Evening Star Newspaper, January 20, 1927, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY, . contract giving’ awdy ‘suth’ & large| THE FEVENING STAR/#®lvers of these boxes to the Senate. With Sunday Morning Edition. Ut n bt = < WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. ...January 20, 1927 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor — The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office and Pennavivania A rk Office. 110 East 42nd St, g0 Office Tower Building Office_14 Regent St.. London, England. 11th < Now Vork Chic European The Evenine Star with the Sunday morn adition. is deliverad hy carriers within iR Sty Al B0 canis ner month dajly only cenis per month: Sundays month_ Orders he sent by mail or lephone Main 5000 Colirciion is made by carrier at end of each month 50 cenis Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Paily and Sunday $3.00° 1 mn v aniv 6001 mo unday only $3.00:1 mo. All Other States and Canada. aily and &unday. 1 vr. $12.00: 1 mo.. $1.00 aily only 1V, $800° 1 mo. 780 unday only 1yr. $4.00.1mo. 35¢ Member of the Associated Press. Aper and alse {he ' local BT A Ents 'of moblication published of apacial A Building Moratorium. An eminent in the field of financing large building operations in this country note of warn ing. A breathing must be given to allow the big cities te eatch up to the supply of struc tures. In short, the country is for the moment overbuilt, and there is danger of a serious glut if operations are con- tinued at present rate. These eonclusions relate to office huildings. apartment houses and ment hotels. During past vears the constructions the rate of more than six billion dol iare a vear, about onesixth of which has been in New York City alone. That pace has been just a bit too rapid and must be slackened. Yet this authority who the warn ing does not look for any great fall: ing off in the volume of building in general in the country during 1927 More than two billions’ worth will be earried over from 1 and there will ‘e an unusual amount of public build ing and public utility construction. There will be no slackness of con struction work in Washington during 1927 or in 1928, or perhaps in any of several years to come. The public works immediately projected will go forward at a pace never before known here. It will be like the construction of a mew Capital. Simultaneously three, perhaps four, major depart- mental structures are soon to be begun, with others advancing through the planning and site-selection stage for early undertaking. In all at least $50,000,000 will be expended for Gov- ernment construction alone within a very few vears, and other projects Teader sounds a half year of spell the hotels apart- five e been at the utters | { qualif | actual The mayor of Philadelphia protested and in a public speech spoke in de- rogatory terms of the senatorial committee Investigating the election. A judge of election, in whose custody one of the rested. sought in- junction against the delivery. The claim was that the rights of the State were involved and that the Senate could not legally take posses- sion of or examine the This extraordinary w the rejected. The Senate Judge of the qualifications members, That order hoxes made votes. State court the sole of its is its constitutional power. In determ the ationg it can go to the source to e of the credentials of any person who presents himself for There i no better means of determining the of by the ball It i Philadelphia to senting validity the election than was mceivably idle for the o of authorities raise the and altogether mayor of investigators. Senate to has previous the for the the objection removal boxes, the improper the city to revile The right of probe is unmistakable. been exercised repeatedly in the In the lowa case many inquiries into of elections. the examina- to determine of the ascertained. weeks were the the spent in of ballots, whether “intent had been accurately The distraint sought o be put upon allot i tion voter” the removal of the hoxes Philadelphia springs from a mistaken idea the status of the e of the State but of is a for of @ member is an officer the Nation lawmaker al by the State according to the Federal erning such elections the two houses be the judges of the qualifications of their i they could not go back to the sources of their credentials? The State right question really does not enter into the matter at all Fortunately, the State Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has ruled promptly and correctly, and those Philadelphians who objected to the removal of the ballot boxes are left with the burden of having sought to prevent a full inquiry into the validity of the election of not He country Congress the he represents gov- could chosen laws How member ————— Reckless Driving. A rude jolt is given by the Su- preme Court of the United States to motorists who still believe that if they are driving within the speed limit they cannot be charged with recklessness. In a recent decision by the highest judicial body in the United States the conviction of an Oregon man is upheld for the killing of a woman with his automobile despite the fact that he was operating his car within the prescribed speed limit. The court ruled that due care must be exercised at all times in the will perhaps be added to the program in the course of its development. ‘Washington is certainly not over- built with regard to Government strue- tures. It has never been adequately equipped in this respect. There may be at present a close approach to the saturation point in the field of private constructions, in hotels and apart- ments, but the relocation of the Gov- érnment offices in their new quarters under the present large program will assuredly necessitate some new office operation of an automobile and that road conditions, weather conditions and heaviness of traffic must be taken into account even if the mo- torist drives within the speed lMmit. This decislon is a triumph for the modern theoty of traffic control and applies equally to the District of Columbfa inasmuch as the reckless driving regulation here is substan- tially the same as that of Oregun. There was & time when reckless dri ing was not considered in the same building works to provide convenient #ccommodations for those whose busi- ness requires them to be located near the points of official activity. So it follows that this city is not subject to the warning just uttered— a warning, it should be noted, that relates only to a portion of the pres- ent year and is intended merely to safeguard against a congestion that may cause financial embarrassments. The country is growing steadily in pulation and its business is grow- m and its needs are increasing. The bnly danger is in too liberal an ad- vance provision for those needs. Some Bird! A recent dispatch from Three Riv- ers, P. Q.. tells how Eiclide Beauce, while timber-cruising, was wounded and attacked by a strange and pug- nacious bird. According to the woods- man, it seems to have been a com bination of ornithological acrobat and bear-cat, darting down upon him, en- circling his neck with its long legs and gashing said neck with its claws the while pecking at his head with its beak. Beauce shouted for assistance, as indeed he had a right to do; fellow workmen rushed to his help and Killed the hird. The man’s hody is sid to have bheen with wounds and he himself was almost exhausted from lack of blood. The {dentity of the attacker could not be discovered, but the Heved it to be a member FBuropean species. Ornithologists have stated that even migratory bird species stick own continents The tion possible s that might be the famous either of the former former Aus Toet sight for decade past No animal with lexs than two heads, even the gr blue heron of the North woods, conld have done dirty work of which eompanions accuse it may have heen bird so temy mere sight of a jolly' fellow with too much Cana dian home-hrew rd most combative instincts covered woodsmen be a of sume to their only explana- | this creature double le Russian or the »Hungarian empires, of near Iy a Beauce and Or, again Whiffenpoof. rate that the it a a ahos arouses its ————— Two presidential claimants in Nica ragua threaten to replace the old po- | Btical band wagon with the armos tank. ed The Philadelphia Ballot Boxes. By virtue of rendered Tuesday by the State Supreme Court of Pennsylvania the hoxes containing the ballots cast in the city of Philadeiphia at the November elec tion for United States Senator from that State have heen turned over to & representative of Are now on their way not already There are some and their examipation of be & heawy task AR aZart was made 1o pravenl the a decision the Senate and to, if they have reached 000 of Washingion and the contents will transportation their the | category that it is today. The theory then was that if a motorist was not exceeding the limit he could not very well be charged with reck- lessness, but as traffic reached a con- gested stage it became apparent that this construction of the law would not place the proper responsibility in the increasing number of accidents. As sustained by the Supreme Court's decision the present local regulation means that while it may be perfectly safe and legal for a mo- torist to drive at twenty-two miles an hour on Pennsylvania avenue on a dry, clear day with a moderate amount of traffic, this same motorist would face a reckless driving charge if he attempted to drive at twenty- two miles an hour on a rainy day the four-thirty rush traffic The reckless driving regulation is eminently sound. It is one of the bulwarks of modern control. A mo- torist must be respousible for his acts and under the present rule it is practically impossible for him to evade responsibility by hiding behind some other regulation Driving an automobile in these days of heavy {raffic is not child's play; it requires ability and common sense; and those who lack these attributes should not be allowed to menace the other users of the streets. It will be & source of gratification to the consclentious, law-abiding mo- torists of every city the country that the Supreme Court has upheld this vital re It means added protection from sireet hazards them to their luved it likewise means that Veginning to take cogniz frightful toll of human traffic maelstrom the teeth which bite will be put into all regulations that arve designed to pro- tect the lives of citizens. - in hour in ulation o And Nation is the the that and ones the e of lives in to end with politicians the con Public questions change years, but pructical tinue to regard “who gets the job” ax the dominant issue. B An Unfair Contract. The high of w never more strikingly illustrated than triumph of the seventeen-vear-old Cana- cost managers in the recent George Young. pionship. Arriving in California wth gomething under a dollar in his pock etsaftera hard cross-country trip on a single-cylindered motor cycle and enter ing the race with slmost hopeless odds against him in crder to retrieve the family fortunes, Young's victory drew who still have sentiment In thei heart » one, even the other con testants, begrudged him his hard-won $25,000 prize. The fly in ment, however, did not appear until a few days later. Then it was an nounced that his manager would draw {down forty per cent of his award and | forty per cent of the earnings he is enablad to make as a reeult of his vietery. Whether er not Toung signed the » the oint n | over integrity § | grind through the cold water dian, in the Catalina swimming cham- | the sympathy of millions of Americans | propartion of his laboriously gathered funds with full knowledge of the pos- is beyond the question, but viewing the matter from an unprejudiced standpoint it would seem that his manager was reaping unfair and un | just profits from the transaction. Of without the admitted aid of the man who now occupies that rich- 1y compensated position, Young might not have been able to enter the race, but it appears highly improper that such help should be pald for at the rate of forty per cent, or ten thousand dollars out of the twenty-five thousand won by the youth Young's course, ix said to have been unable to advance the money to manager the Canadian to make the trip in com fort What then could he have rendered to Young to California possible aid to deserve a ten-thousand-dollar cut-in on the prize? Young was undoubted Iy & competent swimmer before he reached the West. He had the ina and the courage to make the trip under And stam disheartening clreumstances magnificent some of the greatest all time in the he scored a vietory swimmers of twenty-two-mile per cent profit for the lad sits ill with have been amazed, delighted and thrilled by his gallant feat. Five per cent, perhaps ten, all that the manager should ask and all that he given. Any other under the circum- knows them, is be re No! A forty manager of such a the millions who is he should arrangement stances ax the public unjust should scinded and speedily A retives from the Public Health Service at the age of 76 after 40 years’ work. Mrs. Fanny Meany has earned a rest, but has probably become so interested in her occupation that she will not be able to enjoy one. A habit of usefulness is admirable and hard to conquer. woman e Youngster who won the Catalina Channel swim is going back to the home folks, n spite of the temptations to gilded and prolonged celebration. He displayed rare courage and invelli- gence in getting his chance. He dis- plays a tendency to get back to plain [ living and avoid wasting it. . A film comedian worth millions of dollars may cease to be funny when divorce lawyers get through with his affairs. It is daugerous for a come dian to insist being taken se riously. on Premier Baldwin may accompany the party when the Prince of Wales visits his ranch in Canada. The Amer- ican continent is still the land where popularity is to be found. s A progressive community naturally feels disappointed at the necessity of running the latest model of motor with & last year’s license tag. — r———- Benjamin Franklin favored thrift. At the same time, he made careful in- vestments and was no advocate of hoarding. ———— Some of the ‘“beauty” celebrities prove silly. Echo revives the fading slang slogan, “So is your old man.” s SHOOTING STARS. BY PRILANDER JOHNSON, Educating the Masses. ‘When Science puts a theory before us The skeptics raise an unrelenting chorus. The sage explains, “I've no desire to rule you, But please believe, I do not wish to fool you!” Yet when some Get-Rich-Quick-Man, with his scheming, Appears, the crowd is credulously dreaming. When some new nostrum comes upon the market stomachs we proceed to park it. In patient We study re Of better selection. way ion babes, through supervised And we're involved in quarrels In hope that lectures may improve our morals, often bitter Po some queer thought we promptly give all credit, Because we like the orator who said it. Yet our Fr rattle, even challenge him battle, We halil each wild and novel contribu- tion, Yet how we balk at poor, old tion! end Scientist they seek to And to deadly olu- Thrift. “Are admire Franklin?’ 1 replied Senator Sorghum, “although T must doubt whether | could have gone as far us | have, i my campaign managers had followed his advice and suved (hel you an of Benjamin Overdoing Not Lives of artists lose their glories | When press agents handle us | With exaggerated stories That are strictly scandalous. Jud Tunkins says you've got to ad mit modern bathing sults don’t spoil | the looks of an ocean like those our | grandmothers wore. | | | | | Mah-jong,” said Hi Ho, the sage | of Chinatown, “is & method of killing | time by ancient modes of torture.” Fake Clues, “We have 1ew clue in this mys tery caxe,” said one detect “Will it prove anything? other “Can’'t say as yet. It is going to | take some time to prove the clue.” asked the Italian Dances. Reforming Rome will doubt, Our consciences to rally Oh, out the Charleston dancers out! Revive the corps de hallet! serve, no “Some games' said Uncle “‘dat start by takin’ yoh mind off yvoh trovblée wind up by makin' de trou- bles wusser dan beto',” Fhen, sible results of such an arrangement | which look in the di- | Variety, the mainstay of vaudeville, ought to serve a like purpose in radio broadeasting, vet such is not monly the case. Stations are coming to such a uni- formity of programs that the element of novelty, alwavs a powerful one with humanity, is almost utterly lack- ing. One may turn on tain hour on a certain evening of the week and know without looking at printed program just what he is ning to. idently the 00d thing istaken, Thix standardization far that regular I which appear at are never given with the result hear them. In such clocklike regularity of pro- gram, the broadcasting stations are voluntarily discarding the element of novelty, and thus depriving their listeners of one of the keenest enjoy ments The men of Athens, according to St. Paul, did nothing but hear or listen to some new thing: and the men of all cities in every land since that day have got some of their keenest enjoyment out of the very same ele- ment in human nature. All of us enjoy the new. We de mand_new movels, new songs, new organizations, new motion pictures, new motor ears, new houses, The world, instead of remedying this trait found in the men of Athenx, has | rather builded upon it. %ok % The result of this mover ing it to radio broadeasting, is that the element of surprise, one of finest in the art, is heing utterly out of it. An astute gentleman of our ac quaintance, when broadcasting was begun. declared that it would grow to tremendous proportions, mainly be cause it offered what the phonograph a1d not—surprise. A record, he declared, no matter how fine a piece of recording it might be, was the same forever and a da After one had listened to it many times he knew every note, every catch of breath of the artist. There was never a chance that the com- his set at a cer- a stations but we think believe this they has weekly certain an that Rone s features late earlier position, thousands never it, apply lost hit the wrong prise one by close. There was no note, or suddenly sur- an unexpectedly grand use for the phono graph “fan” to hope, as he put on a record for its 1,299th performance, that the great soprano would sud denly develop stage fright | She never did—on the record. Perfection, then, has its drawbacks. Oh, sure! This very element of uncertainty is undoubtedly one of the greatest in terest makers in radio broadecasting, and the more of it there is, within certain limits, the better for broad- casting. In listening to our loud speakers we feel that a real human being is off there, singing for us. There is noth ing “canned” ahout radio. We enjoy the exquisite pleasure of being pleased by a fine performance, BY PAUL 'V China is a long distance away from the United States, and it might be assumed that our interests in its peace are of small account. A minister of one of the church organizations, who has lived there, stated to his flock, this week, that “Americans are in no dunger, except what is incidental to being found within a war zone’—no danger because they are Americans or forelgners. Yet the press news in- forms the public that Chinese hatred of foreigners has culminated in mob attacks in which women have been dragged by the hair for long distances, and otherwise maltreated, though it does not appear that any Americans have yet been killed. Antipathy is most particularly aimed at the Brit- ish, but it is not at all certain that all Chinamen can make fine distinctions between nationalities which speak the same language. Hence our Govern- ment, as well as the British, is taking measures to protect its endangered people. i In the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, there was debate on the Por- ter concurrent resolution that all exist- ing treaties with China be denounced 30 as to make way for new treaties in- dependent of alllances with other na- tions, Mr. Porter explained his resolution as follows: The situation as to partment is such that by the Wash- ington conference we are tied up with other nations, and the State De- partment naturally feels we must act concurrently with those nations, the sult being that nothing is done to alleviate the increasing hostility of the Chinese people. “The resolution has for its purpose to request the President to act inde- pendently, if necessary, in these Chi- nese affairs; to enter into negotiations with only accredited agents of the government of China who are author- ized to speak for the entire people. No action has yet been taken on the resolution—possibly pending a definite discovery of “accredited agents of the government of China, authorized to speak for the entire people” in the war-distracted country of 400,000,000, %o divided by its armies of 2,000,000 that the federul government has lost fts authority in nearly every province. srigandage, rapine and anarchy pre vail, and mob violence against foreign ers grows flercer day hy day. Agita- the State De- | tors have revived the lies that foreign missfonaries ave killing Chinese babies as sacrifices to their God, and other forms of incitement of ignorant hatred e reviving all the prejudices which Boxer rebellion. «oroxox In the course of ihe debate, Repre- sentative Walnwright of New York presented data ns to the extent of American interexts in China, and in response (o & challenge, from Rep sentative Black of the same State (hit no American had yet been killed, I Mr. Wainwright (former Assistant Se | vetary of War) said “It doex not seem to me that we should wait until some one is killed when we see conditions which exist in Hankow and which may be p tated at any time in Shanghai. It seems to me that we should an- nounce whether we are prepared to stand by the men, women and chil- dren and thelr property rights, and let them feel that they have the full power of the Government behind inspired the | | propositions involved in some of the discussion at the present time. It seems to me that today is a most inappropriate_time to consider depriv- ing ourselves of the benefits of as- soclation with other powers for the protection of the lives of our citizens.” From data in Mr. Walnwright's “ex- tended remarks” are gathered the following deétails as to American fn- teresti in China at present: The total number of American citi- zens in China is about 12,000, These include 1,500 male missionaries, 2,500 woman missionaries and 2,100 children of missionaries. In husiness and pro fesgional work, there are 1,400 men and 800 women, with 180 children. In Unpited States Government service, there are 176 mem, 100 women and hours | the | singer would suddenly break down, or | { them, and not go off on the academic | THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. or of being dismayed by an unexpect- ed wrong note when the violinist's finger slips. We get all the fun of eriticism as well as the better enjoyment of whole- hearted appreciation in listening to our radio. ¢ This is what gives vaudevilie its perennial interest. Who does not en- jov poking fun at the jugglers who open the performance? ok k% Our plea to broadcasting stations, then, s that they mix ‘em up. Cut out this craze for standardi tion. gentlemen, and surprise us some evening with the Anglo-Persfans at 8 o'clock, instead of at 10. We have always wondered why this fine organization puts up with this position on the bill, week after | week, vear after vea There are thousands of families that go to bed at 10 o'clock, and who would like to hear the musicians on_their “magic carpe What a “kick” such families would if they heard the “opening mel " some evening at 7 o'clock! must the early position be { forever sacred to such subjects as barn owls, tariff and why the Demo crats think the Republicans are ruin | ing the country? As faithful listeners, we would quite a thrill out of the Gypsies or the Troubadours at & o'clock some night, instead of: their 9 o'clock posi tion Regularity i all right, in railroad | tng—but broadcasting ia something else again. . get X o ow o Nothing that station WRC has done in the past vears has pleased this | particular ““fan” more than its broad casting of the lLee House trio three |times & week instead of just once We are on record as declaring that to our ear, nothing comes over radio quite well ax a good trio, piane, violin and cello, This is home music of the beat type. The military band, no matter how fine a band it may be. is not home music—such has been our contention. it therefore pleases us to note that station WRC, which last Summer once broadcast a band every night in the week, now only uses 2 or 3 hours of this type of music per week. Another thing we have noted fs fewer speeches. Our position all along has heen that speeches over radio bore 98 out of 100 listeners. If they must speak, long enough Recently we recelved a letter from one of the two who do care for them, and we admit the justice of her plea. She is not the least musical, she de. clared, and therefore radio is not giv- ing ler what it might if there were more “speeches."” So one sees what \fp against! Beginning the evening’s program at 6 o'clock, Instead of at 7, is a great improvement, we believe, especially if it will be coupled with a universal jug gling of “hours. Such a general procedure would put music in the home at the average din- ner hour, and would add the zest of novelty to the faithful listeners, those who listen night after night. who, | after all, are the backbone of the radio public. 10 minutes is the stations are BACKGROUND OF EVENTS ’. COLLINS. their 90 children. In Chinese govern- ment service there are, Americans, 100 men and 125 women: in other oc- cupations, 400, and there are 1200 American citizens of the Chinese race. The location of these Americans is follow: In Shanghat, 4,000; in | Tientsin 2,000: in the consular dis- tri | king, 800, and cluding those of Other centers of | Foochow, Tsinan, king, ete. Other foreigners in China anese, 19%,000; Russians, 85,000; Brit- ish, 14,700. Most of the Russians and | Japanese are in the province of Man- churia. at Hongkong, 500 (ex- the Chinese race). Americans are in Changsha, Chung- | are Jap- * ok & ¥ The T'nited States stands third in its commerce with China, being very close to equality with that of Great Britain and its dominions, in spite of the proximity of India, Australia and New Zealand. The Japanese stand first, with 265 per cent of the im- ports into China, and 31 per cent of China's exports. Great Britain and dominions hold 22.5 per cent of im- ports into China and 13 per cent of China’s _exports; then comes the United States with 20.5 per cent of imports into China and 14 per cent |of China's exports. These three countries, combined, have 69.5 cent of her imports and 58 per cent of her exports. American-Chinese shipping interests exceed those of the British or anese, In 1924 our vessels ca |47 per cent of the Chinese commerce, while Great Britain’s vessels had 29.§ per cent, and Japan's 195 per cent. Xk ow o American investments and loans n China are stated as follows: 4 and other government e T $20.000,000 and” biker “con 9.300.000 10.000.000 red buildinge, eic 30.000.000 imated total nvestments American $69.300.000 Other claims and debts, mostly for railreuds . . - Ministey of finanice. loans and advanees Sun clas Materiul debts $9.457 000 17,985 514 50 000 1477216 Total debts to Americans. $729.670.166 Grand total of investments and debts. .. $UK.970.166 The Chinese armies today in active fighting in the internal war num- ber 2,000.000—about equal to our American Expeditionary Force in the World War. At prement, they are divided against each other, but in caxe of hostilities with foreign forces it is vpenly threatened that all would combline (o expel the “foreign devils,” and Soviet Russia appears (o be only waiting to join the Chinese forces in attacking the “forces of organized governments" and arr und formidable nation of the Orient against the Occldental world. Our | stake in China is greater, both in per- xonnel and finance, than 1t is in Mex- ico and Nicaragua, und the world's greatest ocean separates us from Its defense. overdie R | When the governments of Europe And America combined. to put down the Boxers, there was no Russian Sovietism to contend with, and China then had no organized army, where today there is the combined force of 2,000,000. The Allies, with a total force of 18.000, were able to march through the country to Peking, with no serious opposition, in spite of shameless looting of the Chinese, en route. “Fhere they dictated a peac ing the forbiddi tion of arms, e involv- g of Chinese importa. the material for arms manutacture, and for a_money demnity amounting to $333,000,000. Chinese traditions of the sacredne of the Forbldden City were flaunted when the invaders ostentatiously marched through its most sacred pre- cincts, leaving for generations the seeds of intense hatred and longing for_revenge. : While the United States its share of that on condition that it he invested in Chinese _education, such generosity weighs little with the ignorant w whe 4ee oplx the desecratien of t remitted Boxer indemnity, of Hankow, 1,300; in that of Nan- | per | ving a militant | Library Committee Beautifying Capital From the Boston Evening Transcript. Many members of Congreas are called upon to render services in Washington which absorb their time and are of the utmost value to that community, yet from thelr nature can count very little as a political asset when the question is asked by the voters at home, “What have they done?” A case in point is that of Robert Luce of Massachusetts, chair- man of the committee on library, much of whose time during the whole of the present sesslon will be taken with projécts which mean very much for the beauty of the National Capital, vet rarely can be identified with the mem- ber or members responsible for their being. The title, “committee on I brary,” conveys little idea of the fun tions of that committee. Organized primarily with relation to the work of the Library of Congress, it has little to do with that institution, which. und the sage direction of Herbert Putnam practically runs itself, Congress wisely refraining from any political plays in connection with it. memorials, garden spaces and other like adornments of the Capital, the committee carries important responsi bilities—the work of the late Samuel W. McCall in connectfon with the great Lincoln Memorial may be re- called as an example. Through the efforts of Mr. Luce. the House has passed the bill to extend the National Botanic Garden, a measure awaited for years and finally given im petus by the approach of the George Washington bicentennial in 1932; and now Mr. Luce ix striving for the pas sage of the bill to establish a national ar boretum, which Is so earnestly de sired by tree lovers. This project should receive immediate action, for already the land contemplated for the afte of the arboretum has been partly covered with small houses and, in fact one-tenth of the entire property, or | some 30 acres, has heen acquired by | builders. It i the fear of Mr. Luce that unless the bill is enacted by the | present Congress the whole project | may necessarily be abandoned, hecau of this unfortunate disposition of so much of the land. Interest in refor- estation. which sclence would he great Iv_aided by the object lesson of the arboretum, extends throughout the country, and if time is not lost now this important national project might be assured. It in expected that before the close of the session the architect of the Capitol will be granted congres- alonal authority for removing the use. ful but unsightly buildings now on i the Plaza between the Capitol and the Union Station, thus completing one of the finest parks in the city and the firat to greet the eye of the visitor. Offers Ballot Change To Speed Up Voting To the Editor of The Star I wish to submit for your considera- tlon the following suggestions for an alleged improvement in ballots. Since the number of candidates on ballots is large, espectally on primary ballots. it is a matter of common knowledge that much time is lost by voters on election days. This is es- pecially true of independent voters or those who vote split tickets, hecause of the time consumed in searching through the numerous names of candi. dates for those whom they desire to vote for. Many citizens do not vote because of this loss of time and the trouble involved. In order to facilitate the locating of names on a ballot and to speed up voting, I suggest that an improved form of ballot be adopted that would Identify names of candidates by con- secutive numbers, placed before the names on the bellot and immediately in front of the square before the name of each candidate, thus: 1 O John Smith. 2 O Henry Jones, 3 £ Thomas White. Then the voter could study the list of candidates on sample hallots, etc. hefore going to the polls and bring bers assigned to his favorite candi- dates, and. instead of searching for the names of the candidates, all they need do would be, by means of these numbers, to quickly locate and mark | the squares following the number of each of the candidates that he wishes to vote for. In order to carry out this idea, the only change necessary to make on the present form of ballot would he to print numbers in numerical order in | front of the squares before the names of each candidate. | Relative to the present so-called | “little ballots,” letters in alphabetical | order, instead of a number, could be used before each square of every proposition. Tt will be readily seen that the form | of ballot suggested herein will save | time of great value both in the mark | ing and counting of the votes | CHAS. W. WALLER. !Solution Is Offered | For Virginia Car Route o the Editor of The Star: Your editorial recently on needed im- provements in transportation and sireets suggests another angle, con- cerning which I have seen no pub- !lished comment. When the Avenue llr‘llnxle is taken over by the Gov ernment, what provision will be made |for terminal facilities for the increas- {ing number of suburbanites coming in (from Virginia to the present Mount Vernon Statlon at Twelfth street? A very simple solution would be for the Virginia ca to proceed up Four- | te nth reet to Pensylvania avenue, i then east on E street to Eleventh | street, then over double tracks north to the Baltimore and Annapolis ter. minal at New York avenue, Eleventh and Twelfth streets. The return trip could either loop back at once through Twelfth to Kleventh street, jor else go south from the terminal !lhl‘(‘u‘h Twelfth street to E street | and Fourteenth street to the Virginia Ihridge. In+addition to providing a transfer | point for electric-car tourists from "Bnlllmm'fi and Annapolis to Mount Vernon, there would be two distinct advantages for gular traffic: 1 - Existing terminal facilities could be availed of with very little addi- tlonal expensive trackage. 2 —'The extension of the line to New York avenue would carry people from the h\'ll'xlllhl suburbs direct go the shopping center at F, GG, Eleventh and ["Twelfth streets. The matter of pay other lines, as now allowed for 1 cent at Pennsylvania avenue, could also receive consideration WM. H. CHEESMA Clarendon, Va. R - R | Deplores Infantry Charge on Stamps To the Editor of The Star A recent issue of a new 2-cent stamp depicts a charge of infantry which 18 shocking to lovers of peace by suggesting the horrors of yvar. It is inappropriate and out of har- mony with the spirit of peace, which the world at large is eagerly seeking. The writer respectfully suggests that our great, peace-loving Govern- ment should avold giving encourage- ment to scenes of curnag JULIAN WALL. i transfers to right to their own government and their own faiths. as against the of the barbarian foreign. crificed Chinese babies, force opium into the country. and re- fuse independence of the most popu- ious republic of the world by giv- ing the same treaty provisions as they do other.nations. As to impor- tation of %, their own factorfes are turning@ out hindreds of machine guns a K. Gunpowder was in- vented.in. £hin But in the field of | with them a memorandum of the num- | Q. How far is it from Washington to Norfolk by water?—D. L. A. The distance is 198 miles. Q. Describe slque.—H. P. § A. Caesar was Julius Caesar's phy tall and of com manding presence. His features were angular and prominent. He had a fair complexion, with keen, expressive black eyes. In later vears he was bald; at no time of his life did he wear a beard. Though endowed with a constitution naturally by no means obust, he became inured to hardship and exhibited astonishing powers of endurance. In matters of dress. was particular to the verge of effem. inacy. q Please give the history of the HI-Y Club. R W. B A. The HLY Club is an organiza tion of purposeful older high school boys who are seeking Christian ideals for themselves and for the soclal group of which they are & part. The first high school association of which there Is record was at Iola, Mich., o ganized in 1870. This association in- cluded boys and girls and existed for only two or three years. In 1889 at Chapman, Kans., among the hoys of the country high school, there was organized the firat high school Young Men's Christian Association that has had a continuous existence. This or ganization is now an afliated Hi-Y Club and has maintained a continuous service. Later, city assoclations de veloped what were quite generally called high school boys' clubs, often called “Bean Clubs’ because of the main article of food used at their sup pers. For some years the statement has been made that the term “Hi-Y Club” was used first by the West Side branch of the Cleveland ) clation, Q the den A two dens. Q. Are there as many telephones as there are sutomobiles in the United States?—H. A. F. A. The number of automobile reg istrations i about 20,000,000 and the number of telephones about 15,060,000 f linders are Unter How many o e on_the street Linden"?—M. N Inclosing a central side ones are four venue and of lin rows What in full constitutes a flap- per’—E. B. B A. The flapper has suficiently standardized possible adequately and justly to de. fine the term. Asx used in Engiand for many vears before we imported the term, it was applied to & young woman who was on the eve of trying her wings in a social sense. Q. How much elephant weigh? A. The United Zoological Park says that the approximate weight of an elephant at birth is 160 to 200 pounds Q. How were produced authors?—W, A. In a table compiled hy Publishers” Weekly, the number such publications is given as 706 Q not becoma to make new-horn L many in E. hooks on 1925 hy American the of Q. What is the area of the Virgin Islands?>—A. R. C A. One hundred square miles, Q. Can local surveyors obtain any of the data of the Coast and Geodetic Survey?—F. L. M. A. Four or five years ago the sur- vey inaugurated the practice of plac- ing at the disposal of local and county surveyors data accumulated by the bureau o as to encourage more ac- curate surveys. Since then co-opera- tion has been extended to approxi mately 4,000 surveyors. Through printed digests, in which counties are listed alphabetically. the descriptions of Coast and Geodetic Survey triangu lation stations, magnetic stations and precise level bench marks have been brought to the attention of survevors of States. Digests for the other States will be prepared as soon as possible. s and Q. Does the Washington Monument sway?—J. H A. The Washington bends slightly Monument This is rendered per- he | it | | religion thirty-two | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN. ceptible by means of a copper wire 174 feet long. hanging in the center of the structurs and carrying plummet suspended in A vessal of water. At noon in Summer the apex of the Monument is shifted by e pansion of the stone a few hundredths of an inch teward the north. High winds also cause perceptible motion depending upon the velocity. In stift weather vibrations of the earth's crust. are also registered by thim instrument, Q. How many graves are thers in Arlington?—A. P. T. A. An allinclusive 35,460 count totals Q. Wax Julia Marlowa born.4n ¢hs United States? A. Caldbeck, England, is her®irth place. Q. Toex silk or wool retain body heat better? K. W. G. A. Silk and wool are hoth nencen. ductors of heat. The latter retaine body heat somewhat more than ailk because of the air-holding spaces in the fibers and because of lowar evape- ration. Q. In included the Bible, what in Gentiles’—G. A A. In the ptures the term “Gentlles” implies all peoples who did not accept the Jewish faith. They therefore comprised all nationalities except Jews peopls are Q. Please explain the term “fourth dimension.”—B. D. R A. The fourth dimension is a tvpe of geometry, which conceives a hyper space of dimensions, In which space is concelved not of points, hut ot lines. Under such division. space has four dimensions, wr de | terminations are necessa fix [ tine in space. Mathemati agree as to the practieal value of 1 Ana 1< it leads to important simplificatinns of the mathematical language and | Rives greater clearness to the cor cepts of real geometry Q. When was the statue of Raron von Steuben in Washington unveiled’ J.F. G Al The date of the unveiling of the statue of Von Stéuben in Lafayaris ark, Washington, D. C., was De cember 7, 1910, | | | Q. How many missionaries are thers at present in foreign flelds from all | the clvilizea countries of the world? L. McG Great Britain. including clerical, and unmarried woman workers 3.598. United States and Canada. 10, 469: other countries, 3,038. These | fizures do not include native mission aries or helpers, nor the Roman Cath olic Church, which supperts approxi mately 120,000 persons in the fleld A ay | Q. What was the name of M Coolidge’s mother hefore her mar- | riage?—A. F. A. The maiden name of Mre. Good nue wax Almira Barret. | Q When was the new bullding of the National Academy of Seiences | dedicated?—FE. S A. It was dedicated and opened to | the public April 30, 1924 Q. When was W. | postmaster of the A. 1924. Q. Describe the Hanging Gardens of Babylon—F. H A. The Hanging Gardens consisted of trees and flowers apparently plant ed upon the roof of some building. The structure was one square terrace built upon another to ahout 150 feet in height and resting upon hollow | pillars of burnt brick which were All ed with earth. For irrigation, water had to be pumped up from the FEu- phrates River. Mooney made District”—1. RB. He was appeinted January The keynate of the times is eficient service. In supplying its readers wtth a free information bureau in Wash- Vington The Eveming Star is living up to this principle in deed and fact. We are paying for this service in order that it may bhe free to the public. Submit your queries to the staff of cxperts whose services are put at your disposal. Inclose ? cemta in stamps to corer the refurn postage Address The Evening 8tar Information Burcau, Frederic . Haskin, director, Washington. D. (, The theory Tchijovsky of .the University of Mos- before the American Association the Advancement of Science that spots presented Prof. cow tor earth impresses American editors as u freak ish notion, with about as much basis as the lore of old-time astrologers. “In ancient times, ' states the St Paul Pioneer Press, “astrologers taught that the stars affected the course of human events. We have left the star theory behind. Perhaps we shall take up the xun theory and read the fate of nations in the spots and fovetell wars and the fall of dynasties and nations by their number and blackness. But the meteorologisis who deny the effect of sun ots on weather will admit this only over their dead hodles.” Ideas about comets in antiquity and the Middle Ages. when they “were re garded as of evil omen and were sup. posed to bring with them untold calamities for the undoing of hu- mans,” are recalled by the Sioux Falls Argus, with the statement that “this belief has been given up, and now. if we believe that Russian scientist, the sun spots will take the place of the comets.” But that paper continueg ““As to the moral influence of sun spots on mankind, the matter has to be taken with a grain of salt. Of course. when the sun spots occur something of importance may happen at the same time in the world. But to connect sun spots with human deeds as a law of cause and effect is nothing less than & repetition of the old notions about comets.” It is well to acknowledge the sun As the mother, not simply of the earth but also of those things b which mankind lives and flourishes the plants that grow, the coal that supplies the heat and energy. water that is evaporated from the sea. pours down upon the land and causes the water-wheels to run,” concedes the Detroit Free Press, “but that it has a sun cause wars on the definite psychological effect upon minds, provoking them to periodical orgies of slaughter, is quite & different thing. Nearly every war can be traced to a comparatively few hot heads, egoists or ambitious princes. Surely & sun spot does not exercise a selective power and work upon a small part of & population and ignore all the rest of it. * ¥ X % No violent earthly effects of the maximum phase of sun spots are an according to the Topeka Dally Capital, “since this is in the familiar order of their cycle of perio- dicity. As the cycle altogether runs 11 years, some astronomers have sug- gested that the maximum perfod of most numerous spots on the sun, which is about due, is the result of the conjunction of Venus, Jupiter and the earth, which occurs every 11 ars, their combined gravita- tional pull on the sun wing out, the gases at & maximum rate, which may he as good an explanation as any. Whether a great war on the earth will break out. a: ti:h. Russian Sun Spot Tileo;'y About Makes U. S. Editors Skeptical the | War mined by how the Locarno- treatie work. however. than hy what happen on or in the sun The San Bernardino Sun admits that “quite an array of the great historie events of the world in past ages,” which are declared by the modern | prophet to coincide “with the maxi- mum times of the various recurrent spot periods.” is presented. and it adds , that “it is quite impressive. if nobody cares to submit an equally impressive list of events that occurred at times when the sun spots were at their min- imum. Almost any physical. moral or mental theory,” says the Sun. “ean be supported by collecting such data Aa¢ seem to support it and omitting all the rest. Too many of our tensts | have been founded on that sort of sup- Dort. only to give way in time to the impact of other facts omitted from the original proof. The professor savs | unusually large spots will blotch the sun the next two years, and suggests another world war or something else very harmful to mankind. Perhaps it will be only another candidate for the | presidency, some malevolent individual not now exposed.” * ox x * “It would take considerable proof 1o | convince us that sun spots were | sponsible for the world running amuck in 1914, and in some respects & away off on a dangerous tangent y asserts the Columbia Record. “Every time we are forced to look at a picture | of the Kaiser we know who caused the | catastrophe.” The Little Rock At | kansas Democrat offers the commen Stripped of its dignity. the | s0r's “theory’—we suppose he dec {1t a tact—savors of pure hokum. St dents of weather, among the worll | most careful scientists, are far from being unanimeus in believing that weather conditions on the earth & {directly related to the frequency of I sun spots. Our theory is that there may be another big war within two years—although it i very doubtful but if it does come, it probably will be the result of the recurrence of political liver spots instead of the | periodicity of sun spots. “Anyway, If sun spots are responsi ble for wars,”’ remarks the Port Huron | Times-Herald, “we don't need to worry any longer about who is guilty of starting the last w The sun is blame. Also we might just as well give up trving to promote universal land permanent peace in the world | But really it sounds a good deal as | though the Soviets were trying to es tablish an alibi against the time when they will attempt to start the world revolution, of which they have not ceased dreaming." The Asbury Park Press, reviewing the discussion, state “Solar storme, made visible to us in {sun spots, are always accompanied by | great outpourings of electrical force ! which disturb our compasses and our radio and telephonic communication and cause auroras and other phenom- ena. may also vitally affect men’s energles and moods. making us nervous and excitable and prone te act on mass impulse. It then be. comes merely a question of cultivat. |