Evening Star Newspaper, November 6, 1925, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR ‘With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY......November 6, 1925 THEODORE W. NOYES...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Bustness Office. .. 11th St and Pennavivania Ave New York Office: 110 Enat 42nd St. Chicago Office; Tower Buflding European Office: 16 Regent St.. London. England Th ivening Star. with the Sunday morn- 1ng etitlon T Solvered Phine SUndaY MO the city at 60 cents per month: dnflg only. 45 cents per month: Sunday only. 20 cents Der Tonth - Grdrra may b sent by mail of telephone Main 5000. Collection is made by Carrler at the end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday....1sr. $8.40: 1 mo., Dally onls 151 $8:00: Tmo Sunday only 1yr..$2.40: 1 mo.. 700 All Other States. Daily and Sunday. ...1yr..$10.00: 1 mo.. Daily only_ ... 711 5r ] $7.00: 1 mol Sunday eniy..... 11y $3.00: 1mo. Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled {0 he ke for republication of all news diy- Dpatches credited to it or not otherwiss cred- ited in this baver and also the'local news Diblished herein. Al rights of publieatio; 0f special dispatches herein are also rese: A. A A Asks Three Questions. Answers to the three questions on District highways maintenance asked of the Commissioners by the advisory board of the American Automobile As. sociation are eagerly awaited by the cltizens of the National Capital. Scoring the “notoriously bad" con- dition of street pavement in Wash. ington, the board has requested the Commissioners to inform it how much money has been spent on Washing- ton’s streets since the adoption of the gas tax; the amount of gas tax rev- enue collected and the proportion ex- pended on street maintenance, and the steps taken by the Government to Drevent a recurrence of the snow- clogged streets of last Winter. Many of Washington's streets are undeniably in a “run-down" condition. The pavement in places is disinter grating and ruts and holes are prev- alent. The proportion of the approxi- mately $800,000 gathered by the gas tax which has been spent on new con- struction to that spent on main- tenance of existing streets will be in- teresting to all the citizens of the city. But most important of all is the question of snow-removal equipment. ‘Washington can never go through an- other Winter with the snow piled high on the main arteries of travel. It paralyzes transportation and costs business men many thousands of dol- lars. The condition of the streets of the District one week after the heav: snowfall of last Winter was a national isgrace. It has been estimated that the price tag on last year's flasco was $1,000,000. With the temper of Congress strained almost to the breaking point at that time, it is apparent that the question of “what has been done about snow removal for the coming Winter” has focused public interest on this most important point. Other cities have met the snow- removal problem with vigorous action; it s up to Washington to adopt the same tactics. The answer to the ques- tion will probably show that the Com- missioners have made ample provision for such contingencies in the future, and that Washingtonians will no longer have to pay a heavy price for ineficiency and lack of equipment: If nothing has been done there is still time to do it. At any event the Guestion was a timely one, and the answer will be of absorbing interest to every resident of the city. o “Dutch” Anderson. Disclosure that “Dutch” Anderson, the notorous criminal who was killed at Muskegon, Mich., the other day after his arrest for counterfeiting, was a scion of an aristocratic family in Holland adds to the romance of this man's career. He was a mysterl- ous personage whose real identity had been concealed for years. It would now appear that his sobriquet, “Dutch,” was acquired from his Euro- pean origin. He probably spoke Eng- lish with an accent when he came to this country at the age of twenty, when he ran away from home. His criminal career began soon after his arrival here. The Rochester lawyer ho now reveals the true name, Ivan Dahl von Teller, and the -circum- etances of his life, indicates that it was not long after his coming that he fell into association with criminals, and “soon his genius for crime began to assert itself.” Nothing is said about the reasons for his leaving Holland. Presumably he was headed wrong when he fled his home. If he had a “genius for crime” it would have manifested itselt there as well as in this country. Imprisonment did not correct him. Thdeed, the present in- formant says that he was confirmed in his antagonism to organized society by an experience in the South, where he was arrested for a crime which he declared he did not commit, and was held in a convict camp in punishment. That he possessed unusual qualities is evident from the ingenuity of his criminal practices and his capacity for leadership. Yet it does not follow that if he had turned these abilities to peaceable and law-abiding lines he would have been a marked success. The “master crook” is often a com- monplace person save for a bulldog courage and contempt for law. An- derson, or Von Teller, was not a loss to soclety, though he inflicted heavy loss upon it. —————e— Another war-debt conference is re- garded as among the possibilities. In the meantime interest accumulates. National Manuscripts. At a recent meeting of the Sons of the Revolution in the District of Co- lumbia suggestion was made of a Nation-wide campaign to collect early “manuscript sources of Revolutionary history.” The proponent sald that many documents of paramount in- terest pertaining to the history of the American Revolution are now in pri- vate keeping. It was also said that it should be manifest that papers of the kind mentioned should not remain in privete possession, for in the long run they are certain to be burnt, rotted, rat-eaten or otherwise destroyed. In private hands the papers are not readily accessible to historlans. It was the sense of the meeting that an archives building at Washington is “especially important.” The arguments in favor of a na- tional archives building at Washing- ton are unanswerable. The question has been gone over repeatedly during the past quarter-century, and valuable public documents, scattered through many bulldings, continue to accumu- late. The safety of these papers is a ‘national concern, and in an archives jbullding, a library of a very useful kind, priceless papers, not to be re- plaeed if lost or damaged, could be made available to those persons who would use them in writing American history. A campaign for the collection of manuscripts relating to the Ameri- can Revolutionary period could be conducted with industry and success if private owners of such papers could be assured that the Government had & proper place for keeping them. Thousands of persons would no doubt be glad to turn over to the Gov- ernment letters and other papers of the kind indicated if they felt that the Government could insure their safety. It would be sensible and patriotic to collect as many as possible of the im- portant manuscripts bearing on the Revolutionary and other periods of our country, give them the care and safety they deserve and make them javailable for all time to students of our history. Tempering the Wind. The tax-pruning shears of the House ways and means committee were wielded rapidly yesterday, snipping $200,000,000 off the income taxes. The committee out-Melloned Mellon. The Secretary of the Treasury had pro- posed that the total reduction on the income taxes, surtax and normal tax be $140,000,000. The administration’s proposal that the surtaxes be reduced to a maxi- mum of 20 per cent was adopted. But the exemptions were increased | and the rates changed on the normal taxes. Under the committee plan the exemptions will be $1,600 for single persons and $3,500 for the married. The Mellon plan looked to a retention of the present exemptions, $1,000 for single and $2,500 for married persons. The committee’s normal rates run 1% per cent the first $4,000, 3 per cent on the next $4,000 and 5 per cent on the balance. Normal rates under the Mellon plan would have been 1 per cent on the first $3,000, 2 per cent on the next §4,000, 3 per cent on the next $4,000 and 5 per cent on the bal- ance. Furthermore, the committee decided to retain the 25 per cent earned income deduction in the pres- | ent law, while the Mellon plan looked to its elimination. Democratic members of the commit- tee are reported to have looked with favor on the cuts adopted; indeed, they have been earnest in their de- mands for still greater increases in| exemptions, and some of them have ! as high as $5,000. This plea for greater | exemptions than the present law pro- | vides must also have been looked upon with favor by some of the Re- publican members of the House com- mittee. The Republicans have an overwhelming majority in the new House which will pass upon this bill. They are in a position to ride rough- | shod over the Democrats if they de- | sire to do so. Speed, while not the only requisite in handling the tax-reductlon bill, is | particularly acceptable, since the final enactment of the bill into law long enough prior to March 15 next to per- mit the filing of returns under the terms of the new law will simplify | matters considerably. The House com- { mittee in a day has disposed of some of the most controversial matters in | the bill, and is bent upon having the bill in readiness for introduction as soon as Congress meets in December. It will be given the right of way in the House and, unless present plans fail, will be sent to the Senate before the Christmas holidays. The Senate will be given ample time to discuss and pass the measure, 5o that it may 80 through the conference stage and then to the President for his approval before March rolls round. The decision of the committee on the reduction of income taxes means either that the administration’s plan for the elimination of the Federal es- tate tax must be abandoned or that the total reduction in estimated reve- nues from the new law must be in- creased considerably above the $300,- 000,000 mark which has been set as a | kind of maximum limit. The administration has been partic- ularly insistent that the surtax rates | gender even fiercer animosities. urged that the exemption should run | be reduced, on the theory that it will be an aid to business and that every ald to business is an aid to the peo- ple, who as a whole are engaged in the business of the country. The com- mittee has agreed to the reduction proposed. ————e— English is not yet recognized as the language of diplomacy. However, the vocabulary is being acquired. Every country gives studious attention to the precise meaning of the words “American dollar. Mussolini. Detalls of the plot to assassinate Premier Mussolini on Wednesday in Rome are coming in dispatches from that city. They indicate that the con- spiracy was actual, and that it was nipped just in time to prevent a trag- edy. One report is that on informa- tion given by the manager of @ hotel facing the Palazzo Chigl, in which Mussolini has his office, the police ar- rested & former member of Parliament who had a rifle trained on the balcony upon which the premier was to ap- pear a few moments later. Another report says that when the room was raided the police found the would-be asgsassin with a rifle, a range finder and a number of bombs. It is also stated that a powerful automobile was standing at the back entrance of the hotel in which the assassin was to flee after firing. Unless these reports are officially colored it would appear that the conspiracy was actual, and that it was near to consummation. Mussolini's life has been threatened on several occasions. He has been! THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1925 Shaving Uncle Sam’s Dollars And Saving His Dimes - suarded by a group of faithful ad- herents ever since his entry into Rome with his Fascistl to assume governmental direction. In this case the abortive plot i decidedly strengthened his position. The reac- tion of public sentiment has been greatly in his favor. A great demon- stration was spontaneously organized by the Fascist{, and Mussolini, ap- pearing on the balcony where he was to have been the target of the ms- sassin’s bullet, addressed the multi- tude, which gave him a reception more enthusiastic than any he has re- celved in his career as the dictator of Italy. An instance of Mussolini’'s power with his people was afforded on that occasion. He announced that severe steps would be taken against those re- sponsible for the plot and also against “the opposition at all costs.” Some shouts were raised in demand of re- prisals. Angry yells were sounded that indicated a flerce spirit of re- venge, and had Mussolini not acted swiftly and decisively the mob would have been whirled by its emotion out of control to wreak a terrible ven- geance. Repeating a demand that his followers should not imdulge in re- prisals, he shouted: “You will obey because I wish it.” The angry cries were turned into cheers and order was restored. Mussolini may be slain some day. He is bitterly hated by many of the Italian people. His present methods of suppression are calculated to en- But that possibility does not deter him or swerve him from his chosen course. He s without doubt one of the most remarkable, compelling personages in history. § ——— The French astronomer who an- nounces that there are thirty-five bil- lion stars doubtless regrets that he cannot turn them over to his country as assets representing, say, a dollar aplece. Explorations of the Heavens are fascinating in interest, but much more difficult to capitalize than ex- plorations on land. [ A strong reason for averting a ‘‘next war” is the obvious unpopularity of any situation that may call for the ad- Justment of retail business to a new and advancing scale of war-time prices, RS ‘The visit of Caillaux has no doubt been a means of bringing up impor- tant suggestions for future action. As a political demonstration before a French audience it i{s apparently of limited value. —_——————— The Department of Agriculture is being congratulated on a wonderful chrysanthemum show. The farmer may yet be tempted to raise ‘“‘mums"” instead of corn and wheat. —— . None of the survivors in Damascus can be persuaded that there i{s such a thing as a peace movement in the world. ———————— Headlights are for a time to be the object of especial attention from motor police. The present is an era of specialization. — re————— The taxpayer looks forward to a reduction. If bootleggers coula be compelled to pay up the taxpayer might hope for a rebate. —————— Discussions of methods of obtain- ing direct heat from the sun are about as much practical use during an an- thracite crisis as the Einstein theory. —_———————— ‘The Anti-Saloon League retains fits old and influential title, although its functions have become those of an anti-speakeasy league. There is not much present prospect of demoting Col. Biily Mitchell out of the spotlight. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Baffled. The traffic regulations, I do not know them all. They've caused me agitations ‘Which sadly I recall. 1 grasp the proper preaching The Ten Commandments show. Our Constitution’s teaching I'm truly proud to know. Though laws that guide the nations Seem plain, I must agrese These traffic regulations Are far too much for me! Ruthless Publicity. “Don’t you sometimes wish you were a movie star?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum. “My wife and I have talked it over. We'd rather live the plain, old-fash- ioned way than hire a press agent to ruin our characters.” Second-Hand Stuff. Old King Tut himself reposed TUpon a golden bunk. Alas! As modernly disclosed His outfit looks like junk! Jud Tunkins says you can't get something for nothing unless you go into business as some kind of a for- tune-teller. Drawing the Line. “Women have been imitating men’s apparel.” i “‘At least,” said Miss Cayenne, “you can't accuse us of wearing Oxfor bags!"” % Aphorism. ‘Wise men must rule To keep things right. 'Most any fool Can start a fight. The Lure of Luxury. “Crimson Gulch has one of the finest jails in the State.” “Yep,” replied Cactus Joe. “It has been a demoralizin' influence. Where once the boys was afraid of bein’ took up, the jail now has a waitin’ list.” “If & man kin change hisse’t f'um a loater into decent citizen,” sald Uncle Eben, “dat's all de evolution Y axes to see.” BY WILLIAM P. HELM, JR. ARTICLE 1V. Savings totaling $506,389 were effect- ed during the fiscal year 1925 by Bud- get Bureau workers assigned to nine geographical areas of the United States for the purpose of co-ordinating the varfous activities of the Federal Government. The flgure quoted above is taken from a memorandum pre- pared for the Bureau of the Budget by Gen. H. C. Smither, chief co-ordl- nator, who has had a Ilist run up of more ' than 600 individual economies effected by the area workers. A spirit of competition prevails among the areas, just as Gen. Smither and his assistants had reck- oned on. The effort of workers in area No. 1, for Instance, to make a better showing than the workers in area No. 2 has led to the practice of intensive economy in carrying on the Government's business along lines hitherto , uncultivated. The area workers have no authority over the disbursement of funds; but they circu- late among all branched of the Federal Government {n their districts, are fa- millar with every phase of Govern- ment work, actual or projected, and are thus enabled to make suggestions which could not be made in the ab- sence of such familiarity. * ok ok These area workers might be called Uncle Sam's traveling salesmen. It is thefr duty to “'sell” business in Gov- ernment to the Government workers in'the fleld. Chief among their duties is to instill enthusiasm for the Cool- | idge economy campalgn The following instances of saving effected by these workers are lifted from Gen. Smither's memorandum: “Arrangements were made to secure the vacating of 12,560 square feet of floor space at the Army base, Boston. This base was being usedt by the prohi- bition director for the storage of con- fiscated motor vehicles and stills. It was assigned to the Post Office De- partment for the storage of empty mailbags, resulting in a saving of ap- proximately $30,000 annually for rental. “In_preparation for handling the 1924 Christmas mafl all large post offices in New England were requested to state the number and kind of motor’ vehicles needed and all Federal activ- ities were requested to give informa- tion as to the number they could loan. More trucks were thus made available for the use of the' Post Office Depart ment than could be adva used. Of 136 motor vehicles available, 71 assignments were made, resulting in a saving of $8,185 which otherwise would have been paid out for truck | hire.” By establishing a clearing house in New York City for the cartage and hauling of all Federal shipments re celved in the office, regardless of the branch of the service to which con- signed, the area workers there report a saving of approximately $1,000 a month. * ok ox % The custom house at New York was giutted with an accumulation of ancient flles. Area workers of the Budget Bureau induced the proper au- thoritles to destroy old files no longer needed, thereby releasing office space urgentiy needed to the extent of ap- proximately $10.000 a year. Alcohol seized by prohibition work- ers in New York, formerly destroyed in large quantity by order of the courts, is now being thoroughly de- natured and supplied without cost to meet the large legitimate industrial de- mand of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Post Office Department and other Government agencies centering at New York. This practice makes unnecessary the purchase of dena- tured alcohol hitherto bought in large | doing quantities, at a saving of 80 cents on every gallon thus distributed At Philadelphia area workers suc. ceeded in saving nearly 4 cents gailon on all g ne used by the post office by pooling the orders of that branch of the ice with other large Fede: As the post office at Philadelphia used geously | orders given in the city. | employe. i | bers of pigeons at | sult in saving about §5,000 a y | omy flag in the name of Co | tho: | chances are that the volunteer worker during the year nearly 480,000 gallons of gasoline the savings exceeded $17,000. Perhaps the largest individual sav- ing is that reported by Budget Bureau workers at New Orleans. The report reads: “Surveys of space are being grad- ually made throughout the area by committees of workers. Other com- mittees are listing the property, sur- plus or necessary, to the needs of lo- cal activities. Survey of motor trans- portation is being made with a view to utllizing the surplus without phys- fcally pooling it. “With only one-third of the area organized as planned and not count- ing savings due to transfers of prop- erty, utllitles, or service from one bureau to another, we have within a few months saved an amount approxi- mately 600 per cent greater than that nbted for last year. We have shut off a large amount of unnecessary annual expenditure and in this and other ways effected or insured a total sav- ing of approximately $358,000.” * X % The foregoing memorandum is sign- ed by Lieut. Col. Dennis P. Quinlan, co-ordinator of the fourth area. Other excerpts from his report follow: “As a typlcal result of harmonious work and co-ordination, the customs service of New Orleans district has perfected an intradepartmental sys- tem of service that consolidates stor- age control, and the making of all requisitions on that activity in the hands of one man. It is anticipated that $4.000 a year will be saved by | this innovation. “Army engineers reported to this office that several large bufldings in New Orleans were being demolished and that arrangements could be made with the contractors for obtaining broken-up cement, rock and brick for use as ballast at no cost to the Gov. ernment provided trucks could be fur- nished for hauling the material away as fast as it accumulated. “Three trucks obtained from the Army were used for 27 days and 3,500 tons of ballast was secured and placed on barges belonging to the engl- neers. The market price of ballast of this character is $4 a ton. The saving on the use of the trucks alone amount- ed to while 3,500 tons of bal- last which the Government would have {had to purchase at $4 a ton was se- | cured without cost. Thy in this case were $16 Sharp-eyed workers area, noting the pre: total savings in the Texas nee of large num rt Sam Houston, fixed the damage done to buildings which the birds invested at about $50, 000 in the last 10 years. A campaign of exterminaiton was started Thus the Coolidge economy drive in one instance resulted in the whalesale slaughter of pigeons more than a thou- sand miles from the National Capital and it is estimated will eventually re- to the taxpayers. * % % At San Francisco 11,395 surplus blankets belonging to the War Depart- ment had been offered at several auc- tion sales but remained unsold because of the low price offered. Area work- ers attached to the Bureau of the Budget found other services of the Government needing these blankets |and transferred the material to thuse | services at a saving estimated at ap- proximately $30,000 Thus goes the story. Most of the area workers, while carrying the econ olidge and the Bureau of the Budget, are attached to other branches of the &ederal Gov- ernment and have their own daily routine duties to perform. Saving the taxpayers’ money is incidental to the da work with many of them. However, the economy drive is rapidly reaching a point where it encroaches greatly on the time of devoting their efforts to it. The of this c in time w ss be replaced by the straight-out Budget Bureau (Copyright. 1925.) WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. The secret of “Bill" nacity is out. He s a descendant of Martin Luther, who once threw an inkpot at the devil. This is the Idaho Senator's own account of his ancestry, as personally supplied to this observer: Years ago when T was a student at Kansas University, Prof. Car- ruth, professor of German, be- came interested in my name and spent some time in tracing it back as far toward the cave man as he could. He became convinced it was the same name as Martin Luther's wife and so informed me. My father told me years ago that there were three brothers who came to this country from Ger- many prior to the American Revo- lution. Two of them sympathized with the American cause, and one of them with the Tory cause. The one who sympathized with the Torles returned to the old coun- try. The other two remained, and we are all supposed to be descend- ants of these two brothers. My father also stated to me that the name was the same name as Martin Luther's wife. R It Col. John C. Coolidge of The Notch, Plymouth, Vt., accepts the in- vitation of his distinguished son to spend the Winter at the White Hou there will have to be a cessa- tion in some of the ceremonial there. That is to say, there will have to be, if the colonel is to be thoroughly comfortable. The President’s father has visited the Executive Mansion on one or two other occasions. He had an excellent time, except for the servants over which he sald he was falling all the time. Sald he had never been used to having folk open doors for him, or bring hjm a chair, or bow and scrape, or anything. The colonel can be dignity personi- fled, when the occaslon requires, but 'lows it is not his matural element. LR Signor Pirelll, man of the Itallan Debt Commission, represented his country on the repa- rations -commission _and became a close friend of Vice President Dawes. Pirelll was greeted on arrival in New York the other day by a cor- ifal telegram from Dawes, express- Ing the hope they might meet be- fore the Italians leave the United States. The Vice President invited Pirelll to_attend the dinner in New York on November 14, at which the general will let down another bar- rage on the Senate rules. Pirelll has some_sad recollections of our country. His brother was one of the brilliant_young Itallan aviators sent to the United States as an instruc- tor soon after we entered the war. After two years of intrepid flying service on the Italian front, Capt. Pirelll was killed in an airplane acci- dent at Wright Field, near Dayton. * ko ox Our French friends are unduly ex- cited over the fact that Senator Reed Smoot put his feet on the debt conference table in the Treasury Building at a critical moment last month. Utah friends of Smoot are to the front with the explanation that in the Brigham Young country when a man puts his feet on the table it merely means that he's a friend; that he “intends no dirty work hiusell, aad expecls none Lowm Borah's pug- the big business | the other side.” The gesture is com- pared to the French embrace and kiss, “done in the more unobtrusive Western fashion.” Around Salt Lake it means the same thing and ore. The alibl for Smooth's tabling of his feet continue: In the West, when in doubt, u keep your feet on the floor. New, it Senator Smoot had stood quietly over by the door, with both hands in his pockets, the French might have had good reason for suspiclon, or even alarm. It cer- tainly would have been no laugh- ing matter. This explanation is submitted because Senator Smoot is too modest to speak for him- self. * x ok % Dr. Ales Hrdlicka, the distinguished anthropologist of the Smithsonian In- stitution, who recently returned from one of his periodicai world-wide re- serches in human skulls, says that Tennessee has nothing on Tibet. The secretary of the Asfatic Soclety in Calcutta has just sent Dr. Hrdlicka an authentic copy of an official com- munication from the Tibetan govern- ment to a tobacco firm which wanted to Introduce cigarettes into the an- cient Chinese province. The com- munication reads: Cigarettes are very new things in Tibet. The country of Tibet {s a holy religlous kingdom, and in it there reside many gods and‘ lamas and protecting gods. By smoking cigarettes they swill dis- appear like the clouds, and misfor- tune will arise and the bad smell which’ will spread everywhere will affect men and animals, causing sickness, death and disease to all, and also the loss of fortune and wealth of the people. Therefore we want to be saved from this and to study the benefit of all. The Tibetan’ government does not allow the smoking of clgarettes in Tibet to anybody. It would cause very great harm and sickness to Tibet as well as bad fortune. So we wish to stop it. *x One of Washington's interesting foreign visitors is Mlle. Weiss, founder and editor-in-chief of L’Europe Nou- velle of Paris. It is her first visit to the United States, but, as the brilliant young Frenchwoman commands the English language fluently, she has no trouble in navigating. Mille. Weiss hopes to Interest some American group endowed with the {interna- tional mind in a United States edition of L'Europe Nouvelle. It is distin- guished among European periodicals by the fact that it speclilizes, from week to week, in publishing the ver- batim texts of all great utterances or of state in the capitals of the world. Mlle. Weiss thinks she detects a growing interest in world politics among thoughtful Americans. Having been brought up on the theory that Boston is the hub of American cul- ture, she is headed for the Back Bay district. * ke w Up _in the President's native sec- tion, New England, where the anthra- cite shortage is beginning to be some- thing of a pinch, they're saying (ac- cording to reports percolating through to Washington) that there'll probably be no difficulty this Winter “in keep- ing cool with Coolidge.” Hard Coal Owners Not In Control of Soft To the Editor of The Btar: In_ the editorial captioned *Coal and Weather” in your issue of Octo- ber 30 you say that Mr. Lewls, the head of the miners’ union, contrib- uted a new thought to the present controversy in the anthracite region when he declared that the anthracite operators do not care whether min- ing is resumed In the hard coal flelds or not, inasmuch, as Lewis claims, “many of the largest owners of hard coal mines are likewise owners of soft coal mines and are quite willing to let the public buy bituminous in substitution for anthracite.”” You then go on to sa f it is true that the bituminous and anthracite pro- duction is controlled in some degree by the same group of operators, the miners have it in their power to break the stranglehold * * ¢ by agreeing promptly to resume hard coal mining and thus put both com- moditles in the market.” You apparently give credence to Lewis' statement by saying ‘‘the charge of a veritable monopoly of the fuel supply by this joint ownership has a serlous significance.” Like most of the statements issued by Mr. Lewls, this one is absolutely unworthy of bellef, if it is intended to indicate that the little interest that some of the anthracite operators have in bituminous flelds could influ- ence the production and marketing of that fuel. The position taken by the anthracite operators in urging their customers to provide against suffer- ing by supplying themselves with bi- tuminous coal or coke was not be- cause of any Interest that they held in bituminous coal mining properties, but simply because they felt them- selves helpless in the situation that has been forced upon them by Lewls and his associates. They realize that some of the markets thus lost will not be regained, but they also realize that the anthracite-consuming terri- tory should not lull itself into a false security under the impression that mining operations in the anthracite region are going to be resumed at an early date and that the resort to substitutes will not be necessary. That Lewls should attempt to make the public believe that the anthracite operators would lose nothing by this action is natural, but it {s wickedly false. E. W. PARKER, Director Anthracite Bureau of Infor- matlon, Philadelphia, November 4, 1925. Central Street Parkings Obstructions to Traffic To the Editor of The Star: There is one phase of the traffic problem in this city that does not seem to have been touched upon, and that i the question of parks recently placed in the centers of the various streets of this city. In looking about for a cause to ac- count for the accidents on the streets these spaces cannot be overlooked. Washington is a rapldly growing city, but the use of automobiles is growing faster, and the day is approaching when most families will own one. This will make a tremendous demand on street space never dreamed of by the founders of our city. This space is belng measured by the yard at present, but will soon be measured by the foot. Bearing this in mind, then, why make alleys of our beautiful wide streets for the sake of questionable beauty to be gained by a few bushes and grass in the center of the streets? All one has to do to verify this is to gaze on the park on New Hampshire avenue near the gas house, which was a veritable bed of rank weeds last Summer and is not much better now. The other parks on other strests are practically in the same condition, notably the ones on Ohio and Loulsi- ana avenues. Some vears ago I asked a visitor what had impressed him most about the city, and without hesitation he an- swered, “The wide streets.” The park ing in the center of K street north- west {3 a_ positive nuisance. This street i{s the main artery from the wharf and manufacturing plants in Georgetown to the center of the city. Large, heavily laden trucks, carrving gravel, coal, etc., are constantly pass. ing. These vehicles, on account of their size, occupy most of the narrow street, and in case of accident or breakdown completely block traffic. During a fire which occurred in the Spring the fire engines were unable, on account of the traffic jam to reach the scene. These narrowed streets are a posi- tive menace during heavy snow- storms, the snow hiding the curbing surrounding these spots. The modern method of handling traffic is to keep it moving. Then, vhy does the District deliberately lay down such blockades? The cry all over the country is for wider streets and roads to accommodate the rapid growth and movements of automo- biles. In a city like this, with large front yards, it does seem as if we can get all the pastoral effects needed without the use of the streets, which are urgently needed for other pur- poses. At the present time the Dis- trict {s engaged in placing these ob- structions on a very much traveled street—Bladensburg road. The Dis- trict, no doubt, went to considerable expense to widen this street, and in a few weeks later went to additional expense to narrow it. This road is the main thoroughfare into Washington from the large cities to the north of us, and, in my judgment, there will be numerous accident: especially in stormy weather. ‘e had sufficient number of catastrophes when the poles were in the center. A. W, VALENTINE. Spokesman for Greece Answers Panaretoff To the Editor of The Sta: The writer has read with consider- able interest the letier of that alto- gether charming and astute diplomat Stephen Panaretoff, former Bulgarian Minister to the United Btates, which was printed in The Star of Novem- ber 2. Mr. Panaretoff reers to a statement contained in dispatches by Walter Col- lins and published in The Star of Oc- tober 24. Collins’ cable did say, “Re- ports that Bulgarian troops advanced into Greek territory have absolutely no foundation,” but a careful reading of the balance of his cable shows that he could not have had any personal knowledge of the situation at that time, as he did not go to the frontier post of Demir-Kapou until three days after the dispatch referred to was printed in The Star. He, therefore, made the statement in question based on what he was told in Bulgaria, and, while he undoubtedly believed what he had been told, the evidence is not first- hand information, as Mr. Panaretoff intimates. The statement in the last portion of Mr. Panaretoff’s letter, that the Greeks had bombarded open and defenseless towns and villages, {s not correct. In The Star of October 29 Mr. A. R. Decker, a thoroughly reputable Amer- ican correspendent, completely refutes the Bulgarian claim that the Greeks had destroyed any houses, and says, “The villages seem to be surprisingly untouched.” THis statement has since been confirmed by other American cor- respondents who have reached %the spot. B. P. SALMON, Director Hellenic Information Bureau. Settlements. From the Canton Repository. It must be something new to see Europe settle down and settle up on a peace basis, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. May one drink consomme?—A. C. A. When consomme is served in a cup it is correct to sip the con- somme. Q._What is the vaiue of property in the Diatrict of Columbia?—F. L. W. A. The total valuation of Govern- ment and privately owned property in the District of Columbia is about one and a quarter billion dollars. Of this the Government owns about one- third and the value is $400,000,000 or more. This is exclusive of engine houses, foreign legations, etc. Q. When will the next convention of the Federation of Women's Clubs take place?—N. 8. R. A. It will be held from May 24 to June §, 1926, at Atlantic City. Q. Who invented the Cherokee al- phabet?—S, H. A. It was invented by George Guess, a half-breed Cherokee Indian, who ltved from about 1770 to 1843. Q. When postal employes work on Christmas day, do they get a holiday afterward?—T. O. F. A. The Post Office Department says that postal employes who are required to work on Christmas day, because of the condition of the malls, are granted compensatory time on any of the fol- lowing working days within 30 days after Christmas. It has been the policy of the department to limit to the absolute minimum the employment of men on Christmas day, and during this past year rural carriers were | granted holiday the entire day, and city carrfers and clerks excused at noon Q. In what direction does a ship| travel, golng through the Panama | Canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic? —E. D. 8. A. A ship on entering the canal at the Pacific follows an frregular course in a general northwesterly direction and then travels elmost due north to the Atlantic end. Q. We often hear of the glass or Jointed snake, which it is claimed is capable of becoming disjointed and coming together again. Is there such a reptile?—0. H. W. A. The explanation of thls curious| number is above two. ways total 7,543 miles in length, of which canals cover 3,031. Canal§ gre the property of the state, and are free from tolls. Q. Are camel's hair fabrics actuaily made from the hair of camel T A. Camel's hair is imported into Europe and used extensively in the manutacture of dress materials and rugs. Cow's hair is also used as « substitute in the cheaper grades of so-called camel’s hair goods. Q. Why was Fort Pillow so-called —J. 8. M. A. Fort Plllow was a fort in Ten nessee on the east shore of the Mis sissippi River, about 40 miles norti of Memphis. The fort was conatruc ed by the Confederates under the d rection of Gen. Pillow in 1862. Q. Was it ever possible for a Terri tory to become a State before it was admitted into the Union by Congress —G. B. H A, In the case of Michigan the peo ple there adopted a State constitution and elected a completa set of State officials, and later that constitution was accepted by Congress without re adoption, the original delegate was seated in Congress without re-election and the original State officlals con tinued to serve without re-election after the formal admission of the State by Congress on January 26, 1837. From November 1, 1835, to the date of admission Michigan was .da facto a State, although not technically a State in the Union Q. How many women go in for scientific pursuits?—J. T. McL. A. Though the proportion of wom en in higher professions is still small the number is increasing rapidly. Ir 1920 there were estimated 1o be 1,714 woman chemists and metallurgists and 9,048 woman physicians, surgeons and dentists. Q. How many is meant by a * —E. N. A. A. The word “few” has never been authoritatively interpreted to mean a definite number. The word s nec sarily indefinite and implies a small number, not many. In general the The word is phenomenon lies in the ability of this|relative in respect to the number to reptile to drop its tail, an act which which it is compared. If a thou sometimes enables it to escape while | sand were expected, an attendance of the still pursuer. same thing, and a “spike” or short and imperfect tail grows in place of the lost tail. This curious reptile is rarely seen, as it lives under decaying vege- tation and leaves or burrows in the sofl. It is sometimes turned up by the plow. It has long been the subject of discussion, and is merely a harm- less, legless lizard, and because of its food hablits it is of considerable value to agriculture. wriggling tail attracts the Q. Was last Spring warmer than usual?—N. D. A. The Weather Bureau says that February, March and April were warmer than usual over the entire country. It does not belisve, however, that the world s getting warmer in general. Q. Why do people try to reach the North_Pole?—M. H. A. Early efforts in polar explora- tion were largely for commercial in- terests. During the twentieth cen- tury the renewal of exploration in the Arctic and Antarctic regions has Many other lizards do the | | | | ers followed the methi a hundred would be a few, while If a hundred were a maximum, ten or twenty would seem a few. Q. How should an aluminum griddl be cured before using?—W. E. R A. The Bureau of Home Economics says that it is not necessary to cure an aluminum griddle. It is only iron utensils that should be cured. When an aluminum griddle is used add an extra teaspoonful of butter to the recipe in order to prevent the cakes from sticking. Q. How much_water flows over Niagara Falls>—W. L. R. A. The normal flow of water over the falls is 500,000 tons a minute Q. Why were the old type wooden bridges covered’—E. J. £ A. The covered bridge is a survival of an ancient custom. A great many of these bridges were built before the Revolutionary War, and their bufld used by old European bridge builders. object of covering the roadway of The been due largely to the spirit of scien- | bridge was for the purpose of pro tific research, but also for geographic | tection against the North | possible riots and prin achievement. Pea at the Pole, made a great number of observa- tlons which are very valuable in the study of geography, physiography, meteorology and oceanography. Q. Is_ILocarno Italy>—N. C. T. A. Locarno is situated on the upper end of Lake Maggiore, which became Swiss more than 400 years ago. The appearanice of the country and the ways of living are still thoroughly Italian. There are about 10,000 {nhabt- ants, most of whom speak Italfan, with a mingling of a Swiss-German. The German of Germany is not often heard. Q. Where was the “Merchant Prince” John Wanamaker born?—P. €. D. A. John Wanamaker was born in Philadelphia July 11, 1838. He died December 12, 1922 Q. How much sugar is eaten by the average American?—I. H. A. An average of 81.6 pounds of sugar per capita is consumed. Q. How old is the olive ofl industry in California?>—C. L. A. Olive oil was first made in Santa Barbara in 1873. Q. How many miles of waterway has France?—G. T. A. France has four important riv- ers, the Seine, the Loire, the Garonne and the Rhone, all of which are util- ized for commerce. They are joined by a number of canals. The water- in zerland or eather, against tive weapons Q. What comprised the stock of a grocery store at the time of the Civil War?—J. T. A. A day book of a retail grocer located in a Midwestern town shows the entire list of imported articles sold by him in 1862 as follows: Coffee, tea, figs, mustard, pepper, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, lemons, oranges, sage, prunes, raisins and almonds. Other foods handled by him were: Eggs, molasses, dried ap- ples, dried peaches, cranberries, po- tatoes, sugar, vinegar, saleratus, but- ter, cheese. crackers, lard, halibut, whitefish, dried herring, rice, sirup, salt, cream of tartar, beans, rye, coffee, peanuts, beef, veal, pork, lemon extract, onions, cabbage, turnips and native nuts. If this store- keeper had other foods they were not indicated on his charge account for two years. (Find out what you want to know, There is no room for ignorance in this busy world. The person who loses out is the one who gucsses. The person who gets on is_always the one who acts upon reliable information. This paper employs Frederic J. Haskin to conduct an information bureau in Washington for the free use of the public. There is no charge except 2 cents in stamps for return postage. Write to him today for any facts you desire. Address your letter to The Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C.) Winter’s Arrival Sharpens Feeling Over Coal Strike Winter's arrival has sharpened pub- lic feeling over the anthracite strike, which ran along for many weeks without giving the country generally much anxiety. There are renewed predictions that the miners and op- erators are killing the goose that has laid their golden eggs by staging a finish fight, while consumers large and small are seeking and contenting themselves with substitutes for hard coal. g Some thoughtful students of the sit- uation maintain, however, that sub- stitute fuel offers no_immediate solu- tion of the problem. For instance, the Hartford Times declares: ‘It is idle to pretend that soft coal can be burned as satisfactorily as anthracite by the average householder, or that it is a desirable fuel even under the best of conditions. It may be taken for granted that consumers will demand anthracite. There is likely to be much suffering if they do not get it."” Nevertheless, faith in substitutes is strong_and growing. The Chicago Daily News makes the sweeping sug- gestion that the strike might well re- sult in general abandonment of an- thracite. “There is no apprehension of a fuel famine,” adds the Dally News. “There is an abundance of all sorts of substitutes for anthracite. Indeed, householders in many sections of the country are learning to dis- pense with that costly fuel. It is not believed that their patronage ever will be regained by the dealers in anthra- cite.” . * w ok K From Texas comes a confident as- sertion by the Houston Chronicle that “‘the ublic declines to become alarmed. Belleving that anthracite “has ceased to be an absolute public necessity,” the Chronicle suggests that “‘the consumers should be very thankful that the working of eco- nomic forces has brought them out of their dilemma of former years and that their position of comparative in- dependence in relation to anthracite production will hasten a reorganizas| tion in the coal mining industry.” Availability of substitutes, the Man- chester Unlon avers, ‘“is becoming a matter of public knowledge and the good points of these other fuels are getting the attention they deserve.” This leads the Unlon to proclaim that “Old King Anthracite seems to be in a fair way to g0 the route of other monarchs that have chosen to play tyrant and 3 led to their downfall.” “Some hardship and inconvenience may come,” it is admitted by the Wiillamsport Sun, “if the strike con- tinues for a number of months, but the people are determined not to be forced ‘to pay the bill,' and are turn- Ing to or planning to turn to the use of fuel which costs less and the sup- ply of which is not likely to be inter- rupted by wage disputes.” The Grand Raplds Press concludes that “Mr. Lewis puts the hard coal business in the role of a wild West desperado, abashed for the first time because un’ recognized and unfeared at the bar, and crying out: ‘Don’t you know that I can shoot your ears of?' " * ok % % Quoting the statement of President Lewis of the Mine Workers that “the: American people are living in a fool's paradise and are due for a fool's awakening, if they think that the an- thracite strike is not a threat at their comfort and security,” the Lynchburg: News replies: “Mr. Lewis and the mine owners are also living in a fool's paradise If they belleve that the pub- lic will stand forever the recurring seasons of extreme suffering he pre- dicts for this Winter as result of the strike. They will not only turn more and more to substitutes, but they will turn more and more to other means of freeing themselves from the tyr- anny of recurrent strikes.” Justification for Government action . “Coal is a necessity of life, the Buffalo paper says “and nothing and nobody should be permitted to in- terfere with the movement of an ade- quate supply of it from the mines to the bins. It is not asking too much of the Government to insure the pub- llc against such' interference. Safe- guards there should be. What form these should take is for the leaders in the Government to determine.’” Just now, however, the public’s sola resources against the miners and operators, the Springfield Union in- sists, is to abandon the use of anthra- cite so far as possible and to turn to substitutes. “In New York City the ban on the use of soft coal has been lifted by the Board of Health,” the Union points out, “and, while hard coal prices increase, residents thers turn to bituminous of less volatile grades. In Massachusetts, one of an- thracite’s fairest provinces, the use of bituminous coal is widely urged and widely adopted. ,