Evening Star Newspaper, June 27, 1926, Page 69

ILLUSTRATED FEATURES Part 5—8 Pages | Washington Suffers From a Mass Attack of White A e ti to repair temporary buildi R e o e o e - oy b white Ant Pile of documents destroged by termiles. § is | ike badl G 14‘ém.Joqe:d., by the w. borings of MAGAZINE - SECTION he Sundiny St WASHINGTON, the) odnds D.- 10, SUNDAY MORNING, - 2eg? Pellets of wood which have beer ealen by the non- termite . thisis e gc]w;?k’xfift{gg.ufi J tted wood,, but it is merely- a rvelic of a tastyluncheon e il it et T by Insects March Upon the Capital and Have Damaged Government Buildings—Scientists Are Attempting to Stop the Invasion by the Termite Army—*“Council of War” at De- partment of Commerce—Seeking an Insect Enemy to the White Ant, Which Can De- stroy Almost Anything by His Greed, @ BY A. G. WEST. HERE was no armed guard at the gate when the termite or white ant arrived in Wash- ington many years ago. It is estimated that many million dollars might have been saved to the country if it had been possible to pre- vent the entry of these dangerous pests who have already invaded the Capitol, the Library of Congre: the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the New National Museum, temporary bulldings of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Chevy Chase Club, the home of two Senators as well as 57 private dwellings, all in the last year or two. ‘When it is learned that the cost of repairs to a simple home is some- times estimated at $15,000, it will be at once appreciated that the fight now being waged is a serious one. Accord- ing to Dr. Thomas E. Snyder, ento- mologist of the forest insect investi- gations of the Bureau of Entomology, ints are constantly pouring in all vigorous campaigh has been inaugurated to stamp out this insect, which is common to both the At- lantic and the Pacific Coasts, with a preference for Southern cli- mates, though it may be found as far north as Boston. e DR SNYDER is a recognized au- thority on the termite, having made a_life study of its habits and tastes, both here and in the Canal Zone, where it has done great dam- age to the cables and telephone lines as well as to buildings. However, there are a number of varieties of this ant, of which the white species is the ter- mite to be found in Washington. At this time of year it is seen in flight, and its presence in the house should be an Instant warning, as is indicated by the statement of one of the officlals of the Chevy Chase Club the other day, who cemmented on the fact that arts of the United States| such ‘insects had been noted around the premises of the club for several years past. In view of the damage to the first floor and walls of the club, which required repairs costing ap- proximately $1,000, the flight of this particular insect is an expensive af- fair. New builldings are just as apt to be affected as old ones, states Dr. Sny- der, which knocks out the popular theory of many persoms who have made no study of the matter, that so- called “dry rot” is the cause of cer- tain cases of injury to wooden struc- tures such as the temporary build- ings on Fourteenth and B streets, which have been under. repair for ‘many months past. Examination. of the structure occu- pled by the Bureau.of Internal Reve- nue at that location revealed. mil- lions of the white ants swarming over the wood, according to Dr. Snygder, and the damage to the tim- bers was such that it is estimated |by a Government architect that up- {ward of $25,000 will be required to complete the replacements. In the New National Museum, which was completed about 15 years ago, it has been discovered that a section of the department of mam- mals has been invaded by the de-. structive termite and that it will be necessary to rip out some of the timbers from the concrete, as the wood was laid on cinders and made a point of entry for the pest. Dr. Snyder is hoping to have the build- ing code amended, as it has been ‘de- termined that in just such cases, { where the wood is allowed to come in contact with the earth, or where |a larger amount than 10 per cent of lime is used, in the concrete, the damage by the termite is imevitable sooner or later, especially in this climate, * Kk k¥ SUCH an invasion may cost only five or six hundred dollars, though vicinity, it-1s more.apt. to-be-18-the of a couple of thousand, according to expert investigators, in the case of modern buildings of steel and fire- proof construction. But when the termite invades the private home the damage is infinitely greater, as rule, as the timbers lead directly down through the house to the ground, if there 18 a cellar, and thus form an avenue of approach for the enemy. ‘When the house has no cellar, and is bullt directly over the ground, the termites simply march right in and make themselves at home in the near- est timber, which is soon destroyed. In the case of the Bureau of En- graving-and Printing revenue stamps that were in storage on the floor were .eaten, and at the Capitol docu- ments.and the like in the Senate docu- ment room were ruined by the in- vaders, who did a little “investiga- tion” of their own. It has taken some little time for the public as & whole to realize the dan- ger attached to the arrival of this in- sect and to appreciate that instant warfare is the order of the day if the pest is not to obtain a strangle-hold on property- here in Washington, as well as in other cities. A recent dispatch from Honolulu states that a damage exceeding a mil- lion dollars has been accomplished there by the destructiveness of the termite, or white ant, and that the Territorial Board of Agriculture and Forestry has taken decisive steps to stamp out the pest by sending an entomologist ‘to ascertaln whether natural insect enemies of these white ants are obtainable. It is hoped that in Formosa, or Japan, or possibly in other Far Eastern countries, such in- sect enemies may be discovered, and David T. Fullaway, an expert of the board, will be sent out to bring colonies of them back to Honolulu for propagation and distribution. In Hawail, as in Washington, it was discovered that new as well as old structures became infested with the .termites, who: play no favorites, and a thousands of dollars are now being spent in repairing such buildings. One serious drawback that does not seem to have attracted the attention of real estate dealers in this city, though it is certainly known to the owners of property that has become already. infested, is the question that arises whn it is known that termites have once invaded a given home or office building. According to Government investi- gatogs, the question is a very delicate one, and might easily have a definite effect on the value of a given house, as, of course, where these white ants have once been found, there is no par- ticular sense of security that they will not make a return call i they can again make successful entry in an- other year or two. * %k k% CERTMN sections of the city have been invaded by the termites and, according to Dr. Snyder, every house- holder should be on the lookout for the insect at this season of the year, as it flles about prior to shedding its wings and settling down to the real job of eating one out of house and home. 3 ‘The white ant, properly speaking, is an insect of the social order of the bee, rather than of the ant tribe. It has a king and queen and workers and soldiers, and lives in colonies made up of different castes. There are 42 different species in the United States, all of which are destructive, living in some instances in the trees and in others in the earth. Crops of corn and sugar are de- stroyed by this pest, and according to a Government bulletin with the clearing of land and the natural de- struction of timber and dead trees, stumps and logs of the forest, ‘the termites are driven out and become increasingly dangerous to living vege- tation. In the tropics the termite buflds a spectacular West that- is-sometimes A b ? subteyranean variety of siruetive . ggflw JUNE 27, 1926. An examp edt Righd. Iv%dqa,zan% des sSLtroye Y P C.fetymiws, ot whiteAnts al the Smithsonign iwstitulion work in wood, ormed, b 5 4 e 20 feet high, and it is frequently If(hem. strictly to the means by which found in South Africa, where it is most appropriately known as “Termes bellicosus,” because of fits warlike nature. The local variety, however, is most inconspicuous and very tiny and is seldom seen except when swarming in the Spring or Fall, when the winged individuals migrate in large number# from the parent nests. They then lose their wings and start new colonies, and in the case of the subterranean variety, en- ter the trees or wood directly from the ground. In infested buildings, where there is artificial heat and ah even tem- perature maintained, the insects are active and may lay eggs every month in the year, according to Dr. Snyder. It will be easily seen that it is dis-, tinctly a case of prevention being worth several pounds of curs, so far as termites are concerned, and that no untreated wood should he permit- ted to come in contact with possible sources of infection. The situation has developed to such an extent that during April a meeting was held at the Department of Com- merce to decide dipon a course of action against the termite, action that would. be effective as well as far- reaching, and, according to the May issue of the Lumber Manufacturer and Dealer, a “subcommittee on con- struction in the wood utilization di- vislon of activities sponsored by the Department of Commerce has ap- proved the project, ‘ant-proofing;’ as a whole. It is understood that the committee will confine its the .recommendations- to - come .from building and other construction. in- volving the use of wood may be most effectually “ and economically ant- proofed. The ravages of the termite, however, extend far beyond that limit. * ok ok k. AC(IQRDXNG to Mr. Holtman, who is handling matters directly for Mr. Oxholm of the wood-utilization committee of the Department of Com- merce, a bulletin will be issued- in the Fall, and measures actively pros- ecuted to prevent further ravages of the white ant will be on the program of the subcommittee in-question. A comprehensive list of concerns is con- nected on this committee, including the American Institute of Architects, Building Officlals’ Conference, Na- tional Lumber Manufacturers’ Asso- clation, West Coast Lumber Manu- facturers’ Association, Southern Pines Association, American Society Agri- cultural Engineers, American Asso- clation of State Highways Officials and National Association of Real Es- tate Boards. Not only do the .termites attack buildings and crops, but they are fond of furniture, and forelsn manu- facturers therefore advertise ‘“ant- proof” furniture for South American trade on_this account. One hotel in Miami,' Fla., was seriously affected by the presence of the pests in its furniture, and it was finally necessary to disinfect the entire building with sodium cyanid for 48 hours. ts have been carried on 12 by the Bureau of Forest 1$logy, -under the . direction of. FICTION AND HUMOR Gimber taken from the Internal Revenue Buildings. 1g ofdestruction caused by the While Ant. Dr. Snyder, to determine the resist- ance of various woods to the ravages of the termite, both in nature and under special test conditions. As a result of this extensive series of experiments, it was learned that timber which is to be in contact with the ground should be impregnated with coal-tar creosote, which is a per- manent preventative against attack by native white ants. It was found in the Canal Zone and in Panama that swallows flew down at the time of the swarming of tes mites there, and devoured them in great quantities and with such per- sistence that the birds were not frightened by the presence of spec- tators. In fact, it is stated in a bul- letin issued by the Department of Agriculture that the swallows even moved about between the feet of the men nearby. According to a report made to the Department of Commerce by Assist- ant Trade Commissioner J. B. Foster of Sydney, Australia, last November, The “Handed-Down’ F all the strange relics of thought. primitive fancies and beliefs so surprisingly a part of civilized life, the mar- riage customs of different races is perhaps the most fascinat- ing. No one ever stops to think ®f the meaning of the many practices so obviously a part of the modern mar- riage ceremony, yet each has a story of its own hich stretches back through the centuries. Each little custom that the bride observes links her to the traditions of the dim and dusty past, and, although they have long been recognized as mere super- stition, no bride would ignore them for the wosld, .- ‘The marriage rite, emerging from the shadows of pre-history, is one of the oldest of human institutions. Cer- tain writers of authority believe that men and women originally had no higher marriage sense than the ani- ‘mals, while other writers of promi- +nence believe that, although there was a time when the modern ceremony was not observed, marriage in its truer sense has existed since the be- ginning of time. Marriage has passed through three well defined stages of development—marriage by capture, marriage by purchase, and marriage through mutual love. The word wed- ding, often casually used, in itself reveals the ol practice of securing a ‘wife by purcl , for the “wed” was the money, horses or cattle with which the bridegroom purchased the bride from her father. As a slight compen- sation to the bridegroom for this money or goods, the father in turn presented the couple at marriage with a “trusse,” meaning a little bundle. The “trusse” later gave way to the trousseau, which in turn had its ori- 8in in the dowry. At first the value of the trousseau was an important fac- tor in winning a husband, and many girls began making their bridal finery at a very early age. At one time it was quite the proper thing for the white ants have caused considerable consternation among the lumber trade of Australia. He says “Large quantities of timber are annually destroved and thousands of pounds lost through the ravages of these insects which are common in Australia. “It is not difficult to recognize these ants once they are discovered, though are very small, and their nest may contain a milllon or more of them. Lumbermen are advised to have a close inspection of their woods, as the insect bores from within and with no outward evidence that it has been visited. “If a solid-looking plece of timber resounds with a hollow sound when knocked, or if it collapses, the indi- cations are that the ant has made entry."” It will be seen from this report that the problem of the white ant is by no means a local one, but is another one of those peace-time invasions re- quiring armed resistance. ’ Marriage Customs. a suitor often depended the worth of the girl's outfit. The hope chest, now a relic of other days, retained because it is a pretty and convenient custom, likewise had its origin in the old-time dow Long ago the hope chest was very impor. tant in the life of every girl. In most homes there was a chest set aside for each daughter. into which bits of finery and handmade linens were placed for “the home of her hopes,” from which can be seen the origin of the name. A widespread su- perstition associated with the hope chest is that a bit of handwork by the bride-to-be must be placed on each article contained therein if happiness is to bless the home. For this reason many brides prefer tq initial linens themselves, which is well to remember when making gifts. The origin of the bridal shower, one of the prettiest customs that has sur- vived the centuries, is also, according to tradition, closely linked with the dowry. The story goes that once upon a time in old Holland a beautiful girl gave her heart to a miller, a young fellow who hadnt much in worldly goods, but whom every one loved be- cause of his kindness. He was poor because he gave his bread d_ his flour to the needy. The girl's father forbade the marriage, and told his daughter that she could not have the dowry he had placed aside for her if she married the poor miller. He had selected what he considered a satis- factory husband for her, a man who owned a farm and a hundred pigs. The people to whom the miller had given bread heard the story and were sorry. They got together and talked the mat- ter over. Too bad the beautiful girl would lose her dowry! Couldn’t they do something about it? They didn't have much money, but each one thought of a gift he or she could con- tribute so that the miller and the beautiful girl could marry and have their own home. They came to'the girl in gay procession, one with an old upon and decide whether or not it was com: plete, and it is said that the choice (Continued on Second Page} > bridegroom to examine the trousseau | Dutch vase, one with plates for the