Evening Star Newspaper, April 17, 1926, Page 6

WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY......April 17, 1928 Editor THEODORE W. NOYES. The Evening Star Newspaper Company 110 1A Fontavivant Now Fork Office: ‘110 East 4 Ave. ce: 110 East 43nd St. cago_Of : Tower Bulldink. European omn;’ 14 Regent St.. London, ngland. . The Evening Star. with the Sunday morn. ng edition, s delivered by carriers within {he dity at 60 cent 3 only, er at the end of each month. Rate by M: Maryland and V! Sunday "onis . AR Other States and Canads. Dafy axd Sunday.1yr.$12.00: 1 mo.. $3,00 Dty Sy : e Sunday i . o imen 3% ted Press. —Payable in Advance. irginis. Member of the Associa The Associated Press 14 1o the use for repuhlicat ches cradited to it or not otherwise ted in this paper and slso the local news published hersin, All rights of publication ©f special dispatches herein are also resorved. Retirement Equity in Sight. Report to the Senate from commit- tee of the biil liberalizing the retire- ment annuity schedule and making certain changes in the scale of age limits encourages the hope that enact- ment will be effected of this measure, so fmportant to many people, at the present sessjon. The Senate commit- tee recommends a maximum of annui- ties of $1,200, which is the figure that has been held in view from the begin- ning of the present move to amend the law. This is the least that should be considered as the highest figure permitted. It is based upon a salary of $1,600 a year. An employe who gets that amount in active service would thus, on retirement, suffer a re- duction of 25 per cent. In other words, the $1,600 employe retires at 75 per cent of his active pay. This is an equitable scale. With the exception of the age limits and certaln minor administrative fea- tures, this measure just reported to the Senate corresponds to the House bill. The percentage of increase of contribution by the active empldyes is the same in both bills. Every consideration of equity calls for the prompt passage of this meas- ure. It is required to remedy an in- Jjustice that was done to the veteran Government workers at the beginning of the retirement system, men and women of advanced years who were forced to reiinquish their duties and their pay—then in relation to their needs at the lowest point in many vears—and to go on the basis of am- nuities insufficient to sustain them de- cently. It is due to the active work- ers who are socn to retire, having re- mained in the service so long that they cannot secure sustaining occupa- tion in other lines and must take what the law allows in the form of annul- ties, or starve. It is due likewise to the younger workers with a long term of active service in prospect, who must elect whether to continue in Government work or, quitting now, find private employment that offers a better prospect for the future in their advanced years. There is evidently a disposition in both houses of Congress to pass this bill at the present session. Certain actuarial complications have delayed it. Now these are being straightened out and, as evidenced by the Senate committee’'s action, the measure is shaping to the satisfaction of the ad- ministration, which is concerned in aspect of the proposal. ent have been the dis- appointments during the years that Lave passed since the original retire- ment law was enacted that concern is felt most reasonably by those who are affected and who now wait from day to day for the final announcement that this delayed measure of justice has been definitely passed. — R A Kadio Theater. A theater to which no audience will be admitted is soon to be erected in London. The actors and actresses, lowever, who appear in this theater will not lack public acclalm. Thelir performances will be heard by count- less thousands. It 18 to be the first yadio theater and is expected to be the forerunner of many others of its kind. No costumes or stage settings will be used. Operas, comic operas, come aies and dramas will be produced. Radio fans to enjoy the treat will merely tune in, sit back in comfort- sbly upholstered chairs, sip a small drink (this is in London, it is to be clearly understood) and marvel on the wonders of the present age. With the advance of radio it has veen predicted that in the next fifty or one hundred years the population of the world would no lenger bother with attending theaters. Regular plays would be produced by the theaters on regular stages, but the audience would e composed of “subscribers” who would pay a stipulated fee for the privilege of tuning in. The audience would be able to both see and hear the entire production. With the erection of the London theater it would seem that this proph- ecy may come true, after all. o There is still a certain amount of picketing. The triumph of votes for women, however, has modified the demonstration to comparatively mild status. a ) District Tree Nursery. The bill passed by the Senate au- thorizing transfer by the War Depart- ment to the District government of a tract of land in Anacostia Park as a tres nursery has been favorably re- ported to the Iouse by the committee on public buildings and grounds. The bill has net met opposition in its course, and is not likely to meet any in the House. The measure proposed by the superimtendent of trees and parking, and urged by the District Commissioners, has been favored by the Secretary of War, the Chlef of Engineers of the Army and by the director of public buildings and parks. The ground to be transferred is al- ready dn passession of the office of trees and parking, having been loaned to the District several years ago. It embsnses thirty five acres-near Point and Bolling Field, in the west- ern part of Anacostia Park. The District tree nursery has led a hazardous and changing existence by being temporarily located here and there, and the superintendent of trees and parking sought to have the Pop- lar Point location made permanent. That nursery situation is not the best, but it has varfous merits. The Ameri- can elm grows well there, but it is not {a suitable site for the Norway maple | and the red oak, trees of the first rank for street growth. Water is too close to the surface in the reclaimed river bottom of Anacostia Park for the caks and hard maples. The site is valuable for seed beds and for very young trees of several species, but before the oaks and maples send their roots to the water level they are transplanted to 3 higher land at the Fort Dupont nurs- ery. The National Capital Park Com- mission has given the nursery an en- larged site on Fort Dupont reserva: tion, but, a large part of the site be- ing forest, there is no thought of cut- ting down the old native trees. A great many trees that will be set out rod. | along the street will be grown to the right size at the Fort Dupont nursery. An old District treenursery was set out in the former workhouse grounds, or reservation No. 13, on which the jall, crematorium, pesthouse and other bulldings stand. That site is not now used for growing trees, but as a work- shop for making tree boxes and as a storage place for various equipment. A few vears ago the District nurs- ery was at Seventh and Upshur streets and on loaned land. On the entrance of the United States into the World War the War Department claimed the land for hospital purposes and destroyed the nursery. Later the site was taken for a school bullding. The District nursery was then set up on a small tract on the Fort Dupont reservation, which had been bought for possible park use. Next, the War Department loaned the District thirty- five acres of the new-made land near Poplar Point, and the bill now before the House would transfer that lot to the District government as a perma- nent place for the District tree nurs- ery. The office of trees and parking has not been given much consideration since the war and has been doing a great deal of work on little money, but it is believed that its outlook is better. The demand for street trees grows as new streets are opened and there is mortality from storm and disease among trees on the older streets. —_———— Stokowsky’s Satire. Philadelphia has earned an unen- viable reputation of arriving late and leaving early on occasions of musical importance, especially the renditions of the orchestra which bears the city’'s name, and of which it is justly proud. The so-called music lovers of Philadel- phia have been so prone to tardiness and haste of leaving that the director at last has administered a pubtic re- buke. It took a surprising form which has unquestionably arrested attention and which should have the result of reforming the manners of the au- diences. The other day when the curtain rose for the first number of the concert only two players appeared on the stage, the first violin and the first cel- list. The director appeared, raised his baton and the first number of the program was started. A few minutes later the other members of the orches- tra began to drift in with thelr instru- ments. They took thelr places, one by one, and tuned in on the selection. Some of them took the first chairs avallable regardless of the usual or- chestral scheme. Not all the chairs, however, were filled at the final strain, and as it died away the missing musi- clans came trooping on the stage hur- riedly, after the fashion of the late comers in the audience. This bit of eatire affected the au- dience peculiarly. Many of the peopile applauded when they realized the sig- nificance of this remarkable perform- ance. Some were displeased and hissed. Several of the front-row patrons walk- ed out of the theater. As a supplement to this public re- buke, the director staged a rendition of Haydn’s “Farewell” symphony on reverse lines. After the first move-| ment had started, one or two of the performers, apparently tired of play- ing, wandered off the stage. Others followed from time to time, until final- during the last movement, only two violins remained. One of these walked off playing. The other arose, bowed to the director and left the stage empty, save for him. He waved his baton until the last note on his score was reached. With his final wave, the director turned and bowed to the au- dience, then, facing the stage, mo- tioned to the invisible orchestra to rise | and bow, whereupon he himself bowed again and smilingly left the scene, This ought to teach a lesson to those who go late to concerts—in fact, to any stage performance. Late comers are always distracting. arly goers are equally annoying. Especially is this true in a musical performance, where every note has its value to those who attend for love of the program. Tardiness is not tolerated in foreign countries, where music is truly appre- ciated. It is prohibited. No inter- ruption to the program is ever allowed. The habit of being late has been cul- tivated by many people in this coun- try. Perhaps Leopold Stokowsky's daring satire will cure this tendency. At any rate, it brings sharply to at- tention the rudeness of late comers and early goers and deserves applause from all who are sincerely devoted to the art. B o TS President Coolidge has caught a severe cold. The keeping cool policy is excellent in statesmanship, but not so reliable in hyglene. The German Crown. Is the crown the property of the state or of the monarch? That query is now under discussion in Germany with reference to the $875,000 jeweled bauble which formerly was worn by the consort of the emperor. A little over three years ago it mysteriously dieappeared from the royal palace on the Uriter den Linden in Berlin. Short- 1y afterward the former Kaiser mar- ried Princess Hermine Von Reuss at Doorn and it was reported that on the occasion of the ceremony she wore Poplar,;the imperial crown. State delectives 1 have been working on the case dill- gently and have now dlscovered a former court jeweler who says that the jeweled heudpiece was brgught to him in a leather hat box by a man who represented himself as the agent of the exiled monarch, who told him that Wilhelm's greatest desire was to see Princess Hermine wear the crown of the former empress at, the altar. Hermine's head being slightly smaller than that of Augusta, it was neces- sary to take a tuck in the crown in order that it might fit. Now comes the question: How is the crown to be recovered? The German government wants it back. Withelm has made no offer to return it. So far as known, it is still at Doorn. Will Germany take out a writ of replevin and through the Dutch government pre- sent it and serve it at Doorn? Will Wilhegn honor such a writ? If it is as precious as reported it is well worth retaining for its intrinsic value it for no other reason.’ The Kaiser is now a clatmant for certain properties in Germany worth many millions and is asking for a plebiscite to determine the question of its transfer to him. Perhaps this incident of the crown will have its effect upon public opin- fon in Germany. [UREAS, A more and more reckless disposi- tion is asserting itself among con- gressional speakers. One of these days some orator will say something making it the duty of the Pos: Otfice Department to exclude an edition of the Record from the mails; thereby increaging the publication's general circulation amazingly. et A few farmers are unreasonable enough to desire loans v:ith the pos- sibility of the same ultimate gen- erosity in terms of settlement as various foreign creditors suggest. ———— et An exaggerated impression of out- lawry in Mexico is due to the fuct that it has become u national cus- tom for opposing political factions to refer to one another as bandits. SR A Gen. Andrews has declared in favor of beer and the question immediate- ly arises among grape growers as to why barley should be given a pref- erence. ——— et Congressional expbrts represent home brewing as so easy that it be- comes difficult to see why bootleg- gers should be making ail this money. iR ey It is now feared that Gen. Smed- ley Butler, relentless vice opponent, forgot he was In San Diego and thought he was back in Philadelphia. ——r———— The height of the new Natlonal Press Club is lmited to eleven stories. There will be more storics than that as a daily output. — vt Muscle Shoals Is galning daily prestige as one of the greatest of the world’s undeveloped natural re- sources, et e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON The Cruel Blast. Singin’ to the Springtime With a sweet refrain, Coaxin’ for the daffodils an’ again. Singin’ to the Springtime; North wind playin’ rough, Simply pulls a saxophone an’ synco- pates the stuff. Mild Retribution. “Are you going to keep Investigat- ing people?” “Yes, sir,” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “Even if we don’t actually g violets some of the evil doers wo ought ut least see that they suffer some per- sonal annoyance and loss of time.” Alternation. ‘When Summer brings a radiant smile To other customs we will range. The coal man we'll forget awhile And scold the ice man for a change. Jud Tunkins says an ill-natured man loses friends; and the lonelier he gets, the more {ll-natured he becomes. Food and Drink. “If beer is restored, we may feel as if we were back in old times.” “Not much,” answered Uncle Bill Bottletop. “We'll never see the times again when one glass of beer would entitle a man to as much free lunch as he could eat.” Weights and Measures, “The flapper'’s wardrobe weighs about a pound.”—Irresponsible fash- ion note. A new renown The “flapper” gains; A pound of gown, An ounce of brains. “Even a wild fight kin be useful,” sald Uncle Eben. “Every time sumpin’ goes wrong we kin still blame it on de war.” N\ e e Ot e Play for Exercise. From the Morgantown New Domicion. Dr. Charles M. Wharton, director of health and physical education at the University of Pennsylvania, is not one of the modern exercise faddists, al- though he has had 30 years of experi- ence in training athletes and keeping college men fit. ¢ “Exercise as a panacea for all hu- man ills is overrated,” he says. “The gearch for the fountain of youth by exercise and diet has been commer- clalized to a point of hysteria. Reduc- ing and starvation dlets are assaults on health, and selecting the early hours for exercise is choosing the worst time of day for such efforts. Some one should cry a halt agalnst the wild scramble for health by un- natural means. “Furthermore, exercise is best when it is relaxed play, when it is pleasure and not work and when it comes, as it were, of itself and is not merely self- imposed as a stern duty.” Instead of leaping out of bed and exercising violently for 20 minut try walking to work and entertaining yourself by noting new signs of Spflni from day to day. Or take the formal exercises if you really enjoy them and thelr immediate effect, but don't take them if you have to force yourself to them against all inclination and com- fort. The person who abandons formal exercise, however, should be sure to indulge in “relaxed play” often enough to get from it the good he needs. That sort of play is something too few Americans know about. BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Are lawns and grass plots of Wash. ington residences in worse condition than those of any other city in the country? This is the opinion of H. C. Gauss, who has written us a letter, following our article the first of the week upon the subject of grass. Mr. Gauss says, in part: “l am convinced that the trouble with your lawn, suggested in your interesting article of last evening, is that you are growing Summer grass instead of one of the lawn grass varieties, “Summer grass i especlally suited to the sofl in Washington, espectally to the alluvial formation of the high- er portions of the city. Within the original City of Washington, which was largely taarshy land, the natural sofl contains some proportion of humus, but there is practically none In the sfit and gravel formation north of Florida avenue. “Summer ' grass grows vigorously in its season on this sofl, but it Is late in appearing, succumbs to drought and is killed by the first frost. Probably in the course of a few weeks you will find your lawn sprouting in a satisfactory manner after a series of warm rains. “It is the general idea to credit this growth to the sprinkling of bone meal or other slight attention which the lawns generally recelve at this time of the year, but the growth will occur in most cases as a natural result of the seasonal growth of this varlety of grass. ““The deplorable condition of the lawns of Washington, and especially the lawns in the public parks, is a matter to which I have given a good deal of attention for several years. The desirable lawn is that which will remain green from early in the Spring until late in the Fall, and will resist the dry period usual in the Washington Summer. “There are very few such lawns in Washington and most of those which now exist are comparatively new lawns which have been made by the expensive process of digging up the entire lawn, manuring it heav- 1ly and then replanting. * x K% “One such lawn is in front of the Chamber of Commerce Building and another in front of * * *, but there are signs that both of these will succumb to the results of soil ex- haustion through the heavy growth of grass which has been secured,” continued Mr. Gauss. “The Hale lawn on the corner of Sixteenth and K streets and another residence on the southwest corner of Sixteenth and I streets are good examples of the temporary nature of the results secured by this proc- ess. During my observations some hundreds of dollars have been ex- pended on these two lawns with very moderate results. “The best kept lawn in Washing- ton was recently destroyed by the change of a residence on Dupont Circle Into a business property, and this lawn was maintalned in fine condition through many vears by the only effective method of lawn maintenance, which is to seed liber- ally with the variety of grass select- ed, preferably blue grass or Ger- man bent, in this climate, and to top dress frequently with a finely divided soil containing a high proportion of humus. So far as I have been able to determine, there is nothing which will take the place of this method in maintaining # satisfactory lawn. “If you will consider the composi- tion of bone meal, I think you will see that it is merely an accessory and not a real lawn food. It is, of course, largely comgnled of phos- phate, and the phosphoric acld which it develops only supplements and does not take the place of the nitrates and nitrites used by the grass in making root and blade tissue. Prac- tically the only source from which grass can secure tissue bullding material is from the decomposed vegetable tissue which is known as humus. EREE “When such humus was avaliable in considerable quantities, a progres- sive improvement in lawns was prac- ticable, and this was emphasized by the appearance of the Washington parks of 20 years ago, when * ¢ * a system of heavy top dressing with completely rotted manure Was car- ried on. “Under the present system of top dressing the parks with material which is but little better than straw, a large proportion of the fertilizing value is raked off in the Spring, leav- ing but little addition to the soil, while the mechanical effect of the clumps and clods of manure in stifling the grass on which it rests has resulted in & tufted appearance to the parks which 18 most lamentable. Owing to the cost of this double operation of putting on and raking off, only a proportion of the park area can be treated, with the result that there are increasing numbers of sterile spots throughout the park system. “The practical impossibility of get- ting good lawn material has discour- aged the individual householder from attempting to do much with his lawn, with the result that the lawns and grass plots of Washington residences are probably in worse condition than those of any other city in the country. ¢ ¢ * Unless some radical step is taken for the improvement of the grass in the parks of Washington, the condition in a few years will be such as to excite general criticism, while I think every visitor to the city will be struck with the untidy and un- sightly condition of most of the resi- dence grass plots.” * x K ¥ The subject of grass is one dear to the heart of every householder. Probably we imbibed a love for the when we were shorter of stature and thus cast our childish eyes upon it from a closer viewpoint, At any rate, every one admires a good lawn, even if many never pay much attentlon to such things, but somehow expect grass to grow of itself. Indeed, it ought, but often enough it does not! There is the rub and in that rub the problem fuced by every one with a plot of land he may call his own. It is noticeable in Washington this Spring that lawns which last year were not good are waxing green al- ready this season, while many which were superior to the latter last year this Spring are in very poor condi- tion. Perhaps our correspondent or some other can explain this seeming anom- oly. We call attention particularly to the lawns along Q street and Mas- sachusetts avenue west. Last Summer these plots, almost without exception, and particularly in front of some of the larger homes, were in bad condition. This Spring, however, the grass s thick and green already, while in communities farther to the west, closer to the river, grass in many cases s in very poor shape. Trees and grass are the frame and getting for the beauty we call Wash- ington. They form an important subject and one which cannot be dis- cussed too much. Effect of Brookhart Case On Iowa Situation Debated Taking the position that “the con- tested election case of the radical Re- publican Senator Brookhart of Iowa has been decided out of partisan con- siderations and not on the merits,” the New York World (independent Democratic) calls fhis “not a very in- spiring spectacle.” The Baltimore Sun (Independent) declares that ‘“from an analysis of the vote one is forced to the conclusion that Steck was given the toga on the ground that he was a better Republican than Brookhart, in spite of the party labels which each wore.” The Sun finds its conclusions strengthened by the recol- lection that in the campalgn “Steck championed the cause of Harry Daugherty.” On the other hand, the Worcester Telegram (Republican) thinks the Senate vote was ‘‘merely testimony of wholesome determination on the part of the Senate of the United States to receive into membership those duly elected thereunto and to exclude from membership those not so clected,” and the Springfleld Republi- can (independent) afiirms that “the voting on the Prookhart-Steck con- {ested election case in the Senate did not follow party }ines, and this is the best answer,” according to the paper, o the possible criticism that politi- cal reasons dictated the result.” *® ok ® X blican lne-up in the Sen- . Repu B by the Philadelphia ate is described Bulletin (independent Republican) as follows: “‘The majority of Republican Senators voted in support of Senator Brookhart in his claim to his seat. But Senator Steck was seated through the votes of 16 Republicans, headed by Senator Butler of Massachusetts, and as the result of a strenuous contest which has been directed and is said to have been financed by Hanford Mac- Nider, Assistant Secretary of War in the Republican administration.” As to the Democratic vote in the contest, the Lynchburg News (Democrat), which calls the result a ‘“puzzling and in some degree ‘‘non-parti- says: “The maljority of the Democrats voted to seat Steck, Demo- crat, declared by the committee which investigated and counted the hallots to have been legally elected, while a few Democrats, always considered in sympathy with the Middle ‘West insur- gents, voted for Brookhart,” and the ‘News believes that the "‘man has been seated whom the people of lowa elected.” * k% 1In its summing up of the vote the Charleston Daily Mail (Independent Republican) notes that “only the pro- ve vote was solid,” and explains this by saying that “solidity is much more easily maintained in a small body that in a large one; as the pro- gressives constitute a small group, they have to hang together on party questions. So ends the chapter so far as this Congress is concerned,” con- tinues the Mall, as it states that if Brookhart enters the lists against Cummins “the case will go back to the people of Iowa, the source of the SOV ty.” As to the attitude of the adminis- tration in the issue, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (independent Democratic), commenting on the votes cast for Steck by Senators Butler and Gillett, says: “Nobody believes that Senator Butler of Massachusetts and his col- league, Mr. Gillett, voted for this with- out substantially direct instruction that they were doing what President Coolidge desired. They are from his State. Butler is close to him. Their votes, plus that of Dale of Vermont the President’s nativity State, t, | get would are have changed the result. In brief, the ‘White House said ‘Thumbs down! and down went the thumbs.” Diametri- cally opposed to this view is the opin- fon of the Flint Dally Journal (inde- pendent), which states: *The Presi- dent and his close associates said noth- ing, contending that the vote should go forward in the Senate strictly on the merits of the election.” x ok % % The Altoona Mirror calls attention to the fa that s though Brookhart “ran as a Republi- can at the Iowa election, he opposed President Coolidge, and his general conduct for some time after he took his seat in the Senate was far from pleasing to the majority of his Repub- lican colleagues.” The Akron Beacon- Journal (Republican) considers that Brookhart was counted out “as a sac- rifice to the raging political furies of the hour,” while the Sioux City Daily Tribune (independent) thinks it “mighty poor politics from a Repub- lican standpoint to make a political martyr of him.” “And the Tribune continues: “There was no question of the election of Brookhart under strictly legal® interpretations. The United States Senate established o precedent in seating Steck which 1s menacing to the franchise rights of the SBtates. Petty political prejudices obscured all sense of right and wrong."” (independent) i The attention of Chairman Burn- quist of the Jowa Republican commit- tee is called by the Des Moines Trib- une (independent Republican) to “the fable of Aesop about the rooster that flew up on the barn to crow over his defeated ' rival and an eagle came along and snipped off his head.” It suggests that the chairman “must re- member that between the votes actu- ally cast for Brookhart two vears ago and those that were intended for him, he got substantially 500,000 votes, and that was after everything was said about him Chairman Burnquist s now. If so many people voted for Brookhart,”” continues the Tribune, “when his opponents had sald it all, what will a big part of them do this Fall if the campaign is to be one of swiping Brookhart?" Against these Towa comments that of the Burlington Gazette (ind pendent), which states: “Capt. Steck, a veteran of the World War and a fine, upstanding young fellow, can be counted upon to carry on sanely as a member of the Senate, using his influ- ence for the best interests of all the people.” He is not a radical or a rock- ribbed conservative. His career will be watched with interest.” Th ville Banner (Independent) add: “there will be no general or poignant regret in the country at large that the Senate has made up its mind to oust Smith W. Brookhart,” and that he “has appeared to fancy himself in the role of @ bull in a china shop.” Di; cussing the prospect of a contest be- tween Brookhart and Cummins, the Youngstown Vindicator (Democratic) declares that “neither is entirely sat- istactory to the people of Iowa.” The Bloomington Pantagraph (inde- pendent) views this contest as one which “will turn the eyes of the whole country upon the next Iowa election.” “Evidently the administration has not heard the last of this man,” says the Asheville Times (independent Democratic) of Brookhart, “who bold- 1y defled the head of his party in the last election and came very near mak- ing good with his revolt.” P 0Old Dobbin Forges Ahead. From the Savannah Press. The traffic jam in New York is 80 bad that horse-dra. ning on motor trycks. is wa trucks THE LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover. “The Intimate Papers of Colonel House" have been scrutinized by the critics from every possible angle and dissected with every sort of critical instrument. They have been praised as historica] documents of the greatest value and condemned as scandalous misrepresentations. Col. House himself has become the subject of innumerable character sketches, from thumb-nail sketches to many columned articles. The silent, office- shunning private citizen, the sphinx of the Wilson administration, has re- vealed himself and has become the most talked of man of the moment. The things that are sald about him have a wide range. He is almost a historical scholar because of his of the sclentific ' historicel spirit’”; he is a traltor to the friend who confided in him his dea in- terests—the Interests of the Natlon he is the self-asserted father of every- i thing of importance accomplished by the Wilson administration; he is the political theorist who, himself con- cealed, has loved to work out his theories through others. With all these varioub estimates, some one should by this time have pointed out that as a secondary characteristic he is also the Salnt-Simon of the twen- tieth century—not a Saint-Simon of the salon and the court but a Saint- Simon of the dinner table, the club- house, the hotel corridor, the private office. Lt S L In the pages of this modern Saint- Simon all the personages of the Wil- son administration pass in review and are commented upon, admiringly or disapprovingly, benevolently or causti- cally, with an eye to thelr elimination or to their future usefulness. After his first meeting with Woodrow Wil- #on he wrote to his brother-in-law: “He is not the biggest man I have ever met, but he is one of the pleas- antest and I would rather play with him than any prospective candidate I have seen. From what I had heard, 1 was afraid that he had to have his hats made to order; but I saw not the slightest evidence of it.” Bryan is spoken of as “a really flne man, full of democratic simplicity, earnest, patriotic and of a fervently religious nature”; and Mrs. Bryan is “the salt of the earth,” having “all the poise and good common sense which 1s lack- ing in her distinguished husband." Of Von Tirpitz he says in May of 1914, “He evidenced a decided dislike for the British—a dislike that almost amounted to hatred.” That dislike W nearly ready to manifest itself in war. Col. House's impressions of the Kaiser, In June of 1914, were mixed—"1 found that he had all the versatility of Roosevelt with some- thing more of charm, something less of force.” Equally interesting are the comments of Benjamin Ide Wheeler on the Kaiser, made to Col. House before his 1914 peace trip to Germany. Again there is a com- parison with Roosevelt. “He con- siders them very alike, particularly in regard to memory and impulsive- ness, but they are dissimilar inasmuch as the Kaiser has a religlous turn of mind and is more cultured in his man- ners.” Ambassador Page and Sir Ed- ward Grey appear as almost faultless in Col. Houee's papers. Both did everything humanly possible to pre- vent the World War, and when their efforts were unavailing both played their parts with unwavering courage and clearness of judgment. Of course, President Wilson is the cen‘ral figure of the “Intimate Papers” and toward him, in spite of varlous specific criticisms, Col. House’'s attitude is always one of admiration. * % % % The second novel written by Sheil < mith, published in England in 1909, has recentiy been published in America. “Starbrace” is a historical romance of the eighteenth century. Miles Starbrace, heir to a great name and estate, has the disadvantage of a low-class mother. This heredity crops out in various undesirable ways and is responsible for his joining a band of highwaymen, among whom he has a degrading and dangerous career. Compared with Sheila Kaye- Smith’s later novels—"“Green Apple Harvest,” “Sussex Gorse,” “Joanna and “The George and the Crown"—*“Starhrace” seems very weak and imgature. The author her- in her introduction “so0 long ago and ¢ some one who seems almost a different person from myself." | * %k ox A summary of the principal tenets in the philosophy of Willlam James has been published in inexpensive form in the Modern Library, with an introduction by Horace M. Kallen. The philosophy of William James, growing from his own experiences and study of life, well as from the reflections of a scholar, has always had a much wider appeal for practical humanity than have the philosophies of more purely theoretical thinkers. As a young man William James was a victim of such deep despondency that it almost reached melancholia. He writes, “I take it that no man is educated who has never dallled with the thought of suicide.” That his con- templation of suiclde was more fre- quent and more serious than mere “dallying” there is abundant evidence. From his early despairing view of life he saved himself by evolving a philos- i ophy which Is a mixture of fundamen. tal idealism and a consistent regaml for the concrete and the practical. It is a philosophy of hope and courage which, nevertheless, never attempts to deny or escape from inevitable re. alities. His attitude of balance be- tween the ideal and the real is illus- trated by .his investigations in the fleld of psychical research. Though for vears profoundly interested in the subject #nd pursuing evidence with eagerness, he never reached definite conclusions. He recorded the phenom- ena which came within his knowledge, but never felt sure of their signifi- | cance. * a0 ¥ ‘Thomas Mann, one of the leading twentieth century German writers of fiction, In his novel, “Royal High- ness,” interprets the psychology of a prince whose real loneliness of soul is often hedged about and concealed by the pomp and ceremony of his of- ficial life. Prince Klaus Heinrich is always on parade; he has no time or opportunity for a real personal life. He opens bazaars, addresses organiza- tion meetings, lays corner stones, rides in processions and smiles continually at crowds. He always poses so as to conceal his withered left hand. His courtship and marriage to the daugh- ter of an American mllilionaire are conducted by crown officials before the view of an approving populace, ‘while the two young people acquiesce in the state plans with a dignified aloofness from all personal interest. This novel has just been translated from the German by A. Cecil Curtis. * k ok % John Masefleld is more and more turning from poetry to prose fiction, but some of us hope that the lure of the novel will soon exhaust itself and that he will givé us more poems like “The Dauber” and “Daffodil Fields.” Meanwhile he has followed his some- what crude and melodramatic tale, “S8ard Harker,” by another similar tale, “Odtaa. ‘The location is the same as In “Sard Harker,” the imag- inary Spanish-American state of San- i ta Barbara, during the latter part of the last century. There is an almost insane dictator, Lopez: an adventur- ous hero, Highworth Rldden, an Eng-! lish ‘youth; and a beautiful heroine, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. What were the last names of the children who survived the Mountain Meadows Massacre?—M. N. W. A. It appears that the childrén who were survivors of the Mountain Meadows Massacre were all too young to remember the tragic affair, and that the first names were all which could be gained from the children themselves. Wherever it was pos- aible these children were returned u.' their friends. Q. How long has there been a law of copyright?—M. T. L. A. e United States law is founded on a provision in the Constitutlon, as 18 well known. There is mention in Roman literature of the sale of play- rights by the dramatic authors, and Rome had booksellers who sold copies of poems written by slaves, and who seem to have been protected by some kind of *‘courtesy of the trade,” since Martial names certain bookseilers who had specific poems of his for sale. Cicero in his letters indicates that there was some notion of literary E rty, and it is probable that some ind of payment was made to authors The Roman jurist, Gaius, probably of the second century, held that where an artist had painted upon a tabula, his was the superfor right. And this opinion was adopted by Tribontan, chief editor of the code of Justinian, in the sixth century, and was applied in a modern question in respect to John Leech’'s drawings upon wood. ‘The first record of a copyright case is that of Finnian v. Columba In 587, chronicled by Adamnan 50 years later and cited by Montalembert in “The Monks of the West.” Q. What is tuckahoe G. A. This is a name applied by the Algonquin Indfans to many roundish roots. Specifically it included the golden club and the arrow arum, both having fleshy rootstocks, acrid when fresh, but rendered edible by cooking and abounding in starch. Another highly prized tuckahoe 18 a subter- ranean fungus found in the Southern States. It is not unlike a coconut. It is also known as Indian bread or In- dian loaf. Q. What was the population of the Tnited States at the close of the Rev- olutionary War?—D. D. M. A. The population of the thirteen States at the close of the Revolution- ary War, or in 1790, was estimated at 3,900,000, Q. What is the width of Pennsy] vania avenue at the Botanic Gar- den and iIn front of the White House?—F. B. M. A. The District Building says that Pennsylvania avenue in front of the ‘White House has a width of 82.3 feet and 107.6 feet in front of the Botanic Garden. Q. What is majolica?—B. E. A. The term majolica is used by modern manufacturers for glazed hard pottery intended for use in decorative architecture. Originally the name was applied to Hispano Moorish lustered faience brought into Italy from western Spain by way of Minorca. Later the term was ap plied to fafence made in Italy, chief Iy during the fifteenth and sixteen'h centuries, Q. Can windmills be used to de velop electrical power?—R. U. M. A. They can be. The drawback< to windmills as electric generators are the small power for thelr size and the extreme variability of power and speed. Special devices are needed to compensate for these factors, Q. Where Gods?’—E. E A. It is a region in Colorado near Colorado Springs, covering _about 500 es, and remarkable for the strange forms of the rocks with which it is covered. The red and white sundstone assumes grotesque ghapes, to which verious names have been given. For instance, the gateway is formed by two huge masses of rock of a bright red color, which is 330 feet high and between which the road passes. Q. What song M. A. A. Lottle Collins introduced this song. Q. J. K. the Garden of the singer introduced the “Tarara boom de aye'’— What food: L. matoes, carrots, dried peas and beans Q. What makes Salt Lake salt” F. K. H. v A. The water of the Great Sait Lake is a natural brine. It contains from 14 to 23 per cent of saline constituent according to the level of the lak The chief rivers feeding Great Sal Lake are the Jordan, the Weber and the Bear. The last is 400 miles long but its mouth is only 90 miles from its source. These waters contain so little salt it cannot be discovered by taste. But the Great Salt Lake has no outlet, so the waters brought to it evaporate and the solid matters which are dissolved in them remain. That s why the lake is salt Frederic J. Haskin is employed by The Lvening Star to handle the in- quiries of our readers and you are invited to call upon him as freely and as often as you please. Ask any- thing that is a matter of fact and the authority will be quoted you. There is mo charge for this service. Ask what you want, sign your name and address and inclose 2 cents in stamps for return postage. Address The Eve- ning Star Information Bureau, Fred- ;)rficcl. Haskin, director, Washington, BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLI “Rumania is a window of Europe, and as intermediary between the Slav and thb Westerner will play a pre- ponderating role in the Europe of to- morrow, if only we prevent the Bol- shevists from obtaining a preponder- ance in the Black Sea and secure the libeity of navigation on the Danube that was guaranteed by the treaty of Lausanne.” Thus spake Jean Bratiano, who, when he spoke, was premier of Ru- mania. Last week his four-year term expired, and, according to the con- stitution, he was obliged to retire. In the four years—or rather in the last four months—his country has almost reached a crisis, which is constru by many as endangering the dynasty and threatening a revolution which would end efther in a dictatorship or a republic. This is an unofficial view The “window" appears closely cur- tained against outside prying, though there are observers professing to un- derstand much behind the “‘curtain.” What was back of the recent abd cation of Prince Carol, when he re- signed all rights to succeed to the throne upon the death of his father, King Ferdinand? Was that abdica- tion an explosion of temper or was it a xincere determination to revoit agninst the Bratiano government. and, If so, what is his present attitude, since Bratiano is no longer in power? ‘A close personal friend of the prince, and one in official pesition to know, assures the world that Prince Carol has no desire to be involved in Rumanian politics, and prefers to live his own life as a gentleman of inde- pendent means and of high scholastic attainments. He gives assurance that Carol has no intention to recall his abdication, and that the report that Carol had already started toward the Rumanian border with the view to demand a restoration of his roval rights is a canard. * %k x The Bratiano adherents point to the fact that, following Carols ahdica- tion, a law was adopted accepting the resignation and naming Carol's 4-year- old son as Crown Prince, with a regency, consisting of Prince Nicholas (the second son of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie), together with the chief justice and the prelate. The regency has no legal power to surs render the claims of the 4-vear-old Crown Prince, and the infant himself cannot resign, hence there exists no constitutional power to reconsider Carol's abdication, even if the King and all concerned so desired. Prince Nicholas s 23 years old, and is the best dancer of the Charleston in Rumania, but is not known to have any serious qualifications for the regency. The other two members are in thefr offices for life and cannot be reached even by the King. The only possibility then for Carol ever to re- cover the successorship to the throne would be through forcible revolution. Lk kR % There is much conjecture as to how far Bratiano has really retired from control of the government. His successor, Gen. Averescu, is a leader in war, but with no prestige in peace, He is not a statesman, and although he was a member of Parllament, his following there was so small that he was negligible as a legislative in- fluence. Ilis selection by the King to become’ premier came as a great sur- prise, not only to Rumania but es- pecially to outsiders, and many are asking if Averescu is really not a mere blind for Bratiano, who will either rule under cover or will soon veturn to office when Averescu will be forced to withdraw. The very obscurity of Averescu in statecraft inspires the suspicion that if the curtain could be raised the “window" would be interesting. Brati- ano is a man of wealth, and belongs to a family of national influence through generations. The develop- ments in the politics of the nation, according to some observers, demand that Bratiano retire from the spot. light at present. * %k * Rumania is indeed in a strategic position between the Soviets of Rus- Journey to carry valuable information Don Manuel, the nobleman who is leading the revolt against Lopez. His wild exploits and many narrow es- capes rival anything encountered by the heroes of Dumas, or Steven- S. sla and Western Europe. Befora the World War ehe had 7{’000.000 popula. tion, now she has, by grace of the treaties of Versailies and Lausanne, 16,000,000, and her territory is mora than doubled. This added population, although largely Rumanian by race, had had no part in recent Rumanian development—prior to the World War —nor {n_Rumanian traditions and ideals. Hence, it is not strongly sympathetic with the aristocratic parties who have ruled, nor bound closely to the dynasty. To old Rumania are now added Transylvania and Banat, in which are living 1,500,000 Hungarians and 800, 000 Germans. It is unlawful to carry on conversation in German, for it is the policy, as customary in’ all Euro pean countries, to attempt to nation alize annexed territory. The new Ru mania also includes Bessarabia and Bukovina, formerly Russian territory and sull claimed by the Soviets so threateningly that Rumania holds two army corps upon the Russian border. The country suffered as severe dev statfon in the war as did either Bel. glum or France, and while it is ex tremely rich in natural resources, it ix almost_destitute of capital to exploit these possible sources of wealth, i out admitting foreign investorw, wit! the danger of forelgn domination ove Rumanian destinies. Old Rumaniu supplied 1 per cent of the oil of the world prior to the war. »Th" mining capital invésted in old Rumania was altogether forelgn—si per cent belonging to Germans, which was confiscated as a war measure; 25 per cent British and 15 per cent American. When the government took over the landed estates, to appor tion the land among the peasants. it retained for the government ali mineral rights, the peasant getting only surface rights, which was all that would be of any use to him. There is little opportunity, fore, for foreign investment uni the government sees fit to grant con- cessfons of its mineral rights to foreign exploitors, and it was a policy of Bratiano, now embodied in law, to retain control of all such developing enterprises by retaining 5 per cent of their stock. The natural resources are sald to be very rich in oll, sal:. lignite, manganese, gold and copper. * k * & In former days, Rumanian were extremely”lirge, Covering rom 52,00" to 30,000 or more acres. But 20 years ago the aristocrats =2 the desirability of dividing up lrhT ':X among the peasants. Recently, agra- ;—)I;Aen] laws have expropriated most of arge estates and cut them u peasant holdings. It is vigorously o nled that this action is due to threats of sovietizing the country, but peasant influence is quite strong and organiza tlon among the peasants is growing stronger, though denying bolshevisti. tendencies. In Transylvania, most o the land was already held by .the geum{)s, but the agrarian reféfms ave been most im; 1 e portant in ol While Rumania now includes man not of native race, there is clatmed to be no greater mixture of peoples than in the United States, and there js ¥aid to be no race barriers that ate based upon mere racial prejudice. It g de nied that there are ever “pogroms’ against the Jews, although there ar- many Jews in Rumanfa and bar: have been set at the Russian borde: against further adinission of Jewish refugees. .8ald Bratiano recently to an Eng. lish traveler and writer, Mr. Dudle: Heathcote: “No one can deny that the an nexation of the new provinces has brought within our borders some vigorous and hostile racial minoritiex whose assimilation presents . man\ difficulties. *-* ¢ For over a thou- sand years the Magyars subjected our unfortunate people to the most in tense ‘form- of assimilation. * ¢ It is now our task to undo this work, yet, though we are determined by colonization and other means to de- stroy these majorities and convert them into Rumanian, we remain ani- mated with the most sipcere liberal- ism and are affording theé'Magyar and other racial minorities every faeflity for preserving their éwn culture. language and schools. This was the principle that animated our policy and if at times we have devarted from it, the Hungarlans asmse ODiv themselves to thank for it. Their In transigeance, ‘contemptuous attitude and obvious refusal to accept the faf 1eft us no other alternative.” (Copyright, 1080, by Paul V. Collinaj