Evening Star Newspaper, March 20, 1926, Page 6

6 THE EVENING STAR| With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY THEODORE W. NOYES. Business O Ctn s A P .\Hr‘h\‘-lr'( Office. hie European O The Evenine Star. with the Syuday morn ing edition. is deliversd 1 i the oty a1 ¢ Per month. Orders may he &~ telephone Man et carrier at the end of e Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland Sunday . . . 04 a0 1 mo. £00: 1 mo Milv a Daily only Sunday onty All Other States and Canada. and_Sunday .1 v 00: 1 mo., $1.00 onty 0 atuday only d ¥ e Tieaty A0 to it or not etherwise cred and also the I All rights of puhli i are also reserved. A Wet-Dry Hearine, mmittee of the Senate judi- voted. four to one, to recommend to the full commit tee, which will consider the matter on Monda that public hearings be held on the various measures now pending relating to prohibition. It is expected that the full committee will the suggestion and will proceed with the hearins which, it is proposed, will last twelve dave, half of the time being given tu each side. Tt is just as well that th procedure followed. Recently certain polls have been taken on the subject of both modification of the enforcement act and the prohibition amendment it- self. These polls have indicated a pre ponderant sentiment in favor of both moditication and repeal. Opponents of prohibition have hailed the so-called referendum as clear proof of an over- whelming public sentiment against both the law and the amendment. Op- ponents of a chunge have questioned the validity and the significance of the polls on the score that they have not truly elicited public opinion, declar- ing that such “straw votes™ fail be- cause the people with a grievance are the ones who vote, and those who are satistied do not bother to do so. It is noteworthy that notwithstand- ing the great preponderunce of “wet votes in these polls there is no marked cagerness on the part of opponents of prohibition in Congress to force any definitive question to a vote in their behalf. The vocates of modification and of repeal are moving cautiously. Ilenco the proposal for a hearing, which will give both sides an equal nee to present facts, figures and wpinions which may moderate the di position of those who are at present stimulated by the showing of aper “referendum. There 18 1o W srmine this question short of an actual submission of a concrete proposition to popular vote, not a volunteer vote through periodicals, but an official vote at the polls. Meanwhile, should any question be submitted to vote in Congress with direct bearing on enforcement or prohibition itself members of the two houses will be guided, not necessari by this recent showing, but by their own judgment of the public mind in thelr States and district ot Uniform Hand Signals. A better degree of co-operation with the police may be expected from the motorists of Washingtun when uni- form hand signals are given through- out the city by crossing officers. At a meeting last night at the District Building it was decided by Maj. Hesse that the arm held aloft hereafter would mean stop, while a beckoning movement of the arm would mean go. Sergeants of police at the meeting were instructed to notify all traf- fic men Undoubtedly much confusion prevailed on the part of motorists on the diversity of signals used by police- men in various sections of the city. Frequently it has been impossible to futhom them, and the motorist has gone ahead on the blind chance that he guessed right. Uniform signals will quickly cure this condition, how- ever, and trafc will move smoothly nt policed intersections. B The subject of “hard-boiled” police- men was also discussed, and the ser- geants in attendance were warned that “blackguardism” in traffic work is a thing of the past. There is cer- tainly no point in treating a generally Jaw-abiding citizen as i thug simply because he may disobey parking ®ign, and it is greatly to the credit of the department heads and the men themselves that the “courtesy” policy §s being accepted throughout the force, Washington at one time, unfortu- mately, had severul of the “hard- boiled” type, but it is a matter of great satisfaction to the thousands of motorists here that most of them scem to have either mended their ways or retired from the force. There is a vast difference between an escap ing thief and a motorist who violates some small traffic regulation, and this difference should always be borne in mind by the arresting officer. Better conditions are bound to be the result of a policy of rigid courtesy and dig- nity by policemen in dealing with the motoring public. vt “Old-fashioned oratory” has lost its spellbinding significance. But the ra- dio announcer is still with us. ————————— The Tomb of the Unknown. Results of an investigation of the charge that many visitors at Arling- ton Cemetery do not properly conduct themselves at the Tomb of the Un- known Soldier will be communicated to President Coolidge. The Assistant Secretary of War, who has supervision over the cemetery, has been informed by officers of the Quartermaster indorse be o has h. .. .March 20, 1826 Editor 'The Evening Star Newspaper Company | 1y matl or < made by 1b. The story that a woman danced on the tomb is denied. About two weeks ugo a committee representimg the American Legion called on the P’resident and asked him to support a resolution introduced in the louse by Representative Furlow ‘ f Minnesoti, to the effect that a chain be put around the tomb as a barrier and thut a military guard be kept on duty there. The President was re- ported as having told the committee that slation to give protection to the tomb wits not necessary, as it was Within his powers to have appropriate measures tuken. The reason for (he Purlow resolution was that it was suid that certain types of visitors at the tomb so conduct themselves us 1o give offense to other visitors and violate the propricties of the plac The information given Assistant ry MacNider by Quartermaster j otiicers who investizated the matter is that the tomb has never been chipped or marked and that no irreverent acts have been committed there. The re- Dort is that a civilian guard of two men of the cemetery force is on duty at the tomb from the opening till the closing of the cemetery gutes. When 4 large crowd is expected the ceme: tery guard is strengthened by a mili- tary guard from Fort Myer. If the President favors the posting of « mili- tary guard at the tomb, day and night, such a guard will be maintained, but it is apreeable to have official denifl that some visitors at the tomb do not show respect for the shrine. | ‘What Price Drama? i Negotiations are in progress be- tween the New York theatrical man- agers and the “Dramatists’ Guild," which it is expected will result in an agreement for a closed shop—that 15 to say, a treaty ix under negotiution THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., rounded up are wanted for crimes in New York. Baltimore, Philadelphia, Cleveland and other citles, and have served sentences in prison both here and abroad. Thelr leader is particu- larly wanted in Baltimore for the mur- der of a prison guard. When asked at the police station whether he would prefer to stand trial in New York for a hold-up or return to Baltimore to be trled for murder, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “Oh, I'll have a lawyer!” Which is the first and the last resort of every crook. Washington, the City Beautiful! Washington, the Nation's capital! Washington, the home town to which all roads lead! So be it! THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Alleys have always fascinated us. "To bring back our sense of the ro mantic, all we have to do is look up any one of Washington's innumerable allevs, “There we see all sorts of things. ara transported instantly to London, Vienmu and other cities, 1T this seems to be a great deal to get out of simply looking up alleys, urself, as you roll around our great city. Vou will discover that a whole new field_for observation is opened up in the little ¢ streets that run from and Venice, foreign But how can the Natiol ‘g the mecca of all Americans, become the City Beautiful by converting one of its main business thoroughfures into a veritable “Hogan’s alley,” or the inevitable “Main street” of a frontier town? The average Washingtonian who travels a beaten path each day and seldom has time for a sightseeing tour would receive a painful shock if through a break in the ordinary routine of the day a trip through a certain upper business section were necessary. A few blinks and gulps of surprise in the first reaction to the scene might reduce the observer o a state of unbelief, or perhaps the feeling that a subconscious ill- ness was responsible for an halluci- nation and that the picture was really a mirage. But, unfortunately, what the beholder hopes is really a contortion of the brain is an actual tact. A thoroughfare once of seemly appearance and almost wholly resi dential in character has in its busi by the terms of which the managers will agree that nobody can sell a play in this country who does not belong to the organization of dramatists, and, on the other hand, no manager can buy a play from an outsider. Some years ago u considerable flurry was caused in theatrical circles, in- cluding the outer circles of public pat- ronage, when the actors organized a union, which was called “Equity,” in to obtain better terms from the producers and managers. Now “BEquity” is definitely established as the ruling combination, and woe be- tide a manager who attempts to pro- duce w play with outside talent. Now come the playwrights in union formation. not in the strictest sense a union, for they have not yet affiliated with any labor organization, but nev- erthel a close corporation seeking to control royalty rates, movie rights and other prerogatives and perqui- sitex. They have enlisted the leading “dramatists,” or, to use a more cor- rectly descriptive word, play writers— for much that they write is far from being drama—and so strong have they become that they are able to dictate terms to the producers. The managers themselves had an organization until a few months ago. It was dissolved as a result of dissen- sion, but spiritually the producers are still united, and so these present nego- tiations are likely to result in a work- ing agreement. Already the first phase of the compact has been accepted, and henceforth the managers will produce only plays written by members of the Guild. So the produce autho actors, musicians and mechanical employ are now organized into ironclad units, bound to deal only with one another. The prospect for real drama is not bright. There is a further fact to les- sen the likelihood of satisfying dra- matic product in the near future. Most of the theaters in New York, and indeed in other citles, are under the control of a small circle of owners. Bookings for independent productions are hard to obtain. What price drama in America today? r—or—s Conflicting emotions arise as the de- ability is considered of getting Ger- many into the League of Nations or keeping her out. et The ‘Swell Mob” of New York. In its order search for hectic entertain- ment New York has lately developed a {aste for the *night club,” which has for some time been a feature of Lon- don life. These establishments—com- bined restaurants, cabarets and pri- vate gambling resorts—have gained a large patronage. [emberships” are not so scrupulously guarded that it is especially difficult to gain admission. They are virtually public places. Some of them ure perfectly respectable, oth- of decidedly doubtful charac- Seekers for exciting diversion, amusement in the “twilight zone" of semi-lawlessne: have thronged them, the majority of the patronage coming from wholly reputable persons avid for post-midnight entertainment. One of these resorts, which has been an especial favorite of fashionable folk, has just been found to have been for some time the rendezvous of a de- lectable band of thieves, jewel robbers, safe crackers and hold-up men, some of whom are suspected of at least three murders and of robberies total ng hundreds of thousands of dollars in loot. Six men and a woman have been arrested, one of them on leaving this particular place. Search of them yielded four large-caliber pistols, seven hoxes of cartridges, two black silk masks, three heavy “swag’ bags, and a list of underworld characters, includ- ing gunmen and ‘‘fences.” It does not follow, of course, that the night clubs in New York are all tainted with this kind of company. But the suggestion s that they are convenient meeting places for the un- derworld, especially the leaders of criminal gangs. And it may be that knowledge or suspicion of the patron- age of these places by dangerous char- acters of this ilk has much to do with their popularity among perfectly law- abiding but curious people. It is a well known fact that many persons like to hover around criminals and the scenes of crime, who themselves would never think of breaking a law. In Paris a favorite diversion of tourists is to go under escort to notorious dives frequented by apaches. So profitable is this patronage to the proprietors of ers al ter. Corps, who made an investigation, that | these places that they are even sus- there is no authenticated case of un-|pected of faking with imitation crooks seemly conduct at the tomb despite |and desperadoes. reports to that effect. It is denied 1In this particular case in New York that visitors have spread lunches on |the police have made a precious haul. the tomb or bave sat on the marble Members of the “swell joh” Just ! \ l} ness development fallen by the way- side and has deterforated into the Main street,” or “King street,” of “Podunk,” or Hen's Foot Corners. Gone is the dignity, or even a semblance of dignity, as to building line, architecture, and even paint. One-story stores have been erected on the front lawns of residential buildings. All shapes and sizes of show windows intrude upon the vision with startling incongruity. These one-story shops blaze forth their painted fronts in garish colors, which, with the general conglomera tion of wares-display, adds to the mixture the final touch of glory which marks the small town bazaar on the day the mail train comes in And Wi ington is striving to be. come the City Beautiful! —————————— The self-reliant nature of Mussolini is demonstrated by his determination to exercise a press censorship without requesting the assistance of George Creel. —— e German sentiment clung to Wilhelm as an emperor, but not as a realtor. — o While China is willing to interest herself in projects to prevent war, present circumstances impel her tc appear entirely in favor of it. ———- “professor of journalism™ will have to do some explain ing to show that his new title does not disguise the function of & promoter ot propaganda. oo Egyptian research d coffing oceupied by men probably worried into them litical intrigue. R oses golden who were by po Tennessee may some day relent in its anti-evolution views and be proud of young Mr. Scopes as a favorite son, when he completes his education in Baltimore. r—r—— ———— Representation for the District of Columbia in Congress is 4 matter for serious consideration. The present status of the District of Columbia is inconsistent with the principles either of a republic or a democracy. —o— Uncle Sam's possibilities of pecun. | lary helptulness are abundantly recog nized among nations. If he wearies of his present homely designation, he may feel assured of the privilege, promptly conferred, of being addressed as “Sir Samuel.” - et SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Urges. When twilight falls from skies so vast And stars come gleaming, one by one, The wagon driver says, “At last My weary day will soon be done.” Yet dull repose can never thrive. From dark to dawn the hours are few. A little rest—and life must strive To plod the same old pace anew. Spelling Reform. “There used to be considerable graft in the old days,’” remarked the ob- servant citizen. “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum. “Nowadays we spell it ‘Halls of Leg- islation’ instead of ‘Hauls of Legisla- tion.’ The Comedy Girls, The “bathing beauties” are disclosed With bounteous knee and hip. 'Mongst artists maybe they’re supposed To be a “comic strip.” Jud Tunkins says many a spotlight grabber merely succeeds in calling at- tention to the fact that he has a hare lip. Harnessing Power. If Uncle Hen gets Muscle Shoals Perhaps he may diskivver A way to make this earth that rolls So rough run like a flivver! Diggings. “The man who digs into the soil has a slim prospect ahead.” “He has,” agreed Farmer Corntos- gel, “unless he's one o’ them archeolo- gists engaged in turnin’ up Egyptian tombs."” Musical Aspiration. “I want to be an angel And with the angels stand"— And have a harp and halo 'Thout joinin’ no jazz band. “Money,” sald Uncle Eben, “is de great incouragement to work when you aln’t got it, an’ de great incour- agement to laziness when you bas.”? al the sidewalk to the row of back tences, Our interest in alleys has nothing in the world to do with alley dwellers. This is a problem which demands spe- cialized attention, and our cast of mind finds no joy in the solution. Alleys interest us because they are picturesque. To our way of thinking, the great crime is to be non-picturesque—- Ah! there we are, up a blind alley of thought, out of which we can only climb by saying something we do not belleve. As we refuse to do this, under evi and any circumstance, we simply bac out, the best we may, by turning our back upon this mental alley. This is one of the finest qualities of alleys, mental or actual, that no matter how blind they may be, whether they end in a cul-de-sac or no, or bring one to a halt at the bottom of a great wall, one may gracefully back out i Not fur off Sixteenth street, with its flashing red, green and amber lights, at which the traffic halts and moves dutifully, there is a wonderful alley. It is a long, narrow thoroughfare, tretching strafght back into the in- terfor of a deep block. Running, as it does, from a much traveled street, where once great residences held sway, but which now is becoming listinctly commercial, this alley has no openings upon it until the cross alley is reached. At the far end stands a great brick stable, with peaked roof, a bright weather cock flashing in the sun. The roof s of slate. There is an alr to the whole that reminds one of a Swiss chalet. Along one side stretches brick wall. To walk up this alley would place one almost at the mercy of automo- s that might turn into it, for it nartow. 15 not the mwost welcome ex- perience in the world to be walking down an alley and suddenly be con- fronted by a plunging team of horses titched to a truck, or to meet, for that matter, some monster of & motor ve- hicie, taking up most of the roadbed. This §s the adventure of the alle An alle; s to call for ad venture, use they remind one of narrow streets of Old World towns; hey speak more of adventure than our busy streets. Almost anything might happen up an_ alley nd usually does. How those gu: ns of the ad- venturous, the rmall boys, delight in alleys, to be sure! The boy who has not belonged some sort of “gank” and never sped dong an alley. either in pursuit of [ndians or at the far end of a chain whose other end was an officer of the law, has missed something out of life. a high To travel along an alley in one of the older sections of the ecity means to walk between high board fences, more or less—generally the latter—in need of whitewash. Our alleys are usually clean, much wre being given them by the Street Cleaning Department of the District government. In some of the newer sections of the city it {5 not unusual for home owners to supplement this care by etting out with a broom and sweep- the alley muck as one does a floor. We know a narrow alley, so nar- row, indeed, that an automobile can scarcely get by. Just how cars man- 4ge to get into garages remains a mystery, which we intend to solve some day by taking a post at the foot of the narrow stretch and waliting patiently until some one tries it. It would seem impossible, but must be easy, for there are the ages, and one doesn't build ga- ges just for show, vou know. In the Summer time this particu- lar alley is bordered by small pink flowers, which grow in profusion. There is another alley, to be seen momentarily as one rides along in car, but which ought to be investi- gated afoot, if one may judge from the things seen in the quick glimpse. On one side, for its entire length, runs a high concrete wall, tinted pink. On the top is w small red tile roof, which runs the whole length of the wall. The roofing stretches out over a garden on the other side of the wall, giving shade and pro- tection from rain evidently, to those who might be seated there. Memories of pleasant garden par- ties mount to the top of the wall, and there crying to specta- ‘un you not hear them cry? EE One of the charms of alleys is cob- lestones. The paving stretches from wall of house to wall of house, and runs as far as the eye can see, where a cross alley enters There is a certain picture quality given by this form of paving that concrete will forever lack. One can- not have everything in this world. For smoothness, one gives up ple- turesqueness. In a car one is likely to say the exchange is a good one. Afoot, and searching for pictures, one may say It was a poor exchange, indeed. . Here, not far from the Potomac River, is an allev which reminds one of Venice. FPerhaps it is the crazy balcony vonder, attached to the dllapi- dated frame house, hanging perilous Iy out over the narrow way, that gives this alley its aspert of interest. Maybe these houses were built when George Washington rode this way, in his great carriage, and have not been patnted since! In old Georgetown one gets fasel nating glimpses up allevs, especially in Spring and Summer, when old gardens, for which this section is fa- mons, set forth their bright array We will finlsh our rambles by turn- ing into Estey alley, 20 feet wide, bordered by low fences of rail and wire. This is an alley in the new fashion, wider, smooth as a sireet, not hem- med in with walls, lacking some of the picture quality, certainly, of the other alleys we have seen today, but pleasing to us, neverthele Hecause that center gate down there —do you see it’—that center gute leads up a sidewalk to a place called home. BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL There are fifty islands belonging to the United States whose inhabitants are not citizens of any country. The islands cost the Government $: 000 to purchase, and they cost can taxpayers $300.000 a vear to their deficlt in revenues, although the inhahitants also pay faxes without controlling voice in assessing or ex- pending the taxes. They are ruled by an Ame AN EOVErnor appe nted by the President, and the five or six gov- ernors who have ruled this imperial domain have been naval officers. The people are peaceable, loyal to Americi and eager to become American citi- zens, in place of men without a These unnaturalized islanders reside aot beyond the distant Philippines, but in the Virgin Islands, alongside of Forto Rico. Most of the 50 islands are small and inadequate to support ndustry, even agriculture. The soil is &0 porous that though there is an average rainfall of 30 inches, the water quickly penetrates the ground and the crops die in drought. The islands were bought from Den- mark, during the World War, to pr vent complications in case Germany should seek to buy them for a naval base. It was planned, at that time, to make a naval base for our own protec- tion, but the plans have not yet been carried out. * kK island population has dwin- dled, year by year, under United States administration, More than 10,000 have come to the United States o seek thelr livelihood, but they come s aliens, incapable of acquiring cit- enship. The decrease of island pop- ulation is not wholly due to American administration, but it has not been stopped under our regime. Similar decline in population applies to most of the small islands of the West In- dles, but not to Porto Rico nor to Cuba. It has been attributed, so far as applies to the Virgin Islands, to the Volstead law, which destroyed the industry of making bay rum and other rum, but there are other ex- planations in the withdrawal of Dan- sh industries, without the installa- tion of new lines by the new posses- sors of the islands, the Americans. In 1917, when we bought the is- lands, the total population was 26,051, and there has been no official census taken since that year, but it is agreed that the population has lost many thousands. Congress is now consid- ering measures to revive the Virgin Islands, for the officials have not lost zaith in the possibilities. P The committee on insular affairs has voted, unanimously, to report fa. vorably for adoption the Kie: bill LR, 1026, and the report will be made next \veik.* This * ok is bill provides a permanent gov- er’x{r}:xl:m nn‘;i gives United States citi- zenship to all who are 21 years of age or over, and who are able to read and write the English language. Ad- ditional qualifications may be pre- seribed by the council having juris- dotion, provided that no property qualification shall ever be required of any voter, nor shall any qualification be made or based upon difference in wlx?:r “order to encourage industries in the islands a duty will be collected upon all imports from the United States, equal to the duty on imports from foreign countries, which shall bo the same as the import tariffs charged upon imports from any coun- try into the United States. ‘Citizenship will also be given to “all former Danish citizens who, on Janu- 17, 1917, resided in the islands who have continued to reside in those ijslands and who did not make the declaration retaining citizenship in Denmark, or who have since re- nounced it, and who are permanently residing either in the islands or in the United States.” All such may b:; come cltlaens, ’. COLLINS. previous declaration of intent, by simply registering. They will have the same status as native Americans. ¥ % % % census of 1917 showed that of 1 population 7.4 ~nt per per dis- are the cent. mixed. cent are white, but in the rural trict of St. Croix 23.4 per cent white, only alout one-third of whites being natives of the islunds. The natives are reported as remark- ably clean and strong, yet for 40 years prior to American ownership of the islands there had never been a time when smallpox had not been prevalent. The same was true of Porto Rico, but three months after American occupation of Porto Rico every man, woman and child was vac- cinated by our naval surgeons: eight vears later 1t was Feported by the governor that not one death from smallpox had occurred after that vac- cination and today smallpox has been absolutely driven out. This bit of history was cited in the hearings on the Kiess bill to demon- trate that our naval or military oc- cupation of the West Indies islands had been a blessing to the inhabitants, in health improvement as well as in more tangible ways. 1In the Virgin Islands the death rate in 1817, when we took the islands from Denmark by our purchase, was 35.4 per 1,000 population, stilibirths not included. In 1923 the rate was only 24.8. * ok ok K The people lack thrift and industry, as do most people of the tropies, but when others give the necessary initl- ative to enterprises the natives are ready to obey leadership, and are peaceable. Most of them speak Eng- lish, which is not true of Porto Ricans. Most of them are {lliterate, which is also true of most other West Indian natives. * X X ‘When the Virgin Islanders become full American citizens questions may arise which seem remote to the political situation. ¥or example, how will the industrial conditions equalize with similar conditions on the conti- nent? During continental harvest times our harvest hands earn from $4 to $6 a day, while harvesters upon sugar plantations in the islands often earn 60 cents a da or an average of $1.05. A laborer who supplies his own horse gets §1.25 a day, carpenters and mechanics, $1.25 to $2. Women complain that under the improved conditions of American use of oil in navigation the old occupation of carying coal to vessels is gone. They earned 2 cents a basket, averaging 80 pounds, carried from the dock to the vessel, and they could thus get two days' work a week, netting $2 a week. As boll weevil has killed cotton rais- ing and the Volstead law has killed rum making (a by-product of sugar making), the islands cannot compete with Cuba and Porto Rico, and the people are emigrating to find employ- ment. Not merely political reform, therefore, is called for by the island- ers, but industrial and commercial bet- terment as well. Aside from hurricanes, the climate is favorable for agriculture, especially where irrigation is possible to combat the drought of the too porous sofl. The reclamation service has reported that only 3.000 acres could be advan- tageously irrizated, and that would benefit only two large plantations, hence it would be contrary to the general policy for the Government to do the irrigation work. The original incentive for the ac- quisition of the islands was to provide a naval station to protect our other West Indian interests and the Panama Canal and Gulf Coast. That plan has not been abandoned, but, since the vic- tory of the allies in the World War, the danger has not seemed so acute and no development has been made. (Gopyzishte 1636 by. Paib Vo Collinad SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1926. | THE LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover. ‘Washington political and social life Is satirized, rather superficially, in “Glass Houses,” by Eleanor Gizycka. The story ftself, a triangle or per- haps a quadrangle intrigue followed by an international marriage, is in no way remarkable. What will in- terest most readers, both inside and outside of Washington, s the ironic view of certain phases of Washing: ton life and certain personages play- ing a part there. The Senate in ac- tion, with snapshots of some of the Senators (called by mname),' fur- rishes material for one clever chap- ter. The ruthlessly self-secking and rude society matron is portrayed in Judith Malcolm, the fortune-hunting foreign diplomat in Andre de Servaise, the independent, unconventional, mod- ern girl in Mary Moore, the ingenue heiress in Constance Sturgess. The identity of Bob Millar, an ex-Sen- ator, will be a subject for guessing by readers. There is also the trav- eled American man, who draws his income from the United State: a brief connection with matic service, lives much abroad and is ashamed of his country. “His clothes came from Bond street, his linen from the Rue de la Paix. His accent . . . was hybrid, of course, but he practically never omitted to 1l the 'r' and point the ‘i’ in Amer- " Countess Gizycka, formerly Eleanor Patterson of Chicago, is a first cousin of the late Senator Medill McCormick. * Not at all in accord with the ideas of Mme. Montessori or with Freudian psychology, but certainly having great al convenlence, were the rules of Susannah Wesley in bringing up her many children. Her regulation that no child was permitted to cry aloud “when turned a year old" has been often quoted, but other parts of her family discipline were equally adapted to produce hardy character. These rules are given in a letter of Mrs, Wesley to her most famous son, John, dated July 24, 1732. The letter I8 quoted by him in his “Journal.' Three meals a day were the regular allowance and eating between meals was never permitted. “They were never suffered to choose their meat, but always made to eat such things a3 were provided for the family.” In- dependence of will was not encouraged among the Wesley children. The old- fashioned idea of “breaking the will” of children seemed good to Susannah Wesley. She says: “In order to form the minds of children, the first thing to be done is to conquer their will, and bring them to an obedient tem- per. . . . Iinsist upon conquering the will of children betimes, because this is the only strong and rational founda- tion of a religlous education: without which both precept and example will be ineffectual.” At the age of 3, each child was taught to read by the mother, and one day only was allowed 1 child to learn its letters. When the alphabet was thus mastered, each child was given the first verse of the hook of Genesis to spell out, and so on through the Bible. Six hours a day were devoted to schooling in the home and during those hours “rising out of their places, or going out of the room, was not permitted unless for good cause; and running into the yard garden or street without leave always esteemed a capital offen Yet we are surprised 1o learn that as babies_the children were rocked to sleep. Modern mothers are not as len- fent as this. “They were, if possible. laid into their cradles awake, and rocked to sleep; and o they were kept rocking, till it was time for them to awake. This was done to bring them to a regular course of sleeping.’” Mrs. Wesley expresses regret that after the fire which burned down their home, when the children were for a time placed in the families of various friends, “that civil behavior which made them admired when at home, by all who suw them, was in great meus- ure lost, and a clownlsh accent and many rude ways were learned, which were not reformed without some diffi- culty.” * % % W. L. George, the English novelist who considered himself a leading authority on women of all tyvpes died January 30, at the age of 43. A week after his death his novel. “The Gifts of Sheba,” was published. On the last page of this novel Mr. George seems to sum up his opinion of the modern woman in general. It is to the effecp that the only way @ man can get along with a modern woman is to be iudifferent to her, bhecause only o does he leave her free. The gifts of Sheba brouxht to Mr. George's most recent heroine. bel Eden. in the form of the of her first two husbaunds,” Hugh Brodick and Peter Keith, fuil to make her happy or to hold her not very devoted affection. Her third hus- band. Angus Hallam, offers her wealth, but emotionally, only the cynical admiration of a connoisseur in women. Her first marriage ends in the infidelity of her husband and divorce. Her second ends with the death of her husband after he has become first a drunkard. then a cripple. The book ends with her third marriage, but we are given to under- stand that it i going to be happy. Angus_says to her as a sort of prothalamion: “Unwilling to ' rule with kindness or to be ruled with vigor, the only kind of man the mod- ern woman can live with is the kind that doesn’t care. Only the man who doesn’t love her can make a modern woman happy LR “The Adventure of Old Age.” by Francis Bardwell. has a sound of idealistic philosophy. We look for a prose “Rabbi Ben ra,” perhaps not as beantiful as Browning's, but of the same tenor. We do not find it, how- ever, for this is a book of realism, based on much observation, by one who has had the best of chances to observe. The author has been for 17 years State visitor to aged people in almshouses in_connection with the Public Welfare Department of Mas- sachusetts. In a long introductory chapter Mr. Bardwell gives some of his conclusions ahout old age, espe- clally old age combined with poverty. Then follow many character sketches and true stories of old people, show- ing the psychology, their whims, their humor, their hopes and their retro- spects. A number of poems about old age are also used to illustrate varfous characteristics of this last phase in human life. * kK Kk Summer travel in Spain is usually represented as being an affair of so much discomfort as to counteract all the interest of seeing historic and romantic places. Heat, dirt and ver- min are the three bugbears that are supposed to discourage every traveler. Robert Medill McBride did not find things as bad as he anticipated. In his “Spanish Towns and People” he says that he went to Spain in Sum- mer in complete disregard of all ad- vice and that not a single dire pre- diction of his friends was fulfilled. Though the days were hot, coolness came with the nights, because of the elevation of the cities. Burgos is 2,785 feet above sea level; Salamanca, 2,650 feet; Segovia, 3,280 feet; Avila, 3.715 feet: Madrid, 2,130 feet; Toledo, 1,735 feet, and Granada, 2,195 feet. So the chief cities are all mountain resorts. Mr. McBride pursued his way through Spain, finding beauty and interest everywhere, if not all the romance and color of the past. His conclusion is, “At its best Spain gives something infinitely worth having, and something that it alone is capable of giving, a gevere beauty, a rugged grandeur, a noble austerity that cannot be sur- ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN. Q-"Ul;bw long do farm horses live?— A. The average life of a horse on & farm is between 14 and 15 years, al- though both horses and mules have been known ta live 20 years, and there is a record of one having lived 35 years. Q. How long have dictlonaries been in use?—C. T. A. The first dictionarfes were used by the Assyrians and Babylonfans to explain not words, but signs. The old- est surviving dictionary, compiled by Appolonius of Alexandria, in Au- gundua' time, is a glossary of Iomer's words. Q. Which States are officially en- titled commonwealths?—G. C. A. Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vir- ginia and Kentuck: Q. What plant produces the sweet- est sugar?—D. J. A. The common artichoke produces the sweetest of all sugars. Q. How many banks failed in 19257 What were the total liabilitie A.N. E A. Tour hundred and sixty-four I:Bnks, h liabilities totaling $164.- 698,516, failed in 1925 in the United States. . Q. Which is the largest of the Aus- tralian states D. K. M. A. Western Australia is the largest state, almost four times as large as Texas. Victoria is the smallest, a lit- tle larger than Idaho. Q. With what kinds of food should eggs be served?—R. T. “A. Their highly concentrated nutri- tive value renders it necessary to use them in combination with other foods rich In starch, such as bread and po- tatoes. In order that the stomach may have enough to act upon, a c tain amount of bulk must be furnished. Q. How many pounds of coal out of a ton are actualiy used in creating energy?—R. H. G. A. The Bureau of Mines says that roughly speaking about 50 per cent of coal in the vein reaches the con- sumer. This is burned with a furnace efficiency of about 60 per cent to pro- duce steam. Steam is used at an ef- ficiency of 16 per cent to produce power. Roughly, 5 per cent of the energy of the coal in the vein is finally used as power, Q. What is the birth rate in Eng. land?—M. D. £ A. Accordinz to the registrar gen. eral, 50 vears ago the birth rate of England and Wales was 35.4 per 1,000 population, while in 1925 it was 15.3 per 1,000, Q. How much time should be allow- (‘{i rA\gr pound when roasting meat?— A. Some authorities suggest allow- ing about 15 minutes for the meat to heat through and then the following schedule is followed: Beef (well done), 15 to 18 minutes per pound: beef (rare), 12 to 15 minutes; lamb, 18 minutes; veal, 30 minutes; pork, 30 minutes; mutton, 20 minutes. Q. What are dum-dum bullets and from what do they get their name?— E. B. R. A. They are bullets which are so made that on striking a body they ex- pand, thus creating an ugly wound They get their name from the town of Dum-Dum, in Bengal, India. where the British government maintained troops for many years. At the Dum- Dum foundry hollow-nosed dum-dum bullets were manufactured for use in East Indian frontier tighting, owing to the faflure of the usual type of bullets to stop the rushes of fanatical tribes. men. Other forms of bullets having the character of expanding on striking Lave been devised from time to time and are called by the same name. Q. Why is a foolish person called a moonraker?—M. . A, There is an old story of a rustic in Wiltshire, England, who, seeing the reflection of the moon in a pond, tried to rake it out, thinking it a cheese. The explanation is given that the man was raking the pond for smuggled brandy, and upon being surprised by revenue officers decelved them with the cheeso story. Q. What was Elinor Glyn's maiden name? When was she married?—N. F. A. Mrs. Glyn s the daughter of Douglas Sutherland of Toronto, Can- :}1& In 1292 she married Clayton yn. 5 Q. How mauch weight will a pon- toon bear?—J. McK. A. A pontoon will carry pounds of weight, Including its own. for every cubic foot of water it dis places. Q. 1s Bdna Wallace Hopper years old’—P. A. B. A. “Who's Who in America” gives the dats of her birth as January 17, 1874. 62 Q. Where are the horse latitudes?— H. M. A. They are at sea In the regions of 30 degrees north latitude and 20 degrees south latitude, whers light pressure, calms and light baffiing winds are usual. The origin of the name is unknown Q. to run Congress?—J. F For the flscal the Treasur: How much money does it take R. year ending June patd for the United States Senate $2,742,807.23; the House of Representatives, £6,515,913.63, and miscellaneous legislative expenses, $54,201.78, Q. Where does Epsom salt come from?—E. W. B. A. Epsom salt was originally ob tained from waters of the mineral spring in Fpsom, England, and subse. quently w made by decomposine dolomite with sulphurfe acid: but the principal gource of the commerelal salt is now the Stassfurt salt mine< in Saxony, where the crude mineral is separated from the acecompanying magnesfum and sodium chlorides by dissolving out these two salts with water, which leaves the magnesiun: sulphate as a fine powder that may he purified by er; zation. Q Tow slowly travel?—J. N. J. A. The st rate of speed a! which an airplune can travel and stay in the air would depend upo:n the plane. Roughly, it would be fron: 40 to 50 miles per hour. The lowes: air speed is that speed just above the stalling point. The stalling_point is at the point where the air lift on tha wings is less than the weight of the airplane, practically little above tal ing-off speed, which i3 40 to 50 miles per hour. can an alrplane Q. Why does a safety match ignite when scratched on a glass window pane w. A. The Bureau of Standards says< probably because the very smooth and hard surface of the glase makes the point of contact of the match head small and the friction is all st this small point. This causes the match composition to be heated to its igni- tdon point. On a rougher gurface the matca head is worn off. If the sur fame is softer than the glass the head sinks into it enough to increase the area of contact, and thus the heating effect is distributed over too large u surfage for the temperatyre at anv point to become high enough to i= nite the composition. To light the match on glass requires a quick sweeping stroke with firm pressure. When dn doubt ask Frederic . Haskin, the director of The Star In formation Bureau. He offers himseif as a target Yor the questions of our readers. He agrees io furnish facts for all who ask. This is a large con- tract—one that has never been filled before. It would be possibie oniu in Washington and only to one that has spent alifctime in locating the sources of information. Haskin docs not know all the things that people ask him but he knows people who do know Tru him. State uour question brieflu write plainly and inclose : cents in stamps for return posta. Address Frederic J. Iaskin, tor The Star Information Burcau, Washing | ton, U. . Canals for War and Peace Involved in Waterway Row Rival canal routes in both war and peace have been the subject of much newspaper comment since competi- tion developed to the acute stage he- tween the all-Amerjcan project and the St. Lawrence waterw plan. The former, advocated by Gov. Smith of New York. involves the turning over to the Federal Government of the Erie Canal in that State. Condi- tions of both peace and war are con- sidered in the discussion. “A 2i-foot channel connecting Lakes Erle and Ontario. and Lake Ontario with the Hudson,” it is pointed out by the Detroit News, “would cest $559,000,000. A 25-foot channel would cost $631,000,000. But a 25-foot channel down the St. Law- rence would cost far less and the amount inlludes the development of 1,400,000 horsepower. The cost of the all-American canal would be borne entirely by the United States. The cost of the &t. Lawrence route would be divided between the United States and Canada. The St. Law- rence project would pay for itself, and would return a perpetual revenue from the power developed.” The Baltimore Sun makes the further com- ment that %rebuilding the Erie would he a more tly adventure than the Panama Canal, estimates ranging trom $559,000,000 to $900,000,000. There Is no troubl continues the Sun, n understanding why New York would be rid of it, but there are gift horses which need to be care- fully scrutinized, and this is one of them.’ * K ok ok “In fairness to New: York's gov- ernor,” remarks the Grand Rapids Herald, “it should be said that he makes no effort to hide the fatts of Erie Canal operation. He wants the Federal Government to take the canal merely as the natural location for the all-American deep-water route, which he mistakenly seems to think the Lake and Midwest States want But for whateyer purpose the offer is made, New York taxpayers sure enough ought to thank ‘Al if he suc- ceeds in unloadfng their white ele- vhant onto Wasbington, as well as for his attempt t» ‘kid' the Middle West into enthusiasm for an unfeasi- ble waterway.” In reply to these arguments come the queries from the Albany Evening News. “What do the St. Lawrence ship canal proponents ywant? Do they want access from the Great Lakes and the hinterland to the sé&1. or do they object to an all-American route? Whv do they protest 8o much becanse the Secretary of the Navy andl the Secre tary of War have written' letters cit- ing that from a military defense stand- point the ship canal should be within American territory? What is there fm- proper in these statements of §wo men charged with the defense of the coun- try?” * k k The New York Herald-Tribury» em- phasizes the fact that “buildinyx: for the future is the first essentia and offers the judgment: ““All other thfings being equal or mearly equal, an all- American Great Lakes-Atlantic canal is preferable.,” The Herald-Tribuye also states that ‘“‘the St. Lawren route is excessively long and term nates in a high latitude, where fogs and ice are obstacles to nav. where only served.” JAttention is directed by the Buffala | Evening News to action begun sever:.1 | vears ago in the Supreme Court | determine where Federal control ends | and State control begins, with partic {lar reference to the water powers « boundary streams,” and it advise: “The State should not wait until the Federal Government has made a com mitment with respect to the St. Law rence seaway plan before pressing for a decision.” The Chicago Tribune sus gests the additional problem of the possibility of being “forced to make concessions to Canada,” and concludes as to the situation: “The St. Lawrence route is not the only one available. though it is now generally favored in this country. The demand of this re glon for an outlet to the sea will con tinue to gain strength, as it has in recent years. Our Government may be forced by public opinion to build th wuterway; and if our not come to terms with ma forced to build York a sparse population can le O Replying to the demand for waterway “as a militar . the St. Paul Pione Press insists on “three pertinent facts That the rule of international pr. cedure in the matter of a belligerent transporting men and/ munitions across meutral territory is subject tu exceptions; that the neutrality of Great Britain and the neutrality of Canada are not necessarily concur- rent, and that an agreement permit- ting the United States and Canada to use the waterway on precisely the same terms in war and peace coull be concluded between the two comn- tries.” The Kalamazoo Gazette con demns the “jingo imagination™” and contends that “the chief motive in establishing contact between the G and the Atlantie is commerci: it military.” The Flint Dail the New York ba the State $10,000,000 vear in excess of income to operate, and av that “the bargs canal inferior in every way to the St. Law vence route; that it does nct permit the ingress and egress of ocean going ship: * k * % “Why not allow the program to 1 decided by strictly commercial co siderations?” asks the Des Moines Tribune-News, while the Chicago Daily News would leave the matter o the judgment of “engineers, men of af fairs and economists.” According to the Canton Dally News, “snap judc ment should mot be taken,<' for, it argues, “the primary consideratior ity and usefulness. If all other < are equal and if a ship rou thing ! o constructed, the New Yori is to he | with our neighhor 1 | declares the Milwaukee Journal, sentiment in this country will not permit us now to provoks competitive arming by taking over New Vork's white elephant_‘for the national de- fense.'” The Lansing State Jeurn suggests: “Let them both be built while the Bloomington Pantagraph sees prospects of “a bitter fight that il align East against West.”