Evening Star Newspaper, January 3, 1926, Page 42

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. -U., JANUARY 3, 1926—PART 2 THE EVENING STAR!hut the most modern means of com- |and now and then in derbles. But the ‘With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. January 3, 1926 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor ar Newspaper Company Bustness Off 11th St. and Pennevivania ez Yori’ dfcel TIO Eai s Chicago Offics. Tower Buildl Europsan Office: 14 Regent St. Enland. The Evening ¢ The Evening Star, with the S fng edition. s delivered by carr ihe city at 60 cent 45 cents per m 5, 2 par month. Orders may be sent by mail or felephone Main 5000 (cllection is made by carrier st the end of each month. Rate by Maill—Payable in Adsance. Mary'and and Virginia. and Sunday....1yr. $0.00: 1 mo. G 151, €6.00° 1 mo. 130 $3.00: 1 mo.. per month Sunday onl. Dai Da: Sundas only 11 All Other States and Canada. ally and Sunday..1y Daily only Sunday” only Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitlad 0 the use for republication of all news dis- patches credited 10 1t or not otherwise cred- Sted in this paper and also the local news published herein. Al richts of publication of al dispatches herein are also roserved. Tax Publicity Repeal. Opposition to repeal of the pub- Hlelty clause of the Income tax law §8 indicated In the Senate, where the revision measure will soon be report- ed from committee. Several Senators have manifested their disposition to resist the proposed repeal on the ground that secrecy in Government matters Is undesirable. It was the Senate that voted the publicity pro- vision into the revenue bill of 1924, forty-eight Senators favoring and twenty-seven opposing. Since then the country has witaessed the effect of publicity and has unmistakably disapproveds of {t. It remains now 10 be seen whether this demonstra- tion of the futility of publicity and this manifestation of public disap- proval will have the effect of chang- ing eleven votes {n the Senate to reverse the position taken two years &go. It has been clearly shown through the publication of the tax lists dur- ing the past two years that publicity of the amounts pald does not promote the collection of taxes. It merely panders to a morbid curfosity. Sur- prise and doubt may be expressed by people regarding the amounts re- corded as paid to the Government, but that is as far as it goes. The Government {tself has the returns upon which the tax amounts are com- puted and it alone can determine ‘Whether or not the tax is properly figured. It does, in fact, frequently question the propriety of exemptions and discrepancies in the returns. It challenges the mathematics of the taxpayer and makes him ‘“come ©cross” when he has made a mistake in his own favor. But the people who read the lists of tax payments cannot possibly by their intervention increase the amounts paid by any individual or corporation. Secrecy in Government matters, Bays one of the opponents of pub- lielty repeal, has no place in a free government. What about the execu- tive sessions of the Senate? 'Sup- posedly they are secret, though ac- tually they are not absolutely so. The Senate sits behind closed doors under pledge of secrecy when nominations mre under consideration, in order that there may be free debate about per- sonal matters. Treaties are consid- ered in secret unless by specific vote the doors are opened. Throughout the Government departments matters @re handled on the basis of “secrecy” s regards publicity of detail. De- partmental chiefs are continually holding ‘‘secret” conferences in the sense that their meetings are not opened to the public, or even to pub- licity. There nothing inimical to the institutions of free government in the privacy of routine procedure and in the withholding from public scrutiny of the returns upon which tax payments are based and the amounts of taxes pald. If there were any warrant for tax payment publicity there would be equal war- rant for tax return publicity. The Zull exposure of all the returns in complete detail of business and per- sonal ltems would never be tolerated hy the country, even as the publicity of the tax payments has been con- demned by it. Publicity repeal should be assured. e The inventor of the alleged truth- tompelling drug declares that his tests prove a man condemned to capital punishment to be innocent. Sclentific research may be needed to show that the possibility of mendacious reactions @oes not exist. is - 1 leader, ‘c‘ futile emphasis. munication must be given to the new city, “which will rise in rings around the old one.” Schools, bathhouses, parks and athletic fields must be given “to the Fascist people who work." This has the ring of the true Roman It sounds like one of the em- | perors of that golden age when Rome | rose in splendor on its seven hills, the age of construction. Museolint is a man of vision, and this shows him to be 4 man likewlse of hign ideals. He knows the pride that Italy takes in its chief city, its symbol. of glory. He knows the love of art cherished by all dwellers in the peninsula. He appeals to the spirit that centuries ago made Rome the center of the world. This is a tremendous undertaking It involves a costly program of de- struction and construction. That it is no mere gesture is indicated by Mussolini's past performances. He has never merely waved his arms ir He has ordered what he expects to be done. Now let it be seen whether Italy can do this work that he has set for it. Farmers Mullt Agree. With the reopening of Congress tomorrow after the holiday recess the demand for legislation dealing with the farm crop surplus is expected to #ain added impetus. Yet, as the legis- lators are assembling, the fact stands out markedly that they are widely divided still. If anything is to be done there must be a meeting of minds. It is the fallure of the farm- ers themselves and their representa- tives in Congress to agree on what should be done that has prevented action in the past. The administration very wisely is seeking to bring about understanding and agreement with regard to the surplus crops and their handling. The fact that it is willilng and anxious to deal with the surplus problem has been Interpreted in some quarters as a surrender by the administration of Its position in opposition to a Govern- ment export corporation, to buy and sell and to fix prices. There has been no such abandonment, and the soon- er the advocates of such a course realize this the better. To force through a measure for a Government export corporation over the protest of the administration would not be possible in the present Congress. On the other hand, there would be found a clear majority, even a large ma- jority, favoring a measurs designed to aid the farmers in the better disposition of ,the surplus crops. ‘The position of Representative John Clark Ketcham of Michigan, Repub- lican, a member of the House com- mittee on agriculture and a former master of the Michigan Grange, is evidence that the Middle West is itself widely divided over the surplus problem. While Mr. Ketcham is eager to bring some measure of aid to the farmers, he is firmly back of the administration in its opposition to Government price fixing and pur- chase of commodities. Mr. Ketcham, discussing the farm crop surplus problem, asserts that the vast ma- jority of farmers themselves are op- posed to such proposals. From Wisconsin word is brought here, too, that the farmers are by no means in a mafority in support of Government price fixing of wheat and corn and other commodities, or any attempt by the Government to enter into the business of purchasing these staples for export. The farmers of Wisconsin are in the main prosper- ous. There are many dairy farmers in the State whose interest does not lie in large increases of the price of wheat and corn, since they must feed thelr cattle. The drop in prices of corn last year has been largely responsible for the recrudescence of the demand for an export corporation, operated by the Government. The wheat farmers, {with prices of wheat well up, have shown comparatively little interest in the matter in recent months. Yet corn enters little into foreign export business. The peoples of Europe do not eat corn nor use corn meal as do Americans. Even in the United States corn is maifily valuable as feed for cattle, hogs and sheep. Corn used to fatten hogs and cattle and sheep brings a good return to the farmers who produce it and fatten live stock for sale. The resentment of the Western farmer rests not only on his own failure to obtain adequate returns for his produce, but also on the fact that Congress through legislation has particularly benefited the industries The McCumber-Fordney tariff act, the Adamson law, the trans- portation act, the immigration act and other laws are held up by the tems. ——rar————— A few hilarlous Philadelphians were ot sure whether they were celebrat- ing the glad New Year or the de- parture for good and all of Gen. Smed- ley Butle Massolini the Magi Premier Mussolini, having saved Italy from radicalism and destructive politics, proposes to save Rome, the capital, from the disfigurements that have encroached upon its ancient glory and the relics of its former splendor. He proposes that the Eter- pal City shall be restored to its old sspect, and has given Instructions to the newly named governor of the city, Bignor Cremonesi, that .“‘within five years Rome must appear as a marvel to all people of the world—vast, or- dered and powerful—as it was in the time of the first empire of Augustus.” Mussollni's specifications are inter- esting to vdl whe know Rome. Open squares ai» to be estabished arouna the Augustan Amphitheater, the an- clent Marcello Theater, the Capitol and the Pantheon. The Pantheon mum be visible from the Plazza Cao- Jonna through a wide avenue. The “masterful temples of Christlan Rome" must be liberated from the *profane parisitical constructions which now cling to them.” Then Rome will spread out over the hills, perhaps even to the shores of the Mediterra- nean. The streets graced by the mon- uments of olden times are to be freed from the contamination of tramways, farmers as examples of what has been done by Congress for the industries and for labor, effectually increasing their profits and prosperity. If the farmers are to attain a measure of relief they must reach some agreement, 8some common jground, with reference to the surplus crops. With the administration bend- ing its efforts to aid in the solution of the problem, it appears there is excellent opportunity for constructive action, but always with the under- standing that the farmers themselves can unite on what they want. ————— The liquor-smuggling problem has not yet been solved by an impressive series of First of January resolutions. ———t— Hats of Yesteryear. That the “silk hat” has not entirely gone out of style and use was proved on Friday, when the New Year recep- tion was held at the White House and official Washington appeared there to pay respects to the Chief Executive. Then out came the “toppers” by the score, for though there is no law in compulsion, nevertheless it is gener- ally recognized that the “plug hat” is virtually an item of uniform on state occasions. Of course, there are some members of the Government—Sena- tors, Representatives, and even cabl- net officers—who esehew the “high hat,” who rvefuse to recognize it as an essential, who abominate it as a relic of barbarism. They present them- selves en sush cccasions in “slouches™ and labor and the transportation bys-! “beaver” is still rated as the last word in propriety. . Emancipation from the “stove pipe” was effected by most men a couple of decades ago. Hence hats of the vintage of 1900 and 1806 are occa- sionally to be seen as their owners on rare occasions reluctantly pull them out of their bandboxes and use them for weddings or funerals or ex- traordinary soctal functions or church services. They usually grumble as they do so. For there 18 nothing less satisfactory in a crowd, especlally the crowd of a coatroom, than a silk hat. It has been freshly froned until it shines brilliantly, and when it is handed back to its owner it looks like a cat that has been caught out in the rain. The rigid follower of fashion in the matter of silk hats finds himself at great expense in keeping up to date. An infinitesimal change in the curve of the brim or the flare of the crown or the width of the band, and the hat of vesteryear is outdated. That means anywhere from ten to twenty dollars for a new one, maybe more, and the old one goes to the scrap pile, per- haps to reappear on some less exalted head or to be cherished by a member of the younger generation as an artl- cle of fancy dress. It will be difficult to bring the silk hat back to general vogue. Officlal ex- ample ‘will not effect its revival. It will probably remain merely the token of scrupulous observance of an old soclal custom, and in time even that devotion to the dress convention of an earlier day may wane. —e—e—— ‘The Senate has a number of mem- bers who will make every effort to shield its presiding officer from the embarrassment so often endured by the Speaker of the House of Repre- sentatives of being referred to as an autocrat. ——————————— A few of the older Senators who believe a newly elected member of their body should preserve modest reticence for a few years will scarce- ly go so far as to insist that the same rule be applied to a presiding offcer. ————— President Coolidge respected an old custom and shook hands with over three thousand people on New Year day. He will scarcely feel the need of exercise for some time sufficiently to warrant a call for the electric horse. —e—e—————— Crown Prince Carol's renunciation of a throne has made him world re- nowned. His future is by no means shattered. Any motion picture studio should be willing to give him a try- out at a fabulous salary. Expert statesmanship will continue to do its best, although there is not much hope of rendering the farmer abeolutely content with the weather and the Chicage Board of Trade. —_—————— Hints that the Shenandoah’s flight was for publicity purposes are vigor- ously dented. If publicity was de- sired, it was assuredly not the kind that has been attained. —_————— Having formulated plans for a “Greater Rome," Mussolini will pro- ceed to organize citizens' associations on terms more effectual than hitherto deemed possible. The term “whitecollar man" {s misleading. There are very few per- sons who prefer wearing a white col- lar to playing golf or tinkering up the old fiivver. ———————————— It is deemed necessary to call a halt on giving out white tickets when the Traffic Court patronage calls for con- tinuous display of the “standing-room- only” sign. Tax publicity is another form of gratuitous advertising that appears to do nobody any particular guod. —_— ra———— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Progress. The Old World stoutly strides along ‘With faith secure and purpose strong, The many face the dally task, Content with earning what they ask. A few with gilded baubles strive To keep King Folly's wit alive. ‘With chatter light they fill the air On how to dance and what to wear; ©On when to drink and how to dive, And how to make dull words seem fine. These are the few who make the show, "Mid laughter aglow. ‘With honest faith and simple song The Big World smiles and strides along. long ‘meath lights Depth. “You appear to be giving deep thought to this subject.” “Deep, indeed,” admitted Senator Sorghum. “I feel as if I might be over my head any minute.” New Year Cheer. ‘The New Year cheer was doomed to slip And play a gloomy part. He carried it upon his hip Instead of in his heart. Jud Tunkins says he is afraid Con- gress is going to start & lot of argu- ments that'll make us wish we were back In the old days, when evolution ‘was the worst we had to worry about. Speculation. “What {s your opinion of the effect of speculation on agriculture?” “It's most Injurious,” answered Farmer Corntossel, “especially when too many of us tillers of the soll get to speculating in real estate instead of raisin’ crops.” Unfair, The brain keeps scheming all the day And dreaming all the night. It never pauses once to say An eight-hour limit’s right! “Santa Claus wasn't any particular friend,” sald Uncle Eben, “to de man dat got & set o' crap dice fob & Christ- mas gL ———— EVERYDAY RELIGION Direcied Paths. Proverds, tii.6: “In all thy weys acknowledge Him, and He shall di- rect thy paths.” { A theory of philosophy of life is in- dispensable. We begin our careers in this world without any definite con- viction as to the purpose and mean- ing of life. Little by little as the re- sult of observation and experience, Wwe come to work out our own theory concerning it. The large question is, Have we actually demonstrated the efficlency of our individual philos- ophy? 1Is it one that contemplates our own advancement or success, quite apart from what we owe to the world about us? Ts |t one that believes that life is a brief span that stretches from the cradle to the grave? These questions, like Banquo's ghost, will not down. No matter how fortunate or unfortunate, how successiu! or un- successful the course of our life has been, as the vears come and go, We are bound to come face to face with its graver and more sericus aspects. We are starting again upon a new year of being, our calendars are fresh and clean. The events that lie ahead are hidden from our vision. It is.lit- erally true that we cannot tell what a day may bring forth. With what assurance and confidence are we mov- ing forward into the new future? * x o ok Most of us have come to feel the part that associations play in the outworking of the scheme of things. The authority or the power we ac- knowledge comes to occupy a con- spicuous place in the development of our plans. We cannot, if we would, live apart from human fellowships. We may, if we would, live apart from consclous fellowship with God. One wonders whether the substitution of human influences and inspirations for those of an acknowledged heavenly Father are compensating and satis- tying. Even the sweetest and tender- est of human ties come ultimately to be broken, and as we grow in years those to whom we look for support are taken from us. Environing cir- cumstances that once played a large part in the making of our peace and happiness have witnessed changes that we sadly recognize. It is with such reflection that the words of the old hymn come back to us, Ob, Thou who changest not. Abide with me! ‘To the mind of the Psalmist the primary duty of life was acknowledg. ment, not only of the soversignty, but of the superintending care of an Al- mighty Father. He would not venture forth upon a day of life without the assurance that God was about his path. However he might stumble and fall. however he might wander from the right way, it was always and ever the consclousness of God's presence and directing power that sustained and assured him. * % x % ‘The need for a fresh recognition of the relation that God bears to our life BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, D. D.,, LL. D. Bishop of Washington. is a need in this present hour that transcends all others. These past years ‘e been hectic and characterized by self-confidence and the abandonment of old ways of llving. Our ckildren are being brought up to shape their lives by standards quite apart from those which the Great Master gave to men. Little emphasis is being placed upon those ideals of living that He onunciated, and divine direction In human concerns is widely unrecog- nized. The most superficial study of our domestic and soclal life discloses conditions that must give even the most careless apprehension and con- cern. In the midst of an era of ad- vancement along many lines and pros- perity quite unparalleled we seem to reckon Iife solely in terms of efficiency and success. In the face of all these conditions it is significant to note that those who occupy places of largest re- sponsibility are clamorously calling for a return to the old and more whole- some ways and habits of life. Our in- dustrial leaders are coming, more and more, to recognize that the basic fac- tor in all commercial and industrial development is moral character. Pro- duction 18 one thing, the quality of it is another. * ok % To perform a daily task with the con- sclousness that somehow it s a contri- bution to the outworkings of a great. divine plan not only increases er- clency, it lends a zest to it. To feel that In some way, quite beyond our powers to define, there is a mighty and all-wise Father who has us in His keeping is a source of indescribable comfort. To feel that at the close of ~ach dgy we can render up an account of work well done, work done with consclence, is in f{tself a compen- sating and abiding satisfaction. To anter upon each new untried path be- lleving that it leads to an attalnable objective and that In mome way it ie related to the great scheme of things furnishes incentive and insniration The old New England post, Whittler, put his philosophy of life in simple phrases: I know not where His fslands hift T only know 1 cammor dritt =7 Beyond His love and care. £ * % x Let us be clear about it, that if we are to move ahead with the assurance that God directs our paths we must day by day acknowledge His sover- ~lgnty and fulfill in our lives His will and purpose concerning us. It is one thing to believe in a directing power, it is another thing to obey it. To wha' supreme heights of living, to what sat {afaction and peace might we all com~ If we yielded ourselves readily to the carrying out of those mighty ends and nurposes that God has designed for U8 A happy new vear will be mads the happler if we firmly resolve to « live our life day by day that we shall be conscfously co-operating with God in making this old world for ourselves and for others a more fit place in which to live. (Conyright. 1925.) CROOKS CANT WIN BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. New Yorkers are not only being sold or educated to street safety in the educational campaign that fis being waged under the direction of Barron Collier, special deputy police commissioner; they are being taught that criminal practices do not pay. Crooks can't win! Manifestly this crusade against crime is not directed against all the people of this great city. It is in- tended primarily for the criminal and criminally inclined, who comprise but a fraction of the city population, although there are enough of them to make a fairsized city, and their number is constantly on the increase. However, it {s deemed desirable to keep the general, law-abiding public constantly admonished that the way of the evildoer is hard and rocky, so the educational propaganda is dis- tributed so that every one who can read gets it. “It arose out of an old idea of mine that we should do something in publicity to offset the unjust and unfavorable comments against the Police De,artment,” eays Mr. Col- lier, In describing the origin of this innovation in advertising. Visual Lessons. “We felt that by visualizing the responsibilities, hazards and dangers of the work which policemen con- stantly face we would counteract some of the false impressiops and improve the mental attitude of the public toward the police. Our Capt. Fentress suggested crime prevention as an interesting propaganda, to try to sell the young and budding evil- doer upon the futility and unprofita- bleness of crime.” Thus a movement was initiated that has led to the placing {n the subways, surface cars and suburban trains of New York City of a series of carefully prepared cards of a striking and in- !amt-::&n‘ln‘ character. Mr. Collier is donating the advertising space | taken up by the display of these cards, {and as evidence of how far he will go in public-spiritedness it may be stated that the commercial value of the space runs to approximately $75,000 an- nually. Two Lines of Appeal The cards are directed along two lines of appeal, as indicated by their sponsor. One group is intended to give the general public 2 better idea and deeper appreciation of the police serv- ice. The other is aimed at youths of both sexes of possible criminal tend- encies, and Is designed not only to in- culcate in them a pmger respect for and fear of the law, but to impress them with the idea that crime not pay. ‘The first group may have little ef- fect toward preventing crime, save in #0 far as they may convey the lesson of the eternal vigilance of the police, but it is belleved they will go far to- ward disabusing the popular mind of an all-too-prevalent idea that the po- liceman is usually either a boob or a grafter. The keynote of the message these cards convey is that the police are always ready for any emergency, and that every officer is the guardian of every citizen. Pictures That Impress. One depicts a patrolman on his beat on a dark and stormy night, and bears the ocaption: “Ready! Neither rain, sleet nor biting winds can swerve them from the path of duty—your New TYork police.” Another shows an officer with drawn weapon standing between a group of men, women and children and an oncoming burglar or murderer, and is entitled, ‘‘Ready—To uphold your laws—your New York police!" Still another illustrates !rl.phlully the rescue of & woman and two little tots from & blazing tenement by a sergeant and a patrolman, minds the public that such are of almost daily occurrence—all in the day's work of the law guard- does re- incidents | the cated on the peychological principle that, as Mr. Shumaker says, “the mind of the potential criminal may be impressed with the idea of the reign of the law. of the certainty of ulti- mate punishment. and that he may be driven from the crook philosophy, Tk oS Enowieots that the ot 3 a knowledge t the crimi. nal fights against hopeless odds and ::rm meager and precarious exist- The criminally inclined man—and most of those with whom the police have to deal are mere youths—is an individual with no moral principles, cowardly, weak and readily respon. sive to suggestion. He is lead to crime because in some manner the idea has| been suggested to him that it will result in some gratification of his senses or in the acquisition of what | he regards as easy money. Mr. Colller's propaganda is aimed 8t these misconceptions of these de- fectives. Its keynote is,- “You can't win!" that forceful warning appear- ing on all the cards. The man who 15 to be deterred from crime must have it driven home to him and em. phasized In every possible way, not only that he cannot hope to get any lasting satisfaction or gratification out of his deed, but that the monetary harvest he will reap is not worth the risk. He s told, as the old story goes, that “money you get that way don't do you no good nohow! “You Can't Win!™ One of the most striking of the cards shows a miserable slinking fig- ure the und suddenly brought to a halt by the giant shadow of a ?o leveling & weapon at him. In the background are the yawn- ing doors of a prison, and the caption reads, “You can't win. Every crook Il: ?uflnfly in the shadow of the e Another of the warnings is even more sinister. It depicts in black and white the electric chalr, with the dread black cap, straps, et cetera, and the death march to the chair, led by a priest with his prayerbook, and with the man about to be executed, half led and by a guard. Again the caption Is, “You can't win!™ ‘The fundamental feature of this line of advertising against crime is that it embodies the great essential of all successful advertising—it telis a truth. Laws may not be enforced as they should be, and many offenders may go undetected and unpunished, but it can always be truthfully sald to the crimi- nal, “You can’t win!” for the menace of the law is always there, and sooner or later lawbreakers do come to grief. The campaign has not been going on long enough yet for observers to be able to tell whether or not it is getting the desired results. Indeed, it biy | available for office However, it is pointed out that the man contemplating a crime that is to be committed with deliberation who gees the Collier warnings at almost every turn he makes must necessarily be pretty hard-boiled it he goes through with it. Who Hit First? Prom the Wichita Baacon. In schoolboy fights, after the dust has cleared away and bloody noses have been properly soothed and an inventory is taken, the natural ques- tion is, “Who hit first?" This question is often unanswered. Too roany factors enter in. Just now the same question is being the World War. in Law Notes, says: “If| fiict. r. Collier does mothing more than relieve the police from the curious prejudices of those whom they serve, he will have done a great deal of good. Incldentally, that task would be greatly aided by a little more leg- islative sanity, for the police, being compelled to enforce foolish and ob- noxious laws, must necessarily, though m‘w the brunt of the con- which invoks.' “mw“:“h“ can be ap ly 8 as blame in a schooll fight. G I 2” school-ground bully struts around, saying that he is going to lick the rest of the kids, or if he boasts of his own prowess and might, that fact is filed away for future ref- .m'. u ‘.ly later into a .:xfi bhow it happened to get started, ts, the County. Capita! Sidelights Establishment of a memorial park on the site of “The Gettysburg of the West” is being urged by Repre- sentative Edgar C. Ellis of Kansas City, Mo., with the support of many historical and patriotic organizations. His measure {5 pending before the House committee on military affairs and he hopes to get & hearing upor. it next month. Huston Crittenden, curator of the Missouri Valley Historical Soclety and son of a former famous Gov- ernor of Missouri, who is here to speak in favor of the project, points out that the decisive battle of Westport with its preliminary skir- mishes, October 21, 22 and 23, 1864, was the most important engagement west of the Mississipp! River and marked the end of the ‘“Transmissis- sipp)_Army” under Maj. Gen. Ster- ling Price. . The Union forces were under Mej. Gen. Alfred 8. Pleasanton, U. §. A., commanding the “Army of the De- partment of the Missourd,” and Ma). Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, U. S. A., De- partment of Kansas, commanding the “Army of the Border.” In this en- gagement were troops from eight Aifferent States—Missourd, nsas, Arkansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Texas and Illinols—and the members of Congress from those States are co-operating with Mr. Ellis to get favorable action on his legislative proposal. Although there was a vast difference in the numbers engaged in the Gettysburg of the East and in the Gettysburg of the West the result was the same—each ended the Civil War in its respective ter- ritory and brought peace to the strife-torn sections. President Lincoln realized that Mis- souri's attitude meant much In his plan to preserve the Union and kept in close touch with the situation in that State, Mr. Crittenden emphasizes. The decision of Kentucky and Maryland hinged largely on what course Mis- souri would take. If those three bor- der States had seceded the final result might have been far different. The field of the “Gettysburg of the West" comprises 111 acres, which is now a beautiful park in the center of the best residential district, with an irtificial lake, and has for some years been occupied by a golf course: but it is threatened with being cut up into building sites. It can now be pur- chased, Representative Ellis says, for $600.000. The Middle Western members are pointing to the other great National nilitary parks—Gettysburg, 24,460 acres; Shiloh, 3,647 acres; Vicksburg, 1,322 acres: Chickamauga and Chatta- nooga, 5,733 acres, and Antietam bat- | tiefieid, 40 acres. They say, “Why not Westport—110 acres?” During the last Congress approval was given by Congress and President Coolidge to & bill authorizing the Sec- etary of War to appoint a commission to investigate and report on the feasi bility and cost of establishing a na tional military park commemorative of the battle of Westport. After in specting the battlefield and making a close study of maps and records of the commanding officers on both sides, this commission unanimously agreed that all the evidence is conclusive that more fighting occurred on and around the old Seth Ward farm than any other part of the battleground, and 110 acres of this old farm com- prises the Kansas City County Golf Club. It Is on the great National Highway, the Santa Fe trafl, where sightseers en route to the Pacific Coast could visit it. On the administration’s “relief for | the farmers” program there is no| stancher administration _ supporter than Representative John C. Ketcham of Michigan, who is an expert on the | subject of what the farmers need, be- | cause for years he was master of the Michigan State Grange and lecturer for the Natlonal Grange. Also, the betterment of home life on the \'nrm\ s & household byword with this Michi. | gan legislator, bucause he married a 10me demonstration agent, daughter of former Representative S. A. Shel ton of Missourl. So he has lived with his theme for ars and knows both sides of it—the farmer’'s and that of | the farmer’s wife and family. ! Some of the rew members of Con- gress have been lost in the labyryn- thian windings of corridors in the massive Capitol Building. Still more of them, showing constituents about, have found they must study up on data about the Capitol. To meet these needs, David Lynn,| architect of the Capitol, has prepared | authoritative data giving facts and fig- | ures about the United States Capitol, | as follows: Area of Capitol Building, 153,112 square feet; area of floors of Capitol ! (over 14 ac 627,334 square feet area of site of Senate Office Building, 208,975 square feet; area of site of House Office Building, 2 9 square feet; area of site of Capitol power | plant, 274,761 square feet; area of Capitol grounds, 58.8 acres; corner stone of United States Capitol laid September 18, 1793; corner stone of extensions laid July 4, 1851; central portion old Capitol commenced 1818: central portion old Capitol completed 1827; Capitol burned by the British August 24, 1814; Capitol, north wing, completed (old building), 1800; Capitol, south wing, completed (old building), 1811; cost of Capitol Bullding, $14, 000,000; cost of Capitol power plant and waterway, $1,668,372.06; cost of House Office Bullding, including site, approaches and additional story, $4.- 369,559.55; cost of Senate Office Build- ing, including site and approaches, $4,512,251.09; cost of Senate and House subways, $337,000; cublc contents, United States Capitol Building, 13,780, 080 cubic feet; diameter of rotunda, 97 feet 6 Inches; height of Capitol Plaza above level of Pctomac River, 88 feet; height of Statue of Freedom above east base line of Capltol, 287 feet 5% inches; height of Statue of Freedom, 19 fest 6 inches; height from rotunda floor to top of canopy, 180 feet 3 inches; length of Capitol Bullding, 761 feet 4 inches; present House of Repre- sentatives first occupled, December 16, 1887; present Senate chamber first oc- cupied, January 4, 1869 number of rooms in Capitol Building, 430; num- ber of rooms in House Office Building and committee pur- poses, 482; number of rooms in Senate Office Building available for office and committee pui 283; rooms In ter- races, 93; seating capacity of gallery of House of Representatives, 616; seating capacity of Senate gallery, 682: Statue of Freedom placed in position, December 2, 1863; width of Capitol Bullding (extreme width), 350 feet; welght of Statue of Freedom, 14,985 pounds; weight of dome, 8,909,200 pounds; number of steps from Penn- sylvania avenue walk, west plaza, to lantern of dome, 464. It is & tradition in the Strother fam- ily for the menfolks to coms to Con- gress, so James French Strother, Re- MEN AND BY ROBERT It would seem that events in con- nection with the World Court fight in the United States Senate are about to justify President Wilson's course in deuling with the Senate on the League of Nations issue. No President ever was criticized more than Mr. Wilson because of his unylelding attitude on the Lodge and other reservations of- fered in the Senate to the covenant. Mr. Wilson would listen to none of the reservations. He turned a deaf ear to Senators of his own party and re- quired them as a mark of loyaity to him to vote down the reservations which many believed would have brought the United States into the leagus. Foreign signatories to the treaty of Versailles and members of the league even went so far as to =may that the proposed Senate reservations would be entirely acceptable to them. It was sald that if Mr. Wilson would yleld on the proposed reservations the Sen- ate would have to accept both treaty and covenant. But Mr. Wilson contended that if he accepted one group of reservations another would be proposed, and still another; that the reservations were a delusion_and a snare, the {dea being always to kill both treaty and cove nant. Now it develope that during the holl- days the opponents of adherence to the World Court have been busy drafting new and additional reser. vations governing America’s entrance into the International tribunal of jus tice. More and more reservations will be offered as the fight goes on, the object being to delay action while an effort is made to turn public opinion against the court. The Senate Irreconcilables always have admitted that if they had per- mitted a vote to be taken early in the discussion of the League of Nations, the covenant would have been ratified They say the same course must be fol- owed with the court—continued delay and delay until there can be an “edu-| cation' of the public against this "for—; eign entanglement.” | Lately opposition to the court ap- peared to be crumbling, but the ir- reconcilables of the Borah type are a resourceful, brilliant lot and they can prevent action for a iong, long time— dinners at the White Houss or no din- ners at the White House. Col. Billy Mitchell celebrated his forty-sixth ~birthday anniversary on| Tuesday last. The colonel seems to | have done pretty well in a number of lirections for one 80 young. He still | 1as a long and active life ahead of | 1im—but_probably not in the Army Col. Mitchell is a fine soldier in time | of war or movement. Hae is energetic, | restless, high-strung, impatient of in- | swction and red tape It was typical of him that in writing | his book on fiying he would dictate at | a furious pace for three days and then forget about the volume for three AFFAIRS T. SMALL. weeks while away hunting, judging at horse shows cr pursuing some other bent of a many-sided mind. While dictating it is said the colonel chewed gum At a rate which caused his jawr to snap. The whole country appears to be re- sounding at last with Coolidge yarns The way they have blossomed out sud denly in all directions leads one to suspect that some are far from gen. uine, the probability being that all New England has been combed for stories, typical of that section and its people, 80 that the sald story might be E:nmd to the first New Engander the White House since 1851. The latest of the Coolidge yarne to reach Washington is attributed to “Jimmy" Walker, the new mayor of New York City. According to the mayor two lads were sitiing one day on an old stone fence, whittiing. The late Autumn sky was overcast and threatening. 6llence reigned for & long time. Then one of the boys call: ed to the other: No response. There was another whittling sllence. Then a second calli “Cal,” Still no response; lence. Then finally “Call, 1 say, do you think it's going to rain or clear up?” Once again the strange New En land sflence. But at last the boy ede dressed moved. Siowly he turned toward his questioner. “What you trying to do?” he que- ried, “Pin me down?" There has got to be a revision of the almost universal opinion that Iifs aboard the presidential vacht Mav- flower Is one long, sweet song for the naval officers and men making up the gallant crew. A Mavflower billet no longer & a naval sinecure. The Pres- ident and Mre. Coolidge are too inde- fatigable in thelr love of the river. No weather s too cold, no wind too strong, no ice too heavy in the Po- tomac to stop the President and hie Lady when the notion strikes them 10 have & night or two away from the White House. Mr. Coolidge never appears to be happler than when he finds himself in the seclusion of the Mayflower and can hear the wind howling through the rigging. Time was when the Mayflower was “laid up” during the Winter months. Most Presidents have simply used the yacht for pleasant cruises on Summer seas. Mr, Coolidge believes in keep ing the Navy fit and is doing his bit by the Mayflower crew. They get pienty of experience and practice in stfll another wi | seamanship and have learned the les- son of preparedness. Like a fire en- gine company. the Mavflower has to be ready to go whenever the bell rings. An invitation to one of the tex or supper crulses is considered a real badge of soctal or political distinction n Washington. (Copyright. 1926.) Fifty Years Agol In The Star Christmastime 50 vears ago was an occasion of nolsy celebration, with the . firing of pistols and Christmas fireworks and other| $ clamorous devices for Nuisance. 200 din Protest | was made against this practice, how-| ever, as noted in The Star of Decem- | ber 27, 1875: “It is a fair question for our au- This and That By Charles E. Tracewell. Jack Spratt, bulging with Christmas dinner, sat in hs easy c His green eyes were half restless tail was almost stil The tiger-striped sides of the ca gave him the appearance of having swallowed W two rather large oranges, one of which had settled or one side and the other on the other. Christmas grub was solely. respon sible for this bulging of his sides thorities to consider how far the com- fort of a whole community and the | health, if not the lives of inv ds, are to be sacrificed in order that gangs of vicious or unruly boys may be undis- turbed in the observance of a holiday | after their own Infernal fashion. from the incongruity of making with horns the niversary of the birthday of the Savior of man-| kind, the din of Friday evening and | Saturday was so hideous and pervad- ing as to amount to a nuisance of first-class proportion and to provoke | general inquiry why the disturbers were not arrested and punished. Cn- der their ordinary power to prevent| nulsances and preserve the peace of the city, the police certainly have au- thority, If they are so disposed, to| break up all such practices, and that they made no effort to do 8o is, to say the least, not much to the credit of that body. If want of authority be pleaded, then it is time the laws were changed. A police organization that will not or cannot prevent nuisances and of very little Rivalries over the authorship of popular poems have been numerous in the courss of the years. Poetic Half o century a0 one ; developed over a verse Rivals. {00l now practically forgotten, as noted {n The Star of De- cember 27, 1876: “Who wrote the little poem en- titled ‘A Name {n the Sand,' beginning: . fked the ocean ptrand: ey g .)(uyo name. the year. the date. “Our impression always was that it was written by Miss Hannah F. Gould, and we are still of that opinton; but We find it included in & volume of the Poems of George D. Prentice, fust issued, edited by Mr. John J. Platt. We suppose the editor had sufficlent reasons for claiming it as the work of Mr. Prentice, but if o, it is curous | that the little fugitive should have | gone around the papers for o many Gears as the property of Miss Gould and never, 50 far as we can remember. s that of the distinguished poet- itor. Are we to have another ‘Rock Me to Sleep, ‘Beautiful Snow' and ‘Nothing to Wear’ controversy? * * & The year 1876 was regarded through- out the country with especial interest o because of the hun- Centennial aredth anniversary of New Year. the signing of the Declaration of Inde- dence, which was to be celebrated | by @ great exposition at Philadelphia Unusual preparations were made for ushering in this new year, as noted in the following in The Star of De- cember 31, 1875: “In_all parts of the country—ex- cept Washingtoni—the advent of the centennial year will be greeted at midnight with demonstrations marked enthusiasm. publican, from Weich, Pa.. is here. His great-grandfather, French Strother, was a member of the Fif- teenth and Sixteenth Congresses. His grandfather, Jamet French Strother, from whom he was named, was a member of the Thirty-second Con- gress. The congressional neophite has aiready served 20 years as judge of the Criminal Court of McDowell Col. A. C. Jordan, the upstanding stalwart figure, who has attracted so much attention during the last seven years he has been official mace- bearer in the House, has had a hobby that | that he has made a very successful business for the last 30 years. Back home in Lyons, Kans, he is known as the best mule raiser and breeder in the world. During the past Sum- mer he won first prize at a number of falrs. He conducts a big mule sale every Spring, which attracts buyers from every State in the Union. Ususlly he has 250 tering (n his stables, the occasion will be celebrated by the welcoming peal of ‘Big Sam,’ the ring- ing of Christ Church chimes and other church bells, and also the bells of the Fire Department, and by the Jlumination of the new City Hall. A He had eaten not only wisely, but well, and was in that semi-somnolent state which Is the felicity of the creature. What more could cat wish for in this world or the next than a per- fectly acceptable dinner—and plenty of it? There 1s c} of words. Meat is good, but more meat is better, and still more is sull better. i Sallle!yv-lhm is the heaven of an s. The desire for food is the main- spring of their existence. Life, to animals, is but one long search for | tood. Their education looks solely o satisfying this demand, whole experience tends same unvarying line. “The lions roar to God for their and along their the {meat,” says the Psalm. This is the single necessity for them, and their curio We, higher intel! gence, go through life without 2ver realizing, except in exceptional i1 stances, that food is the greatest ne cessity for us. too, not alone for th great tiger cats. * o2 ox % Happy Jack Spratt nodded and nod- ded. He was at peace with the world. What knew he of laws of supply and demand, of living and earning. of work well done, of rewards earned and not given, of these and other joys and sorrows of man? He had but to meow in front of the refrigerator, and instantly a siz able chunk of meat was forthcoming. He did not have to bother his small nead about It. He meowed, and the edl | meat appeared. There was magic in a meow. Out came round steak. in the evening—and forth At breakfast “meow” might bring torth steak again, or sometimes sal mon or sardines If the exertion of chewing & larg: chunk of meat was too much, all he had to do was to refuse to eat, when the meat would be cut into smaller pleces, to suit his taste. These, and many other things, Jack Spratt had learned, the which he kept solely to himself, with the reticence of animals, nor would he have divulged them even to his best friends. As a matter of fact, he had no cat triends. No cat has. Every other cat is an enemy, or « thing of suspiclon, at best. It was not for nothing Kipling wrote about “The Cat That Walks By Himself." They all do. They may come intc the world in & litter, but they come into it alone, each one for himself, and t is the way they proceed through life. . ney prate not, nor lament, but pro ceed. “They do what the Creator in tended them to do, and find time to purr their satisfaction often with whac they find. | “‘Oh, Lord, I Done Done What You Told Me to Do"—so each cat seems of | to sing the negro spiritual. For this In Baitimare | reason I have never been able to be- come excited when a cat catches a bird, or consumes a mouse, tail and He is simply “dolng his stuff,” t use the slang phrase. Do we do ours as well? neral display of bunting will be l‘\f&de during Saturday. In New York, Philadelphia, Boston and other lead- ing citles appropriate demonstrations will also be made. At Middletown, N. Y., the church bells are to be rung, the factory whistles blown and the churches are to have services, and the town will be illuminated until 1 o'clock. There will also be benfires, illuminations, fireworks and a torch- 1light procession of a hundred horse- men. The event will be celebrated at Portsmouth, N. H., by a large mass meeting, concert, parade, etc. At Poughkeepsie, N. Y., all the mlllur_\'.\ firemen and elvic organizations will parade, a salute of one hundred guns will be fired, all the bells of the city rung, public and private buildings {lluminated and the streets mufl bgpfires, New London, Conn., celebrate with bell ~aging, cannon illuminations and music; Gettysuurg, Pa., will fire a salute from Cemetery Hill and bave a general bell-ringing and {llumination. “P. 8.—Steps have been taken to- day In the way of making a suitable demonstration here. The District Commissioners will have a saluts of thirty-seven guns fired at midnight and the Police and Fire Department authorities will do their share toward celebrating the event.” The Mystery. From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazotta, ‘When a man says he j §ot back from Jou at once wender