Evening Star Newspaper, October 13, 1926, Page 8

e ————— . _——— THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY. . .October 13, 1926 THEODORE W. NOYES. . ..Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company e ; O Tower iding. ropean Offien: 14 Rexent St., Loadon. England. 1 The Sunday morn- o SEMored "oy cartiers SRS X adition, i 30 ity at.60 centa per month: v onl $6 cents per month: Sundays on oen! e, [month_ Orders may be_sent ione Main 5'30". ‘Collection is a3t o ne o oo 21 ail o made by Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. B JMaryland and Virginia. | .1 yr. $9.00: 1 mo.. 78¢ 1 00: 1 mo.. B0c | 3.00: 1 mo.. 26¢ | | ¥ ¥ ¥ es nnd Canada. . §12.00: 1 SR ¢ 0: 1 m unday only 1yr. $4.00:1mo. Member of the Associated Press. iad i {his Daper and aleo A ubliahed herein. Al riehts of mublieation of epecial dispatches herein are also reserved —_— Building Site Considerations. In a letter to Senator Smoot, chair- man of the Public Buildings Commis- slon, Chairman Moore of the Commis- slon of Fine Arts has expressed the conclusions of that body relative to the emplacement of the new home for the Department of Commerce, oppos- ing its emplacement in the Mall and advocating a site on the western end of the Mall-Avenue triangle, already owned by the Government. The Com- | mission of Fine Arts takes the posi- | tion that the Mall area in question should not be allotted to any depart- mental building, but should be ‘“re- served for a building of the museum | type, which can be kept down to the ' helght uniform with other buildings | in the Mall and can have those land- scape features essential to park build- ings.” The conclusion of the Commission of Fine Arts adverse to the location meeting, according to the account. They shook hands, and grinned, and uttered platitudes. Such visits, How- evar, do not need conversational em- bellishments. Long, long after the late John L. Sullivan had left the ring, and when he was living quietly in a small Mas- sachusetts town, he was known to the upgrowing youngsters of the neigh- borhood not as the great mauler, but as the old gentleman who told a con- stant circle of small listeners of the famous scenes he had visited and of the noble and otherwise notable per- sonages whom he had met and pat- ronized. That story, widely published shortly before Sullivan's death, made him better liked than any fistic crown he had ever worn. Whatever the faults a man has, if he keeps his heart young and enjoys the company of little people, he is laying up happiness for himself as well as for others. Not only is Johnny Sylvester the better for Ruth's sick- room call, but so is the Babe. ] Two Murder Mysteries. Two homicides of a mysterious na- ture are now puzzling the authorities, with no immediate evidence available for their solution. The slaying of a soldier whose body was found in Arlington Cemetery a week ago has not yet been explained to the satis- faction of the Department of Justice, which, as the crime was committed on Federal territory, is handling the case. Last night Detective Sergeant A. B. Scrivener was shot and killed in front of his home in this city and no tangible clue to the identity of the slaver has been found. Both of these cases appear to be disassociated from the service ac- tivities of the victims. Neither man was slain in the line of duty. The soldier was not on guard when he was killed, nor was the police detec- tive on assignment when he lost his life. In each case the motive of the killer was plainly a personal one. A series of apparently unrelated cir- cumstances has been connected with of the Commerce building in the Mal | the shooting at Arlington, and the concurs with the recently expressed opinion of the President that depart- | mental structures should not be lo- cated on the reservation. It does not, | however, go to the extent of hanning | any further constructions in the Mall. | Tts present conclusion is in unity with | Its previous recommendations that | Mall space be utilized only for “mu- seum type buildings, such, for ex- ample, as the contemplated home for the National Gallery, a site for which | has been tentatively indicated imme- | | diately east of the New National Mu. | seum | Should the recommendation of the | Commission of Fine Arts that the| Commerce Building be placed at the | west end of the Mall-Avenue triangle | be adopted, there will remain the ne. | cessity of selecting other sites for | the Departine: t of Labor and Justice, | Wwhich are %o te provided with new homes under the present public build- ings program. In the first layout of the sites for the buildings to be started immediately or soon, it was Pproposed to place the Commerce Build- ing In *he Mall, the Justice and Labor | buildings the “five-square site” | on Fifteenth street, the Internal Rev- enue Building fronting on B street | and including in part the open-ai market. and the Archives Building Just to the west The proposal of a site for the Com- merce Building on the area occupied by Center Market and the commission house establishments in lieu of the Mall site has met with emphatic ap- proval as a practical advance toward the utilization of the Mall-Avenue tri-| angle for public building purposes | and the solution of the problem of the reclamation of Pennsylvania ave- nue. 1If, However, the Commerce | Bullding is to be located on Fifteenth street, there is no reason why the | Justice and Labor buildings should | not be placed elsewhere within the triangle, perhaps at the point favored by many for the Commerce Bullding, between Seventh and Tenth streets. All things considered, the location of the Commerce Building, which is to be pethaps the largest public | structure in Washington, on the mar- ket slte weuld be more satisfactory. There 1s a better opportunity there for the development of a suitable structure of this character than on the space between the Avenue and | the Mall, Fourteenth and Fifteenth | streets. However, architectural con- siderations may determine the choice of site, and there remains, in any| event, the prospect, as there is sound reason, for the emplacement of the other two buildings within the great triangle in a consistent development of public-building grouping for gen- eral convenience and for the redemp- tion of the Capital's chief thorough- fare from its present deplorable con: ditlon. on . The United States Constitution com- mands the respect of the world, even though the amendments reveal very little of the genuine literary quality that distinguished the original draft. —r—————— When anybody is shot at in Italy it | 1s usually Mussolini. The King has| evidently succeeded in formulating a reliable “safety first” policy. ———— “How Are You, Johnny?” The publication of the story of the call yesterday of the spectacular Babe Ruth on a little sick boy who idolizes the slugger. probably has made this swatsmith more popular than any home run or cluster of home runs he has banged out in his successful ca- reer. | People who do not know a fielder’s | cholce from a sacrifice hit smiled as they read about how George Herman | left a bunch of official glad-handers flat and stole away to sit on the bed | of a lad who is on his way back from | death's door and whose greatest treas. | ures are base balls autographed by Ruth and other stars in the recent world series. . G. H. Ruth has his faults, but this can be sald of him: that he never for- | at .corners regulated by colored lights and signs, but at times | tions. |a haunted castle. gets his own boyish days and likes to be with youngsters. Neither Babe nor Johnny Sylvester said much at unraveling of the tangle is giving the Federal investigators a difficult prob- lem. The killing of Detective Scriv- ener is so recent that its full sig- nificance has not yet been revealed. These two tragedies, in no wise re- lated, coincide to furnish material for limitless speculation as to motive, cause and circumstances. Detective Sergeant Scrivener bore an excellent record as a police officer, and his un- timely death is greatly deplored. He was a valuable aide to the superin- tendent of police, a vigorous, fearless and intelligent investigator of crime. He may have been the victim of a personal enemy, or of a would-be rob- | ber who was unaware of the identity of his intended victim, The solution of these two crimes, it is earnestly hoped, will soon be effect- ed. An unsolved homicide is always a source of danger to the community. The escape of a slayer from detection is an encouragement to criminals and leads to murders. T — After You! | » There is no doubt that Washing- ton is improving in its trafic man- ners and morals, fmproving not only bluecoats, when the speeder, the roadhog and the entranced motorist can “get away with murder” and occasionally do so. A case in point is the increasingly good behavior shown by drivers on approaching those numerous tight places caused by narrow streets and projecting vans, trucks or heaps of building material, where there is room for just one car to get through at a time. Not so long ago it used to be a race for the opening between two cars headed in opposite direc- With a blast of the horn the one which was ahead, or whose pilot thought he was ahead, would roar through, while the other, more timid or less advantageously maneuvered, with squealing brakes, would stop | just this side of perdition. Often it must stay, Jammed at an angle, while | several vehicles chased through in column, the faces of their drivers | wreathed in sneering smiles. Now it is beginning to be different. Cars approagh these stralts at a de- cent rate of speed, and one, often the logical candidate for first thorough- fare, is seen to pull over, to stop and its driver to signal the opposite ve- hicle to come ahead. This Alphonse and Gaston act is good for both par- ticipants; it is good for the whole traffic situation and for the com- munity in general. Whether the stringency of new regulations has proved an adequate training course or whether the moral and social con- sciousness of the driving public ‘is awakening is a question. It is prefer- able to belleve the latter, as in the case of the housemaid who proved her conversion by the fact that she thetre- after swept under the beds. After all, the golden rule embraces prac- tically all the traffic rules that can be devised, and it works better than any of them. . 2L o oot More time for flivvering is a natural accompaniment of less time for work as outlined by Henry Ford and his economic advisers. The responsibility of providing work is great. That of providing a wholesome occupation for leisure is greater. Haunted Houses. An English antiquary has found a haunted castle and means to live in it. It ought not to be hard to find There is a general bellef that most castles are haunted and that a castle without a ghost is not first rate. It is sald that this is a Tudor castle, bullt in 1550 by Sir John Baker, a chancellor under Henry VIII, and ‘that Sir John was also re- sponsible for the burning of heretics du.ung the reign of Bloody Mary. The Associated Press quotes the buyer of the castle as saying: “Sir John may be called the English Bluebeard, for there is a definite tradition that he was in the habit of inducing women to visit him and then murdering them for their jewels. He kept the bodfes glr !in a secret chamber beneath the main staircase, and his ghost is supposed to haunt that room to this day.” Some people seek old houses well equipped with ghosts, and some want new houses without murder associa- tions and too many ghosts. Each to his taste. . That this antiquary means to live with this Tudor ghost—and the hosts of the victims may also be haunting there—shows that he is not nervous about ghosts. It is a phase of our time that a ghost is not as dreadful as once it was. A ghost may be a good real estate argument, but as a hair-raiser it has declined in au- thority. Once there were many haunted houses in the neighborhood of Wash- ington. Some of those houses burned because of lightning, defective chim- neys or upset coal oil lamps, and such accidents must have caused suffering to numerous ghosts. When these houses were rebuilt they were either freed of the “hants” or were still haunted. Opinion differs on that point. The weight of argument seems to be that a haunted house is never cured.” It is clear, though, that we still have haunted houses in the ad- joining State and the trans-Potomac State and that Americans buy these houses and seem to get on well with the ghosts that haunt them. So far as the accounts go, most of our na- tive ghosts are good-natured and go no further in causing distress of new tenants than by walking up the creaky stairs at midnight or standing in dark corners of the hall. Some- times they ring bells and rattle chains and dishes, but, on the whole, all is well. oo Average Public Intelligence. At the annupl convention of the American Public Health Association Cr. Herman N. Bundesen, thx health officer of the city of Chicago, has stated that all health education ma- terial for popular consumption should be in words of one syllable if it is to be effective, because the mental age of the public is twelve years. This state- rhent was challenged by Dr. Matthias Nicoll, Jr., New York State health commissioner, who said that the men- tal age of the citizens of that State is not as low as twelve years. Dr. Bundesen countered with the claim that if tests were made they would show the mental ages of the citi- zens of New York and Chicago to be the same. This is an unusual spectacle. The Chicago health officer vrites down the average public intelligence of his own town to the twelve-year basis. Usual- Iy a city official is more of a boomer for his own community than Dr. Bundesen proves to be. But health | officials are scienti; and scientists are not given to civic emotionalism. It is quite possible that Dr. Bundesen is right. In certain matters the aver- age public intelligence is undoubtedly low. Yet it Is somewhat shocking to learn that in the judgment of this sup- posedly competent observer the aver- age understanding of the people of a city of three million population is only that of the child of twelve. Presum- ably three-fourths of those three mil- lion people are adults, and four-fifths of them are over twelve years of age. There must be a large percentage of mere morons in the adult population of Chicago to bring the average of in- telligerice down to the point of Dr. Bundesen's estimate. o French and German diplomats shake hands in public. The gesture, in view of international methods of interchange, must naturally raise the question of whether there are any mental reservations involved. —— st Setyjement of the “world serles” contegt calls attention to the fact that a very large section of this terrestrial orb was not in the least interested in it —————————— . Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney are both in a position to cash in on their talk before vaudeville audiences and risk no black eyes. o SHOOTING STARS. VY PHILANDER JOHNSON. X-Centricity. She used to learn her a b c's, And that was long ‘ago. She dances with athletic ease In the erratic show. Her a b c's she laid away, Her mind she does not vex. Her legs the Charleston doth display As just the letter X. In the Hands of Friends. “What led you to go into politics?” “Ambition,” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “For political honor?” “No. I had a note in bank and I ‘was ambitious to meet it.” Echo of Complaint. My Radio! My Radio! The joys of life seem faint As now and then more loudly grow The echoes of complaint. My Radio! A grief you bring. You leave me vexed, I vow, For what you say and what you sing Is smothered by your “WOW!” Jud Tunkins says people love music so much that a whole family is willing to work hard to support the boy with the banjo. @1usic has been reduced to primitive rhythm. This calls attention to the flivver as a musical influence. “Justice,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “finds new ways when the accused enjoys himself on bail, while the jury stands a chance of being locked up.” Art and Athletics. “You have just heard a symphony by Beethoven.” “I know,” answered the eager lis tener. “But who won the prize fight?” Evolution. As human hopes grow warmer, How wonderful they are! He starts as a reformer And winds up as a Czar. “Work,” said Uncle Eben, “is gittin’ to be regarded by nearly everybody as sumpin’ dat somebody e!q,\ ought to do.” ] y THAX EVENING. STAR; WASHINGTON, D. C, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, _THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. It isn’t often that oneé in the public eye gets to tell an unjust critic frank- ly just what he thinks of him, but Graham McNamee, giving a play-by- play description of the fourth game of the world series from St. Louis, had that exquisite pleasure. During one of the few lulls in that contest, McNamee told of receiving a telegram asking that he ‘“‘not mention Ruth so much.” The premier sports announcer for a time “joshed” his way along, only speaking Ruth’s name as if reluctantly and when ab- solutely necessary. ‘When the Babe, however, slammed out that record-breaking third home run of the day, McNamee could con- tain himself no longer, but broke forth in his characteristic way: “And that bonehead told me not to mention this fellow! I've got to men- tion him, that’s all.” Somewhere in the United States a radio listener probably blushed deeply. dldAt least it is to be hoped he (or she) The unthinking and often unpleas- ant criticism of men who are working hard and doing a good job ought to stop in these United States. It is one thing to do your best in a base ball game; it is another to sit in the stands and find fault with the players, Similarly, in all walks of life, unin- telligent criticism is one of the easiest and cheapest things in the world to do, usually indulged in in inverse ra- tio to the right of the critic to speak. * ok ok ok The present writer has been un- usually fortunate in this respect, hav- ing received some thousands of friend- ly letters from readers of The Star dur- ing the past two years, as contrasted with four or five unkindly missives. This is a record much to the credit of the men and women who read this neyspaper. The writer, in express. ing his opinion honestly and freely upon such topics as he has chosen to consider, has often made statements with which readers have not agreed. In practically every case of disagree- ment, however, the protest has been made in a way which makes the writer proud of his audience. One has only to think of the innate reactions of the human mind to real- ize that a 1,000-to-1 shot is a_record in this respect. Graham McNamee, who has done as good a job at broad- casting the various recent world series games as any man in the world could do, has bgen the victim of count- less mean letters and telegrams, many of them anonymous, it needs hardl be said. Even the average mean- spirited critic generally is ashamed to sign his name to his effusion. We have heard good women snort with indignation every time McNamee, in broadcasting the. recent series, dared to mention a good play on the part of one of the Yankee: “The old New Yorke one lady declared. in great disgust, simply be- cause the announcer, in the pursuit of his duty, detailed a wonderful catch by Meusel. To haye pleased the lady fan he would have had to belittle every action on the part of the New York team. It seems to us—and, we are sure, to | every other non‘partisan—that Gy ham McNamee has given an absolut 1y fair account of every sporting event he has ever broadcast. His personal enthusiasm for this or that player but makes his work the more interesting and human. = There are many men today, in the complex civilization which is ours, who make good livings picking flaws in the work of others. If their criticisms are based on suf- ficient knowledge to make them worth while, and are carried out in a spirit of charity for all and malice toward none, these persons play a necessary part in our era of great production. ‘When it is considered that not every one is in the position mentioned, that of broad understanding backed by true knowledge of that whereof he essays to speak, it is easily seen that snap judgments are generally worth just about the mental effort they take to make. Yet it is common knowledge that very few persons hesitate to give their opinions on every topic under heaven. They were not in the trenches, but they will argue for hours on whether i the salients were filled with rats or not. They could not possibly, broadcast half an inning of a world series game, but they will tell you what a rotten job McNamee made of it. They could not stand one short jab from Tunney's left, but have no hesi- tancy in telling you what a dub Jack Dempsey was, who took it for 10 innings. * X X X They could not write one chapter of a novel, yet will undertake to demonstrate just how poor the latest best seller is, and how it could be improved by making the heroine act difterently from the way her creator chose to make her comport herself. When such self-appointed critics “take their pen in hand,” they usually use a large, scrawly handwriting which is recognized in every news. paper office in the world befors the envelope is opened. The sad part of it is that such un- intelligent, wholesale criticism has an unfortunate effect. Most _active, in- telligent persons who really do things are not philosophers. Mean criticlsm hurts. One may joke about it, but it hurts. The less deserved it 1s, the more it riles the sensitive. And they are all sensitive. Graham McNamee, in the midst of a hot game, had time o mention just one telegram —an_unfair one, and totally unjust. He “kidded” about it—but why did he_mention it? Those who play the game from the sidelines ought to—and no doubt will, in the perfect civilization—confine their criticisms to intelligent efforts toward giving information in cases wherein the critic believes the other misinformed. We have not spoken of the anony- mous letter. In principle it is all wrong, but actually, if written by a kindly person with intelligence, may be as good a letter as any, as the following proves: “Dear Sir: Although your article last night in the column This and That speaks for itself, I cannot refrain from telling you how grateful I am for the note which you struck therein. It is reminiscent of that struck by one of my favorite writers, Lamar- tine; in short, it is reminiscent of all who have spoken nobly. I shall al- ways be grateful to you. “A TRAVELER IN TOWN."” WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS Senator Irvine L. Lenroot, who lost his Wisconsin primary fight to retain his Senate seat, is due in Washington this week. His coming serves to stimulate discussion of his political future. Washington wise- acres are all certain that he has a political future. Political forecasters all predict that Mr. Coolidge will make pubstantial acknowledgment of his high regard for the Wisconsin Senator's great abilities and his ap- preciation of Senator Lenroot’s un- swerving loyalty, as evidenced in the World Court and other Senate battles where Coolidge prestige was at stake. Just what form the reward to Senator Lenroot will take, no one professes to know. But his friends talk as if nothing less than a cabinet post would fulfill the requirements of the case. They are confident consin Senator is of cabinet calibe and, what is more to the point. are confident that Mr. like estimate of Lenroot. This leads the discussion into the subject of im- pending cabinet vacancies, if any. The fact of the matter is that there are no cabinet resignations on the im- mediate horizon. Senator Lenroot, his friends point out, is specially well equipped to hold the portfolio of Sec- retary of the Interior. Should Dr. Work along about next March con- clude to relinquish this office, Len- root, according to this hypothesis, could step into Secretary Work’s shoes. e Another bit ‘of current Capital speculation turns on the forthcoming arrival in Washington of a Canadian minister as diplomatic representative of our Northern neighbor. The State Department has had nothing to say about it, but Ottawa dis- patches have been full and explicit that Canada has fully determined to establish its own diplomatic rela- tions with the United'States inde- pendent of Great Britain. The Irish Free State blazed “the trail in this and so far is the only dominion of the British empire to send a separate representative here. But Canada’s plan is twofold. It embraces not >nly sending its own minister here, but looks to have the United States reciprocate by sending an American minister to Canada. The Irish Free State hoped for a like result, but so far it has failed to materlalize. In the case of Canada, however, it seems likely that intimations of desires of Canada to have a United States min- ister at Ottawa are likely to be heeded. If and when this happens, upon whom will Mr. Coolidge bestow the plum? Gossip is busy with names and already the name of Lenroot has been mentioned in this connection. * %k ok X Mrs. Coolidge, who laid the corner stone of the new and very fine chapel at Mercersburg Academy in Penn- sylvania in June, 1924, returned there this week as a special guest of honor at the dedication exercises. The President was obliged to forego attendance. This is the prep school where John Coolidge graduated and where Calvin, jr. was a student at the time of his death. In the spire of the Mercersburg chapel is a caril- lon of 43 bells, the second largest in America and the only one in Pennsylvania, the gift of a Penn- sylvania alumnus. Copper coins from all over the world were melted to provide the metal for the bells, in- >luding a “widow’s mite” from Herod's time and ring money from the Swiss cantons of 1000 B.C. Other historic souvenirs which went into the melting pot were metal fragments from Nelson's flagship Victoria at Trafalgar, Dewey's flagship Olympla at Manila, Old Ironsides, Sir Thomas Lipton's ‘cup challenger, Shamrock 1V; a copper wire from the airplane PN-9, which made the Navy's Hawalian _ flight; shell fragments from the French battleflelds and last, but not least, a shaving from the famous Liberty Bell. * X % Returning travelers from the Irish Free State bring to ashington re- ports of a military airiservice in the Emerald Isle which it great credit—one more bit Coolidge holds a | evidence of the rapid and methodical strides which the Free State government is making to establish its place in the sun. The aviation division is com- manded by Col. Charles Russell, a young Irishman, not long past 21, a daring and erienced flyer and a great organizer. His outfit has only 30 planes, but they are up-to-date and fully commissioned—a model of effi- ciency. The secret which now leaks is that Col. Russell is planning a atlantic flight to America next Summer to bring another honor to Ireland and Irishmen. Plans for this undertaking are now well advanced. Another interesting detail of aviation development in the Free State is the success attained there with “moth” planes, so called because they are the tinfest machines yet successfully flown. If reports are true, th operated almost easily and surely as a g The vaunted efliciency of the Post Office Department slipped a cog one day last week, and letters dispatched from the Washington Post Office bore a cancellation stamp dated September 5, instead of the October date. Can it be that postal employes are too busy exercising their prerogatives as private citizens in conection with the impending elections? o Here is a new Coolidge story re- lated by those who would illustrate the mind of the President. When Mr. Coolidge was up for re-election as Governor of Massachusetts, there was a warm primary contest for one of the other places on the Republican State ticket. Mr. Coolidge's friends waited patlently for their cue from him before deciding which of the two aspirants they would support. Hints to the governor that a quiet word from him as to his own prefer- ence was desired brought no response. At last one of the faithful went to him with the direct question, “Which candidate, Governor, do you want your friends to be with?” Mr. Cool- idge looked out of the window and commented on the dryness of the weather. His caller failed entirely to draw him out on the subject. Finally he said, “Well, Governor, my own cholce is candidate ‘A.' Unless you tell me not to, T am going to support him.” The only reply was a polite “Good day.” After the lapse of a week another Coolidge adherent call- ed on the same errand. He met the same reception. “I have no personal preference,” he said. “I wish,.Go ernor, you would tell me what to d “Why don’t you see so and so0?” s: the governor, naming the previous caller. “He was in here the other day talking about the same thing.” So the second hurried to the first to get the “low-down.” “Well,” said caller No. 1, “the governor wouldn't say a word to me, but I told him un- less he disapproved I intended to sup- port ‘A’ and since he has sent you to me I figure that is the man he wants.” “So the word was passed along that “A” was the Coolidge preference and he received the nomi- nation. Yet who could say that Mr. Coolidge had taken sides in a primary contest? id * ok Post-glacial tilting of the rock bed of some two million square miles of the earth's surface in Northeastern United States and, Canada is the cause assigned by the United States Geological Survey for the earthquake which rocked New England last year. Usually referred-to as the St. Law- rence earthquake, it was in fact a series of quakes, first noted in July, 1924, and continuing to March of this vear. The heavy crash came in Feb- ruary, 1925. The theory now offered by the geologists in explanation is that during the glacial period, when this area lay under the weight of a great ice sheet, thousands of feet thick, New England and eastern Canada were depressed and tilted north, and that since the retreat of the ice they have nearly recovered their former level. This readjust- ment, the experts say, produced the quakes. Their report is silent on the question of whether, these causes still continuing, New England is likely to suffer further qual in the future. (Coby 926.) !real choice between 1926. Politics at Large By G. Gould Lincoln. The Boston Transcript, whose re- publicanism is of the Nth degree, through its State political correspond- ent, has issued a warning that the Republicans must be up and doing i the party is not to be defeated at the polls in November. With a note of apology for telling a ‘“painful truth,” the Transcript correspondent paints a gloomy, from the Republi- can viewpoint, picture of the strength of David 1. Walsh, the Denfocratic nominee, against Senator William M. Butler, close friend .of the President and chairman of the Republican national committee. He continues: “In order to win the election on November 2, the Republicans must convince the voters that their defeat in Massachusetts would have a tre- mendous national effect, and that in all probability such a result would put an end to the President’s chances of obtaining another term. In other words, they must convince the voters that Coolidge is the supreme issue at stake, and that prohibition, now the leading issue, is of secondary im- ortance.” Polhis is putting it pretty strongly. It may be such arguments are needed to spur the Republican voters to g0 to the polls and elect Senator Butler, but there is much doubt, a very real doubt in my mind, that the defeat of Senator Butler or any other Re- publican candidate for the Senate this year would have the effect of elimi- nating President Coolidge as a presi, dentlal candidate in 1928—provided, of course, the President is actually a candidate for the nomination two vears hence, Coolidge is Coolidge to the voters of Massachusetts, and But- ler is some one else. This does not mean that Semator Butler has mnot friends and admirers in the Bay State, but it does take into account the superlatively popular regard in which the President is now held in his own State. In Massachusetts, as elsf’- where in the country, the people differentiate between the President and any other leader of his party, and, indeed, between the President an his~ party itself. The Presidentis strength In Massachusetts undoubt: edly will help Senator Butler, jus as it did Senator Gillett two_years ago, in his race with Senator W But, after all, the voters this yf r are balloting for Senator and not for Preslden the most amazing things in the present political campalgn in Massachusetts is the effort being made by some of the Irish-American Cath- olfes to transfer the allegiance of their Tace and faith from the Democratic party to the Republican Irish- Americans have dominated in Demo- cratic politics in Massachusetts for any years. 1f they did not come over on the Mayflower, as some one remarked, then they came over on the Second ship. Their dislike of the at- titude of the Southern Democracy be. cause of the latter’s opposition towar Irish-Americans and their faith is one of the reasons given for the revolt. 1t Gov. Al Smith of New York fails to \ive the Democratic nomination for President in 1928, is Tammany going to turn Republican? Bostonlans—or is it the Bostonese?— have great faith in books. Let & Massachusetts man run for office. or be elected, and immediately a book is written about him. Take the presem_ case of Senator Butler. A brand-new blography of the Senator, by E. E. Whiting, who also is the biographer | President Coolidge, is appearing ggrlally in the Boston Herald. It has reached its fifteenth or sixteenth chapter already, and gives a complete account of the Senator and the part he has played in Massachusetts in- dustry and politics. It will be recalled that in 1920, when Republican “presidential possibilities” were nu- merous, a preconvention campaign for Calvin Coolidge, then Governor of Massachusetts, was inaugurated and later abandoned. But the first act of the Coolidge supporters in Massa- chusetts was to distribute widely throughout the country a book en- titled “Have Faith in Massachusetts, a collection of extracts from the speeches delivered by Gov. Coolidge either as executive of the Common- wealth or as member of the State Senat It seems a pity, from the wet point of view, that Col. Willlam A. Gaston, Democratic nominee for Governor of Massachusetts, is not a candidate for election to the Senate. He has al- ready come forward as the sponsor for a bill to modify the Volstead act so as to permit the sale of light wines and beer. This bill was drawn by Nathan Matthews. But Senator Walsh, the Democratic hope of Massa- chusetts, also has declared himself wet, and he doubtless will have a bill of his own, if he should win the election. The only real hope of Democratic party gain in New England this Fall sems to be in Massachusetts, by the way. Senator Bingham of Connecti- cut, Senator Moses of New Hamp- shire, Senator Dale of Vermont all seem assured of reelection. In Maine a successor is to be elected No- vember 29 to the late Senator Fer-| nald, Republican. Republican success is believed certain there. Back in 1918, when Senator David I. Walsh was a victor over the late John W. Weeks in the senatorial contest, his success was the outstanding Demo- cratic victory in this part of the eountry that year. President Coolidge was elected governor, and the Repub- licans won control of the Senate. Walsh was aided in that election by the candidacy of another Republican, Thomas W. Lawson, a connection by marriage with the late Gov. Samuel MeCall, who was a political enemy of Mr. Weeks. Lawson rolled up 21,985 votes, and If these votes had gone to ‘Weeks, Walsh would have been de- feated. The Rhode Island democracy, in party convention, has recently adopt- ed a wet platform, which is another example of how the wet issue is tak- ing hold of the Democratic party in the North and East. The drys in Maryland now have no the Democratic candidates for the Senate. -Senator O. E. Weller, who defeated the wringing-wet ~John Philip Hill of Baltimore for the Re- publican nomination, has come out flatfooted for modification of the Vol- stead enforcement act and that he has always been wet. During the primary campaign Senator Weller re- ceived the support of the drys, al- though he had also received the in- dorsement along with Mr. Hill of the Assdclation Against the Prohibition Amendment. Many of the Republicans of Maryland are dry. Even now, it is likely that'Senator Weller will re- cefve many dry votes, not only be- cause he received them +in the primary, but also because the Anti- Saloon League believes him the lesser of two wet evils. The attitude of the Anti-Saloon League in supporting Col. Frank L. Smith, Republican nominee for Sena- tor in Ilinois, against George E. Brennan, the Democratie wet, is caus- ing not a little comment, particularly in view of the independent candidacy of Hugh S. Magill, another dry. Magill is the protest candidate against Smith and Brennan because they re- ceived large financial support from Samuel Insull, public utilities mag- nate, in their primary campaigns. The drys, although they dislike Smith for this, regard him as the only man who can defeat Brennan, and have chosen him as the lesser of two evils. Frankly, they and a number of other Republicans in Ilinois ex- pect the Senate to reject Smith after he has been elected. But by his elec- tion the danger of another wet Sen- ator will have been eliminated, they re. The attitude of the Anti-Saloon and Republican ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. When is the best time of the year to rid farm animals of lice? -—M. C. A. The Department of Agriculture says that lice on farm animals should be cleaned up before the cold weather sets in. Lice on horses, cattle and other animals are most troublesome in Winter and at that time it is very difficult to treat them. It is, there. fore, better to do this work during the Fall. The effect of lice, both biting and sucking kinds, is to annoy the animals, thus interfering with their feeding, rest and comfort. For horses and cattle, arsenical dips, coal- tar creosote dips and nicotine solu- tions are recommended. For dipping hogs, crude-petroleum and coal-tar creosote dips are effective remedies. Q. How many rulers have been as- sassinated since 1800?—G. T. A. Beginning with Czar Paul of Russia, who met his death in 1801, and ending with Nicholas II of Rus- sfa, who was killed in 1918, there have been 17 assassinations. Of these, three were rulers of Russia, and three were Presidents of the United Statés. Q. Where ds the tallest pagoda in China?—M. W. H. A. ' The Great Pagoda of the. North- ern Temple at Soochow. The outer walls, which are carved, are 10 feet thick. Inside there is another pa- goda which rises to the top of the first and in the space between the two are steps by which the traveler may ascend the nine stories. Each story has balconies and niches for stone images. From the top may be viewed the city, the anclent plan of which is still preserved on a marble slab in the temple. Q. On what basis s a broadcasting charge usually made?—T. S. A. On the estimated number of persons reached. ~ Thus, Station WEAF's charge in New York was estimated on an audience within a 109-mile radius. Statistics indicated about a million receiving sets in this area, and the possible total audience is estimated at 5.6 listeners to a re- celving set. Half the audience may not be listening, and half the listening - |audience may be listening to another program. Q. Are immigrants at Ellls Island treated as prisoners?—D. T. A. Immigrants receive physical ex- amination when detained at Ellis Is- land and are kept in caged inclo- sures. Hospital conditions are re- ported to be very satisfactory and food adequate. We are informed that each immigrant is supplied with five blankets each night and that, while there is some overcrowding, the gen- eral conditions are reported to be falr. Q. What clan colors does King George wear on his annual visit to Scotland?—D. B. K. A. When the Kings of England visit their Scottish estate, Balmoral, :‘l;;y wear the tartan of the Stuart Clan. Is a belt or prize now given to a heavywelght dhampion?—M. E. M. A. There is no champlonship belt nor is there any prize as in the old days of prize fighting. At the present time the contestants recelve certain amounts which are determined by an agreement with the promoter. Q. Why are so many cattle killed by lightning?—A. L. C. A. The greater portion of the loss is caused by cattle drifting against wire fences during thunderstorms and being struck by lightning, which may be collected by the fence at a distance and brought to the herd with suf- ficlent force to kill them. It is not often that cattle are killed by direct stroke unless it be under trees. Q. Which South American country had the first diplomatic representative to the United States?—D. M. A. The Republic of Colombia. in 1822 desigrmted Don Manuel Torres as first minister from that country to the United States. In recetving him, ‘Washington gave official recognition to the first Latin American diplomatic agent. Q. How many Popes were named Julius?—H. E. A. There were three Popes by the name of Jullus—the first succeeded in 337 A.D.; the second, in 1503, and the third, in 1650. Q. For what is Marion, Ind., noted? —G. . L. A. To outsiders, it is perhaps best known as the seat of a national sol- dlers’ home. It i{s a thriving county seat in the heart of the agricultural district of Indiana. Q. What 1s a rain forest?—R. F. A. This name is given to a tropical forest situated in a region where there is rainfall almost every day of the year. The trees grow to enormcus size and the flowers are plentiful and gorgeous. Q. In what country is the most cof- fee drunk?—M. L. A. In the Scandinavian countries are the greatest coffes drinkers. They drink coffee not only at all meals, but also between meals. Q. How long would it take a per- son to count a million dollars in 10- cent pleces?—J. M. A. It would depend upon the ex- pertness of the counter. and how steadily he counted. In the coin room of the Treasury, it usually takes from 15 to 20 minutes to count $1,000 in dimes. . G. How did the “Lombards,” or “Langobardi,” happen to be so called? —E. M. H. A. Tradition says that these peo- ple were originally called “Winn{l." Under the leadership of Ibor and Alo, sons- of a prophetess called “Gambara,” they cume into conflict with ths Van- dals. The leaders of the Vandals pray- ed to Wodan for victory, while Gam- bara and her sons invoked Frea. W dan promised victory to those whom he should see at sunrise. Frea directed Winnili to bring thelr women with their hair around their faces like beards. He then turned Wodan's couch around so that when he woke at sunrise he first saw the host of the Winnill. He asked “Qui sunt isti Longibarb{?”"—Who are these long beards?” Frea replied, “As thou hast given them the name, give them also the victory.” They conquered in the ensuing battle and were thenceforth known as “Langobardl.” Q. What is a stone called which has the cutting sunk in it, much as the cameo is raised’—R. E. S. A. Precious or semi-precious stones which have figures sunk below the surface are engraved in intaglio. Q. Who fired the first shot of the Revolution on the water?—E. C. C. A. Abraham Whipple, the distin- guished American naval officer, is credited with having fired the first shot. Q. How does {lliteracy in the United States and Canada compare?— W. A. M. A._According to data furnished by the Bureau of Eudcation the average {lliteracy in the United States is 6 per cent, and in Canada, 11 per cent. Did you ever write a letter to Fred- eric J. Haskin? You can ask him any question of fact and get the answer in a personal letter. Here is a great edu- cational idea introduced into the lives of the most intelligent people in the world—American newspaper readers. It is a part of that best purpose of a newspaper—service. There {is no charge ezcept 2 cents in stamps for return postage. Address Frederio J. Haskin, director, The Evening Star In- formation Bureau, Washington, D. C'. Varied Comment on Estimate Of Benefits Under Dry Law Prof. Irving Fisher of Yale has con- tributed to the current discussions of prohibition problems a new book, “Prohibition at Its Worst,” in which he sets forth the claim of benefits gained by the country even under lax enforcement. Through the me- dium of newspaper editorials he is now collecting bouquets and brick- bats, with the former quite in the majority. Prof. Fisher's conclusions are quoted by the Santa Barbara Daily News as follows: “(1) The present situation of imper- fect enforcement is intolerable. “(2) Conditions are not, however, as bad as commonly represented. “(3) Prohibition has accomplished much good hygienically, economically and soclally. “(4) The ‘personal liberty’ argument is largely illusory. 5) We cannot accomplish what the opponents of prohibition really want, by amending the Volstead act, with- out thereby violating the eighteenth amendment. “(6) To repeal the eighteenth amend- ment is out of the question. “(7) To nullify it would mean dis- respect for law of the most demoral- izing kind. ‘“(8) Therefore the only practical solution is to enforce the law. “(9) Enforcement is a practical pos- sibility.” “Although the bask will offend some of the radical drys,” concludes the Santa Barbara paper, “it will give little satisfaction to the wet element in the country. The professor rips wide open the false propaganda built up in the effort to break down the dry laws and shows that the go-called statistics of the wet propagandists are figures run wild.” * K K K Commenting on Prof. Fisher's state- ments that there has been “six bil- lion dollars annual gain from prohi- bition IE the United States,” and that “if prohibition enforcement cost the American taxpayer even one billion dollars a year it would be well worth while purely as an economic in- vestment,” the Wichita Falls Record- News says, “He regards it (prohibi- tion) as the greatest economic invest- ment yet made by the American peo- ple, and he has millions of fellow cit- izens in the United States who agree with his conclusion.” Referring to widely circulated claims that there is more drinking in the country today than ever before, the Ithaca Journal-News pictures those old days, saying: “Handling of whisky and beer in the old saloon days was a big-scale enterprise. Shipments were regularly made by the carload or trainlofd. Brewery wagons heavily loaded were constantly to be seen on the streets. Saloons were extremely numerous. To say that the furtive traffic carried on by speakeasies and —_—— League in New York, where it is seek- ing to bring about the defeat of Sen- ator Wadsworth, wet Republican, against whom there has never been a breath of suspicion or scandal, is somewhat in contrast with its atti- tude toward the Illinois senatorial election. The defeat of Wadsworth will not prevent the election of a wet Senator, for Justice Wagner, his Dem- ocratic opponent. is wetter than ‘Wadsworth, if that is possible. Pro- hibition above everything seems to be the muuanf the dry organization. bootleggers runs to any such propor- tios does not appear reasonable. ¢ * ¢ Fisher, applying the methods of careful statistical analysis, finds that flow of alcohol down human throats has been reduced by at least 84 per cent, and probably 90 per cent. This is a great reduction of the drink evil, even under present conditions of inadequate enforcement,” declares the Journal-News. * ok ok After careful consideration of the deductions and estimates made by the Yale economist, the Lexington Leader voices its opinion that “no one who has studied the subject with anything like the care which it deserves, who is honestly in favor of temperance, who believes in the Constitution and in law enforcement, can doubt that, on the whole, Prof. Fisher has arrived at sound judgments and that he has stated the facts as they are.” His figures are accepted by the Janesville Gazette as representing the “biggest and best thing about prohibition.” Although the Kansas City Post as- sumes that “of course, the professor’s statement will be challenged,” and admits-he may have “made some mis- takes in working the example, putting the decimal point in the wrong place or something of the kind,” this paper concludes that “even after allowing for mistakes, it looks as though we are not all violating the law." Prof. Fisher himself, as the Winston- Salem Sentinel sums up the case, “is far from being an extreme or fanat- ical dry,” a fact that is conceded to give more weight to his opinion, and “what he has done is to submit to proper statistical tests the assertions of the wets.” ‘This paper scores the “many vague assertions made by those who advocate repeal of the eighteenth amendment or ‘modifica- tion of the Volstead act,’”” and con- siders that Prof. Fisher has shown that “no justification exists for the loud claim that drunkenness is mak- ing more recruits than in prohibition days.” * ok ok ok The Omaha World-Herald finds it Interesting to compare the conclusions arrived at by the Moderation League in its survey of drinking and drunk- enness from 1914 to 1924 with those deduced by the Yale authority, the former claiming that statistics prove an increase in drunkenness and the latter holding that they show a de- crease. Prof. Fishey declares, says the World-Herald, that “the factors of first conviction, proportion of ar- rests to population and _increased police zeal in running in drunkards, when applied to the league's statls- tics, would make a monkey out of them.” The World-Herald finds “the significance of the league's figures, however, lies in the tendency which they indicate. The point is,” declares this paper, “that in 1914 the tendency was toward decrease: in 1924 the tendency was toward increase.” The Springfield Union, character- izing the author as one who “has de- servedly acquired a natlonal reputa- tion for writing frequently and quite inconclusively upon a great varlety of things,” says of his latest book: “His apparent purpose is to show that prohibition at its worst is better than anything else at its best. As usual, he writes superficially and inconclu- sively, and when he cannot state facts from knowledge, he cheerfully as- sumes that they ought to be facts, nevertheless.”