Evening Star Newspaper, January 13, 1927, Page 8

THE EVENING With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C THURSDAY. THEODORE W. NOYES. ... Editor - The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office 11th Si. and Pennayivania Ave New York Office: 110 Fast 42nd St. Chicage Office” Tower Building European Office ‘_| 4‘ “'.4"."' St.. London, nian The Eveninz Star. with the Sunday mern- Ing edition, is Aeliverad by carriers within 1he cits a1 00 cemis per month dajl” onix 4K canta mer month. Snndaxs anly. 20 centa month._Orders may_he sent by hone Main 5000. Callaction is made by carrier at cnd nf sach month Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. All Other States and Canada. Sundar only 1yr. %4001 mo Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled 1o the uss for rapublication of all news dix atches crediied 1o it or not otherwise cred Pied in this Daper and aiso the local news published herein Al rights of publication of apecial dispatches herein 180 reserved $1.00 The Public Utilities Commission. | ... Under the new iaw creating a Pub- e Utilities Commis the Dis- trict of Columbia distinct from the Board of District Commissioners, the President was faced with an ceptionally difficult problem of selec- tlon. For the law tions and requirements as to eligi- bility and qualifications which reduce the field of selection to narrower limits than usudlly obtain with apect to public office. aibllity of the choice jion for imposes limita- re- lay definitely ..January 13. 1927 | fore the Sei The respon- | T ST AR | their innocence, whether or not they e.enter base ball. The general result of these charges hearing that the base ball is quite well satisfied may have been the loose of nearly a decade ago. is now on a high plane of evel and is public whatever actices base ball integrity, on their give their teams merits, and that the players best services to |free from fessional gambling the contamination of pro More rigid rules restrain players from engaging any form of betting on the games ¢ other forms of sport. Thus organized base ball passes another crisis which | for a little while seemed its prestige as the most popular form of entertainment in country. a to menace outdoor this e Communism's Flank Attack. Kello l te foreign relations com mittee ay in- fluences directed tige of the United States in pan-America, and especially in Ni BUA marized in a statement numerous specifications which point to the existence of an organ- ized movement of that Under the banner of an Anti-Imperialist forces directed from work to break down in Latin close association between this league and government at Me indicated. Citation frer citation |is given to show the persistent pur- pose of various groups united in the single aim of destroying American authority in this hemisphere. A res Secretary disclosnre he- vester of communistic against the pre: character. All America League” the radical Moscow are at American ence American affairs. A the upon the President, and he has met§tution adopted by the Congress of the that responsibility fully in his selec- tion of John W. Childress and Ben- | jamin F. Adams as members of the commission, with whom will be as- sociated the Engineer Commissioner, Col. J. Franklin Bell, ex-officio. At the same time, the President names Blaine Mallan as people’s counsel, thus tully organizing the commission for service as soon as these appoint- | | vigorously promoted by active agents ments are confirmed by the Senate. A most careful made as to-the eligibility of all can- didates. The limitations imposed by | the law creating the new commis- sion were fully checked by the Executive's legal advisers and the President has produced as far as possible a commission that satisfies him that it is under no influence one way or another calculated to impair its fuil usefulness to the community of the public utilities in Washing- ton. He has chosen men whose fit- ness in their general make-up and their experience for the proper han- dling of all questions that may come before them has been demonstrated to him. In spite of individual disappoint- ments, there is every disposition in the District to accept the result and to hope that the new commission will make good and will work faith- fully and fairly for the welfare of the community. It takes over from the District Commissioners a difficult task. It is charged with responsi- bllity for the efficient control of all the utilities that affect the people, | that serve them with transportation, power and illumination. There are communication facilities, power and {llumination. There are financial and administrative problems to be solved. The utilities commissioners must con- sider the requirements of the people and at the same time deal justly with the corporations that serve them. There is every reason to expect from those whom the President has chosen a full measure of unprejudiced and faithtul service. o The evidence in the base ball case was, fortunately, of a character to enable Judge Landis to render a de- cision which disturbed nobody’s pop- ularity, including his own. S emee Communism has gained a foothold | In Mexico. Communism implies a new deal all around and leaves curiosity strong as to what will happen next. ———— It has at least beeri made plain that a good base ball player should never make the mistake of trying to be a get. I:ch-quh‘k financier. ——— e Keeping Base Ball Clean. Judge Landis' decision on the base ball scandal of 1917, in which he exomerates the ball plavers accused of participating in a bribery for the throwing of a series of games, was fully expected. There was nothing in the testimony given before him t, convict these men of corruption, as either tenders or takers of cash. Two former players now on the blacklist of organized base ball had brought the accusation. It was unsupported. One of the men named as rec of the fund denied it explicitly, and all others plainly demonstrated their innocence of any such nefarious practice. But it did appear that there was a passage of money in the form of & reward or expression of gratitude by the Chicago players for the defeat by Detroit of the Boston team some time previous. That could not be construed as bribery, though Judge Landis strongly reproves such a practice as being dangerously close to corruption. Thus probably ends the second chapter of the ante-commission base ball scandal. No matter what the now discredited accusers may claim, investigation was | | American in the administration and regulation | duced heretofore. Third Internationale in July, 1924, dgelared Mexico to be “the natural con- necting link between the movement {must be the center of union.” Al | subsequent activities are | tive of this purpose. Bolshevism has failed to gain a foot- hold in the United States, though corrohora- directed from Moscow. Organized labor has refused to be dominated by Russian radicalism. Yet it persists in its endeavor ' to proselyte the working people to com- munism by insidious methods. That the Moscow-directed campaign is now seeking to effect a flank movement by |attacks from the south is plain from | Secretary Kellogg's disclosures and other evidences that have been pro- tee the -Secretary of State presented an accumulation of proof of an or- ganized effort to destroy American prestige in pan-America. What the Secretary.told the commit- tee regarding the precise situation in caragua is not made public. There will be further hearings, and per- haps soon the whole matter will be given to the country. there is a plain indication that the Nicaraguan crisis is passing, through an announcement by Sacasa which is interpreted as an intention to quit the fight to secure the presidency. There is no ground for fearing that an armed conflict will result from these complications. Critics of the administration’s policy in Nicaragua and toward Mexico are contending that that policy is an invitation to war, when, in fact, there is no con- ceivable likelihood of war. Nothing is to be gained by taking the ground that the Department of State has a chip on its shoulder or that the President is without justifica- tion carrying out the traditional pol- icy of the United States toward the | Southern republic—a policy not of im- perialism, but of self-respecting in- sistence upon regard for American rights, firmly and fully established by treaty and custom. ————e———_ Discrimination in favor of wealth has been alleged. It has been abun- dantly demonstrated that the posses. | slon of millions does not, of itself; re- lieve a man of the necessity of saying, “Good morning, Judge.” e S oo Business in 1927. The head of one of the largest in- | dustrial corporations in this country |at a dinner in New York Tuesday |night expressed the opinion that the |coming vear will be fully as prosper- ous ax 1926, Some of the experts, he sald, seem to think differently, basing their judgment on the argument that |1926 wax so good that the country n hardly hope for a better, | Undoubtediy the fact that the vear | just cloked was one of the most pros- | perous in the history of the country in point of trade, earnings, profits, |general employment and country-wide well-being has led to a diminution of confidence as to the future, There is no reason in economics to look for such a decline. Of course, upward plane. There must slackening, else impracticable peaks reached. But prosperity itself does not breed disaster unless through overconfidence excessive production occurs and unless values ure inflated unduly. There Is no present sign of | overproduction, and there is no infla- tion such as to cause anxiety. The stock market is active, but not on a “boom.” Every sign points to steady |investments rather than to specula tion, Doubtless the feeling on the part of conservative forecasters that 1927 come a are, the public js satisfied that there is Would show a recession in prosperity ne justification for their contention conditions has been a wholesome ip- that games were “sloughed” in 1917 There remains now of this unsavory matter of base ball unpleasantness only the 'In the management of the lar; tormer managers, for a complete clearance of their names in connection with |ing. Reil B I bUey SchnmTSoRION, appeal of two star players, fluence in checking production, and |y talk wif Mars. thus preventing starting the year with glutted warehouses and shops. e indu that, | that the games are |\|a\'ml! is sum- | .-l,.n.4..x,|||gi influ-{ ieo City | of the United States of North America | |and Latin America; therefore, Mexico | In his statement ! | vesterday before the Senate commit- Meanwhile | business | cannot go on indefinitely along an | a painstaking respect for the law of supply and demand, and while this condition obtains there is trom strictly economic Red-Haired Taxi Drivers. Red hair may make a woman beau titul and auick causes, give extraordinarily | mental powers to & man, but so far as their | he higgest taxicab company in New- The owners and directors of | the sport are bent upon keeping n[ than ever will perhaps be adopted wJ in | ark is concerned it is a dead asset. A young fellow by the name of Kelberg was out of a job. He had been driving trucks around the New Jersey city for years and decided that oper- ating a taxicab was probably his best of advancement. His refer ences were good and he was just vllkl\l( to he assigned tunately mop of the several chance 1o a cab when he unfor- ook off hix cap, showing a The as fol reddest of red hair, subsequent conver n was lows Nothing doins ment manager. Nice, suid the efaploy “No red-heads in this business but reckless fellows, arivers,” How do you get that 7 an swered Kelberg, “Julius Caesar, Na poleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin had red hair. They had brains, didn’t they?" “Probably nice fellows personally axreed the manager, “but whom did they when And so Kelberg is still looking for a job. Come to think of it, there do seem to be few redhaived taxi drivers, but if it were put up to the average citizen e would undoubtedly give as his ob servation that the color of the little to recklessness. in Washington passengers in cabs have watched with terror-stricken eves a blonde driver miss a big truck by evelash while « brunette, in skirting the near-collision, has scraped the side of a street car with his cab, that whether or not a would have been even more reckless is a moot question. In any event, the Newark ruling need Qdiscourage wa drive for and has do with FHere an not red-topped prospective taxi operators | in other parts of this large country. i s A naval program may yet be evolved { which will cause Uncle Sam to regard himself as lucky if he manages to add a few motor boats to a collection of canoes. - In giving credit to Santa Claus, it should not be forgotten that he is the beneficent influence that makes possible some wonderful post-holiday bargains. e Unsolved homicide mysteries have | become so numerous that the aphorism, “Murder wiil out,” longer convincing. e ———— old is no More and more the radio announcer ingratiates himself. problems like the science lecturer or the political speaker, M L 1t is now universally admitted that it poison must be used in bootleg lig- uor it should be employed in modera- tion, - SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Radio Ad Writers, Beethoven wrote of tooth paste fine And Grieg made tunes appealing To celebrate a splendid line Of rugs, great worth revealing. hams and Bacon Mendelssohn Composed his wordless singing. Chopin, with graces all his own, To soap new fame is bringing. Mozart will celebrate a cure For lack of due nutrition. And Schubert's lays that still endure Perform a useful mission. O Gentle Genius, you'd have grown Less worthy, but much wiser, If you vour competence had known As a great advertiser! Blissful information. “What have you to say about the Nicaraguan situation?" “Nothing,” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “My constituents are happy in the discussion of local issues. I want to delay as long as possible that there is any such thing as a Nicaraguan situation.” Musical Vocabulary. Great is the artist's fame— And yet with shame 1 tell it— My speech I cannot frame To speak his name, Or even spell it. Jud Tunkins says “silence may be golden,” but it doesn’t bring across the ready cash like a lecture tour. 4. Barleycorn's Habitat. “Anyhow,” said Cactus Joe, “we've got clean away from the corner sa- loon.” “Yes,” answered Mesa Bill. “But that old corner was at least station. ary. You don't know where a joy- riding flivver is going to land.” Statle. There’s music in the air— Alas, it grows erratic! The melody that sounds so fair Is overwhelmed by static! Throughout the atmosphere That spreads its tunes before us The Instruments we seem to hear Are motor horns in chorus, “Men disobey their parents,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “and then pray devoutly to their deceased ancestors. “Mebbe it's jes' as well,” said Uncle | Fhben, “dat we ain’t yet found a way We might find sumpin’ to fight about.” e ‘lrlnl corporations the greatest care is exercised nowadays against overstock- | Factories are operated with a the alleged throwing of a game in | view to the prospect of early sales. order to make money through gam- That charge itself has been | industry, which has heretofore suf- bling. |This is particularly true in the motor investigated and has been shown to |fered from overmanufacturing. Gen- have but little, if any, basis in fact. how- ceived [of the public. full justice, and Judge Landis may [suit that power, have to recpen the case in order to [n {M & chance to demonstrate 'ducted now on sound prineples, with The two explayer managers, ever, feel that they have not st |eral economic conditions are watched closely to determine the buying power Prices are adjusted to in short, the busi- of the United States | heing con. Our Politics Puzzling. ¥From the Philadelphia lnquirer. The Lord Bishop of London, tour- ing the United States, pauses appro- priately enough in lowa to declare, aghast, that he cannot, for the life of him, understand the deviations of gur American politics. Whisper! Neitfler can most of our American citizens. e Luck in Getting Oyg. From the London Ideas Magazine, Beveral I ki t ot out oF tha war, Bt afer shk the is that we got uI! small | chance of any serious setback arising | hair | red-head | SRR THE EVENING STAR. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 19?;7. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Templeton Jones' search for the perfect pipe tobacca still continues merrily. Compared to finding it, the discovery of the famous “lost chord” is ea The last chronicle along this line, set down here last August, showed Jones to have individually tried some 10 smoking mixtures. Today T. Jones, esq., proudly hoasts of having smoked some 50 brands, from the cheapest to the most expen sive, i his efforts to find the one per- fect smoking mixture. Of course, it must be a mixture. Jones is convinced that when he discovers it, it will be a blend of vari- ous tobaccos, not one straight variety of the weed In this his opinion merely with that of the universal tobacco trade, which devotes itself almost en tirely to “mixtures,” in the fancy fiel Various cheaper smoking tobacco: are Class ones are blends, the mixtures appealing both to the taste and to the fancy of smokers gination of the smoker, if lieve Jones, plays quite as much a part in smoking as either the pipe or the tobacco. He savs that fancy packing helps a man think he is getiing good tobacco, whereas the best blend in the world, put up in a plain bag, would strike no one as good. The eves, too, Jones declares, play their part. One might almost say (according to Jones) that a man smokes with his eves, so large a part does the visual ization of the curling vapor play in the total act of smoking. oK Kok Cats, watching a human friend | smoke' his pipe, are obviously fasci- nated by the play of the wreathing clouds, especially it sunshine coming through a window makes the layers easily visible. The cat, below the smoke level, watches the curling clouds with tre- mendous interest, never once taking his eyes off them, except now and n. when he looks curiously at the smoke issuing from his friend's mouth. Smoking | cat, as, indeed, thoughtful creature, | alysis. Templeton Jones is ready to brand as the most exquisite sort of bunk the statement that any one ever really enjoyed smoking in the dark. Merely to close the eyes, while smoking, reduces the taste and aroma of the weed, no matter how flavorous, about 50 per cent. Try it some time. Cigarette smokers, who often smoke | on porches after dark, do so rather out of habit than anything else. There is, too, a certain visual enjoyment even here, since one may look at the | glowing end. * ok ok X% Jones' friends no longer try to argue tobacco with him, since they realize that his vast experience, resulting from his search for the one perfect blend, has made him somewhat of an authority. If you venture the statement that Burley is grown only in Kentucky, Jones will quote the latest statistics of is a great mystery to a it must be to every in the last an- He never brings | Judging from the comments of much of the press, the whole stake of Amer- ica in the bolshevistic tendencies of Mexico les in the oil investments which Calles threatens to confiscate. So the “man on the street,” who chances to own no oil stock, is prone to belittle the interest our Govern- | ment should take in protecting the oil companies. Others go even far- ther and declare that we should give notice to all American investors that if they carry their capital into foreign countries ihey must look only to the protection of the foreign govern- | ments, and not to our own Govern- ment. Such homemade statesmen | forget that the investments are in- vited by the foreign countries and are | safeguarded in all cases by the pledg- | ed assurance of the governments thereof, in the form of treaties for | Just such protection. According to the Department of | Commerce, American capital invested |abroad amounts to $10,405,000,000, exclusive of the $12,000,000,000 ‘and | unpaid interest of Government World War loans to European governments. Of that $10,405,000,000 of foreign in- | vestments by American citizens and | corporations, more than 67.6 per cent | 1s in the Western Hemisphere; 40.6 per |cent is in Latin America, and 27 per cent in Canada and Newfoundland. What will happen to the credit of the investments of $4,210,000,000 in Latin America if Mexico can show it to be easy to adopt laws that will confiscate the American investments, as she con- fiscates estates of Mexican landhold- ers and Mexican church property? Latin America owes us more than does France, and, with the smaller population than that of France, Latin America’s debt to the United States— counting our imperiled investments as “debts"—is greater per capita than the French debt. Latin America has had no_invasion by ruthless enemies as has France, and under due protec- | tion the investments will increase. Our Governement is demanding that the investments in Mexico be mot confiscated, but protected, as all civi- lized nations are expected to protect all private investments. * ok X & How sensitive is credit! In 1900 our investments in Canada. amounted to $150,000,000; in 1913 to $750,000,000. In Mexico, in 1900, our capital was $185,- 000,000, while 13 vears later it had grown to $1,050,000,000. It 4ncreased in Canada. in the 13 vears hefore the war 500 per cent, but in Mexico 507 per cent. Canada stood squarely with civilization in the' World War, stand- ing for its high ideals of honor and justice. Mexico dallled with the ene- mies of clvilization, and later with | the Soviets, who demand the over- | throw 'of organized governments, and particularly the United States. The | result to international credits, which are always sensitive to security of in- vestments, is shown by the contrast of the increase of American invest- | ments in Canada and Mexico since the World War. Canada. held of American capital | investments, in 1913, $750,000,000, and |in 1925 §2,825,000,000. Mexico held, in 11913, American investments, $1,050,- 000,000, and 10 vears later only $1,- | 195,000,000, Canada, increased in the decade $2,075,000,000. while Mexico | gained only $145,000,000. | " American investments in Mexican ofl lands are estimated by the De- partment of Commerce at $475,000,000, in mining at $275,000,000, in’planta: tions, $200,000.000. The astounding contrast between re- cent American investments in Canada and Mexico cannot be attributed to American_prejudice in favor of Eng- | lish-speaking peoples, for Latin Amer- | fca (excluding Mexico) shows develop- ment. of American confidence and in- Vestments greater in proportion than does Canada. ‘American investments grew in 25 years (1900 to 1925) in the following amounts in the countries named: Amount ot _Per cent ncrease. Increase. $2,075,000,000 276 1,300,000,000 1300 145,000,000 13 1,465,000,000 976 2,150,000, 614 779,000,000 Canada .asee. Cuba. Mexico. . . Latin America. Furope. ....... Asia and the rest of the world.. incides | straight,” but most of the higher | Sut of ¢ the Department of Agriculture to show that Burley tobacco is one of the major farm crops of Indiana, and is grown in very large quantities in sev- eral other Stat Jones Is charitable in his views of the various tobaccos he has tried, believing that every brand will suit some taste or other. The senses of taste and smell, those playing the largest part in tobacco smoking, are notoriously various. “What is one man's meat is an- other’s pofson,” truly, so it does not argue because one smoker does not like a blend that another will not. Upon no one point do smokers more agree, for instance, than upon that mildness.” Jones recalls his discovery of the tenth mixture he smoked, which, for several weeks, he fondly imagined was the long-sought “‘perfect blend.” This particular mixture struck his tongue and mouth tissues as the mild- est he had ever tried; at the same time it was possessed of “character,” another elusive quality, easy to real- ize, but hard to define. He was surprised, however, in offer- ing his prize to several friends, to find that the mixture was regarded by them as “strong.” One man, who or- dinarily smoked very strong tobacco, that bit 9 out of 10 tongues, declared that the new mixture was a great deal stronger than his old one! Jones discovered that all smoking tobaccos may be divided, broadly speaking, into two general classes, ac- cording to taste: < 1. Straight tobacco taste. 2. Sweetish taste. This is by no means a scientific classification, but it will do for ordi- nary use. There are, of course, some straight tobaccos that are sweet in taste and some ‘‘doped” ones that are not. Generally, however, this division holds true. The English are particu- larly fond of the straight tobacco taste, most of their mixtures of “Vir- ginias” possessing a crisp, splcy aroma. It is not generally known that one ought to select his pipe tobacco partly according to his habits of smoking, either indoor or outdoor. The man who does most of his smoking outdoors can use a stronger tobaceo, everything else being even, probably from the first classification, whereas the indoor smoker must take into consideration other factors. One of the latter is the after odor. A charm of the pipe is that it leaves no disagreeable stench behind it, such as the “cigaretty” smell, or the stink of the average dead cigar. Pipes that do leave disagreeable smells behind them need cleaning. Yet all pipe tobacco leaves an odor of some sor Templeton Jones has discovered one tobacco, a very expensive one, that smokes cool, is comparatively mild and leaves a most delightful scent in the room. A real tobacco, it yet leaves behind it an aroma resembling fruit cake, or a real pound cake fresh from the oven. Jones is giving this tobacco exten- sive trials at his proving grounds, and if it holds up he believes it will turn out to be the “perfect blend.” ‘We wonder. di of BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS, cent of all American foreign invest- ments, and the very momentum of that preponderance would have made for continued development of Ameri- can enterprises in that undeveloped country, but it has had the smallest increase of any region—13 per cent— while Latin America (exclusive of Mexico) showed the largest of all— 976 per cent—except Cuba's 1300. Our capitalists poured nearly ten times as much into Cuba as they dared put into Mexico, im the quarter of a century, for Cuba had achieved a stable government, assuring security for investments. * ok Kk K From the time of the independence of Mexico from Spain, in 1821, up to the execution of Maximilian, in 1867, Mexico had had 10 revolutionary changes of government, with over 50 per'sons succeeding each other as presis dents or emperors or dictators. Juarez, who captured and executed the Austrian usurper, became Presi- dent until he died suddenly, in 1872, and was succeeded by Lerdo, until, in 1877, Porfirlo Diaz became President and after a one-term interval (1881- 1884) Diaz was again elected and continued to act until driven out of the country in 1911. Since then the spirit of revolution and assassination and disorder has prevailed, culminating in the Socialistic victory of the present incumbent, Calles. Under the vigorous ‘“reign” of Por- firlo Diaz Mexico was held in leash, and brigandage was suppressed by the rurales—themselves, in many cases, “reformed’ brigands. In 1892 a law was passed to encourage foreign capi- tal and especially mining investments. Diaz was overthrown in 1911, and succeeded by de la Barra as provision- al president, until antelection resulted in the choice of Madero, who faced revolt led by Felix Diaz and Gen. Ber- nardo Reyes, both of whom were cap- tured early in the hostilities, but later released, and in a later revolt, with a 10-day battle in Mexico City, Reyes was killed. Then against President Madero a revolt was led by Huerta and President Madero was captured, and four days later Madero was killed. Huerta undertook to make himself dictator, but failed to win either support of all Mexico or recog- nition by the nations. ‘Then followed years of disorder, as- sassination and pillage. In 1914, some marines from an American war- ship landed at Tampico to get gaso- line for a launch, and while return- ing to the ship they were arrested by Mexican soldiers. They were re- leased by order of the commanding Mexican general, with an apology, but because Mexico refused the demand of our Admiral Mayo that the fort salute the American flag, as amends, President Wilson ordered the cap- ture of Vera Cruz. The flag never was so saluted, and Vera Cruz was glven back to Carranza, who was then de facto President fo Mexico. A three-sided fight continued throughout most of 1914, between Gonzales, Carranza and Villa. In or- der to embroil the United States in war with Carranza, Villa bandits in- vaded New Mexico and massacred Americans in Columbus. A punitive expedition, commanded by Gen. John J. Pershing, chased them into Mexico. with the consent of President Car- ranza, but before the expedition had reached its objective ft was recalled by President Wilson, under threat of war by Carranza. Carranza was a: sassinated in 1923 and was succeed by President Obregon, who received recognition by the United States only after a treaty concession and pledge that the clause in the 1917 constitu- tion, confiscating American oil in- vestments, should be interpreted non-retroactive—not to affect inv ments previously made. Calles was elected President July 1924, and he now repudiates Obre gon's treaty ‘pledge, and stands upon the confiscatory constitutional provi- sions, contrary to the basis on which the government was recognized. (Covyright. 1927. by Paul V. Collins.) [EE———— The Novel Expedient.* From the Wichita Eagle Gcmnmdrnlunmuhollp !’I:m. Drinking yeurself ol T s Traffic Rules Hit Again.l Congressional and Diplomatic Immunity Also Assailed. To the Editor of The Star: Having moved to Washington re- cently from the Middle West and ob- serving the various phases of the traffic situation in the District, the following question came to my mind: Just what advantages has the com- mon citizen of the District of Colum- bia in owning and operating an auto- moblle in the District? By “common citizen” I refer to any one residing in the District of Colum- bia not either in the diplomatic sery- ice of any country, a member of Con- a Government or local We know that any one in the “dip- lomatic service,” from the minister to the assistant chief clerk to the third secretary to the minlster, who promi- nently displays on his a small tag bearing the legend ‘“‘Diplomatic,” is immune from arrest owing to a failure to observe any traffic law of the Dis- trict. He I8 not even to be held ac- countable for the damage or loss of life resulting through his negligence. We also know that any other indi- vidual who conducts ‘“the people's business” and conspicuously displays a marker bearing the word “Congres- sional” on his car appears likewise to be immune from ‘“the people’s” trafic regulations. Perhaps he can even park his car in front of a fire hydrant with immunity, if he has “the people’s business” to attend to near- by. Of course, a mere building en- trance means nothing, even if plainly marked by the police department. The little sign takes care of all that. Mighty handy to have several of elther or these signs placed conapicu- ously above the license plate on your car, because then you can do just as you wish, and nobody—not even a policeman—will dare to interfere. And if you should hit some one, you should worry. The little sign takes care of all that. Compare this with the rights of a mere common citizen. He has to re- member traffic rules, in order to be within the law set down by Mr. Eld- ridge, that will fill a book of 33 pages and about 4 by 8 inches in size. All this to operate a car in a territory less than 10 miles square. He is lim- ited to such speeds as 3, 7, 18 and 22 miles per hour. He is limited to 10 feet, 5 feet, 20 feet and 25 feet in parking, depending upon numerous condition: e is limited to 8 feet in stopping behind a street car. Is it any wonder that the traffic regulations are not observed as they should be? A motorist would have to be a veritable mathematician to keep all these odd figures straight. Aside from that, several weeks ago I asked a motor cycle policeman what the law stated in regard to the right of way of motor vehicles. He said that whoever gets to the street inter- section first has the right of way. If both arrive at the same time, the car on your right has the right of way. This, as you know, is Incorrect. If, therefore, the very ones who enforce the trafic laws do not themselves know them, how is a mere motorist to be expected to? Instead of having a conglomeration of odd size speeds and other regula- tions, would it not be for the better interests of all concerned to revise the entire list, bearing in mind that the speedometer manufacturers have not as vet realized the importance of the District sufficiently to mark plainly in figures such odd speeds as these on their product. ‘Would not a reasonable system be dn?‘ }-‘ln'wkmnnyh cubic feet of air s ake to burn a cubi fuel oil>—R. L. B. il . A. The Bureau of Standards says that it requires about 11,000 cubic feet of air to burn 1 cubic foot of fuel oil. Q. Where is the Government ex- perimental fur farm?>—W. T. K. A. This is located at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., and has visitors from all parts of the United States and Canada. The Government is plan- ning to issue a leaflet describing the operation and purposes of this farm. Q. What is the age of the oldest person at the Soldiers’ Home, Wash- ington, D. C.2—M. E. W. A. The oldest member of this home s 93 and the youngest is 20. Q. Can you tell me about how many people took motor tours last year?—S8. A. H. A. The American Automobile As- sociation estimates that during last Summer 12,000,000 persons in 3,000, 000 cars took such trips. This rep- resents those who camped along the way and not those who merely mo- tored from one city to another, Q. What was the largest cake ever made?—G. E. L. . A. Probably the largest cake was that ordered by Frederick Willlam I, King of Prussia, in June, 1730. It is said that this contained 36 bushels of flour, 200 gallons of milk, 1 ton of butter, 1 ton of yeast and 5,000 egge. The finished cake was 18 yards long, 8 yards broad and more than half a yard thick. It was so large "l’lll 30,000 soldiers could not eat it all. Q. When was_the Franklin head changed to the Washington head on l-cent postage stamps’—E. A. A. The change was made on Feb- ruary 12, 1912 Q. Who_introduced Hereford cattle into the United States’—E. K. A. The Bureau of Animal Industry ays that Henry Clay was the first to import into the United States Hereford cattle in 1817. Q. Does the Army operate a laun- dry service?—O. D. S. A. During the last filscal year 40 laundries were operated. The total earnings of these for the year amounted to $2,086,580.86, as against operating expenses of $1,570,930.36. Q. Why does water take the form of leaves, ferns and other crystals when it freezes on a window pane?— V. E. 8. A. Frost crystallizations have great variety and the formation of each of the varlous types seems to depend upon meteorological and other conditions—some of them ob- scure. On window panes three types generally form—the granular, crys- talline and membranous. The last variety forms only In heated rooms on panes covered with an uncon- gealed film of water, as a dewlike condensation of moisture. It occurs most frequently in the form of long curving, featherllke ferns or a net- work of lines. This is due to the process of crystallization taking place during the conversion of a fllm of water Into lce. The crystalline variety forms only on panes that are free from water in liquid form. a based on the consideration that the speeds in multiples of §—i. e., 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, etc.—are plainly marked by figures on all speedometers, and, in addition, are easy to remember? In place of the ridiculous speed of 3 miles an hour, make it 6; in place of 7, make it 10; 20 instead of 18 and 25 instead ot 22. The 3-mile-an-hour difference is not enoufh to be an item of any importance in the latter. In conclusion, I do not believe, in conslderation of the risks involved through diplomatic and congressional immunity and the many untenable traffic regulations now imposed, that there is any advantage to the common citizen of the District of Columbia to own and operate an automobile with- in the District. R. A. WALLACE. o Courtesy in Driving - Urged on Motorists To the Editor of The Star: Much has already been written con- cerning the traffic problem, and un- doubtedly many more pages will be covered before this important question is - satisfactorily solved. However, if those who drive cars could be made to realize the important part that courtesy plays in making the streets safe for both vehicles and pedestrians, a great deal would have been accom- plished toward bringing about the desired end. It is strange how little politeness the average driver displays toward his fellow autoists, and toward the lowly pedestrian. Just as soon as a person takes the wheel his motto seems to be, “Kill others before they kill me.” If some one on foot collides with another, while walking along the sidewalk, he stops, profusely apolo- gizes, pleasant remarks are exchanged, and the walk is resumed. But let this same incident occur to the re- spective drivers of a Rolls-Royce and a Ford, they will immediately get out of thelr cars and call each other every disagreeable name at their command. A curlous crowd quickly collects, and address books magically appear in which names and addresses are ‘vindictively written. So it is that some trifiing accident that would never have occurred, had a little con- sideration been shown the other fel- low, is hauled into eourt. No matter how the affalr is eventually settled, the people concerned part bitter enemles, although they may have been litelong friends before. If a person walking along behind another cannot get past at once, does he yell and scream? Of course not. Then why should a constant honk- honking be kept up by the car in the rear, just because the occupant would like to go faster? For a driver suddenl{ to blow the horn, demanding that the pedestrian get out of his way, not only indicates an exaggerated idea of his importance, a lack of patience and consideration, but is really a criminal proceeding; for a sudden honking, almost in his ear, is enough to kill a person who has a nervous heart. Courtesy, the flower of clvilization, should be our most cherished posses sion instead of being almost totally disregarded, as has been the case since the advent of the automobile. While the value of quick transporta. tion cannot be estimated, the time will never come when it will be possible to abandon thé amenities of life with impunity. In fact, the neglect of courtesy to our fellow men may often prove not merely unfortunate but serious. It is certain the golden rule could be used to great advantage as a means of solving the trafic problem. CLARA. 'DERSCHIED. A Toast to Hirohito. From the Charleston Daily Mail. Here's best wishes to Hirohito, and may he be able to get along without a dictator! ‘ ————t—————— If the Lawyers Agree. From the Arkansas Democrat. Double jeopardy may not be so bad it the lawyers will agree to handle two g as cheaply as one. S —o—— Easy Prevention, Froma' the Twin-City Sentinel. § rooms gn Déctors say overheated you cold. Method of Q. What is the probable reason for King David's making reference’ to re- newing “thy youth like the eagle’ F. M. W, A. The International Critical Com- mentary of the Bible savs with re- spect to the verse you cite that the metaphor undoubtedly originated in the known longevity of the eagle and the fact that even at the present time an infirm or ailing eagle is hard- ly known. The ancients were super- stitious in their veneration of this bird and endowed it with many super- natural powers which do not exist in actual fact. Q. How old was the former Em- peror of Japan at the time of his death?—U. O. E. A. The late Emperor Yoshihito was in his 48th year. He had long been an invalid. Q. What are the factors deter- mining airworthiness of planes in licensing of aircraft’—P. R. A. In determining airworthiness, consideration will be given to the fol- lowing: . The structural strength of wings, allerons, tail surfaces, fuse- lage, including engine mount, and landing gear; cockpit, cabin and cons trol arrangements; power plant and power plant installation; equipme and instruments; propellers; fit; materials and workmanship; fivin characteristics and qualities. Q. 1Is allsbice in reality a combins ' tion of spices? If not, why is it aq called?>—H. T. B. A. Allspice fs the dried, unripg berry of an evergreen and has the sams flavor as a mixture of such spices as cinnamon, nutmeg and clova, Q. What is a “cirque"?—W. D A. It is & deep, steep-walled, amphi theatral recess in a mountain, gene erally ascribed to Q. What is “chaparral” A. In general, it is any trable thicket composed of stiff of thorny shrubs or dwarf trees. It may consist of a single species, as the chamisel of Californla, or it may in- clude different types, as in Texas. It is found especially In the Southwest- ern United States and in Mexico. Q. How many hours a week are librarians employed?—G. O. B A. A librarian’s scheduls varies in / different librariea from 36 to 44 hours a week, the median being 42 hours in public libraries. Q. party expediency”?—C. A. This statement was mada by Grover Cleveland in an interview granted September 19, 1559 Who sald “Party honesty Is H. Q. What constituents are shown by a chemical analysis of tobacco?—H. B. McK. A. Tobacco leaves, when submitted to chernical analysis, yield nicotine, which is ite most characteristic con: stituent; albumin, a gluten-like aub- stance; gum, resin, malic and citric acids, and a large amount of inorganic constituents, 100 parts of the dry leaf ( vielding from about 19 to 27 per cent of ash, in which potash, lime and silica preponderate. Q. What was the dying statement of Benedict Arnold>—P. . A. Charles Burr Todd says of Bene- dict Arnol 'As death drew near, it is sald his mind wandered and he was again in America, fighting his battles with Washington and his old com- rades in arms. In a lucid Interval he asked that his Continental uniform of a major general, in which he had es- caped to the Vulture and which he had ever cherished, might be brought and put on him, with the epaulets and sword knots which Washington had given him as bravest of the brave. ‘Let me die in my old American uni- form,” he said, ‘the uniform in which I fought my battles. God forgive me,’ he added, ‘for ever putting on an- other!”” -~ ' Q. In what size loaves does bread usually come?—P. A. A. The American pan bread loaf usually is made in 20 and 22 ounce sizes. Sometimes the loaves weigh 24 ounces. Of the 20-ounce loaves, a, bar- rel of flour will make 225 loaves: of the larger loaves proportionately fewer. Q. Did the kind and thickness of the varnish have any effect on the fine old violins?—J. P. A. Modern authorities are of the opinion that varnish does not add to the tonal value of a. violin. The beauty and value of the violins of the old / masters are believed to be due to their construction rather than to the var- nish that was employed. Q. What has become of the star that marked the place in the railway sta- tion where President Garfield was shot?—F. R. A. The tile is now in the National Museum. There is no other agency in the world that can answer as many legiti- mate questions as our free informa- tion bureau in Washington, D. C. This highly organized institution has been built up and is under the per- sonal direction of Frederic J. Haskin. By keeping in constant touch with Federal bureaus and other educa- tional enterprises it is in a poaition to pass on to you authoritative in-| formation of the highest order. Sub- mit your queries to, the staff of ex- perts whose services are put at your free disposal. There is no charge ex- cept 2 cents in atamps for return ¢ postage. Address The Evening Star | Information Burequ, Frederic J. Has- Kin, director. Washington, D. C. Pacifists Who Ban All Wars Scored by American Press Pacifist members of a hational theo- logical student conference recently held in Milwaukee are roundly cen- sured by the press for going on rec- ord as unwilling to support any war in which their country might engage. It was a minority declaration by 327 of the students in a vote which dis- closed 740 reserving the right to de- cide on the issue of war when raised. We hope that the next war in which this country takes part - ill be 80 long deferred,” declared the Hart- ford Courant, “that these prospective slackers will be too old to be called upon to do their bit, but their rather premature announcement that they do not propose to be loyal citizens of the TUnited States, if war comes, is de serving of the severest censure. No- body wants war, but war may be thrust upon us or self-respect may force us to start a war. There are just wars and unjust wars, but it is ot for the individual or any group of individuals to declare that they co sider themselves immune to the re sponsibilities of citizenship under the flag that protects them. This appli to the members of the conference well as to all other American citizens. The young gentlemen specifically re- ferred to are not making the proper preparation for their chosen career when they preach disloyalty. * ok ok ok Referring to the position of the ma- jority as “the more reasonable one and indicative of more mature and de- liberate judgment,” the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times continues: “If a stu- dent is to get anything worth while out of student life, it is in the way of ability to reach decisions on the merits of the case rather than to jump at a judgment in advance of the presenta- tion of the issue. We.have no knowl- edge of the basis on which this con- ference drew its body of delegates, but we do not believe that it was representative of the country at larg Those who took this position may be sincere, but that does not afford evi- dence that the attitude is right. We would not have student life tend to promote a swashbuckling l’;mm, but refusal to resent a wrong by op) it by force, if need be, iy nozp::-‘- ‘pacifl; says the lingham Herald, ‘“and no doubt it was made in good faith. But it is easler to make suoh resolutions in time of peace than it is to ‘them in time of war. Every war in There ‘were found in many branches of the serv- ice other than as and should the United declare 2 " sovw o, of a war conceded to be justified—his- tory simply would Le repeated.” “To take a pledge never to defend one's country in the event of war is a serious one,” in the opinion the Watertown Dalily Times. One | cannot question the motives of these young men. They are sinceve In their efforts to bring about an end of war. For that matter, all of us are and we are looking forward to the time when there will be no more war. But we do not belleve that these students can abolish war by refusing to participate in it. If mep of all na- tions refused to fight. then there would be no war, but that is utoplan. In some nations the people have nothing to say regarding war. We bhelieve that this Nation should be prepared. that every able-bodied citizen shoul consider it his duty to fight for his country in case of an emergency. But in the meantime we should be going ahead with our part in & pro- gram to make war less likely to happen.” * ok ok ¥ 4 “While opposition to war for war's sake is a highly commendable feature of theological training,” according to the Kansas City Journal, “it is im- possible for any real Americ to sympathize with the action of those who solemnly pledged themselves not to take part in any war in which the United "States might ever engag That {s un-American in its most vi- clous form, pacifism in its most un- patriotic manifestation. Every right- thinking American hopes that this country mever again will be called upon to go to war. But no man is wise enough to plerce the veil of the future and say whether or not tl Nation may be called upon to defend its honor or protect its people from aggression. The church always ha stood on the side of peace with honor, but it has furnished a large number among the forces which have upheld the honmor when dishonorable peac was unthinkable. The man who flatly declares that he will not obey the call | to arms to protect the Nation from aggression {s unworthy of American citi Ip and desecrates the memory of every heroic militant Christiang who, when hard duty and national | honor summoned him, laid aside the material concerns of his daily lif and in tens of thousands of instanc even the religious garb." Emphasis is placed by the ‘waukee Journal upon the action of ti majority as being unwilling to that they would refuse to support a war, and that paper observes: “Su med up, the conferenee left things the social and religious world pre much as they were; that Is the significant part of the meeting, wh attracted such wide attention. Birmingham News, quoting the %o( the declara m::l.t'h n supported, suggests all “the confarence noml"h’