Evening Star Newspaper, July 23, 1926, Page 8

¥ Amerios was-made in 1502, and hel terence in the striking force of the' “THE EVENING STAR With Suyday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY. ..July 23, 1928 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company siness Office fMce;, Tower Building. e Buropear Offico: 14 gous St., London, » Englan The Evening Star. with the Sunday vom- ing edition, is delivered by carriers within ety at 60 cents per month: daily only, cents per month: Sunday only. 20 cents per month. Orders may be sent by ‘mail or telephone Main 5000. Tlection is made by carrier at the end of each month. Mail—Payable in Advance. aryland and Virginia. L1y 2.00. 1 mo.. .1yr.. $6.00: 1 mo., .1¥r.,$3.00: 1 mo. Rate by M Emy nd Sunday. ¥ only ... Sunday only . All Other States and Canada. Daily and Sunday 1 yr., $12.00: 1 mo.. $1.00 Dally aa, Sunday § 3% PRk 0011 s >78e 1yr, $4.00:1mo; 35 Member of the Associated Press. The Assoclated Press in exclusively entitled 1o the use for renublication of all news die- stches credited to it or not otherwise cred- ted_in this paper and also the local news published herein. All richts of publication ©of special dispatches herein are also reserved. == A High-Priced Lesson. Although the accounts of survivors and witnesses differ as to the cause of the accldent yesterday when a big sight-seelng bus, carrying sixty-seven merry picnickers, turned over at Sparkill, N. Y., with a loss of life of ten and the serlous injury of all the remaining passengers, it seems to be geners#lly agreed that bad brakes on the bus were responsible for the tragedy. Twenty of those in- jured are expected to dle and those who are fortunate enough to escape death will be saved only through the skill of surgeons and the prompt at- tention that they received, so serious were their injuries. Such a shocking accident as this stresses again the necessity for perl- odical and careful inspection of equip- ment on busses of this type. Human frelght is a precious cargo and slip- shod methods cannot be tolerated, either in equipment itself or in the driving. If the brakes on this bus were in good condition the entire blame must fall on the driver, inasmuch as It was on a wide and dry concrete road that the accident occurred. If the brakes were bad the blame rests equally with the company owning the bus and the driver, who never should have taken the vehicle out of the garage in such condition. ‘Whatever the cause and wherever the blame a lesson should be taught by this accident which should never be forgotten. Inspection should be regular and painstaking, and none but the best of operators should be put in charge of vehicles of. this kind. Of course accidents may happen if every precaution is taken. Brakes and steering wheels have been known to snap with terrible results. This may have been the cause of the accl- dent yesterday, but in view of state- ments by survivors it is evident that a curve in the road was belng at- tempted at high speed with a result- ant loss of control of the huge ve- hicle. Investigation by proper authorities will bring out all phases of this disaster. Until then conjecture can only be given as to the cause. The thing that stands out, however, is the lesson of safety which has been 0 tragically furnished. ————ee—e More Radio. A progressive step in radio is an- nounced. The news will be under- stood by radio fans, but it is a little muddy to persons not afflicted in that way. It seems that the invention will give the sound of radio more amplification, so that the receiving set will give out more sound, that will travel farther and affect more neighbors. If the new amplifying device could be enjoyed only by its owner there would be no occasion for comment, but as the sound will travel farther up and down thetreet, cross more backyards and enter more windows of the neighbors the matter becomes of wide interest. Perhaps all that can be said about the neighbors’ racio has been said and one fears that some of the sayings have lacked dignity and constraint, though they have had the merit of being pithy. ~ The news is: “A private demonstra- tlon was given in the Aeolian Build- ing today of an attachment which amplifies radio sound waves through the plano. synchronization of vibration between the radio waves and the piano sound- ing board and strings, the inventor produced volume several times great- er than possible through the ordinary radio amplifier.” The meaning of this seems to be that the radlo set will be more force- ful. Sets that one hears now will be heard more effectively, and sets that one is deprived of hearing now will add to the harmony, or otherwise. ‘What is really needed is that an in- ventor will bring out a device which will amplify the sound of passenger busses on residence streets at night and which will also amplify the tones of street cars crossing tracks at junc- tion points. ———ee—s Attacking American tourists, al- ways liberal spenders, does not seem in accord with the traditions of French thrift. e - Documents of Columbus. A report comes from New Orleans that & full account of Christopher Columbus’ last voyage, a roster of his crews, their wages and all incidents of the trip are said by Dr. Rudolph Schuler, archeologist, to be contalned In manuscripts brought here by him from Central America. Dr. Schuler has conducted archeological and lin- gulstic research in Central America for twenty-sevén years. Many schol- ars have worked to_ gather data re- lating to Columbus and his four voyages to America, but it need not be assumed that they have found all documents bearing on Columbus’ work. It may be tnat Dr. Schuler has made a rare find. s Phe last voyage of Columbus Lo A SRR DA SR el T8 T Dt B AT L MR LRI JERD S 10 08 F 008 Sl S ST L O ) SR 1 LR |-, 2ol S Taking advantage of the, returned to Spain in 1504, dying at Valladolid two yvears later. The pa- pers of Dr. Schuler would have to do with Columbus' travels along the Caribbean coast of the Isthmus of Darien in seeking to find a passage to the west, which would lead to the ‘Spice Islands. ~ In a history of the Isthmus of Da- rien, or Panama, it is written that “a notary of Triana named Bastidas sailed along the Caribbean coast of the isthmus in 1501, Balboa being one of his compsanfons. At the end of 1502 and beginning of 1503 Columbus carefully examined the region im:mne- diately west of the Gulf of Darien In a biography ‘of Columbus not much is said of his examination of the coast of the isthmus. Much of that chapter has'to do with shipwreck and other trouble. Columbus, made the voyage from Spain in “four slen- der ships,” and, arriving on this side of the Atlantic and desiring to make repairs to his ships, he was refused permission to enter the port of San Domingo, which he had founded on the Island of Hispaniola (Haiti), which he had discovered on his first voyage of 1492. Keeping on his course after this ungracious treatment, it is told briefly that two of his ships were lost In a storm and two wrecked, evidently meaning that they went ashore. These disasters must have come upon the squadron after Columbus had ex- amined the coast of Darien, for after the shipwreck one finds him ‘in Ja- maica, whence he dispatched some of his followers in canoes to San Do- mingo for help. The report is that the governor of that place refusi to help the admiral, but that those who made the voyage in cances pro- cured a ship and relieved Columbus. In that ship he made his return to Spain. A “full account” of the fourth voyage would be a valuable addition to knowledge. e End of the Subway Strike. A strike of motormen and switch- men on one of the New York subway lines, which began on the 6th of this month, ended yesterday, when the strikers, their numbers much depleted by desertions, voted to return to work it the company would regeive them. They are today applying for their old positions, and it is indicated that save perhaps for a few of the leaders the company will restore them to their jobs as rapidly as places are avail- able. This strike was doomed to failure from the start, Indeed, it 1s doubtful whether any strike that interrupts a necessary public service can have a good chance for Success. The public's sympathy is almost invariably against those who seek to deprive the people of the facility they require in their dally movements. In this cass the men who quit work had organized a new union, seceding from that which comprised the entire enrollment of the company. It was a strike against the union. In such ecircumstances there could be no support from the public, and without that support there could be no success. ‘Workers in a public utility service are obligated to give the people the accommodation that their employ- ment guarantees, They may, of course, quit such a sepvice if they are not content with the wages ahd con- ditions that prevail. But when they quit collectively, in an effort to coerce agreement with their terms, they strike at the people as well as at the corporation whose service they are leaving. The strike is a poor weapon for the enforcement of demands. It has suc- ceeded in some cases, but has failed in many more. Rarely does an ad- Jjustment following a strike, especially in a line of public necessity, compen- sate for the losses suffered by the workers during their period of fnac- tivity. This New York strike, lasting only 16 days, has not cost the men as much as some other walkouts, but whatever the cost it has been abso- lute. The men go back to work at the same pay rate as before and they lose their priority standings. In this case, as in others of the same kind, difficulty may arise re- garding the retention of the men who were engaged to replace the strikers. The company raturally wishes to keep them in"reward for their acceptance of service in difficult and even dan- gerous conditions. They maintained the service. Now are they to be dis- placed to make room for the men who deserted their posts? In agreeing to take the strikers back at all the com- pany is yielding somewhat from its prior position. It is to be hoped that in the reception of the strikers the corporation, with regard for the pub- lic service, will put a premium upon loyalty by imposing a penalty upon those who quit their posts. R Many French statesmen are trying to save the franc in spite of the fact that the franc has of late proved to be of vel‘): little help to any statesman. Base Balls From on High. Much is made in dispatches from New York of an achievement by “Babe” Ruth, perhaps America’s best advertised base ball player, who, at Mitchel Field, L. I, yesterday, caught a base ball dropped from an airplane in fiight. Seven balls In all were dropped in the course of the plane's flight, the first from 1,000 feet and finally from 300 feet. Ruth caught the last of these and called it a day. This feat revives recollections of the time when Charles Street, better known as “Gabby,” a catcher on the ‘Washington team, caught a base ball dropped from the Washington Monu- ment. That was about twenty years ago. The trick had often been talked about as a possibility, but Street was the first man to essay it. Several balls re dropped before Street finally managed to get underneath one squarely and to hold' it. Then a few years later, “Billy” Sullivan, catcher of the Chicago American League team, likewise caught a ball dropped from the Monument. The height from which the ball was dropped from the Monument to the ground is just a little over 500 feet, perhaps 504. The ball that Ruth caught from an airplane fell about 300 feet. There is a very material dif- ball in these two cases. The speed of a falling body increases in ratio with the square of the distance, and the addition of 200 feet adds enormously ‘o the fmpact. A ball batted into the air in the course of a game may at- tain a height of 300 feet and in falling have the same force as that which Ruth caught at Mitchel Field. So far as known no ball has ever been batted as high as the Monument and therefore caught from such a height on a playing field. In the Mitchel Field stunt, there was an element absent from the ‘Washington Monument dropping. The balls were dropped from a moving plane and the catcher had to judge the direction and the di! ce just gs he must judge it in course of a game while playing the outfield. ¥et at the Washington Monument when Street and Sullivan caught the balis, there was a factor of difficulty in the air currents that prevail around the shaft. The balls that were dropped took erratic courses, acting, it was said afterward, mych like the “spit- ters” of experts in the art of moist ball pitching. Both at Mitchel Rield and at the Monument the great aif- ficulty was to get the ball squarely in the mitt. Both Street and Sullivan were actually knocked down by the force of the blows, but held the balls. o New York’s Traffic Record. New York City has just completed a six-month record of traffic enforce- ment, which officials of other com- munities would do well to study. The outstanding feature of the New York report, which has just been released, is that ninety-eight per cent of those arrested or summoned were convicted. More than fifty-seven thousand ar- rests were made during the period and more than two thousand of this total were sentenced to jail. This is an impressive record and bespeaks the utmost in co-operation between the various city law enforcement agencies; an example that the Dis- trict of Columbia should seek to emulate. Among the offenses dealt with in the report is the apparently insignifi- cant item of “failing to keep to the right, two thousand three hundred and one arrested.” But this traffic violation is far from being Insignifi- cant, although in many citles, Wash- ington particularly, no attention seems to be paid to it. Activity of the New York police in enforcing this cardinal rule of the road stamps the traffic administration in that city immediately as progressive. Failure to' keep to the right is one of the greatest breeders of accldents, and failure to give way for an over- taking car or speeding up as the overtaking car is about to pass falls in the same category. The first of- fense is often committed because of thoughtlessness, but the second and third only through sheer stupidity and “cussedness.” A few policemen on motor cycles assigned to this city, & few days’ conscientious work, and there would be few of this type of driver roaming through the streets of the National Capital, potential cause of serious motor accidents. By all means Wash- ington should follow the example of New York and take cognizance of this menacing situation. e The weather for the past few days has been no idle topic for conversas tion. The forecaster has seldom been taken so serfously in his efforts to encourage the public to display plous fortitude and hope for the best. o Pacificism is not popular in this country, but a sincere and overwhelm- ing wave of some such sentiment would help Europe's credit ly and perhaps encourage Uncle Sam join the movement unreservedly. Misunderstandings between Ameri- can college boys and French students might be averted by padlocking some of the Paris night clubs. [ —— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Unappreciation. We have the motor speeding swift ‘Where highways are alluring, * Unto the airplane we uplift Our gaze, with hope enduring; And yet mankind proceeds to find A cause for manners scrappy; ‘We have improvements most refined, And still we are not happy! A bit of lightning, well controlled, Promotes communication; ‘Wise yords and jazzy tunes unfold With radio elation, Around the world such words are hurled As. “Howdydo, old chappie!” All sorts of marvels are unfurled And still we are not happy! Scientific Fntervention. “A candidate used to feel upon to kiss all the children.” “It's no-longer_ permitted,” said Senator . Sorghum. _ “I'm mighty thenktul for the gerni theory.” called No Chance - for Orphu.lx.' In politics to be a star You've got to learn some tricks, You never, know just where you are In politics. In politics the music floats Out through the sticks, But brass bands now corral ne votes ?n politics. Jud Tunkins says the music you get over the radio is often so fine that it spoils your taste for the general run of jazz. Rounded Up. “I've been looking all over Crimson Guich for some of the old cowboys and desperadoes. “Go up two blocks and turn the corner. They're all in the motion pic- ture studio.” Relfef. Cold wave is a-comin’ soon, Signs ere hopeful very; Taln't no distance great from June Till next January. “Prayin’ “Taxi! Taxi!" called the young man, comfortably seated on the scaffolding two stories above the street level. Be- low him whizzed the noon-hour traffic of F street. Not more than one driver out of 10 that pdssed the corner~of Fourteenth st:eet paused at the commanding voice of the worker indulging in his lunch and a bit of American humor at one and the same time. ‘When the tenth driver slowed down, however, in response to the mysteri. ous call for his services, the young man was convulsed with laughter, fairly writhing in the sight of all ‘Washington. A _whole new aspect has been given to Fourteenth and F streets by the leveling of the old buildinds there for the construction of a modern one. Now for the first time, jt almost seems, we actually see I street, Standing on the car platform, one suddenly realizes that he is not in Terre Haute, for instance, but in ‘Washington, D. C. Let no one sneer at Terre Haute. There is perhaps no other city, unless it be Detroit, that has a business thoroughfare so re- sembling our own I street. ‘With the buildings razed and a yawning hole taking their place, sur- rounded by wood fences, etc., the street at this point seems narrowed. Perhaps the effect is brought about as the result of contrast, the vacant land stretching back to the buildings on E street. b How susceptible human beings are to changes! Change half a block, and you change the appearance of a whole street. Inhabitants of a city get so ac- customed to accepting their streets, buildings and parks as matters of fact that it takes something out of the usual—such as the National Press Club construction — to make them actually look. ‘We rush hither and yon, each one so intent upon his own precious busi- ness, and fondly expecting that every one else will be interested in it, too, which no one hardly ever is, that he h{.g' scant time to really see his own eity. That is why most of us have to go to some other city, indulge in travel, go to Europe, in order to use aur senses, particularly those of sight, las_co-ordinate with the intelligence. ‘When we visit London our eyes actually become “wide open.” We are alert to everything. The “strangeness” of it all impresses us, and pleases us, giving one of the most durable satisfactions human belngs are given to know. Thus has travel always offered a tremendous lure to all those who have the money and leisure to in- dulge in it. Even Ralph Waldo Emerson, who called it a fool's paradise, made more than one trip across the sea himself, and did more traveling in America on his lecture tours than any other man of his period! Traveling allows a man to use his faculties, always a pleasing thing. Here you are in Washington, going stale on the job. Life seems a bore, and all you see, from one day’s end to the next, is the instrument board of your car. Streets are merely ways of getting from one place to another. TUndoubtedly one of the important subjects Dwight F. Davis, Secretary of War, discussed with President Coolidge at White Pine Camp 'was the future of Gen. Leonard Wodd. Circumstantial reports are current that Gen. Wood is coming home on leave before many months. He has not left the Philippines since Presi- dent Harding appointed him gover- nor general in 1921. In the Army the belief prevails that Wood's days at Manila are numbered. Carmi A. Thompson, the President’s special commissioner now in the Philippines, ranks as Gen. Wood's probable suc- cessor, although the Ohioan has as- serted that he would not consider the governorship if ever proffered to him. Another Philippines story mak- ing the rounds at Washington is that the Bacon bill for detaching the Moro provinces from Filipino @dministra- tion has American rubber develop- ment mainly in prospect. The Moro country is rich in rubber resources, but exploitation of them is obstructed by Filipino opposition” and laws. * ok kK Another matter almost certain to have cropped up in the Secretary of War's conflab with the commander- in-chief of the Army is the impending appointment of a new chiet of staff. If the Army could have itS way, the choice would unquestionably fall upon Maj. Gen. C. P. Summerall, now commander of the 2d Corps Area, with headquarters at New York. Summerall has added to his splendid ‘World War record in France by a fine exhibition of civic leadership in the metropolis since he went to Governors Island a couple of years ago. Many of our military authori- tles think Summerall is the bést all-around soldier in the Army. Fighting under Gen. Chaffee during the China expedition in 1900, it was Summerall and his men who beat down the Boxer gate of Peking, amd opened the way for the allied relief troops. Pershing consfdered Sum- merall one of the A. E. F.s great stand-bys in France. The general is a son of Florida, is 59 years old and has been in the Army for 34 years. * kK Kk Senator James A. Reed has just been in Detroit in the capacity of Henry Ford's special counsel. The motor magnate engaged the Mis- gourl Democrat to conduct the Ford defense in the $1,000,000 libel action instituted against the Dearborn In- dependent by Aaron Sapiro, the young co-operative marketing lead- er. Some preliminary - proceedings required Reed’s appearance in the Detroit court, preceding the trial of the suit in September. Ford's weekly accused Sdpiro of heading a “Jewish conspiracy” to mulct the American farmer through co-operative organi- zatlons and other devices. Sapiro, a Californian and a lawyer, expects to handle his own case when it is before the bar. Nobody who has ever heard him talk to farm meetings has any doubt that Reed will meet his match in forensic skill when he clashes with Sapiro. The Missourian .| happens to be frankly pro-Jewish in his sympathies. One of his recent oratorical masterpieces was @ pane- gyric on that race. * ok ok ok Representative Edith Nourse Rog- ers, Republican, of Massachusetts is spending the congressional recess trying to evolve ways and means of ameliorating the lot of the textile workers in her constituency. Lowell and adjacent regions have been hard hit by the slump in the New Eng- land cotton industry. Unemployment is extensive. Some mills are :shut- down; others are working on part time shifts, Prevailing styles in women's “clothes—mainly the mini- mum thereof worn by the flappers aatron: iie period—are - THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. . Traffic policemen are necessary nuisances to facilitate the objective of your life, getting from the place gou are to the place you want to e. A building is a theater, a hotel, a club—that and. nothing more. Once you are inside, for your life you could not tell whether it is made of white marble or red brick. On the sidewalk the people you meet are only some more folks hurrying from the place they were to the place they want to be. Life is a scurrying from one place to another, and no sooner is one settled than he hops up and starts off again. * ok kK How is it in London? Why, in London town you are as alert as a bull pup. Streets prove tremendously inter- esting. This is the Strand! Think of it, Te; you are actually walk- ing along the Strand! See the shops, see the vehicles, see the people. Watch those interesting bobbles—how much more efficient they seem than our American police! Here is our hotel. Why, it is not 80 high, is it? But how beautifully designed! Note that cornice—see the little gargoyles peering out the gutters—up Jjust underneath the roof there. A very unusual combination of marble and brick, if you ask me. Why can't we have something like that in Washington? Our buildings are so horribly of a sameness. Have you noticed these fresh Eng- lish types walking along? Their stride is so free and easy, from the hip. Not a _one of them looks as if he were walking on eggs. Living here in London seems to mean something to everybody. Why, even that little flower girl there looks interested. Let's buy some of her. ‘What kind of flowers do the flower girls sell? Gee, that sounds as if it might be the title for a music-hall tune, “What Kind of Flowers Do the Flower Girls Sell?” You tell ‘em, Daisy. Har! Har! ‘“Daisies Won't Tell!"” *@x % * If only we could look at Washington with the same seeing eyes we use in London, Cairo, Nice! Then might we see our streets trans- figured, our buildings in their true light, even our tawdriness interesting and somewhat picturesque. In the work-a-day world, the man who deprives another of advancement, the precious feeling of getting ahead in the world, has robbed him of more | than he who steals his purse. So, in our normal city life, those deadening influences that take away from us our ability to see the familiar with fresh eyes have deprived us, robbed us. Given the basic groundwork of health, which also is the sauce of life, one ought to live so as to get the most out of every hour and day. And he can do this, too, If he will only realize the necessity, and struggle slightly against the deadening influences, the forces that would make the interest- ing commonplace and the common- place boresome. Washington is not a commonplace city. There is more to see here, more to be interested in, than almost any WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. other place in the United States, if we will but try to see it with seeing eyes. Nor ought it be necessary to tear down half F street to make us see! | New England. The short skirt and the disappearance of the cotton stocking have, between them, played havoc with a once thriving industry. The development of the South's tex- tile industry has also hurt New Eng- 1a) Dixie mills are said by author- ities to be more up-to-date in methods and equipment than some Massachusetts and New Hampshire plants which so long monopolized the manufacture of cotton and woolen goods. The Department of Commerce has established an_ad- visory office in Cougresswoman Rog- ers’ bailiwick, to see if it can’t help alleviate conditions. * ok k¥ One of the tit-bits of political infor- mation extant in those political circles still circling in Washington concerns’ a reputed offer of Senator James Couzens, Republican Progressive, of MicHigan, to “back” Senator Borah for the presidency. Couzens is sald to have told his friends that he’s ready to “spend a million” to put Borah in the White House. The Michigan statesman, who piled up a huge for- tune out of his business partnership with Henry Ford, intensely. admires Borah. He is‘a good deal wetter than the Idahoan, but Couzens believes that the Demosthenes of the Senate stands \for so much in the realm of constitutionalism, clean politics and good government that prohibition dif- ferences are of minor importance. ‘What discourages Couzens and other Borah fans is, their realization that their hero would never stand hitched, as far as an organization is con- cerned, In these practical days, no- body gets anywhere in politics with- out &n organization, even with a multimillionaire ‘“back” of him. * ok ok ok 1 Congress is adjourned, but the Con- gressional Reecord, like the brook, babbles on. The time-honored system of “Extension of Remarks” is respon- sible. These ‘“remarks” are the un- delivered speeches of statesmen and are published for the purpose of being. franked to constituents. Representa- tive Brooks etcher, Democrat, of. Ohio, recently “extended himself sev- eral thousand words on the burning issue of “The Tragedy of Misunder- stood Youth.” To make certain that his dissertation would not pass un- noticed by casual readers of the Rec- ord, Mr. Fletcher scattered some ar- resting subheadings through his “re- marks.” Here are some of them: “Why Old Folks Knock Young Folks”; “Human Nature Does Not Flip-Flop in a Generation”; “Going on a Verboten Spree in the Slum of the {Imagination,” and ‘“What Happens ‘When We Lift the Lid Off of Hell.” Mr..Fletcher is a Marion, Ohio, Demo- crat. The latest appendix in which \ ‘“extended remarks” appear. has reached page 13,270. But the Sum- raer recess is young. * kK K Senator George W. Norris, Repub- lican Progressive, of Nebraska, is go- ing to take thé stump for William B. ‘Wilson, Democratic candidate for the Senate from Pennsylvania. In Sep- tember and October, when the fight on Vare will be on in earnest, the Nebraskan will campaign all over the State. August 4 is going to be cele- brated by the miners of central Penn- sylvania as “Wilson Day.” From 1900 to 1916 they held such a day each year in honor of the successful conduct of a long strike in 1899 and 1900. The celebration was discon- tinued during the war and has not been renewed until now. The commit- -tee in charge of “Wilson Day” has asked Senators Norris and Glass to deliver addresses. ° (Copyright. 1026.) On Vacation. From the Oklahoma City Oklahoman. & JUddxlnxr;rbTen :he Texas reports, he “depl sit " geel “have Outlines Qualifications. Commissioner of District Must Have Lived Here 3 Yelp. To the Editor of The Star: At this time, when nearly every- body living in the District of Colum- bia is being suggested for the posi- tion of District Commissioner, it 1s well to bear in mind the statutory qualifications for that position. The act of Congress approved July 11, 1878, which the United States Supreme Court denominated “the constitution of the District,” contains the following provisions: “Sectton 15. The President of the United States, by and with the ad- vice and consent of the Senate, is hereby authorized to appoint ‘two persons, who, with an officer of the Corps of Engineers of the United States Army, whose lineal rank shall be ahove that of captain, shall be Commissioners of the District of Co- lumbia, and who, from and after July 1, 1878, shall exercise all the powers and authority now vested in the Com- missfoners of sald District, except as are herelnafter limited or provided. and shall be subject to all restrictions and limitations and duties which are now imposed upon said Commission- ers.” Section 19 of this “constitution of the District” reads: . “The two persons appointed from clvil life shall, at the time of their appointment, be citizens of the United States, and shall have been actual residents of the District of Columbia for three years next before their appointment, and have, during that period, claimed residence nowhere else.” . “Actual residence” is held by the courts to mean physical presence. In the case of Commissioner New- man, the District Court of Appeals | held that “The real place of abode is the sort of residence Congress had in mind when it embodied the require- | ment of actual residence in the Dis- | trict of Columbia, in the provision of the act of June 11, 1878, prescrib- | ing the qualifications for the office of Commissioner of the District; and a person to mest the requirement must reside in fact within the District, and not merely in contemplation of la: The courts hold that there is difference between “actual residence’ and ‘“domicile”; that “actual resi- dence” means personal presence, whereas one may have a domicile in a place from which he is absent from time to time. A man may have his “domicile” in one place and his “ac- ual residence” in another at the same time, as the question of “domicile” turns upon intention and purpose of mind and not upon “actual residence.” | The courts hold, however, that inten- tion and purpose of mind cannot con- stitute “actual residence.” Mere con- | structive residence may constitute | “domicile”; but such residence is not what was meant by the act of Con- gress. A constructive resident has no better opportunities for knowing the | wants and rightful demands of the people than a non-resident and is as much beyond the wholesome influence of direct contact with them. While the case of Commissioner Newman was appealed from the Dis- trict Court of Appeals and the de- cision of the Court of Appeals was overruled by the Supreme Court, it will be recalled that the Supreme Court based its decision on the point | that the person who brought the suit against the Commissioner did not have such an interest in the matter as gave him the right to bring the suit. The Supreme Court did not pass on the question of Mr. Newman's qualifica- ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. On what kinds of trees does Eng- lish. mistletos grow?—L. S. A. The Kuropean mistletoe grows on kinds of trees, particularly the apple and its close relatives, the service and ha ; sometimes, also, on sycamores, limes, poplars, locust trees and firs, but rarely on oaks (contrary to the commons belief). In the United States the mistletoe oc- ocurs upon various species of hardwood trees from New Jersey to Missouri and southward. Q. When did Lloyd George speak in this country after the War?— Ll - 3 - A. Lioyd George visited the United States, arriving October 5, 1923, and made many addresses, speaking in 22 cities. His princlpal address was made in the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, on Novem- ber 1, and by means of the radio his speech was carried to more than 1,000,000 hearers. Q. Jam, ma S. M. ‘What is the difference between e and butters?—C. A. As a rule, only the small fruits of which the whole may be used are utilized in jam making. The fruit is crushed in the juice so as to produce a homogeneons mixture. Butters are more smooth and more mixed than jams. For this purpose fruits which contain a large proportion of fleshy material are used. Butiers are fur- ther characterized by the frequent use of spices and other flavoring agents. Marmalades stand midway between jams and butters. Larger fruits than those for jams are used. ¥ruits whose pulp will not produce the smooth consistency desirable in & butter are used in marmalade mak- ing. By slight differences in prepara- tion, the same fruit may make either a marmalade or a butter. For exam- ple, if peaches are cooked until soft before adding the sugar, the resulting consistency is that of a,butter. If the sugar is added at the beginning of the operation, the pulp is preserved in small pieces rather than being re- duced to a smooth paste. This ve- sults in a marmalade. Q. When was the Authors’ League of America formed?—G. W. R. A. It was founded in New York City in 1912. Its main purposes are to procure adequate copyright legis- to hav{ sent more soldlers in pro. portion to military population than any other State. Q. Why will baking powder put out a fire?—A. K. A. Baking powder is thrown om small fire because tho leat will de- compose it, producing carbon dioxide, while the acid salts themselves wili fuse and coat the burning materials and extinguish the fire. ; Q. How many business fallures were there in 19257—R. C. A. The total was 18,858. The de- crease in number over 1924 was 4.3 per cent, and in liabilitles 31 per cent. Q. Should one say, “The family is” or “The family are”’?—G. M. F. A. Such words as the one about which you have inquired are collective nouns and take singular or plural predicted according to the meaning intended. Q. Where is the geographic center of the District of Columbia?—T. K. A. Near the corner of Fourth and L streets northwest, according to computations made by the United States Geological Survey. 0. How many persons of voting age are citizens>—M. C. ‘A. In 1920 there were 60,886,520 men and women of voting age in the United States, Of thesa 54,421,823 were citizens either native or nat- uralized. Q. Can a person dun any one a debt on a post card?—T. L. McC A. The Post Office Department says that it is a violation of the law to call the attention of a person to a debt on a postal card. for Q. What spot in Chicago is called “the busiest corner in the world"?— A. A C. A. Corner of State and Madison streets is thus referred to in Chicago. Q. Why are silos round in form?— A. Round' silos are more easily reinforced to withstand the bursting pressure and have no corners for air pockets, making it possible to pack the green feed as tightly as preserves in a glass. Gen. Robert E. Lee said: “The lation, protect copyrightable material and assist its members in the disposal of their work. Q. What are places called where bicycle races are held?—C. M. A. They are known as velodromes. Q. Which State sent the greatest number of Confederate soldiers into action?—W. A. R. A. Virginia furnished the largest number of soldiers to the Confederate Army. We do not say that this was in_proportion to population, for we believe that North Carolina claims Jeremiah Smith, American lawyer and financial expert, who refused to live in a palace while restoring the tions or eligibflity in that case. It will thus be seen that the opinion of the District Court of Appeals is final on the question of the meaning of the term “actual residents” of the District, used in_the act of Congress. CHAS. M. EMMONS, M. D., LL. M., President Fast Washington Citizens’ Asspciation. Doubts Annuity Cost. Reader Holds Actuaries’ Figures Err in Figuring Deaths. solvency of Hungary, and then de- clined to accept his pay of $100,000, instantaneously becomes a national figure. Working under commission from the League of Nations, he has successfully concluded his two years’ task. When the check was offered to him, he sald: “Your poor need it more than I do. “Mr. Smith is reported in dis- patches, remarks the Worcester Telegram, “as ‘not rich.’ He is very rich. He is almost the richest man we can think of; rich in selflessness, rich in usefulness, rich in greatness of spirit. He does more than help the poor of Hungary. He inspires the development of a finer and broader To the Editor of The Star: Again the statement is being made humanity. He gives the world the that the civil service retirement laws, both the old and the new, are actually helpful spectacle of a brilliant intel- lect serving the ends of a kindly and generous heart. Rich, we said he costing the Government $17,000,000 was. He is opulent. He is surcharged per annum—this time by Represent- ative Tilson, Republican leader of with those riches of the mind and the House. All the expense that I spirit which the world never envies and_would be a better world did it can see so far that the retirement has more covet. Mr. Smith has_given cost the Government is the actual ad- ditional clerical cost necessary to its administration, I can find no appro- Hungary $100,000 and the United States something to be proud of. And the prouder we are of him, the more priation of any sum whatever to pay retired emploves since the original approving will be the eyes of those who look upon us.” The Albany enactment of the law. Only the actuaries’ figures, based on what I belleve to be an unfavorable Evening News also expresses the ew that while he is not a rich man, e knows what real riches are. basis, show a possible cost to the Gov- There was opportunity to serve,” con- ernment far in the future of large tinues the News, “and he served. He sums, which they evidently prorate t the date of the original law. * has done other great service for America and for other nations with- The death rate of, annuitants, ex- tremely high, will knock their expert out compensation. He is the kind of a man that is rare. And because hu- calculations sky-high, like the actu- aries who fixed the insurance company mankind usually serves for pay, men rates for insurance high in expecta- tion .of the then standard death rate who, like Mr. Smith, serve for nothing surprise the world.” “We might assemble a colony of continuing, and have been astounded statesmen,” says the Charlotte Ob- by the reduced death rate. server, “and be able to pick out only But that has been effected by a low death rate in the lower ages, raising one or two of the same of Commlis- sioner Smith. No doubt he needed the general expectation of life cohsid- the money, for he had even refused erably. But our eclvil service actu- aries, at this late period, after the insurance men had published their to allow the people of Hungary to pay his expenses, covering residence among them for a period of two years: mistake, have gone far in the other but when the tender was made of direction to err. It is plainly evident pay for the services he had rendered, so far that the death rate of civil service annuitants is very high. The came the instant response that the poor of Hungary needed it more than figures from the beginning of the law until June 30, 1926. show that about he did. And then note: He did not dispose of the money in his own name. He turned it back as ‘a gift from the 28 per cent are already dead and no longer drawing annuities. I personally, after comparing all the varlous methods of eomputing annuity costs, fall to see where the American people.” The unselfish Com- missioner Smith, by his simple act of establishing a condition of better un- derstanding and good fellowship, United States Treasury will have to profited his own country a milllon pay out one red cent of any other tax money in its possession, other than times more than he would have profit- ed if he had received a hundred thou- the deduction collected from the pos- sible annuitants themselves. THOMAS J. McGOWAN. o Annuities Not Clear. Writer Says Varied Interpreta- tions of Methods Confuse. To the Editor of The Star: The whole cargo of the retired em- ployes of the Government is at sed, owing to the many varied statements afloat regarding the increase which we are to receive under the new re- tirement law. The bill is couched in good English, vet there seems to be a wide difference in the calculations of different persons. . I fail to see just how Mr. Alcorn gets his figures or method of calcu- lating. If Mr. Alcorn’s statement in your paper of the 15th is correct, then the statement made by Mr. Lehlbach, author of the bill, on the floor of the House is all wrong. Mr. Lehlbach stated that all of the pres- ent maximum annuitants would re- ceive, under the new bill, 40 per cent Increase over the present annuitant. Forty per cent of $60 is $24, which, added tabour present $80, would give us the maximum under the new bill. Then, again, it seems the calculating of the annuity for those receiving less than $1,500 differs from those re- ceiving $1,600, by allowing such an- nuitants the advantage' of all the time served ‘since their original ap- pointment. The last clause of section 4 of the bill, after stating how those re- ceiving = $1,600 shall be computed, states plainly “that for the purposes of this act all periods of service shall be computed in accordance with sec- :&nshm"imminyl sand dollars.” * ok ko “The story is being ended in Hun- gary on precisely the right note,’” ac- cording to the Richmond News Leader, which finds cause for satis- faction in “the prestige that comes to the League of Nations from the termination of the financial control of Austria and Hungary.” The De- troit News reviews the incident in Budapest, concluding: “And so, with |- a noble gesture, closed a nobly per- formed _task.” The Indianapolis News offers the tribute: “Mr. Smith has given an example of what the spirit of service can be made to mean. Such instances of unselfish devotion to the rehabilitation of a nation and a people are landmarks not to be for- gotten in appraising the present.” The Providence Journal states, simi- lar vel r. Smith's philosophy is so wholesome ,that he deserves recog- nition and approval. He has empha- sized the need of unselfish service in our day and generation. He is not a rich man, but he s unwilling to spoil, in his own mind, the quality of his service. America welcomes him, not merely as a successful financier who has lifted a nation out of a finan- cial slough, but as a man on whose notable achievement the stamp of high-minded disinterestedness rests.” The Knoxville Sentinel suggests ful ther that “the man who sends his dol- lars out into the highways and by- ways is the man who is really charl- table.” _ “The donation of his two years’ sal- et amount of any benefit provided in this act “shall be computed from the date of original employment, whether as a or. unclassified em- ploye, ete. Now, considering all of these facts, I fail to see how Mr. Alcorn obtains Jeremiah Smith’s Refusal Of Pay Brings Him Fame thorough education of people is the most efficacious means of promoting the prosperity of the Nation.” These words of the distinguished Southern general are none the less true mow than when he spoke them. Our Wash- ington Information Bureaw is one of the greatest agencies for the distribu- tion of free information and educa- tional data in the world. Its services are free to readers of this paper. All you meed to do is to send in your query, together 1with 2 cents in_stamps for refurn postage. Address The Evening Star Informatise Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Directa, Washington, D. C ary to the Hungarian government.”™ says the Canton Daily News, “ex- presses, first, the confldence which this great American economist has in the Hungarian people and the faith he possesses in their ability to carry on and to follow the program he has placed in operation for the league. It expresses beyond that, and more em- phatically, the bellef he has in the League of Natfons, which took Hun- gary, a broken derelict, and restored it. Beyond all elSe, the gracious act of Jeremiah Smith expresses the spirit of the league.” The Jackson Citizen Patriot concedes that ‘“un- doubtedly Mr. Smith is a dreamer.” but maintains that ‘“he evidently is dreaming of the time when good will and international understanding will be universal.” The Seattle Dally Times emphasizes the outstanding value of Mr. Smith's services to Hungary, as it recalls that “recently at a public meeting at Budapest min- isters of the government praised his wofk in extravagant terms,” and that “he was hailed as a financial genius who had pulled Hungary out of an awkward position.” * ok * X “Hungary was, eight vears ago, an enemy nation,” remarks the Lincoln State Journal, continuing: “It was one of the Central powers against whom we were waging war. If we will read our histories, we will find that such graceful acts as this of Jeremiah Smith are a magical sur- gery for the removal of scars of war and dissolving dislikes and suspicions between peoples.” The Brooklyn ily Eagle adds that “he is identify- ng himself as an individual with the highest spirit of Americanism,” and that he “accepts for himself our Na- tion’s idea of service instead of ag- grandizement.” The Asheville Times cites the European view that “Amer- icans are dollar chasers,” but feels that “it will be hard to make Hunga- rians believe that estimate.” “We take it that there will be a wery general disposition to make it a case of hats off to Jeremiah Smith,™ declares the Manchester Union of the American appreciation of his acts, and the Baltimore Sun offers the com- ment, in relation to his preference for “the consciousness of service in be- half of an unfortunate people rather than a fee,” that “doubtless Mr. Smith has taken the reward that means more to him. But Americans will be proud that they still breed men whose self-attention so expresses itself. ‘They left our heads.” The Cincinnati Times-Star explains that “FKurope has discovered an efficient American to Americans,” and the Louisville Times concludes that “America must put Jeremiah Smith among its exalted.” THINK IT OVER How te Get a Start. By William Mather Lewis, President George Washington Univeraity ‘When I recently asked a leading Chicago ,engineer what course would ba particularly valuable to senior college students looking forward to a career in industry, he promptly re- plied “stenography.” And then he went on to say that & young man of good education acting as the private secretary of an executive wouid gain more insight into the conduct of the enterprise fn a year than he would in 10 years under the old method of working up through varlous depart- ments. No less than six vice presi- dents of various Chicago corporations were at one time private secrataries o; . :lmtln outsawding destrial chief in that city. Now it may not be possible for the college to include in its regular cur- riculum the necessary in in typewriting and shorthand. But that does not bar the ambitious from getting such training in &n in- stitution ng along these lines at the, same time that he is working for a degree. Very few ccllege stu- dents are dolng so much work that they cannot find an hour In the day for this extra activity. And although it may not carry Wwith it coliege “credit” 1t will carry with it very large pructical credit when the young man . stands in the boss’ office and s cross- uu‘l(lnud“u to why he shouid be