Evening Star Newspaper, December 23, 1926, Page 8

e IFHE EVENING STAR ‘With Sunday Morning Edition. WASEINGTON, D. C. YHURSDAY. .. December 23, 1926 S'HEODORE W. NOYES. ... Editor -_———— Whe Evening Star Newspaper Company Business qut 11th St. and Penpaylvania Ave. il L Ay uropean Ofice: 14 Regent St.. London. Englan The Evenine Star. with the Sunday morn- aditing, 1 ic!lnmfl by car withi! S ot 68 ety pronih: l:l;ls oniz. r month: Sundays only. mall or Tonth. Orde ay be -mlkym‘al. [ ; i dat o el e Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. and Sunday B All Other States and (‘,l.nuh." i 1 :1mo. ey sz sonee- 1 ala g0 1 me: S0 unday only 15 98 Ayl gn:nn: 1 mo. B0 11570 $8.00: 1 mo. 28e 4,00 1 mo. Member of the Associated Press. ated Press i exclnaively entitied o republication of all news &l atchios credited to it or not o % tad In this puper and aleo the local news bltahed Reralf” A1l rigtla of publication special dispntches herein are also reserved, A Permanent Federal Exhibit. All visitors to the late Sesquicen- fennial Exhibition at Philadelphia were impressed by the displays rep- resenting the activitles of the Gov- ernment of the United States. In the large “Transportation Building,” which flanked the grounds on the south, there was shown a picture of what the Federal administration is doing for the benefit of the people of this country, constituting a vivid mani- festation of beneficent and helpful enterprise. While in some respects the Lig show, organized for the cele- bration of the century and a half of American independence, was a dis- appointment, the Government section was a revelation to most of those who the men named were actually im- plicated in the betting. It is not. indeed, established conclusively that there was a “corrupt bargain,” that the whole affalr was any more than the vengeful action of a disgruntled player. But the implication is plain that the magnates of the game feel that they cannot afford to have the sport even so remotely connected with the betting bustness, and they have moved to clean house in order to stamp out the evil. Whatever the fmmedlate loss may have been, the sport will gain from this demonstration. Base ball's hold upon the public depends chiefly upon the prevalent bellet that it {s straight anq clean, that the competition, al- though between hired teams, is sin- cere and earnest, that skill and good management win the pennants, that every contest is honestly fought. Let the dea once gain ground that the sport is merely a subterfuge for gambling, and public support will fall away, and an entertainment industry that is capitalized In enormous sums will be on the way to bankfuptey. Parking Abreast. MaJ. Hesse has ordered out a spe- clal detall of policemen to break up the infractions of the parking abreast regulation. The head of the department belleves that this prac- tice should be stopped, espectally THE EVENING BTAR, WASHINGTON, D. ¢, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1928. manper as automobiles. What will happen then? If there is not enough room in the sky for two airplanes in the whole State of Illinois the casual- ties will be terrific when there ure two thousand or two million ma- chines winging their way through the alr. It is too horrible to contemplate. Yesterday's accident was caused by either a complete lack of signals and regulations or clumsiness and carelessness. The second fault can probably never be cured, but the first can be and should be. Therefore, the subject of traffic regulations for the air deserves the immediate considera- tion of the authorities, so that “Flyers Die in Head-On Collision” will not hereafter feature the headlines of the newspapers of the country o Keep the Record Clean! With only a few hours remaining in which to close the “Opportunities” fund for the specific care of fourteen groups of people in Washington dur- ing the coming year, just a little more than of the required amount of money hes been subscribed. The total necessary for the budget for the year to support these fourteen fam- lles is $15,652. Of this amount there had been given at the closing of the accounting for today's report $8,015, leaving $7,637 yet to be contributed. Three of the fourteen cases have been Eleven of them are yet to during the Christmas season, when trafiic is heavy, and has announced that parkers of this type need ex- pect no lenlency when arrested. Ac- cordingly, from now on, life promises to be miserable for the notorists who would stop for a few minutes outside of a line of parked cars. While parking abreast undoubtedly slows up traffic and results in con- @estion, it has come to be viewed as a more or less necessary¥evil of the present-day conditions. With more automobiles in every city than there is space to take care of them visited it. double parking has come more and Now it is announced that eight of | ore in vogue. the Government departments, the | Of course there is no excuse for Coast Guard, the Shipping Board and | the motorist who leaves an unattend- the National Advisory Committee for | ®d car outside of a parked lline of Aeronautics have been given the high. | Vehicles blocking ingress and egress, est award, the grand prize, for their | DUt When this same motorist remains ©exhibits at the Sesqui. The elght de. | Seated in his automobile, or Is pos- partments are those of State, War, | 5¢ssed of a chauffeur, to move in- Treasury, Post Office, Navy, Interior, | Stantly Whenever the occasion de- Agriculture and Commerce. - A ninth | M8nds, it is difficult to look upon him as a violator, espectally when department, that of Labor, received a medal of honor. The Department of| !t 18 considered that there are many Justice had no exhibit. Official Washington as been rep- resented at the successive “world fairs” held in this country for many vears, and each time the showings have won pralse, and in numerous instances the highest honors, as at the late show in Philadelphia. And each time the suggestion has been made that the Federal exhibits should be kept intact and preserved here in ‘Washington for the education and en- lightenment of the great numbers who visit the Capital between these fairs or expositions. Fifty years ago this Was proposed regarding the display made by the Government at the Cen- in The Star that it be transferred to ‘Washington and made into the nu. cleus of a national museum. Much time and kbor and money &re spent ‘upon the preparation and assemblage of these showings of the Government’s work at the big fairs, Some of the exhibits are later stored away and some are scrapped. Of course, many of them are of a perma- ment nature, but between the fairs they are not avaflable for public in- spection, for lack of a suitable space in this city in which to display them, It would be greatly to the advan- tage of the public, greatly to the edu- cational value of these occasional ex- hibitions, if they could be assembled here as u permanent exposition of the Government's work and endeavors for the benefit of the people. A single building should be erected at a con- Vvenient point, where these expressions of public service works could be shown. It would draw great numbers of visitors. It would be one of the assured points of contact between the people and the Government. Tens of thousands of tourists come here an- nually, some for only a few hours, some for days. They want to see all that is possible of the public works while here. At present they must go visiting around tp a large number of places to gain an tmpres. sion of the activities of the Fed- eral service, and in some cases they interrupt the routine of the of- fices and are hurried through, so that they fail to gain an adequate ‘concept of what is doing and*what has been done. The Government can well afford to establish itself in exposition form at the Capital. The money required for the initlal cost of the exposition ‘would be well spent and would bring a large return in a better understunding of what the United States {s doing for the people. — There is no actual b ball at present. But base ball politics serves &8 usual to whil ‘Winter evening. o et Base Ball Integrity. is evident from observations made by leaders in organized base ball that back of the drastle meas- nres udopted in the case of Managers Cobb and Speaker, who appear to have resigned in order to avoid pub- lic identification with the scandal, achich eventually broke despite those moves, is a determination to put a atop to the practice of players in the game betting upon the results of contests and series. The club owners and league s have, with ap- parent sincerity, been seeking fo check the public gambling on the sport. trol that evil, which chiefly mani- fests itself outside of the ball parks. But they can measurubly prevent the players from wagering and this they are proposiug to do, even at the cost 2 sacrifices in personnel. The alleged bargain whereby a game was to be “thrown” was not primarily for the sake of staging a ay thany a long They cannot, however, con- | criminally reckless motorists plying the streets, ready to make a prompt getaway in case of accident. Of course one evil does not balance another, and parking “breast does congest traffic, but it is a’ serious Question whether or not the con- venlence of that large portion of the public that is unable to find regular parking spage is to be catered o or ignored. If many people, when shopping bound, are compelled to circle block after block of the down- town section, lcoking vainly for parking spaces, afrald to stop for fear of being arrested, then there is something wrong. Another angle of the situation must lkewise be vonsidered. If all of these motorists, who normally stop abreast for a few minutes, are kept on the move in hLeavy traffic, will not the congestion be perhaps great- er than if they were allowed to pull in as close to the curb as possible and stop? And is it not a form of discrimination to check up so rigidly on the overflow of parkers when they are just as desirous of finding a place to park as those who fortu- nately got in ahead of them? The inevitable conclusion is that it there are more cars in a city than street space to take care of them, properly regulated parking abreast is just as necessary as traffic lights to handle the volume of travel. In other words, parking abreast is a necessary evil In the same way as all kinds of parking, which can never be considered, even in its best phases, a benefit to a community, be- cause it 1 bound to impede free move- ment. So that, instead of clamping down on this overflow of Christmas shop- pers, it would seem to be m ‘wise course to look at the matter in a philosophical and reasonable manner; realize that traffic will be heavy and congested whether or not there is temporary parking abreast and take into consideration that enforcement of such a regulation, especially at this time, will cause serious inconvenience to a large proportion of the motorists of this city. Then it should be de- cided whether there should not be a revision of the regulation. e Participants in the Hall-Mllls case have retired from public life with a wonderful collection of photographs to put into the famlily albums instead of the rogues’ gallery. Airplane Collisions. ‘The death of four aviators in a head-on collision yesterday near Cha- nute Field, Tllinofs, stresses the ne- cessity for enactment of some kind of specific filving traffic regulations. That four lives should be suerificed in such an accident only thres hun- dred feet from the ground and with both machines apparently functioning perfectly, does mot fit in with the schome of constant advance in the art of fiying, but, on the bontrury, is a | setback too sefious to be overlooked. Street cars and trains collide be cuuse they are on the same track; automobiles crash because there is only & comparatively narrow space for them to operate, but an airplane, with unlimited room in which to ma- neuver, should certainly never b the ent of death-—and it is always death because of head-on or side-swiping collision with another machtne. Aviators, no doubt, have general rules and signals with which to gov- ern themselves, but it is apparent, from the large number of accidents of this type, that these rules are not specific. When it is realized that dur. ing the World War, with its almost hand-to-hand combats in the air, com- paratively few fiyers met thelr death through collislons with enemy ma- sure-thing betting proposition. It ‘was arranged, if at all, to enable one of the clubs to reach a higher stand- ing in the league race. The betting appears to have been incldental. It chines, then an accident In peace-time between two airplanes which had no reason or right to be dangerously close is inexplicable. ‘The time is coming, and soon, when i@ mot established that all four of ' afreraft will multiply in the samse ” / L% be fully financed, and in those eleven “Opportunities” which await assur- ance for the year are fifty-five chil- dren. Washington always subscribes fully to this fund. Somietimes it goes a little over the time set for the fulfill- ment of the contract which has vir- tually been written between the peo- ple and the Assoclated Charitles, which administers the cases ably and sympathetically and economically. Usually, however, it crosses the line of the necessary total by Christmas morning. This is an unusually prosperous year for most people. There is an abundance of money for Christmas giving. The “Opportunities” call for only s tiny fraction of the total that is spegt for holiday gifts. Out of a community of half a million there will surely come $15,652 for these eighty- four unfortunate men, women and children whom circumstances have rendered helpless and who are de- pendent for their year's sustenance upon the charity of the people. Close every one of the “Fourteen Opportunities” by Christmas morning, and keep the record clean! — e i “Bye Bye Blackbird” is now as fa- mous as “The Sidewalks of New York.” The song plugger is ever alert in securing attention where men gather on public business of any kind. He manages In some way to penetrate even into the jury room. ——————— It was Warren G. Harding who made prominent the word “normalcy.” This country and the entire world are struggling forward toward that state, ——e— The “old-fashioned “soclety publica- tions” were content with mild scan- dals involving at worst preliminaries of divorce. A scandal now is not com- plete unless it holds some hint of homicide. — et New York trading has brought en- thusiastic satfsfaction. Santa Claus is in even more generous evidence With the stocks as well as the stock- ings. ————— Purchasers of steel stocks are happy. Christmas is especially merry, as usual, for those who managed not to guess wrong. e ——— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON All Modern Improvements. Our stockings we were wont to leave ‘Where gentle warmth was kind, And wait, the presents to receive That Santy left behind. No Santa Claus, my child, is due. In wisdom you grow ripe. How ¢ould a fat saint wriggle through Yon radiator pipe? To “a.m.i.” the human race Gives unrestrained applause; And yet we miss that chimney place And dear old Santa Claus. Great Eloquence. “Your speeches have caused many a man to pause and think.” “In that case,” sald Senator So ghum, “I'm no spellbinder. The ob- Ject of a true spellbinder is to make the crowd rush to the polls and vote without thinkin, Carol. A Christmas carol now we hear— “Good friends and citizens, draw near! A bootleg vender humbly waits To guide you through the pearly gates!” “Sacrifice s necessary,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “on the part of the successful trader, who may find himself compelled to forego the pleasures of philosophy and the higher mathematics in order to specfalize on mental arithmetic.” Jud Tunkins says a traffic police- man is the only person he knows of who can make a diplomat behave as it he were in a hurry. Patience Rewarded. “Fannle Frostbite stood under the mistletoe and waited for some one to kiss her.” “Was her patience rewarded?” “Finally. Her mother came and kissed her good-night.” A Bear Market. “I'm glad to see the announcement that all you Crimson Gulchers have gone on the water wagon.” “Them Snake Rldge bootleggers was gettin' exorbitant,” answered Cactus Joe. “We had to do something to bring the price down."” Ruminations of a Surviver. Sad wars we've been compelled to see. The flivs crash right and left. It seems a wonder there should be So many of us left! man dat minds his own bust- ness,” sald Uncle Eben, “is sure to be unpopular wif folks dat ain’ found no business of defr own to mind." NORTH POLE, December 23, 1926. Mr. Templeton Jones, Washington, D." (' My Dear Mr. Jones: Yours of the 22d instant, in which you ask that I do not bring you a necktie for Christmas, received, and I hasten to answer the same, although I am a pretty busy man, as you know. In the first piace, let me inform you that itds decidedly improper to inform me what one does nof want. I am not in the business of not bring- ing things, but in that of bringing. In the second place, permit me ta say that your' letter was not exactly in" keeping, for my mail is confined almost entirely to letters from chil- dren. A letter from an adult, there- fore, is generally looked upon by me with great suspicion. On the theory, however, that you have the heart of a child, always a good thing, I am willing to forgive your missive, in the belfef that you will not do it again. Think of all the persons to whom you owe letters—think of each and every one, when next you feel tha urge to write to Santa Claus—and don't do it! Don't do it, I tell you, frankly, freely, without misgiving, but very seriously—don't do it. Desist. T have more mail than I can read now and much more than I can ever hope to answer. That is why I feel gome slight misgivings in typing this letter, but I wanted to try out one of these new typewriters, and T must say it*works very nicely, thank vou. * K % ¥ Now, my dear Mr. Jones, those Christmas neckties— Really, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for poking fun at all the good women who are bent on glving ties for Christmas. Honest, you ought. As man to man, I ask you—if you were a woman and started out to buy a gift for your husband, or your brother, or your ‘“sweetle,” “and couldn't find “a _single thing you thought he would like— If you selected a book, and then had the awful thought that he might have read it already— If you picked out a pipe, and then l;“llzed that he had given up smok- ng— If you chose a muffler, and then re- called that he had distinctly stated that he hated mufflers— If you remembered that he had more socks than he wore, and twice too many handkerchiefs; that he has specifically asked that he be given no more safety razors, and especlally no gift sets of shaving soap and 8o on— Well, now, Mr. Jones, if you were a lady, and realized all this, and then came across a big counter heaped with fine neckties, in resplendent col- ors, which the clerl sald every man doted upon— I ask you, Mr. Jones, would you not then and there unlimber your wallet— er, your handbag—and fork over $1.95 for the big purple baby there, third from the left of the rack? I rather think you would * k% Kk Be a sport, Mr. Jones. Let the Christmas cheer enter into your heart. about THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Don't be an Old Scrooge, when it comes to neckties. Remember those fellow: o “Let us, then, be up and doing, ‘With a heart for any fate.” Wear vour Christmas ties with a smile, and thank God that you have some one who thinks enough of you to remember you. Let the bold colors enter into your heart, and the snappy stripes into your soul, or something along that line. nllrmnmber, every man you meet the day after Christmas will be wearing a similar tle, and misery loves com- pany, 8o you human beings say. At thaf, you will be no worse off than the ladles, who will have to wear some of those stockings I am gotng to bring them at your solicl- tation. You will not syffer more than little Johnny, bless his heart, who wanted an iron truck and ladder, and whe is going to draw an expensive electric train, principally because yeu wanted to play with it yourself. £ e % In reference to the purely personal part of your letter, I wish to take ex- ception to two statements contained therein. In the first place, you related an anecdote, purporting to come from an authority, in which 1 was de- scribed as recelving a Christmas neck- tie from my wife, and you repeatedly attributed to me some such language us the following: “Ho, ho, ho, T am a jolly good fel- low, my jolly spouse!” ete. This is In error on two points: 1. I do not talk so. T have no wife. Aside from these statements, anecdote was essentlally true. newspaper men know everything. I will pass over the absurd lan- guage attributed to me, stating only. that I am a college graduate and would not think for the world of de- claring “'Ho, ho, h and, if I had a wife, I am sure she would not say “Tee, hee, hee!” I can but ask you to give publicity to this statement, in order that the idea that I am a doddering old idiot may bae corrected. Too long have I béen pictured as a half-wit. If I were the corpulent moron I have been pictured, how in the world could I deliver 999,987,657,843,345,667,- 765,987,789 individual gifts through- out the world in one evening? The feat speaks for itself, Mr. Jones. Your old friend Santa Claus is some man, if he is forced to say it himself. As for the second point, although there has been some attempt to marry me and some reference to ‘‘Mrs. Santa Claus,” allow me to assure you that this is a gratuitous error. If I had a wife she would expect all the Christmas gifts herself. If you still doubt, recall further: Have, you ever seen me in a 68-cent Christmas necktie? You bet you haven't, nor has any one else! Well, it 1 had a wife, you would, wouldn't you? The fact that I still wear a plain black bow tle proves that I have no wife. Yours faithfully, TNP/SC. SANTA CLAUS. lines of Long- the You BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. The greatest scare In sensational legislation and bugaboo journalism to- day is typified by the heading over a half-page article which appeared not long ago in a prominent gdally: “Warn Your Children Against the Evils of Dope.” The article was & sorry appeal to mothers to become hysterical over the fear that their little ones were already dope fiends. ““Oh, mothers, call your children to- gether this minute. Ask them If any boy or girl has ever spoken to them at school of heroin.” ““If there are 10,000 American school children using drugs today, and each one—by the very nature of the drug— will draw another child every week, and that one another every week, where will the nation be?” If! The same article almost answers that conundrum with another prob- lem: “If you put 1 cent in bank,on January i, and 2 cents the next day, and 4 cents the next, and so on doubling each day, then you will have $21,000,000 in bank at the end of one month.” So if we have 10,000 dope_children in school to start on, and double that number the next week, and double that the next, we will have X children dope fiends next month—P. D. Q" or whatever the mathematiclans say when they get the answer. The only weak spot in the problem is that there are not that many children in the world, and dope has been preying for many years. Be- sides, it costs a dope flend from $6 to $20 a day, at peddlers’ rates, to keep up his daily dozen, and not all children, even in this day, have that much spending money allowed them. Surely they can’t get heroin at drug stores with ice cream cones, where it costs legitimately about 1 per cent of peddlers’ prices. KEven the most hysterical agitators do.not so accuse drugglsts. T In the last session of Congress, a resolution was introduced calling for the printing, at Government expense, of 50,000,000 pamphlets exposing the horrors of dope. It was an article fathered by the International Asso- clation for the Suppression of Dope, of which Capt. Hobson, the hero of the Cuban War, is president. It had the support of several Congressmen. Fifty million copies! ‘With our total population of 115, 000,000, the United States contains approximately 25,000,000 homes, in- clusive of flats and boarding houses, 8o it was proposed to provide at least two coples for each family—all in English, too, though there are said to be 16,000,000 allens, not counting Senator Wadsworth's recent addition of wives and young children yet to come. This being an administration featuring “‘econom: the pamphlet ‘was not ordered. | The backers of the dope scare de- ¢ clare that we have more than a million addicts nmow in the United States, and that the number is in creasing. The experts of the Nar- cotic Division of the Internal Reve- nue Bureau assert that there are not in excess of 100,000 addicts in Ameri- ca, and the number is decreasing. They are sending 5,000 a year to the penitentiary for peddling or posses: ing the stuff. They claim to prove their data with various surveys and tests, covering all the country. Both parties recognize that prac- tically all of the evil comes from opium and its derivatives, which are smuggled Into the country. It is far easler to smuggle narcotics than it is aleohol, because narcoties are con- densed into bulk easily concealed. * ok kK Today, the makes public that it has issued in- structions to all its diplomatic repre- sentatives in countrles signatory to ‘The Hague convention regarding the control of the international traffic in narcotic drugs, requesting such gov- ernments to enforce more strictly the conventions agreed upon at The Hague Narcotic Conference of 1912 -r.lnn smuggling of the derivatives of opium, and to control within their Department of State: respective territories the manufac- ture d sale of narcotics, as agreed to at The conference. The department’s statement con- tains the declaration that our Con. gress promptly proceeded to carry out its obligations: “The question of domestic produc- tion and traflic in drugs was dealt with by the act of December 17, 1914, amended by sections 1006 and 1007 of the revenue act of 1918, and by sec tion 703 of the revenue act of 192 This act gives the Government of the United States control within the ter- ritory over which it has jurisdiction. ¢ * * Importations are by this law restricted to crude opium and coca leaves, and are limited to such quan- titles thereof as are considered neces sary by the Federal Narcotics Con- trol Board, for legitimate and medical uses only. “The fact that large quantities of the products of factories of other countries constantly reach its ports, in the hands of smugglers, brings the conviction that the quantity of such illicit drugs might be much reduced, if a stricter control over the operation of those factories could be exercised. As a step in this direction, a control which would provide an accurate pub- Uc record of manufacture and sales, showing exactly to whom sales are made, would be very helpful,” says the State Department. Since our law forbids any importa- tion of manufactured opiates, records in all countries which would trace the destination of all their manufactured narcotics would be invaluable—if the countries will co-operate with us. ?oes international good will go that ar? * K ok ok There appears to be widespread | error in the public’s conception of the influences which In times past have created addicts. All legislation regard- ing the control of narcotics has been enacted since 1897. The same authori- ties who estimate the number of .ad- dicts today at 100,000 believe that prior to restriction there were about 264,000 addicts, including 18,000 co- cafne victims. In a pamphlet by Dr. Lawrence Kolb and Pharmacologist A. G. Du Mez, United States Public Health Service, appears this summing up: “The oplum_ produced in the coun- tries of the East and Far East is vractically al low-grade oplum, known as eating and smoking opium, and is consumed in its entirety in the countries of the Far East. If we sub- tract the quantity (6,461,340 pounds) produced in these countries from the total produced in the world in 1922, there remains only 1,415,092 pounds available for medicinal purposes and for addicts who use oplum in the form of its alkalolds and their derivatives, prinelpally morphine and heroin. This quantity (1,415.752 pounds) is equiva- lent to 1,238,783,000 grains of mor- phine sulphate, computed on the basis that opium contains 10 per cent of anhydrous morphine and that one part of the latter will make 1.25 parts of morphine sulphate. The average addict consumes about 6 grains of morphine sulphate per day, or 2,190 grains per year. At this rate the total annual production of opium, ex- clusive of that produced in the coun- tries of the Far East, if used entirely for the satisfaction of addict would supply only 566,000 addicts. Note that the supply of the entire world, even if none was used in medicine, is enough for only 566,000 addicts in all the world, and the extremists are telling us that we already have 1,000,000 in the United States alone! The authorities con- demn such figures as mere sensa- tional guesses. * ¥ There has been a great evolution in the practice of medicine, as re- gards the prescribing of narcotics, Just as there has been in regard to alcoholic prescriptions. z ‘The same authorities of the U. S. Health Department, above quoted, say: “Among the influences which have tended to lessen addiction may be * Praises Sullivan Law. New York’s Chief City Magis- trate Discusses Pistols. To the Editor of The Start T have read with great interest and gratification your editorial of Decem- ber 12 entitled “Pistols by Mail.” I was police commissioner of this city for years and have been chief city magistrate for over 16 years and, I assure you, you are more than right when- you say that the Sullivan law has not been ineffective as charged by Senator Reed of Penn- sylvania. The Senator is quite wrong. The Sullivan law, in spite of the handicaps pointed out in your edito. rial, is so very effective here that if it were repealed the crime wave would be immensely increased and the police arm_of government tremendously handicapped and conditions generally would be inexpressibly bad. As it is now, and I am quite sure Commis- sfoner McLaughlin will agree with me, the Sulllvan act is the most powerful weapon that the police have in dealing with dangerous criminals, of which we, in common with all other American cities, have too many. As you say in your editorlal, we have been handicapped by the fact that New Jersey has not as stringent a law as that known as the Sullivan act, although that State is fully alive to the situation and at the last session of thelr Legislature amendments were made to the existing law intending to break up what had been an open market for pistols on the west bank of the Hudson River; but most of all we suffer from flooding this city with pistols by mall, and from here uncon- scionable rascals send pistols all over the country through the mails. Senator Reed is distinctly mistaken in saying thal the pistol is of any value to a law-abiding citizen as a weapon of defense. The element of surprise in all cases of shootings, kill- Ings and hold-ups is on the side of the outlaw, and the person surprised, if he had a dozen pistols, would find they would be useless to him. If I am going to hold you up, or assassinate you or rob your house, I alone know the time when I will do so. You will be held up, assassinated or robbed when you are not expecting it or any assault on your person or property. The gun- man carefully and thoughtfully pre- pares the time and the place when the assault or robbery is to take place. I have been held up in broad daylight by two young gunmen and robbed and I was glad I did not have a pistol. If I had had a dozen, or even one, they probably would have killed me or at least hit me over the head with my own weapon. When every law-abiding citizen in the United States comes to the proved conclusion that the pistol is of no value to him or her by way of de- fense, then the only people we will have to deal with will be outlaws, criminals, crooks and gunmen gen- They will stand apart in a class by themselves of armed rufflans and potential murderers, and in that day a man will lose his respectability who even owns or possesses a pistol. WILLIAM McADOO, Chief City Magistrate. New York City. erally. Check Upon Firearms Sales Is Suggested To the Edito* of The Star: Your editorial in The Star recently relative to the bill to prevent the selling of firearms through the malls is a blow In the right direction. I fear, however, that there would be a too powerful influence against such a bill to make its passage at all probable. However, there is a way that the sale of fiféarms to gunmen through the mails can be prevented to some extent, and I would like to see The Star using its influence to bring this about. Congress has the right, by the Con- stitution, to regulate interstate com- merce. Under this right it could make a law under the terms of which it would be necessary for all persons desiring to purchase firearms through a mail order house in another State to appear before a notary public and have his flngerprints taken on a blank to be furnished by the Federal Government. these prints to be for- warded bv him to the company sell- ing the firearms. The prints would then be forwarded fo the Department of Justice by the mail order house, torather with the number of the gun sold. To make this system even more ef- fective the gun manufacturer could have a secret number stamped on some part of the gun unknown to the buver and in such a place that, as suggested by The Star some time ago, it would impair the gun to attemnt to remove It. This number could be noted on the back of the card bear- ing the fingerprints of the buyer and a_cross-file kept in the Department of TJustice so that when a person i< killed or other crime committed and a ®un is found nearby, it would he possible, in manv cases, for the De. vartment of Justice to advise the local police, on receipt of the gun, who purchased same. I belleve that Congress should enact such a law at once and also a law making it necessary for all persons purchasing firearms locally to get a nermit from the Police Department, the police to take the fingerprints of the buver and fssue him a permit with the nrint of his index finger thereon. When the dealer sells the 2un he should take up this permit, note the make and serfal number of the gun purchased, and send it to the Police Denartment for their files. JOHN ARTHUR SHAW. ——————— . No Place for Israel. ¥rom the Freeno Rennhlean, You can't blame Moses for leading his _people out of a countrv that wouldn't accent a gift of £10,000.000. mentioned the enormous advances which have heen made in medical scfence and in medical education during the last 30 years, and the specific information that has heen ined about narcotic addiction dur- ing that time. As a result, there has come about a better under- standing of the dangers and therapeutic limitations of opium and cocaine, and these drugs are no longer used in manv of the diseases for which they were at one time commonly prescribed * * * In a recent report, Simon states that less than 2 10,000 addicts arrested or committed to hospitals in New York City dur- ine the past three vears owed their addicition to physicians. The latter are supported by our findings. Ex- aminations made by one of us dur- ing the past two years show that less than § per cent of the cases of recent addictions are caused by physiclans. * * ¢ “The greater number of addicts in prison at present is due to the rigid enforcement of recently enacted laws and not to an Increase in the vrevalence of addiction. * * * From the trend which narcotic addiction in this country has taken in recent years, 48 a result of the attention given the problem by the medical profession and law enforcement officers, it is be- lieved we may confidently look for- ward to the time, not many years distant, when the few remalining addicts will be persons taking opium because of an incurable disease and wddicts of the psychopathic delinquent ‘vpe, who 8pend a good part of their 1ives in ns.* (Cox 1926. by Paul V. Cellins.) ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS Q. What poet is called “the Eliza- bethan of Today"?—D. I A. Perhaps you refer to Sara Teas- dale, of whom Jessie Rittenhouse writes in the Bookman: “She is the Elizabethan of Today—one of the purest and cleverest voices in our poetic literature. Q. About how much does a single x;ation for a man in the Navy cost?— W. F. A. Ration costs are calculated by fiscal quarters, and the average cost for the quarter ended June 30, 1926, was $0.56126. This was a slight i crease over the cost for the quarter ended June 30, 1925, which was $0.53695. Q. When 1s It too cold to paint a trame_house?—G. C. F A. The Bureau of Standards sug- gests that no outside painting be done when the temperature is below 50° F. Painting in a frosty, sultry, or wet atmosphere will not produce satistactory results. This Is also true it paint is applied during or immedi- ately after a heavy fog or dew. Q. Is there any kind of clothing legislation which protects the public in the buying of cloth and clothing similar to the pure foods and drug acts, which regulates the food sup- ply?—N. O. L. A. There is no such corresponding legislation. There is only the implied warranty of the merchant that his goods will wear. Q. How can a living tree be dyed?— R. M. D. A. The Forest Products Laboratory says that “this process was proposed some years ago in Germany, where, we understand, it 1s used to some extent. It consists in boring a hole into the living tree and inserting a pipe through which colored material such as dyestuff can be drawn. We do not have the detalls of this process nor the dyes which are valuable for this use, but we believe that any dye which is soluble in water and is not thrown out of solution by tannin would serve the purpose. In boring the hole it is essential that it be bored under water, otherwise the dye will not be absorbed. You understand, of course, that only the sapwood will be colored and not the whole tree.” Q. Gan a veteran borrow money on his adjusted compensation certificate ‘without the permission of the benefi- ciary named?—C. B. H, A. The law specifically says that a loan on the security of the certificate may be made “with or without the consent of the beneficlary thereof.” Q. How did our Army obtain pure drinking water in France’—C. H. A. The American Expeditionary Forces obtained pure drinking water by use of lyster bags or by chlorinat- ing the water. Q. Is the Dix Dam a Government project?—F. L. G. A. The Dix Dam, located in Ken- tucky, is not a Government project. It is & project of the Kentucky Hydro- Electric_Co., and' i3 located on Dix River. It is 270 feet high and 910 feet long. It is a rock-filled dam, having a Fall-Doheny Case Verdict Causes Emphatic Comment The jury verdict acquitting Albert B. Fall and Edward L. Doheny of conspiracy against the Government in connection with oil leases is the sub- ject of emphatic comment in the press from one end of the country to the other. Many editors denounce the verdict and declare that it cannot in- fluence the conviction of the defend- ants at the bar of public opinion; others are not surprised and point to the difficulties in the way of proving a conspiracy charge, and a few regard the result as a vindication of the jury system in a case involving partisan prejudices. Belleving that “the entire prosecu- tion of these defendants has been en- veloped In partisanship and sensa- tionalism,” the New York Herald Tribune (Republican) hails the result as “a wholesome corrective and a triumph for the jury system.” That paper, however, declares that “no one will concelve that the jury's declnlnn’ 18 a clean bill of health for Mr. Fall. It finds him “unfit for public office,” and sees, in his record, “items which per ‘cent of approximately | Dol contradicted a sense of public duty@to say nothing of a sense of propriety, and which would forever disbar him from a post of public or private trust.” The Kansas City Journal-Post (in- dependent) asserts that “the passions and the prejudices kindled by discus- sions and advance verdicts on the part of the public are without parallel in American life. Disappointed par- tisanship may decline to accept the finding,” continues the editorial; “not even such prejudice can, however, deny its substantiality.” i “The verdict might be dismissed, advises the Tulsa World (independent), “with the statement that the disposi- tion of jurles of recent years to acquit wherever there is even the suggestion that political prosecution is involved has become so noticeable that further comment is unnecssary.’ Assuming that “the prevalent impression of a majority of readers has been that the trial would culminate in the disagree- ment of the jury,” the Syracuse Herald _ (independent) emphasizes “formidable difficulties always con- fronted in establishing a charge of conspiracy, particularly one in which many political ‘or official factors, in- fluences and motives enter,” and looks upon the verdict as “not so surprising, after all.”” ik The Pasadena Star-News (inde- pendent) also accepts personal ‘“vin- dication of Messrs. Doheny and Fall” and declares that “long, useful and blameless lives counted with the jury.” It explains that “indiscretion was proven, but not criminal guilt.” The Duluth’ Herald (independent) draws the conclusion that “critics can con- vict upon suspicion; the jury could not.” To the Hartford Courant (Repub- lcan) “the transactions between Sec- retary Fall and Doheny had a sinister look,” though in view of the fact that Fall and Doheny ‘“were lifelong friends,” it is conceded that “the jury evidently belteved it conceivable that loan to Fall could be & per- fectly legitimate transaction.” Of the “war scare' in the Pacific, the Courant states that “the public may be par- doned for restraining its admiration for Mr. Doheny’s patriotism.” The Columbus Ohio State Journal (Re- publican) adds that “it is not likely that the jury’s verdict vindicates the alleged conspirators in the public mind.” The Richmond News-Leader (independent Democratic) offers the judgment: “A duped people will be disappointed, if not disgusted, at the outcome of the first trial. They want to see some one behind bars as punish- ment for as shameless a breach of trust as ever disgraced America. “The fact remains,” remarks the Oklahoma City Times (Democratic), “that Doheny sent $100,000 to Fall in a little black satchel before the lease was granted. This alleged loan was made on a note without bankable security, and with no rate of interest named. That ma#y not amount to proof of conspiracy to defraud the Glovern‘:nent. llrut' 1:;: h})::wgh to c‘t:.n‘ vince the people eny's prati of patriotism in the affair is cause for loud and raticous laughter.” BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. volume of 1,747,000 cubic yards and cost $7,000,000 to build. Q. What should I fced a smai turtie?—J. C. A. Turtles eat very jittle in the Winter time unless they ars kep' warm. The Bureau of Fisheries sug gests that you try feeding them frui! tomatoes, possibly worms (slugs), an a little fresh meat. Q. Do police patrols and fire engine take precedence over mail wagons?- M. E. A. The police headquarters of the District of Columbla says that at al times fire engines, police patrols and ambulances have the right of way i traffic; mail wagons, etc., must compl: with local traffic regulations. These rules may vary in different municipa itles, although in general they hol rue. existed?—M. E. A. The idea of a stock exchange i- an old one, and stock brokers, s called, have existed for many years In fact, Nelson states that as early &~ 1285 In England the term “broker” i referred to in an act of Parliament. Q. How long have stock exchange E Q. How are bells cast to get the proper tones?—. A. The art of bell making is one requiring a high degree of technical skill. The amounts of various metals and alloys, the sizes and welghts of the hells must all Le calculated to : nicety to produce the musical soun: mecessary to an acceptable tone. Q. Should cabbage be cooked with meat?—A. M. A. No, because it destroys vitamir A. The potency of vitamin A is grad ually reduced by ordinary cooking processes. For this reason, methods of cooking greens and other foods containing this min have been revolutionized of late. Cabbage, spiu ach and similar foods should br cooked only long enough to make them tender and not enough to shrivel them. They should not be cooked with meats, for the time cooking should be determined by the vegetable itself and not by any added material. Q. How many aliens file income tax returns reporting income from sources within the United States?—L. H. A. For the calendar year 1924, non resident aliens filed 1,280 returns re porting net income of $5,000 and over ‘The net income reported was $39, 702,045 and Federal income tax paid was $5,044,767. Resident allens filed 2,373 returns, reporting a net income of $23,596,069. The Federal income tax was $878,804. What do you need to know? Is there some point about your business or personal life that puzzles you? Is there something you want to kmow without delay? Submit your question to Frederic J. Haskin, director of our Washington Information Bureaw. He is employed to help you. Address your inquiry to The Evening Star In- formation_Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin director, Washington, D. C., and_in- close 2 cents in stamps for return postage. . The San Francisco Bulletin (inde pendent) holds that “if really innocent in their financial relatfons, ¥all and Doheny were certainly indiscreet, and if not innocent. they are exceedingly fortunate.” The St. Louls Post-Dis patch (independent) believes that “the acquittal of these two men is irrecon cilable with facts and the theory of justice. The jury acquitted them of the charge of criminal conspiracy.” that paper continues, “but it did not vindicate them. They are convicted at the bar of public opinion.” “Irrespective of the jury's verdict,’ according to the Kansas City Times (independent), “Fall and Doheny took part in one of the most humiliating and shameful episodes in the history of the American Government.” In the opinion of the Minneapolis Tribune (Republican), “the jury's verdict does not close the case in the forum of popular opinfon, wherein it is written indelibly that, knaves or not, the ac cused were self-convicted fools who trifled inexcusably with human cre dulity and suspiclon.” The Atlanta Constitution (Democratic) asserts that Fall “was so flagrantly unethical that a jury verdict cannot excuse him in public opinion,” while the Portland Oregon Journal (independent) holds that “the Fall-Doheny operations wil stand as one of the dark spots i American governmental history.” The Topeka Capital (Republican) states that “a lesson of this case ix that innocent men should have re spect enough for public decencies not to mix little friendly financial deals with the public business so that the two concur so closely as to arouse suspleion of the Government as to their criminal intent.” The Loulsville Courfer-Journal _(Democratic) _avers that “the American people have ob- served that the American jury is often derelict in cases of prominent defend ants of high political connections- cases which it is almost impossible to try unaffected by powerful political influences.” “Albert B. Fall and Edward L. Do heny,” satirically observes the Omaha ‘World-Herald (independent), “are not grafters and conspirators, but un- elfish and far-seelhg patriots. They Heserve not the hisses but the cheers of all loyal Americans. Such, in ef fect, 1s the verdict of the jury A grateful Natlon, In view of the facts as determined by the jury should at once begin preparations to erect at least as many statues to Albert B. Fall as commemorate the services of George Washington and as many to Edward L. Doheny as attest our undying love for Abraham Lincoln.” The Newark Evening News (independent) suggests that “if they can find any glory in the decision o the 12 men in the jury box that, on the evidence presented, they could not be convicted, let them take it.” * Kk ¥ The Springfield Republican (inde pendent) proclalms that “the jury's verdict flles in the face of every moral concept to which publie administra tion can be reduced.” The Baltimore Sun (independent) avers that the jury “has not found, and it could not find that Fall and Doheny were not guilty of the grossest misconduct.” “The trial exposed clandestine and devious methods. of transacting public business highly improper,” in the judgment of the Philadelphia Bulletin (independent _Republican), while the Sacramento Bee (independent) says that “neither Doheny’s millions nor his acquittal will clear his name of taking advantage of his Government through acts of a public servant.” Aud the Worcester Telegram (Republican) draws the conclusion from the facts that “all talk about vindication nonsense. Neither Mr. Doheny not Mr. Fall deserves anything except condemnation for his conduct.” The Milwaukee Journal (Independ ent) calls it “a sickening story from start to finish,” adding the comment, “What is in question here is not a few hundred millions of property saved or lost, but whether government in the United States is able to protect the public rights and vindicate them when they are violated.” The Raleigh News and Observer (Democratic) laments its tag P e