Evening Star Newspaper, December 18, 1926, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR o With Sunday Morning Editlon. WASHINGTON, D. C. BATURDAY. .December 18, 1926 THEODORE W. NOYES. . . . Bditor — — ¥he Evening Star Newspaper Company c{nes Office: 1 st Pard Perayivants Ato. New York Office: 110 Eagt fimfl‘st. Chic * Tower Buildine. European Office; 14 Regent S1.. Leadon, Engtand. The Evenine ar, with the Sundas morn: P s ere v Sty 't 60 centa”per momk"ugx oniy. 8 conls Ter month; Sundas only. 2 Rl Tontby, Oriers, mas. Be ST0% 1¥ mado e tat " Collectio: Carvier at and of ‘sach month. vy Rate by Mali—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. o iy s sonter. g8 4w 788 unday only i1mo. 28 All Other States and (",Alwllfl 3 ily and Sunday..]y7.$12.00: 1 Mo, u_?g aily o 8.00: 1 mo.. 71 das ok 1 8000 1 mon 8 Member of the Associated Prea: The Assoclated Press la exclusively entiyjed %o the use for republication of ail nows dis- atehes credited to it < < tad in ihin paper and also the local news Eblishad herain. All rights ablication ©2 special diepatches herein: are slso reserved. o Reward of Faithful Service. In a tribute unsurpassed in the his- tory of the District for sincerity and warmth of expression, the citizens of the Capital last hight manifested their uppreciation of the services rendered by Cuno H. Rudolph ds Commissioner of the District during two periods of incumbency, totaling in all more than nine years. This testimonial was tend- cred at w public dinner nttended by more than elght hundred residents of ‘Washington and addressed by repre- ments of the people generally. That it was well deserved was attested by the enthusiasm with which the senti- ments voiced were received by those present. iy Mr. Rudolph served the District capably und faithfully during his two terms of office. He sacrificed much to accept this public trust and discharged it conscientfously and competently. He truly represented the community in the office, being thoroughly familiar with it and its needs, and identified ‘with all its progressive movements to- ward the attainment of the ideal that is held by Washingtonians for their eity. In temperament admirably adapted 1o such a responsibility*and trust, Mr. Rudolph administered his office not only efficientiy but tactfully and pa- -tiently. Both at his desk at the Dis- trict Building and as spokesman for the municipal government before com- mittees of Congress, he was at all times a stanch defender of the com- munity’s rights and an advocate of its aspirations. He was considerate of the wishes of individuals and groups and to the extent of his powers, and with due regard for the welfare of the entire community, he furthered them. Relinquishing the office reluctantly but in obedience to the need to seek relaxation from physical and mental strain which his duties entailed, and 10 devote himself to attention to his personal affairs, which he had sacri- ficed from a sense of public duty, Mr. Rudolph rejoine the ranks af, the cit- isens with the warm affection of ‘Washingtan and the hope that he will in that capacity long continue as a useful active member of it. The trib- utes paid to him last night are but a concentrated expression of the sense of obligation which Washington feels for one who has for its sake and to good effect spent a large part of his life in a position of trust and respon- sibility, onerous and difficult and ex- acting. Such a manifestation as that just given i3 an assurance that faith- ful service is appreciated and reward- ed by the highest of all compensations, the heartfelt thanks of those for whom he has labored during nearly a decade. ————r———— A lady distinguished in tennie threatens (o write poems and publish 4 book. Some of the best contributors 10 print have been trained in sports. The path to literary glory is by way of athletics 1 ———————— A great trial calls for congratula- tions at finish excepting for the jurors, who have experienced most of the actual hardship. — cibene The German Ministry's Failure. While it would perhaps seem that the defeat of the Marx ministry in Germany was precipitated by the charge that it has been maintaining illegal relations with the Soviet gov- ernment of Russia and 1s secretly buy- ing munitions from Moscow, this lat- est ministerfal collupse at Berlin is actually Cue rather to merely domestic political factors. The Murx cabinet, svhich has been called the “little coalf- tion,” containing three members of the «tenter purty, two of the Democrats and sive of the People’s, held no representa- tiveof the Soctulistsor the Nationallsts. And yet it was dependent for its con- tinued lease of power upon those two groups in the Refchstag. Recently a imember of the People’s party declared in the Reichstag that if 1t became necesss “big coalition” in aused the e and they lleged secret relutions ved as well as some im-| nents, §n- luding the Briand-Stresemann conver- ations ut Thoiry, resulting in a dis- rinet Franco-German rapprochement; the entrance of Germany into the League of Natl he agreement of the allles to repluce the military mis- sion of the Counctl of Ambassadors by + League of Nations commission; the voferendum against the expropriation of royal propertles, and finally the resignation of Gen. Von Secckt, due to bis permitting the son of the former Crown Prince to enroll as an officer of the Reichswehr in Bavarian ma- neuve For u ministry without a party support it worked effec. ly during its short career. The charge that there is « secret re- tutionship between the Nationallsts of and stored for some future use was advanced by the BSoclalists in the Reichstag to precipitate the crists cul- minating in the resignation of the chancellor. Philip Scheldémarm, the republican first chancellor, was spokes- man for the accusers, and alleged that the minister of war is engaged in building up a Reichswehr which is not representative of the republic, but is nationalistic in character. There ate two fears on the part of the German Soclalists, one of & revival of monarchism, and the other of a plan for revenge for the humiliations and losses caused by the Great War. The German Soclalists want no more fighting and want no monarchy. The fact that they are strong enough to undermine the ministty on these alle- gations is an effective guarantee of peace. Thus the alleged secret rela- tions between Cermany and Russia need cause ho serfous alarm In the world on the score of a dctermined purpose to precipitate another general conflict, e s Base Ball and Judicial Pay. Five years ago Kenesaw Mountain Landis was & Federal judge at Chi- cago, drawing from the United States Government the salary of $7,600 a year. He had served for a long time, had rendered some important deoistons, had worked faithfully and: conscien- tiously at his task, but had been un- able to meet his expenses out of his tncome. He had been compelled to borrow money to carry on, and there was little prospect of any improve- ment {n his financial condition which would enable him to catch up in his arrears. Then came a surprising of- fer. He had long been & devotee of the sport of base ball, an ardent “fan,” keenly enjoying the games. A serious crisis had arisen in base ball affairs. A scandal had developed that threat. ened the integrity of the sport. Trou- bles were brewing between the two major leagues. They got together, however, and created the office of comn- missioner, in effect a high court of arbitration and administration, and they offered this position to Judge Landis at @ salary of $80,000 & year with a five-year contract. He was faced with a dilemma. Devoted to the law, proud of his position as a jurist, he had no prospect while on the bench of any betterment or advancement or, 1n fact, of release from the carés of in- debtedness. If he left the bench he would sacrifice years of training in his profession, but would be finahcial- 1y independent. He chose the latter course. Yesterday the base ball magnates in Joint session at Chicago reappointed Judge Landis to the post of commis- sloner for a period of seven yeats, and increased his compensation trom $50,- 000 to $85,000 & year. He has accepte without hesitation. The increase alone 1s equal to twice the amount of his former salary as judge. The other day the President signed a bill just passed by Congress increas- ing the pay of Federal judges. This measure has been pending for several years. It has required the most per- sistent efforts on the part of those realizing the need of improvement in the judicial salary scale to secure its ultimate enactment. The highest pay on the list, that of thé Chief Justice of the United States, 18 less than one- third of the amount which Judge Landis will enjoy for the next seven years. Iad he remained on the bench until now he would have been given $10,000 a year, or less than one-sixth of his new compensation. Many a base ball player gets more money than the lowest-pald Federal Judge. Some of them get mote than the Chiet Justice of the United States will receive under the new law. This financla] pleture seems all out of drawing. But so long as the pubiic thinks more of sport than It does of Justice these disparities will continue. It 18 not to be suggested that the United Statés should adopt the base ball scale for the compensation of judges. If it dld there woul be no surplus to embarrass Federal admin. istrators or to tempt legisiators to ex- travagance in appropriations ———— A Democratic candidate for the United States presidency is sure to be found. Even though defeat may be almost certaln the publicity i3 worth something. o —————— About the only moral to be drawn from the Iall-Mills case is the sug. gestion that Do Russey's lane ought to have more electric lights. A Superskyscraper. Announcement is made of a project to erect in the center of New York's business district an office bullding of 110 stories, reaching to a height of @208 feet above the level of the street. This superskyscraper will be the highest in the world, nearly two and a half times the height of the Washington Monument, 506 feet higher than the Woolworth Bullding, now the tallest New York structure, and nearly 300 feet higher than Detroit's eighty-five-story construc. tion, which now holds the record of occupled buildings. The Elffel tower in Paris {8 1,000 feet in height, but is a mere steel skeleton frame. This new construction as pictured will resemble a huge obelisk with occasionally recessed sides, the whole effect being of a spire. It will be the dominating feature of the New York landscape. Its cost will be $18,000,000 for the construction, the site being worth $4,600,000, or a total cost of $22,600,000, and the builders expect to obtain & yearly rental of approximately $8,000,000. ‘The foundations will go forty-eight feet below the street level, the build- ing resting on a grillage embedded in an elghteen-foot slab of reintorced conerete anchored in the solid rock and capable of bearing a load of thirty-five tons to the square foot. This structure will afford a maxi- tum amount of available space, there being no interfor court. It s claimed to be the most economical form yet proposed under the zoning requirements that prevall in New York which necessitate recessions of the outer walls in proportion to the Germany und Russta whereby arms and munitions made In the latter height. In these enormously high buildings the question of .elevator This etructure will be served by sixty high-speed cars, arranged in ten anks” and rising to diiferent levels. Certaln expresses will reach the elghty-second story and others will go to the top. This project illustrates anew and in a spectacular manner the great value of superficial area in New York City. It is necessary to build high in order to Becure @ return from the site. The new zoning law In forc: thers has brought & marked chang in the city's architecture and in the economics of bullding construction. Judging from the design this latest proposal reaches the maximum of site use. It is concelvable, however, that 1t will be followed by others on larger sites, rising to even greater hetghts. The Other Way Around. District offictals have taken the “'other way around” to settle the per- plexing question of when the 1927 au- tomobile tags shall be good, legal and proper. When the Commissioners an- nounced, some weeks ago, that the new licenses would be recognized on January 1 and not before, contrary to long established custom in this city, there was consternation in the ranks of the motorists. Visions of midnight sorties to parked cars for the purpose of attaching tags, of frozen and scraped fingers and of unnecessary In- convenience were probably held by most of the hundred-odd thousand drivers in Washington. Now, how- ever, instead of golhg back to the old system, which would have made the 1827 tags good in December of 1926, the Commissioners have made 1926 tags good throughout January of 1927, The proposed change in the license situation was reported to have been due to complaints from Maryland, but the announcement just made by the Distefet officials puts an effective quietus on that idea, and shows, ap- parently, that the breaking down of the custom was due solely to the few additional dollars that would accrue to the District through the purchase of Christmas automobiles and the con- sequent buying of a 1928 tag for the few remaining days of December. It reflects little credit on Washing: ton to demand a full year's fee for a few days’ use of an automobile, re- gardless of whether the cost is one dollar or twenty dollats. There are probably few people who will let this item {interfere with the purchase of a car, but nevertheless there is bound to be some fecling of injustice. It appears likely, therefore, that the departure from custom will not find favor with a large percentage of the residents of the National Caplital. ————— European flnance tegards Uncle Sam as a cruel creditor. This was not the attitude when money was bor- rowed. Time works changes. The borrower s grateful. The repayer is often resentful. ey One of the most satisfactory results of the Fall-Doheny ltigation is the reduction to quietude of any ap- prehension that the Japanese are after us. ——et— It would be fortunate if crime m: terles wero as easily solved by ‘the police as they are by authors of de- tective stories. - il s Owing to his immunity regurding remarks on the floor, a Congressman may regard it as his privilége’ih ‘emo- tional stress “to hit the celling.”. . . .} ————e—— SHOOTING STARS." BY PHILANDER JOHNSON | Unadjusted. He never learned to play’ base bail He never learned to fight. . O He never lingered ’round each stall To see which horse wab right.’ He never wed a movie quean, ... .« He never sought divorce, And so the world in him hag kden ' A person rather coarse. He never wooed a flapper gay. Nor dallied with a gun. He never patronized a play ‘Which was profane in fun e was, quite plainly, unallled - -« With all the current plan And those who knew him sadly cried, ’Oh, what a dreadful man!” Rules. ““What do you think of the Senate rules?"” “I don't think about them,” an- swered Senator Sorghum. “I'am an advocate of order, and the mention of rules uppears only to make the gitye atlon more unruly.” . Noun or Verb? Kipling wrote with sturdy art Which made a bygone ripple, Now modern readers stand apart And ask, “How does one kipple?"” ‘“When a word has gone beyond four syllables,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “it ceases to be a light in the path of wisdom und becomes screen for ignorance.” Jud Tunkins says a good lawyer has to be not only a student but a publicity expert. Conservation. The Philistines brave Samson slew By methods well contrived. Yet speeches strange are heard anew. The jawbone has survived. Alibl. ““Was that man who drove up in an automoblle & bootlegger?"” & “No,” answered Uncle Bill Bottle- BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. If Will Rogers were to put out a Joke book, no one would be surprised. | But when the First Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, who is also a former Governor of New Hampshire and a former president of the United States Civil Service Commission, issues a book entitled “Spice for Speeches,” gov- ernmental Washington sits up and takes notice. One looks twice at the name on the title page, John Henry Bartlett, th:n his doubts are resolved when he catches a glimpse of the photograph of the ‘'Governor,” as he s univer- sally called, used as a frontispiece. Behind those glasses are eyes that can twinkle. That - rather stern mouth (in the photo) can as readily break Into & quick smile, for there are two Bartletts, the officlal and the unofficial. It is this latter John H. Bartlett who s revealed In this modest book of 100 pages or so, just issued by M. A. Donohue & Co. Here Gov. Bart- lett throws off his reserve, and serves us up some of the choice stories which he has been collecting over a period of years. The 68 stories “on or from celebri. tles,” contained in the first chapter, will, perhaps, prove most entertain. ing to cotemporary Washington, in- cluding, as they do, anecdotes of President Coolidge, Chief Justice Tl)fl, Willlam Jennings Bryan, John W. Davis, Senator George H. Moses, Wil Hays, Justice Harlan Fiske Stone, Benator James E. Watson, George R. Wales of the Civil Service Commission, and many others. £ X % X This {s an informal book, as a joke book ought to be, a homely compila- tion of storfes that have struck the funny bone of the author, some of them original, others frankly old, some taken from other publications, and others handed down by word-of- mouth. The four other chapters are headed “Mostly About Little ¥olk,” ‘Busi. ness Men's Storfes,” ‘“Matrimwny, Law, Liquor and Leftovers,” and “Laughter in Literaturc.” One will realize offhand that these are standard jokes. Yes, here we find the Scotchmen, and the Irieh, and the Hebrews, and all the others who have done heroic service in jokes for these many cen- turies, used again, but with Gov. Bartlett’'s own particular twist. Not even the Ford is forgotten! Now, this is it should be. Such stories as these are the very anec. dotes which we laugh over every day in ordinary life. Some one tells us a "'good story,” we laugh, repeat it to others, and so it goes the rounds, ““We have intended no politics, no propaganda, no disrespect, no dis- ltkes—only fun,” says the author. Surely, he makes good his promise. While not every story will appeal to every one, that is something that cannot be helped. It is the fate of all such collections. Humor, close packed, runs the risk of surfeiting the reader. Wit, crowd- ed too closely, tends to leave one cold. There are enough stories in this little book, however, to please every one. The following anecdotes, culled from Gov. Bartlett's "joke book,” the first to be issued, to our Knowledge, by any politiclan of equal prominence, wre given to allow the reader here to see t the book under review offers, Our idea of o book review Is to tell something about a book, 80 that the reader of the review will have some- thing to go on, when he finishes read- ing. This can often be best effected by judicious selections. The remainder of this column today, then, is devoted to excerpts from “Spice for Speeches,” the stories being here used without quotation marks to avold confusion. .The selections follow: DAME FORTUNE. “Al” Stearns, president of Phillips- Andover Academy, told me this story on President Coolidge. At an Amherst College dinner, after Mr. Coolidge had been elected Vice President, some of his old schoolmates, cluding ““Al" Stearns, got after “Cal” t him tell them ‘“how he did i mained silent, refused or neglected to answer for a long while, but finally, in order to stop their importunity, spoke just two words, “Dame For- tune.” This gave the glee, but did not satisfy, so they kept up the bar- rage of words with no reply from this son of destiny. Finally “Al” said, 'Now, ‘Cal’ you must have done something yourself! ‘Dame Fortune could not have done it all.” To this the silent man emitted nine words, “Well, ‘Al I may huve nudged her a little. LI A TAFT STORY. Chief Justice and ex-President Taft once told this story to illustrate cus- tomary = methods. A proud, well dressed, but intoxicated gentleman was coming out of a hotel where he had a few steps to do gown. His legs suddenly went on a strike and he keeled over the steps onto the side- walk into a heap, where a passing gentleman, thinking he must be hurt, ran to his aid. He spirited up quickly and said, “Let me ’'lone, thish the way I always come down. ERE SOME POLITICIAN. The Hon. Will H. Hays, as Postmas- ter General, had a good custom of writing complimentary and laudatory letters of congratulation to each old employe who left the post office serv- ice in good standing. These letters were all alike and ground out by stenographers, but they were gener- ously worded, and signed by Hays. Through another set of clerks, a no- tice, also signed by Hays, had been sent on one occasion to a certain old postmaster apprising him that he was removed from office for incom- petency. By error in co-operation he also received one of the “‘Hays' best,” as the complimentary ones were called. He read them both, meditated awhile, shook his head and said, “Some¢ politiclan!” ER ‘When, during the latter part of my term as governor, I was being “‘urged to run again,” I chanced to find an answer by quoting a bit of advice which came from my father when I was a boy. He used to say. “Stop ecating when it tastes good.” * ok kX It is sald that the brilliant orator, Senator James E. Watson, was speak- ing at a political rally one night when & bunch of boys standing near a door in the back of the hall made a lot of noise, disturbing the meeting, whether intentionally or boyishly, I don't know. But, at any rate, the speaker stopped his discourse long enough to say, “Those boys back there are mak- ing so much noise I can't hear the sound of my own voice.” At this, one of the lads called back, “You ain’t missing nothing, Mister!” * * ok ok % 1 once saw a letter to a Senator, which began like this: *“‘Dear Senator, I have exhausted all honorable means, and now I must turn to you for help.” .|Akeley’s Fame Held Secure As Death Ends His Career ‘The usual character of Carl Ake- ley, explorer, sclentist and friend of wild animals, {s emphasized in trib- | utes which have followed his death in Africa. His contributions to knowledge, extending over a long period of years, and his personal courpge in the -fleld are widely acclaimed, The importance of Mr. Akeley's activities is recognized by the Lexing- ton, Leader, with the statement that he was “a man of great versatility, ap, artist, a scientist, an explorer, ‘whose work In taxidermy stands out as unique of its kind,: and whose ‘animal exhibits in the great museums are the most remarkable to be seen in the world.” The Leader attests that “he had made such good use of ‘his time, had given himself so gener- ously to his work, and had labored " lwith' such unremitting diligence to achfeve his ends that he has left a wonderful memorial behind him.” His death "brings profound grief to the scientific world in general and to naturalists and geographers in par- +| ticular,” says the Sacramento Unlon, which adds that he was “bountifully equipped with that knowledge neces- sary for accuracy and reliability,” and that . “the American Museum of Natural History owes as much to him as to .any man who has con- tributed of his talents and time to the collection of animal exhibits.” The Springfield Illinois State Journal adds that “such men as Akeley are rare in the world. They serve an essential purpose in education. They are bearers of light and diggers for treasure, by al] of which man learns to direct his ways. His spirit of ad- venture g in all of us, but few per- sons possess the courage and initia- tive to launch forth the expedition into the unknown.” * k¥ K “perhaps Carl Akeley was not the last of the great explorers,” re- marks the Worcester Gazette, “but s0 much of the earth from the poles to the depth of the tropical jungles has become known that it is a tempta- tion to see him as closing the great caravan once led by Marco Polo and Magellan, once numbering among its members Leif, Eric's son, the Viking, and Columbus the Genoese, and in a later day made brillant by Peary, Stanley and Shackleton. Carl Akeley was a sculptor, an inventor, a taxi- dermist, an authority on natural his- tory, but we think of him most as an intrepid adventurer and explorer. He survived the dreaded African ‘black water’ fever. He was trampled by an elephant and recovered. He fought a wounded leopard and killed the beast with his bare hands. He dled in Africa from the hardships of his last exploring trip for the American Museum of Natural History.” “It is given to some men that they shall stay at home and live the life of the old ant who felt that his world was blg because he had traveled to top. “‘He was badly dressed and had a cheap car. You couldn’t possibly sus- pect him of.being a bootlegger.” Myths. Bome say that Bacon wrote the stuff ‘That made Bill Shakespeare fa- mous— That Bill was only just a bluif: Perhaps, an {gnoramus. Fhe topic's one to dally with. As Time old notions smbthers. It Santa Claus is just & myth— ‘Well, maybe there are others. “A man who can't do no work his- selt,” sald Uncle Eben, “is allus crazy to get a placo where he kin boss .ountry are surreptitiously imported service is of parameunt importapce, somebody else.” r three stumps, while to other men the world 18 no bigger than the reaches of their means of travel. Without the latter,” declares the Little Rock Ar- kansas Democrat, ““we would have no America. The death of Carl Akeley in the Belglan Congo serves to remind us again what the explorer means, not only to the culture but to the com- merce of nations. He loved the wilds of Africa, and as the true explorer and sclentist he had visions of what his calling meant to the man who stays at home. Through the efforts of such men as Akeley, millions of &chool children, to say nothing of mil- lions of parents, each day learn more of ‘life’ among the so-called ‘lower anlmals,’ and by that learning are better fitted to live their own lives.” L I A “To him as much as to any other lUving man, Stanley and Livingston not excepted,” according to the Miami Daily News, “belongs the credit for bringing forth the secrets and mys- teries of the African jungles, andéof leading to the light barbarous-and un: civilized people, who are now in & way. to recelve and enjoy blessings = of which they have for hundreds, of year been In ignorance. In the Smith- sonfan Institution at Washington are silent tributes to the skill and daring and the patience and ‘endurance’ 6f this man.” < Recalling Paul du Chaflli’s “térri- fying picture of the gorillas he had encountered in Africa,” the San Fran- clsco Call-Post states that Mr. Akeley “made amends to the well behaved gorillas of Africa for thé inaccurate reporting of Du_ Chafllu, , Whengvep he wrote about them,” cortinues that paper, to avoid man, rather than to attack him. He reported their fine behavior among themselves, rather than their desperate conduct’ when corhered 'by a man with a gun.” “A sense of the beauty and grandeur of African forests, of the poetry ima crouched lion and magnificence of a stampeding herd of clephants; a_sqi- entific knowledge of habitat and of instinct; an unusual ability. in sculp- ture,” are among the things that the New York World sees in'the equfp: ment of Mr. Akeley, and that papet avers that “we have plenty of natural- ists and hunters who describe wild life appreciatively; we have alw: had museum workers who could stuff skins into a recognizable imitatlon of the live anfmal; but till Carl Akeley we have never had a combination of art- ist, museum expert and hunter who could bring home visually to the ordi- nary man the irresistible power of & charging rhinoceros, the beauty of a leaping antelope and the exotic charm of an African river with animals drinking and wild fowl bathing. B Many of Insured Die While Policy Is Young From the Watertown Dally Times. The somewhat impressive state- ment is made by the Insurance Press of New York in {ts current issue that $60,439,200 was paid by life insurance companies in 1925 on policles in force less than a year. In other wprds, the holders of 109,960 policles did not live long enough to pay a second annual dividend. Many paid only one qua terly on one semi-annual premium, and the fatalities by age groups show the age group from 40 to 49 years the hardest hit. Accidents, pneu- monta and apvendicitis are set down us the chlef causes of sudden deaths. One of the largest insurance com- panies reports that 10 per cent of its total payments of death claims in 1925 were on policies in force less than a year. These figures are not referred to with any idea of, frightening any one. They are simply cited as another bit ot evidence in behalf of life insurance :hat cannot be overturned. Not so long ago there was a common opinion that any one who sald a word in be- half of life insurance was giving a bit of free advertising that really should be paid for by some one. Now it is a generally accepted rule that he who speaks in favor of life insur- ance 18 advancing the claims of an &ctual human need. If any man who has any argument why he should not protect his family against his pos- sible death ft would be Interesting to hear it. The figures quoted emphasize particularly how it is an immediate need with any person who s insur- able and who has no pol ‘he emphasized their .desire. THE LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover. A booklover always includes books | on his Christmas list. He selects books which he knows are good in their class—either history, blography, travel, fiction or poetry—and then he is sure that if the reciplents are not pleased it is their fault. Of course he does his best to adapt his book | gifts to the individuals for whom | they are intended. He does not send o rare old edition of “Urn Burial” to a flapper, Dreiser's “American Tragedy” to an invalid suffering from melancholia, nor Wig- gan's “Fruit of the Family Tree” to a fundamentalist. In other words he tries to be tactful and discriminatin, With this in mind he divides the names on his list into groups. First, there are his more or less serious frien who rarely read fiction but like t keep up with recent books of other types. For eight of them he sele Durant’s “Story of Philosoph Breasted's “Conquest of Civilization James Harvey Robinson's “Ordeal of Ctvilization,” Sandburg's “Abraham Lincoln: the Prairie Years,” Cotton's “Lite of Charles W. Ellot,” Charles Moore's “Family Life of George ‘Washington,” Hervey Allen's “Israfel the Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe,” and Cushing’'s “Life of Sir Willlam Osler.” Three of his friends enjoy not too heavy books of popular sclence and they receive Willlam Bee- be's “Arcturus Adventure,” De Kruif's “Microbe Hunters,” and Gamallel Bradford's “Darwin.” Other friends, who like good fiction, not too devold of action, are given Hergesheimer's “Tamplico,” Sinclair Lewis' ‘‘Man- trap,” and Somerset Maugham's volume of six stories “The Casuarina Tree.” * When he comes to his own family, he has little trouble. e knows their tastes; he also knows what he thinks will be good for them. His wife is something of g musician, so he gives her Finck's “My Adventures in the Golden Age of Music,” and, as she also has a taste for psychological fic- tion, he selects a number of good novels of this type for her, including Mary Webb's “Precious Bane,” Arnold Bennett's “Lord Ralngo,” Hugh Wal- pole’s “Harmer John,” Ernest Poole's “With Eastern Eyes,” and A. Hamil- ton Gibbs’ “Labels. ‘To his mother and his sister, who live together and read aloud a great deal, he decides to send J. St. Loe Btrachey’s “American Soundings,” Clementina Black's “‘The Linleys of Bath,” Drinkwater's ‘“Mr. Charles, King of England,” Mark Sullivan’s _ “Our Times,” Padraic Colum’s "The Road Round Ireland,” and Hamlin Garland's “Trial-Makers of the Middle Border.” * kK K Y His son, who is in high school, has recently shocked him by not knowing who Prometheus was and by confus- ing Galahad with Fiegfried, so he de- termines to make part of his Christ- mas books educational and gives him Tatlock’'s “Greek and Roman Mythol- ogy"” and Guerber's “Legends of the Middle s,” “®ith Wren's “Beau Sabreur” and Sabatini’s “Bellarion the Iortunate,” to sugar-coat the others. He especially enjoys choosing the books for his two younger chil- dren, a boy and a girl, and orders for them Marshall’s “English Literature for Boys nd Girls,” Teasdale and Walker's “Rainboy Gold” (poetry), “The Donegal Wonder Book,” by Seu- mas MacManus; Stewart Edward White's “Daniel Boone,” “Etiquette, Jr.,” by Quigley and Clark; Bridge ““Young ‘Folks' Book of Invention and Chrisman’s “Shen of the & as be has a liking for the old books, he makes himself a modest Christma/ present of “Everybody’s Pepys,” with 60 illustrations, by 1. H. Shepotd. % % * & ik ‘One-view of the Christmas season, a rather cynical one, is expressed in Rose Mavaulay's recent novel, “Crewe Train,” which shows human beings all hurrying about, doing futile things and_leading_lives entirely different from those they would prefer to lead. The preface motto of the novel is “Oh, Mr. Porter, whatever shall I do? I .;meant to go to Birmingham and they've sent me on to Crewe.” Part of this Crewe train futility is seen to be the mad Christmas rush. “Every vear, in the deep Midwinter, there descends upon this world a terrible fortnight. A fortnight, or 10 days, or a week, when citizens cannot get about the streets of their citles for the surg- ing pressure of persons who walk therein; when every shop Is a choked mass of humanity, and purchases, at very time when purchases are st numerously ordained to be made, are only possible at the cost of bit- ter hours of travail; a time when nerves are Jangled and frayed, purses emptied to no purpose, all amusements and all occupations suspended in fa- vor of frightful businesses with brown paper, string, letters, cards, stamps and crammed post offices. This period is doubtless a foretaste of whatever .purgatory lles in store for human creatures. * ok ok ke More ploneer autobiography of the Garland family is the substance of Hlarhlin Garland's novel, “Trailmakers of the Middle Border.” “A Son of the Middle Border” and “A Daughter of the Middle Border” told of the lives of Hamlin Garland’s parents, who were ploneer settlers in Wisconsin, and of his own boyhood, growth to manhood and hard struggle to fi success as an author. “Trailmakers of the Middle Border” is none the less blography because it has the form of fiction and makes use of as- sumed names. Richard Graham of this story probably represents Ham- Uin Gariand’s father. He leaves Maine for work in Boston, then feels the urge of the California gold fever, but stops in Wisconsin, where ro- mance and marriage overtake him, then interrupts his pioneer life to serve his country in the Civil War. These three books are not merely a history of the Garlands,” but also serve as a record of the manners and customs of an important and pic turesque era in American history. * ok ok Kk The story of the American Indian, admirably told for young people, is written by Flora Warren Seymour in her book, “The Indlans of Today. Mrs. Seymour is a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners, She tells of all the different Indian_tribes which have occupied the United States, their history, the location of those which remain and their methods of life at the present time. Interest- ing chapters are those on the Five Nations, “The People of the Long House,” and the history of*the Sioux. The especial characteristics of the Cherokees, the Osages, the Nez Perces, the Navajos, the Hopis, the Zunis, the Pueblos and others are given. Many necdotes -and legends add to the readableness of the account. * ok kK Peking has not been a very easy or safe place to visit during the past year and some travelers have had to leave its vicinity without seeing it, because of the occupation of the ap- proaches to the city by rival armies and bandits. Perhaps to such it will be only an aggravation of their griev- ance to read “Through the Moon Duor,” by Dorothy Graham, for the author succeeded not only in getting into Peking, but even rented u house and practiced domestic life there Social life #h the Anglo-American col- ony she nd and snob- bish for. NSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. What will drive a skunk from under a porch?—M. M. W. A. The Blological Survey says that pure wood smoke is very effective in driving out skunks e How many people attended the world series this year and what were the gate receipts’—J. R. A. A. The total pald attendance of the seven games of the world series between the St. Louls Cardinals and the New York Yankees was 328,051. The receipts from the paid attendance were $1,207,864. Q. After a state of war between nations has terminated, are treaties between those nations, which existed previous to the war, still effective?— This is a matter of national pol- fey. Great Britain in practice admits no exception to the rule that all trea- ties as such are put an end to by sub- sequent war between the parties. This was the cause of a discussion between the United States and Great Britain after the War of 1812 over the ques- tion whether the treaty of 1783, grant. ing to the colonists fishery rights off the coast of Newfoundland, was sus- pended by the subsequent war be- tiveen the contracting parties. Q. Has “p. q.” any other meaning than “per quod"?—W. C. 8. A. It also stands for “pro querens,” and following the name of a lawyer often means “for the plaintiff.” Q. When was the capital of Russia changed to Moscow?—M. O. B. A. On the 14th of March, 1918, the People’s Commissars, the nkt’ Russian Socialistic Soviet government, left Petrograd for Moscow, which city thus became the center and capital of new Russia, Q. How does the number of deaths caused by automoblles compare with thi nu‘mbe‘x}' of automobiles being used? —F. W. G, A. In 1926 there were 10,828 auto- mobile fatalities and 19,954 vehicles registered. " Q. Where aid the apes'df’ Gibraltar come from?>—J]. H. S......., A. They are a carefully protected tribe of monkeys or apes that are sup- posed to have been brought from Africa a'long time ago. Attempts have been made to increase .their number by bringing in monkeys from other parts of the world. All such at- tempts have been failures, as the resi dent monkeys have killed all intruderm. Q. Who wrote “My Old Dutch” J.F. P A. The production was written by Arthur Shirley and Albert Chevaller in 1816. Chevaller in the character of Joe Brown toured in the play repeat odly from 1916 to 1920. Q. Do Tom Mix, Fred Thomsou and Bill Hart own the horses that they ride in the movies”—H. D. T. A. They do own thelr horses and have trained them themselves. Q. When was Roger Williame statue put in Statuary Hall?—W.C. M. A. The date of placing the statue is 1870. It was one of the first statues placed in Statuary Hall. Q. Why do plants in window boxes turn toward the light?—R. 8. A. It is due to the irregular de velopment of the growing tissues of the plants in the absence of uniform lighting. The plants should be turned often to keep them straight. Q. Who is the best all.round shot? Was Buftalo Bill an expert shot: A. As there are so many different kinds of pistol and rifle shooting, it is almost impossible to name one per- son who is the best all.round shot. In the service, perhaps the best all- round rifle and pistol shot is Gun- nery Sergt. John M. Thomas of the Marine Corps. Perhaps the best .2C rifle and pistol shot is T. K. Lee of Birmingham, Ala. While Buffalo Bill had quite a reputation for buf falo shooting, it would not compare with shooters today. Any reader can get the answer to any guestion by writing The Bvening Star Information Bureau, J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. This offer applies strictly to informa- tion. The bureau camnot give advice on legal, medical and financial mat- ters. It does not attempt to settle do- mestic troudles, mor undertake e- haustive resegrch om any subject. Write your question plainly and briefly. Give full name and address and inclose 2 cents in stamps for re. turn postage. The reply is sent direct to the inquirer. Address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. “If and when” the Senator-elect-by- appointment from Illinois ventures to appear at the bar of the Senate for the purpose of taking oath as a Senator—something is going to drop. That fs all arranged, the trap is set, the bait is attached, and even the Vice President assures Senator Ash- urst that he may spring the trigger upon the first sniff of the quarry, and everything will be “privileged” and in order. One may imagine the unsuspecting quarry and his surprise. “If and when” Senator-by-appoint- ment Smith arrives with the certifica- tlon of his appointment by Gov. Small, to succeed the late Senator McKinley, for the short session, in advance of his full term by election, the first incident will be a debate as ’|to whether he is to be led on to take the oath and then be expelled, or whether he 13 to be met at the en- trance by Sergeant-at-Arms Barry and barred with the mace from enter- ing the sacred precincts at all. “Aye, there's the .rub!” It will be a spirited debate, with many references to the historic prec- edents and especially to the Ameri- can Magna Charta and its intents and purposes and the vital importance of keeping the togas spotless from the world. Mr. Smith is charged with having spent ‘tob'much money—about haif a million—in his efforts_to secure the primary nomination. His oppos nents view with alarm the peril of an oligarchy which may close the way to public service for all except multi- millionaires, and the Republic cease to be a Government by just “people.” As there will be no chance to quote it after Senator Ashurst and his co- horts begin, let us quote it right now: T11 fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, ‘Where wealth accumulates and men decay.” * x 2 X% One argument already heard in the cloakrooms is that, even if Mr. Smith ‘did discount the anticipated salary of many senatorial terms, in his eager- ness to earn $10,000 a year on Capitol Hill, that was all done in a previous election, before the vacancy which he is now appointed to fill, and therefore “has nothing to do with the case.” But history and precedent are in- exorable—in the hands of an opposing party. Already, Senator Walsh of Montana has cited the debate of 30 years ago in the case of Senator- elect Roach of North Dakota, wherein Senators Hoar, Chandler and Platt all argued that a taint on the record of a Senator-elect, even If it had come vears prior to his election, should be considered. The Senate must be kept pure. Mr. Roach, years before, had been accused of embezzlement asan of- ficial of an Bastern bank, and although he had reimbursed the bank in full and had subsequently lived an upright life for years in North Dakota, never- theless that criminal taint was suf- ficlent to justify the Senate in exclud- ing him. There is one detail in which the Senate differs from ‘“Judge Lynch’s cqurt.” “Judge Lynch” was noted for his rule to hang a man and try him afterward, but, under the precedents of the Senate, that high court may execute a defendant Senator-elect, and refuse ever to enter into the merits of the accusations against him. For instance, in the case of Humphrey Marshall, in 1796, the committee re- fused to investigate the charges of fraud; even though he requested in- vestigation, the committee said, “As the Constitution does not give jurisdic- tion, the consent of the party cannot give it, and, therefore, the memorial (containing the charges) should be dismisssd."” ok K ¥ Prohably the most dramatic case —melodramatic and astonishing— was the exclusion from the Senate of Albert Gallatin, in 1794, on the ground that he had not lived nine years as a citizen of the United States, although he had been a dis- tinguished officer in Washington’s army, during the Revolution, and had been a member of the Pennsylvania constitutional convention, a member for some years of the United States House of Representatives, where he was the leader of the Republican party, and upon election to the Sen- ate he was sworn in and_ actually served three months before his polit- ical opponents, the Federalists, brought charges that he had not been a citizen nine yeary, as re- quired, before election to the Senate. The charge was purely technical, for although born In Geneva, Swit- zerland, he had come to America at the age of 19 (in 1780) and demon- strated his loyalty by his service in the Revolutionary Army, and his ability as a statesman in the House. He was opposed to & strong central government and had neglected to take the oath of allegiance to the confederation until 1785; hence he was not eligible to the Senate until 1794, instead of the year he was elected— by the combined vote of the Federal- ists and Republicans—in 1793. Later, from 1801 to 1814, he was Secretary of the United States Treasury, un der Jefferson and Madison, and in 1824 he was nominated for Vice President, in spite of his allen birth which made him ineligible. He withdrew from the ticket in the face > that constitutional fmpediment and became Minister to Great Britain. There is probably no instance in American politics more strikingly demonstrating partisan vindictive- ness than the expulsion of so dis- tinguished a patriot and statesman after his long service in one branch of Congress, simply on the techn!- cality that he was one year short of the required nine years after be- coming a legal citizen. * * ok * There have been later instances wherein some members of the House have strained toward liberality and hesitated to ‘‘cast the first stone” at the alleged culprit. There was the case of Brigham H. Roberts, a dele- gate to the House from the then Territory of Utah. He had been sworn in and had sat for some time before his case, of alleged disqualit: cation as a polygymist and leading Mormon, came to a decision of the committee of elections. There was no denial of the facts—he avowed his ‘Mormonism and confessed to having three or four wives, two of whom had borne him six children aplece. So the majority of the committee decided against his “moral turpitude,” in r sponse to a memorial bearing 7,000,0¢ signatures. Then the minority, cor sisting of Representative Horace Ii Harrison of Tennessee, had misgiv ings. He protested: But a graver question than those we have considered is the question whether the House ought, as a matt of policy or to establish a preceden expel either a member or a delegate on account of alleged crimed or im moral practices, unconnected with their duties or obligutions as m bers or delegates, when the member or delegite possesses all the qualities to entitle him to a seat. “If we are to go into the questlon of moral. fitness, where -will the in- quiry stop? What standard shall w fix in determining what is and wha! is not gufficient cause for expulsion? Shakespeare: ‘‘For consclence d make cowards of us all! Yet the Corlgress actually did adopt a law against moral turpitude in 187+ and ever since ther it has been aloot from admitting members gullty of bigamy or polygamy. Under the logic and misgivings of Representat! Harrison, the principle of that I may copstrue as disloyalty the illegal and reckless expenditure of money i primaries or general elections. “What standard shall we fix in determining what is and what is not sufficlent cause for expulsion,” under the cir- cumstances aforesaid? The State De partment opposes “moral turpiture.’ and why not Congress? ik e ‘The Constitution, sectlon 5, pro vides: “Each house shall be the judge of the elections, returns and quali fications of its own members. So the Senate once accepted a mnegre as a Senator from Mississippi—in 1870—Senator H. R. Revels. He was legally qualified under the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution, wh declared his citizenship, and he was « native-born American who had never been a slave. * ok Ok When our Federal Constitution was in the making there was prolonged discussion in the constitutional cor vention regarding the right to b given Congress to prescribe and judge the qualifications of its member: In the Madison Papers (volume 5, page 376) it recorded that there was pro posed an amendment to the draft ol the Constitution giving Congress ful! power ‘to establish such 'uniform qualifications of the members of each house with regard to property. as to the sald Legislature (Congress) shal! seem expedient.” An oligarchic Sen ate indeed, when ‘“property” becomes the sesame! Madison opposed that “as vesting an improper and dangerous power in the Legislature (Congress).” H: wrote: “The qualifications of elec and elected were fundamental artic] in a Republican form of government and ought to be fixed by the Constitu- tion. If the Legislature could regu late that or either, it can by degrees subvert the Constitution. A republic may be converted into an aristocracy or oligarchy as well as limiting the numbers capable of being elected - the number authorlzed to elect. In all cases where the Representativ will have a personal interest, distin from that of their’ constituents, there was the same reason for being jeal ous of themn as there was for relying upon them with full confldence when they had a common intexest.” Surely there were statesmen in the days of our fathers! (Copyright, 1026, by Paul V. Collins.)