Evening Star Newspaper, July 18, 1926, Page 38

THE EVENING -STAR ‘With Sundsy Morning Editien. Y WASHINGTON, D C. SUNDAY..........July 18, 1028 Editor modate the whole crop at once, In the old times the farmer cut his wheat and stacked it in the fleld. Then when the “thrashing machine” came along, in its route from farm to farm, he The Evening Star Newspaper Company | 80t his grain in bags or in bins. He Offics: 11 um.&q; ve. . Now Fonx Geer T1 dud 1. mmgm ix-‘ sldige, The E: it oon B SR ey it Uy carrier at (he end of each month. . | farmers now have in & landslide near Sarajevo, Bosnia, ‘which caused the death of eighty per- sons in a railroad train, revives memo- ries of 1914. It was at that place in the Balkans that the shots were fired that caused the Great War. The as- sassination of the .Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary and his wife at Sara- jevo on the 28th of June, 1914, was the spark which kindled the greatest conflict the world has ever known. Prior to the shooting of Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, the Countess of Hohenberg, the Western world knew little or nothing about that city, the capital of Bosnia. It was on the map, of course, and some of those who studied atlasses perhaps ‘were able to locate it when the news came of the dual kiling. But few re- called that Bosnia was an ‘“expatri- ated” land and that its taking over by Austria-Hungary was one of the factors in that always dangerous sit- uation known as the “Balkgn com- plex.” To those familiar with the re- lationships in the Balkans and par- ticularly the relationships between Austria-Hungary, Russia and the Balkan states, this crime became at once a sinister sign of grave evgnts to come. The shooting of the royal pair oc- curred, as stated, on the 28th of June. There was a period of comparative quiet, during which the world at large heard little of the doings of those who held the fate of Europe in their hands. A court-martial assembled at Barajevo and examined Gavrio Prinzip, the actual assassin, and twenty-one others, alleged to be fellow conspira- tors. There prevailed, as one historian of the war has said, an ‘“ominous calm.” A Then on the 23rd of July came the thunderbolt, the ultimatum ‘of Aus- tria-Hungary to Serbla, demanding a satisfactory answer within forty- eight hours. This dispatch to Belgrade was practically an indictment of the Serbian mation for complicity befgre the crime. Serbia could not yield with-. out confessing that coniplicity, could net compromise for the demand was specific, could not gain delay for the dltimatum expired even while its terms were being studied at not only Belgrade but in other capitals. Just twelve years ago today, there- fore, there was prevailing in Europe, in fact throughout the world, a feel- ing of painful suspense. A general war, such as had been often predicted as a result of the complexitids of Eu- ropean natignal relations, was felt to be in the making. Just how the na- tions would align was uncertain. Rus- sia would almost surely be drawn in, through her interest in the Balkans, peopled largely by Siavs. Germany must come in to the aid of Austria. France must come in to the ald of Russia, her ally. Would England be involved? Would Belgium be invaded in the event of an aggressive stroke by Germany? Where would Italy, a member of the triple alliance with Germany and Austria, stand in the melee? Such was the confusign of the pub- lic mind during those days of rela- tive calm following the assassination. Americans traveling in Europe were undecided as to their programs. The shrewd ones who could do so hurried home in advance of the storm. Others, bhaving heard much talk of general war in other years, without resuit, took their chances and remained to complete their scheduled journeys, 8o soon to he rudely interrupted. It seems odd that Sarajevo should ‘bob up again in the dispatches just at this time, almost on the twelfth an- niversary of the war-breeding crime, with a tragedy costing eighty lives 'EEO tragedy of 1914 enacted there cost many millions. —— . 4 There is little doubt that President Ceolidge has clinched the fishermen' wvote. If he can secure the farmers’ vote as easily, all will be well. oo s Bumper Wheat Crops. .Some of the political anxiety on the kcore of the uttitude of the farmers of the West may be relleved a bit by the news that comes from Kansas City about the new wheat crop. It is a *“bumper,” according to all preseht reckonings. It is so big that the growers are calling for extra transpor- tation. In Kansas alone the crop value is estimated at $250,000,000. And it hias been harvested 8o quickly, by means of combination machines tHat' turn the standing ecrop’ Into bagged wheat in a single operation, that there ia the most urgent need of cars. 3 " One thousand cars aré now on the way to the Kansas wheat flelds and could wait & little time for this opera: tion. But now, even when he owns his owyn machize, that does the work at one stroke, .he has little leeway of time. The wheat must be cvt when hin (1t is ripe, and it must be cariled off the fleld at once, else there is danger of'rot or rust. : 3 Suggestion has been"made that the solution of this problem lies in the adoption of the motor truck as feeder to the rallroads. Undoubtedly a great quantity of grain could be thus moved off the flelds, but the ‘cost would be heavy. In the present case time is an ele- ment in the equation, because the im- mediaté market price is good und the farmers want to turn their wheat into cash at once. It is reported that the bulk of the $250,000,000 that Kansas prospect as their wheat income will be syent in liquida- tion of obligations, the kold-overs from last season. But thi fact will not lessen the political ficance of the big crop. “A certaln Western Senator who knows his Kansas intimately re- cently remarked that agricultural un- rest would be. very greatly allayed by a bumper crop. It has come, and if it can be quickly marketed there will be a measure of farm relfef that will have a considerable measure of effect upon the November elections. The Dope-Traffic Rai A roundup_of,narcotic peddlers in ‘Washington has netted about forty prisofiers, who are securing reletwe on heavy bail bonds. This raid, the largest ,ever conducted in this city, was the climax of a long preparation, in the courss of which persons en- gaged in thig trafic wére spotted and their establishments located. It was well managed, as the results show. The trial of these cases should be pressed with vigor, to.the end of send- ing to prison quickly all who may be convictéd. Some of those accused may not be finally held. Others, it would seem probable, will be proved guilty of breaking the law. The maxi- mum penalities should be given to them. The traffic in habit-forming drugs is one of the vilest known. It is con- ducive to crime, It is destructive of health. It takes its toll of young and old, of both sexes. It demoralizes all ‘who are enga; in it, as vendors and as victims, . . There is evidence to show that there is a veritable “ring” of these dope peddlers in this city. They have their established sources of supply and probably work on commission. That the profits are large is indicated by the fact that the risk that is run is heavy. Belief prevalls that the ma- Jority of those engaged as vendors are themselves addicts. It.is possible to break up this trade, by giving the utmost punishment the law permits fn' every case of proved guilt. Light sentences will not serve. Suspensions of sentences, paroles and probations. only encourage continued ‘engagement in the villainous trafiic. 1t these vendors are themselves ad- dicts. prison terms may serve to cure them of the habit. They will be bet- ter off under restraint than at large. For those who, not themselves ad: dicted to the use of narcotics, delib- erately seek to profit out of the degen- erated tastes of victims of the habit, there can be no ‘possible excuse, no tolerance. They, above all others, should be given the utmast limit of the law in punishment. Such good work as that which has resulted in this large haul of drug peddlers . deserves the highest praise and encouragement. Thée operation which culminated in the wholesale ar- rests calls for congratulations and thank: ———————— America is never narfow in matters of ‘money. The international situation requires some tact to avoid a gener- ] osity which will humble the pride of a debtor. - s e Dispatches from Paul Smiths, N. Y,, indicate that President Coolidge is having one of the busiest vacations on record. Radio Injunctions. . New York radio broadcasting sta- tions are -planni court action fo curb “pirating” stations. which thange wave lengths, hours of dpera- tion and power. Interference with regularly scheduled programs of sta. tions operating on Government-as- signed wave lengths has been so great since the Departrient of Jus- tice ruled that the Department of Commerce has no jurisdiction over this phase of the radio fleld that ether entertainment has been ren- dered practically useless in New York. Listeners with the most sensi- tive sets are unable to ‘separate the various programs and the chaos that Secretary Hoover predicted is pain- fully evident. Injunctions will be sought to elim- inate this interference on the ground clearly up to the bréadcagters them- selves to rid their ranks of the offending minority by whatever action is possible and again fuynish the public with the type of whole. some radio entertainment that it has & right to expect. - ° . e bt e Short Measure Gasoline; Inspection of sixty-five gasoline sta- tions in Washington has revealed that thirty-two of this number are selling “short” to the customer, This short measure ranged from a few ninces, due to {aulty operation of the pumpe, fallure properly to drain the hose,and & too speedy shutting off of the valve, to & full gallon at two stations, where five -gallons were paid for and only four gallons were delivered. This situation is serious. Motorists have practically no protection against the- unscrupulous dealer. Gasoline gauges on automobiles are notoriously u , and it 1s only in & rare case that whortages dre noted and provéd by the motorists themselves, A good many of the dealera selling short are probably not intentionally cheating. Pumps i? some-cases, espe- clally old pnes, are prone to develop leaks and lack of pressure. But there have been many cases in the past, in all’ sections of the country, where dealers have been .shown to have “shaded” the measure delivered and to have profited thereby. - The* campaign of the District de- partment of weights and measures is strongly commended, and the motor- ists of the city are gratified that their interests are being protected against both the unscrupulous and the care- less in the purchasing of gasoline. It 1s clearly up to the conscientious gasoline dealer to conduct 'his business in such a way that the shadow of su: picion shall never fall upon him. His pumps should be regularly inspected, and his men should be carefully in- structed in the filling of tanks. When almost half of the stations inspected show that short measure is being given, it breeds a lack of confl- dence on the part of the motoring public, and there are probably many who believe that the old method of five-gallon jugs is preferable to the pumps. The motorist could at least tell, with the old way, whether or not he was getting all that he paid for. Regardless of all this, however, the dealers of Washington must not allow the black mark to stand against them. They must demand accuracy in their pumps and in their men, just as they demand the full price from the cus- tomer. —_——t—————— The Sultan of Moroceo did not like the Charleston as he saw it in Paris. Any kind of a sultan must be ex- pected to show signs of resentment toward the innovations now in evi- dence. et The plans outlined by Mussolini contemplate the substitution of the word “Dictator” as significant of all the greatness heretofore attached to such titles as “King"” or “Emperor.” —_—————————— Plain agriculture has failed to evince much sympathetic interest in the League of Nations or the World Court, failing to see how they are like- 1y to operate for farm relief. ——— et Embarrassment of riches again as- serts itself. The New Jersey explo- sions Indicate that we had more trini- trotoluol than we knew what go do with. It has become a national custom to present Charles E. Hughes with a presidential boom once every four years. ————— SHOOTING STARS. ' BY PHILANDES JOHNSON. Freedom of Choice. ‘Why do we sorrow, when we might Be happy, gay and free? To joy each human has a right— Likewise to miseree. And so, with smiles the hour is rife, Or else in grief we waste Our time. Each mortal leads his life According to his taste. * % _ No Fisherman. “Do you ever go fishini “No,” answered Senator Sorghum.] “I have already enough constituents v‘vE Acts, zzvi28: “To open their eyes, to turn them jrom darkness to light end from the power of Sgtan unto God.” “The one word whieh the finger of| God has written on the brow of every man is—hope."”- Thus Victor' Hugo discloses _the impulse that inspired him to write |, his monumental work, “Les Mise- " Speaking of this }&x‘m:rd} to wite the story of God's pathetic struggle to ‘recover ma\ from igno- rance, squalor and crims to his pris-| tine splendor; a God whe. never doubts ‘but that at last He will lead man back to rectitude, purity and divine good- ness.” The central figure in this im- morial story is Jean Valjean, one of the most striking characters ever por- trayed in fiction. : A climax {s reached when Bishop Myriel forgives Jean f having stolen his silver candlestick “Jean Valjean, my brother, you be- long no longer to evil but to good, It is your soul that I am buying for you. 1 withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of 'perdition, and I glve it to God.” ‘The confldence dis- closed by the bishop in this outcast gave him inspiration to struggle on until ultimately -he: triumphed. The great purpose df the ministry of Christ was to reveal to man the un- fulfilled possibilities of his life. His unfailing attitude toward those who had fallen was one of hopefulness and great expectation. He literally won men and women back to lives of decency and self-respect by assuring them of His belief in their capacity to recover. No religious teacher that t?:”:orld h'u eve!:‘n\?.l::wn has dis. cl greater op! concerning man than did Jesus of Nazareth. It is amazing how men respond to the message of hope. The thing that de- stroys and embitters life is that kind of ‘condemnation that takes from a fallen man or woman the last vestige of self-assurance. Years ago a criminal who had spent over 30 years in penitentiaries came under my care. An incident in his career that parallels in part the story of the bishop and Jean Valjean was one that brought him in touch with the late Henry Ward Beecher. He " | cates, her fow er the theft, he tendered h the coat Mr. her have the theft, Mr. Beecher accepted the check, but gave to the penitent thief ti® assurance of his forgiveness and sent him home a pardoned man. THe incl- the g of & new respectability. Doul great transition in his life with the word of assurance given him by the great preacher of Plymouth Church, The old adage. “Once a criminal al 's a criminal,” has contributed mightily to the deteat of those who, for the while, have lost their self-respect. - ‘When a Roman soldler standing by the cross of Jesus noted the incom- parable generosit; d charity He dis- closed toward those who had crucified Him, he was' compelled to cry out, “Truly, this was the Son of God!" ‘We sometimes wonder 3 less the Christian faith are displaying the apirit of Christian charity toward erri pursuant to the teachings of the faith they profess, Our postwar period has been characterized by intense bitter- ness and sometimes by still intenser hatred. ‘- The need for a .mew con- fidence and a broader charity has never been greater than now. The story of the recovery of Jean Valjean is not a matter of fictlon. It Is the actual histéry of many a man who has been saved to himself and to so- clety—yes, and to his God—through a freshened asstirance of life's high purpose and “Neither do I condemn thee, go, and sin no more,”” was the word of Christ to a notable sinner. It worked a mir- acle in her life and attached to Him a woman of sacrificing service who followed Him even to death, There is no greater or more glow- ing service in the world than that of recovering from the human refuse pile those who have been thrown there by’ a world's bitter condemna- tion, and giving to them that new hope that will “turn them from dark- | of ness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. BRING BACK THE TERRAPIN BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. More than 500 -diamond-back ter- rapins have recently been released by the United States Bureau of Fisheries in-the waters of North Carolina, and they will be followed by several thou- sand more In the next five years, in an effort to revive a breed of turtle which is considered the most delicious entree known to the connoisseur. This once plentiful delicacy has in recent years become almost as rare as the buffalo of the Western plains, and first-rate Chesapeake Bay diamond-backs gell at $50 or $60 a dozen. Only at rare and expensive banqueis is terrapin werved, and even.at the high prices they are ususlly only caught as an incident in the fishing trade. North Carolina has procliimed a five-year closed season on fishing for terrapin, and the mature stocks being turned loose from the Bureau of Fish: eries hatchery at Beaufort, N. C., will have every opportunity to breed and develop a considerable race of terrapin before’ fishing for them is again per. mitted. It takes four vears, and usu- ally five, for young. terrapin to grow to a marketahle stage and to become reproductive. ~-As the fomales are larger and more valuable than the majes, it is necessary to protect the race for some time to give it any sort of chance to become numerous again in the waters which it once inhabited in numbers. Terrapin Rarely Seen Now. Relatively few Americans of this generation_have ever seen or eaten terrapin. Words may fail to describe its flavor, but .its appearance is that of a small turtle, 5 or 6 inches long when marketable. The variety known as the diamond- , from its markings, is really four or five kin- dred species, found in the coastal waters and tidal rivers of Mary- land, Virginia, the Carolinas, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. The Chesa- peake terrapin has been the best known and most favored, the Carolina variety slightly less so, the Florida d d-backs little known and of mm value, while those Although a hardy aquatic turtle in his mature state, the terrapin goes through a period of youth when he is subjoct to many dangers, and it in creases in numbers but slowly, and Bureau of Fisheries has perfected some fairly simple rules for the erec- tion of pens. It also maintains a sort of hothouse for the first wintering of the new crop. Likes Cheap Food. One advantage of a turtle as a do- mestic animal, if he ‘ever becomes such, is that he will eat almost any- thing and. prefers inexpensive food. Fish makes him a good diet, crabs and oysters delight him, and he will stow away vegetables such as turnips, chopped meat, corn meal or almost anything else. Fish is likely to be his chief diet if turtle farming a business, since he will eat any sort of fish and can be supplied with varieties or sizes that humans do not-care for. The Beaufort station.can feed a hun- dred terrapin for § or 10 cents a day, 80, that raising them for market sounds like a good business proposi- tion, so far as the feed cost is con: cerned. i The terrapin is not subject to any diseases liscovered, but needs to be given a fairly clean place -to Hve and fed rather well if he is to grow at a fair rate of speed. Some of the young appear to be stunted and re- quire three or four years more to de- velop than the normal produet, Freshly captured wild terrapin do not |t breed freely the first year, but after a couple of years in captivity they re- produce at a good rate. The females outnumber the males eight or nine to one, which is considered good luck for the prospective turtle farmer, as the 'females not only lay the eggs, but ara the largest and best market- able product. Two Policles Possible. o I n wi er solution & rea- of t to the lerrapin ‘markets and tables of America lies in stocking | “That the coastal waters with wild terrapin or encouraging turtle farming. It is starting to do the former and will help any ambitious turtle farmer with free advice if he wants to try the latter. As the terrapin is a five-year it will be some time yet /before the Government experts find out all there is to know about c breeds in the effort to de- velop a larger terrapin, or forced feeding, in an effort to mature a crop in a shorter space of time. f | ing to both of t oughly successful, some is cu-t’sm i on my hands who don't believe half of | Pret what I tell v’m‘" P Kidnaping. A kidnaper met with a kid, ‘Who proved a publicity scrapper. The kid was awake. What she did Was, with profit, to kid the kid- naper. » making “| the breeds, ty about the laying of eggs, care -of young turtles, phases of turtle life. It is constantly new experiments, crossing , and I new facts. The scientjsts have not yet found out all want ‘know, but they are prugnw’ ns in q b rotected Jud Tunkins says a prize fight is a [ " briet incident entirely surrounded by | plctures and literature. Deciding Consideration. ~ . ““Where ‘are you going to spend the| Summer?” “In the mountains,” answered Miss Cayenne. outing costume becomes me more than & bathing suit.” % For singin’ “The Stir Spangled Ban- ner” I'm strong, 1 .As best I am able to do. that a station adhering to the assigned | Government wavé lengths has pro- prietary rights and ‘a certain: degree of good will and custom from its thousands ahd sometimes miliions of Msteners. Such actlon is, 3 the broadcasters believe, m them to ‘carry ‘on until next Decem- ber, when (Congress will again dis- cuss the matter, of 'radlo-control by. the Government: A Any action looking to clear radio reception will be heartily supported by the publici It is unfortunate that others are moving westward in other || directions. For the big crop is notft confined to Kansas: Of course there is anxiety on the score of the crop. Can it be brought under cover in time to save it all? That question awaits answer. But millions of bushels are . being hauled daily. ; LA There has been a bit of misadjust. in the invemtion .and adoption df. 3 .‘,,:% bh: | o8 | ¢ “I have decided that ani /' oS 510 both of thevs sbiecrmvon TL oS . the North Carolina enterprise - is thor. hatcheries and try to revive the terra- in industry. While it was once ha- tual to cook terrapin in wine, several #uccessful substitutes have been dis- covered by modern chefs, and the O et b ot e et production rises to 7 - a large commer- cial output. : : Sntering the halls of earting, It 18 & fellow men no. better, it is a ks men and women | 7 its divine meaning. | céle) own | terference by the Capital sentative Schuyler. O. Bland advo- clally the p?ule of Westmoreland County, (which has beeri called “the Athens of Virginia) to form a co: operative orgdnization. He pays trib- ute to the leadership of Mrs. Harcy L./Rust of Washington in working out plans for the 'preservation and adornment of Wakefleld, a feature of which is to be a replica of the house in which George Washington was born, “Stratford comes next,’! advises Mr. Bland. . “An association should be formed for its mcquisition whenever it may possible to uire it. It is holy, and the money for this be obtained. Chantilly should be identified, marked and made accessible, Leedstown should be con- nected with the main highway by a good road and the public should be directed how to reach it. The site of Popes Creek Church should be al ount " it owned by some memorial civic assoclation, It should be sible by a public road. The grave- yard should be beautified and adorned with trees and shrubs and the grave Richard Henry Lee should be marked. “The birthplace of James Monroe should be a_shrine and should be marked. Yeocomico Church should be fully restored.. You cannot do all of this work by yourselves; but if you will make a determined and an, intelli- gent effort and if you will provide the factit assistance will come from unexpected sources. Posterity will rise up and call you blessed. “In 1928 it might not be amiss to the two hundred and sev- enty: birthday of your county, and in that way you could direct na- tional attention to this historic county and to the contribution to the re-| ‘While in 1932 the Nation is’ the undred lebrating anni- versary of Gen. Washington's birth, may we not stage here, on as élaborate S approprieia coremoniat b 13 some app! e ceremon! o tel the world that 1932 is. also the two hundredth anniversafy of the birth that pre-eminent statesman Rich- ard Henry Lee. His birth preceded that of Gen. Washington by only one month and two days.” * % k¥ An episode, not widely known, in the naval operations in Manila Bay is described by Gen. P. C. Harris, who filled the most important position of general,of the Army during in our history, the period of the World War, as showing the feeling of Germany toward the United States even as far back as 1898, sup- porting the old adage that “blood is thicker than water,” and showing the mettle of Admiral Dewey. After the destruction of thé Span- ish fleet in Manila, Bay, Admiral Dewey established what might be termed a pacific blockade. He wished to interfere as little as possible with shipping and the movements of for- elgn naval vessels. All were permitted to come and go at will during the daytime, but vessels arriving or sail- ing out nm night -lnfe required to re- t patrol officer. wgorr:nn cruisers not only deliber- ately these_instructions, interfered along the coast of Luzon with_the military operations of the Filipino insurgents, who were being encouraged, and in some cases fur- nished with arms and ammunition, wey. Y e Gertian Sdmirals attention was at first politely called to the action of his cruiser commanders and later in more emphatic language as the Infraction of the regulations con- ued. .. ';)M day the German admiral, Von Deitrick, called upon Sir Charles Chichester, in command of the Brit- ish fleet, and ukoda “vlvfim ‘would British ships do in case we m:‘:m interfere in the American at- on Manila?' To which Sir Charles replied, “Well, ask Admiral Dewey.” Soon afterward Von Deitrick pro- el e aing b ships. 1o Teport rde: uiring :o thor:ml officer. Admiral Dewey politely, but firmly, informed him: is my order. If it is dis- 18, when Admiral Dew: reparing to begin the bomb':ul'-‘:nt’ of the fortified f Manila, the o!'gc City o - his meaning S o(‘:hlu;a‘um told Von Deitrick Charles to ask Admiral Dewey what he would doo it the Germans attempted to in- terfere. Needless to say, there was_no in- Germans. * xRN . is: a glorious \roll which Richard Yates . If through or, re. | vmwm:“%m'mmf 1s trying o organize éspe- £ made 'acces- | take of | Gen. Terry, buf Despits. the fact. that Congress ad- Journed ‘in & mqull state of mind, Vice an;znt Dawes feels he must go on with his campaign to re- the Senate. august. bod: justify all 'lh{ have been said about it can’t let go. He must support the at- tack he upon the Senate the very first day he grabbed the gavel. | Perhaps if the Vice President had walted untll he had become further acquainted with the Senate he might not have s0 vehement in his de- nunciation of the rules. He was a fa more placid man the day he adjourned the Senate than he was that other- wise tranquil 4th of March when he made the Senate rafters ring with his pen ug rage and indignation at the thought that one lone Senator might rise up and thwart the will of 110,000,000 people. By its action on the World Court the Senate showed it could halt de- bate and reach a vote whenever a substantial majority of the Senators desired. This rather knocked the prop from the Vice President’s propaganda, but it is understood the latter is to the ground in his speeches th Summer that even if no evil was prac. ticed at the recent session the possi- bility of evil was there and should be wiped out. ' Gen. Dawes is anxlous for the coun- try to admit that his fnaugural attack was justified. That is the reason he is going to talk rules during the rest of the Summer and Autumn, when it would seem thot politically the sub- Ject of farm relief legislation would be a far hotter topic. There is a very prevalent belief in the Middle West that Gen. Dawes should be the next thére plenty of time for the exposition of his farm relief views, which are diametrically to those of Mr. Coolidge. First of all, the rules fight must be won or sufficiently explained. Some of the intimate friends and relatives of a distinguished American publicist gathered a few days ago in the suburbs of Washington to cele- brate their host’s seventy-fifth anns versary. During the course of the evening the host grew reflective. He dwelt upon some of the remarkable experiences which had marked his eventful life. “We are celebrating this year,” he sald, “the 150th anniversary of the birth of our Nation. It is interesting to think that I have lived through one-half the life of the United States.” The remark simply made, but it served as a forceful reminder ot the extreme youth of this Nation that one man, far from decrepit and really at the height of his mental powers, should have lived through one-half of its total existence. It is small wonder that the other nations of the world look at the United States with unalloyed amazement. There is no parallel in world history for the United States. Its possibili- ties and its powers are unmeasurable. Some visiting foreigriers are inclined to criticize the vast open and rough spaces of the United States. They are accustomed to the gardenlike countryside of England and France and Germany, where the population is dense from border to border. Per- haps there are some rough spots in Fifty Years Ago ‘, In The Star Sharp controversy prevailéd for a long time after the Custer massacre 5 at "Little Big Horn, 50 Custer’s years ago, regarding the Orders. actions of the unfortu- nate commander and his relations to his officers. In The Star of July 10, 1876, is printed: “Justice to the memory of a peer- less soldier should not be dimmed by a charge of -disobedience of orders without the fullest evidence. That he was and that in the case of the dlfiptur his judgment was for once at fault must be admitted, but that he actually_disobeyed orders would seem to be disapproved by the orders of Gen. Terry, indicated in the following extract: * “The brigadier general commanding | directs that as soon as your regiment can be made ready for the march you proceed up. to Rosebud in pursuit of the Indians whose trail was discovered by Maj. Reno a few days since. It is, of course, impossible to give any defl- nite instructions in regard to this movement, and were it.not impossible to do.so the department commander places too much confidence in ir zeal, enel and ability to ‘w to impose updn you precise orders which might hamper your action when near- ly in contact with the enemy. He will, however, indicate to you his own views of what your action should be, and he ‘desires that you should con- form to them unless you shall see sufficient reason for departing from them.’ “Quite possibly it may yet appear that Gen. Custer acted in direct op- BY ROBERT T. SMALL. America, but by ‘the time we are as old as some of the countries of Eu- rope are today, maybe we will be able to show or tell'them somethjng. The open season for the Liffers’ League of America is on in earnest. The roads are full of them. Yet Lifters would seem to be entirely the wrong word, The Lifters do po lift- ing. They always want to be lifted— and they do not hesitate to ask for ‘what they want. It is a vast tribute to the generosity of American motor- ists that so many of the Lifters sre glyen free transportation from ove end of the country to the other. Hik- ing, ‘it would appear, has lost art in America, The man who starts out to hike stops to be lifted, and the motorist who passes him up iIn the thought that perhaps he really wanted to hike, gets at least a black look if not a black malediction. The difficulty with the lifting situa- tion in America is that there are evil characters on the road as well as de- serving ones. There are at least a few scattered instances of the Lifters turning upon their benefactors and murdering them or stealing their car in an unguarded moment. This has militated against the Lifters and most motorists nowadays look twice before they stop to take on a passenger. . Most of the roadside tourists, how- ) ever, are merely out for adventure. Many of them at this season of the year are college students “bumming” thelr way about the country for the sake of the experience. Many mere boys -and Boy Scouts ask for short- distance rides. Most of the time they merely want a r‘lg:kin one directioh 80 as to get one back in the o ite direction. ore A Swedish student recently at the Pennsylvania School of Forestry, near Waynesboro, was immensely i trigued by the travel tales of his fel. low students and asked them to take him»on a “journey.” He scarcely ba lieved it could be done. But in two Wweeks' time he had been lifted to ‘Washington, to Baltimore, to Phiia- delphia, to Pittsburgh and then baeck to school. The journey was a revela- tion. He promised to take the idea back home, but was afraid it would not work in a country where automo- biles are not so plentiful as in Amenr fca. “Lifting” " will be a pirely :or:l:flfln custom for some time to . . Jewelers in some of the smaller A American cities are endeavoring to introduce into this country the cus- tom of the husband wearing a wed- ding ring as well as the wife. They would go evén farther than this and :m\:; edtho intended bride give the in- en groom an engagement ring, made up of his birthstone or.the stone of the month in which the én- gagement occurred. ¥ Probably it will.be a long time be- fore the American girl can be con- vinced she should give her flance one ring to keep him in line during the ) engagement and another to keép him hitched after the wedding. Then, too, there is the suggestion that some of the timid bachelors of this country, who are afrald all wom- en have designs upon them, might resort to wearing wedding rings on all their journeys away from home to warn the adventuresses away. The “confirmed bachelor” will resort to almost anything. (Copyright. 1926.) This and That By Charles E. Tracewell. After @1 15 sald and done, green re- mains the basic color of the‘;a.rden. Let us never forget this, Plenty of grass and shrubs are a necessity, if one is to have a really pleasing back yard. The yard well carpeted, with fences well lined, gives to the smallest place an air of dis- tinction. It is essential, of course, that the grass be thick and of good color and that the shrubbery be in good health, it one is to secure the results desired. With this matter taken care of through the use of good plants to begin with, and plenty of fertilizer and care after- henmul-‘ any yard will be a thing of ¥, One thinks of flowers, first of all, when one pictures a garden, but it is uestion whether they are not sec- on to grass and foliage, in a gar- \ den that is to be a satisfaction to the owner and other beholders. Nature has taken care of this ques- tion in her usual thorough fashion, causing green to carpet the meadows in the form of various grasses, green to cover the hills in giant trees, green to grow everywhere in the of Wweeds, green to spring up in ponds in lides and algae. How gracious to our sight is green! Sensitive persons experience actual | physical relief, to say nothing of the mental side of it, when they look at a cool.garden. The basic tint of green is what does it. . It is very easy to overlook this pri- mary requirement. Flowers are so interesting, in. themselves, and their tints so &l_llfi‘. that the amateur sardener is likely to neglect the back- position to the ‘views’ indicated by |ground. while this fact would relieve: the latter of the responsibility of the disaster, it would not, under the permission n’nn to Eu‘:termm ‘act u] his own judgmen y him p:anfin charge of positive dis- of orders.” * * * The Custer disaster started a lively public discussion of the methods of the 'Government in Best Indian conducting its trontier campaigns. In The Fighters. gear of Juty 12, 1876, u: Yet, a garden without its various shades would be an absurdity, a nat- ural monstrosity, if such garden could be grown. No matter how beau- tiful the flowers might be, the ‘total effect would be nil, for there would be no_softening effect of green. ¥4 There are, of course, greens and | greens. Some shades of it, even in a garden, 3 st the necessity for well grown plants, each one treated as an individual. -, The amateur, reading, sometimes thinks the expert puts too much stress upon this point, \.mt:cl mflnuly real- was talking about, after all. ¢ To get good greens into the garden is no necessary than to get green at all, and to secure such it is essen- tial that the color be good and 1 better | that shrubs end follage in general be S life o healthy. Thus it becomes essential to sow