Evening Star Newspaper, April 23, 1926, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY. ..April 23, 1926 THEODORE W. NOYES. . Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 11th St.and Pennsyivania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd St. Chicago Ofice . Tower Building. European Office: 14 Regent St.. London, land. The Evening Star. with the Sunday morn- 0§ edition. is delivered by carriers within the city at 60 cents per month: daily only, 45 cents per mon unday only. 2 r month. Ord may. nt by mail or lephone Main 5000. Collection is made by carrier at the end of each nonth. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday. ...1yr. $9.00: 1 mo. Daily_only g Sunday only All Other States and Canada. Daily and Sunday.1 $L.00 only 1 i D 5 Sunday 35¢ yr. . wrl only 1yr. ociated Press. clusively entitled 1 news dis- Member of the d't0 it o o his paper and also the local news published herein. Al rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. Retirement Annuities. Wishes of the active employes of the Government for a more liberal re- tirement law, increasing the annuities to a maximum of $1,200, were ex- pressed yesterday to the President by a delegation that waited on him and presented him with a set of petitions signed by thousands of Federal serv- ice workers. Inasmuch as this mat- ter is still in the legislative stage, the President could not give the delega- tion any assurance whatever on the been started by rays of sun shining on a bottle or bit of glass and focused on dead leaves or brush. Perhaps a ‘“clearing up” or brush fire, sending sparks and burning twigs high and far, has ignited a distant patch of woods. The wooded and brush dis- tricts east of Washington will prob- ably have fires in' Fall, Winter and early Spring until there is a clearing of the brush and slashings from the forest floor, or until the woodland is destroyed by fire. The wood fires cause loss of some valuable timber and at this season de- stroy much bird life and wipe out the chief places of refuge of birds in this neighborhood. The fires may spread to villages and destroy homes that have been built in the forest, with small clearings about them. It is a difficult question. It is only since the country became rather closely settled and since there has been unusual carelessness in leaving the woodland floor covered with dry brush that the neighborhood of Washington has been much troubled by forest fires. ——o— Insecure Bridges. In the light of a report made to it last night the Board of Trade adopted a recommendation that the Klingle Valley and Calvert Street bridges be replaced by new structures. 1t was shown by the report, based upon de- talled examination of the bridges, that they are both insecure and un- dependable, that there is excessive vibration on the former bridge and in the case of the latter there are many missing bolts, this condition tending to render it unsafe. Both bridges are badly rusted, through lack of paint. The approaches are insufficiently lighted. The flooring score of enactment at this session, but it is reported that he did give the im- pression that he will approve such a measure if it is laid before him for signature, It is undoubtedly the wish of the great majority of the Government workers that the annuity scale be in- creased, even though such an ad- vance may involve the increasc of the monthly deductions from the salary envelopes. The system as it Is now established is in effect a compulsory self-insurance. Under the present schedules the workers cannot save enough to assure them a decently sus- taining compensation upon retirement. Some of the large corporations of this country, employing many people and desiring stability of service, have adopted a system of direct insurance and pensions, costing the workers nothing, and have also adopted sav- ing systems, themselves contributing a liberal percentage to match the de- posits of the workers. The conse- quence of this wise liberality is that the personnel rarely changes, save as age and disease take their toll. The Government has merely adopt- ed a tem of retirement practically exclusively at the cost of the workers and has fixed the maximum amount of pension at a point below the possibil- ity of decent subsistence. It is collect- ing from the workers more than the system requires for operation, holding the surplus in trust against the possi- ble resignation or dismissal of the contributors to the fund before reach- ing the retirement age. Assertion is made that an increase of the retire- ment scale, with the maximum placed at §1,200, will eventually entail a de- mand upon the Treasury for direct contribution. Actuaries differ as to the amount thus falling upon the Fed- eral resources. That difference of opinion has caused a delay in the shaping and legislative advancement of the measure. Now it is ready for action. Thers should be no question of its enactment at this session, in order that the President may, as he intimated yesterday to the delegation representing the Government workers, give it his approval. ———— Nobody wants the corner saloon back again; not even the bartender who has turned bootlegger. oo Nearby Forest Fires. Woodland fires breaking out at sev- eral places and burning over extensive tracts northeast and east of the Dis- trict are destroying a good deal of property and giving fear and other discomfort to many persons. The fire territory may be roughly sketched as within the triangle formed by the Baltimore and Potomac and Popes Creek branches of the Pennsylvania rafiroad and the Chesapeake Beach railroad %nd through this triangle from the District northeast runs the Baltimore and Washington electric line. The Baltimore and Potomac after passing Landover and following its course along the valley of Beaverdam Creek goes through Ardwick to Lan- ham, which is near the crest of the Potomac-Patuxent watershed. It then descends the Patuxent slope by Sea- hrooke and Glendale. From Bowie the Popes Creek line runs past Collington, Mullikin, Halls, Leland, Hill and Marl- boro. The Chesapeak® Beach railroad from the District line at Seat Pleasant touches Brooks, Behren, Berry, Brown, (Magett and Marlboro. East of the Raltimore and Potomac the Baltimore electric railroad roughly parallels it. From several of the railroad settle- ments come reports of forest fires and » number of new hamlets, especially #long the line of the electric y, are named in the dispatches. Fire has broken out in patches of brush and woodland far off any railroad. Much of the country east of the tracks of the Baltimore and Potomac 1s likely forest fire land. Most of the merchantable trees have been cut for lumber, *fes and cordwood and the slashings have been left on the ground. On the cut-over land there is common- Iy a heavy growth of new brush among the old slashings. It is said in one neighborhood that “it is be- lieved the fire started from locomo- tive sparks.” The writer of the dis- patch only goes so far as to say “it is Dbelieved.” Several fires have started along the electric railway and fires have started far back from the steam railroads and In country crossed only by wagon roads. The brush growth, the leaves that fell last year, the dead trimmings or slashings from wood cut- ting are a fire danger. A locomotive spark, an unextinguished match, a live clgarette butt and hot ashes from a pipe may be among the fire causes. is in bad condition. The guard rails are inadequate. In the case of the Calvert Street Bridge there has been for several vears a public feeling of insecurity. It is too narrow to accommodate the traffic, vehicles being compelled to occupy the car track space. It is subjected to heavy strain, beyond that for which it was constructed. Not long ago it was the scene of a fatal accident, a motor car being driven through the guard rail to fall into the creek valley. This was probably due to the coincidence of the vehicle roadway with the car tracks. Repeatedly efforts have been made to secure an appropriation for the replacement of the Calvert Street Bridge by a new, substantial struc- ture, but without success. The bridge has been patched and “stiffened” and made to serve, though always with doubt in the public mind as to its dependability. Meanwhile the traf- fic has increased and, as the acci- dent of last Winter showed, the con- ditions are highly dangerous. Only a complete replacement will meet the requirement of the public safety. There should be no bridge in the District that is under the least sus- picion of insecurity. The Board of Trade’s recommendation comes, of course, too late in the present sea- son to effect an immediate change. The appropriation bill is now in con- ference, beyond the possibility of amendment to make provision for the replacement of these two ques- tioned bridges. But it should have its effect upon the prenaration of the estimates for the following fiscal year, which will be shaped during the Summer and submittei to Con- gress next December. eliminated the walstcoat in Summer out of eccentricity or freakishness, but simply in obedlence to an in- stinct for comfort. Now they are gratified to find their British cousins recognizing the propriety and the reasonableness of the vestless cos- tume, be the accompanying coat double or single breasted. ———— - A Campaign for Courtesy. A campaign has been stacted in New York which Washington may well copy. It is against the reckless and heedless drivers of big trucks who violate all the rules of the road relat- ing to decency and courtesy. More than one hundred drivers have already been enfolded in the arms of the law, where they have been speedily con- vinced that obedience to the funda- mental traffic rules is expected even It is of vital importancs that a searching survey be made of all the viaducts in the District and that rec- ommendation be made for the cor- rection of every fault, even to the extent of the complete replacement with new, substantial structures of all the bridges that are in any degree in doubt as to their security. e —e——————— Victorian fashions are ridiculed. The next generation will laugh at those of the present day, while devising ab- surdities of its own, to be laughed at in turn. Human nature remains the same and clothes do not make the man nor the woman. e ———— Britons Following Suit. The American invasion of Great Britain proceeds. Steadily, if slowly, Western customs are being adopted by the conservative people of Eng- land. Many have been the comesti- bles and the potations of origin in the United States that have become popular overseas. Not so much has been accomplished for American styles and manners of dress, for if there is one respect in which the Briton is more stringently particular than in any other it is in the matter of garb. Yet even in that line Amer- ican innovation has been accom- plished. Thus there now comes word that after a very long time of temptation the American 1dea of dis- carding the waistcoat, more com- monly known here as the vest, has been given definite sartorial ap- proval. That most conservative of institu- tions, the London tailor, has finally found a way to enable the men of Britain to cast aside the superfluous waistcoat in warm weather, by de- vising a style of double-breasted Jjacket, which will permit its wearer to discard the nether garment with- out losing the appearance of smart- ness and trimness. So whereas heretofore the appearance of a male person without a waistcoat, however correctly clad otherwise, immedi- ately caused a social chill, be the physical temperature however high, now it is accepted that a gentleman can present himself in comfort of both body and mind minus that so often superfluous article. The “topper” has almost disap- peared from the marts of trade and finance in the City of London as a feature of the daily wear of business and professional men. Occasionally one sees a stout-hearted conservative, whom only death can change in cus- tom, capped with this formerly in- variable badge of respectability, usually wearing a tailless coat In amusing incongruity. from the West- ern point of view. But the high hat, or silk hat, is coming back into vogue for formal wear, in this country as in Europe. Americans are not obstinate about of them. One operator of a five-ton truck proudly displayed on his vehicle when an officer stopped him a sign which read “Don't hit me, I'm a big boy. This attitude is said by the enforcement officers to be typical of drivers of this type of vehicle. Know- ing that they cannot be hurt or thelr trucks damaged to any extent by colligjon with light passenger cars, they proceed recklessly across inter- sections, fail to give right of way to passing automobiles, and generally make life miserable for the law-abid- ing citizen who is proceeding on his cautious way. ‘Washington, unfortunately, has many of this kind of truck drivers. They drive their big vehicles to the limit of their speed entirely heedless of other traffic. Bus operators are not immune from this charge, either; on many occasions it is almost impossi- ble to get right of way for passing. ‘This latter difficulty, to some extent, is traceable to the recent declsion of a judge in the Traffic Court who dis- missed a bus driver for failure to give way, on the ground that the Commis- sioners shoulM have realized before granting a license that busses were heavy and cumbersome and liable to block traffic. This ruling has natu- rally led the bus and truck operators into a somewhat contemptuous atti- tude toward traffic regulations. New York's campaign of enforce- ment should be tried out here in any event. Trucks and busses, because of their weight and comparative un- wieldiness, should be driven with the utmost care and with the utmost con- sideration for other users of the streets. The police and the courts should see to it that this is the rule and not the exception, and there is no better place to start than in Wash- ington and no better time than now. s One difficulty in popularizing the League of Nations lies in the fact that a great many persons find it almost as hard to understand as the Einstein theory. —_— et A readiness to retire is hinted at by Judge Gary. Steel is a most impor- tant factor in American welfare and the United States public needs Judge Gary in its business. N Resourcefulness of American civil- ization 1s fllustrated by the manner in which it has plodded along for a num- ber of years without the ald of prac- tical utilization of Muscle Shoals. T e Power will be regained by the Ho. henzollerns if they can regain their estates. A realtor may become greater than an emperor. - War in China proceeds in a manner which at least conveys glad assurance that the populace has not permitted opium to displace natural ‘“pep.” SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Idealism Abused. Oh, let us all be sweet and kind! Let’s all be good and true! Let’s all be gentle and refined In what we have to do. But let us not too far make use Of all this soothing stuff, For patience serves as an excuse For those who treat us rough. The Important Consideration. “We are with you to a man,” de- clared the enthusiastic constituent. ‘That’s all right as far as it goes, answered Senator Sorghum. “But how about the woman voters?"” One of the great services rendered by radio is that of identifying the man who habitually splits his infinitives and says “Artic” and “Hunderd.” Jacksonian. “The wets are very busy.” “Yes,” answered Uncle Bill Bottle- top. “They seem determined to re- store our Government to a state of apple-jacksonian simplicity.” Publicity. The present time is rather queer, Though joyous more than sad, ‘When everything you see or hear Is some kind of an ad. No Mere Wave. “Is there a crime wave in this city “No,” replied the local magistrate. “It is no wave. It’s an innundatios Approval. “Are you in favor of the League of Nations?” “I am,” said Farmer Corntpssel. “For what reason?” “It undertakes to abolish war; and even if it shouldn’t succeed, at least it shows the proper sentiment.” ‘The great American optimist is the radio announcer. Musical Desolation. I cannot sing the old songs. They fill me with regret. These syncopated bold songs, Alas, are harder yet! “I believes in business before pleas- ure,” said Uncle Eben, “but dar ain't no sense in passin’ de contribution plate before folks has heard de ser- mon.” Transcendent Hope. From the Pittsburgh Gaszette-Times. That paper which speaks of ‘“the strong _ possibilities of Democratic victory” in Pennsylvania fulfills com- It 1s sald that woodland fires have'such shifts of fashion, They have not' pletely our idea of an optimist. w 8 8 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1926 ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Edgar Allan Poe as an unconform- ing artist is discussed in the following letter received recently from New York City: “'A good friend has sent me some of your clippings from recent issues of The Star dealing with Poe. Will you allow me to tell you that I think your discussions of value and well handled. Your review of Mr. Krutch's recent study’ appeared to be an exceptionally good way of presenting his works to your audience. “I have been working for some years on a life and times of Edgar Allan Poe, called ‘Israfel,’ to be published by Doran in the Autumn. In so doing I have covered nearly all of the ex- tant Poe material and turned up a £ood deal of vital new sources. 1 tell vou this to show you why 1 gow take the ‘iberty of the following remarks: dgar Allan Poe has been misun- derstood both by his ‘ordinary readers’ and by his literary and scientific biographers, because he is almost the Sole example in our ‘American’ litera- ture up to very recent times of the purely literary artist. In the little poem which you quoted some time ago, called ‘Alone,’ you have rightly surmised that the life story of Poe and his philosophy is summed up. The poem is, by the way, genuine, and was written in the album of Poe's cousin, ::L }""{,:';E' v;'h(le Poe was in Balti- ore in 1829. . In this poem Poe sa: in effect that his inspiration G o Fhom exvery dopth of good an and that this is what has different from all about h:ml:nm‘e L3 ‘The mystery which binds me still." * ok ok ok “Now it is positively that whic neither his biographers nor his readocs in this country have ever been able to understand. It is the credo of the artist who takes life as he finds it and lets it blow through the strings of his nature and awake what echoes it will, Mr. Poe's nerve strings were very tightly and sensitively tuned, and the sounds he evoked from the storms of life that finally destroyed so curious and fine an instrument are peculiarly memorable. Tt is the tunes which he heard and reproduced that alone make 'hnl;n lhmporlunl, and not what kind of a n he was as a citiz e e zen or journalist Say what you will, America is an incurably moral country and the home of the happy and conventionally minded. For that reason it most ad- mires as a_human being some char- acter type which approaches the ideal of its own moral mediocrity. It would like to see some virtuous grocer’s as: sistant, all of whose children were born in wedlock and whose whole life was one long conformity, produce an immortal poem or other work of art. But this is psychologically impossible. Great works of art depend for their first principles upon some quality of arresting and interesting differences, and differences do not spring from characters whose whole life effort is to be the same as everybody else. Hence vou yourself in an article embark upon the ‘task of showing Poe’s common sense from time to time in this column merely to show that he was not all fantasy. But, my dear sir, do you not see you are trying to do what all Poe's admirers and critics have done so far, destroy the only real claim Poe has as an artist and prove to the great Amer- ican newspaper public that after all he was just a nice common-gense fel- low like themselves, who also produced great works of art? “Let me assure you, you are mis- taken. Mr. Poe was one of the most curious and tremendous persons who have thus far troubled the North Amer- ican republic. It is true he had (at times) considerable critical common sense, but his claim for the wreath of fame lies in the fact that because he cared only to record the impressions of a unique and curious personality removed beyond the realm of morals, religlous, political, and only Interested in the necessity of making his own in- dividual comment, he became _to America_that mysterious and wholly- to-be-condemned personality—a purely individualistic person, a creative artist. “I have material to show that at the early age of 15 Poe already was writing poetry and ambitious to be- come a literary artist. In order to do 50, he fought with his family first, and afterward found himself perpetually at war with the world at large. Mor- ally and physically, according to the normal standards, his life was a trag- edy and a failure. But Mr. Poe con sidered that to succeed normally as man was necessurily to fail lamen- tably as an artist. In the fleld of lit- erature he attained a world triumph and his ambition has been crowned with a success that only equaled his desires. In showing that Poe was a psychopathic case Mr. Krutch has simply added one more nail to the cof- fin of that beloved American myth, “The great, but conforming, artist.’ Out of considerable knowledge let me assure you that any attempt to prove that Poe's ‘common sense’ proves his acceptabllity as a great literary figure is lost motion. It was the very ‘fan- tasy’ that you discount which consti- tutes his claim to be recorded on the rolls of immortality. Faithfully yours, “HERVEY ALLE * ¥ %k ¥ The touch of authenticity breathes through the above letter and we count it a privilege to be able to present it to the readers of The Star. Perhaps it might be pointed out here that one does not have to agree with every word in it to agree with most of it. The thesis of Mr. Allen, that genius means non-conformity, may be agreed with, in the main, while at the same time one must make certain reserva- tions, William Wordsworth, himself something of a genius, spoke out strongly, in his critical work, for “ssweetness and light” (although he aid not use those words) in literary productions. His poems, he hoped, would help toward that better day when the gentle in life held universal sway. Between the so-called moral school of literature and what may be termed the unmoral (not immoral-—there 1s a difference) there will always be war- fare. The former believes that the printed page is a sacred thing, that the art of writing is a high and noble calling, and that the page should not be sullied by any word or thought un- becoming to the normally decent in stincts of normally decent men and women. The unmoral school, on the other hand, believes this attitude all piffle, and insists that anything that men and women think, do or say is fit food for their mill of the gods. It is interesting to note that Poe, al- though he undoubtedly was such a man and artist as Mr. Allen describes, has scarcely a word or thought in his works that cannot be read aloud be- fore a little girl. This is the test— not for the effect upon the child, but upon the reader! Poe was an_uncon- forming artist, true enough, but his works conform! There is a literary paradox for you. His most bizarre though glimpses into abnor- are clean, per se. sure readers here (as we al- ready have Mr. Allen) that we never had "the slightest idea or desire to prove Edgar Allan Poe a nice, com- mon-sense_fellow, but merely to point out what Mr. Allen himself says, that “it is true he had (at times) consider- able critical common sense.” No one, least of all our humble self, can dis. count Poe's fantasy, or would ever care to discount it. It is, as Mr. Allen 0 ably , this very fantasy “‘which constitutes his claim to be recorded on the rolls of immortality.” WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. What price oratory? The four horsemen of the opposition—Borah, Johnson, Walsh and Reed (of Missouri) —rode full tilt into the Italian debt settlement. They swung thelr eloquent lances with more than accustomed fury, vet no spears were ever thrust less effectively. It is doubtful if the speeches of any one of the Senate's warrior chiefs undermined a view or switched a vote. A good many au- thorities think congressional politics has become so cut-and-dried a proposi- tion that oratory is divested of its power, though it has not lost fts charm. On highly controversial occa- sions like the World Court and the Italian debt, with an administration’s prestige at stake, noses can usually be counted in advance with fair ac- curacy. Insiders never keep a doubt- ful column for men who, beguiled by an argument, may vote their convic- tions. It may not have been like that in the days of Webster and Clay. But these are hard-boiled times. * ok -k Party lines went completely to smash on the Italian debt ratification vote. Special reasons account for nearly every vote, pro and con. Senators from States with big Italo- American constituencies, for instance, lined up for ratification, irrespective of politics. Thus, New York and New Jersey, with gigantic Italian “colonies,” were recorded solidly for Benito, even though two of their four Senators are Republicans, and two Democrats. Take' Wisconsin: Lenroot and La Follette seldom see eye to eye on any- thing. But they voted together like brothers against ratification. Wis- consin has a respect-commanding Ger- man vote, and Italian stock is not high in those quarters. The Southern Democrats, who were pretty solidly against ratification, with the party leader, Senator Robinson of Arkansas at their head, also had a reason. Mussolint1s at war with Free Masonry, and Dixie i{s a Scottish Rite strong- hold. The ablest speeches on the Ttalian settlement were made by Howell, Republican, of Nebraska, in opposition, and by Reed, Republican, of Pennsylvania, in support. While they shot off no gallery fireworks, and stuck to facts and figures, it's highly imprebable that they changed the mind of ‘a single colleague. e Bucky Harris, Napoleon of Washing- ton base ball, has an unmistakable double, as eminent in his own line as Bucky is on the diamond. He is Floyd Blair, brilliant young Treasury official and handy man of the World War Foreign Debt Commission. Throughout the ratification debates, Blalr was on the Senate floor, adjacent to Reed Smoot of Utah, the Senate’s debt-funding representative. Blair is Bucky all over—in size, complexion, demeanor and looks. He is taken for Harris time and again. Like the “Senators’ ” leader, he is an, athlete, too. Recently the second baseman of the Debt Commission posed for a pho- tograph with a squash racquets team. A camera man breezed up to Blair and said: “Bucky, I never knew you played this game, too!” * ok kK Controller General John R. Mc- Carl, watchdog of the Nation’s ex- pense accounts, has a cousin, a New York lawyer, named McCarl, who re- cently visited China. He had occasion to present himself aboard the flagship of our Asiatic cruiser squadron, which was anchored off Tien-tsin. Having mounted the gangplank, he was greet- ed at the rall bya spick-and-span young officer in whites, who courteously pro- claimed that he was Lieut. Pitcairn. “My name’s McCarl.” New Yorker. “Good God!" ejaculated Lieut. Pitcairn, who nearly fell over- board as he envisioned what was now about to happen to the squadron at the hands of the Navy's pet aversion The lieutenant recovered ness in time to hear the visitor explain that he was not the Federal cheese parer, but merely a Wall Street attor- ney sojourning in the mystic East on business for a client. A The railway brotherhoods are trying to try out of the military affairs com- mittee of the House and Senate the bills to give military status and honor- able discharge to members of the ‘American Railway Service Corps on duty in Russia in 1917. Some 100 en- gineers, firemen, conductors and train- men are involved. The breakdown of the Russian railway service threatened the collapse of the allied Eastern front. A disaster was in sight that might have given Germany the decision. The Kerensky government asked that corps of American railway engineel be sent to help clear up the tangle on the transsiberian line. A corps of more than 200 men was raised under the direction of “Sam” M. Felton, vet- eran Chicago Great Western executive and then director general of military railways in the War Department. All the men were experienced railroaders and volunteers. They claim that de- partmental red tape has deprived them of their military rights all this time, although they served under the im- pression they were full-fledged com- missioned officers. * oK K K Vice President Dawes has just paid his first visit to the Supreme Court since he went there as a youngster with his father, the late Gen. Rufus R. Dawes, then a member of Congress from Ohio. Though a lawyer, the Vice President never sought admis- sion to practice in the Supreme Court. He was escorted into its dignified pres- ence the other day by a couple of friends, who placed him within the charmed circle reserved for admitted barristers. They were Col. Edward Clifford of the Washington and Chi- cago bar, who had quiet but effective charge of the “Dawes plan” at Cleve- land in 1924, and H. St. George Tucker of Virginia, who was in Congress with William McKinley and knew Dawes in those early days. Chief Justice Taft and his colleagues gave the Vice President a smiling welcome as soon as they spotted their distinguished vis- itor in the tourist throng. * ok ok ¥ Ten members of the United States Senate have woman secretaries, but the rules bar them from the privilege of the floor—the immemorial right of male secretaries. Recently provision was made to reserve for their exclu- sive use a front row in one of the gal- leries, but that hardly makes up for the convenience of personal contact with their big chiefs during a session, Some of the front-rank members of the Senate have woman secretaries. Cora Rubin is not only Borah's “right- hand man,” but clerk to the forelgn relations committee besides. Martha R. Gold is Senator Moses' secretary and clerk to the post offices and post roads committee. Mabelle J. Talbert is Senator Norris’ secretary and clerk to the Senate committee on agricul- ture and forestry. Lola Willlams is Senator Curtis’ ‘‘confidential man” and clerk to the committee on rules. Other Senators who prefer the gen- tler of the secretarial species are Messrs. Bruce, Dale, Weller, Under- wood, Shortridge and Overman. By general consent, the woman secreta- ries are as keen-witted a coterie of politiclans as ever glad-handed a dele- gation or sidestepped a lobby. (Copyright. 1926.) eplied the No “Absenteeism” at Jefferson League Dinner To the Editor of The Sta In justice to The Evening Star and its readers, I would offer a correction of certain misrepresentations in an article carried in The Star under date of April 16, in regard to the sesqui- centennial dinner given by the Thomas Jefferson League on April 13. The statement that there was an ‘“‘orgy of absenteeism’ on the part of the speakers is manifestly based on a misconception. There were 16 ‘“‘toasts™ proposed. Obviously, it would have been undesirable to have had personal responses to all of these, if anything like reasonable time limits were to be observed. These toasts included the roll call of the thirteen original States, the Fed- eral Union and the four great acquisi- tions of territory in which Thomas Jefferson was interested in one way or another. It was provided that the distant State representatives should send telegrams, and in most instances these telegrams were sent directly by the governors of the States, one of the best being from the Governor of dis- tant New Hampshire. Mr. John W. Davis was the only absentee who had been expected to at- tend, except Gov. Byrd of Virginia, whose address was presented by Rep- resentative Peery of Virginia; so that the tone as well as the substance of the article {s not only an unwar- ranted reflection upon Mr. Davis, but upon all who were interested in ar- ranging for the Jefferson birthday dinner. It was stated that the toastmaster, Mr. Henry E. Davis, “droned” pro- eedings, and that he threw in “a couple of impromptu spellbinders” to make up for the absentees. As a mat- ter of fact, Mr. Stanley and the rep- resentative of Massachusetts were scheduled to appear in person or by proxy, in accordance with the plans of the Thomas. Jefferson League, al though they were not, by a printer’s omission, included on the dinner card. The impression was given that the “name” of the representative from Massachusetts was of so little conse- quence that it “was lost in the shuf- fle.” It may, therefore, be pertinent to state that this message was for- warded from Boston by the president of the Sentinels of the Republic, an admirable non-partisan organization, with aims similar to those of the Thomas Jefferson League. Mr. Bent- ley W. Warren, the author of the mes- sage read by Mr. Page, contributed some of the best articles which have ever appeared in the Atlantic Monthly in regard to constitutional govern- ment. As president of the Sentinels, he is the successor of the late Louis A. Coolidge, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under President McKinley. The writer sat beside Mr. Henry E. Davis, the toastmaster, and saw no evidence that he was “distracted and discomfited.” On the other hand, the unexpected absence of Mr. John W. Davis was deplored by no one more than by the members of the dinner committee. The impression was given that he “side-stepped” hisengagement. and it was stated that he sent a per- functory telegram. Hence, in justice to Mr. Davis and to all concerned, it is fitting to give Mr. Davis’ message, as follows: “To my great regret, the trial of a case in which I am engaged in Pitts- burgh is still in progress, and it is ab- solutely impossible for me to appear at the dinner in Washington tonight. In view of the list of distinguished speakers, I am sure that my absence will be of no consequence. The loss is mine. The teachings of Thomas Jefferson remain the axioms upon which all free government must rest, and nothing s more important than to have them constantly called to the minds of the American people. So long as we follow their guidance the Republic is seoure. I commend the effort the Thomas Jefferson League is making to see that they are pro- claimed throughout the land. Please deliver my apologies and greetings to those present at your dinner. “(Signed) JOHN W. DAVIS.” MATTHEW PAGE ANDREWS, Executive Director, Thomas Jefferson League, How the Maximum Annuity Has Worked To the Editor of The Star Your editorial in _The Star of the 15th, ““The Annuity Maximum,” is the best yet offered on the subject, and states in the strongest terms the ker- nel of the whole subject in favor of a more liberal annuity for those who have been placed on the retired list after long and faithful service to the Government. K Let me first state my case in fig- ures, so that those who may read this letter may keep them in mind while reading it. ‘After a service of 45 vears and § months I was placed on the retired list in 1925, with the maximum an nuity of $720, relinquishing a salary of $2,300 as chief of division to which 1 was promoted about a year before retirement. My “budget” was then as follows: Annuity, $720; annual payments on home, $300; heating, $180; taxes and insurance, $120; balance to exist on, $120. Total expenses, $720. In short, after paying my fixed charges, I have exactly $10 per month to subsist, clothe myself and meet other incidental expenses. Many years ago I purchased a home on the partial payment plan, and at the time of my retirement I had re- duced the debt to such an extent that it costs me but $25 per month to carry it, a very moderate amount on a full salary. The other fixed charges must be met to hold my home. Had I not led an economical life, and been able to lay by a little, I would soon be at the point of having to sell my home, or plaster it with another mort- gage to obtain means to live upon. Economy before justice seems to be the burden of objectors to a more liberal annuity. Those who do so appear to overlook the fact that those who have been forced to leave the Federal service are those who served during the period of admittedly low and inadequate salaries compared to those now prevailing, and had barely sufficlent to exist upon and maintain families, with little or nothing laid up for a rainy day, which at last overtook them under the retirement law of 1920. I, myself, served more than 20 years at salaries averaging less than $1,000 a year, yet most of that time I served in supervisory capacities, commanding among the highest salaries prevailing. Would not the Government be doing tardy Jjustice to such faithful servants, and not let them continue a, hard exist- ence, and in many cases actual suffer- ing, and go down to their graves, as many of them are doing, with bitter tastes in their mouths, and with re- grets of having given the best part of their lives on such scanty recog- nition? J. M. LOVE. Dr. Butler’s Scriptural Reference Corrected To the Editor 0s Ihe Star: In The Star of Monday, April 19, Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler says: “There are two elements, and only two, which the Lord Jesus Christ both used and blessed. One was bread and ne was wine.” May I call your at- ntion to Matthew, xiv.19, the sec- ond clause, He took the five loaves and the two fishes and look- ing up to heaven, He blemmed * * * If in a matter so easily verified as this Scripture verse, Dr. Butler makes such a false statement, what am I to_believe of his other argu- ments? Yours for the trul e, B N MORSGHER. BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. Why was the northern bound- ary of Loulsiana fixed where it is? A. The entire territory comprising the Louisiana Purchase was of too great an extent to be erected into one single State. It was therefore divided to comprise a number of States. The act of March 26, 1804, erected the Territory of Orleans, which was south of the thirty-third parallel. Q. During the War of 1812 did the New England States threaten seces- slon?—G. T. A. Andrew McLaughlin says: “It was commonly supposed that it (the Hartford convention) would plot a disruption of the Union, but it simply drew up remonstrances, and proposed amendments to the Constitution in- tended to protect a minority of the States against unwelcome ~IFederal legislation.” Q. Are there any States that pro- hibit tobacco smoking entirely?—H. A. No State does so, although one State prohibits smoking in public, and another smoking when a public nui- sance. Twenty-four States regulate the sale of tobacco to minors. Q. What is the meaning of “alou- ette”?—E. H. E. A. It means “lark.” Q. What would happen if the earth stopped revolving?—W. M. W. A. The late Camille Flammarion, the noted French astronomer, express- ed his opinion as follows: “Were the earth suddenly stopped in its course, the shock would be transmitted by recoll, S0 to say, to all the constituent molecules of the terrestrial globe, as if each received a stunning blow; the whole earth would be instantaneously luminous and burning, and an im- menll:le conflagration would devour the world.” Q. Are more seals being caught this year than there were last year? —H.N. 8. A. A report from Newfoundland says that the catch this year for the whole of the sealing fleet has already reached the total of 170,000 pelts, with the end of the season still a month away. The total catch last vear was 125,000 pelts. The heavy in- crease this season is said to be due to the use of airplanes which scout over the ice flelds. Q. What is included in home eco- nomies?—J. M. S. A. Home economics represents a co-ordination of several kinds of spe- clal knowledge and skill in their ap- plication to the common needs of daily life. These are: A knowledge of nutrition and food preparation, a knowledge of textiles and the hygiene | and art of clothing, a knowledge of sanitation, of the principles of house decoration, of houshold and institu- tional management, a knowledge of child care. Q_How old is the Bahai religion?— A Bahatsm is a_religious mov ment that was started by Mierza Ali Mahomet in Persia about the middle of the nineteenth century. Q. How does cooking food change its composition?—H. H. S. A. The combined effect of heat and moisture swells and bursts starch grains, hardens albumen in eggs, fish and meat and softens fibrous portions of meat and cellulose in vegetables. Q. Did the composer Bach die a pauper?—T. B. A. Bach was in very straitened cir- cumstances at the time of his death, and was buried in a pauper’'s grave in Lelpzig. Q rr —L. N. G. A. The smallest ferry which can be used in carrying a truck of about 4,000 pounds would b&about 20 feet by 10 feet by 2.5 feet. Q. How much tide does the Medi terranean Sea have?—M. W. A. The tides of the Mediterranean Sea are very silght, at most places being only a few inches. In certain sections, however, such as in the Ionian fea, the Adriatic Sea and parts of the African coast, there is a rise of more than 6 feet. What size must a ferry be to a :l:uok of 4,000 pounds weight? Q. How many ories are there in apries and oranges’—F. L. A. Apples furnish 1,467 calories per jound, while oranges’ furnish about Q. What were the kinds of gas used during the World War?—C. C. T. A. The principal toxic gases used were classified according to action of the gases. Lung irritance or suf- focance—chlorine, phosgene and chlorpicrin; sternutators (sneeze gas) —dipsenyl-chlor-arsine; lachrymators (tear gas)—chloracetophenome; des cants (blistering gas)—dichlorethylsul phide; directly poisonous to the nerv- ous system. drocyanic acld; gas interfering with respiration of blood carbon monoxide. Q. When was the white potato intro- duced into Ireland—J. E. S, A. The potato was introduced into Ireland by Sir Waiter Raleigh in 1610, and its cultivation developed in ex traordinary rapidity. Q. Will there be a Decoration da: race on the Indianapolis Speedway” L. B. A. Decoration day falls on Sunda: this year, so the race is scheduled for Monda; ay 31. Q. How many accidents were there last year at grade crossings?—J. M. ¢ A. For 1925 the number of acciden in the United States at rallroad grade crossings was 5,479; the number killed 2,206; the number injured, 6,555. Q. What President actually had the st individual votes cast for him? T. P. A. Warren G. Harding had the hizi mark when 16,152,300 people indicated him their choice in 1920, There is mo other agency in tie world that can answer as many legit- | imate questions as_our Free Infor mation Bureaw in Washington, D. €. This highly organized institution has been built up and is under the per- sonal direction of Frederic J. Haskin By keeping in constant touch with Federal bureaus and other educa- tonal enterprises it is in a position to pass on to you authoritative in- formation of the highest order. Sub- mit your queries to the staff of ex- perts whose services are put at your free disposal. There is no charge ex- cept 2 cents in stamps for return postage. Address The Eveming Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Has- Kin, director, Washington, D. C. American Public Likes Its Practice of Buying “On Time” The American consumer continues to buy more and more of his goods “on time,” and, notwithstanding the misgivings of some economists, the press generally believes the practice is largely responsible for the present high staniard of living. An estimate of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States places the proportion of installment purchases at 17 per cent of the total buying of the consumers, of $5,000,000,000 annually. “A business expert told an andience that this should be known as the in. stallment age,” observes the Los An- geles Times. “He says that we are in a world of partial payments and most of our commercial contacts are now on the basis of so much down and so much a week,” continues this pa- per, as it describes instaliment buying extending from the days when the “young man buys the engagement ring and the bride her trousseau on the basis of $5 a month” to the time when “the grave and the tombstone that complete the chapter of human existence” must be provided for and even these “are paid for in convenient installments.” * k% % Though conceding that the practice has reached phenomenal proportions, the Fort Wayne News Sentinel ex- plains: “Installment buying is not a new development in this country. Houses have been paid for on in- stallments for more than a century, furniture, pianos and books have been sold on ‘time’ payments for at least 50 years. Automobil in steadily increasing volume, have been sold on deferred payments over a period of 15 years—and with no adverse reac- tion to date.” This newspaper thinks tHé practice a healthy one for busi- ness, saying further: fore has been employed almost ex- clusively in the financing of produe- tion. Active consumption,” it argues, “ijg essential to continued production, and it is argued that the extension of .credit through installment sales for the financing of consumption is a wholly normal and desirable develop- ment.” In the opinion of the Miami Daily News, “the installment plan is com- mendable in that it has brought hap- piness into countless homes, not only through the automobile, the phono- graph, the radio and the like, but as well through the accumulation of things useful and valuable, furniture and jewelry, to mention a few others. which . many a carefree individual would never otherwise acquire.” . * ok kX Discussing the fact that some years ago “the family in moderate circumstances was not financially able to surround itself with the requisites for pleasure and entertainment, con- venience and comfort that are a. part of general family life today,” the Can- ton Daily News continues: “It is not some marvelous new benevolence on the part of capitalists that has made this possible. The credit is due,” it contends, “to the installment plan, often the butt of the vaudevilllan's jokes, but none the less popular.” ‘While the Salt Lake Deseret News thinks “undoubtedly the installment plan, or 'deferred payments,’ as it is sometimes called, has its advantages, especially for people of steady but moderate incomes,” it points out that “a man ought not to mortgage his future beyond a reasonable assurance that he will with certainty be able to lift the mortgage. The danger in a loose credit system is that men take upon themselves more obli- gations than they are able to meet. They permit the present to eat up the future and the result is trouble and unhappiness.” * ok ok ok According to the view of the Roa- noke Times, “The instaliment plan, properly safeguarded and with certain ‘reasonable’ restrictions thrown about it, is a good thing for buyer and goller alike. The whole question hinges around the matter of the aforesald ‘reasonable restrictions,’”” continues the Times. as it asks “What are they?” Finding the an swer to this question it sets as “the task to which the best brains in the business world must be applied, for the sooner the answer is forthcoming. the sooner one of the chief objections to the installment method will be removed.” Speaking of the contention of cer tain economists that the installment system building up a super structure of credit in deferred pay- ments which might crash and injure the entire country should some un fortunate element of depression over take the nation,” the Great Falls Trib- une points to the vast increase in savings deposits and in life insurance. together with normal investments, as indicating the soundness of the pros- perity of the American buying public. “Installment buying has made it pos- sible to raise the already high stand- ard of living in America and has con- tributed immeasurably to the happi- ness of millions of people,” is the con clusion of this paper. * K X X “Experience and _analysis _have shown,” states the Portland Oregon Journal, “about what proportion of payment can be counted upon. The losses may be figured in advance They usually amount to a fractional percentage of the total and may be added to the profit margin. Install ment buying, therefore, has become a regular part of banking transactions. What so much debt will mean to the future cannot be so readily forecast. If we maintain high productive | capacity, if incomes are proportioned. the fad might result in a higher per- manent scale of living in a countrv where the scale of living now is the highest in the world. But those who pay as they go may vet have honor again.” Police Hostility Cause Of Traffic Troubles To the Editor of The Sta Our papers have said much recent 1y about the very large number of ar- rests for violations of traffic regula- tions, claiming that at the present rate one out of every five residents will have been arrested within the year. I have not, however, seen any statement as to the correct reason for this. » I am satisfled that the cause is the active antagonism of the police to the Traffic Bureau. This is evidenced by the great number of arrests for minor offenses which do no real harm, while serious offenses, such as reckless driv- ing and the like, endangering the lives of others, are but rarely noticed by the traffic officers. Others, with my- self, have had occasion to note that such serious offenses are but a small proportion of the cases reported in the papers, I am moved to call attention te this state of affairs, because of an occur- rence in my own family. The other night my daughter was arrested and required to put up $5 collateral be cause she had parked her car without being lighted, though she had gone out of her way to park under a streei lamp where no parking light was necessary and where the car could not have been a menace to any one in any way. The officer who made this sort of an arrest could not have exercised either ordinary intelligence or the slightest common sense. As these men are ca- pable of better judgment and as un- der the circumstances there should have been no reason for such an ar- rest except the desire to increase the number of citizens arrested, it is clear that the reason is because of the feud between the police and traffic depart- ments. Our citizens should be protected by the press against being made the vic- tims of a squabble between two de- partments of the city government. MORRIS BIEN.