Evening Star Newspaper, April 22, 1926, Page 8

‘g~ THE EVENING With Sunday Morning Edition. STAR shake the hand of this veteran post- master. The country has passed WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. . April 22, 1826 through great changes since he was appointed to office, even though things may have gone on quietly and without change at Blawenburgh. When Mr. THEODORE W. NOYES. . ..Edito; The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: . 11th St and Pennsyivania Ave. New York Office: 110 East d¢nd St. Ohicago Office’ Tower Building. Ruropean Office: 14 Rezent St.. London, England Evening Star. with the & The ¥ morn ingedition” 1§ deilvered by ¢ Orders may telephone Main 5000. Collection carrier at the end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. 1 vr., $0.00: 1 mo. rr.l $6.00° 1 mo. $3.00: 1 mo. All Other States and Canada. Daily and Sunday.1yr..$ Daily only oL = SR.00: 1 mo’, Sunday only .. DIU1yr. $4.00: Lmo. Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Proas is 0 the use for republieation of all atches credited to it or not otherwise cred ted in this paper published herein of special dispatches hes The Rum Row Limit Lessened. Under the Federal the importation of United States is unlawful. That act fs violated by smugglers who bring cargoes of shores of the United States and trans- port them to small. swift boats which effect landings. In the early period of the prohibition law it was possible for these smugglers to approach 1o a distance qf just over three miles from the mainland, from which point they could very easily send their illicit ¢ goes ashore. In consequence of this condition the United States entered into treaty arrangements with foreign governments whereby the “three-mile limit" of territorial jurisdiction was in effect extended. These treaties pro- vided that vessels flving foreign flags, those of the signatory powers, when taken within the distance of one hour’s steaming by the fugitive craft could be held for libel and forfeiture of ship and cargo without protection of international law. As far as the assent of the governments with which the United States made these treaties extended, this widened the marine ter- ritorial jurisdiction of the United States from three to approximately twelve miles. This increased the effi- ciency of the enforcement fleet, and in consequence the smuggling of liquor into this country by means of ships flving foreign flags has been very greatly lessened. “Rum Row’ has al- most ceased to exist. Now comes the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals for the district which includes New York with a decision which, if sustained and if not met by legislation, will destroy the effective- ness of the treaties and restore “Rum Row" to its former three-mile limit po- sition. The court holds that while the treaties establish the one hour’s steam- ing distance as the scope of possible United States jurisdiction, they do not in fact extend the territorial limits of this Government, and, therefore, seiz- ures beyond the three-mile limit, though within the treaty limit, are un- warranted. The release of two ships held under the treaty limit provisions is ordered. The court points out that no statute has ever been passed by Congress to make the provisions of the treaty binding on the United States, as by the ratification of the treaties by the Senate they have been made binding on the signatory powers. According to this ruling by the Court of Appeals, which is reviewable by the Supreme Court, the territorial limits within which seizures can be made remain at three miles from the shore. It will take an act of Con- gress, passed by majority vote of each house, to extend those limits to the distance of one hour's salling. Ap- parently this point has never been considered by Congress, or, if consid- ered, has never been deemed worthy of action. Now & measure to meet the situation has been prepared and sub- mitted, with urgent recommendation for consideration at the present ses- sion. It is rather late in the day, but if there is a will in Congress this cor- rective, or rather tardy, enactment can be effected before adjournment. If it is not, although the decision of the appellate court may be subsequently overturned by the Supreme Court, Rum Row may be re-established at the three-mile limit, with a result of in- creasing the Inflow of contraband liquor into this country. Here is an opportunity to test the relative strength of the wet and dry forces in Congress without walting for a refer- endum. are also resery ———t A talent for finance is a wonderful gift; but one which must be morally supervised with care in order to pre- vent it from becoming embarrassing. st Any conversational interchange in which Senator Reed of Missouri fig- ures is likely to give him a little the best of the incidental sarcasm. o o An 0ld Postmaster. The postmaster of longest service nas come to Washington and has been greeted by Postmaster General New and President’ Coolidge. J. N. Van Zandt was appointed postmaster at Blawenburgh, N. J., by President An- drew Johnson, who was elected Vice President with Lincoln in 1864 and succeeded to the Presidency on the death of Lincoln in April, 1865. Some persons in Washington may not be ac- quainted in Blawenburgh, N. J. It is near the south end of Somerset Coun- ers within ily only. 20 cents ‘mail or made by T8¢ Oc 12.00: 1 .. $1.00 750 Be exclusively entitied nows dis- he local news ts of publication d.| weve prominent in the Senate. prohibition act liquors into the contraband close to the Van Zandt was appointed to office ‘Willlam H. Seward was Secretary of State, Hugh McCulloch of the Treas- ury, Edwin M. Stanton of War, Gid- eon Welles of the Navy, James Har- lan of the Interior and Willlam Den- nison was Postmaster General. Gen. Grant was living in one of the big pressed brick houses on the north side of I street near New Jersey avenue. The ashes of the Civil War were still ¥ 1 hot. There were no members of Con- gress from Alabama, Arkansas, Flor- ida, Georgia, Loulsiana, North Caro- lina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mis- sissippi, Texas and Virginia. Shelby Cullom, Willlam B. Allison, George S. Boutweil, Schuyler Colfax, James G. Blaine, Henry L. Dawes, Willlam Win- dom, Rutherford B. Hayes, Samuel J. Randall, William D. (“Pig Iron") Kelly were young men in the House of Rep- resentatives. Charles Sumner, Zach Chandler, Ben Wade, Henry Anthony, William Sprague and Luke Poland The Territories were Arizona, Colorado, Da- kota, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and Washington. Many changes! T S e “We, the People of Washington.” At a so-called mass meeting of citi- zens held here last night it was voted to indorse for enactment by Congress the bill providing for a system of aid to dependent mothers and children, which has been proposed and pro- moted by interests alien to Washing- ton, and which differs in a material degree from that which has been pro- posed by the District Commissioners. The “mass” meeting was attended by less than forty persons, most of whom were from elsewhere -than Washington. The vote, therefore, has no significance as a reflection of local public sentiment. In point of fact local sentiment is overwhelmingly in favor of the Commissioners’ bill now before the Senate, with favorable rec- ommendation by the District commit- tee as a substitute for that which has been passed by the House, itself a pre- tended compromise, though in fact in its essence the “New York bill.” It is, therefore, in order to demur to any statement that may be made to Congress, the Senate particularly, to the effect that the sentiment of the District people is in favor of the sep- arate board mothers’ aid blll as at- tested by last night's meeting. It is likewise in order to protest the state- ment made by & member of the House of Representatives who addressed the meeting, to the effect that unless the local people subscribed to the New York bill no mothers’ pension legisla- tion would be enacted at this session. Argument has been made that this is not a “New York bill,” but is a model measure which has already been adopted in a number of the States, and which the District of Columbia should, therefore, have as its law. This does not follow at all. Whatever the name or designation of the meas- ure as it passed the House, it is not satisfactory to the people of Washing- ton. However many States may have adopted it at the instance of a na- tional organization, it does not follow that it is suitable to the District of Columbia. i Experience here has proved the un- wisdom of subdividing the public wel- fare work under various jurisdictions and the necessity of consolidating boards and agencies for the adminis- tration of charities and other means of alleviating the misfortunes of the peo- ple. A law to that effect has been lately enacted, creating a public wel- fare board to administer all such works in Washington, which would, under the Commissioners’ bill, carry on the administration of the mothers’ aid law. Yet almost coincidentally with the creation of this consolidated board it is proposed to establish a new agency, the jurisdiction of which would conflict inevitably with that of the new creation. It was argued at the meeting last night that the Commissioners’ bill would in its working be degrading to mothers made beneficiaries by it, that they would be compelled to accept their doles of aid as charity, that hun- dreds of mothers would refuse to ask for pensions if they had to apply to a board which deals likewise with dere- licts and delinquents; that the grant of these pensions is the recognition of a natural right and not a charity. To these contentions the people of Wash- ington who have studied this question and who are now asking for the en- actment of the Commissioners’ bill an- swer that there is no natural right; that there is nothing degrading in ac- cepting aid through a board which has general jurisdiction over dependents and delinquents, and finally that no worthy woman who is left dependent with children to support would be justified by any consideration in de- clining this bounty or in hesitating to seek it from such a source. The peach crop was seriously threat- ened by frost and escaped. The farmer will now await the next thrill of the drama of the season, and wonder whether peaches will be so abundant as to make them not worth market- ing. e OOt The Stillmans continue to study psychoanalysis; which will make bet- ter Summer reading than novels which deal with sad misunderstandings and disrupted homes. Radio Chaos. Chaos threatens to envelop the ty, a few miles north of the railroads o c radio broadcasting and receiving in- from Washington, Philadelphia and |, giry as a result of a recent decision Trenton to Jersey City. One might get | 0’3 oy e "t * Diemissing a sutt off at Monmouth Junction and stage it against & radlo concern for usurping to Blawenburgh. ‘map are that Blawenburgh is a quiet town where one might find it easy, al- though monotonous, to live long. Post- Indications on the |, wave Jength assigned to another sta- tion, the court held that the Secretary of Commerce was exceeding the pow- ers given him under the law when he master Van Zandt has lived through & | gttempted to specify wave lengths in number of Republican administrations | gddition to granting licenses to oper- and has escaped several Democratic | ate stations. postmasters general. He seems to bear a charmed life. If radlo broadcasting concerns take ‘Without going deep | advantage of the Chicago ruling, into the facts of the case it may be | which incidentally is exactly the oppo- assumed that Postmaster Van Zandt |site of that rendered by the District is a Republican and that no argument | of Columbja Court of Appeals, sta- by & Democrat can shake his belief- One feels sure that the President || tions may select their own wave and their own times regard. and Postmaster General were glad f!' less of whether other jtations are at- THE EVENING tempting to broadcast. The confusion in ‘Washington can easily be imagined if WRC and WCAP were broadcasting at the same time on the same wave length. So far, however, no such complica- tions have ensued. Although given the literal freedom of the air, broad- casting station managers have evi- dently realized that such action would, at a single stroke, kill the radio bus ness. Except for the recalcitrant con- cern, against which the Government brought suit for seizing a wave length assigned to Canadian stations, there have been no attempts at meter pi- racy. The situation, however, will re. main ominous until remedial action is taken in Congress. The White bill, giving the Secretary of Commerce entire power over the radio fleld, has passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate. If it is not passed quickly, stations now operating on prescribed lengths may decide to change to other hours and other wave lengths, the more than six hundred applicants for stations may decide to begin broadcasting without waiting for permission, and the ether will become a howling inferno to which no radio fan will voluntarily listen. So it is very distinctly up to the Senate to hurry the measure along. Radio must be under Government con- trol and this control must be absolute. The art of broadcasting and receiving is in too delicate a stage to allow tam- pering. Its ultimate success depends largely on strict and enforced regula- tion. B The Doors Are Open. Wisely reversing its first decision to hold the inquiry into the matter of Commissioner Fenning’s guardianship practice behind closed doors, the House District subcommittee has opened its sessions to the public and is proceeding in the usual manner of investigations of this character. There was no justification whatever for se- crecy in this procedure. The very na. ture of the case demanded the fullest publicity. Witnesses summoned to the hearing or investigation were entitled to the protection of open sessions against inquisitorial, unfair treat. ment and the public was entitled to full reports of the proceedings. If now witnesses are recalcitrant or hesi- tant or evasive in their answers to questions the fact will be known. If inquisitors are unfair in their meth- ods of questioning or in their treat- ment of witnesses, that fact likewise will be known. The object of this in- quiry is to ascertain the truth about certain matters that have been brought into question. The fullest publicity of the proceedings is the sur- est guarantee for getting the truth. ) A Speaker of the House of Repre- sentatives, as a rule, has compara- tively little to say in his official ca- pacity. This fact does not cause Mr. Longworth to fall into habits of si- lence which prevent him from gather- ing plaudits from a general audience. —————— A motion picture censorship would involve consideration of many stand- ards of taste and morals. One of the problems arising with a law to pro- vide it would inevitably be that of en- forcement. The Daughters of the American Revolution are expected to take up politics as a serious natiénal obliga- tion and not as a pastime in their own immediate circle. o A great success has been scored by Mussolini in forming plans for the improvement of Rome without arous- ing hints that he is preparing to back a real estate ring. e —— In time prohibition may be so con- sistently enforced that people can quit reading about alcoholic beverages and forget them. s SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON The Final Decision. 0ld Father Time is the judge whose opinion Is heard with respect upon things of the past. Though Folly may hold for a while strange dominion, It's old Father Time who speaks clearly at last. On matters of war, or of love or fash- ion, Of pictures or music, or reason or rhyme, Though the Present may sneer or fall into a passion, The case is decided by old Father time. . A Mental Rest. “Do you enjoy a base ball game?” “Very much,” answered Senator Sorghum. “It's a rellef to see a con- test to which the public attaches great importance quickly decided without my having to go on record with a vote which may cause me future em- barrassment.” % ‘When Next Winter Comes. A bitter drop is in each cup. ‘This news delights the soul— ‘The mercury is going up! But so's the price of coal. Jud Tunkins says some of these mod- ern improvements are like a three- ring circus, which represents a heap of progress but gives a man more than he can 'tend to. Interrupted Optimism. Investigations will not rest. Strange stories are rehearsed, And while we're hoping for the best, ‘We still must learn the worst. Patient Practice. “Isn't your boy Josh learning to play the saxophone?” “I can’t say for certain,” answered Farmer Corntossel. ‘“He’s takin’ les- sons reg'lar, but it doesn’t seem to me like he's learnin’. Dangerous Drink. A cocktail I will never, never drink. It is a very dangerous draught, I think, ‘Which leads you to mistake before you end A A prohibitionist for a friend. ‘Some men,” said Uncle Eben, “would be willin’ to economize if a=v STAR, WASHINGTON, D. THURSDAY, i THIS AND THA “VIENNA, Va. “Dear Sir: “As a lover of Calycanthus, and you have added to its fame, I must tell you a little superstitious story about it which has been handed down for generations In our family. “It comes to me through my great great-grandmother, Mrs. Bailey Tyler of Prince Willlam County, Va., and is that the strawberry shrub, as it is sometimes called, grows only where there is petticoat rule! “Ours died. But long may others wave! “We thank you for the column which you give us each day, for it gives us the most pleasure. “Cordially yours, Yo G. BB Flowers are normally so free from superstition that it is interesting 'to hear of one in connection with any plant. We omit, of course, the legends in regard to the fairles ringing the bells of the foxglove, and similar stories, which are contained in the folklore of nations. Downright superstition, on the other hand, concerns some unreasoning, probably untrue, idea in regard to some supposititious connection be- tween some article or its use and the effect of this article er use on the human possessor. Legend, whether pleasant or un- pleasant, does not have exactly the same force on the human mind as does a superstitious idea. Most, but not all, superstitions are of an un pleasant character. The superstition in regard to Caly canthus Floridus, known mostly as the “sweet-smelling shrub,” is a curi- ous one, without any particularly un- pleasant connotations, with perhape the exception of the idea of woman in the household, which is dis. tasteful to some. It is interesting to speculate how the above idea got current. It arose in days when “woman's freedom” was rather an idea than a fact. Perhaps some family where the “lady of the house' was the ruler had greater suc- cess with plants than other families in the neighborhood, so that some one of these others, out of jealousy, at- tributed off-hand some connection be- tween the success of the Calycanthus planting and the ruling of the domi- nant feminine member. * % 2% It may be safely asserted, however that there is as little to this super- stition as there is to most of them. Thousands of sweet shrubs have grown, and are growing, in yards whose owners are veritable “household Jehovahs;" particularly in the South and Middle West, where it does best. The fact that a Calycanthus, or any other shrub or flower, for that matter does well, simply shows that it has conditions to its liking. It the “lady of the house plants it and takes care of it, sees that it gets the right conditions for growth, then that resulting growth shows that the planter knowswhat she s about, as the good colloquialism has it. A woman who has enough push and “pep” to select good plants, to set them out properly and to carry them n to budding s undoubtedly a woman of force and eharacter. Many flower enthusiasts will put a bush into the ground, then expect the transplanted thing to bloom like a hothouse rose. Lice may kill ft— they do not even know there are such things as Aphids. “I have such poor luck with flow- ers——"' Ah, gentleman or lady, it is BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. not so much luck as it is brains, money, time, work! * ok ok X One of the happy features of flow- ers is that there is little superstition connected with them, in general. Aside from the one given above, we have heard but two others, only one of which is of a mournful nature. There is a superstition, we believe, that it is ““bad luck™ to plant a weep- Ing willow in a home property. This idea undoubtedly arose through the prior planting of this tree in ceme- terics, and the resulting associntion of the idea of the tree with the idea of death. There is another superstition, « more pleasant one, in connection with the proper ilme to plant flower seed, particularly the annuals. ‘This is the planting of the seed “in the sign of the flower girl,” a certain phase of the moon, some time in the month of April. This superstition is common in small towns, and is be lieved in whole-heartedly by thou- sands of persons. There 1s, of course, a fourth idea in relation to flowers and inimical Influences that is rather a latent idea in the back of some minds than a superstition, per se. This is the common association of the odor of roses with the idea of fu- nerals. There are many persons who dislike flowers, particularly roses, and especially when they are cut and brought into the house, and if they will be honest with themselves they will find that the origin of this dislike is as given above. It is partly because of this reason that many feel that flowers should be left to grow in the outdoors, rather than be used as cut flowers. One who possesses this mournful assoclation of ideas should vigorously stamp it out of his mind, particularly by the cultivation of flowers in the out-of- doors. *.% 8w As a whole we find flowers singu- larly and happily free from the super- stitions which tend to mar our pos- session of gems, the flowers of the mineral kingdom. Flowers look up to the sky, and de- rive their life from the sun, the fresh air and the rain, and from the action of the root systems in the earth. The flower takes life as it finds it, deriv. ing good from air, earth, sun and water. There is a happy abandon in their life and growth, a true, almost rever- ent, abandon to the Creator, the “power that grows in darkness and in light.” that speaks salutary lessons to all who have the eves to see and the ears to he: Yes, there {s a sensible music in the growth of flowers that the ears of man can actually hear, as the angels are said to be able to hear the grow- ing of the blades of grass, and this audible growth is what truly const tutes the “music of the spheres,” as Poe asserted. Happily, In the garden, the mind of man may be freed from the blights which have come down to us from past ages. In the garden one is no longer an “executive,” or a ‘“clerk,” or a “salesman,” or any one of the thou- sand titles we give oursely but is simply a growing, living being, along with the flowers which he tends. ‘This is the communion with Nature which the poets sing, and which any man, woman or child may take part in who goes Into the garden and gives himself up to it. BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS, For the past week, Mauna Loa, the “long mountain” in Hawalii, has been heaving millions of tons of lava and rock, with flame, high Into the air. It is reported quiet now, but scien- tists do not believe the end of the disturbance {s vet reached. From half a dozen openings the flames soared, like glant conflagrations, while streams of molten lava poured down into the valley, threatening to wipe out villages. A volcanic eruption is a magnificent though terrorizing spectacle, but vul- canists and geologists assure us that when considered in connextion with the whole world such eruptions are very superficlal disturbances, their heat and lava coming from not more than 10 or 20 miles below the surface —in rare cases 30 miles—while the diameter of the earth through the Equator is 7,926 miles and 7,899 miles through the poles. The height above sea-level of Mauna Loa is only about 31 miles. In comparison with the earth, it is like the smallest indenta- tion of an orange skin, compared with the orange. Out of that little “peak” comes a flame with smoke and molton rock. History tells of the vol- canic burying of Pompeii with all its people; of the more recent eruption of Pelee, on Martinique, with its 30,000 victims, and of its litting the whole mountain top of Katmai, in Alaska, a few years ago, * ok Rk In Idaho, Oregon and the State of ‘Washington, there is an area of 200,- 000 square miles buried in lava 2,000 feet thick, which came from eruptions in tertiary times. In India there is a plateau of a 6,000 feet deep, which fell millions of years earlier— In. cretaceous times—but even that is “new” and shallow, compared with the da:olil around Lake Superior from to 5 miles thick, which dates back to the Keweenawan age. These deposits may have flowed out gently from fissures or poured out frightfully from volcanic peaks which have since disappeared. In Mexico, close to Orizaba Volcano, there is a sunken crater 1,000 feet deep and 6,000 feet in diameter, which to- day is the most fertlle soil on a great hacienda, because in the millions of years since the mountain sank below the level of the surrounding country winds have blown fertility into the great cavity, covering its lava bottom. * ok kX The world is a ball of fron and nickel, with other minerals mixed, but nearer the surface *than the nickel-iron core. As descent is made from the surface heat increases at the rate of 1 degree Fahrenhelt for every 30 or 40 feet, so that before 20 miles depth is reached it is many times hotter than the melting point of any mineral or stone. All matter would there be liquefled except that it is under the tremendous pressure of the rock above. This pressure increases with the increasing depth, so that, al- though the heat increases, the pres- sure still keeps the earth solid, for there {8 no room for heat expansion. Internal pressure creates mountain- ous volcanoes, for as the molten lava reaches the surface through fissures it pours out and, solidifying in the outer air, it builds up a cone around the fissure, in the center of which the molten fluid continues to pour out and solidify while its cone grows ltiulgher and finally becomes a moun- in. Volcanoes may lie dormant for thousands of years and then suddenly erupt or explode. According to Ge- ology, by Thomas C. Chamberlin and Rollin D, Salisbury of the University of Chicago, there are from 300 to 350 active volcanoes in the world. Chamberlin and Salisbury _list seven hypotheses which have been proposed by scientists to explain the phenomena of volcanic action: Hypothesis No. 1—In early days of geology—a century or two ago—it | was supposed that the earth was a wasn’' too lazy to earn anything “®.molten mass surrounded by a thin put by.” i srust, and the volcanoes led down to the flery center, like chimneys of a furnace. This is abandoned, for if all the center were molten it would: be drawn by the tidal effect of the moon, causing great movements of the outer crust. Hypothesis No. 2—It was assumed that while the interior solidified it held pockets of liquid molten rock, honey- combing its outer crust. But Mauna Loa and Kilauea in Hawall are close together, yet differ 10,000 feet in height and are independent of each other. It is argued that they could not each be fed from a separate sub- terranean lakelet of lava large enough to account for their immense out- flows of “original” lava trapped when the earth solidified billions of years ago, » without finally exhausting the supply. Hypothesis No. 3—Penetration of surface air and water, resulting in steam. This was discarded because of the great pressure which makes the strata impenetrable. Other hypotheses—Lavas were as- signed to relief of pressure, to melt- ing of rock by crushing, by depres- slon of rocks containing water, which, upon reaching lower strata with greater heat, melt and form steam, and finally the uprising of constantly increasing heat of the compressed center, due to the additions of meteors falling upon the surface of the earth and Increasing isostasic weight at such points. As the authors remark, “For the present, these hypotheses must be left to work out their own destiny, serving in the meantime as stimulants of re- #earch.” * % * X Whatever may be the finally ac- cepted explanation of volcances, Dr. Henry S. Washington of 'the Geo- physical Laboratory, one of the high- est authorities in vulcanism in the world, points to the practicability of harnessing their inexhaustible heat for utilitarian purposes, and predicts that the day will come when our Yellow- stone Park, which is a great volcanic region from which the volcanic mountains have disappeared, leaving geysers, will become one of the great- est industrial regions of the world. Other similar regions of volcanic heat are the Sonoma Valley, Calif., and possibly Hot Springs, Va. Assuredly the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Alaska, has unlimited potential power in steam with which electricity may be produced. - While the harnessing of geysers and other volcanic heat has been but theory in the rest of the world, it has_been successfully accomplished in Italy at the Steam Springs of Tuscany. The bore is only about 800 feet deep. The first experiment was made by F. Larderel & Co. July 4, 1904. So powerful is the steam pressure that a barrel set over a Closed vent will be shot up 300 or 400 feet when the steam is suddenly released. The center plant, called Larderello, is connected with the two main systems of electric distribution of Tuscany by high tension lines at 38,000 volts pressure, and runs with the large hydraulic_power plants on the River Nera, in Umbria, and with minor plants in the Apennines. The city of Pisa is lighted by means of this volcanic steam converted into electricity; power is utilized and from the exhaust steam houses are heated. This power can be compared with hydroelectric power, but is cheaper than either water or steam. Hawail has experimented with boring for similar steam power, but the boring proved too costly because of difficulties which broke the drills. The most promising field at present is Sonoma County, Calif. Similar geysers are scattered all along the Andes, in South and Central Amer- ica. _The industrial world, according to Dr. Washington, will supersede coal and even hydroelectric power, with the heat and steam extracted from subsurface volcanic sources. (Copyright. 1926, by Pl V. Collins.), 29 ey APRIL 1926, R e e ANSWERS TO QUE BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. THE NORTH WINDOW By Leila Mechlin. Revision of the copyright law is pro- posed, and a new bill, drawn by Mr. Vestal of Indiana, which has been in- troduced this session into both House and Senate, is now under considera. tion. This concerns artists as well as authors and a unique feature of the Vestal bill, which would profit all alike, is that it provides for auto- matic copyright—that is, a recogni- tion of the author's or artist's pro- prietorship in his own creation. At the present time to secure copyright registration is necessary. If the Vestal bill becomes law this necessity may be done away with. No one, under such circumstances, can copy or re- produce the work of an artist during his lifetime or for 50 years after his death without the permission of him- self or his heirs, and a statutory pen- alty is prescribed for infringement. This gives artist or author sole right to the product of his own brain. It does more than this—it legalizes’the recognition of creative faculty as a tangible and valuable possession. Such recognition has long been legal- ized in Great Britain, where for many years now artists and authors have enjoyed such protection and appar- ently it imposes no hardship on copy- ists or publishers whose intent is honorable. B A second provision which the repre- sentatives of the artists are eager to have included in this bill is one which will heavily penalize and therefore pre- vent the jssuance of near-imitations of artists’ works. The puesent copyright law prohibits and penalizes exact re- productions of works duly copyrighted and reglstered, but it does not protect the artist against the near-imitation which deceives the public and trades on his hard-earned reputation. For instance, from end to end of this country the paintings of Maxfield Parrish are known. His style, colorings, his characteristic themes are familiar to almost all. He is one of the artists who have made a spe- clalty of painting for reproduction. One or more American firms buying from him the privilege have issued at a reasonable price handsome re- productions of his works. His style, however, is not difficult to imitate, and there are those who have pro- duced paintings for reproduction which, while obviously inferior, do de- ceive the public generally and thereby pass for Mr. Parrish’s work. Un- scrupulous firms have reproduced these paintings and put them on the market in large quantities at a very much smaller price than the Parrish prints. Naturally, this has not only hurt Mr. Parrish’s reputation but de- creased his income. It is trading on the brains and creative ability of another. There are other instances of a simi- lar sort. Miss Esther Hunt, who ap- peared at the hearing on the Vestal bill before the House committee a week ago. claimed that through near- imitations of her little statuettes her income had been reduced from $10,000 to $1,500 a year. Another case in point was an al- most exact reproduction of a paint- ing by Cecilia Beaux, which had been used exclusively by a Western candy manufacturer for advertising pur- poses; and, having the matter brought to his attention, he claimed—and prob- ably rightly—innocence of intention, explaining that the drawing had been obtained by his advertising agent from a commercial art firm. When the matter was brought to the atten- tion of this firm they claimed coinci- dence—that their artist and Miss Cecllia Beaux had had similar inspi- ration. The only difference in the ad- vertising deslgn was the box of candy introduced in the lap of the young woman pictured. A painting by the late John W. Alexander, owned by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, despite the fact of having been copyrighted, has been used with but slight change for advertising purposes by a mat- tress manufacturer. And so it goes. The Vestal bill, if passed, would certainly prevent the use of original works of art without the artist’s per- mission for advertising purposes, and, it is hoped, would also sufficiently penalize near-imitations to make them unprofitable. * o ®k Several {interesting points were brought out concerning art and copy- right at the first session of the pub- lic hearing on the Vestal bill. Among these was a statement made by Mr. Murphy, representing the Guild of Free Lance Artists of New York, that advertising, which ranked as the fourth biggest business in the United States, was chiefly dependent upon art for its success. This puts art es- sentially on a financlal footing and may help to convince the hard-headed business man that it is worthy of consideration. A chief factor in the fourth biggest business in the United States certainly cannot be considered a “frill.” * ok kX The Guild of Free Lance Artists, by the way, concerns itself with art entirely on the business basis. It is a clearing house for art as a product, something bought and sold. The ad- vertiser wishing a design may ap- peal to the Gulld of Free Lance Art- ists for a designer; so may the build- er who wishes a mural painting as a decoration, or the individual who seeks a portralt. The artist who has to make a contract may call upon the guild for legal advice and contract forms, and in case of disagreement with his client may place his case in their hands for settlement. There is another organization in New York somewhat similar. It is known as the Art Directors’ Club and its mem- bership consists of business men who are art directors of publications and in some instances of department stores. * K ¥ X That art has not only found its way into advertising, but is the chief frctor in this big business, is easily discoverable by turning the advertis- ing pages of any of the leading maga- zines. When it was announced some months ago that two of the magazines which had heretofore employed the best illustrators and been conspicuous for the merit of their {llustrations would no longer publish illustrated articles, it was wl that the reason was that they could no longer afford to compete with the advertisers in this fleld. The best advertising art is of a very fine quality and its merit is derived not only through the skill but the creative ability, the orig- inality of the artist. A stringent copyright law will strengthen this position and will discourage only that which is false. It is easier to copy an idea than to produce one. * % k * Apropos of art as a business, a means of livelihood: So great in re- cent years has become the interest in art and desire for education that today the need of art teachers in the colleges cannot be fllled, and any one with sufficlent knowledge and ex- perience who is willing to turn his or her attention in this direction can be assured immediate and constant em- ployment. The same condition pre- vails in the art museums. There are art museum directorships going beg- ging, and far too few trained museum workers to carry on the required work. % To be sure, this takes into account only the competent. The teaching of art or the appreciation of art, the directing of art museums and their multifarious work require highly trained and gifted {individuals, spe- clalists of the best type. None other need apply. But for such Oppor- tunity with 8 big “o” now offers. It is an encouraging symptom of progress. Q. On what dates in 1894, 1925 and | 1926 was Lake Champlain entirely | frozen over’—H. F. B. | A. The entire closing of the broud | lake in 1894 was March 26; in 192 January 20, and in 1926, February . Q. What are obsidional coins?—G. O. | A. They are coins struck for tem porary use in a besleged clty. Q. Which countries produce the most oll?—G. E. | A. The following are 1925 statistics | on ofl production, in order of rank:| United States, 758,000,000 total rels; Mexico, 116,000,000; Russia, 000,000; Persia, 35,000,000; Dutch East Indies, 21,600,000. Q. What per cent of the fresh fruit exported by the United States goes to Great Britain?—W. N. F. A. The United Kingdom in 1925 took ( over half the exports of boxed apples, | over three-fourths of the barreled | apples, about one-haif of the pears, 31 per cent of grapefruit. Canada tock over 90 per cent of the oranges, 63 per cent of grapefruit, 67 per cent of grapes, 88 per cent of berries and small fruits, 79 per cent of lemons and 90 per cent of peaches. .S, Wil stone soak up water?—H. . 8. A. The Geological Survey says that some kinds of stone are quite porous and will absorb considerable quantities water, while some marbles and granites are practically impervious to moisture. Q. What is the difference between 2 hand-played and a machine-played | roll?—M. W. A. A machine-played roll for | player-piano is one which is cut by & | machine according to the notes, not being played at all. A hand-piayed roll is played by a musician and then cut, thus incorporating the variation of the human touch. Q. What animal sleeps the deepest while hibernating’—A. C. A. The jumping mouse, or kangaroo mouse, is a common wild rodent which lays up no store for Winter, but con- structs a warm nest, in which it spends the Winter in a. state of dor- mancy more profound than that of any other American animal. Q. Is coal found in Ireland?—K. I. F. A. Bituminous coal (not a very high grade) is mined in the north of Ireland. The quantity is not sufficient to have any effect on the world's coal trade. Q. Do the reformers who object to prize fights object to boxing as a sport?—M. E. W. A. Boxing is generally recognized as a harmless, character-bullding sport. Usually it {3 not condemned by those who protest against prize fighting. Q. Which is the fastest known fish in the water?—R. H. A. The Bureau of Fisheries says that the Bonito, a member of the mackerel family, probably is the fast- est swimmer, but a definite answer is not -possible. Q. How many other children were there in Benjamin Franklin's fam- fly?—A. M. A. There were 16 other children in this family, Benjamin being the fif- teenth of the 17 Franklin children. Q. In poker is it a good practice to hold up & side card when drawing to a patr’—E. F. | A. This is & bad habit, since it les- sens the chance of making three of a kind. Q. How high 1s Chilkoot Pass?— A. This pass, through the coast range in southern Alaska between Dyea and the headwaters of the Yukon, i8 3,602 feet above sea level. | enforceable in two wings and a peacock’s tail, whicly is supposed to have carried Mohame med to Heav as called borak Q. Why is the name of the ital of Holland preceded by the woi “The"—The Hague’—M. A. It is done because name has the equivalent of with the name Granenhage. means the Count's Hedge. In the thirteenth century the site of the present city was the hunting lod and grounds of the counts of Holla and under Count Floris V (154 1296) became the esiden Under William IT it also became t! site of the supreme court and the center of administration. It was nof however, inccrporated as a town unt the nineteenth century Q. Why doos the e of New York recognize a divorce obtaineds say, in Reno. when the grounds fog divorce in Nevada are so different from the grounds in New York?—B. T, A. The Constitution of the United States impo certain obligations upon the States in their dealings with one another, section 1 viding that “full fuith shall be given in each public acts, records and ceedings of every other clause has been held to m civil cases, when the cour State have given a judgme judgment will be r forced by the cot State without a new means that contracts into in one State ing and other the mat- is clause a State a divorce State, even though it may have been granted for reasons for which the laws of the first State would not allow a di vorce. The only restriction which courts have upheld in their interpre- tation of this clause of the Consti- tution is that the State granting the divorce shall have jurisdiction over the parties—that is, that the party should have a bonafide residence within the State and that proper notice of suit should be given. Thus New York must recogn Nevada divorces if it is shown tha the plaintiff had a legal residence in Nevada and the defendent had heen legally notified of the suit. Q. When s “Child Health” day —H. H. A, May day has been observed for three years as a Natio 1 festtval of childhood. On May 1 each community is urged to examine into the well-be- ing of its children and set in motion some endeavor toward lifting their standard toward that of perfect child- hood. Q. Who discovered that fleas could be trained?—J. H. A. Training fleas is Prof. J. C. Ruhl of New York can be trained to dance, draw char- iots, throw objects many times thele own weight, etc. The first trained fleas were exhibited by Prof. Ruhl's grandfather in 1821. entered ter of divorce, is required granted in The Government is spending your money to find out how to do things. The Evening Star. through its Wash= ington Information Bureau, is ready to tell you what the Government has found out. There is information available on practically every subject affecting the daily life of the Ameri- can citizen. Ezperts of the highest order are devoting their entire time and energy to this great work of pro- moting the public welfare. What do you want to know? What question can the Bureau anmswer for youf This service is free. Just inclose & s-cent stamp to cover the returm postage. Address The Evenming Star Q. What was the animal that car- ried Mohammed to Heaven’—A. C. H. A. The animal with a human face, Information Bureau, Frederic T. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. Why Was Senator McKinley Rejected by Illinois Voters? Now that the smoke of political bat- tle has cleared away in Illinois there still is no generally accepted explana- tion of the defeat of Senator McKin- ley by Col. Frank L. Smith for the Re- publican senatorial nomination. Many observers think it is clear that Sena- tor McKinley's support of the World Court was the deciding factor; others see a rebuke for the national adminis- tration on account of delay in provid- ing farm relief, and still others insist that it was just a case of upset in State factional politics. “The League of Nations," asserts the ‘Wichita Beacon (independent Republi- can), “is the real ‘bete mnoir' in the drama. It is the bugaboo that inspired the voters to boot McKinley out of the political arena. This newspaper does not happen to believe that the League of Nations has any essential connec- tion with the World Court, but appar- ently the Illinois voters thought so.” The Racine Journal-News (Republican), with a similar point of view, believes that “the only excuse by World Court advocates that may be offered is that the 1ssue is not thoroughly understood and that so many people think it is about the same as the League of Na- tions. Be this as it may,” continues the Racine paper, “the facts must be faced, and on the basis of the returns and the {ssues debated the voters are against the United States joining the World Court.” * kKK The Milwaukee Journal (independent) is of the opinion that while “in such a fight it is impossible to say how much the World Court issue counted, no one will pretend that it did not count for something and has not suffered a re- verse.” “It {8 useless to deny,” continue: the Rochester Times-Union (independ- ent), “that the Illinois primary consti- tutes a setback for the friends of American adhesion to_ the court,” while the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel (Republican) points out that, “except for the fact of his support of the League Court, mator McKinley, whom Col. Smith so smashingly de- feated, had not a single handicap.” The Lafayette Journal-Courler (inde- pendent Republican) goes further with the statement that “the immediate is- sue was his vote and activity in favor of entry into the court created by the League of Nations, but it is probable also that Mr. McKinley's many trips to Europe in behalf of movements ap- parently tending toward American en- try into the league helped bring about his refection.” The Indianapolis News (independent) also declares that “an examinatton of McKinley's standing with his party only strengthens the conviction that he was defeated on the World Court issue.” ER “The results, we are told,” remarks the Knoxville Sentinel (independent Democratic), ‘“have thrown a scare into the administration Senators who voted for the World Court. Those of them who come up for re-election this year are ‘shaking in their shoes.” The country as a whole should begin to shake In its shoes at the menace of having its politics and its morals dic- tated by the Illinois and Chicago un- derworld.” But the Beloit Daily News (independent) wonders ‘“What do the Tllinois voters think that Col. Smith can do to knock out the court, pro- vided he defeats Boss Brennan, his Democratic opponent for the senator- -hllsl»; in the general election this “In Illinois,” as the Cincinnati Times-Star (Republican) sums up the matter, “‘a Politician was nominated a8’ Rept for Senator over the distinguished incumbent, William B. McKinley, partly be Senator McKinley had vote adherence to the World Court, taking a position with President Coolidge. Candidates for sheriff also were nom- inated at the primary elections r for the same reason. At the s election the same voters nominated Francis P. Brady, who had been dead for some time, for clerk of the appellate court. Brady recelved a plurality of 94,000 votes over his near- est opponent, William Scott. Illinols voters have made their position clear. They are against our adherence to the World Court, which has already been settied by the United States Sen- ate, and for nominating dead men to office. Great is the direct primary system!” * ok ok K The Salt Lake Deseret News (Inde- pendent) feels, however, that “it would be a reflection upon the intel- ligence of the people of Illinois to believe that they could see any dan- ger to the United States in becoming + member of the court.” The Dayton News (independent Democratic) flatly declares “the as- sertion that the nomination of Smith over McKinley, who voted for ad- herence to the World Court, is a dis- cliplinary action for his vote, marking disapproval of the people for that action, is pure political buncombe.” The Lynchburg Advance (Democratie) also remarks: “But was the court the deciding factor in McKinley’s de- feat? Frankly, we do not think so. It is our opinion that local issues decided the election. It was simply a fight between two factions.” “The court issue was largely trumped up,” the Hartford Times (independent Democratic) suspects, “and sed somewhat at least because the foes of the court figured that McKinley would not be hard to de- feat and that his downfall would be a rebuke to the Coolidge administra- tion if that issue were raised in ad- vance.” * k%% The Oklahoma City Dally Okla- homan (Democratic) is convinced that “his defeat can be accepted as a serious rebuff by Western insurgents to the national administration.” The Greensboro (Democratic) also offers as an explanation “the IA- action of Congress and the adminis- tration in the matter of farm relief legislation,” and the New York Eve- ning World (independent Democratic) conturs in that view. The Rockfort Star (Independent) agrees that “the state of mind of the farming popu- lation must have been potent,” while the Sioux City Tribune (independent) asserts “the defeat was left-handed notice that the Middle West is not greatly enthused about the Repub- lican national organization.” - “The real issue was prohibition,’ insists the Youngstown Vindicator (Democratic), but the Bellingham Herald (independent) believes that Il- linoils Republicans “swatted the World Court” while the wets were winning in the Democratic primary. The Champaign News-Gazette (in- dependent Republican) suggests that “only a political sage could attempt to explain the complexities of the Cook County situation,” and the Springfield, Illinois, State Journal (Republican) declares that, “taken as a whole, the primary indicites grow- ing vacillation and volatility among American voters. The Quincy Whig Journal (independent), praising Sena~ tor McKinley, thinks the “Republl- cans don't kiow exactly why they voted against him.”