Evening Star Newspaper, April 14, 1927, Page 8

g 'THE EVENING Y up, but with any proper fire-fighting organization they could be kept in control and confined to initial prem- | ises. The real danger in the sky- 7 | scraper in ease of fire lies in the panic that might be caused among the occu- THEODORE W. NOYES. . .. Editor | PANS in case the blaze occurs during | the gaytime. The Evenlug Star Newspaper Company |/ A sharp controversy has developed Business Office over the tower fire of Tuesday night 11¢h St and Pennsy ol ik ‘oF ac Shitive e P 3 Aad Pennayivmnt | regarding the lack of equipment in th Chicage OMce ' Tower Bulldink | unfinished building for fighting any o e R Wm e | blazes that might develop in the course of construction. There were THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY.......April 14, 192’ x The Ever e edition the with the Sunday morn vered by carriers within ts per month: dajly only month: Sundays only. 20 cents Ordars mav he sent by mail or | valyes 100" Collection 15 made by | ach month standpipes, rising but that the not working There was no elevator to earry e point of the blaze, where it might have been extinguished Use progressed, it appears were in proper firemen up to Mail—Payable in Advance, Maryland and Virginia. , | by portable chemical apparatus. £3.00 1 mo im the constructor's hoisting elevator he e fire would eave 13r was denied the firemen o round r States and Canada. Jat it was possible that t $1.00 cables and s destroy the > doe: and now ion $5.00 city’s high pressure sery reach to the area of the demand As skyscrapers are rising York, it would seem to b ould be Associated Press. sively entit All news dis. \therwise © his of Member of the “The Associate there is a for its exte 1| northy all parts of New ¢ uptown as as downtown, done. ¥ be rative that this s » limitation of skyscrapers ted Arterial Highway Speed. v ed of automobiles is re In connection t d | planned str al | helght for office purposes it has been no in-| computed that require place | thents for the proposed altitude would other considerations than fire prevention and firefight with a recentl extraordinary aponsible f cture of in statisti traflic off r motor fatalities is refut < just published by the loc e, which that has taken irty-mile-an-he show the elevator crease ident 1s on Wash boulevard raffic new to N tablishment was viewed wi ac s th so lessen the renting space as to re the dan point, i 1 highwa in comy Capital margin of profits to the of i s. Fast | duce 7 excessive in With New short of an vental alarm by | York committed to the pyramid style this factor of | space would | check upon h ons ‘Their es | crease of figures. construction versus rental be an effective heights. e many who believed that it was highly dang raise the speed limit ‘The results so far, however, show that traffic has been immeasurably b fited by the change, with no increase | in accidents. Controlled speed—that is, speed | - , oy worid record of airplane en-| der proper cricumstances—is a mod- | durance has been established by Bert | ern theory of traffic control. CODEeS:| , g ang Clarence Ghamberlin, fiy- tion, caused b, great numbers of SIoW- | ;"o o1y anq around Roosevelt Field, moving vehicles and not speed, makes | W8 F KO SIOC SR sing for accidents. Washington's arterlal i, " o\, pp plane, ave aspirants for highways are broad and ideally suited | & B%PUEC Bt 0 L Koy York to| high elevator to | building us to | | seem A New World Air Record. | | erection | At the same tims they can scarcely | be expected to melem the activities of | a committee seeking for partisan pur- | poses to throw discredit on the Repub- | lican party, if it can be shown that | such is the purpose of the committee, | Up to the present time, however, the two regular Republican members of the Reed committee have gone along apparently in harmony Jority of that committee, composed of | two Democrats and one Progressive | Republican, In the A gentleman has told us something we can scarce believe—that some other gentlemen in his home com- munity are ashamed to be seen work ing in’ their gardens! So, to avoid the stigma of menial work, they hire worthy colored men to dig and tend the flowers, and cut the lawn, and water the grass Our personal belief is that the tlemen under suspicion are just laz: or are suffering from itis, and therefora are paying some one to get the benefit and fun which they ought to be getting themselv Surely, no living human being really be ashamed to be seen working in_his own home garden. Gardening in Washington the past three yvears, hys proportions of a large and healthy size. It is fashionable to garden! A man may well be proud to be caught by his neighbors in shirt sleeves, work ing to make his home grounds, and hence the community, and hence the entire city, beautiful ’ with the ma- view of the probable action of | enate when it next De- | cember, the question as to whether the | seems | | meets | | Reed committee is alive today relatively unimportant. A majority | of the Senate is expected to sustain | both the Reed committee and the Vice President. The authority of | the committee is heing considered by Federal With a new grant of authority from the Senate decision of the court, if adverse now, { would become immaterial. | Vice President Dawes his | opinion that the Reed committee still This is almost the only way the ives on a decision of the Su reme | AVErage ni on can participate in the Jids S8 ShaRD BT IDYEME | pogutiful Washington program; but Court of the United States that the | by making his own place fine, {o the Senate is a continuing and its |best of his ability, he actually be committees continue to live after the | Comes -‘."‘“‘“”i ;‘)“1‘ ,‘,"'" Fine "}”* R % a body lives, | Comuission. and the other city plan close of a Congre It a body lives, | ;hBFIEN AL its members, its creations, must live. | Certainiy, In the case of a Senate committee, un- | ashamed of. | less the resolution creating it specif | late for the complotion of | . Terhaps we should explain what we date for the completion of | RS, U0 FACW ntinues to | This is a strange ‘e Presi- | flicts many persons Senators who disagree contend | had the benefits of | country training persons, stundin no matter where born, usually and com- | somewhat afraid to take up publicly continuing authority | pursuits about which they know little after the close of a Congress. Whether | 8o we have new golfer | missing shots in lonely places, and in court of law will differentiate be- | ¥ tween a standing committee cipient tennis players practicihg and asecluded glades. Many a child, too, special committee of the Senate re.|has been deterred from health-giving mains to be seen. Both draw their exercise hecause he was clumsy, or did not possess the “knack” which authority from the Senate, as a con- tinuing body. other more fortunate children pos. present a court in Pennsylvania assumed | however, a in Decembe bases | body | | it is nothing to be * ok K K | cally set its labors, the committee ¢ [ live, in the opinion of the Vic | dent., | that only the | of s | mitte disea who small most e se that have not town or ar a ow committees the nate. not special | have a sess. Home owners, too, often are hesi tant about appearing in the public of their yards bent upon gardening— when they know they know next to nothing about gardening. They have “cityitis.” Instead of ruth ahead, and thus learning from first hand concerning the care of lawns, flowers, vegetables, they feel - It is feared that the Chinese will not succeed in fully understanding the civi- lization of the Western Hemisphere until they give less attention to mah- jong and more to base ball. s A musical extrava ssly plowing something STAR, WASHINGTON, THIS AND THAT shrinkingly | in| for higher limits. Every intersecting street is marked by a stop sign, and traflic on these streets must give way to arterial travel. The few accidents that have oc- curred on the fast-traffic streets since their inception have been due in a Iarge majority of cases to stupidity on the part of those who still do not un- | derstand the special right ot way that every motorist on a boulevard street carries with him. “Stop” at an inter- section means stop; it does not mean slow down. “Stop” means to stop and to stay stopped until the crossing can be made without interference with boule- ward traffic; it does not mean to stop and start up again to clog and harass straight-through drivers traveling on protected boulevards. That no increase in accidents has taken place even with this minority who. run past stop signs and fail ut terly to understand what it is all about is cause for congratulation, and demonstrates that if these motorists will mend their ways Washington will receive the maximum benefit of a sys- tem that is used in every section of the countr: Site Buying Begins. ‘The naming of appraisers for the condemnation of land required for the Internal Revenue Building is a definite step toward the erection of the first unit of the public structures author ized by the fifty-million-dollar appro- priation act. Only a portion of the site is to be condemned, the remainder ‘being already owned by the Govern: ment. It is hoped that this procedure will not be undufy protracted. It is @esirable from every point of view to wpeed the completion of this particu- lar building. which is to house the yow widely scattered units of the In- Rernal Revenue Bureau. The public ®usiness is greatly impeded by this ‘condition of dispersal. Other works may soon be started under the Afty-million-dollar pro- gram. Land condemnation proceed- ‘ings will be entailed in some of them. But for the failure of legislation in ithe Senate blockade in March the way would have been clear for a broader mdvance upon the great project of eftectively housing the Government's activities on a proper scale and in accordance with a harmonious plan of emplacement, This condemnation. which has just been ordered is but the first of a wmerles that will probably cover sev- eral years, as all of the lands in the Mall-Avenue triangle not now owned by the Government will be taken for bullding purposes. The acquisition ©of these areas will cause a material dislocation of business. There will be meny changes of situation. Business ‘Washington will be in a state of ftransition to an extent not heretofore known. The ultimate effect will be, however, a great improvement upon ©ld conditions and the Capital wel- ‘comes this process. ——tee— One of the joys of the merry Spring- time lies in the fact that it represents the season when a base ball pennant s regarded as anybody's. e Skyscrapers and Fire. The other night a fire occurred in the scaffolding of a skyscraper tower under construction in New York City. The blaze, which broke out in the thirty-eighth story, practically burned itself out because it was impossible for the firefighters to reach it with streams of water, owing to lack of pressure. The damage was broadly estimated at from $100,000 to $125,000. Fortunately M0 other fires were caused by the drop ping of embers, which were showered from the pillar of flame over a wide area, although some losses were suf- fered by the owners of automobiles standing in the streets, the tops of which were singed and in some cases ruined. Ot far more importance than the question of immediate damage, how- ever, is that of the future with regard Is there a Mmit of altitude beyond which it is un- safe to go on the score of fire risk? to the height of structures. These lofty constructions are fire: proof, belng built of stone, concrete and steel, with a minjmum of wood work, and that so protected as to af- . ford slight fuel for flames. Small fires t occur in these buildings high | Paris, for which a $25,000 prize has been offered. Their record-seeking is an incidental feature of their later en- deavor. Taking off at 9:30 o'clock Tuesday morning, they aimed first at the Kelly-Macready record of 36 hours, 4 minutes and 34 seconds, made in 1923, at Dayton. They then went after the svorld record of 45 hours, 11 minutes and 59 seconds, made in 1925, in France. They passed that point this morning at 6:42:39, and then con- tinued to establish the new mark of fitty hours, which it is belleved will give them a chance for the New York- fo-Paris flight, if repeated. Non-stop flying tests are valuable. They demonstrate the capacity of ma- chines and men. It is evident that if the airplane is to be a practicable commercial utility for long distances it must be developed to a point of stability and endurance adequate for protracted flying. There are two fac- tors on the mechanical side, the dura- bility of the plane and the fuel supply. In flight a plane is subjected to in- tense vibration. Parts of the appara- tus are under severe strain and are likely to wear and weaken. It has been for some years the endeavor of airplane makers to strengthen as well this latest performance that a plane has been produced which is capable of withstanding protracted continuous use for a period sufficlent to cover several thousand miles. This present test flight has been made by two men who doubtless have “spelled” one another in the control of the machine. A larger plane might carry three, reducing each man's turn at the controls, or a still larger one could carry four pilots. Here enters a new factor into the equation. As the plane is increased in size and as additional passengers are carried, its fuel demands are increased. Refuel- ing from the air is a dangerous and difficult undertaking. It has, however, been accomplished, but it is not be- lieved to be a practicable method of permitting long-range flying. Conquest of the Atlantic Ocean by airplane, already effected on shorter ranges than from New York to Paris, Is within sight. Non-stop flying from coast to coast is believed to be as- sured as the plane is perfected in strength and fuel capacity, This present test, with its attainment of the fifty-hour range, is to be viewed as a decided step toward accomplish- ment. ——— A home team claims loyal local sup- port in spite of the fact that it is largely composed of talent imported from sister States. ————— Mr. Fess Declines. Senator Simeon D. Fess of Ohio was entirely within his rights when he de- clined appointment tendered him by Vice President Dawes to the Reed slush fund committee. The Ohlo Sen- ator epposed the continuance of the Reed committes With a “roving com- mission,” as he sald in the announce- ment of his declination. ¥urthermore, AIr. Fess has in the past declared that he considered the leed committee “dead.” Holding his views of the mat- ter, the Ohio Senator felt that he would stultify himself if he consented | to become a member of the committee. | But aside from all that, Mr. Fess, like every other Senator, has the personal right to refuse appointment to a Sen- ate committee if he desires. Vice President Dawes doubtless will appoint another regular Republican to be a member of the committee to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Goff of West Virginia. Hav- ing decided that the Reed committee continues to live, notwithstanding the | | gress, the Vice Pre: buff. Members of it was created, It would be unfortunate for the Re general that they are seeking to con: with the senatorial elections of 1926, as to simplify, and it is evident from | contention advanced by some members of his party that the committee died with the close of the Sixty-ninth Con- ent is not likely to change his opinidn at the first re- the Republican party in the Senate are divided over the right of the Reed committee to continue to function after the end of ttie Sixty-ninth Congress, during which publicans if the opinion should become ceal or cover up anything in connection sanza producer goes to the penitentiary for perjury. His press agents handle the incident with no fear that misstatements will render them liable to prosecution, e Even Mr. Dawes might be inclined | to admit that Nicaragua needs new rules even than the United | States Senate. | SRS Russian statesmanship+ has not proved always rellable. But Russian showmanship has proved to be the last word in art lavishness. PSS — ommunism” is a word that has always meant governmental failure. | It is still vigorously employed by those who would rather talk than work. - e Oil inquiry continues to emphasize the impression that Albert Fall's meth- ods of securing “farm relief” were rather too hasty. S As a philosopher no less than a| financier, Henry Ford is content to be thankful that he escaped with his lite, without pursuing the reckless motor- ists who crowded him over the em- bankment. | | more e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOKNSCN, Rain and Sunshine. ‘We've got to have some trouble As through the world we go, A tear is like the raindrop That helps the flow'rs to grow. The smile’is a reflection Of skies grown bright again, A life is but the product Of the sunshine and the rain. Parental Authority. “George Washington was the Father of His Country.” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum, “but children as a rule are likely to be disobedient.” “A man who cheats,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “must spend many years of his life in seeking to avold being ridiculous, Not Counting “Plain Clothes.” How can our sympathies be warm? How can we lightly laugh, ‘With half the world in uniform To watch the other half? Art Variations. Standards change. A hip flask is often more prized than Bohemian glass. Jud Tunkins says when food goes up ih price, it’s too liable to go down in quality. Eggs. “Did you roll Easter eggs when you were a child?” “Yes,” answered Miss Cayenne. “That was at a time when every fam- | ily could afford eggs to play with.” | ‘Walkefulness. My radio! My radio! You surely keep me guessing. When for longdistance stuft I go, Insomnia seems a blessing. Genial Interview: “Why don't you take out more life fnsurance?” “I enjoy talking with the agents. As soon as you insure, they quit call- ing.” “’Rastus Pinkley done had a lucky day wif de races,” said Uncle Eben. ““He missed de train an’ didn’ git a chance to play a bunch o’ bum tips.” - Our Boundless Prosperity. From the Philadelphia Public Ledger. It is difficult to account for the in- difference or ignorance of those own- ers of Liberty bonds who have per- mitted their coupons, aggregating a value of $35,000,000, to remain un- clipped and unredeemed. Measured by the number of bondholders and by the volume of the several Liberty loans, the sum of unpaid ingerest Js mot Very great; but, as Secretary Mellon points out, this unclaimed money is probably due those persons who can least afford to leave it un- used in the United States Treasury. This is a Government debt that will not be outlawed by time. The coupons are good until cashed. In all likeli- hood, they are in the hands of indi- viduals not accustomed to invest- ments of this character and who have vet to acquire the habit of clipping coupons. The announcement from the Treasury Department should arouse the careless bondholders gto their | spade in his hands before, ashamed to display publicly their ignorance. Hence they hire George to do it. This being ashamed is not so much snobbishness —— although here and there may arise a specimen of that, too, since the world is large—gener- ally it is simply the feeling of the average person against putting self in a position to be laughed at. * ok ok Yet the work of the garden large, can be attempted by uny no matter whether he ever w man, had a it he will use what brains he has, read and at tempt to get information in other ways, and be willing to soil his hands with honest dirt. Many a man who thinks he does not care for home gardening would be surprised how the subject opens up, once he has buckled down to it. "Interest in this, as in other matters Brows as one progresses. No particular “knack” is necessary No “form” is required, as in putting An editor became famous and gained gubernatorial honors by propounding a query as to what was the matter with Kansas. Then he became a pro- fessor in a floating college, and he 13 now trying to explain that there was nothing the matter with that college— nothing, ept that “foreigners ob- jected to its American impolitenes and could not understand American customs of unchaperoned ‘coeds’ wan- dering around the world in company with youths who had never been in- troduced to their parents.” A father of a Young man who grad- uated from a Western college a short time ago complained that his boy had ¢ me home “a regular snob and that it took a year of hard knocks to cure him.” Other parents are fearful of the in- fluence of college life upon the reli- glous and patriotic ideals of their children. e There is now a meeting of a com- mittee of leading educators in session at the headquarters of the National Education Association in Washing- ton, preparing a program for next year’s session of that association, and one of its chief topics will be, “What Alls Our Colleges The first line of defense of the col- leges and universities is that they are overcrowded, but that defense is at- tacked directly by the most promi- nent members of the above-men- tioned commifkee. Dr. Frank D. Boynton, superintend- ent of schools, Ithaca, N. Y., states that the “teaching load” of many professors is less than 10 hours a week, with a “student load” of from 9.5 to 13 students per professor. Yet the colleges complain that they cannot admit all applicants, graduates of high schools, because they are “over- crowded.” So they denied admission, last September, to 15,196 applicants. Dr. Boynton states that college plants, particularly in the East, are undergoing little or no expansion. “No new colleges are being founded,” he declares, Yet American youths are demand- ing greater facilities for higher edu- cation than ever before. When this Government was founded, the av age schooling consisted of 80 day by 1840, it reached an average of 208 days; in 1870, it was 582 days; in 1890, it was 770 days, and in 1920 it averaged 1,200 days. In 1870, 20 per cent af the popula tion could not write in any language: in 1900, 10.7 per cent, and in 1920 the number was only 6 per cent. In 1890, there were in high schools only 7,813 pupils, while in 1924, there were 3,741,087. With the.yearly crop of eligible college freshmen grown tenfold, the colleges find their easiest way to meet the embarrassing overdemand for college advantages is to bar entrance by technical exami- nations, refusing to waive examina- tions of graduates from high schools whose standards are not inspected and approved by college committees, al- though all the teachers in the high schools may be college alumni. In addition, the colleges now give the applicants personal inspection to fitness, based on psychological tests. Do the students appear to have initia- tive? WII they develop control over men? Have they physique? If not, they should not seek higher education, but, like Abraham Lincoln, go back to splitting rails. “One trouble,” says Dr. Boynton, “is the lack of such types of profes- sors as Asa Gray, and the substitution of the class I call *Charlie Chaplin pro- fesors’—young men with eyeglasses and a little hirsute adornment under each nostril. “And the parents wonder at the demoralizing influences of some col- leges! Why, I could name a woman's college, where this happened: A mod- est young girl was sent there from a refined home. The professor of socal economics invited her and several members of his class to his home on Sunday afternoon, and the first thing that occurred there was he act of his wife in bringing out cigarettes and offering them to the girls, including her owa daughter, When this young him- | BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. {an alumnus. D¢ THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1927 BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. | the shot or throwing the hammer ov | running the In the garden all there is to do is get the work | done, and one may do skillfully or clumsily, it makes particular | difference. Let a gardener but try | will come, sooner or later. of the soil and the study of the grow- ing things will show him, if he really no the “‘knack - |applies himself to it, that beds must | be made properly, else the roots will have a hard time of it The necessity for cultivation »per watering, when needed, use of fertilizers, and even tion of crops, in a small way—these re some of the garden factors with which the amateur gardener becomes | acquainte I'his acquaintance is made by | gentlest possible. There is teacher -ound ready to | praise or blame. Only t plants themselves tell a gardener wheth is on the right track or not. If they flourish he may be pre sure that his methods are good. leay s vellow, and flowers poor, he may be reasonably certain that he is doing something wrong, perhaps ing to do something that is vital hen comes a study of methods, the h of information and a profit what one finds, It is amazing how many person: | (zardeners and others) there are who | will seek Information, then deliberate |1y not use it |~ This seems to be a trait of human | nature. Some persons resent authority to such a degree that the most inno -ent advice, even in gardening, is not ollowed simply because it is advice! If an article on a certain flower says not to water it m such a reader will immediately begin to water it. 1 | a friend advises euitivation of the soil, the resentful one will see no use in tice. And so on *iox The writer of this column is con | tinually getting letters in which some statement the following is | and nd T the rota is steps in the | ing by |c e | such a pra is such as made “I know very little about cats and nothing at all about gladioli, or gladi- oluses, as you choose, but I enjoy everything you write, especially when it is about ‘books.” We wish we possessed suasive power to induce all such ns to make a first attempt at dening, if they are so situated | sueh activity is at all possible. Especialily would we urge those who love books to take up the culture of flowers, for flowers are the glowing love stories of Nature. Here, in a single bloam, one secures the complete story, told in a clean beautiful way. Flowers are bright pic- | tures, the illuminated initials, it were, of the mystery of the rocks and the secret of the eternal hills, Out of a tiny seed comes color, and from a queer brown bulb (the gladiolus sorm) a complete colorful fabric com bining the qualities of silk with stained glass, and more beautiful than either. (See Burbank's Elora unfold.) The glory of the roses is another chapter, or, better, a whole library in itself, from which one may pluck vol s the spirit moves him 10se who love books have imagina Not for them is there any need spur to the mind does it s they create | a flower gar- | | the per- per gar- that tion. of artificial creations, as imagination—their own for them. Out of bo living pictures—out of den, too. girl protested, the professor’s wife and daughter laughed at her.” An interview two years ago, between President Lowell of Harvard and Bertrand Russell, the English radical, brought this significant defense of American colleges by Dr. Lowell: “You speak as if there were more freedom in English universities than here. That seems to me a misappre- hension. At Oxford, not long ago, a students’ publication, the New O3 ford, was suppressed on account of remarks it contained. Nothing of the kind has, I believe, occurred here within the memory of man. During the war, you lost your fellowship on account’ of your opinions. No suck thing happened at Harvard. Through out the war we kept a German sub- ject on our instructing staff. In spite of outcries for their dismissal from alumni and_ofhers, Profs. Munster- berg and Mr. Laski were unflinch- ingly maintained in their positions. Throughout all trials, Harvard ha stood and will stand for academic treedom.” Did German professors who allies? colleges retain any had come from the WK Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler of Co- lumbia University takes thesamestand on “academic freedom” and he refused to reprimand a professor of history who shone in newspaper news, re- cently, by publicly ridiculing _the American flag and the Liberty Bell. President David Barrows of the University of California has this to say concerning the immunity of col- lege professors: “This is undoubtedly the most crucial point of our in- quiry: Is a professor in a university, and above all a State university, to be permitted to express himself with- out restraint? I am not sure that I represent the unanimous academic view, but as a practical answer, I would say, once he is called a professor. The early grades of academic advancement are necessarily probationary, but once the professional status S conferred the scholar cannot there after successfully be laid under re- straint. * * * An appointment to a professorship with us is for life. I do not say that disloyalty to coun- try or grossly immoral conduct are not reasons for summary removal, but, these considerations apart, a pro- fessorial appointment is practically a {permanent engagement.” “So, a professor is under no re- straint of public opinion, such as hampers statesmen in office; he is in the class of the Supreme Court jus- tices. The parent be —!” suggests In some cities that sacred im- munity to public censorship covers |lower ranks than full professorships, even down to teachers in secondary schools, but college standards do not sanction such imbers” in full pro- fessorial functioning. High school “professors” are still “on probation,” according to President Barrows, but not real “professors.” ® Kok K Now comes the Teachers' College of Columbia University, making a scientific research of the curricula of primary and secondary schools. They find that 14,000 different courses of study used in the schools fail to meet college standards. So the worm turns. They find that the grammars used point out 335 major grammatical mis- takes, which the pupils must learn to avoid, whereas the colleges know of only 9 such mistakes. (What's the matter with colleges’ grammar, peut etre?) The college critics say that if they should include 13 more errors, which are not so common, that would make 72 per cent of all possible mistakes—and a college president split his infinitive in the discussion! Also the spelling books contain many thousands of long words, while any one who can spell 1,000 simple words covers his usual vocabu- lary (?). The rest are easily found, when needed, in a_dictionary Dr. James E. Russell, director of the Teachers’ College, says: “The re- The feel | Star Editorial Recalls Brett’s View of Social the Editor of The Star: The editorlal in The Star comment- ing on Lincoln Steffens’ own confes- sion that what he believed up until after a visit to Italy and Russia is “the bunk"” calls to mind what modern -English essayist said about the Socialist political party Oliver Brett, in his work “A Defense of Liberty” (19 that a Socialist is a “primit servative’—that is, the Soc i3 anything but a radical: on e con- trary, is a_most reactionary conserv tive, who believes in a “static state.” In other words, a Socialist is, de. structive and not constructive in a social factor. The Socialist, according to Brett—and he takes Karl Marx as the outstanding Socialist—wouldgerap |all the progress that civilization has made, and would di e the mere ma terial things of life among the washed and unwashed in equal proportion, d then put a prohibition on advance ment. Thus, in the words of the top ergeant, his order would be “as you were” forever and a day. Brett quotes Lord Acton: “The end of government is liberty, not &appi- ness, or prosperity, or power, or the adaptation of national law to national character, or enlightenment, or the promotion -of virtue; the end of gc ernment is that the private individual hould not feel the pressure of pub- ic authority, and should direct his life by the influences that are within him, not around him.” And then him- celf draws this conclusion: “The prob- |lem of statecraft is how to combine | security with absolute freedom. In |our days there is a compromise by | which we obtain to a certain extent | both security and freedom. without | completely obtaining either.” Somewhere else in the observes, in the same It has been said that ship is the utilization Hence it y b Steffens, once h theories, that he took hook, line and sifiker m Karl Marx, in operation, realizes, and frankly con- fesses, that the “primitive conserva- tism” of the government of Lenin in Russia is the most cruelly tyran- nical government on the face of the earth today: that instead of giving treedom to'the individual, it makes a state slave of him; that instead of promoting prosperity in proportion to the individual's capacity and ambition to labor, it compels him to labor for the state to perpetuate a state that is operated by a self-selected ring: that instead of being governed by a hereditary monarch or a limited con tutfonal government, he is gov- erned by a self-perpetuating body of irresponsible men of questionable abil ity and honesty. “Socialism is based,” “on_compulsion,” and it pulsion of Socialism that Steffens must have seen in his travels in Europe which has caused him to con- fess that “Socialism is the bunk.” Most of us heretofore have accepted the definition that a Socialist is a pro gressive radical. Brett in his essay defines the Socialist as a destructive conservative. Brett's definition is the more illuminating. He gives us in a few words the picture of a simon-pure reactionary. Steffans only confirms what Breit s when he acknowl- edges that most of his old ideas are “bunk.” iROVER W. AYERS. = ) Cites Mission Gains In China Last Year To the Editor of The Star: At a time when many good people are thinking that all the Christian missionary work in China is going to smash, it is worth while to call atten- tion to some figures which have just reached me from Shanghai. They summarize the work in the Episcopal Missionary District of Shanghai for the year 1926 under the administration of Bishop Frederick Rogers Graves, and show that the church there went decidedly ahead in that year. For {llustration, at the close of 1926, there were a total of 6,981 baptized Christians in the Shanghai district as compared with 6,846 in 1925, and 3,884 communicants as compared with 3,627 at the close of the preceding year. In 1926 there were 28,057 services con- ducted throughout the district as com- pared with 27,888 in 1925. In the mat- ter of schools there were 24 day schools for boys and 17 for girls in operation in 1926, as against 22 and 16 in 1925, with 130 teachers and 2,180 pupils in 1926, as gainst 123 teachers ind 2,098 pupils in the preceding year. Similar increase of growth was shown in boarding schools. As to Sunday schools, there was an increase of 10 in 1926, with a proportionate increase of pupils attending. In the matter of native contributions for the support of the Christian Church in the district, the total for 1926 was $27,636.26, for 1925, $24,078.28, and for 1924, $22,075.34, Mexican. It seems to me that such facts as these ought to he sheet anchors for the faith of people who foresee the end of all missionary work in China. JOHN W. WOOD, Executive Secretary, Department of Missions, Episcopal Church. - Denies Table Was One Used by Grant and Lee To the Editor of The Star: The table alleged in your issue of Sunday, April 10, to be the one on which Grant and Lee signed the terms of surrender at AppomattoX cannot possibly be authenticated. Gen. Horace Porter, witness of the scene, has given the whole subject, in his “Cam- paigning With Grant” (1897), final and authoritative treatment. There were two tables in the room of the McLean house where the articles were written and signed. On the smaller one, an oval wooden table, Grant wrote out the preliminary draft of the terms. Hé then passed the paper to Lee, who suggested certain minor changes, and on Grant's acceptance of them a new draft was written on the same table by Col. Ely Parker. Lee, sitting at a square, marble-topped, single-legged table and facing Grant, then signed the amended draft. Por- ter gives pictures of both tables. Neither table bears any likeness to the one photographed for your article. The disposal of both tables is fully accounted for. When Grant and Lee left the room the other officers be- gan to bargain for the furniture. Sheridan paid McLean $20 in gold for the. small table, gave it to Custer and told him to take it to his wife. Custer picked it up, placed it on his shoulder, walked out, mounted his horse and galloped off to camp. For the other table Ord paid $40 and subsequently presented it to Mrs. Grant, who de. clined it in favor of Mrs. Ord. W. J. GHENT. ———— Visible Assets. From the Albany Evening News. Statistics say that $411,366,000 worth of hosiery is worn in this coun- try and n see at least $400,- 000,000 w i entitled 1), says list | essay he connection, statesma of history. belicved that ving his m seen " says Brett, is this com- pedagogical counterpart of traffic con- trol of our highways, in these days of automobile congestion. Neither prob- lem would have been presented if the world had stood still these past 30_years.” Why not substitute a “Stop-Go" text book, and let it go at that, instead of Latin and psychology, anthropology and other highbrow stuff which does not get one anywhere in practical progress through life? Besides, there might he found some very experi- enced traffic professors looking for high positions in colleges, well quali- fied in “Stop-Go” exegeses, and in far closer touch with amateur collegiate one | BY FREDERI Q. To whom did Andrew Carnegie leave annuities”—E. M. A. He left annuities as follows: Willlam H. Taft, $10,000; Viscount Morley, $10,000; Hon. John Burns, $5,000; Mrs, Preston, widow of Grover Cleveland, $5 Mrs. Theedore Roosevelt, 83, David Lloyd George, $10,000 omas Burt, M. P. $5,000; John Wilson, M. P. 000 Walter Damrosch, $ Q. Should pleating be put in across the material or with the weave?— 1 A K. | A. The selvage of the goods should always run with the plaits, otherwise they will not stay well. Q. When did the expri ion the marines” originate? A. It is traced to Samuel secretary of the British admiralty. He said it originated with Charles 11, A returned traveler told his majesty he | had seen fiying fish. The King was | skeptical and, turning to the colonel of a maritime regiment, asked him what he would say. “I should say, air” returned the sea soldier simply “that the man hath safled in Southern seas. For when your majesty’s busi ness carried me thither of late 1 did trequently observe more fiying fish 1a one hour than the hairs T head in number.” Ild Rowley glanc narrowly at the colone frank, weather-beaten face. Then with a taugh he turned to the secretary and said: “Mr. Pepys, from the very na- ture of their calling, no class of our subjects can have so wide a knowl- | edge of seas and lands as the officers and men of our royal m: nent. Henceforth, when loubt upon a tale that lacketh likel hood we will tell it to the marines | they believe it, it is safe | true Q United States patent c own language?—A. S A “Tell it . Pepy: to time we regi if to say i he use his [ for ‘a Unitea States patent all data guage. | Q. How long will champagne keep? —C. B A. Champagne, when well made and properly stored in cool cellars, will re- tain its good qualities from 10 to 20 | years. Q. What musical instruments did the Indians use’—C. E. B. A. The Indians had various drums; v flute, with a scale of seven notes a whistle, with a scale of five notes, and a rattle, made of dry gourds, loaded with sand or pebbles. Q. Are there any ships going through the Panama Canal that do not pay toll?—0. J. C A. Public vessels of the United States, Panama and Colombia and ves- sels sent through the Panama Canal solely for repair at the Balboa shops are exempt from payment of tolls, Q. When will the Mexican Claims Commission meet?—A A._It is now sitting in Washington on Mondays, Wednesda and Fri- da; It may be addressed at the Investment Building, Washington, D.C. . Q.FHO\\ were Indian tribes formed?— A. Indian tribes were formed origi- nally as family units—that is, the members of a certain family banded themselves, maintaining certain cus- toms of life and religion. Various factors afterward caused the tribes to expand. Q. Is there a law against a Presi- dent taking the oath of office on Sun- day?—A. T. A. There is not. President Wilson was the last President to do so. Q. What is the largest lump of gold ever found?—J. W. A. The largest gold nugget in the world is the Welcome nugget, from Australia, This was found in Bakery Hill, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, June 11, 1858, at a depth of 180 feet. It weighs 2,195 troy ounces and is probably one of the purest and largest masses of gold ever recorded. It is approximately 99 per cent. Ome of the largest masses of gold (by some called nugget) in California was found in 1860 in the Monumental mine, in the Buttes of Sierra County, Calif. It welghs 1,596 troy ounces and has an approximate value of $29,000. Q. Was {t the Constitution or the Constellation that was exhibited in Philadelphia?—D. P. A. The Consteilation was the frigate exhibited at the Sesquicentennial In- When a foreigner applies for a | When an application is made | must be submitted in the English lan- | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS C J. HASKIN. ternational Philadel- phia. Q. When was the floating of an entire airship under a parachute first ilrl'd"f W. E. 8, | A. The idea of floating an_entire airplane beneath a giant parachute is not mnew. The French attempted | work g similar lines during the war, but it has been given up because of the problem of installation. The | same problem puzzled others in this | country, and many rather unsuccess ful attempts were discarded as impos- sible until Harry Doucett in San Diego, Calif, in August, 1926, made a successful descent in a parachute his own invention Exposition at { | = | Q. What {s the difference between |a boulevard highway and an arterial highway ?—J. H. A. As the terms are usually used |a boulevard highway is a pr | street in the do town section. | arterial highway is a main feeder of | traffic in the outlying districts. The same street might have both designa tions, one downtown and one in the suRurbs. Q. What will restore the color of a bric that has had an spilled on {t’—M. 8 A. Whe cranges sh acid, the orc estored by an amm | tha color of a fabric de when treated with a nary color may often ba a weak alkall, such a solution or ammonia l | | was produced firet con Q. When the Boheme' first It was 1896. The ni. died mber 29 opera SE sung in Turin « I Q. What languages are in the foreign department York bank?—W. C. P A. For any individual business con | cern the value of any language would depend a great deal, of course, upon the countries with which it does most of its business, One bank informs us that approximately 45 per cent of its translation is from French, around 25 per cent from German and abont 25 per cent from Spanish, the remain ing languages being seldom repre sented. Q. How terstate A. Oviginally there were but members of the Interstate Commer Commission. _ In 1906 this was in- creased to 7. In 1907 it was in creeased to 9 and in 1920 11 mem bers were appointed Q. In ski-jumping contests does one lose points if the jump ends in a fall? —D.R. M A. Several things are considered grace, position n mmping, distance jumped and skill in avoiding falls. Q many m Commerce ers has the 1y Commission ?—D. 5 a | | —_— Are there more suicides or mur- | ders? M A. The suicide rate is considerabiy higher than the homicide rate. Q. What kind of wood should be used in making trellises?—E. M. A. The wood should be cypre: white pine, cedar or some other kind that is durable when exposed to the weather. White or green oil paint may be used on them Q. What does the slang term, quarter horse,” mean ) A. A “quarter hc is a term ap- plied to an individual who can make spectacular records but cannot be re- lied upon for a good, steady pace in his undertakings. The term was originally used on the race course, meaning a horse in a race which was capable of terrific speed for a short distance, such as one-quarter of a mile, and which ended the other three- quarters of the mile at greatly re- duced speed. a Any reader can get the answer to any question by writing The Eve- ning Star Information Bureau, Fred- eric J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. €. This offer applies strictly to information. The bureaw cannot give advice on legal, medical and financial matters. It does mot at- tempt to settle domestic troubles, nor wundertake + exhaustive research on any subject. Write your question plainly and briefly. Give full mame and address and inclose 2 cents in stamps for return postage. The re- ply is sent direct to the inquirer. Ad- dress The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. v A prominent niche in the American Hall of Fame is given by the press to Perry S. Heath, Indiana newspaper man and politician, who as Assistant Postmaster General under McKinley fathered the present-day rural free de- dvery system. Mr. Heath's recent death at Washington reminded the Na- tion of his services and was the occa- sion for reviews of his tremendous contribution to the country’s develop- ment. Recording that Mr. Heath possessed “a high degree of energy and intelli- gence,” the Indianapolis News, of his native State, continues: “The present generation can hardly be expected to know the extent of Mr. Heath’s influ- ence, both in State and Nation, but those whose memories run back to the days of Presidents McKinley and Har- rison know how great that influence was. The man was a power for many years and one of the leading Republi- cans of the State and even of the Nation.” ~The Atlanta Constitution says that his death “carries genuine sorrow into the mewspaper offices of the entire Nation” and that “he was nationally known as a practical news- paper man."” The Indianapolis Star recalls that Mr. Heath “declined President Hari son’s appointment as provisional gov ernor of South Dakota admission of that Territory into the Union,” and that “he was made Assist- ant Postmaster General by President McKinley, and it was in that office that he rendered a great public service through his efforts in establishing the rural free delivery service—an achieve- ment for which he is given chief credit.”” The Lincoln State Journal feels that “Mr. Heath's idea of the rural mail delivery has done as much toward making farm life agreeable as the radio and telephone have since.” * Ok ok * To the Watertown Daily Times his “experimental delivery of mail to the rural sections was the beginning of the greatest advance in postal distribution in history,” and the Lansing State Journal says, “We nominate the like- ness of Perry S. Heath, newspaper man, politician of the right sort and postal leader, to be placed on a stamp of the Postal Department and- kept there.” Viewing him as one of a mul- titude of Government employes, the Decatur Herald holds that “few as greatly deserve the grateful memory of the country.” “The R. F. D.,” it is pointed out by the Omaha World-Herald, “has un- doubtedly been a great factor indirect- ly in development of the good roads movement. Long before it was brought home to motorists that they needed roads if they were ever to get anywhere in the new vehicle, the rural letter carrier was voicing his com- plaint about the fearful conditions of pending the | Perry S. Heath Given Prominent Niche in Hall of Fame by Press this father had of the child which he was permitted to see grow into robust maturity.” “How many residents along the country’s 45,000 rural free delivery routes, some of them in remote moun- tain districts,” asks the Pittsburgh Sun, “know to whom they are indebt- ed for the daily visit of the mail car- rier? Where the idea originated is not certain: but it Was to the energy and ability of Perry S. Heath that its suc- cess was due. * * * The farmer was brought more into touch with the world. For the first time he had his paper delivered daily at his door. His wife could do her shopping by mail. It was the beginning of a long line of improvements that changed the lives of millions of rural residents. Mr. Heath did many other things—estab- lished several newspapers, helped frame the constitutions of the two Da- kotas and served as secretary of the Republican national committee. His career was almost as versatile as that of another man connected with the Postal Service, Benjamin Franklin, but he never helped the people more than when he put the rural free deliv- ery system on its legs."” “He was one of the most lovable men that ever lived,” remarks the Lima Star, “and one of the most bril- liant. He was Mark Hanna's right- hand man for many years. He was one of the intellectuals of the Repub- lican party in the old days.” The Springfield Republican places him as “‘an important factor in both the Mec- Kinley campaign of 1896 and the McKinley administration.” UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR Ten Years Ago Today APRIL 14, 1917, House of Representatives passes 7,000,000,000 war loan without single dissenting vote * * Includes three billions to be lent allies for war purposes * * George Creel chosen to head committee on public information, combining the two func- tions of censorship and publicity * * * Navy sets mark of 100,000 men enlisted by May 1 * * ¢ Home Defense Leagues for men over 45 begin to organize all over country ® ¢ ¢ Great rush to marriage: license bureaus throughout country * * +« Men resent implication they may be trying to escape the draft . * President begins formulation of definite program for big war con- ferences in Washington with Great Britain and France to discuss broad the highways. The digging him out of the mud is no small element of benefit chauffeurs than, for instance, are the Princeto professors. That's vision of school curgiculum (should he not have used thédplural?) is the what's the mafer with Kolleges. (Covyright. by Paul V. Collins.) to the publio_at large derived from improved roads.” The World-Herald feels that “iffver a father had reason to be proud one of his offspring, questions of policy * * * Secre- tary Danlels bars acceptance of re- wards by officers and men in Navy for destruction of German submarines. offered by private citizens, on ground that money award is unpatriotic.