Evening Star Newspaper, March 17, 1927, Page 8

=3 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY! MARCH 17, 1927. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS {THE EVENING STAR ‘With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. . ....March 17, 1927 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor Ry R ho Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: A o Forke St 118 Fart 4tnd st. g Chicago Office: Tower Building Buropean OMce: 14 Regent St. London. England. The Brening Star, with the Sunday morn- edition, I: delivered by carriers within "“L at 60 cents r month: daily nnl{. ‘cents per month: Sundays only, 20 cente Dok month, Orders may be sent by mail or hone Main 5000, ‘ollection is made by carrier at end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. fly and Sunday.. .1 yr. $0.00: 1 mo g s 1 yr.. $6.00: 1 mo. finfi"ofuy ; 1 3v: $5.00: 1 mo All Other States and Canada. aly and Sunday..1 yr. $12.00: Limo. $1.00 onl; $8.00: 1 mo.. 7bc i $4.00: 1mo.. 35c 7he A0e 26¢ 1yr 1 Member of the Associated Press. The Assoefated Press is exclusively entitled the se for republication of all news dis- Jatehes credited to it or not atherwice cred- ted in this maper and alto the local ne Dyblished herein. Al richts of publication of apecial dispatches herein are also reserved In Contempt. The “Senate be damned” attitude of certain witnesses before commit- tees of that body received a rude jolt Vvesterday. Recalcitrant witnesses, if the verdict of the jury in the case of Harry F. Sinclair stands, will be in danger of spending from one month to a year in jail and of being fined from $100 to $1,000. The verdict of the jury in the Dis- trict Supreme Court did not go to the question of guilt at issue in the Teapot Dome naval ofl reserve lease. Under the charge given the jury by Justice Hitz, the question merely was whether Mr. Sinclair had appeared before the Senate commit- tee and refused to answer questions put him by Senator Thomas J. Walsh of Montana, the chief inquisitor of that committee. The jury decided in the affirmative. The contempt case will be carried to the Supreme Court of the United States, it is confidently expected. That tribunal in its recent decision in the Mal Daugherty case upheld the powers of the committees of the Senate and House to summon wit- nesses. If the Senate committee has power to compel the attendance of witnesses, has it not also the power to compel them to answer questions touching the public business? The mere power to compel the appearance of witnesses would be an idle power it the congressional committees were not also empowered to obtain in- formation from those witnesses. The vérdict of the jury in the Sin- clair case has a direct bearing upon the cases of Samuel Insull, Chicago public utility magnate; his attorney, Daniel J. Sohuyler, and Thomas W. Cunningham ot Philadelphia, treas- urer of the Republican State com- mittee of Pennsylvania during the Vare campaign. The Reed slush fund committee has cited them to the Senate for contempt. They failed to respond to certain questions regard- ing the Illinois and Pennsylvania senatorial primary elections last vear. In the filibuster which wrecked the close of the last session of Con- gress, however, the citations for con- tempt were never completed by the Senate itself. In consequence their cases go over until December. It is regarded here #s a foregone conclu- sion that the Senate at that time will cite all three of these men for contempt of its committee, and that their cases will take the same course as that against Sinclair. They will go through the Supreme Court of the District. With his appeal to the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia, now expected, and an appeal from the decision of that court to the Supreme Court of the United States, the Sinclair contempt case may hang in the balance for a vear or more. It is three years nmow since the alleged contempt was committed by Mr. Sin- eclair. But, notwithstanding the slow process, it appears now that there is to be a final judicial determination of the powers of congressional com- mittees. Such a decision is of par- ticular importance in view of the in- creasing number of investigations undertaken by Senate and House through their standing select committees. A Governmert by Inquisition is scarcely to be desired. But, on the other hand, secrecy with regard to public business, which may well in- clude such leases of Government property as that made of Teapot Dome to Sinclair and contributions to elections, primary or general, is no more desirable. The dealings of the individual with his Government; both for his own protection and that of the people represented by the Gov. ernment, should be an open book. If it is determined that congressional committees are empowered to force witnesses to testify, then there should be a proper definition of that power and of the limits within which it must be restricted. or A postal savings run in Florida in- tes a disposition among the un- informed to confuse Uncle Sam with trresponsible realty speculators. Like “a little knowledge,” “a little money may prove a dangerous thing, inviting dangerous experiment in preference to conservative security. d - Paying Off the War Debt. The United States Treasury has made a remarkable record in gradual- Iy paying off the mammoth World War debt and in refunding the re- maining bonded indebtedness. At its peak this debt stood at §: 596,000,000 on August 31, 1919, and it is now less than $19,000,000,000. There has actually been paid off more than per cent of the total Coincident with this the Treasury Department announced Tuesday that at the close of business on March 15 more than $1,000,000,000 of the second Liberty loan 4!, per cent bonds, or ury notes, in accordance with an offer made by the Treasury only one week before. This tremendous debt-paying and refunding has been accomplished without disturbing the money market or the economic progress of the coun- try. On the contrary, tax rates have been steadily reduced with a constant- ly increasing return of revenue. Another huge saving to the Govern- nfnt—and really to the taxpayers— comes with the veduction of the in- terest amount on ihe bonds from 4% per cent, as carried by the second Liberty loan, to 313 per cent, as car- ried by the new Treasury notes. In order to give other holders of the sec- ond Liberty loan 4% per cent bonds an opportunity to avail themselves of the exchange offer Secretary Mellon has announced that the books will be kept open until the close of business on Tuesday, March 22. The Treasury will call the entire issue in November, according to pres- ent plans, thus terminating the higher war-time rate of interest on this issue. 1t made private capital available for the Nation's need in the crucial days of the war. It gave the individual substantial interest on an investment backed by the honor of the Govern- ment. It is now time to get “back to normaley” by retiring this heavy in- terest-bearing issue, and the Treasury has done it in a gratifying way with- out any economic disturbance o Spread the News. “St. Louts Learns of Voteless City,” ran the headline over a recent story in The Star describing the vigorous plea on behalf of voteless Washington made by Frederic William Wile, member of the District of Columbia National Representation Committee, before a large audience in the Mound City. The remarkable fact is that while the plight of the residents of the Na tional Capital is known to some pro- portion of any gathering of this sort. to a really surprising proportion thereof the situation as regards fran- chise here is genuine news. Mr. Wile himself, who travels a sreat deal, goes so far as to state that the political dis- abilities under which Washingtonians suffer are “practically unknown.” The time of year when more Dis- trict men and women go forth into other political divisions of the United States than at any other is approach- ing. The suggestion is made that each one of these personally try out the al- legation. Certainly, so far as many points in the castern portion of this country are concerned. the percentage of those who look on Washingtonians as having all the rights and privileges which they themselves enjoy is a start- lingly large onme. Doubtless beyond the Mississippi it Is even larger. “Some day you citizens will be asked through your State Legislatures to ratify a Constitution amendment granting nationl suffrage rights to the disfranchised District,” Mr. Wile told his hearers. The more persons apprised of this fact at an early date, the sooner will that amendment be submitted and be ratified. Not every one is in ignorance of the situation, even in localities and walks of life where the opposite might be expected, and knowledge thereof seems often to result in mingled feelings of astonishment and pity. ago a canal boat was moving inch by inch down the Delaware and Raritan Canal in rural New Jersey. At a lock two or three college students out for a Spring stroll waited to observe the maneuvers of the plodding craft and fell into conversation with a grizzied anclent whose acquaintance with canal life must have dated back to the cry of “Low Bridge!" Ke asked the boys where each’one lived and when the last one replied that his home was in Washington, D. C., the old follower of the towpath shook his head pityingly, expectoratcd thoughtfully, and ejac ulated, “Poor boy—a man without & country Let item number one on every vaca- tion list be the resolution to bring up at every opportunity the political im- potence of the many thousands of those who help make Washington the al of the greatest of na great capi! tions. e raer People @ce living to be older than they lived in times gone by. The human race improves. The germ -de- teriorate: ———vm—— Fijians Firm in the Faith. The journey of the Duke Duchess of York to Australia was and Some years | th |Christian. A young Scotsman who served a term as assistant pastor of a big Washington church visited the islands a few years since in the course of an extended tour and returned with the dictum that the Fijians, with the missionary influence superimposed upon their natural virtues—for these they undoubtedly had—had become a highly admirable people. The Fijlans' fnherent disregard of the value of human life and of the importance’ of bodily suffering has been sublimated by the Gospel into something very fine, something rem- iniscent of the earliest Christians, the stories of whose bravery, simplicity and generosity form such inspiring reading today. As in other Pacific island groups, the ravages of certain diseases, simple but theretofore un- known to them, have resulted in a marked and regrettable decline in the native population. There are, how- ever, still nearly 100,000 alive and in good health today, and likely to re main for many centuries not only as an anthropological treasure trove, due to their intense conservatism, but an outstanding example of what the right sort of missionaries can accom- plish in the most unpromising of fields. : —oe—e The Pendulum of the Press. Any one who yearns for the news: paper of “the good old days” ought to have nothing else to read for a month which would either kill or cure him. This is the statement made in connec tion with the announcement of a re- cent change In management of the Evanston News-Index, the only daily paper published in that community and read not only by residents of that large suburb, .but also by those of several adjacent and considerable set ments. The new man at the helm is Allen D. Albert, formerly a Washing- ton newspaper man, who got his start on The Star. On the first page of his publication he says: “From this day the News-Index will be edited to meet this one test—that you who support it will be proud to ave it on your library table.” Long experience has taught Editor Albert that it is not needful to compromise with everything fine in human nature to make a daily paper pay on its gen- eral merits. He believes that, other things being anywhere near equal, the cleaner a newspaper is, the more pros- perous it will be in the end, and cites prominent examples of that proposi- tion which will occur readily to every one. These, however, he points out, cannot enjoy quite the freedom which @ smaller paper like that of the North Chicago area can take to itself. The newspaper of the seventies en- joyed similar freedom, but that does not mean that it was excellent product, declares the new editor. It was not. It was an organ of unabashéd private interest and prejudice, coloring the news to suit its policies. The pendu- lum of American journalism, he thinks, has swung to its furthest point. through the arc of “spice,” of spite, of partianship, of inaccurary, of deliberate misrepresentation, and of disinclination to print anything that will compel the reader to think. “We hope,” says Editor Albert, “that we are catching the return swing at the véry start of a new movement.” May his hopes both as to the swing and to e position of his own publication be more than justified. R, A million-dollar libel suit might be easily settled by Henry Ford, except for his ideas of a matter of principle. He could easily afford to ignore the case and say, “Keep the change.” o Pncome tax returns will be so large as to promise a Treasury surplus. An enterprising and alert Government will have no fear of facing the prob- lem presented by idle capital. vt “Observer” has come to rank high among diplomatic titles. Halti evidently has no idea at all of senatorial courtesy. SHOOTING STARS, BY PHILANDER JOKNSON Friend Audience. We should not need A censor's care To make us heed Expression fair. Instinctively We ought to know That words too free Should never flow. We know quite well broken recently by a short stop-over in the Fiji Islands, British possessions. Seated upon a dais the youthful scion of royalty and his bride received Fijian dignitaries who included mem- bers of the legislative council of the archipelago and one of the grandsons of the last king of the islands. He, in order to lend impressiveness to the scene; contrasted a feathered kilt, weird coiffure and other accessories to the cool white ducks of the duke and the garden party costume of the duchess. The current upsets in China have brought foreign missions into the limelight and caused a number of I more or less amicable arguments be- i tween proponents and opponents of | the foreign mission idea. If there be any spot on the globe to which mis sionaries and their backers can point | with pride it is the group of some eighty inhabited Pacific isles, often | called by old-timers—and with rea- | son—the “Cannibal Islands.” " 'he memory of persons still alive goes back to a time when the crush- ing weight of the great war canoe of ian dignitary was trundled from its thatched hoathouse to the water's edge over the living bodies of his de- voted subjects. These gladly obeyed the order, or which le them so prostrate themselves and furnish rollers of a quality commen surate with the merits of the great man and of his boat. Even a few generations the islanders ‘were notorious nibals. A whaleman stranded those shores was as good as doomed; he knew it and often took his own life in preference to be- ing fattened, butchered, roasted and custom, ago can- on more than one-third of those outstand- ing, had been presented for conver- gn Inlo five year 3% per cent Treks- eaten. In 1835 the first missionaries, intrepid souls, gained a foothold. To- day practically every native is a Which stories are Polite to tell And which will jar. 1t is for you To stop the play. All you need do 1s Stay Away. Sporting Spectators. “The United States Senate grows more interesting each year.” “I expect to see the time,” said Sen- ator Sorghum, “when a seat in the gallery will command & larger price than a seat at the ringside of a regu- lar fight.” Armored Vehicle. So terrible the bandits are Of every size and rank, 1 think Il sell my motor And get myself a “tank.” car “‘Wealth,” said Hi ko, the sage of Chinatown, of its possessor whether it shall be a happiness or a handicap.” Jud Tunkins says the “life of the party” is mighty apt to prove poor company in his own home. Where the Thirsty Line Up. “Crimson Gulch never has any more barroom fights.” “No,” replied Cactus Joe. ‘“Per- sonal quarrels now arise from the question of who shall be served first at the ice cream soda counter.’ The Worm That Turns. Humble beginnings we discern As triumphs, by and by And what we called a turn Into a butterfly. ‘'worm” will “Happiness,” said Uncle Eben, ‘“is too often what we imagines have it we was some one else, “leaves it to the wisdom | Dickens may or may not have treated the solemn young gentleman. It makes no difference. This type goes on forever, and is as prevalent in 1927 as it was in 1847. The solemn young man is seen—although seldom heard— everywhere. ; Every business knows one or two of him. He is as omnipresent as the messenger boy, and only a bit less offi- cious. His owlish countenance glares at visitors from behind desks, peering at them with inquiring eyes. The worst point about.the solemn young man is that you arée never sure of him. He is so absurdly solemn that no man can tell what he s thinking. Just as Caesar feared lean men, SO any men today have the “solemn Dlues.” Let us have men about us who laugh, who enjoy life as they go along, who know the latest “storfes” and also how to tell them. The fellow with the abnormally severe mien gives us the wiggles. What 1s it, after all. we dislike in the chap? Surely it can be nothing but the ancient fear of the unknown. He never shows his hand. He seems forever to have cards up his sleeve. He is, we are convinced, owlish for a purpose, This is taking him rather seriously, of course. Mostly the solemn man is simply putting up a bluff. Perhaps he is aping an executive, or following out the dictates of a business “course” which advised that the young business man be “seriou Success, however, ought not bought at such a price. * ok Kk to be The normally solemn has a right to be naturally lugu- brious. This cannot be ainsaid. It is a part of his disposition, as much s0 as his nose, or his ears. If the latter stand out from the side of his head, no one can legitimately say anything; no more, then, can we quar- rel with such a man’s solemnity. Serlousness is to be praised; we speak only of the unnatural solemnity which many assume. It Is easy to tell when it is “put on.” There is something extremely unnatural in it a sort of pose that ill befits the' wearer a cloak of disguise that does not hang true. Take voung Jenkins. This young fellow has never been known to smile. Many of his friends momentarily de sire to give ‘him a “swift kick E they say, but they refrain, becs it might hurt his feelings. All the normal upturnings of the mouth, popularly called a smile, are lacking in Jenkins. As a child he may have grinned, once or twice, but when he became a man he put awa childish things, his smiles along with them, and very few persons have been fortunate enough to see one on his ace since. The trouble with Jenkins, uccording to some, Is that he takes himself too seriously; reminds one, they = de- clare, of some members of almost ex tinet ‘sects, who honestly believe that their small handful of the faithtul is all that is going to be saved. The saving grace of a sense of humor might better further their prospects of immortal bliss. Jenkins is like that. To watch him sitting at his desk is better than see- ing the trained bear in the vaudeville. Trained bears, now and then, play at wrestling, and seem to enjoy them- selves. Woe perpetually bespangles the brow of Mr. Jenkins. His face looms sad over the paper at his typewriter. Niobe, posed so, would lament her young man children no more properly. THE VALUE OF BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. The number of play spaces or play- grounds necessary to meet the needs of children of different ages in a com- munity is indicated by the statement that they are just important as school bulldings, and even more so. Hence the establishment of play- grounds should march abreast with or should parallel the establishment of reconstruction of school buildings. An adequate playground for all the children of the community is an es- sential part of any modern school plant. For children above school age facilities in addition to the school play- ground are necessary. Such are the views of Cl w. Hetherington, professor of physical education in New York University. The size of the playground, he sa is a more technical problem because it requires an understanding of the needs of children. The old eriterion of 25 square feet per child, borrowed from the slums of London, Is totally inadequate. The size of the play ground must be considered and de- termined by its functions as a_com- munity play center for all the children of the community in their social play activities. Moreover, the large amount of time naturally consumed in these activ- ities to ain development demands a space that will accommodate, if pos ible, all the children of the school or community in organized play at one time. Th ing the s e scientific method of determin- of @ playground for an I given school or community, s Prof { Fistherington, is to reducé the prob- lem o units of space for unit num- bers of children in specified activities in the spaces. The process is to divide the total number of children of the sehool or any group to be accommo- Qated by the unit number of chil- oen of & unit space and multiply the fesults by the unit space. Thus for an elementary school of 500 the mini- mum requirement would be 2% acres, But an adequate provision would be 10 Sores. For a high school of 500 chil- i dren the minimum requirement \\_nuld bo 5 acres, but an adequate’provision would be 20 acres. Financial Problem Involved. On this basis comparatively lflv\' city schools have * adequate - play: crounds and many schools ca e %0 equipped because of the high value of the real estate that quuld have to be acquired. There is & finan- cial problem involved iln_(l school and (-(»mm\lnli\' budgets will have to change radically. In fact, the first essential change is in the viewpoint of those who make the budgets. A higher realization of the need for the organization of children’s play activ ties will have to come before prope budgets can be secured, but it is be- lieved that with the grow! standing by parents and tea the importance of pl opment, health and cipline of children there public opinion that will about. It is to be remembered that pr character will bring be a this should lies with community as they of the that play adults must _see to organize and direct the play. Chil- dren do mot have the financial re- sources to secure equipment for their own play. Occasionally a group of boys manages to get a sketchy out- fit for a_baseball nine—a ball, bat and catcher's glove—through their own efforts, and then, if they can find a vacant lot, they are all set for healthful exercise and recreation. But when children’s play is planned and arranged on anything like a com- hold ofs the work. s under- | *hers of | for the devel |and Recreation Assoc ydynamic drive to action in child na- {centers of their own selection. Iplay and work was a great | development and therefore ‘of health. 1 to squeeze the educ {child life. 1 outdoor pla; THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. As soon as this description of Jen- kins appears in print, there will be a rush to identify him, but we warn the reader here and now that he cannot do ft. “Jenkins” Is a type, not a particular individual. You know him, and o do we. [very one does! I'erh we should say that we take particular pains not to writerabout individuals. There is no personality that is not duplicated over and over again. There are 10,000 Pecksniffs in the world BEverybody knows a Sam Weller To place an accusing finger on type description, and say, very posl- tively, “This is Soand-So," is merely to judge on circumstantial evidence. And the whole world knows, or ought to know by this time, that positively no relfance whatever can be placed in such evidence. The wise man would not convict even a fiea on clreumstan- tlal evidence. The more convincing it seems, the less it 1s to be relied upon. ok x Solemn young men sometimes infec whole establishments. Jusiness is real, business is earmest ems to be their paraph @ of Longfellow’s clas: sic line. The best busine men, season their solemnity with that all is not sad at co Joyous frame of mind may be as suc cessfully carried into business it has been Into religion. A gladder business gospel might profitably be brought to some places where 4 solemn young man has spread the contagion of his looks and man- ner. To go into such places is posi tively painful. so many do not go any more than they have to. And is tha business however, * % " Solemnity Is a two-edged sword that cuts both on the outward and bacl ward swing. While right conduct of life calls for happiness, and at the same time a sensible frowning upon levity, it does not, it would seem, de- mand’ intensity such as reacts upon the natural disposition of the person involved and causes others to be un- easy. Concomitants of this solemnity are indifference to others, a lack of normal politeness in the ordinary social relations of everyday life and some disposition toward lack of respect toward sacred things. It s a curious fact that the extremes of y 1 to result in the same way of thinking. Just as places where unnatural hilarity holds sway almost invariably show a lack of rev- so_undue solemnity is sur- ¢ often coupled with the same sort of atheism. . Indifference toward others is very dikely to distinguish the very solemn voung man. The fun of life passes him by. The sense of humor that calls for forgiveness he knows nothing of, $0 he is very likely not to forgive. When he wants something he can be pleasant enough, but when strictly himself he has little to do with one. Lack of normal politeness is another strange trait of thg solemn young man. (We came near using another word of three letters, but luckily our typewriter did not slip) Only recent- : one of these solemn young fellows alked into an office of women and falled to remove his hat until some one asked if his head were cold. Yet the world would be the poorer for the loss of his type. Many strange- Iy great characters have arisen from his group, and for these the world properly enough overlooks the rank and file, rightly believing that where there is so much smoke there may be some fire, after all. f PLAYGROUNDS unnatural center for play means that large num- bers of children of different ages and abilities are concentrated in ong place, hence the difficulties in the organiza- tlon of their play are too great for them to handle. Experience has proved thar even college students, when in large numbers, do not have the skill or ability to organize their play activities effectively. Children, when large numbers are brought together, must be classified according to age and ability A pro. gram of activities must be arranged for the different groups that is adapt- ed to the interests, strength, skill and needs of each group, and the or; ization of this program calls for adult insight and technical skill too, must there be adult super to insure safety and the avoidance of injury from accidents, as well as to see that the children do not over- indulge or specialize too much in any one interesting activity. " Questions of Manners and Morals. The playground problem likewise in volves questions of manners and morals. Children of good moral hab its and who have been well reared are brought together in the com- munjty playeround with others whose habits are not so good and whose manners are not all that is to be desired. All this is democratic, and may work out for the good of hoth | classes of children, but it is neces- sary for the character education of the children dnd their moral safety that they be under able adult super- vision “Play space in the vouth of the generation now pagsing into old age plentiful,” says Prof. Hethering- ton. “Whatever was at fault in the play lite of the older generation not due to lack of space. Play went on as before and always beciuse of the everlasting natural urge and ture, and child nature, tradition and adult example set the forms of the play. Children played at home and they played in convenient community Chil- dren not only played, they also worked with their parents, and the source of “But times change. Since the child- hood of this older generation social changes due to an evolving, machine- controlled industrial civilization began | tional juice out of ved the old home, customs even in the | country, it built congested cities, and {in these cities it eliminated spaces in which children could play. In time, child life, as expressed in vigorous broke down, and survey showed that instead of playing chil- dren were idling or engaged in worth- . less amusements. This state of affairs aroused teach ers and parents, and in 1906, through the organization of the Playground tion of Amer- truction of the It des it changed famil ica, a systematic recons C- |t was conceived, promoted, financed, tically the whole and sole responsibil- | organized and managed by ity in determining whether children |y word, the | intention Adults [ for an efficient organization of chil- proper facilities are ! dren's play and made it a responsi- provided and that there are leaders (bility of the communit play life of children was instituted. | The significant thing about this play- | ground movement, it is stated, is that adults. In nd_with onsibility adults_deliberately assumed the re The big idea is to see that all the children of the community have equal opportunities for healthful play and that they be given adult direction and supervision to the end that their ac- tivities will do them the most possible &ood. e T Clear Demonstration. ¥rom the Springfleid Daily Republican. | watch the stra; The hung jury continues to demon- prehensive basis adults must take |strate the advantage of the unanimous verdict requirement—to the defendant The playground as a community whose case is desperately weak, Writer Defends Dogs And Scores Egotism To the Editor,of The Star: May I once more come to the de- fense of the dog, upon whose friendly head has again fallen abuse from a gentleman who complains in your issue of March 14 that this friend of man disturbs his otherwise unbroken slumbers and should therefore be eliminated from the city. In their perverted application of the promise of dominion, men have taken it upon themselves to eliminate in one way or ancther nearly every living thing that in the fulfiliment of its own instinct for life and freedom might 'm to encroach upon their egotis- al rights. They have shot, hunted, trapped and caged until such few creatures as are left from this cam- paign of thoroughness shrink from man as an enemy. If they have not deliberately persecuted and slaugh- tered, tHey have at beyond excuse. Prowling dogs are the result of neg- lect in one form or another. The dog that i3 given care and love and plenty to eat and drink does not become nuisance to his neighbors, but a source of friendliness and pleasure. The fault lies with those human beings who out of their abundance do not minister to the needs of these dumb creatures. The neighborhood where 1 ltve is full of dogs—dogs that are pets and com- panions of children and well cared for. I have never in the seven years of my idence there been disturbed at night by barking or howling dogs, with one exception. And this excep- tion is significant. It was the case of an old dog that was kept tied up with out shelter in the coldest weather. He often cried and moaned like a hu- man being, disturbing only in the nse that he inspired sympathy and indignation at such inhuman treat- ment. The other day another gentleman enlarged upon the offenses of dogs who chase automobiles, and bark and shatter the delicate nerves of the aver- age driver. Why blame the poor ani- mals for having a little sport of this kind? No doubt they are obeying the ame irresistible instinct at the sight of the moving auto that the average driver himself obeys when he auto- matically steps on the gas at the sight of a pedestrian half a block away in his path. The dog Inherits this from his prey-hunting ancestors; the man—well, perhaps it is the same with him. Then surely they ought to be able to sympathize with each other. If everything that is “absolutely useless in the city” could be elimi- nated, how happy we should all be! Then out of town would go all the people who keep other people awake or awaken them in the small hours with their carefree and sponta- neous racket of every description, Out would go the man who sits in his big automobile and blows, and blows, and blows to attract the attention of some one inside the house. Out would go the man who makes totally upneces- sary and nerve-splitting noises with his poorly kept and poorly managed automobile. Out would go the rattle and grind of loose-jointed and worn- out street-car equipment. Out would go the screeching of brakes of the eckless driver. This attitude of humans over what they are supposed to suffer from dumb animals would surely appear cowardly, to say “the least, in the light of hu- mane reasoning. When men have demonstrated control over their own mere noisiness and lack of considera- tion for the comfort and peace of others, then it will be time for them to think about eliminating the lesser noisiness of animals, which is their natural means of expression. Mean- time, let them busy themselves a little more in the interests of the dumb creatures; let them show the friend- less creature friendliness and give him food and drink and shelter and put themselves in his place. Let man try the plan of expressing his domin- ion and superiority in a really supe- rior and manly way. If he can lose his own egotism in entering more into the life and needs-of these creatures, he may find that the problem will be solved without any more radical meas- ures. VERA E. ADAMS. -t Says Democracy Has Hard Task in China vom the Spokane Spokesman-Review. An ingenious person, it is said, challenged the long-accepted saying that “you can't make a whistle out of a pig’s tail,” and did it. If that story 'is veracious and the man is vet alive, his services should be enlisted in the more difficult undertaking of transforming China into a republic. Democracy is put to an impossible ask in that ancient kingdom. China is as unsuited for a republican form of government or the adoption of democracy as the imagination could conceive. ven under the ancient kingdom the country was a loose coalition of provinces ruled by local war lords and exacting tax collectors. The national spirit is lacking, as also the capacity for broad_co-operation. Provinces with many millions gf pop- ulation are isolated by mountain or river barriers and the lack of pas sable highways. Dialectic differences make it impossible for Chinese from one region to understand the language of Chinese from other regions. Official and high ideals of public service are so rare to be almost { non-existent With that background of fact and history, one can better understand the presenthour clash between op- posing armies, the desertion of gen- erals from one cause to the other and the re-enlistment of thousands of fugitive and defeated soldiers in the temporarily victorious army that they were fighting yesterday. ; President Coolidge and Secretary of State Kellogg are meeting the Chinese sis with timely and proper action. They are not taking sides with either of the opposing forces and are avoid- ing entangling alliances with other powers that have sent warships and fighting forces to China for the de- fense of thelr national They are pursuing be the at appears to correct middle course between the extreme action, on one hand, of conducting an aggressive campaign on Chinese soil, and the opposing ex- treme, proposed by Senator Borah, of ordering all Americdn interests out of China, with utter abandonment of trade relations of importance and especial bearing on industries of the Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain States. Trade relatlons with China are es- sential to the grain growers of the Pacific Northwest, and abandonment of trade in China would be detri- mental to our dairy producers, the orchard industry, the timber workers and the mining interests of this region. A New Incentive. From the Oakland Tribune. If it be true that an American sci entist can extract products valued at $950 from a ton of burned straw, just ote industry grow! R An Altered Estate. From the Lynchburg News. Matrimony, once a more or less per- manent state, is fast becoming merely a prelude to alimony. o The Improbable Possibility. From the Sioux City Tribune, Perhaps the Senate staged that clos- ing filibuster just to show Dawes what a fibuster looked like at close range. Reciprocity. From the Cincinnati Times-Star. Thos¢ o hear a sermon broadcast over the radio really ought to broad- cast a Wttle something guk for the collectigh plate. BY FREDERIC J. HASK, Q. What is the first lightship seen when approaching New York City from Europe?’—G. J. K. A. The Nantucket is the first light ship sighted when coming into the New York Harbor from KEurope. Others sighted are the Fire Island Lightship and the Ambrose Lightship. Q. How many clergymen are ar- rested in a year? How does the num- ber compare with other professions’— B A. We find no data for the country at large. In the city of Chicago in 1925, there were 89 clergymen arrest- ed, 1,049 physicians, 208 dentists, 1,412 attorney: 201 artists and 707 musiclins. Q. Where s Wales?—A. N. E. A. It is a promontory on Bering Sea and forms the most northwest point of North America. It terminates in a peaked mountain presenting a bold face to the sea and Is dangerous on account of a shoal which stretches to the northeast. Q Would adding 40 pounds of weight to each wheel of an automobile be noticeable in the power of a car?— J.G.N. A. Adding 40 pounds to each wheel will decrease the hill-climbing ability by about the same amount as Ty ing one additional passenger. The effect on the accelerating ability will be greater than the effect produced by an extra passenger, the amount de pending on whether the weight is added near the center or near the circumference of the wheel Weight added near the ecircumference will have the greatest effect on accele tion. Cape Prince of Q. Why did Amundsen make an expedition to the South Pole instead of the North in 1910, when he planned the Northern trip?—A. B. A. In 1909 Amundsen planned an expedition to the North Polar Sea in the Fram, but Peary’s discovery of the North Pole caused a change in his plan, and instead Amundsen started August 9, 1910, for the South Pole. Q. Please list the chiefs of staff of the Army.—E. C. C. A. The office of the chief of staff was not established until August, 1903. The list is as follows in the order of service: Samuel B. M Young, Adna R. Chaffee, John C. Bates, J. Franklin Bell, Leonard Wood, Willam W. Wotherspoon, Hugh L. Scott, Tasker H. Blis: Peyton C. March, John J. Pershing, John L. Hines, Charles P. Summerall. Q. Who selects the plctures that are put on bank notes?—R. B. ) A. The designs of United States paper currency are made by the Bu- reau of Engraving and Printing and are submitted for approval .to the Secretary of the Treasury. If the de. sign bears a portrait it must be a por trait of a deceased person. Q. Please name some yellow, white, red and pink roses that can be suc cessfully grown.—J. A A. A few of them are: Yellow, Tsa bella Sprunt and Mrs. A. R. Waddel white, Kalserin Augus! Victorta, White Killarney and White Cochet red, Gruss and Teplitz, Red Letter Day and" Red Radiance: pink, Ki larney Queen, La Tosca, Maman Cochet, Mrs. Wakefleld Christie M ler and Radiance. Q. How long has “Sunkl used as a_ trade-marked name?—W. Z A. Trade-mark use of ‘“Sun . which is identical in suggestiveness sound, etc., with “Sun-kissed,” is ferred to in records conveniently ac cessible to us as dating back as far as the year 1907. We find mention of its use in connection with citrus fruits (which, of course. include oranges) since October 10, 1907, and specific mention of its use in conne: tion with lemons since May 10, 190% We find mention of its use in connec tion with fresh vegetables (presum ably including tomatoes) since May 17, 1916, mention of its use since Ap 1915, in connection with fresh “Sun-kist” table grapes; of itsuse in connection with canned and dried fruits since September 23, 1907, and with numerous other articles of food condiments, etc., since correspondingly early dates. Q. Where is the center of popula tion of foreigners in the U States?—H. F. A. According to the 1 was near Fort Wayne, Ind. census, it Have we had the pleasure of serv- ing you through our Washington In- formation Bureau? Can't we be of some help to you in your daily probh- iems? Our business is to furnish you with authoritative information, and we invite you to ask us any question of fact in which you are interested. Send your inquiry to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic 1 Haskin, director, Washington, D. ¢ Inclose’ 2 cents in stamps for return postage. L BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. Blasphemy is a_erime in Canada; atso In other dominions of the Brit- ish Empire. An editor of the Christian Enquirer, published in Toronto, has been convicted of pub- lishing a ‘blasphemous libel. speaking scurrilously of God. In his defense, conducted by a negro lawyer, he set up the plea that it was not the God of Moses or of Christians, but of the ancient Greeks, to whom he alluding, though his language bore even less similitude to Zeus or Jove of Olympus or to the Roman Jupiter than it did to the familiar language describing Jehovah as “a jealous God.” Jove and Jupiter were famil- jarly depicted as “jovial,” rather than awful in majesty and power. The blasphemer alluded to “this touchy Jehovah” and to “an irate old party. His defense, therefore, in seeking an alibi, on Olympus or Capitoline Hill, was so puerile that it aggravated his guilt, in the minds of the jury. * ok kX The judge, in charging the jury, said: “We have been taught to rever- ence the name of God. We regard Him as the Supreme Ruler of the universe, also as our Maker and Creater, through whom algne we believe we live and move and have our being. All that we have in this world worth having we believe comes from God. We look to Him also for our salvation in the world to come, after we have passed out of this life. * * We allow that any per- son may disbelieve in God and the Bible and may express that belief in language or by writing. We in- sist, however, that in doing so the language or writing must hf couched in respectful terms. When the language or writing is in such dis- respectful and indecent terms as to be resisted by, or be an offense to. all our God-fearing people, and to outrage their feelings and sense of propriety, then it becomes blas- bhemy. Tt is for vou to decide Wwhether the expressions in this pa- per, which the accused says he pub- lished, for which he is wholly sponsible, have pa ssed the limi a decent, respectful expression of opinion The jury promptly brought In a verdict of guilty, and the sentence of the court was imprisonment for 60 days, with the court’s recommendation {hat at the conclusion of the term the alien defendant be deported from Canada. * ok ok K 1t will be assumed by many that such a case could not be in the United States, and that it demonstrates the fundamental difference between law in a country having an established church and a country whose Consti- tution declares, in its so-called Bill of Rights—including the first amend- ment—that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exer- cise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. ‘The case is not so simple, however, according to experts on constitutional law, as that amendment may suggest at first slance. There nothing in that first amendment which guar-} antees freedom (license) of speech or the liberty of the press; it memyr says that Congress shall let those sub- jects alone. [t relegates those sub- jects to the States, and, until States act thereon, it leaves the regulation wholly to the “common law" inherited directly from England—the same| source from which Canada gets her common law in advance of her statu- tory enactments. Inquiry of the officials of the United States Post Office Department discloses the fact that there is no Fed- eral statute prohibiting the mailing of blasphemous literature. Magazines and newspapers of the most out- rageous blasphemy pass freely through the mails. = Only “indecent™ and “immoral,” “scurrilous,” “las- civious,” “filthy” and “vile” literature is barred. There exist many papers and magazines devoted wholly or mainly to attacks on churches and religious faiths. They cannot now be excluded from the mail, although it is within the power of Congress to adopt such legislation as would bar them. It is the theory of Congress that the mailing privilege for any- body is a privilege and not a right; it may, therefore, be taken away arbitrarily, but only by Congress. ‘Whether the term “scurrilous” could be construed as covering blasphemous has not been decided in court. It might necessitate that Congress de- largely following English common law, but there is little uniformity in their acts, and, of course they can- not legislate as to the mail. Prior to our Revolution, the Colonies were subject to English law and Eng- lish traditions, based upon the union of church and state. Under those conditions, any eriticism of church tenets became sedition, for the King was head of the church, and the King reigned by divine right—or claimed to do so. Criticism of what the churches taught was treason against that divine institution—the throne. Not only the King, but all Anglican bishops, ruled by “divine right.” so it was held that “Christianity was more than a part of the law"—it was the law. Blackstone says: ‘‘Where the former determination of the case is most evidently contrary to reason, it is not law; much more if it be con- trary to divine law.” To deny any- thing orthadox was to deny the very foundation on which the government rested. It was optional, therefore, whether one labeled certain utter- ances as blasphemy, sedition or trea- son. In 1642 Connecticut passed an act establishing the death penal for , “worshippers of the wrong d and # for blasphemers:” Bible texts were cited in justification. When Roger Willlams was banish ed from Massachusetts in 1636 for “blasphemy,"” it was, according to the court, because “any one who should obstinately assert that the civil magistrate might not intermeddle even to stop a church from appstacy and heresy” must be banished. ; Roger Willlams set up his c¢hurch in Rhode"Island to demonstrate the legality, under the Bible, of “toler and he entered into a vigorous defense of his “blasphemous attack on _intolerance.’ In a single case in Connecticut. In 1642, 13 “witches” were hanged, as logical necessity under the juridic interpretation of blasphemy. A cen- tury later Blackstone wrote, o deny the possibility y, 4l existence—of witcheraft and sorcery is at once flatly to contradict the re- vealed will of God " in of both the Old and The law of 1642 (in the absence of later legislation) was appealed to in the case of the State of Connecticut against Michael X. Mockus, who, in 1916, spoke blasphemously in a lec ture in Waterbury. His lecture was in the Lithuanian language. He was convicted in police court, appealed t¢ the district court and there the ca was so long drawn out his law yers that, in the intricacies, it was allowed. to go over to another term without adjusting the bail bor and defendant failed to return. T case is undecided, except by a book of 455 pages written by defendant's lawyer discussing its principles. De fendant apparently justified his sur- name. (: * ok ok ok In the Virginia Convention of 17 George Mason drew the Declaration of Rights which included the follow- ing on toleration: “That religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and, therefore, that all men should enjoy the fullest toleration in the exercise of religion, according 1o the dictates of conscience, unpunished and unrestrained by the magistrate. 4 unless, under the cover of religion any man disturb the peace, the happi ness or safety of society, and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity toward each other.” g James Madison felt that that was not quite as definite as it should be lest it should be twisted so as to op- press religious sects, under the excusa that they ‘“disturbed the peace, the happiness or safety of soclety.”” I proposed this amended form: “That religion, or the duty we owe our Creator, and the manner of dis- charging it, being under the direction of reason and conviction only, not ofj violence or compulsion, all men are equally entitled to the full and free exercise of it, according to the dictates of conscience; no man or class of men ought, on account of religion, to be invested with peculiar emoluments or privileges, nor subjected to any pen- alties or disabilities, unless under color of religion this preservation of equal liberty and existence of the State be manifestly endangered.” Scurrilous expressions of blasphemy are not ‘“religion,” hence are not jus- tified in law. ’ fine sectarimn disputes, so that denial of what adherents of a particu- lar church held dear would be con- sidered “scurrilous. But what s Congress, that it should pass on such controversial questions, in a Govern- ment stipulating complete separation of church and state. * ok ok The States have legislated as to liberty of *the press and of speech, a Neither the Mason nor the Madisop P proposal was accepted, for the clergy '™ opposed separation of church and state, but later, when the Constitu- tion was adopted, they bore fruil Nevertheless, when any one denies that the United States recognizes Diety, all that is necessary is to show “that which is Caesar’s,” and point to its inscription, “In Cod we trust.” (Covyright, 1927. by Paul V. Callins.)