Evening Star Newspaper, November 27, 1926, Page 6

_6 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTONZ D. C, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1926. THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY..November 27, 1026 THEODORE W. NOYES . Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Buetness Offire . 11th St and Pennavivania Ave. Ney Vork Offee: 110 Fagt 42nd 8t. cago Ofoe: ! : Europedn Office’ 14 Hesent St London, England The Eveninz Star. with the Sinday morn- ing edition. is deiivered by carriers within the citv at 80 cents ner month: dailv only cents per month: Sundave only. 20 centt 5 month. Orders m he sent Ealephons Seain Biod: Callaction {s made by carrier at and of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virgin| 1 ¥r.. $0.007 1 mo. 1 vr. $A400: 1 mo.. B 157 $3.00: 1 mo’. 25 All Other States and Canada. ally and Sunday..] vr. S12.00: 1 mo. $1.00 aily only ...... 1yr. $800:1mo. 73¢ unday only Lyr $4.00:1mo. 38c Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associuted Press ia e o the use for republication of all news dis- patchas cradited to it or rot otherwise crad- ited in this r and also the local news piblial hersin_ A1l rizhta of publication dispatches herein are a1so res d The “Mouthpiece” Fiction. “President Coolidge has denied firmly that Senator Simeon D, Iess of Ohlo 1s to be his personal mouth- plece In the Senate. He has denied this report, not because he does not like and admire Mr. Fess, but be- cause he does not believe in or prac- tice a system of dealing through personal representatives in Congress. He prefers to deal with the leaders of his party when he has business to transact and to speak for himself when he has any policy to enunciate. In this the President shows wis- dom. Nothing could be more harmful to party harmony and to co-oper: tion between the administration and the Republican organizations in Sen- ate and House than a presidential spokesman at the Capitol other than the recognized party leaders. ‘Tt could only cause a feeling of an- tagonism on the part of the recog- nized Senatorial and House leaders. It could be regarded only as an at- tempt by the titular head of the party to undermine the leadership set up by the Republican organiza- tions of the two houses. Nor does President Coolidge relish, apparently, being held responsib for utterances which an alleged per- sonal representative of the White Tiouse might volce. The statement made at the White House denying that Senator Fess is or will be a personal representative of the President in the Senate comes on the heels of a vigorous interview given by the Ohio Senator, in which he attacked the McNary-Haugen farm relief bill and declared that it could never pass. The President at this time is seeking to settle the controversy over farm relfef legislation. It is the hope of those seriously desiring farm relief legislation that it will be possible to bring the warring groups together in favor of a really helpful measure. The attack made by Senator F on the supporters of the McNary- Tiaugen bill, if it accomplished any- thing, could only drive the groups farther apart. While no mention has been made at the White House of the Fess Interview on the farm reliet bill and nothing has been sald to indicate that the President will ac- cept the bill in its present form, it seems not unlikely that the President objects to having the voice of Fess held to be the voice of Coolidge in this matter. The President took cognizance of published reports that Senator Fess was to succeed Senator Willlam M. Butler of Massachusetts as the Presi- dent’s mouthpiece in the Senate. It was further reported that Fess even- tually would supplant Senator Butler as chairman of the Republican na- tional committee. The first report has been denied emphatically by the Pres- ident. So far there has been nothing to bolster up the second. Pains were taken at the White House to make it clear that Senator Butler had not been a personal repre- sentative of the President in the Sen- ate, any more than Senator Fess is to have such an unofficial office in the future. The President consulted freely with Senator Butler, manager of his campaign in 1924, head of the national organization of the Republi- can party and a Senator from his own State. But he made it a practice to consult many Republican Senators. The present Republican leader the Senate is from Kan an portant link in the corn belt. etatement that the President will rely upon tor Curtis in the coming session cannot fail to be gratifving to the West as well as to Senator C It has become traditional to & member of the Senate particu larly close to the Chief E because of either personal friendship or geographical location, the oftice of unofficial personal representative of the President. President Coolidge does not relish the idea. ——e—— of im- Sen has been famous for its never as famous as lane. New Jers boardwalks, but for its De Russey r—oe— Musical Plagiarism. The other day a little girl of five vears stood before a reproduct: chine listeni to a song by sololst. Suddenly a familiar strain caught her sentient ear and she began to her hands in glee and ex- clatmed: “It's Daddy's song!” Her father was summoned and he, too, lis- tened and he recognized the music of a composition of "is own, one of many that he has written and publish- ed. This one he wrote and had print- ed twelve years ago. Now he has flled sult against the publisher of the song that came from the machine, asking $200,000 damages for piracy. It ts announced that the publisher will vefoin that there is no infringement of copyright inasmuch as both songs are direct and obvious steals from Johann Strauss’ “Blue Danube Waltz,” which is not copyrighted. Now will come the test of a nice auestion of musical ethics and law. As to the ethics tha court will probably have little to do or say, for there is no fleld of jurisprudence in which euch a matter can be determined. But as 10 the 1aw there arises a ouestionghat L tenor clap vely entitled | The | xecutive, | may invoke the critical and analytical powers of the presiding justice. Was the composition of 1914 taken from the tmmortal Straugs waltz? If so, was it susceptible of copyright? If copy- righted, did that fact prevent any later comer from ltkewise imitating the waltz or even the song which it in- spired? It composers are to be barred from deriving their inspiration from classic compositions or even from current tunes there will be a sad falling off in the production of music. Sad? Well perhaps not o sad, after all. Today's output of so-called new music is em- phatically reminiscent and imitative, and its loss would not cause an alto- gether unassuageable grief. There are many people who would welcome a moratorium on composition and a re- turn to the favorites of the past for the musical modicum of today. Song writing for the people is still somewhat of an art, but not a fine art. It is the art of imitation and sugges- tion. Public taste is not so high but that flagrant coples of the tunes of vesterday are acclaimed and sung and whistled and blared by jazz bands for a little time and then are discarded by new concoctions, themselves brewed from stock materfals. Once in a great while u veritably new song comes along, and 1t s hailed with joy by those who grow weary of the twaddle of mawlkish sentiment or meretricious suggestiveness and the tunes-by-the- vard copies of earlier works. If both the composers in the case s00n to be tried in New York are If the law permits one plagiarist to copyright to his own full protection a sorry day has come for the later com- posers, unless American music reaches a much higher plane of originality than it has occupled for a lamentably long time. um in Washington! Yesterday a great stadium was dedl- cated at Chicago to the memory of the dead of that city in the World War. Today it is occupled by an immense throng assembled to witness the an- nual foot ball contest between the cadets of the Military and Naval Acad- emles. It is the country’s latest addl- tion to its equipment for the gather- ing of the people in great numbers for outdoor exercises and sports. It is such an institution as should be provided in every city for that pur- pose. Washington has no such stadfum, of adequate size. One of the local uni- versities has one, seating approxi- mately 17,000 persons. The base ball park, which is not a stadium in fact, though =o styled, will seat twice as many as normally, and a few hun- dred more on special occasions. Yet here, of all cities in the coun- try, there should be a gathering place capable of holding a great con- course of people, where ceremonial pageants as well as games of natfonal significance and interest could be held. It has been often suggested that the Government should provide such an arena, perhaps on Potomac Park, as part of the equipment of the Capital. Recently, in connection with certain troubles regarding tickets to today's foot ball game at Chicago, it was noted that this particular contest, which is virtually of an official char- acter, should be held in Washington, directly under the auspices of the Gov- ernment, and on a field suitable for it in size and location. The Chicago memorial is a vast structure, accommodating an enor- mous number of people. It is appro- priate to the sentiment which it per- petuates, for it symbolizes the Amer- ican spirit. It will be devoted not only to sport, but to ceremontals. It will keep forever in the minds of the peo- ple the sacrifices of those who went forth to war and lost their lives, There is no national tribute to the American soldiers who represented the United States in the Great War, other than the Tomb of the Unknown Sol- dier at Arlington. Why should not the United States construct such a memorial on Potomac Park, in token of the great services rendered by the men who now in thelr final peace, some In their native soil, some in other lands? Has not the time come for this, eight years after the close of the conflict? Build a Stadi st = A popular song writer marries an heiress and in the natural course of events has a family. The father-in- law remains obdurate in his objection to the match, thus incurring a suspi- cion that his musical and artistic taste remains superior tv parental impulse. . It cannot be doubted that De Russey lane produced a number of “alibis” for home consumption that will not be heard from in court. SR PN-10-2 Arrives at Colon. 1t required two hops instead of one |for the PN-102 to reach Colon from Norfolk, but yesterday the big sea- plane sped over the remaining eight hundred and seventy-five miles of the two-thousand-mile trip and landed safely in the harbor of the Panama clty. Forced down after flylng more than a thousand miles without a stop because of exhaustion of the oil sup- { ply, Comdr. Bartlett, leader of the ex- ! pedition of two planes, decided that inasmuch as the PN-10-1 was disabled | beyond immediate repair, it was up to | him and his crew to get at least one {of the big ships through to the origi- |nal destination. Early yesterday morning, following a complete refuel- ing and tuning up, he gave the | motors the “gun.” and ten hours and a half later settled gracefully on the water at Colon, amid the cheers of the inhabitants. - Although the flight has been called a fallure because of the inability of | either plane to span the distance be- | tween the two citles without a stop, Comdr. Rartlett's feat in completing the two-thousand-mile trip in two hops is a notable addition to the con- stantly increasing list of exploits of the afr. If it had been necessary, the PN-10:2 could probably have gone through several hours before she did, as all that was needed was a new supply of oil. Failure or not, the flight demonstrated that big planes can be moved from one point to an- other in an astonishingly short space of time. it is a singular fact, however, that plaglarists there will be no damages. | two of the Navy attempts at long- distance, non-stop flying have met with almost {dentical mishaps. In the now historic San Francisco-Hawail flight one of the PN planes was early forced ; down because of engine trouble, and the other, plloted by the late Comdr. John Rodgers, landed in the Pacific, because the gasoline supply was ex- hausted, and drifted with its crew for nine days before being picked up. History, therefore, repeated itself, ex- cept for a happier conclusion, in the Norfolk-Colon attempt. One plane went down because of a broken con- necting rod in the starboard motor, and the other on account of lack of ofl to lubricate the engines. It would seem as if both the gaso- line and oil shortages could have been avolded by more accurate mathe- matical caleulations, although long- distance fying is still In the experi- mental stages. and it is a difficult task to compute the needs of the engines under the variable conditions encoun- tered on a trip of lonz duration. But the breakdown in the motors could not be foreseen, and was due solely to the fact that gasoline engines hav not yet reached the degree of pel fection necessary for complete reli: bility. Progress is constantly being made, and each failure contributes some- { thing to future success. Only by pes | sistence can the problems of the air be overcome o that aviation can take rank with other reliable of transportation. R means The gentleman invented the phrase “Uncle shylock” yielded to a rhetorical impulse. The attitude of Uncle Sam among nations is less com- parable to the inexorable money- lender than to that of the hero of the old song, “When Reuben Comes to Town." who e —e Treasures in an Egyptian tomb rep- resent a colossal value, yet such as many an American check book could easily cover with the stroke of a pen. Uncle Sam may vet decide to assert himself in historic interest as an art collector. e The spotlight of public interest is a fickle luminary. Willie Stevens enjoys it in its utmost intensity, while many a man who has rendered distinguished public service remains in the shadows of forgetfuln o A pipe is favored by Vice President Dawes. Senators who note this fact are prevented from regarding it as “pipe of peace.” in view of the fact that photographers always reveal him as smoking it upside down. s Feeeiy a Photographs of Mrs. Hall show benign facial expression. The pho- tographer invariably says, “Please look pleasant.” He is a valuable influence in persuading forgetfulness of the cares of the moment. o Egyptlan explorers bring to light many wonderful things, without dis turbing the respect for modern achievement. No ancient tomb has disclosed anything s wonderful as an electric light or an airplane. o Threats of “another war’ templated with equanimity. A war needs a financial backer and today the show fs not considered worth the price. o Europe has set many fashions, hut Mussolini has not commanded any great interest over here in his designs for a bulletproof vest. EE i S Damage done to the orange does not depress Florida realtors. great assets of that State are ocean, sand and climate. Sppps Even the influence of Queen Marie could not enable Lole Fuller to restore some of those charming old-fashioned dances, crop The sk, oo SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON One Great Topic. Mehitabel's a model Of intellectual grace, But now she's reading nothing But the Hall-Mills case. For economic matters Her mind could find a place; She leaves them all forgotten For the Hall-Mills case. The international questions Which haunt the human race She now neglects entirely For the Hall-Mills case. The recipes for beauty Affecting form and face She slights. She’s reading nothing But the Hall-Mills case. Discreet Admiration. “Do you admire the old-fashioned dances “I do,” answered Senator Sorghum. “Those old-fashioned dancers are the folks who have saved up their money and are now in a position to command political intluence. Back to the Old Dome. Although our interest may roam Through years in distant space, Dear, old, familiar place! Jud Tunkins say at his own jokes easy to amuse, a man who laughs Reverse of Custom. “Where is your wife tonight?"" “I don't know,” answered Mr. Meek- { ton. “I'm attending to the house and | the children. A man'’s place is in the home.” “Evolution,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, ‘‘tempts men to be | ashamed of their ancestry while cling- ing to faith in their posterity.” Small Stuff. A hundred dollars’ rental Per month to keep the flat; ‘The shop, non-sentimental, Demands its this and that These studious Teapot scholars Leave us in doubt to dwell, A Hundred Thousand Dollars— That's just a bagatelle! “De benefit of readin' de Bible,” said Uncle Eben, “depends on whether you is seekin’ spiritual comfort or jes’ lookin’ foh an argument.” We're back once more to Teapot Dome, | Templeton Jones is a brave man. He admits it himself. His is bravery in a special sense, not the heroics of the battleflelds or the heroism of lesser grand moments. His is a brav- ery in the mind. Ah, the bravery In the mind! Many men cover up their moral cowardice very well, because no one else can look into thelr heads and know just what they are thinking, or refusing to think. Thus a man gets a reputation for being a positive fellow when he fs only dumb, or is held up by others as a model of consistency, when all the ime he is merely a prime specimen of apathy. Now Templeton Jones is a brave man because he can back out. It is not every one who knows how to retreat gracefully, especially in the {little affairs of everyday life, i Most of us put up with a great | deal, rather than back out, but Jones jal backs out, gracefully or other- wise, when he once mukes up his {mind thut he does not like a thing. | Jones the chap who made a {famous fiying visit to an Atlantic {coast resort,” got into bedbugs, sat {up on the beach all night, and came {home the next day on the first train. | Perhaps that gives one a hetter idea of Jones than any amount of mere description. * K ok Tt_‘mp Jones is a seeker after pe fection. When he goes Into the market for a musical instrument, for instance, he wants tone, that most fllusive of qualities, evading the grasp of even the mo selective persons. Jones gets an instrument. decides it is not what he wants, gets another, fails to like that, keeps on getting instruments until he finds one that reaches somewhere near his ideal. He is ashamed of himself, but persists ine backing out each time until he achfeves an approximation of his theoretic perfection. .'l'o others his performances some- times appear of a superfinicky na- ture, but he views them all with hu- mor. He believes in the integrity of the mind, thinks that the real battles of life are fought inside one's own head, suspects that the real heroes, after all, never get medals. 5 Most ‘of struggling, suffering hu- manity, if they stumble into some- thing from which they can retreat only at their own expense, declare, Oh, well—" and that fs about ali they do declare, They let well enough alone, they say. Jones is not so. He is converted to the maxim of modern business, that nothing is o good that it cannot be better, He really believes that, al- though not even his best friends ever accused him of being a business man. | He puts himself to much trouble to work out his theory. He is always in a perplexity between believing his achievements good and then believ. ing that they are stll mot good enough. We have been trying to give you some idea of the character of Templ ton Jones, whom we know and r spect, but we would be false to our purpose if you got the idea for a ngle second that Jones imagines he s unique in this regard. No, most serious men try to better their hest. What holds them back, individually and in institutions, is the | | The experiment of hurling 10% tons of metai and liquids through the air 2,000 miles without a stop, and bearing human beings thereon, has not proved wholly successful. If suc- cess had been certain the attempt might not have been made, for it was {in order to find out all the difficulties that it was undertaken to fly two | naval airplanes from Norfolk, Va., to Colon, Panama. They reached only about half way—a sort of semi-colon when the plane of Lieut. Comdr. Harold T. Bartlett sprung a leak in |its lubricating machinery and had to | come down on the coast of the Isle of Pines, and later the plane of Lieut. Byron J. Connell forced down in the Caribbean Sea, and was found and rescued by the cruiser Cincinnati, stationed on the route for that pur- The Bartlett plane traveled 1,020 miles and that of Lieut. Con- | nell 1,147 miles. The Bartlett plane | had sprung a leak In the condult of, oll, and that of Lieut. Connell had broken a connecting rod of the engine. Forthwith thers comes a great out- cry deriding the Navy and offering advice that if the fiyers had first ascertained how much gas was re- quired to run a mile, they might have multiplied that by the number of miles and so avolded coming down in the ocean. How simple a thing it is for a landsman to run a battleship, or, with feet on terra firma, to soar- the clouds, with tons of metal and gas—especially gas! xx k % W Naval officers are reticent as to -xactly what happened, for no official Is have vet been reported. The t appears to be that the new de- sign of Packard engines of 600 horse- power each have not proved unbreak- able. The ofl is forced through a system of small flexible tubing, so as to lubricate all bearings automatically. The pressure on the ofl is from 60 to 50 pounds per square inch, and, with the constant vibration of the engines in flight, it is very easy for the tub- ing to spring a leak. A hole no larger than a needle-point would flood the engine in a_few seconds, and waste the ofl. Yet the problem of <uch tubing has been solved in cer- tain steam engines which use ‘Yfl under pressure 8f 1.200 pounds in Place of 80. It will be solved in the seanlane. The connecting rod of one of the planes broke. Any englineer knows how helpless is an engine whose con- neeting rod is broken while the ma- chinery is in action. The wonder is that the fiving parts did not tear the plane to pieces or puncture it. So the problem of making a connecting rod which is so strong that it cannot | hreak-—why. that is the very secret of the Deacon who stated: “"T's mighty plain Thut the weakes' place mus’ stan’ the strain, 'n’ the way to fix it, as I maintain, Is only jest To make that place as strong as the rest.” * & X X | It is officially stated that, before the I main flight, test flights were made, | 'November 21, off Hampton Roads, { with a load of 19,000 pounds each; the lactual flight for Colon started with 121,000 pounds each, for the planes | carried full supplies of gasoline and |oll and water for cooling the engines. |Tn ‘fitght, the weight Is reduced 320 ! pounds an hour, by the consumption {of gasoline and water. Neither plane ran out of gas, but there ls some | question as to whether they started {with too great an overload. While {the planes carrled two engines, hoth were needed in fiight. There was no Ireserve power. In Comdr. Byrd's plane were three engines, two of which could run the plane. In answer to public criticlsm of American progress in aviation, as compared with that of Europe, it is pointed out that Comdr. John Rodgers, with Lieut. Byron Connell (the same Cennell who made this flight), made a world record with their flight of 1,841 I not the style. | | | | THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. attitude of others, that no one has any right to criticize. ‘Why, every one has a right to find fault! So long as criticism is made in a spirit of decency, with a genuine idea of bettering, the right-thinking man welcomes it. Yet how often is genuine criticism In the best sense of that much under- stood and abused word, received with rancor, simply because it assalls one, or his institution. One is always right. One's institution is invariably perfect. Jones knows. This fellow Jones had occaslon recently to speak openly to a manager of another business, telling him that, in his opinion. there was not as much courtesy shown patrons as the latter might have a right to expect. The manager, being a fellow of Jones' own disposition, seemed willing to look into the matter, but, human- like, said that he had thing of the same Lud spirit in his. Jones', organization. Jones has never heard how his own | criticism worked out in the other camp, but here is the way it func- tioned in his own: No sooner had he p] before two of his assoclates than they immediately arose in heated defense | of their own, surely a commendable thing. and ye! . But wherein is Jones ecent hero in the strife? The introduction has been long enough, indeed. It happened In this wise: Templeton ! Jones came to the conclusion that it | would be a good thing if he had a gas heater nstalled in the fake fire- place in the lving ‘room. The most accommodating shop own- er in the world sent one of his best men, with the style selected, and the installation was made, When Jones came home that eve. ning he said he liked the heater but Would the gentleman send up another style? He not only would, but did. Anoth- er and more glorious heater soon graced the fireplace (by courtesy). This time Jones liked the style, but not the performance of the heater. | He couldn't get it out of the back of his head that his fake fireplace was no place for such an allfired hot heater. Is It necessary to say that Jones does not believe in any such absurd maxim as “To think I8 to act”? But when one thinks enough, and then decides to act—ah. that is a dif- ferent matter! Waould the gentleman take out the heater and the connections and leave him, Jones, in proud possession of two perfectly nice round holes in the floor? ¢ “Why, certainly. Mr. Jones.” So Jones had his two holes and one plumbing bill, and nothing else much except satisfaction of mind. After all, can one buy anythi better than satisfaction’ of mind: This is that priceless jewel of which our Shakespeare wrote, when he said “My crown is in my heart, not on my head; Nor decked with diamonds and Indian stones, Nor to be seen; my crown is called content.” BACKGROUND OF EVENT miles from California to near Ha wall in August, 1925. That record ha: not been beaten since, but it was hoped that this flight to Colon would have excelled it, since the was some 300 miles farther. On that Hawallan flight, the plane equipped with two Packard engines of 500-horsepower capacity, while in the Colon flight the capacity of the | engines——of the same make—was 600 horsepower each, Lieut. Comdr. Byrd, in his brilliant flight to the North Pole and back, covered a non-stop course of more than 1,200 miles without an accident. The glories and unsurpassed round- he.world flight of the three American planes has not been equaled by any other long-distance flights, but while that was superb, there was no single jump longer than 600 or 700 miles. There have been, all told, 103 world | fllght records up to 1925, of which the United States held 54, France, 33; Denmark, 5; Czechoslovakia, Ger- many, 3: Ttaly, 3, and Sweden. 1. All commercial routes in Europe are sub- sidized; none in America. In 1924, there were 59 world records made, of which the United States made 14—with American flyers and American equipment. France made § airplane records, 6 seaplane and 3 helicopter. The Loening alr yacht with the Liberty engine, holds the world record for speed of seaplane— 101.642 miles per hour, made last | year, and the Curtiss seaplane made a world record in 1925 for duration— 14 hours, 53 minutes and 44.2 seconds. It was a Wright G585-horsepower engine. We have more recently been heaten in speed and altitude, but the story is not yet ended. A long- Why What is the object of the distance experimental flights? should not the experiments be made | by circling around over the ocean within a few miles of the base? The answer is that such test fiights are made, but that such tests do mnot cover all that must be learned for practical purposes. It is extremely important to ascer- tain in a practical way how effec- tively we can protect by aircraft the Panama Canal in case of sudden war emergency. What are the weather conditions to be faced in flylng over the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic? What instruments are needed for air navigation—for it must be remember- ed that the aviator over the ocean has no landmarks to guide him. As has been remarked by an experfenced fiyer. “All waves look alike.” The aviator must steer as does the captain of A ship. What facilities of radio communication are best? How can a ‘competent personnel be trained for long-distance sea flizhts except by making such flights? What food is best for such flights? This food prob- lem is a new one for dletitians. Food which is adequate on land or ship is not all sultable above the clouds. The | aviator is under a constant nervous strain and can take no exercise. Un- suitable food makes him loggy digestion is upset, he grows drowsy by the wind and the constant hum of the engines. He must have sugar and concentrated coffee to stimulate him physically and mentally. These are problems impossible to meet by mere theory. Of what use will such planes be in case of war? They will be invaluable for scouting the ocean, in discovering submarines. From a height of 2.000 feet the observer can detect a sub- marine under 70 or 80 feet of water. The water, opaque from the deck of a ship, becomes transparent height above the waves. A plane 2,000 feet above the ocean gives a range of vision across a ship lane 60 miles wide, and If it travels 60 miles an hour, it could scout 360 square miles of ocean per hour. (Copyright. 1926. by Paul V. Collins.) ) Chemistry and Taste. From the Columbus Ohio State Journal As soon as the eminent dietitians recommend anything on account of its high iron or mineral salt content or something of that sort we get prefu- diced against it, even if we like it. A found some- | distance | was | from al THE LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover. Symbolical book titles are usually effective, often adequate and &ppro- priate keynotes, but sometimes so oversubtle as to be merely puzzling and annoying. “Vanity Fair” suits Thackeray’s great novel as completely as it does one of the stages of Chris- tian's journey in Bunyan's allegory. “If Winter Comes” is an excellent title and no one could miss its signifl- cance: in fact, the title is much too good for such a plece of sentimental melodrama as A. S. M. Hutchinson's novel, and it is by ne means certain that Shelley would have been willing to lend it from his famous Ode. Many readers of Gertrude Atherton's “Black Oxen” are still wondering how the title applies to that story of rejuven:- tion. Edith Wharton's “Glimpses of the Moon" is not exactly obvious, but | is easily understandable. Sherwood An- | dersor, with “The Triumph of the symbolizes 4 whole of doctrine T Orchid,” by writer, Hjalmar Bergmun, t notice one paragraph on a certain page, he will be forever in the dark as to the meaning of the title. ® ok ok K “Precious Bune,” a recent novel by Mary Webb, has upon its title page the quotation from Milton Let none mire that gold is found n hell Slich soil may best afford the precious ban: The greed of Gideon Sarn for wealth | and success is like the deadly precious bane which poisons all who touch it. It causes him to crush his own life and the lives of his mother and sister and pretty. childish is Beguildy, whom he wis to v, but will not because of the expen Poor old Mistress Sarn, | weary and rheumatic from tending | the pigs in the swampy woods, be- cause her son will not zive tea to a |1ad for the service, complains to her | daughter: “T tell you, Prue, it ud have | been better, a power, for us and for i him, too, If my son Sarn had bin born an idiot boy, to play with col- oured stones and put d on a | string.”” And when the old woman | becomes ill and can no longer even { watch the pigs, her son begrudges her | the tea she drinks and the coarse bread she eats, until she begs of her | daughter: “Dunna let my son Sarn | come and make me feel as I'm a | burden. He dunna love me. He'd lief 1 was dead and sodded.” If the greeds ambition of ¢ the poisonous bane in the 1 | Sarn Mere ut the edge of eems to be {heir Nemesis. is usually gray and troubled, & old Roman causeway enters it | side and runs to the bottom of the | mere, where was once a Roman vil- { lage. Only for a_brief time Spring does Sarn Mere seem * mist in a yellow mist of birch-tops Sarn Mere brings a tragic fate | Jancis and to Gideon, but a happy fate to Prue, whose loving, poetic na ture has enabled her .to overcome the Influence of the deadly precious | bane. | ERE, set Freudian od's | | Janc mar The house in which Goethe was born®in Frankfort and where he spent part of his childhood and vouth ha been restored by the efforts of a liter ry society, the Freie Deutsche Hoch- | stift. The society now owns the house and has attempted to restore it to the condition In which it was at the time when Goethe's father rebuilt it in 56. Much of the old furniture been recovered from later s been replaced in the i phy. “Dich- (Poetry nd ihes this house ung und Reality), Goethe desc {ana its furnishing in some detail. so that the soclety in its attempt at exact restoration has had the most valuable of guides, The house Is four stories high, and the upper stories project fover the lower. in the archiiectural style which makes picturesque. but darkens, so many old, narrow streets of Burope. The heavy ouk front door is marked with the initials of Goethe's father, J. C. G. A white marble tablet marks the house as the birth- place of Goethe. rooms of the interior are probably the | room in which Goethe was born, Frau | Goethe's kitchen and her bedroom. X * established art is lacking in John Erskine. He has modernized Helen of Troy in his satire, “The Private [ Life of Helen of Troy,” and has made | her much more entertaining than she is in the epic of Homer. Homer tells | us that the beauty of Helen made all | corts of trouble; Mr. Erskine shows |us how it was done. Helen becomes less a personification, more human. In “Galahad” Mr. Erskine takes sim- lar liherties with the legendary hero j of purity, the only one of the Grall [ Knights who was worthy to see the | uncovered Grail. Sir Thomas Malory, | who compiled the Arthurian legends, which he found in both English and French, and Tennyson, who us Malor: compilation in writing his “Idylls of the King," would unite in disgpproving Mr. Erskine's treatment He 'makes Galahad stupid and stub born. He comes to court a country boy, and falls under the influence of Giuinevere, who sets to work to mold his character, and succeeds up to i certain point. Other characters of Arthur's Court are handled with sim- ilar libe: by Mr. Erskin Even Arthur himself does not escape and, like Helen of Troy, will be considered by many to be improved. * ok k% Is the worst enemy of a selfish, passionate, clever woman her own self or a devoted but not very successful husband? Willa Carter leaves this an open question in her novelette, “My Mortal Enemy.” Whatever the | answer, the reader is mever in the | least doubt that Myra Driscoll is the | worst enemy of her husband. Oswall | Henshawe. But Oswald does not seem {to count much. Myra's feelings, | moods, disappointment over life oc- | cupy not only all her attention, but lall Oswald's as well. A Christian ethicist would unhesitatingly ! nounc Myra her own ‘“mortal | enemy”; a modern psychologist might | indict poor Oswald. * * ¥ Achmed Abdullah, connoisseur of the Oriental, has written another vol ume of Eastern storles, “The Swing ‘ng Caravan.” Many parts of the S | Orient furnish characters and plots |tor the stories—Chinese, Russlan< Tartars, Arabs, Turks—all play their varts, though perhaps the Arabs are | the favorites. The settings are vivid | composites of hot Eastern sun, taw | deserts, brilliant, dirty cities, life in | vast open spaces, in narrow, crooked | streets, and behind latticed screens. | Their exotic color, whether true or | | exaggerated, 1s what makes Achmed | Abdullah's stories so enthralling. LI H. G. Wells, having at least tem porarily tired of religion and utopias, | pays his respects to post-war youth, | aspectally the feminine side of it, in | “Christina # Iberta’s Father.” Through the very individual character of Chris. | tina_Alberta, her somewhat crazy | tather and the various people who | circle about them, Mr. Wells makes | known his observations and seraps of his pkilosophy concerning British life |as the war has made it. Christina | Alberta herself is a typlcal flapper | yet not at all a mere figure She | looked “with her bobbed hair und short skirts and manly pose and seri ous face the most ridiculous and at tractive mixture of fresh youth and mature responsibility ™ all the joy from | The most interesting | Reverence for tradition, legend and | d | pro- | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. What 1s the oldest newspaper in the world?—U. T. C. A. The Tsen-Tse-Kwan-Pao of Pe- king, China, recently celebrated fts thousandth birthday anniversary, and is said to be the oldest newspaper in the world. A recent article says that “every fssue of this newspaper has been carefully preserved and filed in the official archives of the palace at Peking. The penalty for making a misstatement in this newspaper has been decapitation, and it is sald that more than a few of its editors have suffered this fate in the past. Since the revolution the, paper has changd its title to Tsen-Feu-Koun-Pao, which means ‘official government journal.’ Q. What streets in Washington are shaded by Norway maples?—W. H. R. . The Street Division, having charge of the trees in_the District of Columbia, says that Norway maples are found all along Thirteenth, Six- teenth and Seventeenth streets and on Nineteenth street between Virginia avenue and IS street. They are also found scattered on other streets all over the city. Norway maples are be. ing put in wherever silver maples are taken out. Q. What use the gyros 2 A. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Ke. They placed it on one of their business cars, a portion of the ob- servation compartment having been ziven up to the mounting of the syroscope and its auxiliaries. rallroad to What was a “nel This was used during the sev- sntury and was a shiplike but some- to con- napkin topped carried structure, 3 times of pewter. which tain the saltcellar, towel of its owner. It was us off with his emblem and als his coat-of-arms. What is the value of the apple 0,000,000 27,000,000 an- Q. a polse A. 3 other charcoal could contain an actively poisonous substance, since charcoal has necessarily been pre- pared at high temperatures, and all of the volatile and active materials have been driven off. In a chemical way charcoal is an inactive neutral substance, Where is the New York State School?—Z. R It is at Albany N. Y. It was founded in 1887 and is conducted as part of the Stale Library. <es_excess shrinkage N. G. nkage is due chiefly AV Q@ What {in cotton good: A. Excess shr to looseness of w | town stands on the site J. N. Mc Q. What of Jericho A. The vil the site of ancient Jericho, and con- ;w(s merely of some 300 hovels and huts, Q. Where are ranches?—K. F A. The est cattle ranch located, in New Mexico and Nevada. The largest number of range cattle e in California, New Mexico and Colorado. the largest cattle are | | people lived in the Columbia in 18007—W. How many of According there were 1,4 Q. What Is the origin of the mili- tary salute? A. There h: several ides advanced as to the origin of the mil ltary salute. Tt was supposed to h: | been the practice in Rome at the time {of Jullus Caesar for inferiors to raise the palm of their hand to the front of their caps in order to show that it { contained no dagger. This was on ac count of the fact that assassinatio were &0 common in those d It to the 1800 residents, census, | have modified this to {a fire” ge of Eriha stands on | cre been suggested that time and custom the military salute. Another idea suggested was that in the British army during the American Revolution It was custom- ary for Inferiors to uncover befora superiors and equals in acknowiedg ment of their presence. On accout of the clumsy headgear, this custom degenerated Into saluting without re moving the cap. Q. What are meant by class towns in Maine?—C. T. H. A. This term refers to a town { is classed or combined with anothe: town or towns to form a represe ative district, which classed town sends a Representative to the S Leglislature. The origin of the term will be found in the constitution « the State, which provides for the apportionment of representative You will thera find these words N towns and plantations duly organize. not having 1,500 inhabitants shall Le classed as conveniently as may be into district contalning that number Q. At what time in our history dii about half the people ralse the foud and half the people buy it?—k. € A. After making various estim the Department of Agriculture h decided that the time when this w. the condition was between 1830. It would be safe to s half of the people raised fo half_of the population to consume at the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century, approximately 1825, Q. What exploring parties hava visited the Antarctic within the past R. N A. Exploring South Pole have following during the 1902, Capt. Robert I. 1909, Lieut. Shackelton, 53 deg. 23 min.; 1911, Roald Amundsen 90 deg. (Pole); 1912, Capt. Robert i Scott, 90 deg. (Pole). Q. to tha by the year, expeditions heen m dex How much does a medicine ball weigh?—L. A. A. These leather - covered weigh from four to nine pounds. Q. Was the creature called “pter: dactyl” the first bird?—N. A. A. “Pterodactyl” was not a bl but a flying reptile of the Mesoz age. “Archyopterics” is the earliest known bird and appeared in the Mesozolc age. balis . How many in the Fiji Islands A. The group consf mately 200 island 50 are inhabited. Q. da are there w. s of approx of which aho What causes sparks to fly fro J. B A. They are caused by the Igi tion of the carbon. Q. How have savings posits been increased by Christma savings accounts?—L. A. M. A. It has heen estimated that add al Christmas savings accounts 1 savings deposi hout dollars since last June sits amounted to on that date. much 000,000,000 Q. Do potatoes, Trish and sweet, have seed?—S. T. A. Both the Irish and the swes potato produce true seeds, but in neither case are they used for prop: gation. The sweet potato plant p duces seed only in very warm elinit while the Irish potato produces =eod only in cool climates both T Letters are aoing every minute fron our free Information Bureau in Wax) ington telling readers whatever they want to know. They are in ansiw:r to all kinds of queries, on all kinds of subjects, from all kinds of people Make use of this free service which The Evening Star is maintaining for you. Its only purpose is to help u and we want you to benelit from it t the habit of writing to The Eventng Star Information Burean Frederic J. Haskin, Dircctor, Wash ington, D. (. Inclose 2 cents in stamps for return postage. First Minister of Hailed as Herald of New Era first Minister to the United | ey, will be wel-| anad States, Vincent Mass comed as the herald of a new era in | relations of ng impor- tance between the Dominion and the Union Cana | says the tual inter ever-inereas 4 and the United States,” Topeka Capital, “have mu- | s different from the rela- | tions of this country to any other, and {from those of Canada to any other. Our trade with Canada exceeds t with any other country, the Britis | lIsles excepted, and s increasing| steadily. 1f Belgium or Denmark has | | a Minister at Washington, Canada cer- { tainly should have. There are no dif- {ticulties between this country and anada, but there are always likely be problems requiring negotiation nd consultation, and mutual interests msidered. “Materially, the appointment will | he of much benefit to both countries, the Watertown Daily News points out. | “The economic interdependence of | Canada and the United States cannot | be denied. . The commercial, financial and industrial relations between the two countries are very close. The | United States supplies about two- thirds of all Canada's imports, and the United States buys about two-fifths of ‘anada’s exports. The two countries | ave navigation interests in common. The matter of water power has come | to the front as another great mutual intere Two billion dollars of United States money s invested in Canadian enterprises. Hundreds of factories in the United States have branch fac- tories in Canada, capitalized under the Canadian laws. There are com mon impulses to protect the shores | from foreign aggression. Socially we are one people.” SRR Referring to the fact that the two countries touch along boundary lines of about 5000 miles in extent, the Seattle Daily Times continues: *“Both governments co-operate in the patrol of inland and coastal waters, and be- tween the two are fishery questions involving valuable rights. The Do- | minion has sent half a million of its native-born to the Union, and 200.000 live in Canada. The Dominion Minis- ter's position will be one of the most His activities will 1, rather than mili- rs.” establishment tal of the Union. concern commerci tary or naval a | " \When the of | first suggested,” remarks the Atlanta ! tamous | for | nated | “The former citizens of the United States | important of its character at the Capi- | al anadian legation at Washington was | Canada undertak Beacon, Wichita the o rding to the “will be the revision of Rush-Bagot agreement This agreement is the doco which is responsible for the there is no arnament nadian bore ament an instanc dwell together been made Ithough it It may 1817 ment fact that the Americ fact of 1 held up as tons may It has never actual treaty, e of a treaty by either party upon due notice. Canada, it s understood wishes to consolidate this agreemen: in_the form of a permanent treat The Schenectady zette o upon the situation as of most inspiring thing. histor Here are two natiens.” continues Gazette, “living side by side in manent peace, with no w. forts separating them been few dispu kind easily settled 1 Canada and the United s set an example to the world of w can be done when jealousy and grecd are elimi in into an hits the be termi e ships or ty negotiated wi by Canadian tly for the Di- nment,” states the Buf News, "was coneluded in 1923. It related to halibut fish eries. The grow interests of Canada, apart from those of the tritish empire, make the apoeint ment of a separate Canadian M ter a logical step and the Dominior and the British government have taken a sensible, forward-lookink attitude toward the matter.” - United independ the acting minion gove falo Evening . The Ann Arbor Times-News b lieves “it is lkely that thorous understanding of many of the Hurl! American problems which have i volved the Dominion and the Tni has not prevailed in London. Thu {direct negotiations between Wasl ington and Ott *in the judgmen! of the Times-News, “are bound t facilitate the amicable settlement o ues which, from time to tim und to arise. The United { will be glad to recognize, in an off cial manner, the equality of Canada | “If there were any lingering doubts | as to the wisdom of indorsing the | new departure,” suggests the Var | couver Morning Star, “they were s¢ at rest when it became known Mr. Massey would be the Domin Journal, “it was hinted that the T'nited States conceivably might offer objections on Government might be subjected ta confusion in the determination of questions relating alike to Canada and the British crown. Such a contin. gency has been dispelled by the Brit ish government's announcement that the Canadian Minister at Washington is to have free rein in the handling of all questions connected with Can. fada.” On the other hand. the Chicago Daily News explains, “legislation by Congress would be necessary to en fable the Washington Government to {reciprocate by sending a diplomatic representative to Ottawa.” L w “One of the most significant er- rands which the new Minister will the ground that the | representative, for he s no stral to the official circles of the Britis metropolis. The first Minister from dominion to a foreign capiti Massey will begin his work w the fullest expectations that he W be eminently successful” The Newt York Times looks upon Mr. Mass: as “ome who, 1iving just across ti | invisible border, understands the | Amertean people as thoroughly as hi | own—thelr political attitudes, the | cross-sectional differen the | idiosynerasies and their ideals.” | The San Antonio Express i | minded of the fact that “Canadas | chair long has been ready in t} Pan-American Building in Waushing ton and every other New World country warmiy would welcome the Dominion.”