Evening Star Newspaper, August 27, 1926, Page 8

\ NG STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. ‘.nIDAY.......,Augun 27, 1926 :THEODORE W. NOYES. . The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11t 81 P BT ivania Ave g, York gé«:',}"x"n’z:;:x :",.‘nd st < cago Offioe To i Zuropean onm-:'ul fi{fefl- St.. London. and. The Evening Star. with the Sundas morn- 108 edition. in delivered by carriera within 1he city at G0 cents per month: daily only, 45 cents per month: Sunday only, 20 cents > per month. Orders may be gent by mail or _ telophone Main 5000. Collection is made by carrier at the end of each month. . Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. B‘"’ and Sunday....1yr.$0.00:1mo. ally only . ... .S8.00: 1 mo.. Sunday only [lill11yr.$3.00:1mo . All Other States and Cana Patly and sunday - yr. $12.00: 1 mo. <1, ily only .. . K00 1Tmo. T unday only [ . 1¥r. $4.00:1mo. Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Pro: exclusively entitled 20 the usa for renublication of all news dic. I l)l!r‘hm credited to it or not otherwise cred- ted in this paper and aleo the local news ublished herein. All rights of publication 2 special dispatches herein are also reserved. The Capital's Growth. Washington is not only growing -mctually, but relatively. It is advanc- ing In total population and gaining ground in the “standing of cities.” For three decades, covered by the ‘census enumerations of 1860, 1870 and 1880, Washington stood eleventh in urban population in the United States. Tn 1890 it dropped to thir- teenth place, in 1900 to fifteenth place and in 1910 to sixteenth. Cities like Detroit, Cleveland and Los Angeles grew much more rapidly and passed it in the list. The census of 1920, howev showed that it had over- taken Newark and Cincinnat, and it went into fourteenth place. Recent estimates by the Commerce Depart- ‘ment show that Washington has out- stripped Milwaukee in its growth and 15 now in thirteenth position, the same relative status that it held thirty-six vears ago. According to these figures, the Capital now has 528,000 inhabitants, an increase of 91,000 in six years, while Milwaukee, with 517,000 at present, gained only 60,000. Above Washington now are in order up- wards Buffalo, with 544,000, San Franclsco, with 567,000; Los Angeles, with at least 576,000—this being the 1920 population, with no new esti- mates; Pittsburgh, with 637,000; Bos- Yon, with 787,000; Baltimore, with 808,000; Cleveland, with 920,000; De- troit, with 1,290,000; Philadelphia, with 2,008,000; Chicago, with 3,048,000, and New York, with 5,924,000. ‘Washington does not grow big merely in terms of population. It has no special aspiration to be a “million city.” Other cities that have reached or are approaching the mil- lion point have more area than that which is potential here, and, more- over, have built up their populations through the development of large in- dustries attracting great numbers of workers. Washington is and will re- main a governmental, residential and mercantile city, with only a small -percentage of manufacturing. It will be a city mainly of homes. In these conditions its growth is remarkable. During the past twenty-six years it has nearly doubled in size. The war , brought many newcomers here, some temporarily, some to remain. The depletion of the Government depart- ments from the war-time period has been about. concluded. The census of 1920 showed some of that diminution. The mid-census estimates now an- ‘nounced indicate the normal growth of the Capital in terms that promise 550,000 population at least in the enu- meration of 1930. _ Were it possible to incorporate within the “city limits” of Washing- ton the towns and villages lying with- in the metropolitan area but actually in Maryland and Virginia, the Cap- ftal's population would at present be Pprobably greater than Baltimore, and possibly Boston, which have, respec- tively, 733,000 and 748,000 inhabitants. But this is not possible. Other cities expand through territorial enlarge- ments, but when Washington reaches its specific boundaries as now estab- lished it must stop. The highest ambition of the Wash- ingtonian is not to dwell in a numert- cally great center of population, but to develop an ideal place of residence, with every possible facility for secu- ity and comfort, with attractive sur- _roundings A better Washington, rath- er than a greater Washington, is the desire of the Capital community. e—— Having tried beauty contests and a homicide mystery as means of pub- Hecity, New Jersey may another yvear be content to resume relations with the comparatively quiet and orderly * @ea serpent. ——— e The Business Map. Fact telling by pictures and by dia- grams is much more graphic than by words and visualizes the situation to more people than the most effective text. Each month the Nation's Busi- ness, published by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, pre- sents a picture of the state of busi ness throughout the country that vividly illustrates conditions, espe- clally as it consists of a showing not only of the current month, but of the month preceding and the correspond- ing month in the vear previous. Thus at a glance it is possible to obtain a veritable motion picture of the busi- mess conditlons of the United States. It is a valuable contribution to public understanding. The latest “‘nation’s business” map, reflecting conditions as of August 1, shows an encouraging change from the July map. The black spots, sig- nitying “quiet” business, are less nu- merous, and the white spots, meaning “good” business, have increased and are larger in area. Maine, which was black a wonth ago, is now gray, sig- nitying “fair” Vermont remains in \the dark zone. A black spot has de- veloped on thie southern border of cen- tral New York and at the western end. Black spots remain around Jackson, Miss., and below and east of St. Louis, though the latter has|nored, forgotten or lost. This is an | classified as jay-walkers in de world . phrunk in area, The biack spot that interesting A - | which for some years has been white. | was around Little Rock has vanished, and likewise one that circled Denver. South Dakota has become solidly in- stead of partly black, and the “quiet” zone has covered the western end of North Dakota. Meanwhile white zones have enlarged around Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Indianapolis, Bir- mingham and at Qklahoma City, covering the whole of Oklahoma and half of Kansas, and have appeared at | Omaha, at both edges of Washington and the northwestern part of Idaho, around San Francisco, and over the | whole State of Arizona and the west- | ern third of New Mexico. The south- ern California zone of white, center- ing at Los Angeles, has spread north- ward. A year ago there were only | three white zones of moment—the | Flotida peninsula, an area covering | parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota and bits of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, in addition to the traditional Los Angeles sector, At the same time a year ago there were only three dark spots, around Pittsburgh and in the West Virginia coal regiovs, the southern portions of Indiana and Illinois, and in the south central part of Texas. At present nearly half of Texas, comprising north and south portions, is white. This current map shows a prosper- ity reaction in important sections, comprising the industrial and agricul- tural centers. July appears to have been a month of varied happenings in business, with a generally fayor- | able tendency. But for the collapse of the Florida boom, which when it was at its height carried the white zone far north and west of that State, this current map would be in comparison with 1925 a token of ex- ceptionally good conditions throughout the country. These maps are based upon detalled reports of financial, mercantile and industrial happenings and afford an instructive index to the state of the country. et An Epic of the Air. Modern air transportation will probably be a material factor in the complete recovery of Lieut. ‘Cyrus K. Bettis, although it was the means of giving him the injuries from which he is now suffering. The Army avi- ator, who holds world speed records, crashed in the Pennsylvania moun- talns near Bellefonte in a heavy fog on Monday. With a leg broken and other injuries, Lieut. Bettis found himself strapped in his wrecked plane THE EVENING the general thriftiness of the people of this country, especially of the class of people who are stock owners. The holders of these securities are gener- ally of a highly intelligent character, aware of values and of opportunities. Yet values to the extent of three- quarters of a million dollars were dissipated in this transaction through misunderstanding or thoughtlessness or indifference. s E— A Life-Saving Invention. An invention that has great poten- tialities in the saving of lives was given a successful test recently when a parachute attached to the top of an airplane brought the ship safely to the ground after the engine had been cut off and the pilot had relin- quished the controls. Although the plane was slightly damaged when it landed, the aviator was uninjured and the test was pronounced satisfactory. Observers of the experiment state that had a landing been made on level ground instead of a hillside there would have been no damage to the plane. The parachute, which is fifty feet in diameter, was opened at an altitude of two thousand five hundred feet. The engine was killed and the pilot sat back to await developments. The plane drifted steadily downward, os- cillating slightly as it neared the ground. When it landed, the pilot hopped jubllantly out to recelve the | congratulations of the onlookers. 1f parachuted airplanes prove prac- tical—and from the result of this test there is every reason to believe they will, at least for smaller ships—the element of danger in flying will be materially reduced and many lives will be saved. Aviators seldom go aloft nowadays without a parachute firmly strapped to their bodies. It is merely a following out of the same theory to have parachutes attached to the planes. There is always a slight jar in l.nd- ing with a parachute. It takes skill- ful manipulation to prevent this shock from being severe. The same thing has been shown to hold true when the parachute is bringing a plane to earth instead of a human. In both cases, however, the life is saved, which 1s the primary object. Further experiments of this inven. tion will be watched with interest, as a safety development for afrplanes of this kind is a boon for the science of flying. —voo—s miles from civilization. Knowing that it would be hard for searchers to locate him in the dense forest of the mountain into which he had driven his machine, the flyer decided that his only chance of salvatign was to crawl to some more accessfble point. On hands and one knee, suffering intense agony with every movement, Lieut. Bettis dragged himself three miles to a main highway, where he was picked up and rushed to a hos- pital. His tortuous journey through the underbrush took him six hours. A close examination at the hospital showed the aviator to be suffering serious if not fatal injuries. Facil- ities were not available at the insti- tution to give him the proper treat- ment. It was accordingly decided that he should be transported at the first possible moment to a completely equipped hospital. Instructions were then given from the surgeon general's office here for the Army ambulance plane to pro- ceed at once to Bellefonte and, if conditions were favorable, to bring Lieut. Bettis to Walter Reed Hospi- tal. Rushing to Bellefonte from Bolling Field yesterday, the ambu- lance plane, with a doctor and two pilots aboard, picked up the stricken flyer and made the one-hundred-and- eighty-five-mile return trip in two hours. Lieut. Bettis is now resting comfortably in Walter Reed, with the best surgical care and attention of the Army at his disposal. And so what threatened for a time to be a tragedy now turms into a potentially happy drama in which alrcraft played both the villain and the hero. Of course, the decisive factor in the saving of this intrepid fiyer was his own grit and courage in the face of almost insurmountable obstacles, but nevertheless the speed and comfort of his trip to Walter Reed had a part in promoting his ultimate recovery. In no other way would it have been feasible to bring the aviator to Washington, and to the Medical Corps of the Army must go credit for the development and efficiency of its first ambulance air- plane. o As an accomplished politiclan Gov. Al Smith could scarcely be expected to submit & 1926 presidential boom to two years' systematic punishment. e Three-Quarters of a Million Lost. One of the largest utility corpora- tions in this country a few weeks ago announced a new issue of stock avail- able to its shareholders at par, though the stock securities were then selling at nearly fifty per cent above par. The value of this issue at par would be $154,000,000. It was a gift of great worth to the stockholders and there was reason to expect that every share would be taken and every “right” would be claimed or sold. Yet when the last day for the transaction had passed, after many weeks of no- tice, rights to the value of about $750,000 had not been exercised, through neglect or carelessness on the part of the stockholders. While this was only less than half of one per cent of the total issue, it represents a very large sum lost through inat- tention, confusion of mind or procras- tination. Nobody benefited by this faflure on the part of the holders of the $750,000 worth of rights to claim them or to sell them. Probably in most cases they were fractional. Un- der the proposition one share of new | stock would be issued for each six | shares of old. Thus, one share of old stock represented a right to one-sixth | of a share of the new. These sixths, | however, were worth several dollars | each. They could be sold in the mar- ket. and the company itself offered facilities for their disposal Within | easy reach of all shareholders. Yet | thousands of these rights were 1541 viow 0f Marvels of science multiply and grave men are wondering what will happen if any chemist ventures to explode an atom. The sclentist has an inquisitive mind that is often more or less whimsical. He is in present danger of finding himself regarded with something of the same appre- hension that attaches to the small boy who sits down on a keg of gun. powder and proceeds to play with a box of matches. ———————— The high cost of living causes de- mand for higher wages. Higher wages increase the eost of housing and production. The calculations in- volved become confusing, in the alter- nate substitution of effect for cause and cause for effect. S Burglars secure a few hundred dol- lars and leave behind the plain evi- dence that their operations were a failure, 1n view of the enormous risk they ran. Foolish money is destined Inevitably to be dissipated by fools. ————————__ Mussolini is intent on restoring the splendors of ancient Rome. An eco- nomical handling of the tips of Amer- ican tourists will go far toward at- taining the admirable object. ——e——s Farmers pray for rain. Speculators pray for a scarcity, which will compel higher prices. There is need for an intelligent get-together movement, B A presidential vacation resultslarge- ly in transferring the hard work of political news gathering from the White House to White Pine Camp. R SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Eternal Foolishment. Jes' foolishness! The passing smile; The idle song meant to beguile— The mighty show of worldly gain— Melt in & memory refrain. Here is a tomb, with splendors rare. A monarch youth is resting there, His glories now seem more or less Jes’ foolishness! Jes’ foolishness! Evidence of Prosperity. “The country was never so pros- perous as it is today.” “That is obviously true,” answered Senator Sorghum. “Only extraordi- nary prosperity could provide leisure for the discussion of so many queer subjects that don't really amount to anything.” Neighborhood Noise. You cannot keep a chicken In the city; More’s the pity— While radio may thicken The alr with tunes that sicken, 'Mongst monologues non-witty You cannot keep a chicken In the city; More's the pity! Jud Tunkins says the things people say about you after you are dead often sound like efforts to square themselves for ‘what they said while you were living. Bargaining. “Father says he'll take me to the circus if I am a good boy,” said one angel child. “Don’t let him fool you, the other. “The last circus was no good." Successful Fishing Trip. “Where have you been?" “ishing. “Any luck?” “Lots.” “Whajja catch? “Three aces in the draw.” “Dem dat can't follow de straight an’ narrow path in dis life,” said Un- cle Eben, “is liable to find deirselfs o come.* STAR, WASHINGTO: i D. O, FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1926. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. A naive real estate advertisement recently showed a little girl blithely rolling a, hoop up the front walk of the home which the realtor had every intent and purpose of selling. What was wrong with that draw- ing? Nothing much, except that children no longer roll hoops. We haven't seen a child roll a hoop for so long we have forgotten what hoops look like. The nearest one will come to it these days is seeing some ambitious youngster careen a spare tire down the street. An automobile tire, however, cannot be called a “hoop,” under any circum- stances, except by poetical license. The boy rolling the spare is not do- ing it for the fun of the thing, but simply in a clumsy attempt to excite the admiration of his fellows. The real.art of hoop rolling calls for none of this admiration, either by one’s self or from others, but depends solely upon the inner satisfaction of the artist with his job. In a day when the love of the crafts- man for his work seems vanished, how can one expect the children to roll hoops with the proper spirit? If the old man doesn’t seem to give a whoop whether he does a sloppy job of brick- laying or not, how can the kids he ex- pected to roll hoops with aplomb? As a matter of fact, children no longer make any attempt to roll them. In the first place, the proper hoops are lacking. Barrels are hard to get, in a city, and carriages are a thing of the past. The fine wire hoops, which were the best of all toroll, have passed with the passing vears. The basic material is lacking. Yet hooprolling once was good sport. 1t brought into play the great mus- cles of the legs, thereby increasing the demand for air, building out the chest. Above all, it developed that co-ordination of hand and eye which is one of the real gains of true ath- letics. % k X ¥ Rolling of hoops thus had in it some of the best features of perfect ath- letics, as any physical director will tell you, but because girls often ex- celled in the sport, it was looked upon by boys as a femmine accomplish- ment. That was in the day when it was not generally realized that there is no real reason why girls cannot be as ex- pert as men in some sports. In those days swimming was not regarded as a woman’s sport at all. Today wit- ness what Gertrude Ederle has done. The rolling of hoops was a good oc- casional sport. Like Kkite-flying, it would not do for everyday practice. There were no ‘hoop-rolling leagues,” of course. No child rolled hoops every day. It was just something he had a hankering to do and did, as children today take up roller skating by spasms. ‘When some adventurous youth ap- peared on the block with a hoop, ca- vorting hither and yon, a small stick gulding the circle, every other child immediately had an urge to do like- wise. There was a scurrying, then, for barrels and old wagons. The most coveted hoop was the thin spiral of steel, which rolled as if on wings. The wooden hoops off barrels often refused to roll true. A lop-sided hoop would go almost anywhere except where you wanted it to go, a tendency ‘which most lop-sided things possess. The hoop would be going along the sidewalk nicely enough, when the next buffet of the stick would send it in a wild roll directly into the street. There were no automobiles in the streets in those days, but one was for- bidden to run across, just the same. Now it is automobfies, then it was runaway horses. It s always some- thing. Rolling lost its savor.in a day or s0. Even proponents of the sport had to admit it. There was nothing to do but roll! As far as our recollection goes, no child genius invented any hoop game. Of course, there was some mild form of competition, but noth- ing to put life into the party. If only the man who invented bas- ket ball (for girls) had put his mind to work on hoops! Perhaps the diameter and width might have been standardized. There would have been hoop-rolling contests in all the cities by this time, perhaps even inter- national championships. Bobbie Jones might have been roll- ing hoops tbday, instead of knocking golf balls. The huge possibilities of this child- ish sport, however, were overlooked, with the result that today even a pic- ture of a child rolling a hoop is an anomaly. It simply isn't done. The children of today have skooters, and the ever-standard velocipede, and toy automobiles and a multitude of other instruments of play. They ‘“go in” for sports of all kinds, even the ones formerly held sacred to their elders. It is a physical day and age, properly enough, for the first duty of man is to be a good animal, as Herbert Spen- cer said. \ In all this sports enthusiasm the simple old-time hoop has no place. The modern boy wants his hoops— four of them—at the bottom of a ve- hicle. He will let the engine do the rolling, if you please. £ b The idyllic place for hoop-rolling was, many years ago, at a certain sea- shore resort, which boasted a board- walk of rather uneven boards but none the less sturdy. The several miles which this walk stretched afforded the finest place in the world to roll hoops, since there were very few persons walking up and down it during the afternoon. These were the hours when the chil- dren could and did disport themselves in_hoop-rolling. The great sport came when a wind was blowing directly up or down the beach, Then there was no necessity for ap- plying the stick to the hoop except to guide it. The wind did the rolling. Even the thinnest steel hoop, with a diameter of scarcely a quarter of an inch, was given such speed by the brisk sea breeze that it was necessary to retard the rolling circlet with the stick. Generally this was easily accom- plished, the stick acting as a sort of perpetual half-applied brake to hold back the bounding hoop. Every afternoon, as long as the wind held its position, dozens of chil- dren could be seen on the boardwalk, running after what appeared to be self-rolled hoops. Occasionally, however, a hoop would gather speed, until the small legs ac- companying it could not keep up. Then, with a wild burst, the wind would catch the hoop and roll it out of the outstretched hands. Away it would go, running wild, straight down the boardwalk by itself. Sometimes such a hoop would roll for several blocks before it would be de- flected by a bad board. Then it would twist to one side, plunge off the walk and fall into the yellow sand, to be rescued by its pant- ing owner. The one drawback to this wind roll- ing sport was that the wind blew only one way at a time. When the hoop was rolled north by the wind, the child had to walk back to the other end of the boardwalk, since it was impossible to roll a thin hoop against such a breeze. Kellogg Speech Accepted As Showing U. S. Peace Hope American reaction to the address of Secretary of State Kellogg at Platts- burg, at the dedication of a memorial to an American naval hero, has been of such a nature as to indicate hope of an ultimate plan of progressive dis- armament. The regional idea of ob- taining security meets with the ap- proval of a large section of opinion in this country, while the thought of a second Washington conference arouses very little criticism. Effect of the address on_the Geneva confer- ence is recognized. . The address is described by the In- dianapolis Star (independent) as “in many respects the most important pronouncement on the subject since the memorable meeting in Washing- ton during the Harding administra- tion. The Secretary's plea,” continues the Star, “is a fine example of prac- tical idealism. He realizes that the limitation of naval armament has been only partly consummated and that the reduction of land forces can- not be effected by one all-embracing formula. For the latter he suggests regional agreements; for the naval program the resumption of the discus- slon where it left off at Washington. French comment has been guarded, although in certain quarters the ad- dress has been considered as a special challenge to France. In ef- fect, Mr. Kellogg's words conti- tute exactly that, for France has been the chief obstacle in the path of more drastic naval cuts.” * K K ¥ “The United States delegates at Geneva,” says the Christian Science Monitor (independent), “are taking the patient and common-sense _attitude. They are tolerant of delay when delay means the painstaking investigation of even unpromising leads. is clear enough from Mr. Kellogg's speech that he Is sanguine that out of this preliminary conference will come a program which may be discussed with great hope of practical results.” The Oakland Tribune (independent Re- publican) believes that “if the present conference does nothing but make it possible for another conference which shall do no more than a little, it will be worth while,” and the Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch (independent Demo- cratic) advises that ‘no one should be unduly disappointed in the not im- possible event of this particular con- ference's endir % in failure,” the Nor- folk paper concluding that “if it fails it should adjourn quickly, that the next attempt to bring about disarma- ment_agreements, conceived on more restricted lines, may get under way the more quicKly and in turn be given its chance to succeed.” “Now that the whole world has this formal notice,” contends the Philadel- phia Evening Bulletin (Independent Republican), “further time-wasting on impossible propositions at Geneva will be proof that the other conferees are simply marking time on issues whose honest solution they have no intention of tackling.” The St. Paul Ploneer Press (independent Republican) adds the comment: “The European obstruc- tionists to the limitation ,of arma- ments are as yet unable to see what to Americans is as plain as the nose on one's face. They are willing to curry favor with public opinion in this country by agreeing to talk about r ducing armaments, but it is impos- sible fi tion ar suicidal ng in which it would not be for them to lower their guards. The presence of the Amer- fcan delegation in Geneva, working seriously for the limitation and even- tual reduction of armaments, shows the-extept to which this eountry hem to conceive of a condi- | 4almerce would be the United interested in the welfare of Europe and the cause of world peace,” con- cludes the St. Paul paper. * ok ok ok “Better partially to disarm, by re- glonal agreements,” advises the Ann Arbor Times-News (independent), “than to confer forever on universal dis- armament and make no progress, That is one way, anyhow, of salvaging something from the Geneva wreck.” The Schenectady Gazette (independent Democratic) suggests the process: “Sections of a continent may conclude agreements. Then all parts of the continent. And finally one continent with another. In this way local prob- lems and difficulties will be gotten out of the way and settled before the larger contracts are undertaken.” The Binghamton Press (independent) ap- proves of this plan for land arma- ments, and adds: “As for naval re- duction, the chief naval powers should consider that among themselves. And the United States is waiting to co- operate with them when they are willing to do it.” Regional agreements would comstitute “an evolutionary growth,” in the opinion of the Reno Gazette (Republican), which concedes they would lessen the possibility of hostilities in those countries where it ‘was most probable.” ! “The Locarno pacts,” according to the Jersey City Journal (independent Republican), “‘offer some precedent for these agreements, the first purpose of which would be to see to it that the nations are saved from the threat of attack by their immediate neighbors. This makes possible a closer compari- son of armament strength and a more equitable decision as to the amount each nation should cut out of its mili- tary establishment.” The Ithaca Jour- nal-News (independent) adds that “‘Mr. Kellogg expresses the genuine desire of this country to be helpful” and that “perhaps the administration will soon go a little further and indicate what it has to offer toward the solution of the question of security.” * ok ok K “In Britain, and probably in France and Italy,” says the Baltimore Sun (independent) *“are many millions of people who have neither heart nor stomach for naval programs that un- necessarily cost money and invite peril. They will not be indifferent for all time to proposals that make for economy and for security from a Na- tion that can outspend and outbuild them, one and all.” The San Antonio Express (independent Democratic) be- lieves that Secretary Kellogg's address ‘“‘may expedite the calling of a second international conference on navy limi- tation,” while the Kalamazoo Gazette (independent) directs attention to the fact that at the Washington confer- ence “the work was finally limited to placing restrictions on capital ships and aircraft carriers, with the under- standing that other types of war ves. sels would be considered in the future. If the governments represented at Geneva,” suggests the Gazette, “‘would follow a similar course with respect to land armaments, they would undoubt- edly make more headway." “The delegates in Geneva know from Mr. Kellogg's utterance,” as- serts the St. Joseph News-Press (in- dependent), “that the Government of the United States considers futile any Sffort to effect a general, inflexible plan of world disarmament, to affect ! equally and without regard to regional |and special conditions, all the nati of the earth.” The Louis | Journal (Democratic) holds the further opinion that “the only country where disarmament could be put into effect without jeopardizing the idea of se- curity or weakening the military or naval strength that protects com: THINK IT OVER Standardized Living. By William Mather Lewis, Prosident George Washington University The pioneer in America had to think for himself. We of a later day delegate that function to specialists in various lines. Do we decide what kind of clothes we are to wear? Certainly not! The length of skirts is dictated by Paris; the width of trousers by London. Do we choose what play we are to see or what book we are to read? No! The critics and publicity men attend to that for us. There are assoclations that direct us as to what roads we shall speed over on our vacation trips. We vote as our party chiefs direct. We worship according to a predeter- mined formula. We eat, not when we are hungry, but according to what the policy of our community indicates as the proper meal hour. At Grigbys Station the evening nourishment is taken at 6 o'clock.. In the exclusive section of New York it is poor form to be hungry until 8 o'clock, daylight saving time. Perhaps standardization is being carried too far for the good of the race. Perhaps an overproduction of customs and conventionalities and laws may ultimately make puppets out of human beings. Robinson Crusoe must have found considerable exhilaration in the thought that he could run things to suit himself for awhile: that his in- genuity and talent would have full swing. (Covyright. 1926.) ——— Care of Shade Trees Demands Attention To the Editor of The Star: The late James Bryce, author of “The American Commonwealth,” but probably better known as the most popilar’ British Ambassador ever in Washington, a few years ago deliv- ered the principal address at an an- niversary of the university founded by Thomas Jefferson. In the course of his address Lord Bryce reverted to the conjecture of Jefferson that prob- ably the reason for the prairies hav- ing no trees on them was because large animals had denuded the prai- ries of trees. ‘Whether or not animals denuded the prairies of trees, it is a certainty that high buildings, automobiles, ce- ment sidewalks, caterpillars, paved streets, oil, monoxide gas, salt from ice cream delivery wagons and other evidences of a highly concentrated civilization carelessly fabricated have denuded Washington streets of trees. Superintendent Lanham can replace every local tree destroyed by nature or man, but trees cost money—it costs money to “doctor” trees after they are planted. It costs about $11 to plant a tree. It costs about $1 to trim a tree, and various other cost ftems enter into the whole upkeep cost, such, for instance, as spraying the trees several times a year, which is not done as often as should be, simply because the appropriation for the de- partment is so small. A few years ago, or before the World War, we gloried in our 100,000 trees on the streets—we had a right to be proud of them.” Today they are a sickly-looking family and the mor- tality is fearful. The total number is probably less than 10 years ago, and of those still with us more than a third are pest-ridden, or being slowly starved or gassed or murdered with galt brine or are dying because they need surgical attention. Within 10 years our local wealth has increased nearly 100 per cent, our population has increased about 150,- 000, and many miles of new streets have been opened up. For every tree our hurrying, bustling civilization de- stroyed 10 years ago it now destroys five trees. Ten years ago Superin- tendent Lanham's department was paying $1.50 a day for common labor; today the laborer gets about $3.50. Ten years ago his department could easily and quickly dispose of its trash; today the trucks carry trash probably four times as far to dispose of it. Costs all along the line have increased in about the same proportion. With a far greater mortality among the trees than 10 years ago, with many more miles of streets to be taken care of, with more than 100 per cent Increase in first costs and cost of upkeep, yet the appropriation for Lanham’'s department has not been increased much more than G0 per cent. The percentage of increase, based on all costs and taking into consideration the phenomenal growth of the city in wealth, miles of new streets, etc., should be not less than 160 per cent. ‘Unfortunately, there is no local so- clety for the preservation of the noble tree—but there is a local society for looking after homeless alley cats, etc. What have the Rotarians or Kiwanas got on thelr programs for the next year? Here's something that ought to arrest their attention. These and other organizations should invite Superintendent Lanham to tell them his troubles—or rather about the ro- mance of the noble tree—its place in the economy of nature and its place in the scheme of the “‘world beauti- ful.” ~ GROVER W. AYRES. > oot Lure of Musical Comedy. From the Detroft News. Roosevelt, a voluminous writer of permanent additions to our literature, turned in lighter moments to reading loosely written detective tales. Lin- coln, author of the finest short speech in the language, was an admirer of Petroleum V. Nasby and loved a col- loquial story. Wilson, actor in the mightiest drama in our day, was a devotee of vaudeville. So it is not surprising that Galli-Curci, a fixture among the larger luminaries of opera, admits she would rather listen to musical comedy than opera. However, it would be a mistake to attribute this liking for the lighter form to a mere taste for diversion. There are, it may be, more substan- tial reasons for her preference. In the first place, musical comedy plots are not nearly so absurd. There is none, for example, so bizarre as those circumstances in “Rigoletto” in which the famous quar- tet is sung. The stage is divided by a garden wall; two singers are on one side, two on the other, and, though neither pair can hear the other, their volces blend in exquisite harmony. In “Aida,” the play closes with hero and heroine suffocating in a subterranean tomb. Though there is insufficlent air for life itself, they sing with un- abated vigor to the end. Similarly, Mimi in “La Boheme” dies of con- sumption, yet her vdice carries to the uppermost gallery in her last mo- ment. In “The ‘Tales of Hoffman"” a barcarolle is sung by characters who occupy lounges disposed on the pave- ment of a Venetian square. Beside these episodes the ordinary musical comedy is a masterpiece of reason. If Fred Stone is blown up through -the floor in a cloud of home brew, that is something that can hap- pen. If Jess Dandy fell into the foun- tain in a dress suit, so have many others. If Leon Errol, though a Russian noblema impersonates a waiter, then so are hundreds of Rus- sian noblemen similarly employed in real life. Musical comedy often is ra- tional and real. One can understand what solace it must be to an opera singer who has heard Scarpia con- tinue to sing with all his might though mortally stabbed, . ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. How old does a person have to be to make a will that will be legal?— R. A. In most of the States the age at which persons may make wills is 21. However, both males and females are competent to make wills at 18 vears in California, Connecticut, Idaho, Mon tana, Nevada, North Dakota, Okla- homa, South Dakota and Utah, and females only may make wills at 18 years in Colorado, the District of Co- lumbia, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, ‘Washington and Wisconsin. Q. How many thunderstorms are there on the earth in the, course of a year’—C. H. B. A. Data compiled by the British air ministry shows that the earth ex- periences about 16,000,000 thunder- storms a year, or an average of 44,000 daily. Q. What percentage of divorces are granted to wives?—W. C. J A. Of the divorces g United States in 1923, the latest for which figures are available, Wi were plaintiffs in 67.8 per cent of cases. Q. How many declarations of war were there during the Warld War?— D. ted in the vear S the A. There were 9 declarations of war by the central powers and 23 by the allies and associates during the World War. . Q. Did Robert Todd Lincoln wit- ness the assassination of his father?— B. A. He had the peculiar experience of being present when the three mar- tyred Presidents—Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley—were assassinated. How many capitals has Moroc- C L. A. A. It has four—Fez, Meknes, Mara- kesh and Rabat. The seat of the government is at Rabat, where the French resident general resides. . Who is considered the most popular musician in the world to- day?—R. C. A. This position is usually accord- ed to Paderewski. . Q. What city is known as the Pretzel City>—N. T. A. Reading, Pa. Q. Do small stockholders receive in the aggregate the bulk of the divi- dends that are paid by the corpora- tlons of the country?—B. P. A. The latest compilation shows that the largest amount of dividends goes to persons in the different States whose incomes range from $30,000 to $40,000 a year. Small stockholders receive a comparatively small amount in dividends. Q. Is helium gas ever used as an anesthetic?—G. T. A. - A. Helium has been used as an anesthetic with some success. Q. What is the highest mountain in Canada?—M. P. A. Mount Logan, 19,539 feet high, is the highest peak in Canada. Q. Are the coal mines of England being rapidly exhausted >—B. B. A. The mined coal fields of Eng- land are being depleted, but last year one of the richest fields in the world was discovered near Hull. It is a continuation of an exhausted vein, from which it was separated by an eight-mile gap, and is estimated to contain 23,000,000,000 tons of coal, sufficient to provide Great Britain's needs at the present rate of con- sumption for 400 years. Q. How many States did the Dem- ocrats carry when Lincoln was re- elected fn 18647—D. M. B. A. McClellan, the Democ didate for President agains in 1864, carried but three States— New Jersey, Delaware and Kentucky —with a total of 21 electoral votes Q. How many telephones are there in the United States”—A. B. R A. The number of telephones on the 1st of | a 1926, was approx imately 16.880,000. Q. Who was the richest man in the world 40 or 50 vears ago?—H. T A. When William II. Vanderbilt died, in 1885, he was reputed to he the richest man in the world, his es- tate approximating $£200,000,000 Q. What Is the definition of trea- son in this country ?—M. . L. A. Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them, or adheres to their enemies giving them ald and comfort, is guilty of treason. Misprision of trea son consists, in general, of having knowledge of, concealing and not disclosing the treason of others. Q. Do soda and sal etables while cooking destroy their vitamin value’—E. B. F. A. Soda added to vegetables when cooking partially destroys the vita- min content. As far as we can as- certain, salt does not have this effect. added to veg- Q. Who invented the stream-line shel 1. R. W A. The stream-line shell sidered not an invention. but velopment. This shell Las been use in yarious forms th Europe periments and developments mada by several countries have improved {t No one is credited with its inven- tion. is con ae R Q. Please explain the use, valua and natural location of selenium.— . 8. E. A. Selenium is an element and not found native in visible quantity. It is obtained as a by-product in the electrolytic refining of copper. It is used in making red glass, electric resistances and cells for measuring light. These cells ara particularly sensitive to light and many of them come under Swedish patents. The present supply of selenium is greater than the demand and it has no great commercial value. Q. Tell something of FEugene San- dow's life.—A. K. 2 A. Sandow was born in 1 nigsberg. He died suddenly in Leon- don on October 14, 1925. The imme- diate cause of his death was the burst- ing of a blood vessel in his brain. Sandow was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 186 pounds. He succeeded Sigmund Breithart as the “world's strong man.” . What 1s the largest known flower?—J. K. N. A. Probably that of the plant known as raffoesial, found in Borneo. The buds of this plant are frequently as large as a man's head and blooms have been found measuring 35 inches in diameter. it Ko- Frederic J. Haskin is employed by this paper to handle inquiries of our readers, and you are invited to call upon him as freely and as often as you please. Ask anything that {s @ matter of fact and the authority will be quoted you. There is no charge for this service. Ask what you want, sign your mname and address and inclose 2 cents in stamps for return postage. Address The Evening Star Informa- tion Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Di- rector, Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS The Sentinels of the Republic, organized by the late Louls A. Cool- idge of Massachusetts to combat further encroachments by the Fed- eral Government upon the rights and responsibilities of the States and of individual citizens, is not to fade out of existence with the passing of its founder and moving spirit. Instead, at a recent meeting of the Sentinels, plans were announced for the raising of an endowment fund as a tribute to Mr. Coolidge—Louis A.—the in- come of which will be employed to carry en the work which he com- menced, and insure the perpetuity of the Sentinels as a nation-wide organization. Four hundred thousand dollars—a modest sum in this age of million-dollar endowments—was set as the figure for which donations are to be sought. Although the Sentinels of the Republic has been quite generally regarded as an organization whose principal, 1f not sole, purpose was to aid in securing a repeal of the elghteenth amend- ment, Mr. Coolidge in his lifetime and_those who have succeeded him at the helm Hkewise assert that the prohibition fssue is but a small part of their program. Defeat of the child labor amendment and oppo- sition to proposals for “Federal Inter- ference with the duties of the State” Yn matters of education are present- day issues of equal importance in their aims. * ok ok K One million dollars in money was on exhibition this week in the lobby of a down-town hotel. The occasion was the convention of the American Numismatic Assoclation—in common parlance, coin collectors. The money on display comprised coin varietles owned by various members of the as- sociation and exhibited by them much after the manner that'dog fanciers exhibit their pedigreed pups at a dog show. In this case the term ‘“old coins” includes paper money as well, and one of the surprises of the ex- hibit was a $3.25 United States paper note, the existence of which had been hitherto unknown. A United States $5 gold plece minted in 1852 and valued at $7,500 was claimed to be the rarest specimen on display. A Chicago sil- ver dollar of the vintage of 1804 was another rarity. Its value was put at $5,000. Only six “specimens” have ever been traced. A half-cent piece of 1852 with “large berries” was valued at $2,000. Coins of all countries of the world were represented, and the value of gold and silver Russian ruble pleces of many years ago which were shown was no joking matter. * kK % From the odditles in the day’'s news this observer notes the following smile-provoking items: Under the caption “Calls Upon Labor Office for Official Data,” the Washington bureau of the International Labor Union lists many subjects upon which it has re- celved requests for information, in- cluding a survey of labor ‘dating back either to Adam or to the first monkey man.” Under the headline “Atlanta Vice Crusade On,” a press dispatch from the Georgla city brings the news that the city council has un- der consideration an ordinance which would require all hotel bellboys and all apartment house janitors to pro- cure a municipal license ‘“hefore en- gaging in these occupations.” * ok x K There are now on the active list of the Regular Army major gen- er: and 46 brigadier generals. Char‘es ' Sumhmerall is senior mafor general in active servic in order of senfority. EIl Helmick is the senior brigadier general, al- though, because he now holds the post of inspector general in the War Department, he, too, wears tempora- Fily, the shoulder straps of a major e, with John |line L. Hines, present chief of staff, next | wire general. Officers and enlisted men in the Regular Army read on the aver- age of 12 books a year each, accord- ing to a survey of the subject made by the War Department. Of these 12, eight books a year are drawn from Army libraries. These libraries, Including 220 at Army posts, 157 travel lbraries and five on Army transports, circulated 778,089 books last year. * ok ok ok The death of Bert M. Fernald, Senator from Maine, makes another large-sized gap in the ranks of the Republican stalwarts in the Senate. Incidentally it robs that body of one of the best of the present-day story tellers. Fernald was not given to spread-eagle oratory, but in the cloak room and committee rooms was an ever-ready teller of amusing Jokes and anecdotes — stories to which no printed page can ever do full justice. Legend has it that in addition to his stories he once sang a song when appearing before a committee to advocate inclusion in a pending tariff bill of a schedule which his Maine constituents desired, and so charmed the committee by his voice that they succumbed to his requests. He was an ardent base ball fan, too. He never missed the opening game of the series at the Capital. Usually his companion on such occaslons was “Pat” Harrlson, the Democratic orator from Mis- sissippl. Withal, Fernald was a hard and consclentious worker, chair- man of the Senate public buildings committee, ranking member of the Senate commerce committes and a by no means inactive member of two other important committees. He had charge of the $165,000,000 public buildings bill, which was one of the legislative landmarks of the present Congress, and was in the thick of the fighting over the rivers and harbors bill. His death will greatly weaken the ranks of this bill's sup- porters when the fight on the floor of the Senate is staged next De- cember. Fernald was an {irrecon- cilable in the League of Nations fight, and was opposed to the entry of the United States into the World Court. On this last question he differed sharply with the administration, but in general he was a staunch Re- publican regular and a warm ad- mirer of President Coolidge. * x * x Investigation of the oil companies by the Federal Trade Commission with a view to determining their profits and whether or not the price of gasoline {s “arbitrarily made or un warranted” s reported to be under way, but as vet has attracted no no- tice. Park Trammell, Democratic Sen ator from Florida, was the prime mover in Instigating this investiga tion. His strenuous efforts to get resolution through the Senate requir ing the Trade Commission to cond the probe and report to the next ses sion of Congress made little headway for many months. Then shortly be- fore adjournment, when a situation developed where a roll call vote on the Trammell resolution appeared inevi- table, opposition melted away as if by magic, and it went through the Sen- ate in a couple of minutes with no At senting voice, except a faint “No from Senator Harreld of Oklahoma. ‘Trammell after a month in his homa State came to Washington this week to see what had happened to the in vestigation. He did not get a whole lot of satisfaction. He delivered him self of a fresh verbal onslaught against the oil combine and the “ex tortions” heing exacted from the gaso uying public. Trammel is a “live and believes that he is on the trail of a real Democratic issue offset to Republican talk of prosp and the benevolent trust-busting rec- ord of the Department of Justice under President Coolidge. (Copyright. 1926.)