Evening Star Newspaper, May 1, 1926, Page 6

6 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY.........May 1, 1926 THEODORE W. NOYES. . ..Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office . 11th St and Pennsylvania Ave York 0O 110 East 42nd Chicago Office: Tower Buildin European Oftice_14 Regent St., London, England. The Evening Star. with the Sunday morn- ne edition. is dehvered by carrier t the city at' 60 cents per month 45 cents 1 e Buniday onl: may_he seat by telephone Main ; Collection is made by carrieg at the end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Dails and Sunday. .. .1 yr. $0.00: 1 mo., 78 Dailv only oo T136.00° 1 mos Boc S Sunday only 1 yr. $3.00: 1 mo.. 2bc All Other States and Canada. aily and Sunday.1yr. $12.00: 1 mo.. $1.00 aily only Lyr. 00° 1 mo.. " The Bunday only . 1yr. $1.00:1mo. Member of the Associated Pre: The Associated Pross is exclusively entitled 0 the use for renublication of all news dis- atches credited to it or not otherwise crea- ted in this naner and also the local news published herein. Al rights of publication ©f special dispatches herein are also reserved. = A General British Strike. An indu ! crisis of the greatest gravity has befallen Great Britain. A general strike has been ordered for next Tuesday by the trade union con- t London in sympathy with the s, who walked out of the midnight. The coal miners 1,120,000, and the member- 203 unions represented by is more than five mil- pits at number ship of the the congr Mons. The coal strike results from the fail- ure of the miners and the operators to agree upon a wage and hours’ scale. Last July, in consequence of depress- ing conditions in the coal industry, the government granted a subsidy to the mine owners which enabled them to maintain their workings on the old scale. Had it not been for that grant tors would have had to re- or close their mines en- By its terms it expired at mid- night April 30. It has cost the gov- ernment more than £20,000,000, or close upon $100,000,000. In the nego- tiations for an adjustment the mine owners offered a national minimum wage 20 per cent higher than that paid in 1914, but 133 per cent lowe. than the present wages. They alst stipulated an eight-hour instead of £ seven-hour day. The miners rejected both propositions, asking for higher wages and refusing any extension of the working day. Promptly meeting the threat of a general strike, tying up all essential industries, including transportation, the King has signed a proclamation of national emergency, giving the gov- ernment full power to employ troops and to take such measures as may be necessary to protect the public peace and welfere. Already, in anticipation of the possibility of a general strike, the government has made provisions for the carriage of food and milk by motor vehicles, and more than 200,000 private and commerclal cars and trucks are available for this service. The government could, of course, have averted the mine strike by con- tinuing the subsidy. But public opinion, outside of labor circles, was decidedly against further maintenance of fal ndards by this means. The subsidy was causing a severe drain upon the exchequer. Added to the dole to the unemployed, which im- tirvely. fore the criminals are caught, and perhaps even after the principals are taken, if that ever happens. As for the hardware merchant him- self, though he is in a dangerous sit- uation, there need be no particular sympathy. For he must have khown that the machine gun was being bought for criminal uses. Indeed, it may be asked why he kept such a weapon in stock at all, unless for sale to the underworld of crime. Machine guns are not articles of com- mon trade. There is no lively de- mand for them. There is, indeed, no legitimate use for them save by the government. A hardware merchant who keeps them in stock puts himself under suspicion. And it may be asked, Are there any more such supplies in this country? If so, should they not be hunted out and requisitioned in the name of the law? Machine guns are presumptive- 1y contraband goods in time of peace and in time of war should be made or bought or handled only by the government itself. Municipal and State police may have need for them. They, however, can and should secure them direct from the manufacturers, who should be required to keep a strict record of every weapon made and of its disposition. Now that criminals have adopted the weapons of warfare it behooves the law to look closely and effectively to the sources of supply. Things have come to a pretty pass, indeed, when a small dealer in hardware can stock his store with such implements of wholesale death and be detected in his trade with organized criminals only when crime has been committed. ——— Presser’s Parole Revoked. Grant of a parole to Izzy Presser, the notorious prison breaker and felon, who has accumulated a long vecord of arrests for various crimes and misdemeanors during the past twenty-one vears in New York and New Jersey, has so aroused public criticism in New York that Gov. Smith has ordered its revocation and commanded a meeting of the parole board to consider the case fully. There is thus a prospect that the circum- stances of this extraordinary action, which have been kept secret as a consideration for “public policy,” will become known. Suspicion has been evoked that Presser has been thus leniently dealt with because of the involvement of somebody “higher up” and that Presser has threatened to “squeal’ it not granted remission of his New York sentence, in order that he may be remanded to New Jersey to work out the remainder of a term there left unfinished by one of his numerous es- capes. It fs hinted that a New York prison flight was not a flight at all, but a kidnaping by a gang of gun- men and that the full story of this adventure would read like one of O. Henry's tales. The chief purpose of the parole system is to give first offenders, a chance to lead decent lives, before becoming too deeply tainted by prison life. Presser is a chronic offender. He is a notorious law-breaker, versa- tile in his criminal capacities. He bad his chance to reform years ago, and ignored it. He persisted in law- breaking. And there are many like him now at large, preying upon so- ciety, men who have been granted paroles after persistent offenses and turned loose to carry on perhaps to a very heavy burden upon the , it threw a staggering load upon the taxpayers. The government was between two fires, that of labor demands and that of taxpayers' re- sentment. It elected to cut off the subsidy upon its expiration and to meet the contingency of a general strike, if it came. Now that it has come—unless it should be averted through the settlement of the mine strike before Tuesday—the test will come as to the weight of public opinion. Great Britain has passed through other general strikes, without disaster. The small and compact national area makes it possible to organize emer- gency transportation means, and upon transport Great RBritain's welfare chiefly depends. It imports the great- er part of its food supplies, and it can subsist by means of makeshift meas- ures of carriage. The political effect of the strike is the more serious potentiality. Labor has already had its innings in national administration and has failed. The latest general election resulted in the return of a non-Labor government, with a remarkable shrinkage of the Liberal party. The lines are mainly drawn between the Conservatives and the Laborites. This strike may bring about a new test of strength. A yield- ing to the strike demands by the gov- ernment would serve to bring down upon it the wrath of the conservative public and, in the event of a general election, cause the restoration of the Liberal party to power, or at least to & strong balance-of-power position. On the other hand, the strike is calcu- lated to increase the Laborite political strength, unless it is broken quickly. Serious sufferings will be caused by this strike. Its effects will be felt by all classes of the British people, in the stoppage of Incomes, in the stoppage of supplies, in the general disturbance of economic and commercial condi- tions. Though it may not prove dis- astrous, it will be a severe test of the capacity of the British people to meet emergencies. o The Prince of Wales is not a par- ticularly good horseman. But he is willing to take his chances on falling off, thereby demonstrating the forti- tude and courage befitting a future King. oy Machine Guns and Crime. A man is in custody in Chicago as @ witness in the latest outrage in that city, a hardware dealer, who under pressure has stated that he recently sold a machine gun to some men. It is believed that these were the men and this the machine gun that figured in the shocking crime, in which three men were shot to death from a motor car. The wit- mess, evidently frightened lest he be slain by the murder gang, gave his testimony reluctantly. It is reported that he expeots now to be killed be- the commission of crimes for which there can be no condonement. The study of the crime conditions now prevailing in this country leads inescapably to the conclusion that one of the major causes of this deplorable situation is the leniency with which law-breakers are treated. Penalties have been softened. Minimum rather than maximum sentences have been imposed. Commutations for good be- havior in prison cut down imprison- ment terms to a minimum. Pardons and paroles have been granted to des- perate characters. What with the db- lays in the courts, due to the mulbi- plication of facilities for postporie- ment and for appeals, causing the loss of witnesses for the prosecution, and then the sympathetic treatment of criminals once they have been sent to prison, the chances of the criminal for immunity from punishment are increased to the point of actual en- couragement to law-breaking. Gov. Smith's action may bring to light a condition which will lead to a material revision and modification of the parole system in his State and perhaps by example elsewhere to the point of increasing the safeguards of society against crime. (P The District of Columbia has as- serted in no unmistakable terms its demand for the right to vote. No community has had @n opportunity to study the American political sys- tem so intimately and thoroughly. Its practical influence on the ballot could not fail to be enlightening and beneficial. » —r————— Potomac River Improvement. Out of the $50,000,000 appropriated in the river and harbor bill approved by the President April 15 the sum of $26,000 has been allocated for the im- provement of the Potomac River. That sum has been recommended by the chief of engineers of the Army and the recommendation has been ap- proved by the Secretary of War. It is sald that “practically all of the $26,000 allotted to Washington will be expended in dredging operations in the Virginia channel of the Potomac above Highway Bridge and in raising the elevation of Columbia Island to meet the needs of the Arlington Me- morial Bridge.” The making over of Columbia Island is demanded by the facts that work on the Memorial Bridge is in progress, that Columbia Island is part of the river park system of the Capital and that the island should be raised so that there may be free access between the bridge and it. The channel above Highway Bridge has shoaled until the navigation of the stream, principally by tugs with tows of heavy-laden sand and gravel barges, is impeded. There is disappointment that the allocation of funds for the Potomac River is not larger. It has been pro- posed, and the proposal has been ;poken of favorably by the authorities THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C charged with river and harbor .im- provement, that the Potomac channel from Washington to Chesapeake Bay should be deepened. It has been shown that a deeper channel is needed and especlally across Kettle Bottory Shoals, a part of the river beginning thirty miles above its mouth and ex- tending upstream about ten miles to where the Wicomico enters the Poto- mac. The mean depth of water over the shoals is eighteen feet and a ship must follow a crooked course to keep in that depth of water. It is easy for a ship to stray from the channel and run into water only thirteen feet deep across the shozls. A plan was much discussed in Feb- ruary and March which called for dredging the Potomac in parts so that there should be a channel 200 feet wide and 24 feet deep from Washing- ton to the bay. The improvement de- pended on Congress making an appro- priation of $300,000 and the Army en- gineer of this district was reported as saying that he believed the appropria- tion should and would be made. It is believed that Washington would ma- terially increase its freight business if there were a deep channel between it and the bay supplemented by adequate docks with railroad connection. This work, however, must be postponed, perhaps with the result of greater cost when it is undertaken. ———— The Boy Scouts. Sir Robert Baden-Powell, ‘‘chief Scout of the world,” in an address before the sixteenth annual meeting of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America, urged that par ticular attention should be paid to a Junior Scout organization, so that bo; between the ages of eight and twelve could have the benefit of the training and discipline of the organization. He told the council that statistics gath- ered in England showed that boys developed mischievous and sometimes criminal tendencies at the age of eight and that consequently this age should be set for the beginning of supervision by the Scout movement. The Scout chief sketched the char- acter building accomplished by the or- ganization and advocated continuous training of the youth of the world from the minimum age of eight to the maximum of seventeen. In this way, he pointed out, good citizenship will be developed in a never-ending stream and the youth of today will be the competent and efficient man of to- morrow. Sir Baden-Powell is unquestionably right. He has made a litelong study of the best training for growing boy- hood and his opinions are drawn from the book of ripe experience. The Boy Scout movement and the Girl Scouts as well have done much for the world. Boys and girls hgve been trained to think right and to do right. It is the kind of discipline, begun at the im- pressionable age, that shows its bene- fictal effects during an entire lifetime. N New York theatrical producers are sald to be looking for a “dictator.” When discovered he should be promptly dramatized as one of the most remarkable characters in art. ——r—————— Chicago is going through her same old struggle to keep ‘“crime waves' from distracting attention from her genuinely meritorious attainments in literature and music. et S Diplomacy has succeeded in shifting the question from *“How much do you owe?”’ to “How much are you willing to pay?” —_—e—. Russian theatrical performances show a perfection of stage manage- ment which the Soviet government has not been able to equal. ———— The hip flask is not limited in its function as a fool killer. It extends its operations to the innocent by- stander. z —— Mussolini likes the films so well that when he rebuilds Rome he may possibly decide to substitute pici studios for amphitheaters. — e Rediscovery of the North Pole prom- ises as much daring adventure as the original discovery. — . Money talks and the French franc persists in a rather uncheerful line of conversation. ——— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Militaristically Speaking. ‘When the cruel war is over, ‘When the debts have all been paid, Then the world will live in clover. Peace will lead the big parade. But mankind has been unable To suppress a jealous strife. Since the fight 'twixt Cain and Abel ‘War has been a part of life. Discreet Oratory. “What will you say in your next speech?” “Nothing that can give offense,” answered Senator Sorghum. “A speech used to indicate a desire to instruct. Now it signifies only a willingness to oblige.” Sclentific Advantage. I'll strive for psychologic fame At every opportunity. Thed, it I prove a Nut, I'll claim Professional immunity. Jud Tunkins says an Easter egg on the mantelpiece is a belated re. minder of the futile efforts of art to improve on nature. Parental Disparagement. “Your boy Josh is at the head of his class. “Yep,"” answered Farmer Corntossel. “Josh must have been lucky in pickin’ a year when the class was unusually dumb.” Discrepancy. Sweet Spring is here, we plainly see; Yet sadly we aver The calendar doth not agree With the ther-mom-e-ter. “Ice,” said Uncle Eben, “is free 'way up at de North Pole, but it's de same old story. You's got to work terrible hard foh what you gits foh mtl:lnc i SATURDAY, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Never force a book on a friend. Refrain especially if you have just finished reading it yourself and are particularly wrought up over it. Resist the great desire which assails you to thrust the volume into the hands of friends, with some such words as the following: “This is a fine story, old man, I know you will like it. It's great! The best stoy I have read in many months. Everybody is talking about it. Take it home and read it.” If any book, fiction or otherwise, af- fects you in this manner, hide the vol- ume behind a row of books in your cases and under no circumstances be tempted to press it upon a friend. Friendship ought to save a friend from any such fate! This advice is freely given to the book-loving world after many yeuars of experience. Every ore who loves books is beset, at various times and oft, with this major temptation, yet he ought to resist it, for reasons which will be stated, if he values his immor- tal soul. Human nature, as has been pointed out some 1,001 times, is a curious thing. One cannot monkey with it or violate its cardinal rules. These basic laws are pretty well worked out to- day, o that tbe wise man may read even before he starts to run, When one insists that a friend shall peruse a certain book, he is merely laying up trouble for himself, because he is violaung a fundamental law of human nature. % ox %k The fundamental trouble is that we expect our friends, without reading, to have the same enthusiasm that we possess after reading the book. Now any book that is worth the name achieves its effect by a building- up process. It makes its impress upon the mind of the reader by a culmina- tive effect, so that one must neces- sarily read it through to appreciate it. Cooper’s sea stories and the Leather- stocking tales are good examples of this method. A reader perhaps finds one of them very dull for the first hundred pages or so, but if he will persist he will end the book with ap. preciation. Something similar might be said of many magazine articles and newspa- per columns, including the present one. No attempt is made in them to stagger the reader with the opening sentence. If one has neither the de sire nor ambition to read on—if, in fact, he does not love reading for read ing’s sake—he perhaps will prove un- fair both to himself and to the writer. Reflective writing necessarily de pends upon culminative effect.” Idea leads on to idea, building up the main theme, with perhaps many branch- ings, so that the interest grows with what it feeds upon. It is for this primary reason that one should never force a book on a friend, no matter how good the book may be, how much the reader enjoyed it or how much he knows the other would enjoy it. The enthusiasm the would-be donor has for the book is the result of read- ing, study, work, if one may call so pleasant ‘a task by such a prosaic term. How can one who has put in no work, done no reading, indulged in no study, have the appreciation which, in the particular case, is only the re- sult of reading, study, work? He cannot. As _well expect care for Shakesp 2 cat to ap- preciate the music of Bach. Qnly by an intensive education, on behalf of the savage, and a miracle on the part of the Creator, can the one be made cognizant of the worth of the bard or the other deveiop a fondness for Bach. It may be stated, in passing, that we sympathize strongly both with the savage and with the feline, * ok Xk ¥ The best way, when one wishes to interest an_acqu in a_ book which has already interested one's self, is to casually mention the volume, giving it a brief word of praise only. ‘Who has not the experience of going to a much-praised play and of being somewhat disappointed? That, too, is human nature. There is something in most people that mukes them desire to run_contrary to common opinion. This holds true of some, of course, more than it does of others, but the disposition, however well covered up, is firmly planted in most minds. Thousands of sightseers come Washington every year and go awa slightly disappointed simply bec e listened to too much praise apitol, the White House, the Washington Monument and - the Library of Con We have heard persons from towns, where the finest building was three-story Masonic Hall, say, after an inspection of the beautiful Library of Congress: “I don't think it is so much.” To these good folks the ‘ashington shaft is “not half as I thought it would be.” They were, and they are, vietims of over-praise. ok Kk Wherefore, if you desire to interest a friend in a book, tell him mildly that it is a good ¢ and let it go at that Refrain, as if from poison, from in sisting that he read it, and, above all, do not press the volume into his hands. They will be reluctant hands, we tell you, for we have stretched out similar lukewarm paws hundreds of times. Our home is loaded down with books loaned us by kind friends, fine fellows all, great books, but books we had no desire to read at the moment. A book, like a song, is something one must be prepared for. Every book is not for every reader ot the same moment. How do you know, when ou insist that your friend read “this at book,” what he is reading at particular epoch in his 1i Let the fellow read th peace! Authors come and authors go, and so do their books. Time has a won derful v of pressing the ninety and nine mediocre books out of sight, and leaving the one good book afloat on the stream. A book strikes you as good? Well let it strike you as good, and keep it to yourself. Let the othér man select his own books, and be chary, even stingy, about telling’him about it. Yet tell him, if you will, but under no circumstances force the particular volume upon him. It you do, you are in danger of losing not only your friend, but also your book. an aborigine to the BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. Mr. John D. Rockefeller, jr., pro-| posed to give $10,000,000 for the pur-| pose of erecting and endowing in! Egypt a museum. It would not be con- | troiled by Mr. Rockefeller's appointees, | nor even, by America Its trustees| would be two Americans, two French, | two British, two Germans and two | yptians, with the further provision | & that after 30 yvears the entire manage- | ment and ownership should pass to| the Egyptian government. The reason | for retaining international manage- ment for the first 30 years was to pro- | vide for the scientific education and | training of Egyptians until they would | be capable to handle the museum prop- | erly in aid of science. ® k k ¥ “To the layman, it is always a mys- tery why millions of dollars are given to the housing and preservation of bones and ancient relics. ~Of what practical use are museums? asks the “practical” man. Can we moderns learn from the ancients how to pro- duce food and clothing, since they knew nothing of labor-saving devices? To a scientist, knowledge is valu-| able, not merely for its immediate application, but for the broadening of conceptions whereby the fullest de- velopment of culture becomes possible. “Home town” sentiment is narrowing if not broadened by travel and con- tact with the wide world. Present- day knowledge is similarly narrowing if not interpreted in the light of all time. While archeology has been a fa- vorite study since the Renaissance, it was mostly limited to research of Roman and Greek ancient lore and relics of architecture until about a century ago. 3 In 1799, the Rosetta Stone was dis- covered in Egypt by one of Napoleon’s soldiers. That stone (30 by 38 inches) contained hieroglyphics in two lan- guages, one of which was recognized, and that interpreted the other. It, in turn, enabled scholars to read other hieroglyphics. Thus the messages of the centuries were unlocked. 1t took nearly a quarter of a cen- tury to interpret the Rosetta Stone, but when it was read, in 1821, the science of reading the secrets of ancient Egypt was born. With Egyp- tology comes knowledge of the most anclent civilization known, which gives clues to all civilization, ancient and modern. Science knows no racal limitations, and it is as natural for an American scientist to be interested in delving into Egyptology as into Americana. ‘“The best study of man is Man.” . - * ok kK Egypt has had an archeological mu- seum for three decades, under French management, but the renewed activ- itles in research in recent years have overcrowded its capacity. The discov- ery of ancient royal tombs and the study >f ancient monuments have brough tourists to Egypt, which, un- like the appreciation of tourist trade in Europe, has not always been wel- comed by the masses in Egypt. The population along the Nile is greater than that of even Belgium, the most densely peopled spot in Europe. * ok kK Quoting from Patrick Steel Hardy's book, “Thirty-Five Years of British Rule in Egypt,” published in 1918: “The museum, wonderful as it is, has long been a thorn in the flesh of the native Egyptian, and however much the Europeans and certain en- lightened Egyptians may enjoy its archeological glories, which are not to be denied, the Egyptlans have not been able to see eye to eye with the authorities in the matter of the ex- pendjture of their own much-needed money on what to them is an un- needed luxury. “It may be asked whether it is rea- sonable or sound finance that large sums should be expended on the lux- uries and shows of a tourist-ridden capital, when the people’s prime neces- sities are shamefully neglected. Mu- seums, zoological gardens and the like are all well enough in their way, but surely the syenitic simulacrum of a bygone pharaoh should not be pa- latially housed at the expense of sentlent men and women. To put mummies and papyri in a palace and leave living people without a roof! Surely it would be wise to accord these interesting relics second place. We find in Egypt museums of Arabic art and of Egyptology; and at Cairo there are zoological gardens where, on a Sun- all the rank and fashion lioni themselves in front of that well ap- pointed lion house, 4,000 id to have cost pounds: and all this . are myriads handicapped in life's race, and all the concomitants of want. Money they talk abou There is no money to attack ade- quately the housing problem, and sim- ultaneously the grievous death rate. But there is cash in hand for catering for the Sunday amusement of the well dressed mob, * * * “So, while the people of Egypt are crying for bread and education, they are given a stone—a stone image, ‘the syenitic simulacrum of a bygone pharaoh,’ a monarch about whom they know absolutely nothing and care less, a statde which for some thousands of years had been lying prone under the desert sand before it had been freed— partially—from the accumulations of ages, and which would cost 50,000 pounds to transport to Cairo. There it would surely not be of any benefit to the natives, but would stand as a won- der to be merely gazed upon by aliens by tourists, by moneyed globe-trotters and money waster * X k ¥ From the standpoint of the danger of exciting® the discontent of the masses, it is easily comprehensible why King Fuad and his ministers have hesitated even to accept the museum wholly to be paid for by Mr. Rockefeller, especially if by that ac- ceptance the government directly or indirectly obligated itself to stimulate archeological research. There does not vet exist the general prosperity which, in the minds of the practical officials of the ceuntry, justifies gov- ernmental expenditures for that which does not feed the poor. The greater the gift of Mr. Rockefeller, therefore, the greater might be the objection to its acceptance. Hardy further argues: “The native of Egypt derives no benefit at all from the tourist. Nat- urally, we do not include the mer- chants in the bazaars and the like, who are rich men and are not in the compass of the present consideration; nor do we speak in any way of the parasites who pick up a few piasters as a reward for small or real serv- ices * * * but as regards the bulk of the population, it is well known and recognized by the authorities that on account of the tourist the cost of food has risen enormously * Kk ¥ *x Since - this sentiment against en- couraging tourist vieits was prevalent before Egypt had gained her independ- ence from foreign control, it is mag- nified under the present political de- mand, “Egypt for the Egyptians.” (Copyright, 1926, by Paul V. Collins.) Ancient Woe. From the Oakland Tribune. It is related that in the Imperial Mu- seum at Constantinople an Egyptian tablet, dating back, 4,000 years before the Christian era, is on exhibition. This tablet’s inscription, translated, reads as follows: “Our earth ie degenerate in these latter days. There are signs that the world is coming to an end. Children no longer obey their parents. Every- body wants to write a book. The end of the world is manifestly drawing near.” This world weariness, chronicled thousands of years ago, has a strictly modern sound. It.lacks only some passing reference to short skirts, the Charleston, jazz and the saxophone to _make it strictly up-to-date. Despite the pessimism and heavi- ness of spirit shown of old, the world has survived. And desbite the pessimism and heaviness of spirit revealed in some quarters today, it is likely that the world will continue to w N MAY 1, 1926. THE LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover. “Hangman’s House” suggests a dour story, perhaps of 1685, Lord Jeffreys and the Bloody Assizes, but it is nothing of the sort. It is, on the con- trary, one of Donn Byrne's poetically written love romances. The Irish countryside for a setting, with an ancestral estate; a dashing Irish gal Jant, racing man, hunter and gentle- man farmer for a hero; a love heiress, with golden eyes and a hear shaped face, for a heroine, what more is needed to riake a good romance? The Hangman’s House is the home of James O'Brien, former lerd chief justice and father of the charming heroine, Conaught O'Brien. He fis Q. Are the standard highway markers to be put in place this Sum- mer?—E. C. A. At least 17 of the States are now either manufacturing the signs | ave placed orders for their manu- | ucture. It is anticlpated that | | tically all of the States will initiate | this work during the coming season. | If all the diamonds in the world | how much would they | -G. K A. It is estimated that the total | diamond production has reached about 114,000,000 carats. In value they | total about $5,000,000,000. | Q. Is there a white elephant in known to the Irish peasantry as Jimmy the Hangman, because of his none too_lenient methods while in office. Neddy Joe, ancient lodge- er, roved for calling Lord O'Brien of Glenmalure by this popular replies: ‘“He may be Lord n of Glenmalure to you, Master Dermot, but to me and mine and the country at large he's Jimmy the Hang. man, for there was never a lord chief justice of Ireland had stretched more necks in his day than the same James O'Brien, and stretched the necks of fine Fenian fellows, my own son among them. So I'll call him Jimmy the Hangman, as is my right Master Dermot.” In his “Foreword " Donn Byrne expresses great lovegfor his native Ireland am certain” that no race has for home the intense love we Irish have for Ireland. It is more than love It is a passion. We make no secret of it, and people gibe at us, saying with a_sneer that does not speak wel of their manners, ‘Why don't you back to Ireland? Which is not merited, for every one must know the intricate prison this life is, and how this friendship, that grave, and even the unutterable vulgarity of money matters tie us to an alien land. So that to many a million of us, and million’s sons and daughters, Ireland must be a land of dreams.” * x Kk ¥ Mingled with the affairs of “great pith and moment” whigh aré the chief concern of “The Intimate Papers of Col. House,” are many Saint-Si anecdotes and bits of gossi Bill MgDonald, Col. Hous Ranger friend sent for by the colonel to protect Wilson during the election campalgn of 1912, was told not to say a word to anybody. He obeyed al- most_lite nd ‘the only time he rd to speak to a reporter was when one asked him who Col. House ¥ )t.”” Bill replied that he was anger in New York and did not When Col. House made his : jon visit of policy to Br in Florida, he found B mod- erate about giving advice, e in c which touched his judices. He objected to the offe of the Chinese mission to Dr. Charles W. Eliot, because of his being a Uni. tarian. When told that Dr. Eliot would probably refuse because he ared his wife would not approve, an replied that he hoped she would not. On another occasion when Col. House visited the Bryans he was told that breakfast would be at the usual hour of 0, but was greatly relieved wnen Mrs. Bryan knocked at his door a few minutes after he had gone to his room and changed the hour to 8:30, saying that Mr. Bryan would take his horseback exercise be- fore breakfast. A picture is given of Mr. Danfel Willard of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad drawing on the tablecloth, while disc road rates with Col. House eon. Another picture is of Walter Page laughing with Col. House over some of his social blunders during the early days of his ambassadorship, rst Of which was leaving a princess of the royal family without being d missed. Col. House refused an_in tation in 1913 to meet Count von Bern- | storff at lunch down town in New York on the ground that he never went down town: the invitation was renewed for a lunch up town and he accepted. In June, 1914, he breakfast- ed with Lloyd George and his daugh- ter, choosing from fried sole, sausage ham, eggs, fruit, coffee and tea on a side table. He comments: “George ate a very hearty breakfast.” After the outbreak of war, when he attempted to bring about a meeting between Sir Cecil Spring-Rice and Count von Bern- storff, the former doubted the useful- ness of any such diplomatic move and expressed his opinion of several of his fellow Ambassadors. Bernstorft he considered thoroughly unreliable, and said he had a bad reputation even in Germany. Jus- serand “had an extremely bad case of nerves at present, and the Russian Ambassador was a reactionary of the worst type and was little less than Some of the most interesting nal touches are concerned with President Wilson. “The President dressed in a very becoming sack suit of gray, with a light gray silk tie. It was rather an informallook ing costume, but very attractive,” records Col. House on March 8, 1913 a few days after the first inaugura- tion. The bustle at the House New York apartment when the President was expected there is interestingly de- seribed. “Telegrams, telephone calls, secret service men, newspaper report- ers, notes, etc., etc. However, the confusion will cease the moment the President arrives, for I do not permit the telephone to ring and we are undisturbed by letters, notes, tele- grams or visitors. When he is once here everything appears as peaceful as if there were no such things as noise and confusion in the world.” There is a picture of the President thinking out his memorial speech for the sailors who had died in the cap- ture of Vera Cruz, while he was en route from the Battery to the Brook- lyn Navy Yard. That Col. House, always to be depended on for large demands, sometimes shirked the smaller ones Is shown by an entry in his diary for November §, 1914: “The President desired me to go to church with him, but I compromised by hav- ing Loulie go.” The forms of address used at different periods by the Pres- ident in his letters to Col. House seem to tell a story. The two men met in November, 1911, and until the following Spring Wilson's letters be- gan “Dear Mr. House.” After the nomination the address was “Dear Friend,” and this continued for 214 years. In times of emotional stress it became “My Dear, Dear Friend,” and from the Arabic crisis in the Summer of 1915 untfl after the re- election in November, 1916, it was “Dearest Friend.” In January, 1917, the President reverted to “My Dear House.” * ok Kk A novel which has won much fa- vorable criticism in foreign reviews is “Reubeni, Prince of the Hebrews,” by the Czechoslovakian Jew, Max Brod. The theme is the effort of ‘Reubent to fight the obpression of his race, instead of submitting or run- ning away. The outcome is failure and tragedy. Max Brod is the author of “Tycho Brahe's Way” and “The Great Wagnis.” His home is in Frague, which is the scene of his new novel. 3 Milwaukee’s Fame. From the Boston Transcript. ‘Whispers from Wisconsin indicate that Milwaukee is getting famous again, from the same cause, o Free Talkers. From the Lynchburg News. ‘We are opposed to the prohibition of free speech, but would like to have somebody invent to be done to those who think it compulsory. | ably this country?’—B. L. A. There are no white or albino elephants in America now. Some 40 ears ago a circus exhibited a pale gray one. A white elephant has just | been put on exhibition in the London Zoo. 1t came from Burma. Q. How many planes has Army Alr Service?—R. A. F. A.” Gen. Patrick has said that there are 1,436 airplanes and airships in the United States Army Air of that number 396 are star planes, that is, attack, bombing, pur suit_and observation planes. Ther are 1,000 planes which are substitutes for standard, and 40 obsolete planes. Q How many grain?—F. C. S. A. Of the four true weevils th: attack grain in the United State only two are of primary importance at present-—the granary weevil and the rice or black weevil. the weevils attack Q definition of “amat A. Please give ur.”—J. P. The word “amateur” literally means one who loves some special activity, An amateur in athletics is one who perfects himself in some de. partment of athl and ent contests without receiving remuner tion. The term is the antonym professional. Q. How does the density of popu- lation in the United States compare with that of European countries’— A W. 4 A. In 1920 there were 35.5 persons to the square mile in the United States. This percentage is far lower than that of most European countries. In England there are 701.3 persons per square mile; in Belgium, 648; in the Nethe : e iermany, 328, and in Ital a of is meant by the “Old States politics the to the conservative or element in the Republican Q. How should built>—F. P. The Weather Bureau says that a storm cellar be |ed unless the concentr: BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. What is the origin of the word cynosure?—S. L. R » word comes from the Greek Kynosoura, meaning “a_d tail.” The dog’s tail is another name for the cons of the sser Bear, contains the North star, the fixed point around which all the other constellations revolve. ence the word ¢ is applied to one ho attracts general attention, the center Lo rd which all eyes are rected. Q man he: A. The that bu butene gas injurious to hu Mh?—G. W Bureau of Standards ne is harmless when bres tion is great enough to cause suffocation through lack of oxygen. T danger at- tending use is that from fire, since the gus is combustible and can be as sily ignited as illuminaiing gas if it escapes from a machine. It is used in refrigeration in the same way that ammonia, sulphur, dioxide, etc., are used. Q. What does the Canal Zone in- clude W.w strip of on either ., but not nima and Zone | extending five miles f the axis of the can including the cities of | Colon, which remain within public of Panama. T has an area of Q. What crusade: A. Th called th insure the the Holy was the object objects of the religio crusades were Sepulchr the attack was direc and even Constant into a d usual to or seven in number, movement was_cont |two centurie | ing without one Q. In p! how mi hour?—F. B. A. Paul Kursteiner in the * computation bas Czerny’s Opus 40. He when the imetronome is playing 4 notes to the t 31,680 notes have fingers. Q. How |in the Gov ally the or more expe e piano in an has a many empl ment. Pri )yes are there ing Office A. The average now is 4.0( peak wus reached in 1915, wh people were employed. wve horses displaced by motors that horses a F: to assume the transportation _in places t cannot go. _Soft motors by-roads anima many been plans for such a cellar have roposed, but all that is neces s any sort of a room or hole the surface of the earth con venient to get into. Naturally one would prefer to have a door to it close enough to keep out snakes and toads. It can have cement walls and floor, or these may be of stone, plank or just the earth, if that will stand. All these details, as also many others that some designers have suggested, |are only unimportant details. One only wants a room of any kind under ground, in which, at worst, he prob- will never need to stay more than five minutes in a lifatime. While in the “cellar” during the passage of a storm the door to the cellar should be left open. Q. Why is a barn so.called?’—K. O. A. The word barn is derived from the ¢ “bererr from ‘“‘bere,” barley, close place or repository, and originally denoted building for the storing of grain. Q. Was P. man, ever a DL M A. Barnum was defeated as a can |didate for Congress in 1866, but was four times a member of the Connecti cut legislature, which may have given rise to the impression that he served in the national body. Barnum, the circ member of Congre and paths are tguversed |that are impracticable for z :, the b Per otters d transporti- hbred. the the Morgan eds which iing horses while | Kentucky saddle |and the ) are {urnish the cav Q. How much is the property worth that is devoted to golf in this country? is the fhe t and land and are worth 300,000 estimated that used for golf $1,800,000,000. More than acres are devoted to this sport. Q. How many firms have been in business over 100 vears, the firms still remaining in the male line of the famili e founders?—M. van, in a revie abot 80, Have we had the pleasure of serv- ing wou through eur Washington In- formation Bureau? Can’t we be of some _help 1o you in your daily prob- e Our business is to furnish you with authoritative information and we invite you to ask us any question of fact in which you are interested nd your inquiry to The rning Star Information Bureau, Frederic J Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Inclose 2 cents in stamps for return postage. Hope for the final establishment of real accord with Mexico, mingled with some misgivings as to what ac- tually has been accomplished, marks comment in the United States on the recent announcement of progre; {made in negotiations over Mexic lien land laws. “The controversy has been pro- longed and has had critical and men- acing stages,” the St. Louis Pos cordial understanding and co-opera- |tion between the two governments. [The settlement of it lays the founda- {tion for amicable relations in the fu- {ture. It is an especially good stroke for Mexico, because it reassures the civilized world that her dealings with other peoples will be conducted on a basis of honor and good faith.” The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin commends the Washington adminis. tration for showing “patience, friend- liness and an understanding of the difficulties which a radical Mexican regime experiences in reconciling doctrinaire theories with actual in- ternational obligations. If Mexico will give effect in good faith to the favor- able construction which this country is willing to place on its assurances,” the -Bulletin believes, “the controversy can be finally ended.” To the Milwaukee Journal the set- tlement looks like a “happy solution,” one which offers “all we have a right to ask,” and the Journal adds: “Some day we may come to understand that Mexico in our own times has been trying to work herself up out of slav- ery. And the struggle for freedom has not had at all times the sympa- thetic support of this Nation.” * % X X “There is mo specific acknowledg- ment on the part of the United States,” says the Charleston Evening Post, “that assurances given by the Mexican government are satisfactory, but it is made plain that the two gov- ernments have reached common ground on the questions chiefly at is- sue between them, and that the justi- flable claims of Americans to estab- |lishment and protection in their in- vestments in_Mexico are recognized and will be admitted by Mexico.” The Evening Post notes satirically that “the oil hunters may be happy yet.”” “There is still at least a nominal disagreement between the two coun- tries,” the Springfield Republican points out, “as to whether the laws as worded are retroactive or conflscatory or infringe upon the citizenship rights of Americans. There appears to have been no proposal to change the word- ing of the laws or of President Calles’ regulations by which they are put into effect. But the constitution dis- tinctly declares that ne retroactive laws shall be enacted in carrying out its mandates; President Calles has expressly referred to this provision and reaffirmed it in the regulations which he has issued.” The Repub- lican also observes that “the tone of the communications on both sides is distinctly - friendly. The Dayton, Paily News, however, is Dispatch recalls. “It has prevented a | Progress in Mexican Dispute Regarded Hopelessly by Press of tie opinion tha | ch: f notes leavi unsettled, point ue s on_that given no pledge, ted that there 2 conversations to Amer £nition | but has been an expression | which may mean a promise that the | land laws complained of shall not be held to apply in retroactive manner, and that American nationals may be relieved of the requirement to re nounce the right of appeal to their own government in case their vested interests are assailed. * ek vidently from all indications.” the Bangor Commercial thinks, how | ever, “the long diplomatic argument between our Government and that of Mexico over the Mexican land laws is about to be terminated. Wa has not succeeded in bring sout revision of the Mexican laws, bui seems to have succeeded in obtaining from Mexico an admission that the retroactive or confiscatory prov! of these laws will not be enfoiced, perhaps that is the main thing sumably other foreign countr been equally complacent, for the United States was looking out for [‘their interests as well as its own, and there appear to be no complaints coming from abroad.” The Lafs Journal and Courier adds that thing that makes for amity between neighbor nations means development of mutual profit on substantial lines We cannot afford to ,quarrel wit? Mexico and the Mexican is coming to know that he cannot afford to fuss with Uncle Sam. “It is quite gratifying.,” in the view of the Pasadena Star-News, that “the two sister republics are in a fair way to reach complete and hearty accord,” and that paper believés that “one of the important points brought out in the diplomatic notes is the agreement that titles to ofl lands legally ac- quired by American citizens prior to the adoption of the contitution of 1917 are to be confirmed by 50-year voncession which can be extended and which will not be subject to retro- active effect of the Mexican national- ization of subsoil resources.” The Asbury Park Press finds additional cause for satisfaction in that “there is improvement not only in the practical situation, but also in the spirit of discussion.” Brushing aside the property questions involved, the Sacramento Union declares that “Mexico ought to understand that while there may not be much talking about human rights in this country, there is a lot more thinking about them than about ofl, when trouble is threatened.” ——— o United. From the Fort Worth Record Telegram. ‘We are indebted to the Colonel for one thing, at least. He demonstrated that there is one House that was never threatened with being divided against itself.