Evening Star Newspaper, August 22, 1925, Page 6

6 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY,....August 22, 1825 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. R icrs oyt o s B Ruropean Office: 16 Rexent St Lond England. on, morn- iny 3 i Star. with the Sunday i only, N elive: By Ty %60 cents per monih: .&l 48 cents per month: Sunday only. cents month. Orders m. be sent by mail or phone Main 6000, Callection 15 made by Carrier at the end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. 1yr. $8.40: 1mo., i1mol i1mol 700 50c 20 All Other States. 1y and Sund: .. $10.00 §'"J oy s unday only " i1mon $7.00 Member of the Associated Press. The Assoclated Press {s exclysively entitled o the use for republication of all news dis- stches credited to it or not otherwise cred- (ted in this paper and also the local news blished herein. All rights of publication also reserved. 250 :1mo., i1mol Substitutes for Anthracite. The Governor of Massachusetts be- ileves in heroic remedies in time of need. He has called a conference of the governors of New England States to take action which will relieve that section of its dependency on anthra- cite coal, in view of the threatened strike. It is proposed to educate the people of the New England States to use substitutes for hard coal, if neces. sary, so that they may no longer be constantly in danger of suffering through their skins and their pocket- books because the anthracite mine’ owners and workers are unable to agree on wages and working condi- tions. The threat of an extended boycott of anthracite by New England, which has always been a great consumer of hard coal, is already stirring the anthra- cite region, ‘aocording to the dis- patches. If it should be carried into effect, curtailing the market of anthra- cite, it might well have a disastrous effect, both on the mine owners and the mine workers. The mine oper- ators, in their discussions with the miners, have stressed the danger of forcing prices to such heights that the consumers of coal will seek some other fuel, and the stand taken by Gov. Ful- ler emphasizes stlll further this danger. The boyeott is a weapon of immense power. A buyer's strike is the dread of producers and distributors. It be- comes effective, however, only when the public is thoroughly aroused, a condition which the repeated strikes in the anthracite field and mounting prices have brought about in this coun- try. The American people are easy- going, but they do not like to be - posed upon any more today than in the days of the Boston tea party, when the people of the Bay State, then a British colony, boycotted the tea be- cause of the tax levied upon them by the British government “without rep resentation.” The New Englanders of today are threatening a kind of “Bos- ton coal party” for the anthracite in- terests and workers which must strike them as distinctly unpleasant. The Federal Government, in the event of a strike in the anthracite mines, will do its utmost to supply the people with substitute fuel, which for the most part means bituminous coal. Bulletins showing the methods of using bituminous coul in the ordi- nary heaters of homes have been pre- pared and issued already. And once this cheaper fuel is found to be easily bandled in such heating plants, the anthracite producers may have a hard Job prevailing upon the consumers to revert to the hard coal. It is a danger that both sides to the present contro- versy may do well to ponder. Killing the goose that lays the golden egg is short-sighted policy. —————— Enforcement Reorganization. Reorganization of the Government's prohibition enforcement bureau has been effected with the selection of 24 divisional administrators. These men have been chosen with particular care. Nineteen of them have been retained from the old service, 11 being former State directors. It is believed that they are capable and honest. The efficiency of the enforcement organization depends, however, large- 1y upon the integrity and capacity of the subordinate workers in the field. Given industrious, loyal divisional chiefs, these field forces should be ef- fective in executing the law. Yet their work will be hampered, if not in Sreat measure nullified, without the support of the courts. In the final analysis the judicial branch is the de termining element in enforcement. Prohibition cases pile up on the cal- endars owing to demands for jury trials in the lower jurisdictions and to delays in all the courts. Cases drag for months without action. Witnesses disappear or become unavailable. Re- cently in New York a clearance of the court calendars in this particular line of cases was effected by accepting guilty pleas with nominal penaltier from a great number of defendants. Prohibition enforcement is possible with a thoroughly honest and efficlent organization and with prompt court action. The present reorganization will give the Government its best chance to carry through a program of strict application of the law. —————— According to some of the training experts, Gertrude Ederle is a good swimmer, but a bad dietitian. ——re— Soviet Double-Crossing. By some means not yet disclosed— and, as a matter of fact, not particu- larly impartant—cable code messages passing batween leaders of the Brit- tsh mine workers and certain Russian Soviet officials have fallen into the bands of the British government, cast- ing a light upon an Interesting factor in the recent fuel crisis in Great Britain. It appears from these dis- patches that Zinovieff, one of the triumvirate of commissars at Moscow, had been strongly urging the British mine union to strike, which would Krassin, the Soviet Ambassador to Paris, satisfied that the strike was certain to occur, summoned Russian agents to France, who offered delfv- eries of coal at low prices. When this became known to the British mine leaders they remonstrated to Zinovieff, accusing the Soviet leaders of trea- son to the cause they pretended to espouse. Zinovieff thereupon sent to Krassin a message which placed the blame for the affair upon the Am- bassador’s shoulders. This double-crossing is character. istic of the Soviet procedure. No con- cern for the welfare of the British miner is felt at Moscow. The leaders of the Third Internationale at the Russian capital do not care a whoop for the workers anywhere. They are seeking to use the laborers of all countries to undermine and destroy governments in order to sovietize the world, with themselves as rulers. British labor has been stung before by the Soviet chiefs. British industrial troubles since the war have been due to the incégdiary advice of the Moscow chiefs. In this case the Soviet leaders have been caught red-handed In a strictly com- mercial trick. Perhaps the prestige lof Russian labor advisers will now be.lessened as a result of this ex- posure. —— e A Motor 0il When is & ‘“quart of ofl” not a quart of ofl? Many a motorist has pondered this question to his cost. Now the matter is being taken into the courts a8 a step in a national cam- paign to prevent the sale of inferfor substitutes for eylinder ofl requested by the purchaser. When the owner of a& motor car drives into a garage or a service sta- tion and asks for the grade and make of ol which his engine requires, he is entitled to receive it, or to learn that the distributor has not that oil for sale. Yet investigations have dis- closed that in many instances inferior substitutes and wrong grades of ofl are sold. A Nation-wide campaign is now un- der way, it is declared, to clean up this situation, and an injunction has been sought against one distributing company to prevent the sale of such substitutes to motorists. Not only, it Is declared, are the owners of automo- biles “done” out of thousands of dol- lars by the sale of cheaper oil for which the higher prices are paid by the consumer, but also loss of millions of dollars in damages to motor cars is caused by the unwitting use of the inferfor or wrong grades of ofl by the owners of the cars. The driver of an automobile is en- titled to get the kind and character of ofl he demands and pays for. But | unless the dealer is honest there is no way for the motorist to protect him- self. All cylinder ofl, as it pours out of the can, looks very much the same. It takes an expert and a chemist to distinguish the difference between grades of ofl. The dealer who takes advantage of the consumer in this matter is thoroughly dishonest and hould be prosecuted. But the proof of such dishonesty has been difficult to obtain. The investigation which has been carried on here has indicated that most Washington dealers in cylinder ol are honest. They either sell the oil asked for, or they frankly say they do not have it in stock. On the other hand, tests made of oil purchased at some of the stations have disclosed that oil for which $1.20 a gallon has been pald has cost the dealer from 13 to 20 cents. Indeed, some of the oil purchased was found to be crank- case drainings, which had been imper- fectly reclaimed. The substitution evil has grown to heavy proportions, with 17,000,000 motor vehicles in operation the coun- try over, it is charged. The punish- ment of the dishonest dealer is in the interest not only of the motorist, but also of the honest dealer, who is de- prived of business legitimately his. . Gem robbers in Chicago dressed themselves in overalls. They made away with nearly half a million dol- lars. Persons masquerading as work- ing men frequently make larger prot- its than the genuine article. e rae— Polar explorers are having their troubles; but they have at least es- caped the harrowing experience of daily readings from the kiosk on the Avenue v The press of Dayton, Tenn.. has dropped the evolution trial as a live topic, thereby scoring a ‘“beat” on some of the Baltimore newspapers. The New York Mayoralty Fight. ‘When Mayor Hylan of Greater New York announced himself as a candi- date for a third term and Tammany indicated that it was adverse to his re-election a fight started for the regu- lar Democratic nomination at the pri- maries, which will be held next month. Conferences of the borough leaders resulted in a disagreement, those of Kings (which includes Brooklyn), Queens and Richmond, declaring for Hylan, and those for Manhattan and the Bronx for another, who soon was disclosed as State Senator James J. Walker. Hylan announced that he would abide.by the primary result if he were named as a primary candi- date by a majority of the borough leaders. By some this was uccepted as a pledge to remain regular, hy others, owing to the peculiar phrase- ology of the statement, as a threat to bolt in case he was beaten for the nomination. . Yesterday the time granted by the law for the filing of detlinations of primary candidates expired. Hylan's name remained on the list. It is now accepted by some as assured that he will continue as a primary candidate and will abide by the result. But the “ifs and ands” of his pre-nomination statement still cause concern. If beat- en in the primaries he may still bolt and run as an Independent, and there are fairly plain indications that that is his program. Up to the present he appears to be losing ground. Defec- tions have taken place from him in the three-borough stronghold of his chief support. have the effect of cutting off the sup- This contest is being closely watched Most of the | THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY; . AUGUST 22 in the party ranks affecting the na- tional situation. The fght there in- volves Gov. Smith. e is definitely out to beat Hylan, and whether he beats -him or not he {s putting in Jeopardy his own fortunes as a candi- date for future preferment by weak- ening the loyalty of a large Demo- cratic contingent in Greater New York. Willlam G. McAdoo 1s probably watching the situation with particular interest. Another Californian, some- times rated as a New Yorker, even as Mr. McAdoo was once a New Yorker, is lkewise watching with concern. Another “Madison Square Garden party”—though it will surely be held elsewhere than in New York—is on thé Democratic schedule, ani the pres- ent mayoralty fight in New York is making for a pronounced effect upon | its outcome. ———— A Halt Called. | Modification of the boulevard sys- tem is ordered, with 22 of the 29 speed thoroughfares originally an- nounced abandoned, at least for the present. The seven that have been al- ready established will be maintained. Whether the 22 will be later Installed is left for future decision. This ac- tion helps to clari situation that has become difficult for the District motorist. At the same time it will per- mit a thorough test of the boulevard plan. It is to be hoped that this action signifies that hereafter traffic rule changes will be more deliberately made with greater consideration for drivers who are anxious to obey the laws but are constantly confronted with new requirements and new pro- hibitions of which they have not had sufficient notice and to observe which requires a complete change of prac- tice. All admit that the regulation of the Capital's traffic is a matter of ex- treme difficulty. The volume has grown rapidly, and old conditions have been for a long time left uncor- rected to the point where street users both afoot and awheel are perplexed and confused. All but a very few motorists wish and earnestly try to obey all rules, though sometimes de- murring to their necessity or their wisdom. They are, however, willing to contribute to a possible betterment of the situation by conforming to all requirements so long as they can un- derstand them. There should he a period of rest from new regulation to permit all the motorists to become familiar with those that now are in force and to test them out thoroughly. Constant changing will not yleld the desired result of improving conditions, even though the old rules are susceptible of change for the better. ———— The Prince of Wales is mentioned as the man who wished wide-legged trousers on American fashions for men. It may be doubted whether the prince had any intentfor in the matter. He may have happened to come ashore in saflor clothes when the designers of men’s attire were looking for a new mode. In ‘spite of his exalted posi- tion, a prince is often more or less of an innocent bystander. The Stinnes automobile industry is regarded by German economists as a wreck. The only man in the world who seems capable of taking the mat- ter in hand is Henry Ford, who had such 1il luck with his peace ship that he will be hardly tempted to make another journey abroad, even when the problem relates to the familiar fivver Enthusiasms are essential to human existence. Those pertaining to politics or religion are dangerous. Base ball and golf provide valuable safety valves. ————. It may be assumed that Mr. Darrow finds John T. Scopes a much more agreeable client than either Leopold or Loeb. e r—em— SHOOTING BY PHILANDER JOHNSON TARS. Final Analysis. With merry measures flung From yonder tree, The katydld has sung Of frost to be. But every time it sings Its little lay, The locust's clamor brings A hotter day. And yet, full well we know The Autumn clime Will quell the fervid glow Of Summer time. The pessimist may cast On hope a blight; The optimist, at last, Is always right. Repetition. “History repeats itself.” “I suppose so, answered Senator Sorghum. “But not in the same terms. There's no use of hoping we'll ever fight another war with spears and bows and arrows.” Cinematographs. Some motion. pictures are so free, When cinematographs we see, ‘We'll slightly change the word, we guess. Instead of “c" we'll use ant Jud Tunkins says what mixes him up about economy is that every time he goes in debt for something the salesman shows him where he is sav- ing money. Sarcasm. ’ “Do you mean to tell me that my ancient ancestors were chimpanzees?” “Certainly not," replied Miss Cay- enne. “I accuse no one.” Bunk. The bluff that fleetingly admires To insignificance has always shrunk, And the most ardent demagogue re- tires At last into his little self-made bunk. the world “Dar is so much profanit. said Uncle Eben, “‘dat it sounds like some o' dem old-fashioned mule drivers I ply of British ecal from Western Eu- |by Democrats throughout the country | used to work for had broke into so- rope. At the same time, it appears, 'because of the possibility of a breach!clety.” N THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. ‘Washington's parks look better now than at any time this Summer, due to the large amount of rain that has fallen 6o far during August. The héavy raing were veritable life. savers for the grass in all the parks, large and small, scattered around the Natlonal Capital. They helped the trees, too. Lovers of beauty, especially natural loveliness, were much distressed dur- ing July at the appearance of various places, such as Franklin Square, at Fourteenth and K streets. Normally one of the beauty spots of Washington, that park (as well as many others) presented a moth-eaten look. Moths, however, were not ac- countable for the yellow grass. Lack of water, caused the trouble, in the main. * Water, and plenty of it, Is the se- cret of good grass. There are other secrets, too, but this is perhaps the main one. Grass must have water to be_turf. There is a distinction between “grass” and “turf,” at least as com- monly used. “Grass” may be almost any sort of ground covering that is secured by sowing grass seed. “Turf," on the other hand, is close- ly matted, well grown, healthy green- sward, such “grass” as can only be secured by proper care, which in. cludes plenty of water and mowings close enough together to make the grass spread out. Owing to the lack of water, very few of the public parks presented any real “turf” during July. It is true that there are varlous hose connec: tions in the parks, but much more adequate watering would be neces. sary than is now avallable, if the grogs In the public parks were to be kept in a condition to vie with home lawns, Lack of money seems to he respon- sible for lack of water in the parks. The annual apprépriations for the office of public buildings and public perks of the National Capital and for the office of trees and parking of the District government would in. adequate, when the prime functlon of | our trees and parks in making Wash- | ington a beautiful place is taken into | consideration. | One of the greatest charms, If not the charm, of Washington during Spring and Summer, is that secured by the grass of the parks and the green of the trees; both along the street and In the various squares, circles and triangles. Clifford Lanham, superintendent of | trees and parking for the District gov- | ernment, stated this truth very suc- | cinctly in his annual report to the Commissioners the other day. He said, | in part: The beauty of ‘Washington lies primarily in_its elaborate system of shade trees. It immediately impresses strangers on their first visit to the clty. It would seem, therefore, that when the first cost of setting out trees is known to be so insignificant when compared with their increased value a few years later, that an adequate appropriation would be provided, not only to keep up with the'rapid growth of the city, but to enable this office to maintain the trees that already exist. “Trees on the streets are growing under the most adverse conditions and require constant care.” Mr. Lanham has been given some $78,000 a year for all tree work, to| plant young ones and to take care of the 104,869 trees that already exist, and he hopes that the appropriation will be substantially increased. Any householder who has attended to his own lawn and what trees he may have knows that it takes money. Trees benefit from plenty of water glven grass. Caring for parks is in- tegral with caring for trees. ‘Any one who will remember the prime beauty purpose of our parks and trees, and who will then peruse FACTS IN COAL BY WILLIAM ARTICLE VI Direct losses to miners and oper- ator every day of an anthracite coal strike run between $1,500,000 and $2,000,000, possibly higher. Of that total, the miners lose from $1,000,000 to $1,250,000 in wages. Indirect losses |- to the public cannot be measured. An average advance of §1 a ton in the price of coal would bring the total added cost to the public up $1,000,000 a week on domestic sizes alone. Miners' losses can be gauged fairly accurately by the known factors of production costs which have been un- earthed by the United States Qoal Commission. That agency of ‘the Federal Government has found that from 57 to 68 cents, on the average, of every dollar spent in buying coal at the mine goes to pay the labor cost of producing anthracite, and placing It on railroad cars varies be- tween averages of $3.50 and $4.25 a ton. 2 From 10 to 15 cents, in round fig- ures, of every dollar thus spent goes to pay for supplies vzed in producing coal. General expense, _including operators’ overhead charges, runs from 13 to 20 cents of the buyer's dollar. The gross profit to the oper- ator, it has been determined, has va- rled during a five-year period from an average loss of 2 cents out of the buyer's dollar to an average profit of nearly 18 cents out of the dollar. Loss in Weekly Wages. Assuming that the mine workers get $4 for their labor in producing every ton of coal mined and that the average weekly production is 1,800, 000 tons, the loss in_wages, it will be seen, runs to about $7,200,000 a week. That loss, if continued for, say, four weeks, will run to nearly $30,000,000. That would be the extent of the miners’ gamble in a four-week strike. The stakes for which the miners are playing are an increase of 10 per cent in wage rates. On an average weekly pay roll of $7,200,000, the in- crease, if won, would amount to $720,- 000 a week for two years, or 104 weeks. Roughly the increase in wages during the two-year period for which contracts customarily are made would amount to $75,000,000. The history of the United Mine ‘Workers shows that thev have never taken a wage cut. Chances are that the 10 per cent increase now sought, i won, would be held for all time. Thus mine workers' wages stand to be increased $37,500,000 a_year, at the minimum, for the indefinite future. In ten years the increase would run to $375,000,000, or a sum equivalent to an entire year’s pay at the present rates. There seems little wonder, therefore, that the miners’ organization is will- ing to take the chance. Even if the miners were idle an entire year, they would make up the loss in’ increased wages alone in ten yvears' time. Losses to the operators are more difficult to estimate, due to the policy which they have adopted. That policy calls for secrecy as to costs of pro- duction and profits. The operators have made public no figures show- ing either item, except in fragmentary form, to support their present conten- tlon, for 1923, 1924 or 1925. They have reported to the Bureau of In- ternal Revenue in making their tax returns, but those returns are not open to public inspection. Tt Is necessary, therefore, to go back of 1923 for accurate information as to operators’ profits, if any measure is to be made of their probable losses during the period of a strike. The United States Coal Commission has oomplled figures covering the profits | granted. the estimates for the municipal gov- ernment, in particular, will be cha- grined or amused at the small appro- priation, according to his tempera- ment. * k% I imagine Congress, In this respect, is something like the neighbor who hangs over the back fence and says, “You have a lot of luck with flow- ers.” You feel like turning upon that good nelghbor and replying, “Luck, noth: ing! 1 have put so many dollars’ worth of grass seed on that lawn, put 50 many more dollars of fertilizer on it, put hours and hours of work on it, and a great deal of high-class labor on the whole yard, to say nothing of us- ing a maximum quantity of brains. Don't call it luck. It i3 everything else but luck.” When one considers the time, money and work that may profitably be put upon a small back yard garden he wonders how on earth Mr. Lanham manages to do as much for the trees of Washington as he does with the money he has at his command. Such a park as Lafayette Square, for instance, ought to be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system, if feasible, in order that dry speils would not put the grass in such shape as it was during July. Lacking an automatic system, ade- quate water could be placed on the grass in the morning hours by the in- dustrious labors of plenty of men with plenty of hose. It would take money—but it would be worth it ‘The trouble is that most people take our parks and trees too much for There they are, they have always been there, and we guess they always will! Plenty of money would enable the parks and trees to get the full water- ings they need during Summer, as well as provide for other care. The average person seldom stops to consider the adverse conditions under which trees grow in a large city. In stead of having plenty of room, trees are cramped in between asphalt areas, and their leaves constantly subjected to gassing from automobiles and oth- er sources, Thelr roots struggle in confined spaces, and thelr smoke-coat- ed leaves do their best to drink in the needed sun. Little or no natural humus is fur- nished city trees, and as for any specific attempt to fertilize them, I have never seen it done, although I would not say it is not Despite these adverse conditions, our trees look amazingly green throughout the entire city, much bet- tér than the grass in the parks, espe- clally the downtown parks. Perhaps this is due, to some extent, to activities In spraying. It it were not far this annual battle conducted by man against the “bugs” in the trees there would be preclous few arboreal beauties in the Natlonal Capltal today. ‘A victorlous warfare has been waged with the bugs over a period of years 80 that today our trees are in better condition than ever in this respect. This work, however, could well be increased, being such a vital one, as well as attendance to the various tree diseases, more plantings, etc. As Mr. Lanham points out in his report, there is little use in planting new trees if the older ones must be neglected to do it. If some blight should suddenly de. prive Washington of all its trees and all its grass, many who are now in- different would awake to the value of these factors. Truly, without our green grass and our green trees, Washington would not be Washington. Putting greens of our golf courses are watered thoroughly at least twice a day. Such care as this ought to be extended to all our city parks and similar_attention given all our trees. It takes money—but what doesn't? CONTROVERSY P. HELM, JR. of the largest coal-producing com- panies for 1921. These figures, show- ing the amount of profits and the percentage on the investment, in the case of each of the companies, are given by the commission as follows: Pet profit 7. Profit. on invest, Penneylvania & Hillside..$5.050.000 fi' V. & Coxe Bros...... 5.831.000 8 & Reading C. & I. 4.110.000 42 000 1173 Scranion Coal Co. int'ests ‘48! iém.n & WikeyBurre . 8.5 Compan: high Coal & Navigat'n fudson Coal Co. interests 4.496. i Dividends paid by the big anthra- cite operators also have been made public by the Coal Commission. The figures cover a period of ten vears, or from 1913 to 1922, and do not in- clude stock dividends, of which there have been a number, generous in size. The record shows: Hudson Coal Co. interests paid 7 per cent in 1922, 71 per cent from 1917 to 1821, Inclusive; 20 per cent from 1914 to 1916, inclusive, and 17 per cent in 1913. The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co.’s coal interests have maintalned an 8 per cent dividend throughout the 10-year period. Coxe Brothers’ Co. have pald divi- dends ranging from 9 per cent, the lowest (paid in 1914 and again in 1919) up to 92 per cent in 1920. In 1921 the dividend was 83 per cent and in 1922 it was 20 per cent. ‘The Lehigh Valley Coal Co.'s divi- dends fell from 25 per cent in 1917 (Arst year recorded) through 21 per cent in 1918 to 8 per cent in 1918. In 1920 the dividend rose to 134 per cent, dropping to 72 per cent in 1921 and to 21 per cent in 1922. During 1920 and 1921 this company paid out as din dends more than double the amount invested in the company. Paid Four Times Capital. In the case of the Hillsdale Coal an Iron Co. four times the amount of the total investment was returned to lucky storkholders during the two years 1921 and 1922, the dividend rates for the two years being 205 and 190 per cent, respectively. Prior to 1921 its dividends were as follows: 1916, 25 per cent; 1917, 105 per cen 1918, 45 per cent; 1919, 80 per cent; 1920, 70 per cent. During the seven years ending with 1922, the dividends equaled 725 per cent on the invest- ment, an average of more than 100 very year. .Such is the com- showing. The Pennsylvania Coal Co.'s divi- dends fell in 1914 and 1915 to 10 per cent from 49 per cent in 1913. There- after the dividends were as follows: 1916, 31 per cent; 1917, 110 per cent; 1918, 83 per cent; 1919, 54 per cent; 1920, 59 per cent; 1921, 137 per cent, and 1922, 168 per cent. And here is what five of the com- panies paid out in dividends, per ton of coal produced, according to the Coal Commission’s figures, covering 1922 operations: Pennevivania Coal Co.. Hillsdale Coal and Iron Co. hie Valley Coal Co. oze Brothers & Co.. 5 2 Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre C: LNl An Comparable information is lacking in the case of the other companles. From these figures it would appear that there is profit in producing an- thracite coal, at least to the large producer. That profit, of course, will be lost during a strike, while over- head and other expenses will continue in full effect. The losses to the opera- tors during the actual strike period ‘will be large. . ‘Whether they will be made up de- pends on the profit obtained on coal sold after the strike ends. THE END. (Copyright. 1925.% $2.76 6.69 925, LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover. THE Every Summer there are many con- ducted crulses to Norway, Sweden and Denmark, More individualistic travel- lers act as their own conductors in | thelr visits to the varied scenery of these three countries. Not as many hooks of travel have been written about the Scandinavian lands as about other parts of Europe, but there are, nevertheles, a number which combine information and good description. “In Viking Land,” by W. 8. Monroe, is “the result of two vacation trips to Norway and rather wide reading of the extensive literature of the coun- try.” Norway is a country tich in mountains, ice flelds, waterfalls and fjords, but the author finds it equally rich in human interest—the history, customs and traditions of the people. The book is especlally well organized. Chapters are given to the geoguiphy, to the history from the Viking age to he present time, to religion, education, politics and social life, to agriculture, fishing, forestry and commerce, to transportation, to the large cities, to the scenery of the flelds, mountains, valleys and fjords, to music, art and literature. In" short, the book would be invaluable to take on a visit to Norway and is most interesting to read at home. Of the fjords which are 80 characteristic of Norway Mr. Mon- roe says: “Ten or a dozen great arms of the sea, from 650 to 100 miles in length and from a few yards to sev- eral miles in width, penetrate into the heart of the Scandinavian peninsula. These deep drowned valleys, with sheer precipices often more than 2,000 feet high, are the fjords of Nor- way, more numerous and picturesque in this country than in any other part of the world. Branch fjords strike out right and left from the main ones, much as the fingers radiate from the hand. The fjords are of extraordinary depth, and they are generally deep- est when farthest from the sea. Steep mountain_walls rise from either side of their banks: the lower edges are fringed with pine, birch and alder; the summits are often covered with per- petual snow and the towering moun- tains In the foreground are reflected sharp and clear in the fjords’ depths. | Waterfalls burst from the ice flelds above and beyond the cliffs; and, seen from the fjords below, they look like bands of silver.” £ Robert Medill has & book on * and Its People,” in which he attempts “to present in miniature a picture of Sweden and its people through a de- scription of the outstanding features of the country as they impress the average traveler.” Stockholm, “the Venice of the North, located on a dozen islands in the watercourses con- necting Lake Malar with the Baltic, “1s among the most beautiful capital cities of the world.” Almost every- thing faces the water in Stockholm and a large part of the traffic is wa terway traffic. “Tiny steamers bring from the suburbs and the reaches of the nearby waterways their crowds of commuters and deposit them briskly upon the quays which border the city streets.”” The chapter “Across Sweden by Canal” describes the unique trip through the Gota Canal from Gothen- burg, on the Cattegat, to Stockholm, on the Baitic. It is a lelsurely jour- ney of two days and a half, “that takes vou along peaceful rivers, across wide, Ahimmering Iakes; through green meadows, under overhanging trees, within sight of nestling villages and anclent churches and castle ruins.” In Dalecarlia, in the center of Sweden, are to be seen the gayest national cos- tumes, still worn by the peasants on Sundays and holidays. ““The costumes of the country folk are exactly what we see in a historical and romantic opere.” The life of the Lapps in the tar north is described in the chapter, ‘Gypsies of the Northern Wilderness.” “Lapland is not a separate country, but a province in Northern Sweden, al- though the country of the Lapps ex- tends over the extreme northern parts or Norway, Sweden and Finland, in [those wide stretches of wilderness where these three states come togeth- er.” Though the Winters in Lapland are bitterly cold and very long, begin- ning with October, the Summers are “‘characterized by green meadows and leafy woodland, sparkling lakes and surging watercourses, warm sun and long days, during which time the Lapps discard their furs and spend much time out of doors, while their reindeer roam over the mountain sides contentedly munching the tender leaves and grasses.” * * x X Denmark has not as fine scenery as Norway and Sweden, but arouses en- thusiasm in its lovers for other reasons. One writer begins her book on Denmark: “The more one loves, the more difficult it is to describe the object of one’s admiration.” Two women, among several writers, have written affectionately of Denmark. Margaret Thomas, in “Denmark, Past and Present,” complains that al- though Denmark lies within 86 hours’ jern and northern boundary of Q. Was the Lusitanla warned by wireless on the day that she was tor pedoed 3. P, A. Winston Churchill says that re. peated wireless warnings were sent to the Lusitarila on that day. Orders for zig-zagging and for speed were, how- ever, disregarded. Q. Can cotton stalks be used in the manufacture of paper’—R. T. A. Cotton stalks are not used for the production of paper. Considerable experimentation in regard to the use of this material has been carried om, | but without success commercially. Q. Can government land be obtained in South America?—V. L. A. The Pan-American Union says that there are no homestead lands in South America, but land is sold very cheaply there. Q. Who was the challenger in the | Burr-Hamilton duel?—C. F. A. Aaron Burr in the year 1804 was | a_Federal candidate for Governor of | Jew Yark and would probably have | been elected but for Hamllton's oppo- | sition. This opposition, aggravated | by certain uncomplimentary epithets | which Hamilton is alleged to have ap- | plied to Burr, gave rise to a quarrel which culminated in a duel July 7, 1804, Burr being the challenger. | Q. How many laws are passed in the various States each year?—E. | B. R. | A. Complete statistics are not aval- | able. The Legislatures of 42 States | have been in session during the past | year and have had under considera- | tion more than 40,000 bills, of which, it is estimated, about 11,000 were en- aeted into law. Q. Are lions born with closed eyes | like kittens?—S. B. | A. Thelr eyes are open | Q. When will fall | next year?—J. P. A. In 1928 it will fall on March 28, | Easter Sunday coming on April 4 | Palm Sunday Q. When walking with two ladies.J should the man walk between them or on the outside?—McC A. He should walk on the outside, Q. How was coal formed?—J. P. A. Coal is one of the most impor- tant economic minerals, and s of vegetable origin. When vegetable matter accumulates under water it undergoes a slow process of decom- | position, gradually giving off its ni-| trogen, hydrogen, oxygen and some carbon, the result of which if car- ried far enough is the formation of a mass of carbon. The general theory regarding the formation of coal is that it results from the decomposi- tion under tremendous pressure at a high temperature of vegetation in | swamps. The first stage is peat; sec- | ond, lignite; third, bituminous coal; | fourth, anthracite, and the final stage | is graphite. | Q. What is the length of the south- the | | | United States?—B. G. A. The length of the Mexican boundary from the Gulf of Mexico to | the Pacific Ocean is approximately | 1,744 miles. The length of the north- | ern boundary, exciuding Alaska, is 3,980 miles. | Q. Why didn't Sir Walter Raleigh | accompany his early expeditions to | America?—W. R. | A. He did engage in voyages of dis- | covery and piracy about 1570 which | BY PAUL V. Does Mexico owe you anything? If ye have clalms to file, prepare to| file them now. After August 30, it will be too late. Claims have been accumulating in the Department of State since 1868; more have been gathered in the ar- chives of the General Claims Com- mission and the Special Claims Com- mission, since the first meetings there- jof one year ago, and the time limit for accepting such claims will ex- pire next week. It has been inaccurately stated in the public press that our claims ag- gregate 15,000 in number. On of: ficlal authority it Is sald that the total number is oniy 5,000 or 6,000, and nobody can even guess as to what they amount to in dollars. One claim amounts to $42,000,000 and an- other, not yet perfected for fillng, was first submitted in the form of a de- mand for restitution of 1,200,000 acres of confiscated land; or, in lieu of res- titution, the payment of $45,000,000. This one is to be revised, omitting exact figures as to the value of the land. It may be recalled that when the United States acquired Texas, easy journey of London, few Eng- lish people know as much about it as about Egypt and Australia. In her trip the author, of course, spends much time in Copenhagen, but she confesses herself fond of “lingering by the way and so she lingers long in the small téwns and villages and along the coun. tryside of rural Denmark. She visits Roskilde, the ancient capital of Den- mark; the fine old castle of Fred- eriksborg at Hillerod; Fredensborg, the Summer residence of the Kings of Denmark; the commercial town of Helsingor, with its fine harbor and its grim fortress of Kronborg, the Elsinor of “Hamlet"; Odense, the next largest town in Denmark after Copenhagen and the home of Hans Christian Andersen; Veile, one of the few places in Denmark which may justly be called hilly; Skagen, on a peninsula tapering in width from § to 2 miles; Aalborg, with its pic- turesque old houses; Viborg, so quiet on its black heaths that it seems to be “always Sunday" there; and the fine forests and beautiful lakes be- tween Skanderborg and Silkeborg. * o % * It has been sald that Copenhagen is Denmark. Ethel C. Hargrove seems to be of this opinion in her book *‘The Charm of Copenhagen.” The life of Copenhagen pleases her. She would rather walk along the Langelinie, a long promenade fronting the sound, than on any other seaside promenade she knows. The Smedelinien, a beau- tiful walk by the moat, is a haven of rest to those privileged ones who are admitted by tickets from the governor of the citadel. Some of the most in- teresting chapters are on ‘“The Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Works," *‘Folk. lore and Stories from Danish History, “Home Life in Denmark,” “Danish “Weddings and Wedding * “Danish Authors and Their ‘The Peasants,” “‘Soclal Prob- Visit to a Danish Work- “‘Educatio “A Visit to a New Mexico and California, and cer- tain other territory at the close of the Mexican War, we paid Mexico for the entire settlement somewhat less than half of just one of these two claims above cited. * ok % Not all of the damages consist in conflscation or destruction of prop- erty; some are based upon personal injuries or deaths of Americans at the hands of bandits or conspirators seek- ing either robbery or to foment trouble | for the political party in power and re- sponsibility. The value of a life as measured by relatives or dependents is not always that which will be meas- ured by the commission. The murder of an American who was earning $100,000 a year is not the same as that of one on'a $100-a-month salary; the commission will base its evaluations upon insurance statistics of expec- tancy of life and the average earning capacity of the deceased. It is not sentiment but vital statistics that measures what is collectible. ¥ Offsetting claims by Mexico against the United States will be presented before the same commissions, al- though it is not supposed that they will be as numerous, nor as large in total, as the American accounts. After all claims have been adjudicated, the excess of one country’s account over that of the other wiil be paid to the dominant nation, and each govern- ment will then distribute the indi- vidual amounts. An American will col- lect his damages from the United States Treasury and a Mexican will look to his own country’s treasury for settlement. There are both a General Claims Commission and a Special Claims Commission. The special commission will consider all claims arising within the Mexican revolutionary pgriod, 1910 to 1820; the general commission will consider and adjudicate all other Danish Parsonage” and “A Danish Arcadla. * ok ok % "My One-Acre Farm,” by Charles ‘Weeks, should be of assistance to would-be amateur farmers on a small scale, as well as interesting reading to those who have not the slightest Intention of becoming farmers on any scale but enjoy reading about what they might do if they chose. Mr. Weeks tells how he keeps 2,500 hens which net him not less than $2 apiece per year and also has all kinds of frult trees, berries, grapes and a vegetable garden. A recent translation of foreign fic- tlon is "“The House of Joy,” by the Dutch writer, Jo van Ammers-Kuller, It is a story of stage life in Holland, cases, whether based on losses prior to 1910 or after 1920. The Special Claims Commission sits in Mexico City, the general commission in Wash- ington, and by having two commis- sions, with a precise cut-off as to the jurisdiction of each, there will be no possibility of either country feeling that undue advantage in environment is given-to the other. % Bob & The treaty creating the special commission to handle the 1910-20 clalms of the “revolutionary period” provided that that commission should meet in Mexico City, and adds: “The Mexican government desires ! that the claims shall be so decided because Mexico wishes that her re- sponsibility shall not be fixed ac- cording to the generally accepted rules and principles of international entirely realistic but not sordid. The influence of the novel would probably be to deter s from going on the unless they possessed true love talent, for the dramatic art. law, but ex gratia (meaning by the | rectionary ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. l took him to the West Indies. After his establishment at court in 1681 he was given numerous lands in Ameri ca, but Queen Elizabeth forbade his personal participation in exploration and settlement of the country. About 1590 he lost the Queen's favor and was free to come to this hemisphere Q. Are rebuses used in heraldry? . A. A. Many of the anclent coats.of arms were rebuses on the names of families. Thus Lockhart was repre sented by a lock and & heart. Q. Was Orion visible J. L. 8. A. Orfon is too near the sun to have been visible in June, but can now be seen in the East at dawn. Q. How many parts are there the average automobile?—J. P. A. It may be =aid that there are from 2,400 to 2,500 parts in the av age touring car M in June” in Q. How do saxophone players make the instrument seem to laugh?— M. A. It fs difficult to explain through the medium of words. Saxophone players expel the breath in a quick, jerky movement in the way that th breath is expelled when one laughs At the same time that they do th they hold the mouthplece close to th pe. Q. What foods do not contain acid —8. B, W. A. The following foods contain nu acld: Oatmeal, cream of wheat, pot toes, green vegetables guch as cau flower, cabbage, onlons, beets, carrots spinach, asparagus, etc., white bread butter, milk and cream, eggs and simple puddings, such as rice pudding chocolate pudding, bread and custard puddings 1 Q. How can a drill man tell how many inches of coal he has hit?— J.JJ. A. The Bureau of Mines says that in drilling for coal a man can tel] by the color of the broken coal that he takes out from the drill hole aboul how thick the coal is. Q. What kind of gas is used in toy balloons?—T. B A. Coal gas' {s usually used to in flate toy balloons. Hydrogen could be used but is dangerous, as it is highly explosive. Although coal gas is Inflammable is not highly ex: plosive. Q. Is an airplane engine as power ful when high in the air as it is near the earth?—W. §. H. A. The Bureau of Standards says that engine power drops to one-third its sea-level value when the plane rises to 30,000 feet. The steady drop in alr pressure causes this. it (Any reader can get the answer to any question by writing The Star In- formation Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin director, Washington, D. C. This offer applies strictly to information. The bureau cannot give advice on legal medical and financial matters. It does not attempt to settle domestic troubles nor undertake exhaustive research on any subject. Write your questions plainly and briefly. Give full name and address and inclose 2 cents in stamps for return postage. All replies are sent direct to the inquirer. Ad- dress The Ktar Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Twenty- first and C streets northwest.) s BACKGROUND OF EVENTS . COLLINS. will be sufficient ‘that it be estab lished that the alleged loss or dam- age in any case was sustained and was due to any of the causes enum- erated in Article 1II hereof.” The attitude of Mexico, as above indicated, strikes our officials as un | usual, in that provision is expressly made that we are not to prove our legal rights, under international law, but, on the facts outlined in Article 11, we are to let Mexico settle by her graciousness and sense of justice. Hence, Article III is of special inter- est. It provides: “The claims which the commission shall examine and decide are those which arose during the revolutions and_disturbed conditions which ex- isted in Mexico, covering the period from November 20, 1910, to May 31, 1920, inclusive, and were due to any act by the following forces: “(1) By forces of the government de jure or de facto “(2) By revolutionary forces as & result of the triumph of whose cause governments de facto or de jure have been established; or by revolutionary forces opposed to them. “3) By forces arising from the dis- junction of the forces mentioned in the next preceding paragraph, up to the time when the government de Jure established itself as a result of a particular revolution. “'(4) By federal forces that were dis- banded, and” (Here in (5) may come in the gratia” quoted above) “(5) By mutinies or mobs or insur- forces other than those referred to under subdivisions (2), (3) “ox |and (4) above; or by bandits, ¢ vided in any case it be established that the appropriate authorities omit ted reasonable measures to suppress insurrectionists, mobs or bandits, or treated them with lenity, or were in fault in other particulars.” It is pointed out by our Government officlals that the claim might be made by Mexico, under the above (5) provi sfon, that we are obliged to prove de linquency on the part of every govern- ment during the perfod of the revolu tions—the burden of proof being put upon us rather than upon the defend ant Mexico fn such cases. If so, that may throw light upon Mexico's wish not to be held to account under inter- national law, but to be left to her own generosity, “ex gratia,” to make such settlements of claims as she finds ex pedient. ok g It is recalled that President Ca ranza expressly repudiated certain bonds issued by his revolutionary-pred- ecessors; also,. that for some years the government de facto and de jure was ineffectual in restraining the ban dit Villa, whom even our own special commissioner, John Lind, reported to President Wilson as the man of des tiny. How the special commission will pass upon claims affected by the Car ranza or Villa acts will be of unusual interest in the future records of di- plomacy and international relations. Foreseeing the diplomatic dificulties under (5), the bankers, who hold con- siderable blocks of Mexican bonds, are taking the negotiations out of the hands of the special commission and seeking by parley to arrive at a satls- factory settlement in private arbitra- tion. Bankers sometimes hold means of constraining even “ex gratia” gov ernments into satisfactory settlements in view of future credits, even though disbarring international law. * % ¥ ¥ ‘The commissions are acting under the terms of a convention signed at ‘Washington September 8, 1923. The president of the General Claims Com. mission is Mr. C. van Vollenden of Holland, a speclalist in international law. The president of the special com- mission is Senor Rodrigo Octavio, a prominent lawyer of Brazil. In both cases the selections of neutral heads of the commissions has been with the graciousness of Mexico's spirit), feels morally bound to make full idemni- fication and agrees, therefore, that ft agreement of the two governments converned. (Copyright. 1085, by Paul V. Colting/!