Evening Star Newspaper, May 17, 1926, Page 8

FVENING “STAR, WASHINGTON, D. O, MONDAY, MAW 17, '1926. 8 THH s 3 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. THE . EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY THEODORE W. NOYES. The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office 11th St and Pennsslvania Ave. New Vorx (e 110 East $2ud St Chicago Office.. Tower Building European Office: 14 Rexent St.. London, E The Evening Star. with the Sunday morn- ing edr felivered by carriers within 1y per morth: daily only. 45 cents per month: Sunday only, 20 cents er ‘month ' may. he sent by mail or Flephone Ma Cotlection 18 made by carrier at the a Advance. Maryland an ginia. 1vr. $8.00: 1 mo 1 yr. $0.00. 1 mo 1¥r.$3.00; 1 mo 1mo 20" 1 mo. £4.00: 1 mo’, Daily and $1 Darlr onlv Sunday only Sundag Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Pross is exciusively ertitied 10 the use for republication «f all news dis Patches credited to it or not otherwise cred. ted in this paper and also the local news published Neremn A1l rights of publication ©f apecial dispatche: in are also reserved. Cheering News From France. No more hopeinspiring news come in a long time from Paris than announcement that the Briand govern- ment has resolved to stake its exist- ance on ratification by the French par- liament of the Berenger debt settle- ment with the United States. 1t is ¢ display of statesmanship and firmnes: that ought to have a salutary effect upon a parliament and a people with whom evasion of vital decisions has become more or less of a habit. 1t is much more important to France than it is to the United States that the debt settlement should be promptly ratified by the debtor nation. To hold back in the hope of easier terms would be a fatal mistake, for it is not within the range of probabilities that any easier terms would be forthcoming. Members of Congress and the people of this country think the Amer Debt Funding Commission was exceed generous to France, but the peo- s a whole undoubtedly are will- ing to acquiesce in that generosity. Rack of this willingness are two im pelling motives. One is a very sincere, though somewhat bruised and bat- tered, friendship for the French peo- ple. The other is & desire to get the matter settled and out of the wa Just as a man is anxious to get rid of a boil or any other irritating afflic- tion. The people of this country want to be good friends with the people of France and they feel that their friend- ship, which reached its high point dur- ing the World War, has been put un- der a severe strain on both sides of the Atlantic by the war debt. It probably is t that the terms of the settlement are not popular in Fran They are not exactly popular in this country. In fact, there is bound to be considerable opposition in Congress when the agreement comes up for ratification. But if in the meantime the agreement has been ratified by the French parliament the ground will have been largely cut from under whatever opposition there is in the American Congress, If the French parliament should hold back and show a disposition to repudiate the French negotiators, the settlernent would have hard sledding en Capitol Hill. The feeling would be that generosity had heen wasted and that America might as well be hard-boiled in fact as te endure that reputation. Should the French parliament prove recalcitrant, and the Briand ministry fall as a result thereof, friends of France would be apprehensive of the consequences. French finances already are skirting close to the brink. has —ors Fverybody has some little chance at setting a new fashion, but it is not likely that our Hopi friends will have jmmediate success in displacing the Charleston with the snake dance. e One agreeable feature of the North Pole is the fact that its location en- courages mneither rum running nor wild cat real estate. ———————— The Arctic News. In the Arctic narratives of Byrd, Amundsen and Fredrik Ramm, the newspaper man, who made the trip on the Norge, the world is getting a good deal of information about the Pole region and a vast amount of de- 1ail concerning the Arctic voyages. The statement of Lieut. Riiser-Larsen, second pilot of the Norge, that the Pole was covered with thin ice and areas of open water, is interesting to a great number of persons. Most of them would not have been sur- prised by a statement that the Pole 15 covered with ice of incalculable thickness. Astronomers have reported perpetual ice caps, though of varying size, on the poles of Mars and the North Pole of the earth might be supposed to be ice-incrusted to a re- markable depth by the freezing tem- perature and snows for millions of years. Thin ice and open water at the Pole show that currents of water warmer than the air are passing, which have prevented the north end of the earth from adding to its ice coat year by vear and century after century. Open water at the Pole will change the belief long held by many that there is land or near the Pole. Soundings of the sea there would in- dicate whether there is land near the Pole in the direction of Europe, Asia or America. The probability is that the depth is near the normal depth of midocean, but the answer to that question will be given by a future adventurer. The thought of some persons has been that a low conti- nent on which snow has falien and frozen for uncountable centuries might not be distinguished from frozen sea by men flying above it. The second pilot of the Norge says that at the Pole the ship came to within 600 feet of the earth surface and that the Norge then ‘“rose again to an altitude of 4,000 feet.” At 600 feet and with good glasses a clear view of the surface must have been had. On the trip from Spitzbergen to the Pole no land was seen by Byrd, Bennett end Amundsen, and on the trip from the Pole to Polnt Barrow no land was observed by the Amund- sen party, though the height at which the ship flew would give, in fair weather, a view fifty miles wide on May 17, 1928, ®ach side of the course. Reports of temperature at the Pole have not come up to the expectations of persons in the fairer parts of the world. In the first place most of the temperature reports have been read from a centigrade—100 step—ther- mometer, while most of us understand only the Fahrenheit scale. Prof. Celsius, inventor of the centigrade system, divided the interval between the two fixed points of freezing and boiling into 100 parts, calling the freezing point *“zero” and the boiling point 100. Fahrenheit in his sys- tem divided the interval between the freezing and boiling points into 180 equal parts and marked the freezing point 32 degrees and the boiling point 212 degrees. The best that one has got from the reports about North Pole temperature is that when Amundsen passed the Pole the tem- perature was “several degrees above zero” and it is inferred that that was according to the Fahrenheit scale. That there should be open water at the Pole with an air temperature of “sev- eral degrees above zero' and there fore a good many degrees below freezing, according to Fahrenheit, seems remarkable. The world is congratulating Byrd 1and Bennett on their brilliant dash to the Pole and back to Spitzbergen, and the world is applauding Amundsen, Ellsworth, Nobile and their compan: ions on the successful conclusion of one of the wonder voyages of man. SRR The Al Smith Chorus. The demand that Gov. Al Smith be a candidate to succeed himself is be- coming a grand chorus, sung by all the leaders and the rank and file of the Democratic party in New York. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Assistant Sec- re of the Navy in the Wilson ad- | ministration, Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1920, and manager of the Al Smith campaign for the presidential nomination in 1924, is the latest to come forward with a plea that the governor enter the race next Fall. Gov. Smith honestly has sought to remove himself from the guberna- torial contest this year. His personal desire is to retire—at least for the next two vears—from public life and to give his attention to his own private affairs. Tt has been his thought per- haps that a man is entitled, after vears of public service, to seize an opportunity to increase his own share of worldly goods, both for his family and his old age. He is serving his third term as governor of the Em- pire State. He has dragged into of- fice on his coat-tails hundreds of Democratic office holders. They are anxious to be dragsed in again. No one seems to doubt for a moment that Al Smith can be re-elected gov- ernor if he so desires. The fact of the matter is that Gov. Smith has made an able governor. Nor is the recognition of his ability confined to his own political party in New York. While New York was casting a vast vote for Calvin Cool- idge for President two years ago, it was at the same time rolling up a majority for Al Smith against the son of the late President Roosevelt in the election for governor. Besides doing much for his State, he has done a great deal for the Democratic party in New York. To the plea that he is entitled to a rest in view of what he has done for the party, Democrats in New York retaliate, “See what the party has done for Al Smith!” There is a debt of gratitude on both sides. Once the hand has been set to the political plow, the furrow must be followed to the end. ‘ranklin D. Roosevelt, who has traveled far and near and talked with leading Democrats throughout the country, sees the party drawing toward a period of greater harmony than has existed since the debacle in Madison Square Garden two years ago. He urges that all talk of candi- dates for President in 1928 be avoided and that the party leaders concen- trate on issues and policies. This is good advice for the sake of harmony. But sooner or later must arise the discussion of presidential possibili- ties. Does any one believe that Mr. Roosevelt has given over the hope that Gov. Smith will be chosen as the standard bearer? Does any one be- lieve that the governor himself has relinquished that ambition? And be- lieving that Smith is to be a candi- date, does any one believe that the party dissensions of 1924 can be avoided in 19287 The Democratic party, Mr. Roose- velt says, must be one of liberalism; it cannot be conservative. What he means is that it cannot be conserva- tive and win. The Republican party at present has acquired all the con- servatism the country can stand. Mr. Roosevelt’s advice doubtless is good. There should be a liberal party. But the country today is weltering in con- servatism, due to good times. Until the economic pendulum swings in the other direction, the chances of a change in the political complexion of the country seem small. r—or—s Great Britain has further important and difficult situations to meet. She i has been conspicuously successful so far in the orderly and practical method of disposing of her problems one at a time. s Rain. Washington yesterday and the night before enjoyed its first rain, with the exception of one thunder- storm, in a good many Wweeks. There is no doubt that Washingto- nians had appreciated highly the bright and changeless weather which had, day after day, come their way. Nevertheless, in spite of the disap- pointment yesterday on the day of rest to golfers, tennis enthusiasts, base ball fans, picnickers, motorists and even churchgoers, it is doubtful if today any one regrets the downpour. Mankind, the best scientific minds tell us, is remotely descended from an animal life that first appeared in quiet coastal waters. The stages of its hab- itat included successively primeval which is directly dependent on rain- fall, and finally upland and plain. Man now can live anywhere he has to or wants to, but the fact of the matter is he is still to a noticeable extent a water animal and is happiest near water and often in water. It is probable that many more thou- sands of persons rose a little earlier today because of what yesterday brought and took occasion before breaking their fast to wander out, to see, to smell and to be refreshed. City dwellers or suburbanites with patches of green around them, all rejoiced for the farmer and all rejoiced for them- selves. There is something healing and refreshing in the breaking of any protracted drought. Too dry weather withers nerves as it does grass blades. Not only is Mother Earth most en- joyable after a shower bath; she is delightful to many during the process. The feel of rain on face and hands, the very sound of its falling, brings exhilaration to right-minded persons. And another thing: where once rainy- day garments and umbrellas reached the very ultimate in hideous, pall- like drabness, now costumes for sloppy weather are becoming the gayest of the gay, a pleasure to own, a delight to wear. ———reo——————— The Constitution Is Conserved. ‘Washington youngsters can point with pride as well as view with in- terest when the U. 8. S. Constitution, rebuilt and re-equipped as adequately as when she sailed the seven seas, comes to the Natlonal Capital. For the public school children of this com- munity have passed the threethou- sand-dollar mark in their contributions to the national fund of half a million dollars which is being raised for that patriotic and praiseworthy purpose. Gifts from private schools, higher in- stitutions of learning and other sources as yet untabulated will undoubtedly raise this total to a higher mark. Secretary of the Navy Wilbur, through whose good offices the local school officials were persuaded to sus- pend with propriety a rule of long standing prohibiting solicitation of funds among pupils, has issued a state- ment expressing gratification over Washington’s standing In the national campaign. Similar gratification is ex- pressed by Rear Admiral Philip An- drews, U. S. N., commandant of the Charleston Navy Yard, where the his- toric ship is now tied up, who is serv- ing as chairman of the national execu- tive committee. The assured success of this rehabili- tation campaign makes it practically certain that never again will Old Ironsides be permitted to approach as nearly to complete decadence as it has in the immediate past, and that the children and grandchildren of this month’s contributors can take their voungsters over and between her decks recalling to them meanwhile her glorious and unique history. et ————— What was referrea to as ‘‘revolu- tion” and “civil war” in London was promptly adjusted to rational meas- ures. Further over on the European map some demonstration at first re- ferred to as a local disturbance may develop flerce and general conflict. A “revolution” or *civil war" is best han. dled when taken under expert super- vision in its earliest infancy. ——e—s 1t Senator Cameron's group of aboriginal dancers can maintain the impression that they are rainmakers, they can establish a large itinerary and be welcome guests for the re- mainder of their lives, ———— The most valuable evidences of farm relief are being credited to the efforts of those who persistently prayed for rain during the long drought. e ‘Washington, D. C., is the one city on the map where nobody can vote and yet where everybody has to listen to Congress all the time. . ot SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON, Bravery. The vast white silence of the northern werld Still waits for men of great coura- geous soul. Here are no weapons in defiance hurled As strife leaves human passion un- controlled. Brave men will ever be; so will the call For daring faith and for intrepid skill To lead the way toward knowledge for us all. So wonderful, we shall forget to kill. Avoiding Confusion. “Why don't you start an investiga- tion “I'm waiting my turn,” answered Senator Sorghum. “I could find sev- eral things to investigate, but in order to have a chance at public attention vou've got to take 'em up one at a time.” The New Publicity. The radio’s messages are sent TFrom every place. It now puts up the sign “For Rent” On Time and Space. Jud Tunkins says even if you call a spade a spade, there’s no reason for making mud a perpetual subject of conversation. No Relief. “There's a great deal of excuse for the discontent of farmers.’ “I know there is,” answered Mr. Corntossel. “Nearly everybody who makes a speech considers it his duty to keep us from forgettin’ our troubles even for a little while.” Humor and Pathos. The hero of the comic page Is bounced and battered 'round the map. In new misfortune he'll engage Each day. He is a patient chap. His plights grotesque that grow more grim T view with sympathetic eye. I often used to laugh at him, But now he makes me want to cry. “When a friend axes you foh advice,” said Uncle Eben, “you sometimes has to study hard to give him de kind he Desds, Wifou buctia® his eeliasn” Two good rules for renovating your lawn follow: 1. Buy three times as much grass seed as the dealers, books and maga- zines declare i necessary. 2. Sow twice as much in any one place as your inclination prompts you to. The first of these rules we got out of an advertisement of a fertilizing product, and the second is entirely our own composition. Between the two, one ought to achiave a good lawn this Summer, for it is not too late, even at this late date, to put in grass seed with hope of real results. Spring, so far, has been rather a miserable affair, with its drought and coolness, its warm days followed by almost freezing weather. Yet gardens have come on very well, despite the ‘weather. The beautiful bridal wreath, queen of the spireas, was just two weeks later than last year. The first roses of the present Spring opened about the same number of days behind last year's floral procession. Annual seeds put in the ground to date have, in many instances, been exceedingly backward in showing their small heads above the soil. The pri- mary cause of this bashfulness has been the lack of rain, for there is something about a warm rain from heaven that makes things grow, and which no amount of sprinkling with a hose will duplicate. Our idea of the action of rain water on the soil is that the good effect is due to the penetration of the rain- drops, falling several miles upon the garden. It takes a long and hard rain, in- deed, to cause water to stand on the surface of borders, but that result may be attained in 5 minutes with a hose. This would seem to show that the raindrops are forced in and down to the roots, whereas the water put on with the hose tends to stand on the surface, and, when It sinks in, some way or other does not soak in right. . ok ke Before we go back to our subject (which is grass seed, etc.) let us con- sider the matter of watering the garden. 4 Perhaps there is no phase of garden- ing that puzzles the amateur more than this, for the garden books and magazines, and even the old garden- ers, are woefully silent about ft. Vater when the plant needs it,” they will tell you, but as that is the very thing you cannot decide for your- self—just when the plant needs it— you are as much at sea as ever. Since no book gives precise direc- tions for watering, one must neces- sarily come to the conclusion that the busy authors of garden books do not know any more about it than one knows himself. While this is a bit pleasing, it still leaves one as confused and uncertain on the matter of watering as ever. Perhaps the one good rule to hold by is to water well when you do sprinkle. And the next evening be sure to stir up the soil. Refrain from “sprinkling.”” merely, every night, and soak—S-O-A-K— once a week, or perhaps twice a week, in dry weather. With a normal amount of rainfall, perhaps no hand watering is nece: v at all. Where the average amateur falls down in the watering business is in his fundamental error of watering the top of the soil instead of the roots of the plants. While a spraying, now and then, is beneficial, the real need of water is down at the roots, not only for the water’s sake, but for the intake of plant food, which the grow- ing thing can imbibe only in solution. To get back to our grass, the basis of a real garden, the fundamental decorative feature, in a sense surpass- ing any and all flowers: A little watching of the other fel- low (whom we can always observe so much more accurately than we can ourself!) will show any one that the average person is much too “chinchy,” to use a slang word, in both the pur- chase and application of grass seed. Many seem to feel that a lawn ought to be a sort of perpetual motion affair, needing no reseeding. Perhaps it ought. No doubt the lawns in Heaven grow that way. On this earth, however, especially in cities, they normally need some attention every Spring. “My lawn looks so spotty!"” some one says. More seed would have made more grass, with the resuit that green blades would have filled all available ce. Take the following supposititious case: A householder is looking with dis- tress at his poor lawn. A stranger comes along, and, leaning on the fence, remarks, “Grass ain't doing very well this year, is it?” Under the influence of such sym- pathy, the householder unfolds his tale of woe. “I put in 2 pounds of seed, and now look at it! The birds ate at least half, and perhaps most of the rest blew away.” Suppose then the stranger should break forth, “Mister, if I will guaran- tee you a perfect lawn, would you give me $477 “Taken!” the householder would de- clare. Yet that very same man would no more think of going down and pur- chasing $4 worth of grass seed, 8 pounds, for his small back yard, than fly! * x k X You gotta use seed, and plenty of it. (We like the expression “gotta—" it ought to become good English, for it has a force and euphony that guch cumbersome wordings as “You have got to use seed,” etc., do not possess. We append this explanation for the benefit of those few who may fear that we are becoming terribly “slangy.” To be “dressed up” all the time is somewhat tiresome—to use impeccuble English day after day tends the same way, both to writer and reader. Let us be honest in the use of our English as in the use of our money.) Yes, distinctly, one must use plenty of grass seed if he is to get results. Not only does the average home owner fail to buy enough seed, but he puts it in with too niggardly a hand. He wastes half of what he does sow by simply placing it on the top of the soll, thus allowing the slightest chance wind to blow it away, and the first rain to wash it out. Do not be sur- prised, if you sow vour grass seed in this fashion, to find that your neigh- bor’s lawn is better than vours, for you have unwittingly sown his yard for him! When you reach seed a certain bare spot, put in the amount, and then reach back and put in as much again. No 1matter how good the seed. there will be a certain percentage of it that will not germinate, Play safe, use plenty of seed, and you will get the lawn of vour dreams, or at least an approach to it. These notes are written out of ex- perience, rather than theory, and probably vou will get more results from following them than by reading any number of books on lawn making, with all due respect to the books. We have several, and not a one of them contains our Two Big Rules! into the bag to WASHINGTON OBSERVATION BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. President Coolidge refuses to de- velop cold feet over the consequences of the 1926 congressional elections for the Republican party. He was waited upon at the White House the other day by a G. O. P. scaring committee, consisting of Senator Phipps of Colo- rado and Representative Wood of In- diana, respectively the chairmen of the Senate and House compaign com- mittees. The official leader of the party was told that the embattled and embittered farmers of the West will be in punitive mood in Novem- ber if liberal farm relief legislation has not been enacted. Senator Phipps, who hails from the irrigation and reclamation areas of the intermoun- tain country, reported that they are hungering for fat Federal subsidies and do not think much of the Cool- idge economy program which opposes them. The President wasn't greatly impressed by the qualms of his politi- cal callers. He said bluntly that he doesn’t favor flylng in the face of sound government economics. Mr. Coolidge in particular expressed the belief that Republican leaders are more frightened than the facts jus- tify. He thinks the wave of unrest now sweeping across the great open spaces is transitory and ‘“‘emotional” and that his party will do best to stick to economy, tax reduction and platform pledges. * ¥ ok ok Thus far the President has stub- bornly resisted all overtures to swing around the circle, or even around a semi-circle, and make campaign speeches this year. But he may not permanently be able to withstand the pressure. Senators and prominent representatives in pivotal States and doubtful districts are moving heaven and earth to induce Coolidge to take the stump. Many of them think that conditions, by and large, are about what they were in 1924, when Sen- ator George H. Moses of New Hamp- shire summed up the G. O. P. situ- ation. “The principal asset of the party,” said the editor-statesman- diplomat from Concord, “is the calm and cautious Christian character of Calvin Coolidge.” Wk &k Representative Fred A. Britten, Re- publican, of Tllinois, is the ranking member of the House committee on naval affairs, and a “bug” on pre- paredness. Speaking at a recent din- ner in Chicago, Britten told a,story illustrating the difference between a pacifist and a bellever in national de- fense. “Jimmy and Jack,” he said, “had been naughty. Their mother sent them to bed and told them to await a call from dad. Dad's foot- steps were presently heard on the stairway. ‘I'm going to lay here with my eyes shut, and make believe I'm asleep,’ said pacifist Jimmy. ‘Well, I'm going to put on my pants’ re- torted preparedness Jack, ‘and stuff Lieut. Mina C. Van: Winkle, Wash- ington’s woman police chief, and her new police bill for the District of Co- lumbia will be features of the an- nual conference of the International Assoclation of Policewomen in Cleve- land on May 24. Mrs. Van Winkle is president of the association. The star attraction of the conference will be Dame Rachel Eleanor Crowdy, who is chief of the social questions and opium trafic_section of the League of Nations. Dame Crowdy, who is a physiclan by profession, won fame in the World War as principal com- mandant of British volunteer nurses in France and Russia. Lieut. Van Winkle hopes at Cleveland to arouse national interest in the Washington policewomen’s bill, which has already been indorsed by the General Federa- tlon of Women's Clubs, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Parent-Teacher Assoclation. Mrs. Van Winkle's ambition is to make the Washington policewomen's gystem a model for the whole United States. Fie e Maj. Gen. Charles McK. Saltzman, chief signal officer of the United States Army, has appealed to the radio in- dustry of the country to realize its evergrowjng importance in the scheme of national defense ashore, afloat and aloft. He hopes radio manufacturers will succeed in turning out sets that can be fitted into the bag of a packmule, stand the jolting of an Army covered wagon, and function in rain, sleet or wind. Gen. Saltzman believes there are vast undeveloped possibilities in short-wave transmis- sion. A few days ago he received a message from an_American officer in Manila. It went half way around the world by relays in three minutes. The set that projected the message used less power, Saltzman says, than is consumed in toasting a man's break- fast bread. RS Senator Oscar W. Underwood, Dem- ocrat, of Alabama, has cleared for action against the confirmation of President Coolidge’'s nominee for an Alabama United States attorneyship. The object of Underwood's attack is Aubrey Boyles, just named for a sec- ond term. The Senator has served notice on Senator Cummins, chairman of the judiciary committee, that no parliamentary recourse will be left unused to prevent Boyles' confirma- tion. Underwood states that “serious charges” have been brought forward against the United States attorney in Alabama, and that confirmation will be fought as long as necessary, in order that the Senate may be made fully acquainted with Boyles' ‘“‘unfit- ness.” Mr. Underwood intends asking for introduction, in open session of the Senate, of a Department of Justice report in which facts alleged to be highly unfavorable to Boyles are dis- closed. * ok K ¥ An_ unofficial delegation, represent- ing American organized labor, is pre- paring to go to Russia. It will be headed by P. J. Noonan, a vice presi- dent of the Federation of Labor and international president of the Brother- hood of Electrical Workers. Others invited to make the trip include Timo- thy Shea, president of the Brother- hood of Locomotive Firemen and En- gineers; J. Manion of the Order of Ralircad Telegraphers, Timothy Hea- ly, international president of the Union of Firemen and Oilers: Willlam H. Johnstgn, president of the Inter- national Association of Machinists; W. Jett Lauck, statistician, and Frank P. Walsh, who will function as legal ad- viser of the delegation. A.J. Coyle of Cleveland, a brotherhood editor, is un- derstood to be the leading spirit in organizing the proposed expedition. Williant Green, president of the Amer- ican Federation of Labor, at the 19256 Atlantic City convention, stubbornly opposed the proposal to send a labor commission of inquiry to Russia. (Copyright. 1926.) A Propaganda Formula. From the Charleston Dally Mail. Divide propaganda statistics by 10, take off 50 per cent of that and divide the remainder by another 10 and then you will probably approximate the correct figures. A Domestic Limit. From the Wall Strest Journal. If British wives had dictated the length of the strike it would have been just long enough to have ghe Advocates of Prohibition Should Have No Fears To the Editor of The Star: ‘Undoubtedly there are many good people who, though entirely in sym- pathy with the cause of prohibition, yet doubt the wisdom of the eight- eenth amendment and question whether it will be possible to enforce it and make it effective. All such should read John Fiske's ‘“Critical Period of American History.” In ad- dition to having a rare literary treat, they will realize that the Constitution itself faced greater difficulties than any one of the amendments, and that, in fact, it was doubtful whether it could be gotten into shape for pas- sage by the convention, to say noth- ing of ratification by the 13 States. Opposition developed at the suggestion of the convention itself, and was met at every step. One State refused to send any delegates and delayed ratifi- cation for nearly three years. Ratifi- cation in some of the larger and more important States was accomplished only by the smallest majorities and after long delays. In New York, for ‘instance, the vote was 30 to 27, and only then after a delay of two years. In Pennsylvania, after ratification, there were threats of armed rebellion and some actual violence. In only one State, and that one of the small- est, was ratification accomplished promptly and with small opposition. ‘The following quotation from Fiske, referring to the constitutional conven- tion, is of special interest and gives a clear idea of the difficulties that had to be met and overcome before the Constitution was gotten into shape for ratification by the States: “At the very outset some of the delegates began to exhibit symptoms of that peculfar kind of moral coward- ice which 1s wont to afflict free gov- ernments, and of which American history furnishes so many instruc- tive examples. It was suggested that palliatives and half measures would be far more likely to find favor with the people than any thoroughgoing reform, when Washington suddenly interposed with a brief but fmmortal speech, which ought to be blazoned in letters of gold and posted on the wall of every American assembly that shall meet to nominate a candidate, or declare a policy, or pass a law, so long as the weakness of human nature shall endure. Rising from his Presi- dent’s chair, his tall figure drawn up to its full height, he exclaimed in tones unwontedly solemn with sup- pressed emotlon: “‘It is too probable that no plan we propose will he adopted. Perhaps another dreadful conflict is to be sustained. 1If, to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disap. prove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair: the event is in the hand of God." After laying down this hook, one is fmpressed with the feeling that con- ditions facing the eighteenth amend- ment are as nothing compared to those through which the Constitution had to pass before it was accepted as the law of the land. Those who are in favor of prohibi tion should cast aside all fear and come out boldly in support of the eizhteenth amendment. Listen to Washington: f, to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair.” CALEB S. MILLER. ) Urges Congress Gift of “Westover” to Byrd To the Editor of The Star: The suggestion made vesterday by Admiral Ralph Earle, U N, re- tired, formerly chief of Navy ord- nance, now president of Worcester Polytechnica stitute, that in_recof nition of Comdr. Richard Ev Byrd's wonderful flight to the Nerth Pole and the glory thereby achieved for the United States, Congress or the American people should buy \West- over, the old family home of the Byrds in Virginia and present it to Comdr. Byrd as a merited tribute to his great work, is one that should be put into_operation. Too often the United States has ignored the work of its really great ploneers. For their polar work Nobile will be highly honored by Italy, Amundsen by Norway: in other days England knighted Scott and Shackle- ton, Ross, Franklin, Markham, Nares, Mawson and others, and that nation has always recognized those who have forwarded England’s interest in ex- ploration and scientific work. Peary was made an admiral by the UniteQl States for his discovery of the North Pole, In the welter of other polar pub- licity the great work done by Byrd may he overlooked. Within 33 days time from the day that he sailed from New- York in the Chantier, Byrd reached Spitzbergen, landed his planes under great difficulties and passive opposition, took off on_his epochal flight. made the North Pole and re- turned to his base. No hurrah, no promises. but all performance. Byrd courteously let his companion, Floyd Bennett, guide the plane over the Pole, he gave Bennett great credit on his return, he paid Peary two graceful tributes at the Pole by re- fraining from dropping the American flag, since Peary had previously so done, and by standing at attention and saluting Peary as his plane passed over the Pole. His polar work done, Byrd mnext flew on an errand of mercy to the relief of two Nor- wegians marooned on an isolated spot of Spitzbergen, risking his life to bring them food. . One of the most modest and un- assuming of men, Byrd's record of achievement in aviation covers many vears and_excellent work, splendidly given the United States and the Nav Without thought of fame or reward. Now that he has added a glorious chapter to American history, the peo- ple of his country ought to express thelr appreciation of courage, daring, skill and ableness in a practical man- ner. Others besides himself, to whom T have talked, heartily indorse Ad- miral Earle's suggestion. It would be a graceful act, would be generallv approved and would do much to refute the charge, too often made with truth, (hat the United States does little for those who serve it best. Congress should buy Westover and in the name of dlheBUr:‘ned States resent it to Comdr. Byrd. > FAIRFAX NAULTY. “Pudden Joke” Is Of Honored Age To the Editor of The Star: Your “pudden” joke on page 4 of May 14 “Star” reminds me that when T was a boy this joke was a standard “grace before pudding” whenever pud- ding appeared at table. (And—“Oh! Boy'—what puddings!) This was our version: Host (to - assembled guests)—Does any gen'elman say ‘“pudden”? Quiet Voice (somewhere down the line)—Sir! No gentleman says ‘“pud- den.” Father generally asked the ques- tion, and mother or the family in chorus answered it. This joke sounds like it came from one of Charles Dickens’ stories, es- pecially “Pickwick Papers,” a book which every young man should read to cultivate a decent sense of wit. Too much of our wit in this generation is vulgar, although I must say what I hear now is less in quantity than what I heard 30 years ago, but that may be due partly to respect for age I keep, for I do not ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. 'Will Japan be represented at the Sesquicentennial Exposition?—S. L. T. A. The entire exhibit will be on a larger scale than any ever before at- tempted by Japan. Q. Does thunder lightning?—F. H. A. The Weather Bureau says that lightning, particularly “heat” light- ning, may occur so far away from the observer that the thunder is not audi- Dle; on the other hand, the lightning flash may be g0 close to the observer that, so far as he can tell, the light- ning and the thunder occur simul- taneously. If the lightning is at any distance from the observer, however, then, if thunder is heard at all, it always occurs after the flash is seen, the jnterval of time between the two being greater the greater the distance at which the flash took place. This is because the speed of light is so great (186,330 miles per second) that the flash is seen practically at the same instant it occurs, whereas the speed of sound is not very great (around 1,100 feet per second). Q. How fast does the blood circu- late?—L. M. A. Tt is said that all the blood in the body goes in and out of the heart once every minute. always follow Q. Why was it difficult to carry on a conversation in old Latin?—E. H. A. The difficulty found in speaking Latin was the same as that of old English. Sentences in Latin and old English were very long, sometimes as long as a long paragraph. Men spoke in sentences of 400 and 500 words. While one spoke all others had to it by and listen until he had finished. Today, it has been decided that a sentence should not last longer than 25 seconds or contain more than 15 or 16 words. Q. Was it on her first voyage that the Mauretania broke the speed record?—H. L. S. A.* The Mauretania on her maiden vovage to this country sailed from Liverpool on November 16, 1907, and from Queenstown the following day. She arrived In New York on Novem- ber 22. This is not the voyage when she broke the world’s record, which was accomplished on September 10 to 16 in 1910. Q, Where i3 Blarney Castle?—A. G. D. A. Blarney Castle is in County Cork, Treland. 5 miles northwest of the town of Cork. Twenty feet from the summit of the castle is the blarney stone, to kiss which renders a person, according to tradition, as persuasive as a serpent. Q. In feeding a cylinder press we have trouble with the papers stick- ing to each other. Is it electricity that causes this? If so, where does it come from?—'. H. A. The Bureau of Standards says that the sticking together of paper during the printing process is caused by statio which is Introduced by ths friction of the paper with the metallic parts of the printing press. This gives considerable trouble in printing plants, and in large establishments special equipment is used to prevent this. Controlled humidity conditions assist in this respect, as paper that is kept very moist gives very little trouble. Q When were breeches first worn” —C. T. A. A. Breeches were worn by the ancient Greeks as a badge of slaver.. In_the reign of Honorius, about 393 A.D., the breeches makers were ex pelled from Rome. Q. What was the first organized L the history of the world? A. Historians say that Egypt was the first country to have a military organization. Sesostris or Rameses IIL was the first military organizer of Egypt (1620 B.C). Palamedes in 1193 B.C. was the first to form an army in a regular line of battie. The first guards and regular troops of standing army were formed by Saul in 1093, Q. How much cloth will a pound of cotton make’—P, R. A. Differences of weaving govern, but it has been figured that & pound of cotton yarn should make 31 of sheeting, 3% vards of mu yards of lawn, 7'¢ yards o 513 vards of gingham, or £pools of thread. Fe Q. Where do we get the word “news” as applied to the record of current events’—0. € A. The word *news” colned to describe what newspapers are supposed to print, came from the four letters which for ages have been used as abbreviations of the four points of the compass. Early news- papers always published on their first pages the crossed vertical and hori zontal lines, the former ked at either end with an N and an &, the latter with a W and an was to indicate that the pewspapers published all happenings from a quarters of the globe. Later the let- ht together in the which was is Princess Juliana named?—G. A. T A. The daughter of the Queen of the Netherlands is named for the wife of Willlam the Silent The resources of our free Informa- tion Burcau are at your service. You are invited to call upon it as often as wou please. 1t is being maintained by The Evening Star solely to serve you What question can e answer for you? There is no charge at all ¢ cept 2 cents in stamps for retur postage. Address your letter to The Evening Star Information Buredu Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Twenty first and_C streets northwest, Wash ington, D. C. 2 “Uncle Joe” at Ninety Holds Remarkable Place in Nation . now just plain Uncle Joe” to his neighbors and the Nation, Joseph G. Cannon has cele- brated his ninetieth birthday amid a flood of felicitations from. all parts of the country. “Uncle Joe” is not one of those prophets without honor in their own countries. Heading its editorial “An- other Famous Tar Heel,” the Winston- Salem Journal says: “Because as a little boy he first learned to love life in the hills of old Carolina, Tar Heels everywhere have a warm spot in their hearts for Uncle Joe as he journey down the other side of the long hill May his rest be peaceful and may his last days he filled with happiness!” Recalling that “it was 90 vears ago that Mr. Cannon was born in Guilford County, North Carolina,” and that later he went West with his father, “a Quaker doctor,” the Raleigh News and Observer declares that “Everybody in America, even those most opposed to ‘Cannonism,” sent messages of good fellowship to the friendly ‘Uncle Joe,” who is growing old philosophically and with good will to all.” The Raleigh paper analyzes the Cannon character as that of a man who ‘never pre- tended to believe one thing and say 1e had simple nd no back door. He was free from any suggestion of graft or double-dealing. He had friendliness and kindliness, and had the regard of his most bitter political enemies. e b “Illinois claims Uncle Joe as one of its most distinguished sons,” says the Rock Island Argus, “but in real- ity he belongs to the Nation. All unite in the wish that time will continue to deal gently with him to the end and that the end will be long in coming.” The Peoria Transeript notes that “Uncle Joe holds the record for length of service in Congress,” and holds that “by performance he is the most con- spicuous of the elder statesmen of America.” “America has rarely produced so picturesque a character as ‘Uncle Joe' Cannon.” observes the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman, as it bears witness to the universal esteem in which this venerable statesman is held, saying: “Even the Democratic partisans who once fought Cannon so furiously and Republican insurgents who warred against his rule as czar of Congress now join in doing honor to the name and fighting qualities of ‘Uncle Joe.' " The Grand Rapids Herald considers it wonderful to have become “a patri- arch with faculties as keen as in the heyday of battle; still more wonderful to wear the crown of a country's veneration,” and the Herald tosses ‘a rose to dear old Uncle Joe, the Gulf Stream of whose yvouth still warms the Arctic Circle of his years.” *iwiniw The Louisville Times says: “Mr. Cannon is of an American type which is growing rare. He was a figure racy of the soil and unashamed of it,” retaining always ‘“the speech, the manner, the general aspect, of the rugged provinclal, breezily and joyously at home in America.” This type is disappearing, continues the Times, the smartness of our cul- ture grows,” to be supplemented by “the dapper man.” “Uncle Joe Cannon, with his cigar stuck in his teeth at a rakish angle and his brief whiskers preceding him down the street, was almost as much of a fixture in Washington as Penn- sylvania avenue itself,” the Provi- dence Journal recalls, “and when at last there arrived a year‘when he didn’t come back from Danville, some- thing immemorial and steadfast seemed to have been stolen from the seat of government.” The Oakland Tribune finds him still “a distinct per- sonality, a rugged old fellow who says what he thinks, hobnobs with his neighbors and keeps his mind young,” while the Pasadena Star News notes that “he is the oldest living man, with the exception of Chauncey M. Depew —now 92—who has had active and prominent service in national politics.” Of ‘these two cotemporary great non- agenarians the Lincoln Star remarks: “Both are hopeless and incurable opti- mists. No man would wish for more than to grow old as gracefully as these two fine American specimens have.” * ok kK “Uncle Joe Cannon is still a wise man. On his ninetieth birthday he refused to tell the present generation how to conduct itself,” comments the Des Moines Register. Concerning this Uncle Joa right or are the stvles changing? In biblical tlmes and before, and for a long time after, the ripe judgment of the elders was sought as a jewel of great price by the vounger men who stood in the forefront of battle. Perhaps the for mer Speaker “is wise beyond his time,” continues this paper; “a gen eration fs no longer a generation. Ten years, five vears even, puts those of us who lag behind the procession eve so little completely out of fit. That times have changed since the active days of this esteemed Amer{ can s conceded. “As Speaker, Uncle Joe was Imperfous, an exponent the intelligent autocracy in whick believed. He saw that his day must pass and he passed with it, gallant unaltered”—so speaks the Worceste: Telegram, o ‘Czar’ can now long endure in American politics,” lieves the Akron Beacon Journal which further states, “The people have a fashion, upon occasion, of over turning slates and slate makers, and upsetting the best made plans of those who would govern in their name." As to the rise and fall of “Cannon- ism” the Cincinnati Times-Star ob- serves. “Mr. Cannon attempted to make the unwieldy wieldy, and finally the unwieldy rose in insurrection an demanded their right to be unwield although, the Cincinnati paper notes, there has been something of a return, “under Mr. Longworth’s gavel, to the Speaker’s autocracy.” However, Can- nonism or mo Cannonism, according to the Omaha World-Herald, Uncle Joe's “reappearance in the halls of Congress would be the signal for an ovation which few, if any, statesmen in American history could have com- manded.” Urges Acceptance Of Retirement Bill To the Editor of The Star: It seems to the writer that it would be a matter of good sense, as well as good taste, if those who are interested in the passage of the re- tirement law would cease from their carping at and bitter criticism of the Congress. It is to Congress and the President that we must look for the relief sought, and it is mighty poor policy to be snapping at the hand that helps us—also vinegar catches no flies. It is true the $1.000 bhill s not all that was hoped for, but it will be:a great help, and it is my understand ing that those who speak for the re tired clerks have agreed to accept it, and the powers that be have agreed to_enact it, or virtually so. This large retirement fund which has accumulated in the Treasury, and which will doubtless continue to grow under the new law, is not “our own money” in the sense understood by these writers, but is a fund held in trust by the Government, not for the clerks as a body, but for each one as an individual. Those of us who are now on the retired roll con- tributed mighty little to this vast fund of millfons. MILTON F. ADKINS. The Routine of Crime. From the Kansas City Post. After investigating and analyzing summaries arrived at from 40,000 in- dividual tests, criminologists give out that 90 per cent of the crime is com- mitted by 2 per cent of the popula- tion. The figures taken by and large indicate that one man of every fifty is criminal, with only a slight tend- ency toward crime among the forty- nine others. The findings not only interest, but they point the way to a remedy for the present wave of law-breaking. Crime has its best friends and surest allies in non-criminals who are ever ready to step between punitive law and its objectives. Controllable crime begins at the exits of prisons. Having paid lightly for some crime, the felon again is ready to take the chance and begins the merry-go round confldent that tho road leading to the prison is longer than the road leading from it, and the stay within its walls is subject to more than the usual trade discount. ‘With 2 per cent of the population committing’ 90 per cent of the Na- tion's crime, it would seem in order to suggest that the back doors of jalls and penitentiaries be securely padlogked and the keys thrown away