Evening Star Newspaper, February 28, 1927, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR |aamitted to the court that he, in com- Edition. pany with other workers, appropriated Wik Sundey Mornlng Bdltlon. | "¢ the targe oubledeck busses, WASHINGTON, D. C. and, at three o'clock in the morning, MONDAY February 28, 1027 stole out and trimmed the trees so THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor that free passage could be had for all of the company's vehicles. Sev- ‘The Evening Star Newspaper Company eral windshields on the busses had been broken and passengers injured, and in taking the responsibllity for the vandalism the employe sald that it was to avold these occurrences that his carefully selected band made its foray. morn-| There is probably no one in Wash- only. | ington who does not believe that this {T"or | loyal employe, after digging down in e BY | his pocket to pay the one-thousand- dollar fine, should be given a pro- motion. At a cost of only one thou- sand dollars he has saved the com- 78| pany from damage suits which, in 25¢| the long run, might aggregate many times that amount. With one 1.00|bold stroke he has protected the in- 355 | terests of his organization and made it possible for the double-deck busses to have free passage on practically The Associated Press ely entitled | all streets on Wwhich they operate. Patehes’redite N:Y:":ru::loéu::r:&: cred-| And whether or not he actually did LRI e e Moication | the cutting, he has cheerfully admit- SF'epecial dispaiches herein ‘are also reserved | ted that it was done under his direc- tion and with the realization of full The Model Municipal Group. | responsibility. Assurances have been given by the Of Buropess Omce 14 Kepout St.. Load England. The Even fl: &dl“fl‘ I;"O’ 4] mon‘; daily 45" cenis ? Biludas on *é per “mon en Ennpona Seain $000. “Collection 18 m carrier at end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virgini: Dafly and Sunday ¥ only day only All Other States and Canada. Pally and Sunday..1yr. $1200. 1 mo 8unday only Sunday tar. with the Sunda: oniy 0: 1 mio. o 84000 Member of the Associated Pres: exclusively en It Is an unsatisfactory condition, Va.|indeed, in the National Capital that ::::f g:udmn Commission, the Na- | n9sed, st o pital Parks and Planning ssion and the Commission of |Such a serfous offense, with a trivial Fino Arts that they will co-operate fine.“ In the words of Judge Matting- earnestly in the plan to supplement '(;od ‘::: m“:“)‘m":“:‘:’; trees, bat only, s ";l’m:v:“';h;;';‘:: e of] " Althougn it woula probably seem ent with an impressive de. too drastic a punishment to send the velopment on the north side of the offender to jail for a few days, it is Avenue by the District government, | & certainty that such a sentence in the erection of a model municipal :foultir:e.no‘:::nlttlo’::]w?lfoe:r’:n?: m ::r::l.l.flnss. ool sirous of “helping out" if trees or This $25,000,000 project matches the other beauties of nature interfere sum which Congress is approving for ‘with the business of their companies. rchase of the triangle between the R A ::enue an:f u:l: Mall. The Senate’s Responsibilities. It links in with the Mall develop-|{ It is provided in the Constitution of ment by providing a parkway down |the United States that the President the center of John Marshall place,[shall have power to make treaties which is to be widened so as to give|with other governments “by and with a vista from the Avenue of the Court | the advice and consent of the Senate.” House group. It is provided also that he shall nom- It relieves the concern of Congress |inate and, by and with the advice and as to what would happen on the north | consent of the Senate, shall appoint side of the Avenue by dominating the | Ambassadors and other public Min- character of buildings to be erected. |isters. Unless there is before it the It places an imposing main Admin- | question either of a treaty or the ap- istration Building for the National | pointment of an Ambassador or other Capital at the juncture of three of |public Minister, the Senate is not the greatest avenues—historic Penn-|charged by the Constitution with any sylvania avenue, scene of our inaugu- | responsibility in the matter of our in- ral parades; the B street improvement, | tercourse with other nations. which is to be the official route of| When Senator Borah proposes that corteges to the Arlington Nationalithe committee on foreign relations Cemetery, and the new avenue from |ghall be commissioned to visit Mexico Union Station to Pennsylvania avenue. | and Nicaragua for the purpose of in- It fits in with the legislative pro-|vestigating our relations with those posals of Senator Bruce of Mary-|republics he is proposing what is & land and Representative Underhill of |wide departure from the constitutional Massachusetts for the Federal Gov-|conception of senatorial duties. When ernment to acquire the'land north of | e seeks information directly from Pennsylvania avenue and east of|(nose governments, instead of asking Third street to the Capitol Grounds|ror it through the medium of the State as they are to be extended. Department, he is departing from the It is decldedly in the interests of |cysiom of more than a hundred years efficiency, s it provides for a well|gng 5 geriously interfering with the coordinated grouping of municipal | gpectiveness of regular diplomatic in- buildings adequate to meet the pres-|iq. o ge. ent and prospective needs of the mu-| y¢ i)l be conceded that the duty to nicipal government. advise and consent in the making of 1t makes possible the assemblage |y egiieq calls for full and dependable connected With the|ynporma1ion, and all pertinent informa- court, system, in close proximity, &t|yion in possession of the State Depart- Judiclary Square. ment always should be available to It contemplates a building for police |y genate foreign relations commit- and trafflo activities on PeLnsylvania |, 1o therq 45 additional information avenue between John Marshal place |y on the committee feels it ought to (widened) and Sixth street. have, the State Department should It provides suitable homes for all |;gy g overy effort to obtain it. But for the District activities, many of which | ¢y committes or its chairman to move are now hampered by overcrowding |,;gopengently to obtain information and those that will be thrown out of thelr present quarters by the Federal building program in the Mall tri- o “l‘: gives the Capital City an at- Such a course could con- tribute nothing to a happy solution to any pending problem, as it would both handicap our own and mislead the for- eign government. The President, act- ing through the State Department, has the sole initial responsibility for our intercourse with other nations, and only when such intercourse reaches the stage of treaty making does the Senate become the sharer of the responsibility. Other nations have sufficient difi- culty in understanding the provision which requires assent of the Senate in the making of a treaty. If the Senate were to interfere officially in the nego- tiations for a treaty or in matters of diplomatic intercourse in which no treaty making was involved, nothing but hopeless confusion could result. beautiful at the very forefront of the vista from the Capitol to the White House. It is a very practical assurance to Congress that the local municipality 1s eager to work with Congress for 1@eal and yet practical development of what is already the most beautiful city in the world. It is a city-building project that will have the hearty support of the resi- dents of Washington, and that should bring about a better feeling of mutual oco-operation between Congress and the people of the District. The Capital City is to be congratu- fated on the prospect of such an im- provement. By all means the Senate foreign rela- The District government is to be|!ons committee should have informa- congratulated on the prospect of hav- tion which would enable it and the ing an adequate, modern, well co-j5enate toact inteligently on any mat- ordinated workshop. ter which properly came before it tor The District Commissioners are to|action, but that information should be congratulated on their broad.|Pe obtained through proper channels. visioned conception. The Senate is no more warranted in The Public Building Commission, | Interfering improperly with purely ex- the Commission of Fine Arts and the | ¢Cutive functions than it would be in Nattonal Capital Parks and Planning |Interfering with the deliberations of Commission are to be congratulated|th® Supreme Court of the United on thelr prompt pledge to work for|States. this very desirable improvement in R s carrying out the spirit of the original| 4 “l"!‘*l‘ fp""w uf‘or pork represents L'Enfant and McMillan plans. :“’;"’et; f:r 3"‘3 p; rz;:r::rr :,"" mor; Congress is to be congratulated on a por] the way in which the drive to olean | hoP: E?“":“n"‘m‘“" tailed to find up the unsightly environs of the ‘m“’“yhl“ o °t ;‘":; element of Capitol is being carried out and en- ?_M’(;':'; P except at the expense of larged. 3 ‘The people of the whole country are & to be congratulated that there is be- A Just Verdiot. ing worked out here a visualization| Five months, almost to the min- of the wealth, power and dignity of|ute, from the time Policeman Leo the United States Government that|W. K. Busch was shot down as he cannot but impress all visitors, | with another officer was attempting whether American citizens or thelr|to take into custody four men sus- world neighbors, whether frtends or|pected of highway robbery, three of foes. his assailants are facing the electric Viewed from all angles it is a won-| chair while the fourth, who was derful plan for efficient improvement | shown to have been without a gun, that will be well started before the|goes free. In the trial which has bicentennial of Washington’s birth|just been concluded in the Criminal and carried out as o :f ‘::“ most | Division Two the prosecuting attor- important sections in the utiful | ey was forced to match his wits mosalc of a greater Washington,|against ten lawyers retained by the World Capital. defense, and to him must go credit o for the successful conclusion of a Farm relief is thrown back to re-|case that has occupled the court for THE FEVENING BTAR, WASHINGTON, D. 0., MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1927. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. ries of highway robberles in Vlr‘lnll.{ and Maryland. Shortly afterward they noticed a quartet of suspiclous characters standing near a parked automobile. They approached and questioned them. Deciding that they ‘were the men sought, the two police- men attempted to march them to the patrol box. Suddenly, acting in unison, three of the men broke away and began shooting point blank. Al though badly wounded, both officers returned the fire, Two of the bandits were shot, but Pollceman Busch died in the hospital while Ach lingered between life and death for several days before his recovery was assured. Attorneys for the defense have an- nounced that they will seek a new trial, but every aspect of the case indicates that full justice has been done. The defendants were given every consideration and, with their vast array of counsel pitted against the lone prosecutor, certainly ob- tained the benefit of every technical- ity. Justice Hitz in his charge to the Jury, which was a masterpiece of fairness, pointed out that if the jury- men were convinced that the shoot- ing of the policeman was in self-de- fense the defendants should be ac- quitted. Three lives for one may seem to be drastic reprisal, but when three men act in unison they must be considered as one. The sooner that members of the underworld are convinced that society will not tol- erate the killing of its protectors, the sooner will crimes of this character show a decrease. Washington jus- tice as exemplified in the Busch case will do much to bring about this de- sirable condition. e A large number of suicides are re- ported among young people. And yet there never was a time when inven- tors and economists were working 8o hard to make life worth living. The viewpoint is wrong and steps may be called for to censor magazine literature as well as the drama. B —— Y Bullfighting is not so populaf in Mexico as it used to be. As time goes on Mexico may develop an apprecia- tion of base ball which threatens much argument, but no bloodshed. —————————— Officials are proceeding with rea- sonable confidence with reference to plans for more buildings, but noth- ing definite is contemplated in con- nection with more parking space. —_————— It is possible for New York to talk to London by radio. The fact is won- derful in itself. The importance of the communications has not kept pace with the ingenuity of invention. ————— Greater prosperity than ever is ex- pected in American business. An in- dividual benefits by minding its own business and so does a nation. ————— Many a statesman signals a will- ingness to occupy the White House, even were it to continue to drift to- ward a state of disrepair. ———— e Chinese warriors desert in large numbers. Either army is represented as being now dependent on its float- ing population. ——— et SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Brain and Brawn. His mind a statesman must employ To bring the Nation health and joy. He'll also take, it he is wise, A liberal share of exercise. He'll hit the punching bag each day And with the weights and dumb-bells play. For fighting he must hold his weight It he would mingle in debate. Work and Sleep. “A man should have eight hours’ " rejoined Senator Sorghum, “but what are you going to do in case of a fillbuster?” Misnomer. My radio! You bid me sigh As liberties you take. ‘When you announce a lullaby, You keep me wide awake! “Many wars,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “have proved nothing more than an effort to hold the spot- light on a bad actor.” Era of Distrust. “You can't believe all you read,” remarked the man with large spectacles. “That ain’t the worst of it,” added Uncle Bill Bottletop. “You can’t be- lieve anything you drink.” A Best Seller. “What is the best novel you ever read?” ‘Robinson Crusoe,’ ” answered Mi Cayenne. “It proves that a great story may be written without any sex or crime interest. Reversion. “We are supposed to be descended from monkeys!” “Maybe it's a fact. They've got so many quaint specimens shut up in our apartment house that it begins to make me think of a zoo.” “Some say de world is round,” said Uncle Eben. “Some say it's flat. ‘Whatever shape it may be, de prin- cipal question is, “Kin you keep stickin’ on?' " Beauty Doctor Finds Few Pretty Women At the moment the most un- popular man in England is Dr. John Collyer, prominent London physician, who has devoted much time to ‘woman's beauty culture. He has just stated that 1 Englishwoman in 430 is beautiful; that 1 in 170 has any pretensions to good looks or fine features, and that all the rest are deadly plain girls. Girls of Central llance on the adage, “the Lord helps | geven weeks and which took the jury 1 European countries are the most those that help themselves.” more than eighteen hours to decide. As an fillustration of viclousness A Loyal Employe. and criminality the Busch case, as Guilty on eighty-four counts of|it has become known, ranks high in mutilating shade trees on Allison, |its shocking detalls. Busch and his Harvard and Thirteenth streets, an|partner, Policeman Ach, shortly be- employe of the Washington Rapid |fore four o'clock on the morning of Transit Co. has been fined one thou- | September 26 last recelved a “look- sand dollars. This employe, solicitous | out” from police headquarters for of the welfare of the msit company, feux med Whe bad commitied & se- beautiful, he asserts, the Americans are the most attractive and the best dressed and the beautiful Parisian is a creature of the imagination. Eng- lishwomen spend more money than any others on beauty cultu the American woman, being more sure of her ground, does a great part of her beauty treatments herself. The En lishwoman cannot take so many risks. In the meantime, there are about 20,- 000,000 \women who would like ta meet Dn Collyen s Henry Flelding very honestly gave the following title to the introductory chapter to the third book of his “Tom Jones': “Containing Little or Nothing. Since this {s quite true, we pass on to chapter 1 of Book 4 in our con- sideration of these preliminary chap- ters, in which Flelding gives his opin- fons as to the writing art. “Every book ought to be read with the same spirit and in the same man- ner as it is writ,” announces Fielding, in this chapter. Certainly this is true of “The His- tory of Tom Jones.” Fielding wrote this story in a half-bantering, half- serious attitude, and the reader must read it in the same manner. Iven these introductory chapters, in which the author sits outside his story, as it were, and makes com ments upon the action and charac- ters, must be read, if one s the most from “Tom Jones." Such a bold and flagrant holding up of the reader as these first chap- ters constitute could never be excused any more in an author. That much is certain, Fielding “got away with it” once, but no one could ever do it again. He might try, but he would ruin his story for the average reader. .Time, however, has cast a spell ovir ‘Tom Jones” and its rich and racy contents. We take the perfectly use- less first chapters, in so far as the plot is concerned, along with the rest, or we simply skip them, as it pleases us. Henry Fielding will not quarrel with us about it. * ok ox ¥ It is in Book 4 that our author in- troduces the heroine, the beautiful Sophia. As it is his intention, despite the ics, to display her as a para- 8on of beauty and virtue, yet withal a human being, he intends to use the ancient style of invocation at her en- trance, The opening chapter of this book is devoted to an explanation of this method. He says, in order his story shall not be dull, he has ‘“taken every occasion of interspersing through the whole sundry similes, de- scriptions and other kind of poetical embellishment. In so introducing the heroine of “‘this herofe, historical, prosaic poem" he called “Tom Jones,” Fielding be- lieved that he had much precedent. Tragic poets, he affirmed, seldom fail to introduce their principal char- acters with flourishes. Stage man. agers have all the tricks of soft and loud music at their command for the different scenes. Our author gives the following story: “King Pyrrhus was at dinner at an ale-house hordering on the theater, when he was summoned to go on the stage. . “The hero, being unwilling to quit his shoulder of mutton, and as un- willing to draw on himself the indig- nation of Mr. Wilks (his brother-man- ager) for making the audience wait, had bribed these his harbingers to be out of the way. “While Mr. Wilks, therefore, was thundering out, ‘Where are the car- penters to walk on before King Pyr- rhus?” that monarch very quietly eat his mutton and the audience, however impatient, were obliged to entertain themselves with music in his ab- sence,” The second chapter is entitled, “A Short Hint of What We Can Do in the Sublime, and a Description of Miss Sophia Western.” Tmagine a modern author beginning his description of the heroine as fol- lows: “Hushed be every ruder breath. May the heathen ruler of the winds confine in iron chains the boisterous Itmbs of noisy Boreas, and the sharp- pointed nose of bitter-biting Eurus. “Do thou, sweet Zephyrus, rising from thy fragrant bed, mount the western sky, and lead on those de- liclous gales, the charms of which call forth the lovely Flora from her cham- ber, perfumed with pearly dews, when on the first of June, her birthday, the blooming maid, in loose attire, gently trips it over the verdant mead, where every flower rises to do her homage. till the whole field becomes enamelled, and colors contend with sweets which shall ravish her most.” And so on and so on, a burlesque on Lucretius or Virgil. we forget which, but probably the former. * ok ok K “Peradventure there may bea no parts in this prodiglous work which will give the reader less pleasure in the perusing, than those which have given the author the greatest pains in composing,” says Fielding, in his first chapter to the next book, the fifth. He refers, of course, to these initial chapters to the 18 books. He feels himself not bound to assign any reason why a preliminary chap- ter is necessary to each book; in sup- port of this his contention, he in- stances various “laws™ of the which are not founded, he says, on any thing more tangible than the “ipse dixit” of critics. “Who ever demanded the reasons of that nice unity of time or place which is now_established to be so essential to dramatic poetry?” he wants to know. “Has any commentator well ac- counted for the limitation which an ancient critic hath set to the drama, which he will have contain meither more nor less than five acts?” He then pays his tribute to the critics: » “Now, In reality, the world have paid too great a compliment to critics, and have imagined them men of much greater profundity than they really are. From this complacence the critics have been emboldened to ssume a dictatorial power, and have so far succeeded, that they are now become the masters and have the as- surance to give laws to those authors from whose predecessors they orig- inally received them. “The critic, rightly considered, Is, no more than the clerk, whose office}| it is to transcribe the rules and laws laid down by those great judges whose vast strength of genius hath placed them in the light of legislators. This office was all which the critics of old aspired to. * * * But in process of time, and in ages of ignorance, the clerk began to invade the power and to assume the dignity of the master. “The laws of writing were no longer founded on the practice of the author, but on the dictates of the critic.” ‘This bold statement from Fielding did much to break the back of the absurd critiolsm which held forth in his day. Today every author is his debtor. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. This s the week of heartaches and heartbreaks in Congress—the biennial occasion when contacts of years are broken and many members of both houses retire from public life, usually for keeps. The political mortality, which this expiration of a Congress marks, is particularly heavy and dis- tinguished in the Senate. Most of it 1s due to the merecil vicigsitudes of politics. But there's one eminent case in which the departing statesman quits the scene of his own volition—that of Senator Oscar W. Underwood, Demo- crat, of Alabama. Mr. Underwood leaves the Senate at the end of his second term. Previously he had served ten successive terms in the House, be- ginning with the Fifty-fourth Congress. He achieved national fame as the author of the Underwood tariff law while in the lower branch. More than once the Democratic party looked in the Alabaman’s direction as a possible presidential standard-bearer, recog- nizing in him a man of incomparable equipment. Probably only his geo- graphical origin kept Underwood out of Democratic national leadership. His wisdom and suavity will be missed on Capitol Hill. Washington is not en- tirely to lose Underwood. He will live at Woodlawn Mansion, across the Potomae in the Virginia hills, the famous estate known as the Nellle Custis home, which was presented to her as a wedding gift by George Wash- ington. * o ok Names almost as notable as Under- wood's will fade from the Senate roll because their possessors are lame ducks through defeats for renomina- tion or re-election in 1926. Friend and foe alike concede that American pub- lic life will be the poorer for the dis- appearance from Congress of men like “Jim” Wadsworth, George Wharton Pepper and Irvine L. Lenroot. It is widely expected that Federal employ- ment worthy of the eminent talent of all three of these men will not be long in forthcoming. Some premier ambassadorships are likely to be avail- able before a great while, and cabinet shifts are eternally within the range of possibilities. The Kellogg resigna- tion rumor, which has a habit of bob- bing up periodically, ran around the Capital last week again, only to be branded, as all its precursors were, as wholly devold of foundation. Both Pepper and Lenroot, their friends as- sert, would make ideal Secretaries of State. Each has served an apprentice- ship, as did Kellogg, on the foreign relations committee of the Senate, and their personal stock ‘at the White House stands high. PR It is probable that the Coolidge malilbag will achieve a record as a re- sult of the President’s message vetoing the McNary-Haugen bill. All Chief Executives since time immemorial have been in the habit of hearing copi- ously from Mr. and Mrs. Vox Populi when they have said or done some- thing that especially stirs the Na- tions emotions. The communications are preponderantly commendatory in character, but there are always brick- bats among the bouquets. The torpe- doing of the farm bill is not likely to prove an exception to this general rule. Unless the volume of letters and telegrams that pile into the White House on these occasions is too big to make individual - acknowledgments feasible, the President is accustomed to make known over his autographed signature the receipt of congratula- tory messages and his appreciation thereof. * kK % One of the jokes making the rounds about the farm veto message is that while “Silent Cal” may disapprove of surplus legislation, he apparently has no objection to a surplus of words in condemning it. The depth charge which the President planted under the McNary-Haugen bill s about the longest, if not the very longest, mes- sage Mr. Coolidge has ever sent to Congress. It fills mnd;x'. printed mAlter over 19 pages of owa signature and is supplemented by an- other 10 pages of Attorney General Sargent's opinfon. Mr. Coolldge's maiden missive to Congress in De- cember, 1923, required only 16 pages, Republican and Democrat alike agre that the President used hamme: blows in smashing the farm measure. His language bristles with terse thrusts. Few Coolidge state papers outrank the veto document in plain speech. Insiders detect the expert hand of Andrew W. Mellon and Her- bert Hoover in many of its striking passages. * ok Kk ok During the Reed committee slush- fund hearings in the Senate office building, beginning last June and Jjust completed, there were two con- stant attendants, who became known as the ‘‘mystery flappers.” Their identity has just been révealed. One is Dorls Gibson, pretty daughter of Representative Ernest W. Gibson, Re- publican, of Vermont, and the other is her girl chum. Miss Gibson, who cannot possibly yet be out of her ‘teens, Is seemingly a chip of the old block, for she inherits a flair for poli- tics. She is a promising writer and has selected public affairs as her spe- clalty. Miss Gibson was never de- tected taking notes during any of the thrilling hours when “Jim” Reed was grilling willing or reluctant witnesses. But she is said to be as familiar with the details of the long-drawn-out in- quiry as the senatorial committee it- self. * K ok K William J. Donovan, assistant to the Attorney General of the United States, is flirting with the hope of invading the wilds of Persia this year for his vacation. The soldierlawyer {8 a passionate globe-trotter. He holds the Congressional medal of honor “for extraordinary heroism in action’” with the American Army in France, and, although he was pretty well shot up “over there,” his wan- derlust is insatiable. Donovan has traversed the Near FEast and knows well the desert country of Syria around Damascus. During the war he accompanied Roland S. Morrls, American Ambassador to Japan, on an official expedition into the heart of Siberia, when Admiral Kolchak's fortunes were brighter than they eventually turned out to be. “Bill” Donovan, who has the distinction of being born on New Year day and is now a youngster of 44, ranks in the estimation of many authorities as the real power in the Department of Jus- tice. What is beyond question is that Attorney General Sargent leans heavily upon the brilliant Buffalonfan on all occasions. * ok ok ok An aspiring young member of the House of Representatives perfects himself in parliamentary usage and eloquence by reading religiously the proceedings of the British House of Commons. He's of opinion that, by and large, more good legislative Eng- lish is spilled along the Thames than along the Potomac, though he thinks our statesmen excel in wit and humor. Recently he ran across a gem which he holds worthy of any wise cracks to which our Congress is accustomed. Winston Churchill, M. P., discuss- ing the plight of a politiclan en- tangled with Lloyd George, remarked that the former “is between the devil and the deep L. G.” (Copyright. 1927.) —————r—.—— More Power to Him! From the Flint Daily Journal. Energetic youth declares he will clean up a million by 1928. He's a dishwasher. The Toothless Law. From the Sioux City Daily Tribune. Annual Auto Tags Hit. Identification Is Held Sole Pur- pose of D. C. Plates. To the Editor of The Sta Thinking of the much-delayed dellv- ery of 1927 auto tags to District of Columbia auto owners, it has occurred to the writer that this annually re- peated mulcting of the already tax- burdened auto owner for the price of a new pair of tags is one of the most utterly useless and foolishly unreason- able and inexcusable proceedings to which the municipal government sub- Jects auto owners. That we need tags on all automo- biles for identification purposes goes without saying, and is probably ac- cepted by all without argument. That there Is any necessity whatever for requiring their rencwal every year is difficult to prove. What purpose is served by these tags? Identification, purely and sim- D nothing else. Any present rea’ on for requiring annual renewal of these could be applied with equal force as a reason for renewing them semi- annually, or quarterly, or even month- ly or weekly, vet the very preposter- ousness of such propositions is appar- ent immediately they are made. The claim {s now made that the present §1 charge for District of Co- lumbia. tags merely covers the cost of producing and issuing same and re- cording owners’ name3 and addresses and important data relative to the car. This being the case, such transactions are not revenue-producing, and hence cannot be justified on that basis. True, the time was when these tags amount- ed In fact to proclamations by the issuing official, to all concerned, that the possessors had paid their annual tag fees for the cars carrying same. However, that is now history. As we now pay such fees practically entirely on the sane “pay as you ride” basis in the form of a gasoline tax, the above- mentioned reason for requiring fre- quent renewals has ceased to hold. Identification being the sole purpose of these tags, can any one adduce any real reason why tag No. 45681, for example, identifying John Doe's Ford, may not perform that function just as verfectly in 1927 or 1930, or any other year for that matter, as in 19267 In fact, does not the present District of Columbia. situation amply prove this contention and practically demonstrate its correctness? Why, indeed, should an auto owner ever again be required to purchase new tags unless perchance e has ruined or lost the old ones? So long as they are capable of perform- ing their function—that of identifica- tion—there is no reason for his getting new tags even when he disposes of his present car and gets another. If he be required to promptly register with the proper official any change of ve- hicle, will not such registratign serve every purpose? The name, type, num- ber, etc., of the new vehicle can be recorded against the number of his old tags and the record will again be com- olete and up to date. These tags cost District of Columbia residents more than $100,000 annually. Why not make that $100,000 cover five or ten years or even more, perhaps, and after the first year (except for above indicated necessary renewals or for those issues to persons newly be- coming District of Columbia auto own- ers) let the people save that $100,000, or the savable major portion thereof, to buy commodities of real intrinsic value? And what we have sald here applies with equal force to any of the States. Assuming that the actual cost everywhere is $1 for producing and dispensing each pair of tags to equip a single automobile, this would mean an annual national eaving of approxi- mately $20,000,000. Isn’t this worth saving? ‘W. H. WADLEIGH. Writes of Traffic Rules Present and Prospective To_the Editor of The Star: 1 have read with interest the lefter of Mr. W. K. Criswell in The Star on present and proposed traffic rules and traffic conditions. My ex- perience as a daily driver on the streets of Washington for eight years prompts the following observations: He refers to the established custom in all parts of the country being to pull to the right on meeting a car, or giving way to an overtaking one, stating that the first instinctive ac- tion of a driver is to veer to the right at the sound of a horn. To that I must say I have seen many drivers who either had no “first instinct” or were totally deaf, and they are just the ones the new rule is intended to “get around.” I do not believe any sensible driver will attempt to pass another car on the right when another is passing on the left, as he suggests, nor where there is a lack of room. His statement that many accidents occur by cars trying to pass another making a left turn is open to ques- tion if he refers to a turn at an inter- secting street, as the traffic regula- tions expressly prohibit such passing, though many get away with it. Also, if a driver wishes to make a right turn at a street intersection he may safely do so by keeping near the curb, where he properly belongs. His fears for a chaotic and appall- ing traffic condition by giving the “speedster” a chance suggests the probability that he would favor a re- version to old regulations, when a speed of 12 miles an hour was “dan- gerous to life and limb.” The “speed- ster” is less likely to promote traffic danger than the “slowster,” who blocks the middle of the road and creates an obstruction to free move- ment of traffic. Provided always that the driver is sensible, intelligent and, above all else, considerate of the other fellow. JOHN C. HA! Washington’s Changed Anniversary Explained To tbe Editor of The Star: In the issue of The Star of Sunday, February 20, Mr. Frank W. Hutchins had a very interesting account of the changing of the date of the anniver- sary of the birth of George Washing- ton from February 11,1731 (old style), to February 22 (new style). The change from February 11 to February 22 was explained, but he neglected to state why the year was moved up from 1731 to 1732. ‘Washington was born under the Jultan calendar, which made the year begin on March 25, so that he was born under that calendar in 1731; but, under the Gregorian calendar, which by act of Parliament supplanted the Julian calendar, the first of the year was moved back from March 25 to January 1; so that, by going back and reconstructing the calendar for 1731 and 1732 according to the Gregorian calendar, any date from January 1 ANSWERS TO Q UESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. What color was originally worn by Danish kings, queens and princes? —W. O. 8. Scarlet. Q. When were schools for training teachers first established?—J. I. A. The first genulne effort for the professional training of teachers un- dertaken in the world was undoubted. ly by Jean Baptiste de la Salle at Reims in 1681. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the develop- ment of institutions to train teachers took on a new life and the Prussian system of normal schools was firmly established. ~Six normal schools had been organized in that country. It was about this time that the subject of preparing teachers for public schools began to receive attention in America. Q. Should furs e sun before storing aw. ter?—C. McD. A. Furriers say that furs should al- ways be kept away from the sun. Q. Is it still possible to see Sher- wood ¥orest of Robin Hood fame?— G. V. R. A. Sherwood Forest was an anclent forest in the west of Nottinghamshire, England, in a hilly district between Nottingham and Worksop. The tract covered about 200 square miles and was_formerly a royal forest, famous as the scene of the exploits of Robin Hood. Only a small portion of the forest, near Rotterham, still remains. be aired in the ay for the Win- The rest of the country it once cov- ered 18 now occupled by country seats and private parks, and is for the most part bare of trees Q. How long have the King and %uossnno! Belglum been married?— 'A. Albert, now King of the Bel- glans, married the Duchess Elizabeth of Bavaria, October 2, 1900. Q. Who posed for the canvas known as “Pinkle”?—N. A. A. The model was Mary Moulton Barrett, later the aunt of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The artist is the famous Sir Thomas Lawrence. Q. When was Fort Lorenzo in Pana- réxa.;aautructad and when destroyed?— A. Fort Lorenzo, at the mouth of the Chagres River, was erected by Juan Antonelli by the order of Philip II of Spaln, around the year 1586. It was destroyed by Sir Henry John Mor- gan and his band of buccaneers about the 1st of March, 1671. Q. I have read directions recently for washing clothing in gasoline by means of electric washing machines. Wouldn't this be dangerous?—V, M. A. Gasoline generates its own spark of fire through friction, such as that caused by washing in a machine, and even though there is no other flame produced, the machine, the cleaning flulds and the garments are quite capable in themselves of causing a terrific explosion. The press records such accidents almost daily. Q. Are the Masons of Great Britain projecting a Masonic memorial build- ing similar to the one now building at Alexandria, Va.?—E. T. T. A. The foundation stone of the Ma- sonic Memorial Building to be erected in Great Queen street, London, will be laid July 14, 1927. A fund of ap- proximately £1,000,000 will be required for the building, of which £800,000 has already been subscribed. Q. Who was the last secretary of war of the Confederacy?—D. R. A. Gen. J. C. Breckinridge. Q. Is there a playground for chil- dren bullt in tiers?—D. L. A. We know of none in actual op- eration, New York is to begin the construction of a special sort of play- ground adapted to the pecullar con- ditions of population congestion in that city. This playground, which is to be six stories high, will be built in the form of five terraces, with open- air ramps leading to each level. Al- together there will be over 100,000 square feet of open-air play space and about 127,000 square feet of indoor space. It will contain an auditorium, dance hall, swimming pool, gymna- silum apd bowling alleys, while the little children will have swings, see- saws and other playground equip- ment. to March 24, 1731, would be in the calendar year 1732 instead of 1731. The act of Parliament providing for this change was the *Calendar-amend. ing Act,” or “Lord Chesterfleld's Act, “An English statute of 1761, which took effect in 1752, establishing Janu- ary 1st as the beginning of each year (instead of y-day, March 26), adopted the Gregorian or ‘new style’ in place of the Julian or ‘old style’ calendar and cancelling the then ex: isting excess of 11 days by making the 3d of September, 1752, the 14th.” W. W. SCOT' But Remember Jack Johnson. | From the Seattle Daily Times. That bulldog with the gold-crowned tooth, entered in an Eastern show, may take prizes on the bench, but any its competitors probably could win fn an alley. teller of & big New York bank more R Q. Is it true that the humming bird is found only in America? And is it the only bird that can move back- ward when in flight? Is it enabled to remain in a stationary position while in the air?—F, 8. A. The humming bird is found only on the American continent. It is close- ly allied to the swift, and there are several hundred species native from Labrador to Patagonia. The h: bird does not exactly move but by the use of the pectoral muscles of the wing beats the air with a rapig- ity which enables the bird to remain statlonary and to make such darting movements that apparentl may be backward. ot ol umming backward, F Q. What s meant B nt by mother wit— A. It implies native or na as distingulshed from acquired aie®" Q. Will a gallon can it hold exactly a Kllloh'.;w—".;‘, ?‘.dén! i A. The Bureau of ‘Standards says that the capacity of a can depends on whether it is dented in or dented out, If & gallon can is dented tn, it will hold Q. Please give the d and death of the ¢ il 0 Lincoln.—M. V. . A. Abraham rth hildren of Abraham ! and Mary Tod - coln had four children. Edwasd Bops Lincoln was born March 10, 1846, and died in Springfield, Iil, February 1850. Williama Wallace Lincoln was born December 50, and died in the White Houss February 20, 1862 Thomas Lincoln was born April 4. 1853, and dled in Chicago July 15, 1871 The last surviving son of President Lincoln, Robert, died in Wi D.C., July 20, Toze. " " esbington, Q. How often did Ole B America to play?—D, J. “:x-n Nl Ar:;rl’l‘rl(:laflf\'or!‘;”mun violinist came to erica five times bets 8 1879. He died in 1880, . Q. Please tell me how th bilo tags for the District of Conmn are being distributed according to alphabet, and how official and other special tags are marked?—F. W. B A. Automobile tags of the District of Columbia, according to the 1937 system, are’ distributed as follows: 1-1000, plain serles with no letter for embassies, %ion-commercial Govern- ment cars, and private passenger or official cars, Congressmen and others; A 11000, non-commerclal of United States and District Governments; B 1.9999, for commercial cars the empty weight of which 1s 3,000 pounds or less; C 19999, for commercial cars the empty weight of which is over 3,000 pounds—also tractors; D 1-2500 dealers’ cars; E 1.0999, F 1.0099. G 9, pleasure cars; H 1.2000, hackers, taxis and cars for hire: J 19999, K 1999, pleasure cars; L 1800, cars for hire where drivers are furnished—this includes busse: M 19999, N 19999, P 19999, Q 1.9999, R 19999, pleasure cars; R 1-1200, cars for hire where driver is not furnished: S 1-9999, T 1.9990, 17 1.9999, V 1.9999 W 19999, pleasure cars; X 1500, non. residents who are entitled to District tags; Y 19999, Z 1-9999 pleasure cars, Q. What Is slob ice?—W. E. F. A. This Is fce that stops ordinaryd navigation. It usually refers to the surface ice brought down by the Labrador current to the coasts ¢ Labrador and Newfoundland. 24 \;"hnl is Chatterton’s compound? A. Tt is a compound used for the insulation of submarine cables. Tt s a mixture of tar, resin, and gutta. percha. Q. What does the word * " mean?—0. H. it A. Tt is a proper name derived from a Teutonic word meaning “home ruler.” Q. What is the Birken'sad men- tioned in Kinling's “Soldler and Sallor Too”?—W. T. P. A. The reference to Birkenhead in Kipling’s poem 1s to the troopship Birkenhead, which was wrecked on the 26th of January, 1852. Q. Is Joan Crawford married?— M. I A. She is not married. She was born in Kansas City, Mo., has brown hair and blue eyes and is 5 feet 3’ inches. She was a dancer in the “Fol-'" lies” before she started her screen career. Did you_ ever write_a letter to Frederic J. Haskin? You can ask him any question of fact and get tha answer in a personal letter. Here is a great educational idea introduced into the lives of the most intelligent people in the world—American news-, paper rcaders. It is a part of mn' best purpose of a newspaper—service, There is no charge except 2 cents in stamps for return postage. Ad- dress Frederic J. Haskin, Director, The Evening Star Information Bureas. Washington, D. 0. Editors Appreciate Big Task Ahead of Radio Commission 11 appreciation of the magnitude othl;:e 355 ahead Is indicated in edi torial comment on the new radio law, through which Congress creates a commission to bring order out of chaos in broadcasting. The commis- sion is given just a year to set up the machinery of Federal regulation and turn it over to the Department of merce. Co‘!";‘ho commission ought to take up its work without loss of time,” sug- gests the Albany Evening News, ‘and the provision that licenses are to be granted only upon ‘public interest, conventence or necessity’ should be the basis on which the commissio shall permit establishing of station: The Asheville Times declares that “success or fallure in such an under- taking as the commission faces will depend almost entirely upon the men to be selected as commissioners. Thf present situation,” the Times adds, "is characterized by Paul Klugh, ex- ecutive chairman of the National Asso- cludes the Journal. The Kansas City Post, while holding that “the Commis- eion cannot be given any real author- ity on account of that clause in the Constitution guaranteeing free speech,” hopes “that broadcasters will co-operate voluntarily and accept the wave lengths assigned to them for their own benefit and for the advan- tage of the public generally,” “Something not far from ‘monopoly” is inevitable,” in the opinfon of the Duluth Herald, “If satisfactory pr grams are to be provided and mad available to listeners without raucous interference from minor stations. The task of the commission is going to be difficult, but not impossible; and the vast radio audience will hope that it will use no more politics than it has to, and that it will consider first in all its deliberations the interests of those who own radio recelving sets. The Santa Barbara Daily News also feels that “radio is too important and too far-reaching in its influence clation of Broadcasters, as the worst industrial tangle in history. And radio, he points out, is the fastest moving industry yet developed by civilization. It would seem to be a job calling for the best efforts of supermen.” ‘Every branch of the great and ex- panding industry,” according to the Chicago Dally News, “should feel the invigorating effects of this legislation, and the forward march of broadcast- ing—seriously slowed down by past hesitation and uncertainty—will be resumed.” The Harrisburg Patriot avers that ‘“the commission's life promises to be short but merry. One year,” it continues, “is all too brief a time to regulate intelligently the wild waves of reckless radio. But the need is great and much useful work can be done, so that when the Secretary of Commerce takes over the work of the co! n 12 months hence, it may be expected that the air will be cleared somewhat of interference.” * K ok ok ‘The Richmond News Leader points out that “the law sets a competitive standard for broadcasting, at the same time that it destroys the present anarchy in the ether,” and that “a sta- tion must satisfy, or give place to one that will.”. e rsey City Journal assumes that the five commissioners “can be depended upon to relicense those sta- tions which have made notable con- tributions to broadcasting and refuse to permit further interference by sta- tions that have c;o»m l‘m in con- gosted areas and hop rom wave length to wave length trying to get for them- permit it to be misused in the i terest of any group, faction or political party L here s now an inequitable dis- tribution of bmudmt:r:qthmuxhout the country,” states the St. Paul Ploneer Press, “and this must be drastically reformed to fit the avail- able ether channels. Such a reforma- tion, involving probably a reallocation of waves and a possible splitting up of time between some stations, is bound to react unfavorably on the interests of a few listeners and a great many* broadcasters. There will be a tre. mert!dous upheaval in the industry at rst.” f The Lincoln Star records: ‘“There are now more than 500 companies in America engaged in producing radio sets or equipment. Thousands of peo- ple are employed in the industry. Millions of sets have been sold. Ra dio's rise to popularity has been e short of marvelous. The agency which has been created to control it has a big “job ahead, because it is in such general use. The importance of this development to Canada. is emphasized by the Ham- ilton Spectator with the statement that “lack of control of the ether lanes in the United States act affected Canadian listeners-in more se- riously than it did set owners in the United State: The ' Spectator plains that “‘measurements that been set aside for the exclusive u Canadian broadcasting stations appropriated by high-powered stat] across the line,” and assumes “‘when the commission knuckles to its job it is to be expected wave lengths on Canadiag formerly operated will turnsd o ibetm’