Evening Star Newspaper, November 24, 1925, Page 6

Page views left: 0

You have reached the hourly page view limit. Unlock higher limit to our entire archive!

Subscribers enjoy higher page view limit, downloads, and exclusive features.

Text content (automatically generated)

6 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. TUESDAY....November 24, 1925 THEODORE W. NOYES...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office : 11th St. and Pennavivania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd S Chicago Office; Tower Buildiuz. European Office: 14 Regent St.. London, England. The Evening Star. with the Sunday morn- Ing edition. (s delivered by carriers within the citv at 60 cents per month: daily only cents per month: Sunday only. 20 cents Per month_ Orders may be sent by mall or telephone Main 5000. Coliection is made by earrier at the end of each month by Mafl—Payabie in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. afly and Sunday....1yr. 38.40: 3 aily only Li1yr.$8.00: funday only $2.40 700 wo.. K0c mo. s + 1 mo. All Other States. Pl and sunday. ...1¥r.. $10.00 alle only. . 700 Sunday only. :1mo. S1mo. A% 1mo: Member of the Assoclated Press. The Associated Procs s exclusively entitled to the atlon of &ll news dis- Patches « ¥ not otherwe alsn the its of publ The Smithsonian’s Appeal. Surprise undoubtedly will be caused by the appeal of the regents of the Smithsonian Institution for an addi tion of $10,000,000 to the endowment to permit the prosecution of its proj- ects of scientific research and publi- for the people have grown accustomed to the thought that all the public and semi-public organi- zations in country the Smith- sonfan was most amply provided with funds. As a matter of fact, as the regents now point out in their appeal, there is a common misconception of the situation. The Smithsonian, found- ed upon Smithson’s endow- ment, is not a Government bureau but is dependent entirely upon its in- come, which is now only $65,000 a year. This income has for years been fnadequate to maintain the many and varied investigations planned and pub- Heations required lay the results of researches before the world. Probably the mere announcement that the Smi fan needs funds will bring resu Whether the addition to the endowment in large sums from a few rich sources or 1l amounts from the people at large, the success of the applica tion for der foundation for this invaluable to be doubted. A high val od by work of cation, of this to comes the pe the cont ple upon the sci n. The worth of its knowledge cannot be ary value can be and publica Smit estim b ce e Its name has be in all countries as foremost institu- the come lishe one of tlons of This Institution was founded upon the gift of an Enzlishman, who never saw this country. It is proper that that gift should be supplemented by the American people in grateful ac- knowledgment of James Smithson's benefaction and of the invaluable, self-sacrificing. poorly rewarded work of the men of science who have for near! been laboring for the benefit of mankind. ———— rld's centu In additi shipping. to subjects relating to Congress will be confronted with important suggestions relating to avi In fact, Congressmen are now expected to familiarize them- selves wit diverse and deli- cate q 1d not be at all meet with sugges- tions for raising their pay again. tion, rprising to ————— American Incomes. It happiness be measured in dollars and cents Americans must stand high on the list of happy peoples. The statistics of personal income for the calendar vear 1924, just made public by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, revealed by the Income tax returns, showed that those making returns had received as income an almost un- believable aggre of §29,214,763,668. Almost thirty billions of dollars. This income, however, covers only those persons making tax returns for 1924, or 7,208,451 in number. The report of the bureau has been o presented as to show that of this grand total income $13,766,136,563 was received for personal industry, wages, salaries, commissions, etc.; $7,940,503,- 155, represented the return from busi- trade, commerce, partnership, farming and profits from incidental sale of real estate, stocks, bonds and other property, and that $7,474,260,513 was derived from ‘“property” rents, royalties, interest on bonds and notes and dividends on stock. {'The citizens making these tax re- turns reported a total contribution to charities, churches, etc., of $528,441,- 698, or about 1.70 per cent of the total income received. The Government did mnot receive laxes on the total gross income, but on the total net income, after all de- ductions had been made. The net in- come amounted to $25,023,210,893. The returns on the taxable incomes of 1924 reflect a really tremendous material prosperity in this country. Indeed, when compared to the income tax returns for the incomes received 1171923 the returns for 1924, based on tie revenue act of that year with thetr lower rates, show an increase of mbfe than $180,000,000 in net income and an igcrease in the total tax paid to the Government of more than £25,000,000. There was a decrease in 1974 of the number of persons making retarns on incomes under $5,000, while there was a material increase In the numbers of persons reporting on incomes above that figure, a clear indication that many had stepped from lower incomes to higher. Argu- ments advanced by Secretary Mellon and others to the effect that lower rates mean larger returns and better Dbusiness seem to kave been borne out wa tne income tax figures now given for the year 1924. ‘We are now in the vear 1925, which, it is believed, will outshine 1924 as a vear of prosperity in this country, notwithstanding the present anthra- strike. Dm $ndustry, agriculture ness, cite and commerce the prospects are that America will break its 1924 records. Congress is on the eve of enacting a new revenue law, with rates still lower than those imposed on the incomes of 1924. The expectation is that the re- turns filed next March for the incomes received during the present calendar year will far exceed those now made publie for last year. The millionalres in the United States, if herded together, would be sufficient in number to populate a good sized city. The returns for 1924 show that 31,071 persons in this coun- try received incomes of more than $50,000, which is the income on a mil- lion dollars at 5 per cent. The list shows that 74 Americans received in- dividual incomes ox more than $1.003 000 a year, and that three of them re- celved more than $5,000,000 income each. r———— Texas Troubles. Gov. “Ma” Ferguson of Texas is in hot water. The legislators of that State want to know about some con- tracts and certain administrative mat- ters and are talking impeachment. But the Legislature is not in session and impeachment proceedings cannot be instituted during recess. The governor naturally is indisposed to call the members together for the purpose of starting the firlng process. She can- not be criticized for withholding a proclamation assembling the two houses when she knows that they will forthwith go after her, hammer and tongs, on the score that she—or her marital power behind the throne, the former governor—has awarded road jobs to favored corporations at exces. sive prices and that there are other leaks in the State treasury. Under the State constitution the Legislature, elected in November, 1824, and in session last Winter, will not meet again until January, 1927. If there were no other means of assur- ing a legislative assemblage the situ- ation would be extremely difficult. But it happens that the framers of the constitution foresaw the possibility of a situation in which the executive might not be willing to summon the Legislature, and adopted a provision whereby, with the governor unwilling, the Speaker of the House might. upon the written request of fifty members, call an extra session for a specific pur- pose. ‘Therefore seventy members have petitioned the Speaker and, un- less the governor now acts upon this request, he will in the name of the people of Texas call an extra session, for the purpose of considering charges nst the governor, with a view to mpeachment. But here again is a lificulty. There are no funds avail- wble for such a session. The Legisla- ture when assembled for a specific purpcse, such as impeachment, can- not do any general legislative busi- It cannot appropriate mone: it is now announced, the proposed :xtra session will be “underwritten by patriotic citizens of Texas.” This will offer an interesting and a novel spec- It the session is called, as now seems likely, it will meet probably on the fourth of January, and then the country will, perhaps, find out just how far, in fact, “Ma"” Ferguson has been really Governor of Texas. and how far “Pa” has been actually con- ducting the affairs of the Common- wealth behind his wife's petticoats. and that will be still another novel and interesting spectacle. e A great many Germans, while re- senting an autocracy, preserve a habit of thought which prevents them from wanting to see the ex-Kaiser go into bankruptey. —_— Santa Claus s a myth. The savings banks report that he is well capital- ized. A well capitalized myth may become more influential than a genu- ine fdentity. —— e In the case of Col. Billy Mitchell it is evidently intended to test out the question of whether a man can be de- moted into a state of inaudibility. — e Chapman’s Habeas Corpus. Those who are now studying the cause of crime in the United States and seeking a remedy for the in- creasing prevalence of lawbreaking may find material in the latest de- velopment in the case of Gerald Chapman, who has been sentenced to be hanged a week from next Thurs- day for the murder of a policeman in New Britain, Conn. This murder, of which Chapman was convicted in a Connecticut court, occurred while Chapman was at large, a fugitive from the Federal prison at Atlanta, where he was eerving a sentence of twenty-five vears for participation in a mail robbery. All appeals having been exhausted in Connecticut, Chap. man's attorneys have now sought to have him returned to the penitentiary at'Atlanta to serve out his term as a Federal prisoner. They have there- fore secured a wrif of habeas corpus from the Federal judge at ven, returnable next Monda delivery of Chapman to the United States for transfer to Atlanta. The Governor of the State has announced that if the writ is finally issued he will sign a reprieve staying the execu- tion indefinitely. Meanwhile, confer- ences are being held in this city re. garding the possible procedure in the event the writ is made specific. It has been proposed that in that case he President should grant a pardon to Chapman to end his term as a Fed- eral prisoner immediately, so that he could then be turned back to the State of Connecticut for execution. Chap- man's attorneys, however, assert that he has a legal right to reject a pardon or a commutation of sentence. It is doubtful if another such case has ever arisen. Yet it is, with all its peculiarities, characteristic of the procedure to prevent the execution of the law invoked in most cases. This man is guilty of murder and has been condemned to death. He has ex- hausted all his appeals. Yet an at- tempt is made to thwart the law by invoking his own criminal record and utilizing a prior conviction for a long term to stay his execution. Should this move succeed and Chapman be re- manded to Atlanta to serve out his long term of imprisonment there the law will have been defeated. He will THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., have triumphed. Public confidence, in the certainty of punishment and the efficacy of the law will be weakened. Criminals will be encouraged. Every time a lawbreaker succeeds by tech- nicality to evade or postpone punish- ment, lawbreaking is promoted. A way out of this admittedly diff.- cult situation is surely to be found, to the end that the law of the State of Connecticut against murder may be carried into effect. The success of this shrewd maneuver to save the life of a man whose life is forfeit would be a blow to public safety and public morals in this country. New Jersey’s Blue Laws. New Jersey’s blue laws were openly flouted last Sunday and the police spent a busy day. In Perth Amboy more than 1,000 alleged violators were !listed by scribbling patrolmen, and other citles reported a large number of technical arrests. Those who walked, motored, bought newspapers or chewing gum, news venders, milkmen, theater owners and ticket sellers all found themselves on the police list for violations of ancient statutes. Even the police were not immune. Chief Tonneson, while making his offi- clal rounds, suddenly discovered that he was motoring, so he promptly ar- rested himself. Another officer, believ- ing In a strict interpretation of the law, jotted down his own name for operating a traffic signal, while a mo- tor cycle policeman was arrested for operating a vehicle propelled by steam, sas or electricity. Ridicule {s one of the most effective means of discrediting fanatic attempts of reformers to make the world over to meet their {deas of correct behavior. Just what provoked the latest out- burst in New Jersey is not known, but it is apparent that the “close co-opera- tion" and obedience to orders by the police will effectually quell, for the time being at least, any further effort to turn back the calendar to the early days of history. Methods of spending the Sabbath still constitute one of the serious ques- tions of conservative and thoughtful people today. Motion pictures, base ball games, golf and other activities are, in some cases, classed as relaxa- tions which should not be indulged on Sunday. These peaple are not radicals in any sense of the word. They are merely acting according to their best convictions. The fanatics, however, who insist that riding in an automobile, buying, selling or reading a newspaper, or any of the hundred and one ordinary everyday activities should be barred on Sunday make themselves objects of mirth and ridicule. ————— America {s not rated high among nations in the matter of air equip. ment. The late World War demon- strated that America can work won- derfully fast when an emergency arises. Uncle Sam is sometimes ap- parently slow in interesting himselt in a matter, but once aroused he has the benefit of unlimited enthusiasm. In the meantime he always avoids the appearance of wearing a chip on his shoulder. r——————— It may be doubted whether Countess Karolyi would draw very large audi- ences even if she were permitted to come along and lecture to her heart’s content. Her demonstration is said to be very deficlent in comedy. —_— mee———— Doubts are expressed as to the elim- ination of drunkenness by the Vol- stead act. ‘At least it may be noted that nobody takes the “‘gold cure” any more. e e — In French politics, at present, the man who qualifies as a statesman and a patriot must also possess the mak- ings of an auditor and a financier. ——————————— No more is heard of the *bobbed- hair” bandit. Bobbed hair has ceased to be & distinction even in the under- world. ——e— In picking up suitable Christmas gifts Santa Claus will have to detour when he comes in the neighborhood of the anthracite mines. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Perpetual Smile. If you can always wear a smile No matter what goes wrong; If you can wear a jaunty smile And jolly folks along, 1If you can volubly contend That life holds no misfit, You'll soon become a Saint, Friend— Or else a hypocrit. Jud Tunkins says a coal strike al- ways comes along in time to compel you to celebrate Thanksgiving with mental reservations. Practical Effect. It Einstein's theory is right, Hs is entitled to his fame. Should it prove wrong, no doubt we might Find planets moving, just the same. Discoveries are strange and great. And yet the hope of all mankind Lies in a willingness to wait And toil with a contented mind. Past the Interrogation Point. “How do you stand on the prohib}- tion ,question?” “It isn't a question any more,” an- swered Senator Sorghum. “Both the wets and the drys now mention it as an indignant exclamation!” The Censor. The judgment of a censor goes Unheeded and unprized. He sees so many wicked shows He gets demoralized. Magnificence. “We never heard of King Tut until his tomb was discovered.” “Never,” answered Miss Cayenne. “Evidently he was one of those mon- archs who were highly ornamental, but not very useful. “De man dat talks a heap,” said Uncle Eben, “is liable to git so busy wif his conversation dat he ain’ got time to mind his facts.” THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “Lava Lane, and Other Poems,” by Nathalia Crane, published this Au- tumn by Thomas Seltzer, New York, will add little to the laurels of the young author of “The Janitor's Boy, the book that took the poetic world by storm last year. The fact that Edwin Markham, venerable poet, recently cast doubt on the authenticity of the poems, declar- ing that no 12-year-old child could have written them, makes a review of the new volume timely. It would not seem to be a difficult -ask to prove, one way or the other, the truth in this matter, and until it is proved, it is only falr to the publisher and the author that the work be regarded as genuine, not a hoax. Golng upon this assumption, the reader of “Lava Lane” will feel that little Miss Crane has been rushed into print again in too much of a hurry. Whereas “The Janitor's Boy” charm- ed with some beautiful poems, clean- cut sentences fllled with the true glamour, “Lava Lane” is largely des- titute of such work, arousing curi- osity rather than liking. It is a thin little book, 68 pages, of which 6 contain but 4 lines each. ~As A matter of fact, only 66 pages con- tain poems, the remainder being blank. The production is just exact- ly the sort that those of us who praised the former volume feared would result if young genlus were forced to put out another book within a year. Modern publishing is relentless. If an author makes a “hit,” the public demands more from the same pen. What would happen, as a rule, in the case of a child who had managed to turn out something fine? In 99 cases out of 100 the young genfus would suddenly become self- conscious. 1t would become stilted, instead of spontaneous, and tend to adhere to the successful forms, meters, etc., of the previous effort. * ok ok ok This is just exactly what seems to have happened {n “Lava Lane.” While | the same aptitude for words and phrases is here, it Is a gift centering on itself, rather than expert, as be. fore. Whereas, in “The Janitor's Boy" one was struck by the diversity of poetic structure, balanced from page to page with such skill that it is no wonder many doubted that a child could have ‘written the poems, in “Lava Lane” one or two forms are worked ad nauseam. Twenty of the thirty-four poems in the new volume are in the form han- | dled with such a flawless ability bu a few times in the older book. This is exemplified in the first’ stanzas of “The First Artists” in the new vol- ume In Lava Lane were a Who ewinc (he chalic with gles. @ DOOL Droclamed With cirele The down-stroke was the tree fcta On_canvas of the caverns With fundamental mirth They outlawe s girdle Drew Adam as at birth The meter used in the opening poem, which gives this recent publica- tlon its name, is one used with suc success in “The History of Honey, that effective poem from *The Jani- or's Boy.” Here is a sample of the new effort: A starry_ember of the tortured zone Fell from & heavenly fireplace to orbit of its own. skies, a friction- s00thed cach cleatrix as The sun 1t whirled, O oy 88 ‘round Contented” ax""a’" clnder " foredatned 10 be a The protoplasm double-timed. the seons ran like rain Up went a suliry curtain on the stage of Lava Lane. Aside from the same meters, the new poems are only the shell, as it were, of the old ones. Reading with the best intent in the world, preju- Letter Carriers’ diced in favor of the poetess, one is ‘We have a lot about Minn, lava, trestles, campaniles, pylons, *buxom quarries,” parasangs, cantilver bars, and other things not often found in poems. ‘Whereas in *““The Janitor's Bo—-" such words were judiclously spread thin, in “Lava Lane” they appeared on every page, until it was no wonder that some one cropped up to say, “No child ever wrote like this.” Perhaps no one else ever wrote like it, either—that may be a merit, in- deed! Certalnly originality is to be sought, but hardly at the expense of sense, Many there are who feel that, once a thing is hard to understand, it must be good; but the feeling is growing, in this day of general education, that the worth-while writing says what it wants to say and leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind. Obscurity no longer passes for pro- fundity. In “The Janitor's Boy" there was never any doubt at all what the poetess meant to convey to her readers. Every line was clear, set off with strange words, now and then, like gleaming lanterns. The new volume is so filled with lanterns that it takes on the appear- ance of a garden party, in which the hostess is quite lost. Somehow the essence of poetry— the glamour of it—is missing from these pages. The thing that we who praised the former book feared has come upon us. Instead of letting the poet expand normally, though it might take her 10 years to write another hook, she was pushed into print at once. It would have been better for her reputation if nine-tenths of what is printed in “Lava Lane” had been de- stroyed, for instead of ranking as fine verse it takes the place occupled by most work of child genulses—inter- esting curiosities. And, in the event that this work should be proved to be a hoax, it would not even be that. * x o * The best poem in the new volume is the following: THE EDICT. Write. maid the editor unto the Something all dripping with paradise paint. Jomething to jazzie and dazzle and ' please. Somethink of kueeling and beautiful knees You write the story and I'll write the head, Markin to marein the cony we ll spreade—. Never a blue penci] fussing a sheeboc. We'll make a story o sling at the street Load it with red headed peppers and thyme, Seek not to cincture an 'innocent rhyme Touch all your visions with life's ccolade, Only in tetling. oh. be not afraid Sing of a Jezebel flung f; Sing of a Leshia k Finally Phryne wh Make it as coarse as a cobblestons fight, MAK I 22 Seareadnt S enong, febt: Put in the pallor and strawherry stain So they will read it—and read it again. The line about “something of kneel- Ing and beautiful knees” demonstrates an uncanny grasp of a certain jour- nalistic situation “The Lisrs " “The First Reformer," “Sunday Morning” and “The Dis- covere:” are other poems in this slight volume that will be read—and for gotten, whereas many in “The Jan- itor's Boy" will be found in antholo- s a hundred vears hence. The writer of this column believes that “Lava Lane” is in itself the most telling blow against the theory that grown men and women, not a child, wrote it and “The Janitor's Boy.” After all, poetry must stand on its own legs. Who cares who wrote it? In itself, and for itself, true poetry has an existence apart from its cre- ators. As Browning likened his love to a star, so those who love poetry may compare it to immortal, gleaming light whose author is unknown. Holiday aint, m a tower, flower. each thrall, alked on them all Welcome to Merchants The order providing that letter car riers shall have an opportunity this vear to celebrate Christmas at home is viewed by the public as a humani tarian step. The Postmaster General is commended for his fon suspend- Ing mail deliveries on Christmas d. 1925, and the abolishing of the Christ- mas rush is recognized as in accord- ance with the trend of the times. A picture of the mall man “stag- gering under the burden of packages and Christmas cards on the day when the rest of us are making merry” is painted by the Buffalo News, with the remark that it has ‘“never been a pleasant one.” The News advises that “if everybody will mail Christmas cards and presents early Postmaster General New's experiment can be worked out without affecting in_the least efficlency in the delivery of Yule- tide mail.” An opportunity to rest “and to joln in the festivities of the occaston” {s approved by the Bristol Herald-Courier, with the comment that “no class of workers more cer- tainly deserves such a holiday than the post office employes.” * ok k% “The letter carriers, doubly thank- ful for a holiday after many days of increasing burdens,” says the Ana- conda Standard, “will be able to en- joy Christmas with their families like other people. The new order will have still other good effects. Senders of gifts by mail will he compelled to do their Christmas mailing early and the usual congestion will be avoided. Still further, the Postmaster Gen- eral's order will he of service to mer- chants and their salesmen. To do its Christmas malling early the public must do its Christmas shopping still earlfer.” A similar point of view is taken by the Boston Transcript. with the re. mark that “it is a case of both shop- ping and mafling early, and that means making Christmas merry not only for the letter carriers, but for a lot of other people.” The whole ques- tion of labor on the holiday impresses the Transcript, ‘“There are some among us.” it says, “who, from the very nature of their employment must spend a part of Christmas at their ac- customed tasks. Policemen must pa- trol their beats, Street railway em- ployes must keep the cars in motion. Other public utilities must be op- erated. But it is in keeping with the spirit of the holiday season and the £00d wishes and friendliness to which it glves rise that the number who work on Christmas should be limited to the minimum number needed to meet the demands for service that cannot be postponed.” ok o Viewing the magnitude of the task that annually confronts the post of- fice, the Danville Bee calls attention to the fact that “in addition to the marvelous expansion of the United States parcel post, with its hundreds of mililons of gifts, all concentrated in the 10 days preceding Christmas, the vogue of personal greeting cards conveying the compliments of the sea- son imposes a heavy tax on the letter mail. No good reason can be assigned for timing these artistic reminders to reach their destination on Christmas morning, rather than two or three days before.” The experiment, how- ever, according to the Philadelphia Bulletin, “must depend for Buccess on_ the cheerful co-operation of the public.” The Bulletin continues: “The design to give the employes of the country’s greatest business organiza- tlon the full Christmas holiday cor- resporids to the all-pervading spirit of the festival. But every one must help to prevent congestion of the malls on Christmas eve, having special regard for the enormous demands made on the parcel post at this season.” * X ok X “Heretotore the holiday has meant two days’ work in one for the over- worked letter carriers,” the New York Evening Post states, “and at a time of year when weather condi- tions are pretty sure to be against them in every way. The change made by the Postmaster General will do away with this unnecessary hard- ship and will not detract from the pleasure or the converience of the general public.” As the holiday ex- tends from midnight, December 2 to midnight, December 25, the O: wego Palladium-Times observes that “it is not as complete a holiday as most of the recipients of mailed Christmas presents will have,” but it feels that “it is better than noth- ing.” The Oswego paper further ad- vises: “If the annual rush can be spread over the whole month, per- haps dwindling_a little toward the fourth week in December, those mail carriers may be able to enjoy thelr holiday a little. But if the rush is concentrated on Christmas week, many of them may have to spend the day in bed." “‘Mail early’ is no longer an ap- peal” as observed by the Willlams- port_Sun, “but is an order so far as it affects the delivery of Christmas mail,” while, as viewed by the Journal New: the lesson has vly percolated through the pub- e mind. The Ithaca paper sug- gests that “it is a far cry from the time when railway postal clerks and carriers looked upon the Christmas day rush as a nightmare from which | they would emerge tired to the bone, hungry, exhausted, dirty, cold and distressed.” Looking also_back over the past, the Scranton Republican recalls that “as a rule the day that means so much for others” has been | “one of exacting toil for. post office employes, who realized but little of the real spirit of the occasion in | their own homes,” because of their desire to minister to the convenience fln.t'!T!}:le happiness of the publi ® movement is a proper on le::\rl‘ga“yt 8.3:1 lt1ls in lln‘: wpllh !h: t of e times,” d Allentown Call. S N — Not Up to Reputation. From the Dallas Journ: We can only conclude that if Da- mascus had any of its celebrated steel it was no match for French rifles, Horses and Motoring. From the Worcester Evening Post. A horse will pull your car out of a ditch and horse sense will keep it from getting into one. A Margin of Error. From the Altoona Mirror. Statistics show the weather man 80 per cent correct, leaving 20 per cent for holldays. Nuisances Even Then. From the Boston Traveler. Most likely there’ll be a few nul- sances left even wfter the *‘muisanes taxes” go. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1925. NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM .G M THE PUBLIC LIFE. J. A. Spender. Frederick A. Stokes Co. Government and politics, statesmen and politiclans, these provide both substance and background for “The Public Life,” by J. A. Spender. Him- self an English publicist long devoted to a closerange, first-hand study of his own government, this author here deals, as matter of course, with the English Parliament and some of its modern representatives. Not exclu- sively, however, since at one appli- cable and {lluminating point or an- other he sets up comparisons and contrasts between the law-making bodles of England and the .United States, between certain statesmen and politicians of the two countries. This expansion of the English view to in- clude related theories and practices in the United States makes a correspond- ing extension in the interest and use- fulness of the study as a whole. * K ok ok Near the middle of the eighteenth century—175 years ago or thereabout —a_new concept of government arose In England, on the continent, in the colonles of America. Its advocates, few in number, mada up for such lack by a high order of abllity, a deep sin- cerity of conviction and by a logle of persuasive and convincing eloquence. To these the doctrine of human rights had taken on a broader connotation than that of the rights of the govern- ing class alone. To these the public life became a public duty to secure the rights of all alike, regardless of caste and prescriptive privilege. Here began the modern era in gov- ernments. And this era is still pro- gressing toward the full sejzure and the just projection of the ethical pur pose that from now on must underlic every political concept designed to meet the requirements of stable gov- ernments. It is this period of prog- ress in politics, this new era of gov- ernment, that “The Public Life" por- trays. * x % ¥ A brief summary of the old, ex- clusive order serves as point of de- parture in this study of modern pol itics. For here certain vital convic tions took shape in open protest among political leaders of that day. It was Pitt and Burke and Fox who set definitely upon its viclssitous way the doctrine of publicity which today—expanded, corrected, solidified —provides the people their surest pro- tection and governments their sole warrant of perpetuity. It was Pitt who urged upon Parliament a freer contact with the public. It was he who pressed for an unlocking of the doors against which was rising so great a clamor to know what the pro- digious_secrecy inside was all about, since there emerged only more of in- Justice, more of discrimination and oppression. Pitt, according to this writer, is the leader of the moderns among English public men, a true leader tn his clear sense of the ethical import of governments. He, “the great commoner,” whose power lay not in the Parliament but in the people, and whose title gave evidence of the political revolution going on within his period. * x % x A revolution whose battles fought In Parliament and its ap- approaches. One whose armies were, on the one hand, those of reform and, on the other, those of immemorial privilege. A revolution whose tri- umphs were better laws for the groundwork of all governments, the people themselves. This reform pe- riod created the habit of public meet- ings and gave rise to many a popular and persuasive speaker teaching the public the alphabet of self-govern- ment and the elements of political representation in lawmaking bodies Here Bright and Cobden shine out, “the first thoroughly competent pub- Mc men that the country had seen at werk outside the walls of Parlia ment, presenting an example of team- work which has never been surpassed in_public life.” Mr. Spender fs in full possession of the art of linking up the past and the present with a single touch, as he does here in calling these co- workers by a name filled with cur- rent meaning, as he does in designat- ing Pitt as the first to apply the theory of publicity to political pro- cedures. Of Bright and Cobden he goes on to say: “Cobden was consummate in plain_ speech and lucid argument; Bright abounded in passion and poetry. Each supplied what was lack- ing in the other. Both were religious men and both brought to politics the zeal of missionaries. They sacrificed their businesses, their comfort, their health, even their families, to what they were persuaded was the call of duty. They saw a vision of thou- sands of humble people being plun- dered and starved by an iniquitous law which filled the pockets of the rich land owners, and, leaving their calico printing and cotton_ spinning, they traveled by day and harangued by night till the whole country was filled with the sound of their volces. Bright and Cobden are unique exam- ples of public men who have won commanding positions outside the offi clal hierarchy. They had no prede- cessors and have had no successors. ‘An overlong quotation and a broken one, at that. It serves, however, not only to source the modern teamwork set up by these two famous English- men of the nineteenth century, but it gives as well the pointed and con- crete manner of an author who proves to be to readers of the very essence of adventure itself. e = were Beyond this setting out of the famous twin-brethren of agitation there is a study of some great Vie- torlans—Peel and Gladstone and Dis- raeli, parliamentarians and party lead- ers, splendid orators and debaters. Then, under the leadership of Cham- berlain, is the rise of the new politics and the new diplomacy. Some emi- nent moderns step into the light here —Campbell-Bannerman, Balfour, John Morley, and, besice them, men of the Great War — Asquith and Lloyd George, that “exhausting personality” around whom the author gathers both the advantages and disadvantages of “being Welsh.” Roosevelt and Wil- son are mustered iInto the brilllant company by virtue of the service of each to the Government of the United States in significant periods of this country’s participation in both foreign and domestic affairs. Mr. Spender de- velops the theory of revolution bring- ing concrete historic evidence in sup- port of this theory. He undertakes, also, to analyze the principles and practices of government as these ap- ply to America. A hard task this for the Englishman, even the English publicist of experience and renown, since our Government—Federal, State, municipal—presents a pretty stiff problem to the trained American him- welf in its complexity of subordinate and interlocking parts. B The strength of this work lies in the author's familiarity with the purpose and work of the English government. Lies in part here. In other part it lies in his power of evaluating character in his clear art of projecting the per- sonality of the man and of assessing his worth and influence in the political fleld occupied by him. The two vol- umes of this study have the effect of a great drama wherein these famous characters come and go in the historic roles which life itself has assigned to them. A vivid and picturesque study |of immense importance both in its :ubmnu and in reanimating orce. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. What States led in Federal highway construction for 1924?—A. G. A. Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohlo led in Federal and State road expenditure. Q. When did the Pilgrims first celebrate Thanksgiving?—P. C. J. A. The Pilgrims celebrated Thanks- giving on December 13, 1621. This was the first celebration of this oc- casion. It was not a regularly ob- served festival until after the Revolu- tion and the adoption of the Consti- tutlon. After the year 1789 it was customary to observe it. Thanks- glving day s a peculiarly American institution and is not observed else- where. Of course, days when the thanks of the nation are offered to God are observed from time to time in foreign countries, but this is done with no regularity. Q. Who is G. W. J. A. Mrs. John H. Curran of Louls writes under the so-called “con- trol,” Patlence Worth. She is seem- ingly a woman who lived centuries ago in England. Through Mrs. Cur- ran she has written novels and verse. ‘“Patience Worth"?— Q. What days are visitors permit- ted at the Naval Academy?—M. R. A. It is open to visitors every day during the week except Sunday. Q. What holds a fly when it walks on a ceiling?—M. 8. A. The feet of a fly form a vacuum, which enables this insect to hold itself on a perfectly flat surface. Q. What height, length and tlon make the most satisfactor aerial?’—D. G. A. One authority says that the most satisfactory aerial for bring. ing in broadcast programs con-| sists of two or three parallel wires, | 2 feet apart, and from 75 to 100| feet long, placed as high as possible | and as far as possible from all trees, | smokestacks, etc. The aerfal may be placed in any direction. direc- Q. What {s the derivation of the name “Patagonian”?—M. L. W. A. Tt is supposed to be derived from the Spanish “Patagon” meaning a| large foot, in allusion to the larg footprints found by the first explor- | ers. The Patagonians were a tribe of | tall Indlans considered by some au-| thorities to be the tallest known race. | Q. When born?—H. O. W. was Andrew Carnegie | Q. What is a “suckener”'—A. A. “Sucken” is defined as law term meaning ‘“the district e bracing all tHe suckeners of any p= | ticular mill.”" A suckener is & | A. He was born November 2 25 I | is too difficult for its ant whose grain must be ground certain mill. B Q. What do the letters * after a man’s name mean?— A. S. T. B. is the abbre bachelor of sacred theolog; gree is awarded by cert n divinity schools. 4 ' Q. Does the United States Govern ment buy gold ore for colnage?— M A. The United ¢ buy ore. They bu Q. Mow fast move through A. The speed of rles from 34 n nearest to the sy a second when farth head of Halley's co larger than the ea Q. What Cave near A. The story r Haven nd Whall ence in the loc to give them & growing on t return his orget me in your pursuit formation. When substantiated or f our Washington In This bureau is headq mation of all kinds want o tituted cational service very apparent and its popu many who see daily. Use this free se its ty is possibilities. No ques “rederi Star Informatic and C str Address inquiries to n, director, T rthuest.) BACKGROUND OF EVENT BY PAUL V How often does history repeat itself The Pope once divided the Western World between Spain ad Portugal | with a line of latitude. The holy al nce divided the world. Great Brit ain gained the “right” to do as she| pleased in Egypt by granting the| “right” to France to do likewise in Morocco. Today comes the new: that Great Britain and France have again divided a portion of the wc = the Near East—whereby the Briti are to have a “free hand” in Irag, in| consideration of giving France a “free hand” fn Syria and Morocco. Also there transpires a joint policy of ad ministration of Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Transjordania onsent of the governed?”’ Nonsens * X * ¥ The International Court of Justice instituted by the League of Nations. delivered a decision last Saturd: against Turkey, confirming Grea Britain's League of Nations' mandate over Iraq, which was part of Meso potamia, and in which is located Mo- sul. The decision is that the boundary thereof must be decided by the coun- il of the league, by its unanimous vote, barring contestants from that unanimity, Great Britain confidently expects confirmation of her hold on Mosul, by the league council, giving heg indisputable control of the world's richest ofl fleld, without a vote of the inhabitants to indicate ‘“self-determl- nation of the people.” * k k% The State of Iraq owes its independ- ence from Turkey to & pledge made by the British to its Christian inhab- itants that If they would co-operate with the allies {n the World War and fight against Turkey they would not be delivered back into Turkey's power after the war. By the treaty of Sevres all of Mosul which was occupled by British forces at the close of the war was included in the British mandate. The subsequent treaty of Lausanne failed to define the boundaries of the mandated territory, and when it became known that Mosul contained rich deposits of ofl, there was a scramble of various ofl interests and of nations for claims of territo Finally the new Kingdom of Iraq, with Great Britain (ignoring _Turkev), agreed to submit their joint Mosul claims to the League of Nations. The Court of Justice has now confirmed the authority of the league's council to take action. % Turkey persists in her claim tof Mosul, following mainly the lines of | the Sevres treaty, except to divert its boundary so as to include the lately discovered oil flelds. About 2,500 square miles are involved in the dis- pute. More than territory, however, is at| stake in the principle of jurisdiction based upon the league mandate, re ®ardless of the peoples of the region although In this case it is understood that Great Britain assures Iraq its support as a free and independent kingdom. As the London Times remarks: “Iraq formed a single unit, and the country had been one for the last seven vears. Those people had all been under one administration and they had been well content with the government under which they lived. | The richest province of the whole country had recently been claimed by Turkey. The claim was not based on nationality, or on the wishes of the! people. It certainly did not corre- spond with the wishes of the $0.000 | Christians who lived near the Turkish frontler, to the north of Mosul.” * % % % As to France, both in Syria and in Morocco, the situation becomes daily more critical. The Druze ‘“rebellion” against the French mandate brought a promise from the Painleve govern- ment that autonomy would ~follow pacification, Peace appears in the very uncertain future, now the Painleve cabinet has fallen. In a_comprehensive article by Beckles Willson, published in the las issue of Contemporary Review of Lon- on, the writer, in commenting on “The Truth About Morocco,” says: “France may succeed in averting the present RIff peril. Aided by Spain, she may even succeed in con- quering the Riffs. But in spite of all her labor and benevolent inten- tions, she is dealing with a difficult people, intelligent and inveterately recalcftrant. In the long run she will only succeed as we succeeded when we conquered Egypt, when we spent British_lives and treasure in conquering Mesopotamia. For a few brief years there may be peace, but the lessons which France has been teaching of equality and na- tionalism coincide too closely with the aspiratioms of Abd-el-Krim. * * ¢ “While we (British) are every- 4 . COLLINS. where ol lat escaping from 1 commitments been inc puppet in h resident t that is not ting down rebell colony; yet it requ a conflict with t Riffians!" claim in 1 colonies. As to Jebel Druz: presence rests upon he League of Nations been declared, but the the world—Dama lessly bombarded French an The Druze “Syria for mandat no “‘war” has , oldest city in s—has been ruth tho ave t htin the Syrians!” tron * XNk In the League of Nations' covena: appears this clause as to unauthorized sl hould any member of the league resort to war in disregard of its cove- nants under articles 12, 13 or 15 it shall, ipso fa ed to have committed an other heret ject finan urse between their nation: the covens nationals of any « a member of the le t M. F t Leag become again will be interes league when the quoted clause through its against the premier of Fr: James Beattle said The fimey fetter iea I sunder- With might observe the above apologies to o paraphras v word ‘“covenants,” which, faulty in rhythm and meter, reason than rhyme. (Copyright, 1925, by Paul V. Collins.) e ———— (Clara Morris Greatest Emotional Actres: poet, one with the however as more To the Editor of The Sf I have just read vour editorial en- titled “Clara Morris,” and want to thank vou. Clara Morris was the greatest emotional actress of all time, and when I say that my mind vividly goes back to Bernhardt, Duse and Mrs. Patrick Campbell, the outstand- ing actresses of their day and genera- tion and would be today. I am glad you mentioned her Cora in “Article, 47 It was the greatest plece of emotional acting by any woman, not excepting the other three mentioned. Her Camille was equally as great, it not greater. She actually cried the part. People who g0 to the theater now- adays don't see what we old-timers have seen, and there is some conso- lation in that. What would I not give, as a sordid theatrical man, an impresario, if you please, if I could announce that Mageie Mitchell, J. K. Emmett, John McCullough, Edwin Booth, Lawrence Barrett, Robson and Crane and other old timers would appear at the theater tonight? The place would not hold the people. It the “flappers” of today had a chance to see Clara Morris as Cora in “Ar- ticle 47" or Camille, they would telld thelr children about her, provided they had ang, w.'J. DWY

Other pages from this issue: