parks is being discussed and promoted. The slogan of this move. ment is ““a State park every 100 miles. Its purpose is to encourage and pro- mote the developnjent of State reserva- tions comprising sections of the great- est natural beauty. Many of the States now have such parks, but in the main the park- making enterprise has been left to the Federal Government. In many of the States are areas which, like the pro- posed park reserve embracing the Blue Ridge in Virginia, the great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and the Mam- moth Cave region in Kentucky, are of exceptional scenic character, remain for designation and preservation. Each State should be proud to create such’ a park, to preserve its choicest civic area for all time from spoliation. Not all of the States possess great natural wonders like the Yellowstone or the Yosemite or the Grand Canyon or the Mammoth Cave. Not all of them have mountains or lakes. But each of them has some particularly character- istic attractive area which is signifi- cant of the State itself, of its char- acter, its natural “disposition,” so to speak. That area should be set apart permanently as a monument of State pride. If this plan is successful this coun- try will possess a park system unap- proached for variety and beauty and significance. Each State will have its own playground. Interstate travel will be encouraged and promoted. Better acquaintance between State residents will result. With 48 delegations pres- ent at the Skyland conference there is reason to hope for a practical begin- ning soon upon this inspiring plan. ————— Reports from New York indicate that Harry Thaw is engaging In a campaign to demonstrate that prohibi- tion enforcement is impractical. There are many laws and police regulations available which should render it easier to restrain any impulsive demonstra- tions on his part than it was 20 years ago. —e— Parking requirements involve un- fathomable problems of movement, time and space. Tn order to be abso- lutely successful, a traffic director may find himself obliged to discover a fourth dimension. S O Tt may be confidently predicted that the bus will never displace the street car. Conditions are such that every available mode of transportation, old or new, is in urgent demand. e Germany is enthusiastic over Von Hindenburg. He is a man with the qualifications for leadership, and that is apparently what Germany feels the need of. Summer furs have this year demon- strated a practical usefulness. ———— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON, Prompt Delivery. Perhaps some day, the Nations may Adopt a method gentle And say a debt is fully met By language sentimental. Oh, ©Oh, Bliss! If plans like this Are placed in operation, When payment's due, T'll offer to Deliver an oration! Fearless. “Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at some of your ideas?” ot at all,” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “In many cases the man who is at first most laughed at is the one who is eventually taken most seri- ously.” May Time. The May Queen with a thoughtful pose In sweet confusion waits, And says, “Shall I don silken hose, _ Or shall T put on skates?” Jud Tunkins says if he wasan Arctic explorer he believes he'd stay away from this part of the country till the weather showed signs of permanent improvement. The Serviceable Simian. “What is your opinion of evolution?” “It is a great idea,” answered Miss Cayenne. “I don’t see why orators shouldn’t use the monkey for bringing pennies to their tin cups, the same as hand-organ musicians.” Diverted Industry. Unless these law evasions stop, Production will grow slender, Because we'll need a special cop To follow each offender. Pardonable Confusion. “Do you enjoy stories in Scotch dialect 7" “I didn’t know Scotch was a dialect,” said Uncle Bill Bottletop. “I thought it was a drink."” “Religion is & great comfort,” said Uncle Eben, “even to folks dat can't be happy unless dey’s in' an . argu- £y e ment; S R Tai The words gladiator and gladiolus, while worlds. apart, are alike in one thing: Both are derived from the Latin word for “sword.” Hence, the gladiator was a man who fought in the Roman arena ‘with a sword. So the gladiolus, one of the most in- teresting and beautiful of flowers, has sword-like leaves, shooting up out of the ground perfect minature straight cutting instruments, to add a touch of difference to the Summer garden. This flower, because of its ease of culture and beauty, has come to oc- cupy a foremost place in many a home garden, although much missionary work yet remains ta be'done to inter- est thousands in it, despite the large number of commercial growers. No matter how good a thing may be, there are many who yet hayve to make its acquaintance, just as lihraries hold books for years before an individual, in a given case, may find the volume that had been waliting just for him, it seems. Perhaps it is the difficulty of pro- nunciation of the name that has held many back from possessing the gladfolus. At any event, it is not grown as much as its merit deserves. Next to the rose, there is no more beautiful bloom, and some there are who place it even ahead of the so- called queen of flowers. The “glad,” as it is commonly ab- breviated, is an African flower that has been’ transplanted with such in- finite success, and so carefully hy- bridized by cross-pollenization, that it has a range of color today perhaps unequaled by any other growing thing. ke o To consider that matter of pro- nunciation, which, I am convinced, scares away many from the cultiva- tion of this wonderful flower: There are two ways of pronounc- ing the name. If you prefer the Latin, you say “glad-eveolus,” with the accent very decidedly on the sec- ond syllable. If, on the other hand, you are ad- dlcted to good old English, as I am, you say “gladi-o-lus,” with the accent on the “o.” It is interesting to note that no less an authority than Webster, in the latest and biggest dictionary, de- clares: ““The penultimate o in this word is short, and the accent, therefore, as Latin, properly falls on the antepenult; glad-i-o-lus is, however, common in popular or colloquial usage.” This authority gives plurals as, fol- lows: “Latin, English, luses. The matter, therefore, resolves it- self down to the old one of which way one prefers to regard Latin words in our language, whether it be better to treat them as Latin still, and so give them the Latin ac- cent, or hold them to be so much a part of our language that they should be given the normal English accents and vowel sounds. One who wishes to be meticulously proper will continue to pronounce according to the sic Latin, while one who loves English above any other tongue will probably put the accent on the “o" as a matter of everyday preference. It will be enheartening to the lat- ter to know that Webster supports them in their natural choice, even to the extent of giving the plural “gladioluses.” 5 As one grower has said, the gladio- lus is one flower you can grow and vet keep. This is a case of “eating Your cake and having it, too,” for the bulb or corm from which the plant Springs grows one or more new ones each season, with a number of bulb. lets or “cormels” to make sure of gladioli; gladio- WANIIINGIUN, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. future propagation. These latter, if WhDNESDAY sowed like peas, in two years will make flowering-sized bulbs. Thus, it is easy for the amateur to see how the gladiolus grower gets his start. In a few years he will have so many bulbs, if he starts with a fair assortment, that he will have difficulty in keeping track of them. The professional growers sort their bulbs according to size, from No. 1 to No. 6 (the smallest), with the cormels s0ld by the thousand, and by the quart. The corms (not cormels) vary in shape, some being “corn-fed,” of a flat shape, others being smaller and rounder. About all one has to do to grow them is stick them into the ground, being careful to get them rightside up. Sometimes the bulbs begin to sprout before being planted, so eager are they to perform their life mission. It is difficult for a human being to realize, looking at one of these curious things, that it, too, has a life mission, the same as’ a specimen of homo sapiens. “I must grow,” the gladiolus bulb tells us, Once in the ground, planted about 3 cr 4 inches deep, in full sunshine, if possible, the gladiolus corm proceeds to grow for all it is worth. According to the soll, weather and depth planted, and, above all, the vigor of the bulb, it will send its sword-shaped leaf into the sunshine. Lighty to ninety days, roughly, are required for flowering, although some bulbs are earlier. Planted at 10-day intervals, beginning early in the Spring, one may have a succession of blooms from July to frost. No flower gives more bloom per square foot of ground space than the gladiolus, due to the pecullar forma- tion on spikes, the lower flowers blos- soming first. If a spike is placed in water it will develop along its entire length, something that scarcely any other flower will do.” * ok k% The amateur should begin with £0od bulbs, choosing named varieties, as this adds immensely to the interest of growing them. He should beware of the reds, as the old-fashioned speci- mens were glaring. The glory of the glads is their color, and so much fm- provement has been made In this flower under cultivation that no one should be satisfied with less than the best. In one local garden seven bulbs were planted April 26, in a none too good location, with only partial sun. These included Alice Tiplady (orange saffron). Schwaben (yellow). Le Ma- rechal Foch (pink) and Sheli Pink. All of these had broken ground by May 13, and by May 20 were a foot in the air, growing lustily. On May 12 more bulbs had been pianted, includ- ing Flora (canary yellow), Ruffled Glory (apricot), Glory of Holland (white), America (iight pink), Panama (pink),” Anna Eberfus (purple) and Fairlawn (vellow). In just exactly nine days the shoots of the latter and one of the Panamas appeared! More bulbs were planted in_this garden on May 19. These included Elora, a white Variety; Mary Pickford, a creamy white; Halley, a pink; J. Shaylor, a different shade of the same; two more of the Foch and sev- eral ‘of Mrs. Francis King light scarlet. Effort was made by the flower lover to space these glads so that the white flowers would come at intervals in the border, acting as peace-makers between the other colors. These bulbs are simply an experi- ment with this amateur, he desiring to try out some of the various colors in an effort to find out the shade he prefers. He has a “trial garden,” in other words. Already, however, he has the “glad” fever, and looks forward to originat- ing a variety of his own! WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. There will be the usual exodus of Washington dignitaries to the col- leges and universities of the land for commencement addresses in June. Justice Harlan Fiske Stone of the United States Supreme Court was cap- tured by Williams and will deliver a speech there. The reward for a speech under such circumstances is usually an honorary degree, and Mr. Stone will return from Williamstown thus enriched. Later in the month he will be similarly honored by Columbia University, of the law school of which the baby member of the Supreme Court was dean before he became At- torney General. Ambherst, where Justice Stone was graduated, made him an LL. D. in 1919. One or two of the foreign Ambassadors newly ac- credited to the United States will also receive doctors’ degrees in June. * ok ok K Senator Francis E. Warren of W oming was at a garden party in Wash- ington the other day, and a group of women started a guessing match as to the age of the father of the United States Senate. Not one of them, sur- veying his upright figure and broad shoulders, assessed him at a day over 70. It was decided to call Mr. Warren over and have him settle the contro- versy. “On the 20th of June, Gen. Pershing’s father-in-law ‘said, “I will be 81." Senator Warren has been continuously- in the Senate for 30 vears, but he has to his credit a serv- ice of three years in addition, from 1890 to 1893. * %k Decision of the Presbyterians of the United States to build a “monumental’” church in Washington draws atten- tion to the fact that the political me- tropolis of the Republic is steadily becoming its religious capital as well. The Unitarians .and the Baptists al- ready have stately edifices that are national in character. The Congre- gationallsts plan to erect one of the same character, and the Mormons ex- pect to build here a tabernacle worthy of its situation. Nearly all the lead- ing creeds are represented in Wash- ington by men in high public station. The executive branch of the Govern- ment is very interdenominational. President Coolidge, Secretary Wilbur and Secretary Jardine are Congrega- tionalists. Work are Presbyterians. Davis and Everett Sanders, assistant to the President, are Baptists. Sec- retary Hoover is a Quaker. Secretary Weeks is a Unitarian, as is Chief Jus- tice Taft. * K Ok % Frank L. Polk, former Undersecre- tary of State, is crusading on behalf of the “Russian Student Fund.” This organization, founded and supported by Americans, is now educating a group of 115 Russian young men studying in 40 different United States colleges and universities. Twenty- eight of them will be graduated in June. The purpose of the foundation is to leaven “the Russla that is to be” with American-trained college men who will some day carry Yankee ideals into their democratized country. jach student educated by the founda- tion is selected after careful investi- gation. Aid is given only to those whose principles and talents give every promise of justifying the in- vestment. Graduates have already | repaid more than 39,000 advanced to them. Mr. Polk says there are ap- proximately 1,000 Russian young men now in the United States “actually or potentially within the fleld of the service of the §Illlh.n‘ = s'.udnnl Fund.” |t atagics Somowe recently’ admin- istered by Judge John R. Henninger of the Butler County (Pa.) Court to a lawyer who was arguing in a boot- legger case that the liquor laws of the United States are “bad laws.” Here's the colloquy that ensued: Judge—Here, here! I know who you are and who you think you are, and I don't intend to permit any one to come into this court and say the laws of this country are bad laws. The laws have been passed by the State legislators and Congress and they are a part of the Constitution and must be upheld. 1 give you 10 minutes to apologize to the court and jury, and if you don't I will adjudge you in contempt of court and com- mit you to prison.” Lawyer—Well, then, I apologize to the court and jury. The attorney’s client thereupon was convicted. * % % % “Mike” E. Hennessy, political ex- pert of the Boston Globe, is to the front with the discovery that an Irishman named Hoban was the architect of the White House. Hen- nessy avows and avers that the founding fathers selected Hoban when they were looking for a designer of a mansion befitting the dignity of the President of the United States. Whereupon, Hennessy proudly affirms, Hoban took as his model the home of the Duke of Leinster, outside Dublin, instead of an Anglo-Saxon baronial castle! “Mike,” who is a ranking officer in the grand army of Coolidge _biographers, _exposes this bit of unfamiliar White House his- tory in rejoinder to Dean Inge's as- sertion that this is an Anglo-Saxon country. * k% % Viscount Goto of Japan, who has Just said in a Berlin interview cabled to this country that a Japanese- American war is ‘“a possibility,” is sometimes called the La Follette of Nippon. Goto's further statement that “the colonization of California by the Japanese is a life and death question for Japan” extorts a vigorous disavowal from the Japanese embassy in Washington. The Tokio govern- ment's recent recognition of Soviet Russia was Goto’s achlevement. For more than three years he has been Secretaries Mellon and | gavocating & Japanese-Bolshevist en- Secretary yente and finally forced the ministry's hand. Goto has strong German lean- ings, having been educated in medi- cine at Berlin many years ago. He has never visited the United States, though he has toured Europe fre- ently. o Y (Copyright, 1925.) Cashing in on the “Bard.” It was one of the humorous pug gestions of a few years ago that the yokel of Shakespeare's birthplace had to have explained to him who Shake- speare was by the inquiring visitor. If such stories were true it is not so today. The old town has awaked to the significance of its great former citizen and is making the most of it. ‘The London Daily Chronicle says Stratford-on-Avon has been nick- named “the town of the tanners,” in view of its scale of prices during the annual festival week just held. “At the bard's cottage you pay 6d, at New Place 6d, at the grammar school 6d, at Ann Hathaway's cottage 6d, at the Memorial Theater 6d, and so on. There is scarcely a town in England where, in proportion to size and num- ber, it costs more to see the shows. ‘There are no ‘free '—Knoxville MAY 27, 1925 Politics at Large By N. O. Messenger. Reports are coming to Washington that the economy virus with which the Government has been vaccinated is “taking"” with the people in thei: do- mestic affairs. This is noticed to such an extent that the question is being asked whether trade and banking may not be deleteriously affected. Partic- ular lines of trade, wholesale and re- tail, are cited as alleged instances of ilment of orders and dullness of trade, due to an economy wave that has set in among the buyers. Politicians, however, are not con- cerning themselves about these re- ports and are still for economy all along the line as a safe political bet, bound to accrue to the benefit of the party in power and the administration. They recognize that the American peo- ple ‘are prone when they take up a policy to “go the limit” in carrying it out. Moreover, the politicians claim it will “do the people good” in the long run to keep down extravagance in their domestic affairs, * k ¥ ¥ Politicians in both parties, Demo- cratic and Republican, are still intent upon the fixed idea of reducing tax- ation in the next Congress. Indeed, they are competing with each other as to which party will have the credit for making the sharpest cuts in tax- ation. Old-timers in Congress marvel at the change which has come over the spirit of the l-gislators in recent years. The days of the “pork bar'l” and the public building graft are noticeably moderated. Time was when every year there was a scramble for river and harbor apropriations and authori- zation of public buildings which pro- duced more or less scandal. Nowa- days Congress seems to be operating on a more businesslike basis in pro- viding only the necessary in river and harbor improvements and a similar policy in supplving the needs of the Government in public buildings. The spirit of the budget is being carried out rather than catering to the fancied needs of constituencies. Log rolling by members of Congress is on the wane to the undoubted improve- ment of the finances of the Govern- ment. * o kK In the next Congress it is expected that prohibition will again come up for agitation. The policy of the adminis- tration to more vigorously enforce the national prohibition law is attracting Nation-wide attention. What is going on at present is regarded by the poli- ticians as a test to demonstrate whether enforcement is possible. The recent drive against smuggling on the Atlantic coast is classed as being 4 demonstration that enforce- ment is possible. As the drive spreads to other sections, and if it is main- tained with the same degree of suc- cess, it is thought that the prohibition- ists will be strengthened in their claim that there must be no sanction by Congress of a weakening of the law. The antis are counted upon to make an outery against the staggering costs of enforcement at a time when econ- omy in governmental expenses is the word. There is every prospect that the next Congress will be presented with a staggering bill, but the prohibition- ists will claim that the test now in progress is “worth the price of ad- mission.” * ¥ % ¥ BY FREDERI Q. In what parf of the country are there the most dogs?—R. . A. The Eastern States are above the average. It has been estimated that in the entire country there is one dog to about every 25 inhabitants. Q. What is the difference between boldface and Roman type?—W. T. D. A. “Boldface” refers to color and “Roman” to style. Any style of type may be made in boldface; that is, the type that produces heavy, black print. Q. Did Elbert Hubbard change the Emerson quotation about writing a better book, preaching a_better ser- mon, etc., intentionally?—N. D. A." It is said that at the time Hub- bard used it he was in a little log cabin where he wrote most of his “Lit- tle Journeys,” and, not having an Em- erson at hand, quoted from memory. Q. Where is the “Forbidden City? —B. McC. A. The Forbidden City is located in Peking, the capital of China. It is a walled inclosure 1 square mile in area, containing the imperial palace and pleasure grounds, formerly occu- pled by the Emperor. Q. How large do white oak trees grow?—R. S. B. A. The Wye oak, in Eastern Mary land, is supposed to be the oldest and finest white oak tree in the country. It is 375 years old and has a spread of 140 feet. Q. How wide is the land communica- tion between Africa and Asia?—M. R. A. At the northeastern corner of the Isthmus of Suez Africa has a geo- graphic_union of 90 miles wide with Asla. The Suez Canal intersects the Isthmus of Suez, and the Sinai Penin- sula is included within the continent of Africa and not Asi Q. In what countries do birds of paradise and egrets live?—('. T. A. Birds of paradise are found in New Guinea, Molucca ‘Islands, and a few other neighboring islands, also in northeastern Australla. Egrets range from the United States =outh to Southern South America, from Cen- tral Europe south to Southern Africa and from North Central Asia south to Australia. Q. Why are Siamese twins so-called? —C. A. B. A. The original twins were two brothers—Chang and Eng—who lived to be 63 years old and died within two and a half hours of each other in 1874. They were born of a Chinese father and Siamese mother in Siam. hence the term “Slamese twins.” Since that time any two children sim- ilarly joined have been referred to pop- ularly as “Siamese twins.” Q. Do standstorms occur on the American deserts?—J. B. W. A. In the southwestern parts of the United States, particularly in the in terior portions of southern California and southern Arizona, there are ex- tensive desert regions where sand- storms are likely to occur. Some por- tions of Nevada and other parts of the great basin ly{ig between the Rockies and the Sferra Nevadas are also visited by sandstorm: Q. How many quarts of maple sap does it take to make a quart of maple sirup?—B. M. Following the announcement of the forthcoming publication by the Demo- cratic national committee of a Demo- cratic national weekly was the appear- ance this week of a monthly magazine by New York Democratic women. The activities of Democratic women in up- State counties, as well as in the city, are to be reported, and Democratic tenets presented for consideration of all woman voters of the State. A The fight of Mayor Hylan of New York City for renomination continues to occupy the center of the political stage. It grows in intensity week by week, with Mayor Hylan at this time meeting increased opposition. That he is losing ground in his stubbornly maintained contention that he must be given the nomination is evidenced by the second appearance this week of William R. Hearst in the mayor's behalf. Several weeks ago he allled himself with Mayor Hylan by de- manding that he be renominated by the Democratic organization or would be run as an independent candidate. The tone of Mr. Hearst's demand at that time was belligerent. Now he is more moderate in his demand and is resorting more to coaxing than to threatening. In_a letter in the New York American, Mr. Hearst set out to refute the widely circulated claims that Gov. Smith is actively opposing the mayor’'s renomination. He point- ed out that there are a number of great offices to be filled within the next few years and the Democratic party, he claimed, is going to fill them if conditlons remain as favorable as they are now. He said that these favorable con- ditions exist because of the records of Mayor Hylan and Gov. Smith and that these men naturally are in line for some of the offices if the party remains powerful and conditions re- main harmonious. He said that the mayor of the City of New York is to be elected, the Governor of the State of New York be chosen, a United States Senator from New York to be elected and there is a President of the United States to be elected, who will ‘“probably be a Democratic President.” He pointed out that all of the can- didates can be supplied by the Demo- cratic party and all of them can be elected if there is harmony and the same wise and able leadership the party has recently had. Mr. Hearst flouted the suggestion that Gov. Smith upon his late visit to New York City accentuated his alleged opposition to Mayor Hylan. He toss- ed a bouguet to Gov. Smith by say- ing that unquestionably Gov. Smith ‘went about his business attending to his duties in his ‘“characteristic, ca- pable way” without quarreling with the mayor, nor did the mayor quar- rel with him. He prophesied that ndoubtedly both will continue to go about their business and beyond a question of a doubt the Democratic party will go on its way harmoniously and pro- jceed to elect its candidates.” Mr. Hearst's letter is reported as having been recefved in Tammany as part of the Hylan campaign to use the party harmony to stem the tide of opposition to the mayor’s renomina- tion. ~ * ok x X% Another development in the Hylan opposition was a movement which started thislweek for the selection of a business man for candidato for mayor. The president of the Allied Business Men's Protective Assocla- tion, Joseph S. Schwab, was the A. It takes about 33 quarts of sap. Q. Can the age of a rattlesnake be told by the number of rings on the rattle, one being acquired each year>—J. K. G. A. The Biological Survey says that the rattlesnake acquires from two to four rings a vear, usually three. Under normal conditions one ring is added each time the snake sheds its skin. The young rattler is pro- vided with a single button at birth, and within a few days it sheds its skin and commences feeding: in Further tax reduction seems to most observers appreciably nearer as a re- sult of Secretary Mellon's campaign to carry his program to the country, especially to the South, and the changed position of Senator Couzens of Michigan, vigorous oppoment of the Secretary at the last session of Congress. The Michigan Senator now proposes to reduce maximum sur- taxes to 20 per cent. The view that public opinion in the South “doubtless favors” the Mel- lon plan is supported by the San An- tonio Express. “Ever since the pro- gram first was advanced late in 192 states the Express, “it has received the support of numerous Southern newspapers, economists and business mem Whenever the people have been glven an opportunity to express an opinion on that program, they, too, have approved it decisively. By con- trast the South’s representatives in Congress rejected the proposal. In 80 doing they evidently were not voic- ing their constituents’ sentiments.’ Practical evidence of support for the Mellon program from the South is seen by the Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph, which continues: “Now comes word of further indorsements by representative Southern Demo- crats. Senator Glass of Virginia is willing to have the maximum surtax cut to 20 per cent. Senator Bayard of Delaware s favorable to a 25 per cent maximum as urged by Mr. Mel- lon. Senator Bruce of Maryland would be content with a 15 per cent maximum. It is reported that other Southern Democratic Senators are now willing to fall in with Secretary Mellon's plans for genuine tax re- form."” The Uniontown Herald points to the significance of these developments with the commen ‘The announce- ment that Senator Glass of Virginia has given his approval to the plan of Secretary Mellon for the reduction of surtaxes is important from the fact that the Senator is one of the intel- lectual leaders of the Democratic party and has the distinction of hav ing been Secretary of the Treasury It is not improbable that a majority of the members of the upper branch of Congress may be brought to the Mellon way of thinking.” * % % ¥ A “palpable hit” in an address be- fore the Bankers' Association of Mis- sissippl is credited to Secretary Mel- lon by the Syracuse Herald, which re- fers to the outstanding fact that “he quoted Woodrow Wilson in support of what a year ago was called the ‘Mel- lon plan’ for tax reduction.” The Herald, however, suggests that “rath- er it may be said that the present Sec- retary of the Treasury indorsed the sponsor for this proposal. It was re- garded as significant because Mr. Schwab was prominent in organizing the so-called Democratic fusion com- mittee which supported Hylan in the 1921 campaign. Mr. Schwab pointed out that it is & good many years since New York City had a business man as mayor. He said whether with or without adequate foundation there has been much dis- satisfaction at the city's failure to build subways. He said that his asso- ciation feels justified in taking up the cudgels in the fight for ® businessiike administration of the affairs of the country’s business center, and feels that it should be in the very van of the movement. * ¥ % ¥ ‘Thus the association, which is a non- partisan organization, finds itself in- dorsing the Republicans of New York in their demand for the elimination of and Tammany Hall m%dw” principles lald down by the former President and followed the course which had been mapped out by his two Democratic predecessors. Secre- tarfes Glass and Houston. The reali- zation by leading Democrats of the South that the ‘Mellon plan’ was first proposed and strongly advocated by & Democratic President may go a long way toward removing their opposition to it.” . Indorsing this view, the Hartford Times believes the Democrats may didate free from “Hylanism and Tam- manyism” in the interest of better city government. There has been some “kite-fiylng” and sounding out of sentiment for other possible candi- dates for mayor in the last few days. ‘The latest instance was the suggestion of Justice Vietor J. Dowling as a pos- sible substitute for Mayor Hylan as candidate. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS C J. HASKIN about two months it sheds its skin for the second time and then the first ring of the rattle is uncovered or added. This has been growing under the old skin and its pressure was ap- parent in the swollen appearance of the tail at the base of the originel button. The last seven or eight ver- tebrae fuse together shortly after Ibirth and form & composite bons known the “shaker,” nd 1t is |around this bone that each cap or ring of the rattle forms. Q. Have rats H. E. A. The Biological Survey says that perhaps the only curfosity or interest rats have is In obtaining food. Owing to their cunning ways it is not always easy to clear rats from premises by trapping; if food is abundant, it is fmpossible. A few adults refuse to enter the most innocent-looking trap, and yet trapping, if persistently fol- lowed, is one of the most effective ways of destroying these rodents. Q. What is pyrotol?—P. M. A. It is an explosive made from surplus war material, which i3 now being used for agriclutural purposes. Pyrotol is used for blasting stumps, stones, ditches, and in orcharding. v much curlosity?— 4 Q. What was done with King Tut's heart?—L. M. G. A. In some instances the heart of a mummy was left in place by the Egyptian _embalmer; in other fn- stances the heart and other vita organs were removed from the hody wrapped separately and interred, King Tut’s mummy has not yet been aisturbed. Q. When was John Wanamaker the Postmaster General?—A. G. M A. Postmaster General Wanamaker served from 1889 to 1893 in the cabe inet of President Benjamin Harrison. Q. Where can I get chemist's “gray powder” to use for finger printing?— R.C. C A. This powder, composed of mer- cury and chalk, may be purchased at a drug store. Aluminum dust also | may be used. If the finger prints are’ on a light surface, graphite or char- coal should be used Q. Has the glish Parliament ever passed a law _over the King of England’s head 7—W. J. A. There have been instances when Parliament has passed laws over the veto of the King. A notable case was the triennial act, which Wil- liam IIT vetoed in 1693 and which was passed in 1695. Q. What will destroy blackberry vines?—B. J. R. A. Rust is a serious disease and is incurable. All plants infested with this disease must be dug out and burned. Q. How did Edward Everett use the money earned by his famous lec- ture on Washington?—G. A. A. A. Everett delivered this lecture in almost every section of the United States. By it he earned nearly $100,- 000. This sum was devoted to the purchase and preservation of Gen. Washington's home at Mount Vernon. Q. What is a charade?—J. H. B. A. A charade is a form of amuse- ment which consists in dividing a word | of one or more syllables into its com- | ponent syllables or parts and then rep- | resenting each syllable and then the whole by means of dialogue or acting. The word has to be guessed. rust on (Inform and entertain yourself by making constant use of The Star In- formation Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, 21st and C streects morthweat. There is a wealth of information at the command of Star readers. There is mo charge for this service ezcept a 2 cent stamp which should be in- closed for a direct reply.) Mellon Plan Adoption Seen As Democrats Fall in Line make political capital out of the situa- tion by “‘putting their shoulders to the wheel” and “letting the country see that they are assisting in carrying out a program for which they may truly claim Democratic origin.” The Times remarks that Mr. Mellon “seems to be more interested in securing reform than in glorifying” his own party. The Rochester Times-Union admits that Mr. Mellon is quite right as to the history of the matter, but holds that “on the proposals themselves there will probably continue to be & difference of opinion.” The Charleston Evening Post refers to the report that Senator King of Utah will introduce a new measure in the next Congress, and adds: “It would be interesting and, In a way, amusing if the Demo- crats and proscribed Republicans in Congress should not only write the new revenue bill, but write a bill which would appeal particularly and powerfully to the business world, the corporations more than others and the payers of surtaxes. To move for a cut beyond anything proposed by the administration and in the same direc tion i& a striking conception and one ;Nhl_ch may prove exceedingly effect- ve.” Senator Couzens’ change of position, as indicated by an address at Balti- more, has received wide publicity. The Chariotte Observer sa. ‘Senator Couzens is arguing along a_hopeful line and if the Government should be as comfortably fixed in the matter of accumulated rplus as has been promised, there is no reason in sight why the next ‘Ailling’ season should not bring & considerable measurs satisfaction to the people.” The York Evening Post think: ‘Senator Couzens was about the last man ex- pected to swing into line on anything proposed by the Secretary of the Treasury. With Couzens convinced, the opposition to tax reform will be much less powerful The Indianap- olis Star also suggests that “the con- version of Senator Couzens may mean the early crumbling of the opposition. On the other hand, the Bristol Her- ald-Courler sees only two classes of taxpayers who will approve the Cou- zons program—‘‘thvse who pay sur- taxes and those whose incomes are less than $5,000.” Pioneers Often Scoffed By the Thoughtless To the Editor of The Sta: Overheard on the street in Hyatts- ville, Md., this morning: First Voice—Well, what do you think of those fellows that are trying to reach the North Pole. Second Voice—Another bunch of fools. There the subject was dropped. Both parties seemed to feel that the toplc had been fullly covered by the caustic comment. Tt is probable that this same remark was made when Columbus embarked on that memorable vovage which re- sulted in the discovery of a new world. The pioneer has always been treated thus by the unappreciative. The in- vestigator usually has to investigate alone until he froduces something tangible and useful. The polar regions probably abound in exhaustless treasures. There ma be forces at play up there which, if harnessed, would furnish power suf. ficient for the needs of the entire world. There may be'secrets stored there which have never even been con- celved of by man. We do not know. And 5o long as we do not know, there