Evening Star Newspaper, October 1, 1925, Page 6

u - THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY . .October 1, 1925 THEODORE W. NOYES...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11¢h st 2 Feharivanta Ave : vivant 1 Nex Yor ¢ n’;;:?w- '"_x;' iy Ehiznd st axo Pffice: Tower Dul European e - 10 Resent St.. London, England. The, Evaning Star. with the Sunday morn- Ine edition. f{a delivered by carriers within e city at’ 60 cents ner month: dajly only. ¥ onls. 20 cents per month. Ordera ma : he eent by mail or telephone Main §000. (Collection Is made by carrier at the end of e ch month. Rate by Maill—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. . B-uy and Sunday. ...} sr. $8.40: A1¥ only. 15r.SR.00: Bunday only 15182400 All Other States. Pailz and Sunday....1vr. 530.00: ally only. . " 7 &unday oniy. 137 8300: Member of the Associated The Assoclated Press fs exclusively entitied to the ua- for republication of il news dis- atchea credited.to it or not otherwise cred- ted in this paver and alo {he locnl news yhlished herein: ATl rights of pubiieatior of pecial dispatches herein are also reserved. -— - Still in the Balance. The fate of the present attempt to fund the French war debt to the United States hangs in the balance today. A new proposal, essentially a compromise, to which the French debt commission was last night represent- ed as being willing to agree, has proved unacceptable to the American commissioners, who have been in con- sultation with President ' Coolldge. A counter-proposal has been sub- mitted by the United States. With the head of the French commis- slon, M. Caillaux, bent upon leav- Ing Washington tomorrow morning, & settlement must be made within the next elghteen hours, or the nego- tiations will prove a fallure. The seriousness of such a failure should not be underestimated. It will mean much to France, which has still to put its financial house in order, and, {ndeed, it will mean much to the world, which is hoping for more stable economic conditions through the set- tlement of the huge international war debts. The French commission came fto the United States to settle the French debt. The debt exists, The United States holds demand notes against “he French government with interest at 5 per cent. The American debt commission has put forward the prin- ciple of the settlement made with Great Britain by the United States —a settlement which was held lenient In the extreme. But the French have asked still greater lenfency in the matter of interest and the perfod of pavment, together 'with a clause which would permit France to cease payments when it was found impos- sible to pay, and ask for another re- view of the debt situation. The latest proposal, declared unac- ceptable to the American commissfon. contemplates a total payment by France of $6,220,000,000 over a perfod of sixty-two with payments arranged as follows: $40,000,000 a year for five years, $60,000,000 for seven years and $100,000,000 for fifty years. The French debt today is fig- ared at $4,210,000,000, of which about $800,000,000 is interest at the rate of 6 per cent. Consideration of the British debt settlement with the United States, put forward by the American commis sion as the basis of a settlement with France, reveals the large pref- erential favors asked for France. The latest proposal contemplates pay- ment of the principal with interest at something slightly less than 2 per cent, whereas the Interest rate charged in the British settlement is 3 per cent for the first ten vears and 3% per cent thereafter. The annual payments made by C Rritain range from $23,000.000 the first year to $175,000,000. The Congress of the United States, which finally must pass upon any debt settlement that Is negotiated. it is declare® hy some of its members now In Washington, would not assent to such a proposal. Partlcularly fs there opposition to the so-called “se- ecurity claus advanced by the French, which is: “This ement is based on the capacity of France to meet the an- nual payments set out as viewed by the present negotiations. It is there- fore agreed that if it shall be proved that these payments are beyond the capacity of France, taking Into ac- count all its essentlnl elements, then the payments are to be foiudy re- viewed by the two governments." In such a clause the Americans see an attempt to ink with the American settlement the German reparations to France, and to this they are strongly opposed. A settlement of the French debt which differed radically from that en- tered into with Great Britain would put the United es into the posi- tlon of establishing a favored debtor class. It is in recognition of the dan- gers incident to such a position ths the final answer to the French debt problem must be found. e An East Indian potentate goes to Paris and loses so much of his orig- inal magnificence that he resembles a country boy at a metropolitan night club. ———— Arctic explorations will yet result in the development of a genuine nov- elty in the way of an Eskimo radio announcer. — e American Opportunity. town in Indlana, there was born to Mr. and Mrs. Atterbury a son, 2: Wallace. His boyhood was like t of millions of other American boy ably went bare-foot fn Summer, and no doubt played hooky occasionally to His tamily was not rich, nor was it poor, according to the standards of typical Midwest people of typical merican stock. Fifty-nine yvears ago, in a small whom was given the name of Will He attended the village schools, prol go fishing or swimming in the creek. the time and place. They were merely Getting beyond the age when the slaughter of Indlans seemed the most desirable of avocations, the boy de- veloped normal American ambitions and managed to acquire a college edu- cation. But upon graduation, instead of regarding his sheepskin as an easy passport to an easy life, he entered the services of the Pennsylvania Rail- rond as an apprentice in the shops at Altoona. He was both intelligent and attentive to his dutles and sustained by faith in himself and a determina- tion to get along in the world. Such a combination was bound to bring success and promotions were not with- held. Yesterday, still comparatively a young man, Willlam Wallace Atter- bury was elected president of the Pennsylvania Raflroad, the greatest rallway system in the world. And yet there are pessimists who would have us belleve that the days of opportunity in America have gone by. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The days of opportunity in America are just beginning to untold. There are young men starting life to- day who will surpass the achieve- ments of Atterbury. Where there was one chance of success when he was a boy, there are a dozen chances today, and these dozens will be multiplied by other dozens as the years go by. Business is getting bigger and bigger and is increasing the number of big jobs for men big enough to fill them. Most of these jobs are going to be filled by men who start at the bottom and work up. Preclous few of them will be filled through fnheritance. Ability is the thing big business is looking for. It is willing to take abl- ity from Fifth avenue if it is to be found there, but it Is just as willing, as It was 59 years ago, to take it from a small town in Indiana. —————————— One Chief Executive. President Coolldge has called in an impartial observer to inquire Into the facts in the controversy between the Shipping Board and former Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, president of the Fleet Corporation, over the operation of the Government-owned ships. In his effort to improve the administra- tions of the Government's shipping business, the President selected Ad- miral Palmer nearly two years ago to head the Fleet Corporation, and his selectfon was acquiesced in by the Shipping Board. Members of the hoard critielzing Admiral Palmer have sought to bring about a return to the old system, whereby the board itself was the real director of ship opera- tions. Some members of the board have heen quoted as declaring that the Shipping Board is an independent of- fice of the Government, established by Congress and responsible alone to Congress. The Inference clearly fs that the President oversteps his au- thority when he seeks to impress upon the hoard his policles with re- gard to the operation of the Govern- ment-owned ships. The Constitution of the United States, Article II, section 1, says: “The executive power shall be vest- ed in a President of the United States.” s The Constitution makes no excep- tion regarding the operation of mer- chant ships or any other executive function of the Federal Government. The entire executive power is in the President, the Chief Executive of the Nation, The operation of the Government- owned ships is purely an executive function. If it can by law be taken from under the jurisdiction of the President of the United States and placed in an independent board, as it is now claimed by some members of the Shipping Board, the operation of the United States malls could be simi- transferred to an independent agency and. indeed, every other exec- utive function of the Government coming now under the direction of the President. So much for the Constitution. The merchant marine act, passed by Con- gress, provides for the establishment of the Shipping Board, primarily as a regulatory body, similar to the Inter- state Commerce Commission. It also provides for the establishment of the Emergency Fleet Corporation through which the operation of the Govern- ment ships Is to be handled. But Con- gress, certalnly without expecting a clash between the hoard and the Presi- dent, made the Fleet Corporation sub- servient to the Shipping Board. The Shipping Board has been com- pared to the Interstate Commerce Commission, independent regula- tory and seml-judicial agency of the Government. Undoubtedly ig the ex- relse of its regulatory and semi-judi- cial functions the board properly is an Independent Government agency. The Interstate Commerce Commission op- erates no raflroads, however. Presi- dent Coolidge is seeking, as he has since he first came into office, the so- lution of the shipping problem, which has been serious since the slump in the shipping business following the war. He Is anxious to see a perma- nent American merchant marine de- veloped, both for the sake of Ameri- can commerce and for the purposes of national defense. It is unlikely he will be turned aside from such a course. His most recent step, the ap- pointment of H. G. Dalton to investl- gate the troubles of the board and the Fleet Corporation and to report to him, is entirely consistent with his desire to ald in solving the shipping problem. larly an e Being Mayor of New York is one of the hardest jobs on earth and one which never carries with it any pros- pect of further political promotion. AN Col. Mitchell has written a hook on aviation. His publisher will welcome any controversy in which he may bril- ltantly involve himself. o The Bathing Problem. Although this s not exactly the weather that makes thoughts of swimming pleasurable, it is apparent that the bathing beach problem will be one of the major local items for consideration by the appropriations and District committees in the House and Senate when Congress convenes. When the bathing beach on the Tidal Basin was wiped out last Sum- mer by the appropriations committee if left & city of nearly 500,000 persons city noted for its humid weather— ¥ ‘THE ' EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY,” OCTOBER 1, 1925. without organized facilities for swim- ming. Bathers were forced to use the Potomac River to seek rellet trom the heat, and many of them were drowned. . Under the auspices of the Public Health Service a comprehensive sur- vey was recently conducted Potomac water. The results were startling. Water that was supposed to be only slightly polluted was shown to be dangerously impdre and unfit for bathing. Following this test Col. C. O. Sher- rill, director of public buildings and public parks, concelved the plan of erecting large swimming pools in dif- terent sections of the city. This idea has been halled enthusiastically by both the citizens of Washington and members of Congress, although it has been hinted that President Coolidge questioned the $350,000 price tag on the profect. Washington cannot go through an- other Summer without bathing pools or beaches. With the waters of the Potomac polluted and unfit for bath- Ing it is obvious that pools using city water are the solution of the problem. Eventually, if the need arises, it may be possible to isolate and chlorinate certain sectlons of the river which may be rendered pure for bathing pur- poses, but the problem now is an im- mediate one, and should be Kkept squarely before Congress during the coming session. Although $350,000 may seem to be a large expenditure, it does not seem exorbitant when the beneficial re- sults to a large proportion of the pop- ulation of the National Capital is con- sidered. If Congress is unwilling to appropriate such an amount, perhaps some plan can be worked out where- by the users of the proposed beaches can bear a proportionate share. Every bather in the city would be glad to contribute to such a profect. At any event, Congress should give its earnest consideration to any plan that will give Washington adequate bathing facilities before next Summer comes, and the people of Washington should insist that some action be taken by the legislative body. ——e———— Automobile regulations for the Dis- trict of Columbfa cannot be expected to show the discerning efficiency that might have been expected if the friends of a motor vehicle expert like Henry Ford had succeeded in electing him to the presidency. e s o After all has been said concerning the tomb of old King Tut, the fact that remainé most conspicuous is that his funeral was enormously more ex- pensive than the kind that is adver- tised by the modernly enterprising undertaker. In some instances an element of superstition enters into the popular and irresponsible estimates of a cabi- net official. Much importance is at- tached to the question of whether he 1s to be rated as a “mascot” or a *“hoodoo.” of the! Recently Washington had one of those beautiful mornings that, by united opinion, are called ideal. Here was no occasion for difference. The disputes of men, by common consent, were lald aside for once. What abeautiful morning!” Such was the sentence heard from the lips of youth and old age alike. The city was In agreement. In the homes of the rich, in the houses of the poor, wherever people lived, there was but one thought, and it the same. What a beautiful morning! Much as inauguration -unites our citizenry in one blood-stirring idea, Nature had, upon this particular morning, compelied us all to think alike. It was, indeed, from whatever viewpoint ' one regarded it, a_lovely morn. The alr was just “right” for such mortal beings as ourselves; the sun shone “properly”; the sky was the “correct” blue. In all things Nature had conspired to furnish just that proportion and mixing of qualities which our race, after all these centuries, has found to form the condition vaguel: yet pointedly enough, described above. The morning was ideal for elderly persons whom the first touch of -Au- tumn coolness had driven indoors, where they sat and sighed for the opening of the great furnace season. It was ideal for young men, whose athletic blood raced from toes to heart and back again at the signal of the afr. It was ideal for young women, to whom the morning gave a glow in the cheeks far surpassing the achlevements of any amount of rouge, applied ever so skillfully. As for the children and bables, they ran, =skipped, toddled and crawled, according to their respective ages, for all the world as though the good God who made and loveth all had whispered some joyous secret to each one of them that morning. * X X % Perhaps, at such times, the Creator does, indeed, tell us surely something we ought to remember every day, but too often forget. This secret, imparted to us on par- ticular mornings, when all the world seems in tune, is none other than that tremendous thought given us by all the great and wise men who ever lived. 5 It is the wonder of heing allve. How sweetly the psaimist sang: “0 Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is full of Thy riches. “So is this great and wide sea, whereln are things creeping innu: merable, both small and great beasts. “There go the ships: there is that leviathan whom Thou hast made to play therein. “These walt all upon Thee; that | Thou mayest give them their meat in_due season. “That Thou glvest them, they gather; thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good. “Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled: Thou taketh away thelr breath, they die, and return to their dust. “Thou sendeth forth Thy spirit, they are created: and Thou renewest the face of the earth. “The glory of the Lord shall endure forever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works. “He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; he toucheth the hills, and they smoke. S — A nation is different from an indi- vidual. If an individual cannot pay his debts, soclety simply stands his chattels out on the sidewalk and for- gets him. ————— The German Emperor has achieved perhaps the greatest dignity of his career by managing to appear in the role of the retired business man. B Many old timers in the Navy are naturally indignant with aircraft for butting in and upsetting the old rules of the game. ——— Mention of “the next war” is the most misguided example of current publicity. Nobody wants a ‘“next war.” The ultimate consumer again finds himself in doubt as to whether a coal strike is a misfortune or a formality. oo Calillaux is affable and serene. Af- fability and serenity constitute a part of a diplomat’s regular business. ———oe—s. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Damaged Glee, When to Government employment You with confidence have turned, There's a check to your enjoyment Which is speedily discerned. And it chills the sense of humor TiIl you almost want to sob. There's a resignation rumor With 'most every little job. Cautlous Delay. “A man should be willing to ac- knowledge his weaknesses.” “True,” answered Senator Sorghum. “But he shouldn't be in too great a hurry about it. Many a four-flush has been filled.” When Debts Are Discussed. Of history, science and literature The diplomat now needs a knowledge secure. But he must be specially clever and quick fn his practice of mental arithemetic. Suspiclous. “What makes you think that ac- complished lady's father is a boot- legger “I asked her what she was playing, and she absent-mindedly answered, ‘Beethoven’s Moonshine Sonata.’” Jud Tunkins say the European debt looks to him like any other debt in so far as there's no great pleasure in paying it off. Lacking the Lure. “Is this play going to be one of those fmproper dramas?” inquired the discreet friend. “I don't think so,” answered Miss Cayenne. “The audience is excep- tionally small Exit and Entrance. This world is but a stage, we know. New figures come and old ones go. The ice man gently fades away; The coal man next will have his say. “It's footwork dat counts” said Uncle Eben. “Knowin’ de Ten Com- mandments by heart ain’ gineter make you nigh as popular as bein’ able to ce de Charleston.” A THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” * kK K This essential wonder at being alive is something that comes with contem- plation, but often is found in the most unexpected persons, if such a phrase may be used to denote those in whom this sense might not be thought to be present. As the Lord is no respecter of per- sons, however, the glorious wonder at being alive 18 as likely to come to a child as to an adult, and to a brick- layer as to a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Dogs and cats, indeed, and all ani- mals in their way, manifest a great joy at the processes of life, and this 18 their only means of expressing what we call in our human language the sense of wonder. ‘The wonder is that all of us are not inanimate clods, material things only, without rhyme or reason, bereft of motion, or thinking, pralse or wonder, Joy or sadness. If we were In this unhappy fix we could not know any thing of lite, or of the joy of being alive; at least, that {s the way it seems to us now. For all we know, perhaps the very rocks have a secret joy of their own, and the metals in the earth sing paens of praise at mercly being al. lowed to repose in the bosom of Mother Earth. How much more ought we, the very peak of this earthly creation, rejoice in those qualities which, as human beings, are ours, and determine to make the very best possible use of them, * kK % With mingled sorrow and pity, then, must the contemplative man or woman' view that dally record of crime, not only in this country but throughout the world. The ferocity of wild beasts is al- Hed with the silliness of fools, and the stupldity of the rocks is mated with the Il will which seems to un derlle human nature. All these have gone astray and our talking will scarce bring them back. The saving thing s that our talking is not for them, but for those only who are either safe in the fold or trembling on the border line. It happily we may save but a one of them, we will know, in some meas- ure at least, the joy which is in Heaven when one sinner Is reclaimed. A man shoots his’wife because she gets her hair bobbed. Gunmen. so called, leap automatics from pockets as ordinary men do clgarette cases. Liquor has got to the status of a front page topic, and the state of our daughters’ garters hecome a common topic of conversation, Tntil we rose on our hind legs and dld somethtng about it, our perfodical press was in dire danger of becoming the mastiest in the whole world. We have national bathing beauty displays In which the girls, if one may Judge from the pictures, would appear more modest in nothing at all. Yet all these are but an ugly froth on the surface of that greatest of all wonders, the sea of life, in which each one of us s an Interesting bubble. Whether we make it a clean bubble, or a dirty one, depends largely upon ourselve: s The very wonder of being alive in a universe in which so much seems to be normally dead! Surely we ought to rejoice at it all the time, not on those fine mornings only when nature forces it out of us CONAN DOYLE’S SPIRIT WARNINGS TO NAUGHTY WORLD ARE DERIDED Humorous skepticism is the prevail- ing reaction to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s announcement that he has re- celved spirlt messages warning the world of a great catastrophe. The forecast of impending disasters, which the author of Sherlock Holmes says will cause suffering and destruction as a chastening for the evils of the day, doesn’t seem to worry the Amer- ican public a bit. The complete unbellef of the Prov- idence Journal is expressed thus: “Sir Arthur Conan Doyle says he is in- formed by spirits that a great catas- trophe hangs over the world. Our spirits, especlally on a fine Autumn day, glve us no such information.” The haziness of the warnings causes the Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph to suggest that “Sir Arthur would prob- ably explain that they may possess value if humanity will only heed the message they convey and turn over a new leaf But the Chronicle Tele- graph belleves that “in this twentieth century, as sensible preachers are aware, it is harder than ever _to frighten people into being good: most of them don't ‘scare’ worth a cent.” “Either the spirits in another world ltke to tantalize us and therefore neg- lect to satisfy our curlosity,” says the ireat Falls Tribune as to lack of specific_detalls, “or they have lost sight of the importance of a bill of particulars attached to such extraor- dinary communications. “The Trib- une also calls attention to the fact that “if Sir Arthur should wish to in- crease his cash income, there is about $40,000 posted as rewards by various scientific organizations for any one that can show conclusive evidence that ‘he has had communication with the spirits of the dead through any medium.” * x ok % The prophet of evil is rebuked by the Springfield Union, with the com- ment: “We are distressed by the ad- mission of Sir Arthur that he has known about the impending calamity for the last three vears and has been keeping the secret to himself. Only lately, when the spirit warnings be- came pressing, did he feel that it was necessary to make the facts public. Thus three valuable years in which the world might have been shaking off its materialism and teaching itself that life has a spiritual purpose have been lost, irrevocably lost, and only Sir Arthur's spirit friends know how much time there is left, if any. But there is one ray of light and hope. They have told him that England will escape from the catastrophe more lightly than almost any other nation. There may still be time for the wise and provident to book passage for England.” ‘What might be adequate retribution Is” the problem that impresses the Knoxville Sentinel, which belleves: “If the impending world catastrophe should take on the destructive dimen- sions adequate to chastening and eradicating the evils of today, it might make a clean sweep, preparatory to creating a new earth. For it must be confessed, in_view of the aftermath of the World War, which was thought to be a catastrophe that would bring us all to our knees and cause us to mend our ways, it will require a tidal wave of well nigh universal extermina- tion to effect the salvation of the world.” Meanwhile, the Morgantown New Dominlon thinks, at least, that “a change of heart in the direction of more loving kindness toward one’s neighbor would not be a bad thing for the world, whether or not a catastro- phe impends.” “Although Sir Arthur got all this startling information straight from the spirits,” remarks the Anaconda Stand- ard, “the inhabitants of the earth continue to go their several ways as if nothing had happened or was going to happen. Instead of being stricken with terror they laugh him to scorn. Sir Arthur bas the satisfaction, how- ever, of knowing that at all events has done what he could to put the scoffers wise.” The reasonable char- acter of the warning is conceded by 6 | R e wised 10 e thelF the Yonkers Herald, with the comment: “It is not in the heart to question in the slightest the verity of the Doyle dope. A great catastrophe does hang over the world. It has been hanging for quite a while. We have had not only many warnings of it, but not a few demonstrations. In fact, the chas- tening of man has been going on for ages without any let-up.” £ x % % The message, evidently, “is intended to improve the world,” says the Ann Arbor Times News. “‘But we have an idea that this world will become better through a desire to improve, and not through fear. A man frightened into being good is not, in the last analysis, really good, but a hypocrite.”” Further- more, “if the spirits really wanted to help us,” the Duluth Herald asks, “‘wouldn’t it have been better if they had told us whence the dreadful thing is to come, what form it Is going to take and what steps, even to mending our ways, we can take to avert it?" “Why not be speclfic?” is the query also of the Reno ‘Gazette, which sus- pects that as to cosmic phenomena “the spirits are behind the times,” and continues: “The truth is that Sir Arthur ought to speak to those spiritual advisers of his and tell them to stop thelr foollng. There s a mys- terious, malicious little household spook known as a poltergeist that plagues persons occasionally, throws tables around, tweaks women’s ears and causes mischief right and left. Maybe a mental poltergeist {s vietim- izing the author of Sherlock Holmes." Referring to the universal bellef “that chastening catastrophes take the flower mankind and leave the weeds,” the Pittsburgh Gazette Times con- cludes that “this explains, perhaps, why those most in need of chastening are always ready to take a sporting chance.” Ford Winning Glory i{ace Accounted Humble Hero Nothing could have been more in keeping with the eternal fitness of things—as seen by fiction writers— than was the victory of the $8 Ford in the Times What-Price-Glory race for decrepit cars at the State fair. It was like the old story of the milk- wagon horse winning “the Kentucky Derby. For the §8 flivver was taken trom the junk pile and pitted against some “thoroughbreds” that once had some pretensions to “class.” All of the inspirational writers for the magazines should have the benefit of this remarkable performance. It shows what can be done by pluck and perseverance by a go-getter with $8, an ambition and an imagination. ‘What could be more hopeless than' a junked Ford with a cracked cylinder block as a prospect for winning the finals in an automobile race against a Stutz, a Studebaker and two Fords with sound, it resounding engines? But there was an element in the $8 car's preparation that appears to have been lacking in that of the other con- testants. The owner, William Klfer. explaining the victory, sald: “I welded the cylinder, put in overhead valves, Jazzed up the motor, gave it a kick in the slats and sent it out on the track.” Obvipusly the kick in the slats is what gave the $8 car the power, the speed, the stamina to win. Cars that were not equipped with a kick in the slats had all' eorts of trouble. They fouled their ' spark plugs, gummed their carburetors, blew out tires, skid- ded on the turns, lost compression on the straightaways and, therefore, chat- tered and wheezed to ignominious de- feat. ¢ Putting thought into action is one of the great secrets of success. MiIHo’na 8, in the ever literally see what . slats. But very few havi carried out their wish. they missed.—Louisvills l THE NORTH WINDOW By Leila Mechlin. “What is it all about?” asks the bewildered layman who perchance has partially perused a dlscursive art magazine or overheard a heated dis- cussion at one of the summer art col- onles with regard to modern art and its significance. (To the majority, without technical knowledge, such talk 1s more or less jargon, hence the com- mon supposition that art '~ for the few. What has an art commission to do with trolley poles, says the irate business man; why should any one pay $500 for a single painting, scorn- fully inquires the youth who yearns for “a Rolls-Royce. There is reason in and for all of these questions, and at this time of year when a new art season is opening it is not {ll-advised | to give them heed. * K ok K A great many people for a great many years have trled to define art and none has really succeeded, for art, after all, {8 an intangible thing, demonstrable but indefinable — a divine spark which flashes out now and then in’the works of man, no one knows precisely how or when or where—rarely, if ever, the same, and yet invariably unmistakable. Some think of art merely in the terms of painting and sculpture; some go even farther afleld and suppose it to be solely plctorfal. This is all wrong. Art v enter into the design of many articles of utllity, in dress, in furniture, in the furnishings of one’s house. The great monuments of art testifying to the civilization of past ages are architectural, sculptural; the glory of the renaissance is handed down to us In magnificent paintings. It is a measure of the advancement of man, it is an inherent part of life, it goes on and on, whether we wili or no. We may retard its progress or advance It; we can never more than temporarily snuff out the spark. * ok ok x During the last three months hun- dreds of pictures have been painted by American artists. Some will ask why. In most instances the reason is for love of art, for love of the doing. There is no certain market for works of are, particularly cotemporary art, so that the artist has no assurance atsoever of commerclal Oftentimes he or she faces and vet the impulse persists. There is much which s unpleasant and derogatory in Margaret Kennedy's novel, “The Constant Nymph,” which has had and fs still having wide read- ing, but it does wet forth in an amaz- ingly true manner the attitude of a gifted artist toward art. As degener- ate as were Sanger, the musical genius, and his family, with whom this story deals, their art was never debased, either through poor rendering or com- merclalization. It was a spiritual qual- ity, held precious, and hence to redeem. Judged by common s - ards, the life these people led was de- plorable, but the author makes it plain that poor and pitiable as they were, they possessed a wealth which the wealthiest might envy. At least, what they did as artists was done from the sheer love of beauty, not to please nor for reward. * oK ok ok The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Stanley Baldwin, on two occaslons re. tly has been called upon to speak at formal dinners giveg by art associa- tions {n London, and on both occa- slons, according to C. Lewis Hind in the Outlook, he has pleaded for a return to beauty in cotemporary art. denouncing the cleverness which seems :? be the earmark of current produc- on. “In each of his speeches,” says Mr. Hind, “he counseled artists and others implicitly, if not explicitly, that it is through love only that we can remake the world.” On both occasions Mr. Baldwin aroused his audience to excitement, stirring them by the “anclent magie of a good man speaking good things.” Mr. Baldwin is a nephew of Edward Poynter, president of the Royal Acad. emy, and of Burne-Jones. He is a first cousin of Rudyard Kipling. By hert- tage and tradition he has a right to know art, but he speaks as a man of affairs, as one of the leading states- men of the day, and he counsels the people to give heed to art and to recognize its importance in the life of the individual and of the nation. * % % % Commenting upon Mr. Baldwin's ad- dresses, Mr. Hind himself say .5 an artist has not the feeling for beauty in him he cannot express it In his work. Tt is strange how few artists have this sense of beaut It is rare. Cleverness s common. Therefore there are more clever pictures and statues than beautiful pictures and statues. And the strange and satis- thing is that the public wants I have watched,” he adds, by way of personal testimony, “the vis- itors to the Royal Academy exhibi- tions, and have marked the effect upon them of beauty—usually a little thing. You cannot mistake that look in their eyes. Beauty—spiritual beauty—has held them.” And he is right—this is art. * K x k Interesting articles on “The Place of Art in the Life of the Child and of the Adult” have lately been con- tributed to an educational journal, School and Soclety, by Albert W. Barker of the public schools of Wil- mington, Del. In discussing the place of art in the child’s education he says ““We are making life more expensive, but have we made it deeper or fuller? And his conclusion is that we have not. The child’s mind, he declares, is open and eager—indeed, Is reaching out and yearning for adventure in spiritual fields. Children, he says, want to be pirates, savages, grand ladies and the like because of this de- sire for colorful adventure. To have their attention centered, therefore, on the so-called practical things alone has, he claims, a “narrowing and de- vastating effect.” He approves of teaching art as a vocation, of letting the children know that art means home decoration and the choice of clothes and furniture, but he insists that the child should not be allowed to pass through the years of mystery and wonder without having ‘looked on color and shapes for the sake of the loveliness of their beauty.” And hav- ing expressed this conviction, he be- comes more specific, and says: “This means that we shall hang some good pictures (not merely pic- tures of good things) on the walls of the schoolroom and shall not talk too much about them.” Ah, there is the rub! Things felt, lived, as well as discussed and seen. This is why the foreign peasant has a better conception of art than the av- erage American child who has enjoyed many more so-called advantages of education. The one has lived in an atmosphere of art and takes it as a matter of course. To the other it comes as something strange and un- usual. This is the condition Mr. Barker and other educationalists to- day would like to see remedied. This 1s why we want not only pictures, and good pictures, works of art, in our public schools, but desire the bulldings and their furnishings to be artistic. It is the reason for many things, among them why art commissions should have something to say with re- gard to the design of trolley poles. It means the enrichment of the personal life. * o ok X Pursuing this same thought in con- nection with the life of the adult, Mr. Barker urges a knowledge of art for its purely recreational value. The test of a civilization, he says, is its use of leisure. Never before in the history of the world has the workingman had as much leisure as mow. What use is he making of it? Is his play af- fording him real recreation? Writing on the community drama, Prof. Schon- berger of the of North Da- kota makes » as his speclal plea ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. What_material s used for para- chutes used by Army flyers?—B. S. A. The parachutes are made of carefully chosen silks and have a diameter of 24 feet. The total welght when packed is about 18 pounds. The shroud lines or cordage are of extremely fine silk made by an American manufacturer of fishing equipment. This quality is sald not to be available any place else. The Army regulation parachute is folded in a pack and worn by an aviator as part of his flying clothes. The pack forms a seat or cushlon on which the pilot sits. When the aviator jumps he must be careful to clear the pl: before releasing the parachute. or three seconds are allowed for this. Every Army aviator is equipped with the regulation parachute upon his fiight. Q. If an air tank weighs 1,000 pounds empty, will it weigh more if full of air? il A. Its weight will be increased by the addition of afr. Air has a definite welght, which varies with the tem- perature. One cubic foot of pure dry air at 32 degrees Fahrenheit is equal to .080728 pounds. Q. In seating guests at dinner, should the husbands and wives and engaged couples be separated?—J. S. A. It is customary to separate mar- ried couples, but to allow an engaged man to take In his flancee. Q. land in Penns A. There Pennsylvania. Q. What part of South America is unexplored?—L. 4. A. While other South American countries have unexplored territory, the largest area of this kind is in Brazil, in the tropical forests of the Amazon basin. The dense under- growth makes these forests almost impenetrable, but the persistence of the rubber hunters is gradually over- coming the natural obstacles. Q. Wtat kind of a brick header’—W. R. yivania?—H. G. s no public domain in is a A. A header is a brick laid at right | angles to the face of the wall. stretcher is one laid parallel. A of a header. Q. What type of rabbit fur is in greatest demand at present>—A. C. D. A. The demand is greatest for the chinchilla rabbi Q. How many locks have been built on the Ohfo River?—C. E. M. A. There have been 38 locks con- structed on the Ohio River. The cost of lock and dam construction to date of July 1, 1925, was $84.804,5 The estimated total cost for lock and dam _construction will approximate $110,700,000. Q. What was buflt by the Federal Government?— T B, A. The old National Pike was the first to be built by funds taken from the National Treasur: Q. What price do New England fishermen get for their fish’—B. C. R. ‘Where is there homesteading | Calif. | A. According to the Department of Commerce, during July, 1925, the av- erage price received for the landings of fresh fish at Boston, Gloucester and Portland was 4.21 cents per pound, as compared with an average of 4.24 cents during July, 1924. Q. When was the great library in Alexandria, Egypt, destroyed?—0. W. A. The Alexandrian library was de- stroyed on December 22, 640. Q. What speed could a caravel make?—Q. V. A. Portuguese caravels averaged seven knots and in some cases salled faster than this. Q. What are extraterritorial rights? —G. H. A. They are the rights of one who is not subject to the laws of the place of his residence. For example, an am- bassador has extraterritorial rights. Q. Can you tell me what became of the first husband of Mrs. Robert Louls Stevenson?—D. A. C. A. Shortly after his second mar- riage he disappeared and was never agalin heard from. Q. What kind of grape vines grow the largest?—M. T. B. A. The Bureau of Plant Industry says that the largest grape vines in the world are pr ably the mission varfeties. One of the largest vines is the San Gabriel vine, located at the San_Gabriel Missions, San Gabriel, This vine furnished part of the stage for the American ‘Passion Play” which was produced in this country not long ago. It covers about one-haif acre of ground. Q. Can a revolver and camera be taken abroad?—W. H. K. A. It is probable that used cameras would be permitted in any country. It should be remembered that taking pictures near the frontier or of mil tary stations not permitted. A secial license for firearms will prob- ably have to be obtained from each country before entering it. rous to cook acid food A. Tes ¥ a food chemist | show that the metal is so slightly af- The side | fected of a stretcher is visible and the end | by food acids that careful housekeepers need not worry. Strong alkalls, however, do eat into aluminum and should not be used to clean such ware. Strong soda, lye or ash solu- tions should not be allowed to stand in aluminum utensils (What do you wish to know? How to raise canaries? How to can fruits? How to patent an invention? How to swim? The quickest and best route for an auto trip? How to re- silver mirrors? How to make bread’ How to run the home twith fewer problems and_more content? ~Hou best to do the hundreds of other things that come up each day? Ther write to our Washington Informatio the first rond to 2% Burcau, a great frec educational ir stitution ablished solely to ser: you. Send in your question and o the right answer. Inclose 2 cent in stamps to cover the return postas. and address The Ktar Informatin Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director Twenty-first and C streets northwest BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL ¥. COLLI! Tennyson has testified: The jingling of the guinea helps the hurt that | clally honor feels. And the natio each other's heels The Chinese complain more British “jingling of the guinea imports, especially of opium. against any other nation. Briti; dia sent into China, in 1 kilos of oplum; in 1921, which in both years exceeded the Chi- nese opfum imports from any other country by from 10,000 to 20,000 Xtios. * ox x % The young Chinese have risen in patriotic demand that their country shall be freed from foreign domina- tion; that the courts of forelgn na- tions shall no longer administer jus- ainst than In. tice to thelr respective nationals, but | ever s lost in British that Chinese courts shall have juri diction throughout Chinese territors that the Chinese tariffs, originali fixed by forelgn dictation and treatie: shall be raised to protect Chinese’la- bor in their home market and give adequate revenue to enable the cen- tral government to enforce its author- ity against local or provincial rebels fighting among themselves and de- fying national jurisdiction. China contains a quarter of the pop- ulation of the world and is the oldest organized civilization, vet she s domi- nated by comparatively little peoples of foreizn nations and foreign inter- ests, who limit her revenues, dictate her trafic in oplum and protest against her nationalism, which in other nations is lauded as commend- able patriotism. There is an international conference to convene December 18 in Peking, which is called to decide what the na- tions will approve as to the proposed revision of her tariff. Some observers predict that the increase permitted will not be in excess of what will pro- vide sufficient revenue to cover inter- est and other claims of Europe with- out benefiting the Chinese. P A newspaper correspondent, Mr. Thomas F. Millard, who has lived many years in China, describes con- ditions™ there as analogous to the status of our Government under the confederation. with no authority in the Federal Government which could override “State rights.” China has no revenue from her provinces, and would have no funds except for the foreign administration of “salt gal- belles”—tax on salt—and the whollyIn- adequate_customs also “protected” by foreign domination. The real power rests in the “tupan” or governor of a province, and the ““tuchan,” command- er of the military forces of a nrov- ince, or the “field marshal” who com- mands the combined forces of several provinces working together, but not subservient to the central authority at_Peking. Therefore, when the international conference this Winter agrees upon an increased tarift which will increase the cost of imports for the ultimate consumer, how will that act be re- ceived by the provinces? If the tupans and tuchans consider it detri- mental in interfor provinces, will the foreign nations lend military support to the federal government in enforc- ing it? * Kok ok . All agree that a stronger national government is need, but each tupan and tuchan really supports the idea only when he thinks he will be the chief in control thereof. All are for tariff autonomy, upon the idea that with it China can fix her tariff as she pleases, or as will give the most rev- enue. At present vast dutles are col- lected! at every provincial boundary on all_interprovincial commerce, in spite of Federal laws, and when it is proposed to abolish that practice and enforce, free trade between the prov- inces the local interests will defy the central government with the view to selzure of customs revenues by the military_dictators. for the development of art among our people. “Tell me,” he says, “in what a man finds his pleasure, and I will tell you what he is.” It was in con- nection with p knowledge of art that Ramsay MacDonald, late Laborite premier of Greéat Britain, defined edu- cation as something which had the power to mlkp‘l man happy when alone. 3 jo but murmar, snarling at | in her | | {but it S. British have been e: ttacked by Chinese agitator and young China assumes that mos of the opposition to Chinese nationa ism is led by the British in or to hold up British commercial inte:- ests. All forelgners in China at pres ent appear to be acting as a “bloc is foreseen that the United States will refuse to sanction milit backing for forelgn interests agains Chinese natlonalism. British goods are being boycotted in spite of the fact that since British ge constitute the greater part ¢ imports, therefore the revenue fror customs is mainly derived from Brit ish importations, and to boycott such reduces Chinese’ income. This is an swered with the argument that what- importations will be compensated by increased im portations from other nations, and that no other nation is so close a rival of Chinese industries as is British India. Ancient China is not without her “infant industries,” and voung Chinese are crying for their Dprotection as lustily as any member of the American Protective Tariff League ever argued for our home in- dustries and the “‘full dinner pail.” T While the present power of foreign nations over Chinese autonomy is hased upon treaty agreements, where- ¥ China surrendered much of her independent soverelgnty, It is con- tended by the Chinese that that sur- render has been revoked, and that “China long ago had signed a lot of treaties which no government of China would sign now except under in- timidation.” The new nationalism demands complete restoration of China's sovereign rights. Mr. Millard is charged with preju- diclal inaccuracy in his comments upon the character of the Chinese Christians. A letter from Mr. Ed mund J. Lee of New York, who is evidently in closer touch with the Christian mission in China, based upon a 20-vear residence in that country, points out some of the con- fusion of statements of the corres- pondent. According to Mr. Lee, Mr. Millard made the blunder of quoting statistics of only the converts of Protestant Christian missionaries. He stated that there were but 620,000 professed Christians among the 400,- 000,000 Chinese. He ignored the 2,000,000 Roman Catholic converts. Mr. Millard alleged that there was great rebellion in the Christian mis- sion schools in favor of nationalism and the expulsion of foreigners. His critic denies that the trouble was in the mission schools, but that it is centered in government students, al- though it does not follow that all students enjoying the advantage of the mission schools are Christian con- verts. The critic further declines to put the missionaries on the side of opposition to the Chinese national- ists. On the contrary, he savs, “the teaching of Christian missions has sought definitely to inculcate an en- lightened patriotism, and we are glad that Chinese Christlans have identi- fied themselves fully with this na- tionalist movement, as it will go far to redeem the Christian church from the charge of lack of patriotism brought against it by the antl-Chris- tian movemen! * ok kX Mr. Millard points to the alleged fact that “the foreign-educated and Christian Chinese in official life are not, on the average, a bit more patriotic or more honest than other Chinese.” To that charge Mr. Lee replies: “Mere foreign education does not necessarily exert a moral influence. With regard to Christian Chinese, there are very few in official life. Conditions in~ Chinese politics are such that it is very difficult for Christians to take part in politics and yet maintain their integrity. I know, personally only two Christians in high official positions in China. They are Dr. C. T. Wong, late foreign minister and acting premier, and Dr. W. W. Yen, late premier of China. These two mén, however, in my judgment, stand in a class almost by themselves, and command the respect and con: fidence of both Chinese and foreigners to an extent that would go far to ) justify & contrary opinion to that which Mr. Millard has expressed.” {(Copyright. 1925, by Paul V. Collined interes