Evening Star Newspaper, September 21, 1925, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SMONDAY. .. .September 21, 1925 THEODORE W. NOYES...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office 11th St. and Pennsvivania Ave. F!C'yr“York glf“flva 110 East d aka Furovean Office - - Tower Buildin 16 Rezent St.. Enxland. The Evening Star. with the Sunday morn- Ing edition. is delivered by carriers within he city at' 60 cents ner month: daily only. 5 cent L 20 centd Ordirs may e sant by mal o Polephone Main K060 "Gollection 15 mads by carrier at the end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. ® Maryland and Virginia. afly and ve..lyr SR 40:1mo.. Daily only a7 -+ -1 7T~ 38.00: 1 mo- Sunday only Vi, $2.40: B All Other States. aily and Sunday. ... aily only. .. - Sunday only. . i Member of the Associated Press. Associated Prees {e exclusively entitled uss for republication of all news d rlll'.hel credited to it or not otherwise cre o ™ the n‘fign‘.'iafi“ ipecial local ne Al rights of publication es herein are also reserves is paper and also th herain atch, Handicapping the Guardsmen. Service in the National Guard means an excess of patriotism in the make-up of the individual, and in the case of the organized militla of the District of Columbia such service is faced by discouraging handi The well known obstacle, that of lack of enything approaching an adequate armory, illustrates the situation. But now news reports set forth another brake caldlated to be a drag on the wheel of National Guard progress. It is the penalizing of certain National Guardsmen, who are Government em- ployes, by Withholding their pay be- cause they obeyed military orders and attended the August encampment of the troops. It is stated that two such Guardsmen have even been dis- charged from their civilian positions. Failure to obey a military order, properly lssued, may mean court- martial and dishonorable discharge from the service. The National Guard 18 not the “tin-soldier” organization it ‘was some years ago. It is operating under the national defense law. If a Guardsman fails to attend armory drills, or other ordered assemblies, charges may be preferred against him, and, if he does not appear wWhen ordered to do so, the United States marshal, under the law, is required to arrest the individual, hold him in custody and produce him where and when directed. That Congress intended, in creating and supporting the National Guard, that service therein should not be treated as a joke was indlcated by the provision of law which directs that employes of the United States and of the District, of Columbla shall be granted leave of absence, when ordered out by proper military au- thority, without affecting the civilian status of such employes; that is to say, their pay and leave of absence as such employes. The issue has been tested time and ttme again, the decision invariably being in favor of the Guardsman. Bu- reau chiefs and minor officlals of the Government departments repeatedly have refused to grant employes leave of absence “to go to camp,” to particl- pate in parades and the like. When compelled by superiors to Yeverse thelr rulings, it has been charged, reprisals have been made in certain in- stances, in the way of lessening the departmental efficiency ratings of the employes affected, and otherwise. Cer- tain Guardsmen have failed to ask for military leave, 8o they have reported, being in fear of such decrcased rat- ings and other penalties. In other words, it has been a case of “You may £0 to camp, but at your perf The law covering the subject of the granting of military leave to employes of the United States and of the Dis- trict of Columbia is plain and clear cut. Tt is not ambiguous. Members of the National Guard, performing a patriotic duty and voluntarily under- going training that may be of great value to the country, should not be compelled to face the fear of dismissal from their positions, or loss of pay, merely because they proceed in ac. cordance with law and obey the orders of their military superiors. As hun- dreds of patriotic business men permit their employes to go to camp, without loss of pay or time for vacation, offl- clals of the Government should not put themselves In the position of will- fully or ignorantly violating the law. e It Congress is expected to handle all the investigation material that be- comes available & movement for an- other raise in salaries would be no more than simple justice. ————————— Primary vs. Convention. Now that the primary elections in ‘Wisconsin for senatorfal candidates sod In New York City for mayor are over and done, onslaughts on the primary system may be expected. First, because in Wisconsin Robert M. La Follette, jr., won the Repub- ltcan nomination, while “stalwart” Republicans—most of them outside ‘Wisconsin—insist he is no Repub- lican at all. Second, because of the enrolled Democratic voters of New York City only about 51 per cent participated in the fiercely contested race for the Democratic nomination for mayor. In Wisconsin the primary law dif- fers from that of New York, since in the Badger State any voter, no matter with what party he has voted in the past, may cast his vote for any candidate he desires, and in New York only the enrolled voters of a party may vote for the party candi- dates for nomination. The people of Wisconsin who nomi- nated Mr. La Follette as a Repub- loan regard themselves as Repub- licans, no matter what the people out- slde the State may say about them. They have a brand of Republicanism which suits them, apparently. De- cldedly they are not “reds.” No farm community s, and a great part of the ‘Wisconsin vote is the farm vote. Nor do they regard Mr. La Follette as a radical, eny more than they consid- ered his father, Senator La Follette, such. As a matter of fact the “stal- warts,” or comservative Republicans,. are the people in Wisconsin who are kicking over the traces and paying no attention to the party primary. Former Lieut. Gov. Dithmas, a “stal- wart,” has filed as an independent, to make the race for Senator without party designation. Roy P. Wilcox, another “stalwart,” was the cholee of an old-style convention held by the regular Republicans in Oshkosh sev- eral weeks ago to decide upon a “stal- wart” to make the race for the Re- publican senatorial nomination against La Follette. He lost the nomination by about 91,000 vot It is obvious that the conventlon's choice fell far short of being the popular choice for the Republican nomination in Wis- consin, and that the primary law has disclosed the fact beyond doubt. The primary law was intended to give the voters the privilege of saying who shall be the party nominees, and it seems to be working out that way in Wisconsin. In New York already there has been criticism of the primary because little more than half of the registered Democratic voters took part. That is not the fault of the primary law so much as it is the fault of the voters themselves. They had a perfect right to vote, and if they failed to perform their duty and make use of the privi- lege accorded them they have nothing to say in the matter. If the primary brings out only 51 per cent of the voters, what percentage of the voters may be said to be represented by the | old convention system of making nom- |inations? In the convention a handful of politiclans usually dominate. Even in national political conventions such has been the case. In 1920, for ex- ample, the Harding nomination for President was accomplished by a small group which met in & Chicago hotel. There still remains much to be sald in favor of the direct primary system as the means of obtaining most close- ly the real sentiment of the voters in the nomination of candidates for of- fice. A more perfect system may be worked out, but a return to the con- vention plan does not necessarily recommend itself as the remedy. British Agrarian Movement. The economic pendulum, with manufacturing industry at one ex- treme and agriculture at the other, is aswing again in England. With her markets for manufactured goods greatly curtailed by post-war condi- tions, and with a tremendous outlay for imported food products, it is not strange that a back-to-theland move ment should be assuming considerable proportions in Great Britain. These conditions have been seized upon by the politiclans. An issue is being made. Lloyd George, former pre- mier, is in the forefront of the Liberal “land campaign,” and upon it may de- pend to a large extent the political fortunes of Mr. Lloyd George and his party. With the development of machinery, with Great Britaln's great colonies and other lands not so forward s England beckoning for trade, a great industrial revolution took place in Britain, beginning more than a cen- tury ago. The movement was away from the land to the cities, and the products of the English factory were scattered over the world, carried by British merchantmen. The lands, capable of producing the food required for the people, were in many cases turned into huge parks, privately owned. It is estimated that Great Britain is expending a billion and three- quarter dollars for foodstuffs abroad annually. At the same time there are more than a million and a quarter un- employed in the citles, and great areas of land capable of producing much, it not all, of this food. The Liberal party is not alone in its effort to solve this problem, and the Conservatives and the Laborites also have their agricultural programs, to encourage the city dwellers to return to the farms, or if they have never lived in the country to go to the rural sections and ‘till the sofl. The life of the agriculturist is no sinecure, how- ever. Life in the city, with its lights, its varied interests, its amusements, its opportunities for an easier mode of life, has an allure that makes it difficult to turn people away from it. The hook must be well baited to get them “back to the farm.” At the close of the Napoleonic wars more than half of the population of Great Britain lived in the country. Now four-fifths of the people live in the cities. A century ago phe food produced in Great Britain il propor- tion to her population was many times greater than the food production today. England has become a victim of the gamble in the food markets. If world prices for grain go up she suffers. With many of her industries at a standstill Britain has yet to feed her people, and the sensible thing, accord- ing to Lloyd George and others, is for the people to feed themselves with products of thelr own raising. The pass in which Great Britain now finds herself is a warning to all nations to foster what is after all its basic industry, agriculture. Here in America agriculture is still the major industry in many parts of the coun- try. But there is an ever-increasing exodus from farm to city, which if not checked may eventually place this country also in en embarrassing posi- tion. ———————— “What's in & name?” inquires Mis- tress Juliet. “A whole lot,” answers Wisconsin, “when the name happens to be ‘La Follette.” " ————————— The Dean of Horses. ‘When a few seasons ago a horse named Clover, owned by & clergyman in Pennsylvania, was found to be liv- ing at the age of 55 years, great as- tonishment was expressed throughout the country, for horses over the half- century mark in age are rare indeed. But the fame of Clover, Who died shortly afterward, is now obscured by that of a horse just discovered in Harmony Township, N. J., aged 57, and still working. This equine vet- eran, named Old Bill, was born, ac- cording to authentic records, in 1868 on the farm of John R. Butts of Sarepta, N. J. A grandson of Mr. Butts, now 67 years old, recalls how he, a lad of 15, drove Old Bill ahead a plows Ssventsen years ago Old 0 h ! THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. O, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1925. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Bill was bought by his present owner, Johu Soudar, for $92, and since then this ancient of horses has missed only one day from his work on account of sickness, meanwhile doing all the plowing and general labor on the five- acre farm. Old Bill has his own ideas of toll, however. He will not work unless he is going somewhere. There- fore, he objects to laboring in a tread- mill, and no inducements, bonuses, sweets or fruits, or other tempting tid- bits, will induce him to enter the hated contraption. 0ld Bill is worthy of unstinted ad- miration. He has kept at his job sea- son after season, far beyond the span of equine life. This old strawberry roan has earned in his 67 years for his various owners much more money than many men are worth today. Save' for his one idiosyncrasy he balks et nothing in the way of labor. He plods through life falthtully, and apparently has several years of good service left in him. He must have been a good horse at 40 years for his present owner to have paid $92 for him, a risk that few horse buyers would take. John Soudar, who did this, is evidently a good judge of horse values, ————— Gen. Mitchell will use an airship to travel from San Antonio to Washing- ton, thus demonstrating his full con- fidence in the efficlency of the plane when properly managed. The deffion- stration may be regarded as a little spectacular. But publicity so far is the best Gen. Mitchell has gotten from the controversy, and a little more or less of it should not be grudged him. ——————————— The Louisiana State lottery went out of business many years ago. But the Southland still offers facilities for the quick-action speculator in the form of Florida real estate. It costs more for a deed than it did for a ticket, but the possibilities of prizes are proportionately greater in mag- nificence. ——————— Mr. Saklatvala is much ‘mistaken if he thinks that the American people will regard him sympathetically as a martyr. There are too many loud speakers at work over here just now for this country to grieve over the ab- sence of one more. ‘The opinion of experts that codifica- tion of international law is an under- taking that must extend through gen- erations should be a warning to our dawning posterity to forget the jazz and settle down to serious thinking. ——ee— ‘There is no Summer vacation for the Board of Education. The highly enterprising spirit of youth Keeps those in authority over matter of in- struction studying hard the year round. —————— Many Itallans dislike fascism. Many a disagreeable dose proves beneficlal in the long run, and Mussolini’s suc- cess has been largely due to hisability to make people take their medicine. ————— e In all mechanical safety devices the “human element” is feared. The mechanism for the enforcement of prohibition is no exception to this rule. ————— The dally news continues to make it difficult to decide whether Holly- wood 1s to be regarded as an art cen- ter or only as a gossipy village. ———————— Filing of appeal in the Tennessee evolution case is a reminder of a some- what stirring eplsode that has quickly taded from the public attention. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Disillusion. Back! Back from the Summer vacae- tion In the land of the blossom and bee. ‘Where Fancy in gentle elation Had pictured a life fair and free! But out in the fleld where the rover ‘Was locking for daisies to pull You read, posted high 'mid the clover, The warning, “Beware of the bull.” And when you have counted com- pletely ‘The cost of a frivolous fling, “You're stuck!” says the rose blush- ing sweetly. “You're stung?’” says the bee on the wing. Working Both Ways. “I suppose you are preparing to change a great many things when Congress assembles.” * “Not exactly,” answered Eenator Sorghum confidentially. “I'll probably follow my old program of pleasing one set of voters by advocating a drastic reform and then placating the other set by showing that there's nothing we can do about it.” Mechanical Milk. Synthetic milk is drawing near— A harsh, persistent noise we hear! Friend Farmer says he thinks as how Some one is cranking up the cow. Jud Tunkins says women are more economi¢al than men. A girl can get material for an entire dress out of one trouser leg. Reflexive Objurgation. “Do you approve of profanity in the theater?"” i “'Yes,” answered Miss Cayenne. “I can't use it myself, and it is a relief to hear the actors using the only kind of language adequate to define my opinion of the show.” As the Battle Rages. flivvers with smoke . screen equipped The bootlegger’s product is shipped And thé guns that ere placed on dis- play Put the road into battle array. Conditions are growing intense Involving attack.and defense; ‘We may next hear the rattle and clank. In Of the bootlegger's big asmored tank. “De benefit of readin’ de Bible,” said. Uncle Eben, “depends on whether You's loakin® foh. salvation or an argu- ment,” . . £z P Among small things, the rubber washer is the most monumental. It belongs to that select list of articles for which there is no sub- stitute. ‘We may get along very well with- out a wooden snow shovel, so long as we have a steel one.commonly used for coal. We may miss our favorite maga- zine, but some other publication will pass away the time just as well. Lacking the gladiolus, we love the rose, and yearning for Winter, we yet enjoy Summer. But when the old hose springs a leak, there is nothing in the whole wide world that will take the place of the little rubber washer! It just fills the bill. If it were a sixteenth of an inch less in diameter than it is it would be useless for our purpose. Even if it were that much too large it would be some- what of a nuisance to whittle it down. We do not have to do a thing to it, however. It, and eleven of its brethren, are reposing in a mighty little stack there on the edge of the basement steps, and all we have to do is take it from the top of the pile. Fitted into the leaking joint, the rubber washer begins to function at once. It does not have to be wound up, nor does it require to be coaxed, petted or pralsed. It does its stuff, as the saying is, and it does it gladly, freely, in the best spirit in the world. The rubber washer never strike, or querulously questions our right to insert it tn the leaky place, in order to hold the water to its proper place of exit. The rubber washer just works away at its mission in the world. It saws wood, as it were, and says noth- ing about it, one way or the other. One might think that a plece of string cleverly wound around a leaky joint in a stretch of hose would end the trouble, at least for the time be- ing. Yet any one who has had any ex- perience in the fine art of lawn sprin- kling will tell you otherwise. As a matter of fact, it is only because he has had vast experlence with string and twine and rags and cord, etc., that he has come to hold the rubber washer in such esteem. Only after we try all the substitutes do we find that the genuine article is best. It is always so. The original thing was the work of much thought and experiment, combined with loving care. All the imitators string along be- cause competition compels them to. Their heart is not in it. Therefors their product isn't as good as the old original. It is so with the rubber washer. Certainly it might appear, at first thought, that a plece of twine would fl] the bill. Well, try it. The hose is leaking. The water is dripping down over your new shoes. The whole task has become a sad affair, one wholly lack- ing in any charm whatever. To many persons, indeed, the job of watering the lawn is nothing but work at best. Especially these folk, then, need a sup- ply of rubber washers on the base- ment steps. All of us need them, for that matter. The hose has sprung a leak, and unless we are careful we will be in the fix of poor Smith. Smith really likes to water the grass. He has a great time over it. It is his substitute for the ocean. Luckier men than he, Smith says, go to the seashore or to the lakes, or even to the fishing hole. Smith stays at home. Yet he does not utterly deny him- self the primeval lure of water. He gets it dally in his bath, and especlally in the evening when he waters the lawn, fore and aft. Smith enjoys the whole thing, from the opening splutter of the water to goes on | the somewhat messy operation of blowing the water out of the various lengths and colling. them up. Even the fact that his “‘non-kink- able” hose kinks does not detract from watering the lawn. It packs a real “kick” for Smith. That is the reason why his case was sad when his hose sprung a leak. * % K ¥ You see, if Smith had been one of these backyard chaps who are scourged to their sprinkling task by the admonitions of the good wife, it might not have been so bad. But Smith really liked to sprinkle. So when his non-kinkable hose that kinks got leaky, Smith resented it more than the ordinary man. The thing was distressing, not only be- cause the water squirted all over him but because it took the joy out of water{ng the lawn. Smith really liked it, you know (or you ought to by this time). Every day, before he started to the office, Smith would think, “Now I must stop in the hardware store be- fore I come home and get me some washers.” Eveny evening, when he started to put the hose on, he would suddenly realize that he had forgotten all about the hardware store. Also the washers. He tried tying strings around his fingers, and all the customary re- minders, but they all failed. In the meantime the leaky hose pained him. It was not shipshape. Smith liked his brass work to be polished, his yard neat, his hose leakproof. The upshot of it all was that in the end he had to go across the alley and borrow a washer from a mneighbor. And that very afternoon he had passed half a dozen hardware stores on his way home! * x ok ok ‘The rubber washer, then, is some- thing the modern home ought to take serjously, as it does its vacuum clean- e(r. éts ‘washing machine and its food- stuffs. There {8 nothing that will take its place. A leaking hose will leak de- spite all the twists of twine put around it. A leaky hose laughs at cloth. It scorns anything and every- thing except— The rubber washer. ‘Wherefore, we ought to put in a supply of washers each Spring just as we do tons of coal in Summer. We may not need them now, but we will later on. The washer, too, plays an essential role when a spigot leaks. Although every householder is not what is called a handy man, almost every one can learn to fix & spigot when it leaks. Plumbers, canny men that they are, have too much business to relish monkeying around over such small jobs. They would prefer to have you fix your own spigots as far as possi- ble.” And the only way you can do it is to have plenty of rubber washers. The neatness with which the washer fits into the place, and the dispatch with which it begings to work, call for our greatest admiration. Though their task is humble, it s important, as many humble jobs in the world are. When we get right down to disentangling modern indus- try 4nd life, we discover that every part depends upon some other part. Executives decide, high-paid em- ployes use their brains—and the prod- uct s turned over to a little messen- ger boy to bear across a great city. He s a small cog in a great wheel, and vet the executive has made his decision in vain, and the highly paid employe has worked for nothing, if this very small cog shall be lured away from his plain duty by the sight of fire engines speeding down the street. So the rubber washer is a Iittle thing, yet one well worth our con- sideration, now and then. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. President Coolidge {5 the author of an innovation, s far as his White House career is concegned, in request- ing unqualffied support of the press during the French debt negotiations. It remains to be seen whether he will get it. In effect, editors and news writers are asked to adopt Stephen Decatur’s maxim of “right or wrong, my country.” The Literary Digest re- cently held a symposium on the ques- tion of the treatment of European debtors. It revealed a very wide divergence of view. Differences of opinfon still exist. it is understood, for instance, that the funding com- mission is inclined to make general concessions to France. But Senator Borah opposes any greater liberality than was extended to Great Britain. 8o does Mr. Crisp of Georgla, one of the House representatives on the funding commission. Mr. Crisp is a Democrat. A member of his party re- marked to this observer: ‘‘Another American President, about to enter upon negotiations with France, called for united support, but was denied it. Will Calvin Coolidge get that which was withheld from Wosdrow Wilson?” * In their duel with M. Caillaux, Messrs. Coolidge, Mellon, Kellogg, Smoot, Hoover et al., are assured in advance of strong public support. The French are under no illusiors on that score. It is veraciously related that a self-styled American publicity expert visited M. Calllaux during the im- mer and offered his professional serv- ices. He represented that opinion in this country might be usefully edu- cated along French lines. M. Caillaux indicated that he was not interested. France knows that America's desire to make her pay to the limit of her demonstrated capacity is pretty uni- versal. Cancellation sentiment no longer prevails to any appreciable de- gree, For that President Coolidge is mainly responsible. For two years he has incessantly insisted upon vindica- tion, in letter and spirit, of the prin- ciple of the sanctity of international debts. When the President received M. Daeschner last January the French Ambassador was told, in so many words, that America’s contribution to World War victory wipes out “the La Fayette business"—i. e., the idea that we still owe France for services rendered 150 years ago. Some Ameri- can knights of the Legion of Honor did not like Mr. Coolidge’s plain hint. But this country ;(fltg: and sald so. * * ‘There's a good deal of curiosity as to what suddenly inspired Secretary Kellogg to remind American aviators fighting with the French in Morocco that they are flying, literally, in the face of the laws of the United States. For two years before we made war on Germany thousands of Americans were in the ranks.of allied armies. ‘The Canadian forces were full of them. So were the French. Allen Seeger kept his “rendezvous with death” as.a poilu. The “American ambulance,” of which Representative A. Platt Andrew of Massachusetts was a prominent member, rendered yeoman service in the French army in 19156 and 1916. So far as known, no effort was ever made to recall these American volunteers from alien service or warn them that they were breaking the laws of their céuntry. Near the new United States embassy in Paris stands a beautiful statue in glorification of the Yankee lads who died for France. There are sure to be those who'll say that Amer- ica, in calling off Col. Sweeny and his rades Riffian -kv-u;:; came to us in the same spirit a cen- tury and a half ago. * % X X Evan E. Young, whom President Coolidge has just appointed American Minister to the Dominican Republic, has for four years been the State De- partment’s principal authority on Rus- slan affairs. They have been vir- tually under his exclusive direction as chief of the Eastern European divi- sfon. No man in America knows So- viet Russia, through and through, as thoroughly as TYoung. Secretary Hughes relied on his knowledge and Judgment in formulating our policy toward the Soviet, and Young has been equally a tower of strength for Secretary Kellogg. The assignment to a ministership, after a meritorious career in the consular service, as has happened in Mr. Young's case, is fresh indication of the Government’s desire to divorce diplomacy from poli- tics. Young has a brother, Allyn A. Young, who is a professor of eco- nomics at Harvard. The latter is a Democrat, and his admirers call him “another Woodrow Wilson.” * x % ‘Washington boasts of a club famed for the braininess of its membership. When a man applies for admission, his profession is always particularized. A candidate who lives in Hawali re- cently gave his occupation as that of a “volcanologist™” and his address as “Volcano House, Honolulu.” * K % % Maj. Gen. James G. Harbord, re- tired, who i8 now in Washington as a member of President Coolidge's air board, has just joined the endless galaxy of compilers of war memoirs. His “Leaves From a War Diary” left the press only a few days ago. Har- bord started out to be a farmer, but repented and became a soldfer. Al- though not a West Pointer, the World ‘War found him at Pershing's right hand as chief of staff of the American expeditionary forces in France from May, 1917, until May, 1918. The Radio Corporation of America tempted him away from the Army three years ago and he is now that company’s chief executive. Recently he returned from an_extensive tour of .South America and Europe, undertaken on its be- half. After the armistice, Gen. Har- bord was chief of the American mili- tary mission which investigated con- ditions in Armenia. He comes from Iilinois and is 29 years old. * Kk ‘Washington is full of lawyers, and they went in droves last week to see the new Belasco-Sothern play, “Ac- cused.” The brilllant translation from Brieux French is the work of George Middleton, young American play- wright, who 14 years ago married Fola La Follette, daughter of the late Senator Robert M. La Follette. One evening this observer saw two of the Capital's greatest lawyers, Sena- tor Borah and Assoclate Justice Mc- Reynolds, enjoying “Accused,” and pondering intently over its leitmotif —the question whether a lawyer is justified in defending a man or a ‘woman whose gulilt is known to him in advance. Washington’s spellbind- ing fraternity, a goodly clan, hearing Sothern in “Accused,” voted unani- mously that politics lost an orator ‘when the stage acquired a star. (Copyright, 1925.) ——e—. Honor in Discretion. From the Santa Monica Evening Outlook.. Honor compels us to tell a man his faults to his face, but the law makes it safer to Facts About Capital’s Fire Department To the Editor of The Star: On Labor day just prior to the base ball game between the Fire Depart- ment and the Police there was quite a display of the Fire Departmeént. In the parade the Fire Department was represented from Alpha to Omega; heading_the procession was the ald Bucket Brigade in their red shirts and an old hand-power fire engine. In the Dprocession there were representatives of the Fire Departments from Alexan- dria and Annapolls. One of the fea- tures was the old team of grays, Bar- nie, Jim and Tom, who formerly be- longed to engine No. 19, but were re- cently retired from active service with a pension, and they now reside in the country in peace and comfort. Apr Pos of this parade of the Fire Depart- ment it may be well to give a few facts regarding the history of our Fire Department. The first steam fire engine to ap- pear in Washington was in April, 1867. The first response to a fire alarm of this engine was on April 14, 1868. They were called to a fire on Analostan Island and after running to George- town and down to the river it was found impractical for the engine to jcross the river on the old ferry scow, and not being amphiblous or being con. structed like a hydroplane, they could €0 no further, much to the disgust and disappointment of the firemen and a great flock of the citizens who clus- tered round the engine like the crowd about The Star Building watching the base ball returns. The gasoline motor engine was introduced into the service about 1911. The Fire Department to- day conslsts of 28 engines, 12 trucks, & number of hose vans and other vehi- cles of minor Importance. It is said that an airplane will soon be included in the District of Columbia Fire De- partment. Just for what purpose is not known, probably a bombing plane, |carrying large bombs, containing chemicals after the manner of the old hand grenade. * k% % Before the introduction of the still alarm notice of a fire was given by the ringing and the clanging of the church bells. The telegraph fire alarm was established in about 1880 and fire alarm boxes were attached to the lamp posts throughout the city. Truck No. 2, located near New Hampshire avenue and M street, nev- er loses much time in getting away. The last horse-drawn truck at this house was drawn by three noble horses, Nigger, Big John and Abra- ham. While the firemen at the houses to an outsider appear to be having an indolent time and just sit around wait- ing for something to turn up, they are much mistaken, for the men are re- quired to do a lot of studying, and from time to time the truck goes out and after going around a few blocks returns to the house. The ladders are pulled out and run up over the face of the building. The large telescope lad- der, or rather, extension _ladder, 85 feet long, belng the first to go up, and immediately the men run up the ladder with additional ladders, hooks, ropes, etc. All the gang attached to the house take part in turn of adjusting the ladders, etc., and their actions are identical with those which would take place at a real conflagration. On a cold, frosty night it was thrill- ing to see engine No. 9 rush down Efghteenth street with the horses’ heads out, tails up, and the breath is- suing from their nostrils like jets of steam; sparks flying from beneath the hoofs, smoke 1ssuing from the engine and the gong clanging. The horses would remind one of the charlot race in “Ben-Hur.” Tom, Dick and Harry were the names of another team in the Northwest section. Some time ago they were put to work hauling about the wagons and carts of the Street De- partment. * * * X - For a long time the City of New York had a system of watch towers, with a constant lookout. The Ells- worth Zuaves, who figured so conspic- uously during the early part of the war, were composed of New York fire- men. Probably Washington enables the fire apparatus to encounter a fire to better advantage than most cities, there being no overhead wires, but the trees often present a great obstacle. In Baltimore they have an organiza- tion known as the Fire Patrol, the ob- ject of which is for the protection of the fire insurance companies, and they are supposed to salvage goods and ar- ticles from a burning building, which have been removed to a place of safety and covered with a tarpaulin. It may have been noticed that the fireman’s hat has undergone but little change in the last hundred years, par- ticularly as to shape. Formerly it was made of reinforced leather, but is now generally made of aluminum. This is supposed to protect the head of the fireman from falling debris. The brim of this hat extends pretty well over the back, which sheds the water to the rear. In former times all the fire com- panies were equipped with a fireman’s trumpet, which was on the order of & megaphone and was sometimes com- posed of solid silver, being donated to the company by the citizens, and some- times received by the company as a prize for some contest. * Much could be said of the foreign service of the fire companies. For in- stance, in Paris the firemen are de- tailed, being soldiers stationed at near- by barracks. Their uniform for the time being is laid aside and they are rigged out with the equipment of the fireman, consisting of a jacket, blue trousers and boots, with a surcingle belt, to which is attached either a coupling wrench or ax. They wear a large brass helmet, suggestive of a coal scuttle. When called to a. fire they march away like a corporal's guard, being thoroughly under disci- pline. The engine is drawn by three black stallions, and when going to a fire a horn on the engine emits a blast ‘which sounds very much like the word pupa, pupa, pupa. Paris has an am- ple supply of water; that used in case of fire is separate and apart from that used for domestic purposes. In London you will see a fire appa- ratus standing in the middle of the street all ready prepared for a call. For a long time old St. Petersburg maintained a system of watch towers, but they no longer exist, the city lit- erally having gone to the dogs. As the city of Washington is ex- panding rapidly and the population in- creasing, it should have an increase of at least 10 per cent in its fire equip- ment. 'RANKLIN STEELE. “Gardens of Beauty.” To the Editor of The Star: ‘Gardens of Beauty” in The Star of September 17 is a charmingly writ- tén article. Your contributor weaves about us the allurements of far laven- der-scented days and the plumed ivory fans of our great-grandmothers, who went “so softly” in silken shoes and sandaled slippers, long, long ago. eading of winding paths and “clipped” box-hedges, one recalls the Marquis de Lafayette gathering roses in the garden of stately Chilton in New Jersey; Annice. Boudinot of Mor- ven Manor with her dimpled smiles and her “dipped petticoats,” offering the myrtle and lilies to that famous Father of his Country; the ‘“yellow rose guerdon,” from Katharine van Raensaeller’s fair nosegay, and Lord Stirling’s gallant service; Betty Wash- ington Lewis bending over her dearly prized mignonette at Kenmore, and that stately, beautiful woman, Mary, the mother of Washington—"Rose of Epping Forest.” *James Doban of Dublin, who plan- ned the White House, loved Lis “bit of ‘Erin’s shamrock,” and Maryland's sweetest lyric singér, gives to us Summer, ‘“caught in the breath of Tose!” ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. When was the Order of the East- ern Star founded in the United States?—0. W. A. It was a gradual evolution of an earller organization of Masons' fami- lies and the first grand chapter was organized -in Michigan in 1867, the | first chapter listed under it being Coldwater, No. 1 Q. Does the “tree of heaven" cause tuberculosis? What is the tree's real name?—R. C. H. A. The Forest Service says that the scientific name of the tree known as the “tree of heaven” is Aflanthus al- tissima. The common name is ailan- thus, There is no foundation in fact to the bellef that this “tree of heaven” causes tuberculosis. » Q. How can ofl spots be removed from marble?—N. C. A. Apply common clay, saturated with benzine. If the grease has re- mained in long, the polish will be in- Jured, but the stain will be removed. Q. In this country is there a Roman Catholic priest who is an Indian?— LT.C. A. Father Negahnquet, a Pottawat- omie Indian, is the only full-blooded Indian priest in America. Q. What are the four heaviest met- als known?—S. N, M. A. The Bureau of Standards says gold, osmium, platinum and tungsten are the four heaviest metals. The density of 'a hammered or rolled metal is greater than that of ‘a cast metal. . Where is the southermost city in the world?—G. ¥. M. A. Punta Arenas, end of Patagonia on the Straits of Magellan, is the farthest south. Dur- ing its Winter months it has only two hours of daylight. Q. What is the difference between a tint and a shade?—D. H. A. A tint is a departure from the normal spectral hue in regard to purity; 1. e., it is whiter. A shade is darker than the normal and may be produced by decreased illumination or by the addition of black. Q. How deep a hole must be dug to make a concrete base for a flag pole G0 feet tall and about 10 inches thick at the bottom and 3 feet at the top?—W. R. B. A. The Portland Cement Association says that if the flag pole is to be put in" firm ground, dig a hole about 8§ feet deep and approximately 1 foot larger than the pole all around. Lay in the bottom 6 inches of concrete and allow it to harden. Set the pole in this and brace it and fill in the 6- inch space with fresh concrete, the mixture being 1 part cement, 2 parts sand, 4 parts gravel or crushed stone. ‘The top of the concrete base should be sloped off for water to run away from the pole. For the size founda- tion desired use approximately 4 bags of cement, 8 cubic feet of sand and 6 cubic feet of gravel. Q. Does Coty, the perfumer, own the whole of Corsica?’—R. B. A. M. Coty, the perfumer, does not own all of the Island of Corsica. He has an estate on the island in the vicinity of Ajacclo. Q. Are mushrooms thoroughly di- gestible?—F. W. D. A. The numerous studies which have been made show that mushrooms at the extreme | are not thoroughly digested. Recent experiments show that 25.58 per cent is indigestible. Q. Why was the upper peninsula added to the State of Michigan?— McN. o A. Both Michigan and Wisconsin were originally part of the old North- ‘west Territory. The ordinance of 1787 provided for the division of this ter- ritory into five States, three south of an east-and-west line drawn through the southern bend or extreme of Lake Michigan, and two north of it. If this ordinance had been adhéred to strictly Ohio, Indiana and Illinois would have had no frontage on the Great Lakes. These States, therefore, induced Congress to violate the pro- vision and grant them harbors. When Michigan was formed there was much dissatisfaction that Ohio had been given Maumee Bar and the site of Toledo, and before Wisconsin was or- ganized Congress awarded to Michi- gan the upper peninsula as a recom- pense for having lost Maumee Bay to Ohio, and & narrow strip on Lake Michigan to Indiana. Q. Is there an ancient building in Viviani, Dead, Is Ireland called Clonmacnoise?—L. B. C. A. Clonmacnoise is a parish and holy spot of Ireland in Kinga County, on the River Shannon, seven miles from Athlone. It was an early re- ligious settlement and still has ruins of an abbey and other old churches. It is famous for the book of Dun Cow, written about 1100, containing a large number of romances. Q. What is meant by a continuous industry?—F. S. A. It is an {ndustry in which the work i carrled on day and night without interruption either through- out the vear or for several months at & stretch. Public utilities operate on a continuous basis. Another example is the steel industry where continuous operation IS more economical. Qi' Does a whale spout water?—H, A. The idea that a whale takes water in at the mouth .and blows it out through the nostrils is baseless, | although water may be blown in the air if the breath is released before the animal has quite reached the sur- face. The go-called blowing of a whale takes place through the nos- trils, and is merely the release of the long-confined moisture-laden breath which condenses in the cooler air and gives the appearance of a column of water being blown from the nostrils. Q. When and how did the Madeira embroidery industry start?—V. I A. That the embroidery industry at Angra, on the Island of Terceria, is one of the most important manufac turing industries in the wes Azores 18 pointed out in a report fr the American consul at Horta Azores, dated March 31, 19 industry was introduced about 20 years ago by Madeira firms who de- sired a large supply of cheap labor and was developed through the stimu lus of outside demand. In 1924 itm production was valued at approxi- mately $200,000, of which the Amer- ican market absorbed about 99 per cent. Q. How many elfens were admftted to the United States during April and how many departed during the month?—N. S. B. A. The immigration figures for April, 1925, show a total of 41,089 aliens (26,744 immigrant and 14345 non-immigrant) admitted and 15,392 (5,684 emigrant and 9,708 non-emi- grant) departed, resulting in an in- crease of 25,697 to our alfen popula- tion for the month. During this month 2,225 allens were debarred from the country after landing. Q. How many passed the Naval Academy exams on June 257—G. S A. Out of the 26 who took the examination for the entrance into the United States Naval Academy on June 25, 18 passed. Q. How are clays usually classed? —S. D. W. A. Clays are found under the fol- lowing headings: High grade clays; white-war, refractory, pottery, and medicinal. Low grade clays; vitrifying, brick, gumbo, slip, and fuller’s earth. Q. What five States lead in Indian population?—S. M. A. As of June 30, 1924, they are: Oklahoma, 119,983; Arizoma, 42,841; South Dakota, 23.962; New Mexico, 20,834; California, 18 Q. How many wives did Brigham Young have?—N. D. A. M. R. Werner is authority for the following statement: “Brigham Young had 27 wives, although that many were never alive at the same time. Nine wives died before he died and, if we exclude Ann Eliza Young, who left him, he was survived by 27 (Boys and girls should not overlook the information bureau. It can help them in @ hundred ways. It can ad- vise them how to get training in any trade or profession. .It can give them information about the birds in their neighborhood and ezplain how to build a bird house. It can tell boys how to raise rabbits, guinea pigs. pigeons and_other pets, and how to sell these things profitably. It can teach girls how to make new kinds of candy. We want the young folks to get the habit of calling on our Wash- ington bureau whenever they need help. Send in your question and in- close 2 cents in stamps to cover the return postage. Address The Star In- formation_Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C.) Ranked Among Great War Figures Lauded as an orator who could move multitudes and as a sincere patriot, Rene Viviani, first war premier of France, s accorded a place of honor in history by American public opinion. His death has been made the occasion for tributes to his exceptional talents. He is viewed as one of the great fig- ures in the World War, but the re- sults of his labors in that struggle are still a subject on which estimates differ. Viviani's nitch in history 1s re- garded as secure by the New York Herald-Tribune. “As__ premier of France in 1914,” the Herald-Tribune recalls, “he was obliged to face the challenge to French survival and to Western civilization involved in the German declaration of war. He was on a visit to St. Petersburg, and re- turned to meet the situation with calmness and courage. e was the first to appeal in the Chamber of Deputies for the suppression of party animosities and the political union of all Frenchmen. His country has lost a leader of note, distinguished among the leaders of a crowded and glorious era as a patriot, statesman and ora- tor, as well as the first of the war premiers.” * K %k He will be “remembered by thou- sands of Americans,” says the Provi- dence Journal, which refers to the fact that they “saw and heard him in the Spring of 1917 The Journal con- tinues: “Upon our declaration of war with Germany missions from the alifed nations came over here to have counsel with us. Heading the French group were Viviani,’ the statesman. and Joffre, the commander at the Marne. We were eager to see Joffre, and Viviani won us by his brilliant public addresses. There was one be- fore Congress, informally assembled, and an unforgettable oration at Mount Vernon.” “Eventually more warlike men took the reins of government,” it is re- called by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “put Viviani's record as a conscien- tious and courageous. patriot stands unsullied. Like Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Asquith, he was essentially a student and advocate of political progress. Yet it was his connection with the war which assures his fame.” The St. Paul Pioneer-Press, referring to the “revisionist school of modern historians,” considers that ‘“praise or blame for the policy of France in the days of the crisis must go to no men more than to Vlmn‘ i and Poincare.” . k% % Remarking that “history is filled with stories of men who, liberally en- dowed with talents of high order, nev- ertheless fell just short of supreme greatness,” the Asheville’ Times be- lieves that “to this list history will now probably add the name of Rene ‘Viviani,” because “it seemed as if the bestowed upon him everything except that administrative and organizing ability that marks the labors of men whom the world remembers as its greatest leaders.” i “His eloquence helped talk billions from the American Treasury, clares the Akron Beacon-Journal. remarkable ability as a speaker com- tributed much to his power in French politics, especially when he joined with it a sincere espousal of causes,” the Indianapolis News remarks. “In truth, he was one of the most giftéd: orators France has known,” the Ray leigh News and Observer adds. “Those who heard him will not soon forget his mellifiuous art of address which glowed and shimmered even in an allen tougue,” is the comment of the New ork Evening Post. § Y"Ha,d Viviani retained his health apd vigor,” in the opinion of the Spring- field Daily News, “the entire course of France in the reconstruction period might have advanced much farther toward stability. For Viviani was the aggressive leader of a different sort who could submerge the prejudices and work with others to bring agree- ment out of discord and achieve the better end. His ideals for France were much like those promoted in America by the late Senator La Fol- Jette, but he succeeded where La Fol- lette failed.” . “Whatever history’s appraisal may be,” according to the Watertown Times, “it must be said that he was & true friend of France, and he gave the best that was in him for his country.” His place as a great Frenchman im- presses the Hartford Times, whose tribute is expressed in the words: “He was a great orator, and the war made him his country’s spokesman before the world. Noble as was France of that hour, it was Viviani who so nobly interpreted her cause. Among all her sons, it is doubtful that she could have found one so well endowed by nature and training to voice her mag- nificent spirit.” His record moves the Philadelphia Public Ledger to adjud him “a great orator, a genuine states- man, a sincere lover of peace and an unquestioned patriot.” Viviani's career, as reviewed by the Manchester Union, presents some ouri- ous resemblances to that of Willlam Jennings Bryan in this country. “Not that the two men saw alike in matters of human concern,” the Union con- tinues, “but both displayed an amaz- ing power to sway men by their elo- quence. Both were credited with per- sonal sincerity, both had strongly pacifist beliefs put to the test in the great war, both won devoted following and came to high place.” . The New Haven Register also remarks that “the loss France suffers resembles in more ways than one the loss this country suffered in the passing of William Jennings Bryan.”