Evening Star Newspaper, May 19, 1927, Page 8

{THE EVENING STAR With _Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY . .May 19, 1027 THEODORE W. NOYES Editor —— The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Ofce: 11th St and Pennavivania Ave New York Office: E. Chicago Office European Offic ngland The Evening St ing edition. s de! fhe city at 60 45 cents ver m B montny O - telephone Main Carrier at end of each th the Sunday morn ¢ carriers within r month: dajle only ndavs onle. 20 cents ent by mail or ion is made by th nth: s ‘may_he Rate by Mail—F hle in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. L1vr $000:1 mo. 1 ve. 36,00 1 mo. 1vr 8300010 tates and Can: Tyr. S12.00 2 800 Sindas only 1yr. $4.00 Member of the Associated Press. The Assoct usively entit] o the use for repul atches credited 1o it ted 1n this pav I8 ex | wror tween street were exemp gmended code, ke and cle s within the meanir » far nothir affic office t ance the part I the general traffic brin; on « avenue is a case m‘ point of the dm"uwufi conditions re- from the attitude adopted by ction companies and the Public on. This wide street al highway without a right of way at six important intersections. At tl due to lack of | | stop sig obedience to the v tersact to that of ridiculou: Motorists given to und get on a boulev way they have a special right of way over traffic approaching on either the right or tie left, and that this traf- fic must come to a complete stop be- fore entering such a highway. It has béen a most difficult task to impress upon crossing traffic the necessity for strict obedience, and even now there afe many cases of infraction. But conditions on Rhode Island avenue make a laughing stock of the entire arterial system in Washington, and if they are not remedied the whole plan might as well be thrown overboard. Washington can no longer tolerate this “hit or miss” scheme for its high- speed streets. Congress has passed a law that street cars are to be con- sidered as vehicles, and that they are 1@ abide by the regulations as laid down for the control of all street traf- fle. Stop signs should be immediately installed at the six track intersections on Rhole Island avenue, and at any other point in the city where traction lines cross a similar artery. Every motorman who fails to stop his car in accordance with the rules should be arrested and given the same treatment as the motorist. It is time to end this foolishness, and without fear or favor the new director -should take hold of the job and bring about this most de- sirable and necessary reform. 3 i lack of | the street cars, i | siven equal rights | and ions by traflic arterial ti . This is and dangerous condition. the city over lm(rn’ and that if they once | have MERIIESE T RO Trachoma Cause Discovered. Isolation of the germ that causes trachoma, a disease of the eye that has heretofore baffled bacteriologists, is announced by Dr. Hideyo Noguchi of the Rockefeller Institute for Med- ical Research. He has been engaged upon the research for seven years, carefully proceeding in his laberatory experiments and tests, checking re sults, working back and forth with cultures, until he has determined that | a certain specific micro-organism is the cause. Thus does another dread affliction of humanity come within the scope of cure and prevention. The cure itself has not vet been determined, but as Secretary Work, himself a ph of high skill, declared upon the concl sion of Dr. Noguchi's brief report last | night before the American Medical Association, the discovery of the cause is the first move toward the correc- tion. T of the High especiall stroyed ciency, 1t afi cially laws are medical ex. mmigration ports trachoma is partic ularly so and upon di rated use for exclusion. Very many would-be immigrants have been turned ¥ on this ground. Now for the curative remedy and treatment. at not to be doubted. toward rc has been taken in Dr. djscovery. ¥ y devoted study will doubtless ven to the search for the cure soon will come 1t ment that tra choma has conquered. homa has given the phy: world a heart-rending battle. infectious, spreading rapidly, mong the young, it has de- lessened human effi- brought incalculable distress. s the people of all lands, espe ans vision, In little understood. The longest step ps very As a Fi of be ers himself | a man who c than his party. g ra o | ment | lic |in the Pa ‘umlzod the world by iThe Brookland | from the Brookland starting point by | la | order to furnish the required headw: | are put into effect to consider whether hose places where sanitary | the | rinations conducted at the | covery it is | it will be found is| from this dread affliction | Noguchi's great | tion to stop the Bellanca flight with- out him. Although it is unfortunate that this latest dissension has developed, it is not wholly surprising in view of the circumstances, The Atlantic flight is ticklish business. It means the risk- ing of life. In spite of this fact there seems to be a universal desire among aviators to make the trip. But—and this is where the question of tempera- ment enters into the proposition— every man has his own ideas on the way he is going to do things when he has his own salvation to consider. It | is small wonder, therefore, that nerves |are stretched taut and dissension | | erops up when plans for such a haz- |ardous undertaking are considered. i that the public knows about this atest affair is that Bertaud beJieved that the flyers should reccive all the remuneration if they were successful; that their wives should be protected case of disaster, and that the avia- should free to do as they pleased upon the completion: of the | and not be d to remain | 7 the employ of Levine. And there | was also the question of whether or | not a radio set should be taken along Wk 1 of requests would seem to be r ally com- from a man who was risking his | apparently something clse s | g of which the public an s | nothing, because it is inconceivable | \at such minor differences would not | o speedily ghtened out between a backer and his pilot. Whatever the result of the contro- | and incidentally it might bhe red at this point that the pub- little which way it is parations are rapidly | for the other ndel « arles Lind- called “the flyin' in readiness to take off on his flight comp these asonable, espec life, is versy, cares ot | | pr | )n ad s race. h, affectionafel. | in the school, THE EVENING STAR, that otherwise would have been sacri- ficed to his murderous scheme. Per- haps he was in too great haste in making his wire connections, or may- be the explosion disarranged some of the connections and left part of the heavy charge intact. It does not yet appear to have been disclosed where and how the man got such a large quantity of dynamite without drawing attention to himself. He must have been plotting this crime for some time, accumulating his dead- 1y materials. The maniacal criminal is fty and shrewd and therefore more ngerous than the sane law- breaker. Had this wretched wreak his vengeance upon.those re- for the imposition of the taxes of which he complained there would be little cause for wonder. But he aimed his blow at the innocent children and their teachers. As a re- sult of his diabolism at least forty- one are dead, thirty-six of them pupils and five others, includ- ing the murderer himself, who fired a rifle into a box of dynamite in the tonneau of his motor car and exploded it, killing three others. The man with a ing into a sense of persecution, i dangerous person. The delusion t others are in conspiracy against’him may become acute This man sought to sponsible grievance, mania is | recognized and menacing forms of in | man at Bath furnishes a terrifyi ample of the pernicious effect of brood- ing upon wrongs, real or fancied. ot A woman condemned to the electric chair gives out information as to how she sleeps. what she eats and what she thinks about things in general Vague doubt a as to whether s a pathetic ‘rifice to Justice or the clle of the ball.” mann lnn(v journey the minute the weather clears, and Comdr. Richard Byrd, who flying over the | North Pole, is likewise ready to start. An interested public prefers deeds to | beginning of a history-making flight. i = Sea | Stub-End Street Car Terminals. | Recently the Public Utllities Cora- mission announced certain changes in | | the routes of local street car lines.| e | ca now running | S | way of G street to an Eleventh street | terminus, are to proceed by way of G and Fourteenth streets to the wharves, replacing in the latter por- tion of the route the Le Droit Park cars, which are to end their in-town run at Fifteenth and G streets. The Anacostia cars are to replace the Brookland cars on the Eleventh street run. These changes are doubtless justi- fied by the traffic conditions and re- quirements. But in one respect they are subject to question. Is it good policy to add to the number of cars using street-end terminals? The con- ditions at the corner of Fifteenth and G streets are already difficult, with tha City and Suburban cars ending their voute there. It has been heretofore proposed to remedy this situation by establishing a loop, perhaps at Four- teenth street, in order to prevent thc accumulation of cars on the block between Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets on G, especially in the rush hours, when numerous cars must be assembled at the terminal point in to care for the traffic. With the Le Droit Park cars added to those already using this block-long stub of track the situation will become even more difficult. A stubend terminal in the heart of the city is far from desirable. Only a short time ago a two-ine terminal existed in New York avenue, at Fif- teenth street, where the cars of both the Columbia and the Baltimorc- Annapolis lines made their starts for the eastward runs. The congestion was serious and had to be relieved by the establishment of an independent terminal for the Baltimore-Annapolis cars a few blocks to the east, taking the standing cars off the street. It would seem to be going backward now to add to the number of standing and switching cars in this busiest of sec- tions, where the ordinary traffic is at all times heavy and the use of the street for switching puts a serious burden upon the capacity of the high- way. The stub-end terminal in the heart of the city is a poor arrangement at best. It should be regarded as a makeshift, to be remedied whenever practicable, and there is consequently cause for surprise that the commis sion has, in the rerouting of the lines just decided upon, moved to increase the congestion instead of lessening it. Time remains before the new routes a better arrangement cannot be made |t will give the desired flexibility of service without adding to the street blocking and the danger involved in mid-city stub terminals. — e “Woodman, Spare That Tre should be included in song progr in view of the disastrous flood results now in evidence from deforestation. ———- | A Madman’s Awful Deed. A tragedy, the like of which never before been known in even this | land of widely varied misfortunes and crimes, has desolated the little town {of Bath, Mich, and stunned country. A man who, it is believed, had been unbalanced by his troubles plotted a horrible revenge upon the | town for what he conceived to be an | injustice in the matter of taxatio | He was treasurer of the school bo; | of the district, and had been regarde sound citizen. Concluding t| tax levy was too high, and dis tressed by financial difficulties, he | brooded over the matter until f | reached the point of mania. Nobod has rd The Paris Flight Squabble Strof miniscent of the E Berry « Sikorsk present sq taud and Charles backer the Wright B York-Paris hop. Capt. Berry, it will be recalled, wanted to 2o h Fonck, much publicity cussion. Ber flight, Loy is the 4 Ber- ne, v iven to the dis- 1d, appointed co-pilot for the pending trip, has had a definite | building a veritable inferna split with Levine over certain phases of the flight, and, to prevent his oust- _Ang. has secured a temporary injunc- the | et and | will ever know the processes of | thought by which he reached his de- | termination to destroy the school- house. It is idle to speculate upon | such a matter, for the vagaries of the | | insane are beyond understanding. It is evident that the man worked | in secret for some time in order to | the explosives and the electric wir in th ement of the school. He had some skill in such matters { employed it to the end of making the machine. Yet by good fortune part of the dyna- the | .| en. ay | and he | is preparing to show in poverty that has resulted from the war. The successful nego- tiations conducted by the former Kaiser will prevent a showing of him Germany films the | words, and is anxiously awaiting the w,.s a pathetic close-up. ———— o farmers are inclined to responsible for excessive A more less scientific is no relief in a practical Western hold radio | rainfall. | theory emergency. — e ‘When the price of gas goes down | motorist is justified in wondering how much it will go up later on in order to recover tempo rary fice of profit. ——— When President Coolidge takes a vacation, an admiring Nation is pre- pared to offer him fishing inducements ranging anywhere from trout to tar. pon. little the Chinese have proved efficient laun- dry men here, but have a big order on hand in an effort to clean up in their own government. et One of the outstanding disclosures of archeology is the fact that ancient Egyptian kings were inordinately fond of jewelry. N SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Outdoor Sport. Don't want kickerbockers, Nor stockings gayly wrought, Hanging in the lockers Where merry golf is sought. Clouds are thickly drifting, A message moist to tell. Until they are lifting, Gimme my umbrell. Take away the sweater Of Navajo design. A bathing suit is better As showers fierce combine. The climate is unsparing, In patience I must dwell. For fashion I'm not caring, Just gimme my umbrell. 1 do not ask a driver, Nor yet a putter neat, To serve as a contriver To bring a joy complete. Behold! The Weather Bureau Fond hopes must now dispel. Rain is due for sure—oh, Gimme my umbrell! In Favor of It. is your opinion of evolu- t's a good thing,” answered Sena- tor Sorghum. “It enables people to indulge the inclination to hold debates without calling up the really serious matter of congressional appropria- tions.” No Equal Division. A Communist met With a grim Soviet. They talked about things economic. Some poker they played. Each of loss was afraid— Which seemed just a little bit comic. Jud Tunkins says you've got to ad- mit that size doesn’t always count; especially when an influenza germ goes after a prizefighter. Delicate Question. “What time is it?" “What are you trying to do,” in. quired the irritable citizen, “start an argument about daylight saving?” Barkers, “You like dogs?” “Yes,” answered Miss Cayenne. “They are conversationally restful. When they bark, you know they are not trying to sell you something.” “We worship our ancestors,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “and feebly hope that they who come after {us will do the me."” | “Dar aint nigh de money spent in | politics dat dar once was,” said Uncle “A good politician knows how | to make a handshake and a pleasant smile do de real work.” v | Knows His Jefferson Thoroughly From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Ritchie describes himself as a po- litical fundamentalist, meaning that ‘)I(Bl knows his Jefferson from kiver to i | | Foresees Famine for Moths. From the New York Herald-Tribune, Moths eat only all-wool clothing. A 1ot of them must be going hungry. bt The Poor Weather Man. From the Baltimore Sun. mite that he had planted failed to ex- plode, and thus some lives were spared The French oughtn't to wdgte any time getting mad over the ther, Leave it to the Weather Bureau, St ey develop- | she | It is always pleasant when one finds custom following in his steps, instead of the other way around, as is generally the case. The writer of this column believes in minding his own business and allowing other persons to mind theirs, but has discovered that many persons operate on just the bpposite theor: Time has brought to pass and & fashionable four actions which he has indulged in for vears. During those vears he was called ‘“eccentric,” at practices, as any one| from reading the papers and s, are the fashion of the| They are } Wearing a vest during the Sum- | Now, can see mag; hour. 1 me! WASHINGTON, the mildest. | Jus Going without a hat. Having curtains up all over house during Summer. 4. Indulging in bright-colored fur- niture and hangings. An innocent-enough list, | only the pioneer knows what sneers, | | cov and otherwise, one had to face. | In other words, doing as one pleased, | even in the most innocent matters, | was frowned upon. Be one ith the| herd, or suffer our scorn! That was— | and unfortunately is—the attitude of most persons. Dare to have vour own ideas things—even if they |and we will 1z the | surely—but | about are good ideas— h at you! * % P Take the matter |in Summer. 1 this business about hot is partly in the granting that ‘it is hot, such piece of material as a vest | make one much the hotter. The traditional costume for a tleman is coat nd vest vest an essen part of the ap- rel After one worn it for| | months there is no| | particular reason for dis other four, Light-weight suits might Jju well have had vests for vea this year is the first to our knowledge in which they have commonly been of fered in the general marts | We have been long-suffering in this matter. “Whew, you look hot!" some office mate has remons ed, as we breezed in wearing a nice warm vest. | A peculiarity of ours is to wear Win its all Summer long. L matter of fact, we found the vest did not add anything to the heat how could one have been any hotter | So we insisted on the divine ri-ht of wearing a vest, if we chose, and we did choose nd this Summer we ar vindicated, for all the advertisements are featuring t ee-piece suits, * of wearing a vest heing mind. ~ And| small cannot gen- ! Th: is | | * | As for going without a hat, we have indulged in that for s0 many that we hate to acknowledge them. The hat, in Spring and Summer, seems to be superfluous. But a decade ago a man who dared to go without it in Washington, even in Summer, was look d upon as entirely cuckoo. To go without a hat was to sub- ject one's self to the ribald laughter of the merry wights along F street They were not so merry then as they are now, but the man without a hat was something to be laughed at. it “Fire or water, which is the more | destructive?” In some such language | school debates are often framed. To- world may contemplate a nstration. in the M that cen- in not catastrophes no. It matters separate the the great contrast; time is not of essence of this question, but the mightiness of the elements is all that counts. Dictator Mussolini promi that he will recall to Rome all its “glory’ of the past. Perhaps he will emulate the pomp and other characteristics | of the Imperor who ruled when the great volcano poured out its wrath pon the magnificent depravity of the lory that was Rome,” which it is Mussolini’s ambition now to emulate and whose relics he will uncover. Not Rome, the city, alone, Roman Empir and his backer, aave visited the ruin and set on foot tion and (using An exhumation of i streets and palaces. Pompeii has been much more thor- oughly uncovered than has Hercu- laneum; the work of laying bare the latter city is more difficult, for Herculaneum lives beneath two or three modern villages, which must be removed or destroyed in the exca- vation of the dead city. Twice since the first eruption of 63 A.D. did the voleano add to its blanket of lava and cinders. Centuries passed and upon the same site were built new villages. For 16 centuries, the world forgot that there had ever been a Herculaneum until its ruins were accidentally discovered in 1711. Only spasmodic and inadequate efforts have ever been made toward uncover- ing its well preserved secrets. e The first calamity came when Nero was at the height of his t nnical power, cruelty and magnificence. The Romans had never lived in greater luxury. Herculaneum, 5 miles from Naples, was the home of nobles and the wealthy, whose slaves were cap- tured “barbarians”—often Greek artists and scholars, far more ci d and cultured than their masters Slaves were forced to fight one another or fight wild beasts for the amuse- ment of Roman ‘ans,” male and female. Virtue was despised, for Christian ideals had not yet been rec- ognized in Rome, except that they gave excuse for Christ yrdom, for the enjoyment of cruel Nero. Art and blood and lascivity measured Roman ideals in the reign of Nero. What a great bully and coward was Nero, the ultimate suicide! H tyranny led to revolt and dethrone- ment and condemnation to suffer death at the_pillory, but the coward forestalled it with suicid It was in Nero’s “glory” that Rome reached its height, and then the great Vesuvius belched hell fire and buried the beautiful cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under a deluge of hot lava and cinders and redhot rocks, from which the terror-stricken popu- lation only in part were able to flee. Sometimes the modern excavators discover a_cavity in the lava and cinders which are now hardened like rock, and th they work m: tiously, pour plaster-of-paris into the cavity, for they know what prob- ably made that hole. When the mold has hardened, they y the sur- rounding cinders, and possess a cast of the ver 2 human refugee overtaken in his vain flight. As the centuries had passed, the human body turned into powder at the base of the it left vacant in the cinders. cast is wonderful in its verisimili- tude to life. Is there in all the world a more impressive token of the vanity | of human life than one of thos “cavities” in the ashes where once had been a human form and now is nothingness? “How futile is man!” A mere cavity in ashes! * kK K Yet vast accumulations of erudition King Victor Emmanuel, of Herculaneum tematic explora- erican machinery) centuries-buried | strucl | the shade or | thir | tion, | cans superior { Romans. form which was that of | and art will be unearthed in substan- tial, tangible preservation. The crea tors of beauty leave their beautiful creations, though they become vacuity themselves. Through all the nine- c., THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Carrying one’s hat in the hand, in a carcless manner, allowed one to run_the gantlet with only a few snickers leveled at him. So it was customary for brave souls to carry a hat or cap if they wore it not. Following the war, many Injured veterans were instructed to go with- out hats, and no one dared laugh at a of course. Seeing this, many t, and imitated the veterans, Prominent men took up the “fad.” ¢ one may wear a hat or not, It is a personal it always was, not business along the w Nowadays one may go without a at in Winter without attracting any wrticular fashion. The habit is de- red healthy, not only to hair, but to the general system. HW Laige advertisements of recent weeks have spoken up for curtains and other hangings all over the house in_Summer. This is something “new.” but we know n house where it has prevailed for at least 10 years Our idea always has been that a house without rugs or window cur- ins is a_bare house, no less so in pring and Summer than in Winter. The old idea that rugs and cur make a house ‘“look hot” always us the veriest sort of bunk. It is not rugs and curtains that make a home “look hot,” it is simply the heat. When it's hot, it's hot, that is all there is to it. If curtains make a home look more homelike in Winter, they perform the same service in Summer, and ought to be used just the same, whether the outs temperature is 90 degrees in 10 below In the sun. What looks more bare than a win dow sill? The old-fashioned way of going with naked sills all Summer, on the theory that their use made every- “look so hot,” has given way to the better fashion of using different hangings or. the old ones. As for rigs, a wool rug does mot make a_home look any hotter than any other sort, and the modern acuum cleaner renders their con- tinued use not only easy but pleas- nt. e Bright-colored furniture and hang- ings are much in vogue for the mer home." color in good taste for the particular setting. This ideal is in line with the methods of interior decorators, who ‘e now going in for exterior decora . t0o, as one may see in various ions of the cit Color, and plenty of it, is the slogan. Common sense must rule, of curse. 'I'!)(‘ must be no savage daubing on of color, but a tasteful applcation ac- cording to the best practice of the art and science. The use of color is both, as every one knows who has tried to do any puinting, either interior or ex- erior Colors may be used in harmony with lhl-» dictates of taste, yet achieve a daring effect. For instance, there is a new house going up in this with stucco of brick-red, with sky- blue shutters. Sounds odd, eh? Well, it is, but pleasing at the same time. BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. in the cinders have marked where men were, but continued not; but in the walls of palatial homes and still more pretentious public buildings are preserved golden vases, marble and | bronze statuary, mosaics and painted pictures, and written records and lit- erature done with the stylus upon eets of papyrus. Above all in inter- est are the architectural remains. The art of the days of the great de- struction remains the wonder and in- spiration of modern artists. All the world, therefore, will stand in eager interest while Mussolini’s excavators proceed to unearth the buried treas- ures of Herculaneum, richer perhaps in art than was even Pompeii. It wi the play city of luxurious aristocrats. * ok ok ok Contrast the destruction and the subsequent preservation of the relics of its wrath, wrought by fire in 63 or by water in 1927! What wealth will the present Mississippi River flood bury in sand or v off to the sea! How much will be preserved of the home comforts and art of today for the vision of future generations? Or, home for home, wherein are the resi- dences of the most luxurious Ameri- to those of the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum? The beginning and the ‘“climax” of the Christlan era! Chiefly, the difference will be found now in the more evenly distributed comforts of life. In ancient da the slaves—white or colored—lived at night in holes in the ground, and wore chains on their legs. They were more miserable, perhaps, than were the col- ored slaves of America, for they v educated, refined in breeding ‘lnd therefore more sensitive. There were many more slaves than free—more captured ‘“barbarians” than native All were ruled with tyranny and cruelty, while personal initiative and liberty were suppressed. Italy or the Roman Empire origi- nated little of its own art or valuable productions, but got its wealth almost exclusively out of conquest. Outside of the brief century of the Renais- sance, what has the Rome of more recent ages accomplished beyond re- taining the art of those brilliant dec- ades? The undertaking of Mussolini to create a new economic Italy is monu- mental in its scope, if carried out as professed, and while it affects no greater population than may now be affected by our Mississippi flood, the task of inspiring an equal self-reli- ance, initiative and efficiency is not to be compared with the easier burden upon American enterprise and Govern- ment in setting our tlood sufferers on their feet, for with widespread educa- tion and self-reliance our “burden is light.” * % kK There is divergence of opinion as to the genuineness of Mussolini’s plans to rehabilitate or create Italian productive efficiency. There are some who look upbn Mussolini as the world’s most outstanding genius and statesman. There are others who are more cynical, who point rather to the crushing of personal liberty, the so- clalistic abasement of human rights in behalf of the state. Such skeptics see little practical differences be- tween a Mussolini and a Lenin. Both are charged with oppression and dic- tatorial tyranny. Indignant denial will declare that imo_fits the conditions found in where the people are alleged have sunken into idleness and dreaming, and where they needed a dictator to arouse them to systematic indust Yet it is Mussolini him- self who ys the youth of Italy are tired of liberty and want only order —want hierarchy and dictatorship and direction—not personal freedom. If that be a correct estimate of Italian development, how far have present-day standards and efficiency of the masses advanced over such as built Herculaneum and Pompeii? A study of the state of civilization, as disclosed by the ruins of the ash- buried cities, indicates that before Mussolini surpasses it he will have a long way to travel. Mussolini was as muth a Socialist as Lenin himself before the World “Sum- | By the term is meant | THURSDAY, MAY 19, | lon 1927, Claims Flood Relief In Forests and Dams To the Editor of The Star: In regard to the Mississippl catas- trophe, one jmportant fact should not be lost sight of—when the clouds lit- erally burst and the rain pours the water must have somewhere to stay, or somewhere to go! The immense watershed drained by the Mississippi and its tributaries, if it were in for- ests, that, of course, would retard the waters some; but forests could not prevent a tremendous overflow in a continuous downpour over a large area like that which has recently happened Conditions on the Mississippi and its tributaries, as at present, are mat- ters for serious consideration by our Government and should be remedied as nearly as is practicable, which can be done in part, at least. How? Re- forest the watershed in so far as that is practicable. That would help a little. Build iarge storage dams on the head waters of the stream hold ha some of the waters, turn them loos: gradually, use them for power apd irri- gation? That would help a little more. Widen and deepen the main channe! of the M ppi and its tributaries, not only for carrying more water, but for improving navigation; use the dirt taken out of the n n channels for building dikes; in these dikes provide spillw: s for turning water out of the ain channels into auxiliary channels when floods have reached the stage of overflow the dirt taken out of the auxiliary channels in making mounds ely above any probable high water on which to build houses and locate other improvements; plant black walnut and other trees which would grow into value along the dikes and around the mounds—that would help a whole lot; but floods similar to those which have happened may happen again and when they do the water must have somewhere to stay or somewhere | to_go. It is remarkable the risk that peo- ple, not only individuals but com- panies and corporations directed by high-class civil engineers, will take in making expensive developments on creeks and rivers below the high- water mark. Foolish ventures should be prohibited, if the Government is to give aid and protection. In many instances it would be less expensive to relocate hou even small towns and other improvements of consider- able magnitude, above the high-water mark, than it would to protect these developments, when they are below the high-water mark, from the rav- ages of great rivers when they are a rampage G. W. KERNODL ) Economic Talk “Bunk,” , M. D. Mother of 19 Claims | From the Ann Arbor Times-News. The wife of the man who was pre- sented to President Coolidge as a ampionship father asserts that this “‘modern talk” of “economic pre brought about by large families” is “bunk and tommyrot.” Mrs. Gentle of Atlanta, Ga., mother of 19 of the “champion’: offspring. And she bit about their upbringing. raising the boys and girls to be “self- respecting and useful citizen: and feels none of the effects of the much- discussed economic pressure. But Mrs. Gentle admits that looking after her family is a fair day’'s work. Take the item of darned stockings, for in- stance. This mother who doesn't worry makes no mention of the item, but you can imagine what it amounts to. ‘We should say, offhand, that Mrs. Gentle must be considerabie of an optimist, and that her case might be classified as “isolated.”” There are a lot of folks who would feel the eco- nomic pressure and be driven almost to distraction by their responsibilities and the worries arising from similar circumstances. All of which leads to the question of how much responsi- bility, if any, the Government should is the " 29 She is recognize in the way of assisting the | parents of large families It might be argued that the is not concerned seriously v of increasing its population, and indeed many authorities on the question are frankly worried over problems that seem to arise from the too high birth rate. Nevertheless, the children are born, there large fam- ilies and there is the economic pres- sure. Suppose Mr. Gentle were dead, and his widow were an invalid. "And sup- pose, instead of 29 children, there were only 8, none of them old enough to earn a good living. The economic resources of the Gentle fam- ily are increased, it would seem, b very numbers, and perhaps tl explains the absence of pressure, If the circumstances should be like those we have upposed,” where would Uncle Sam step into the situation, or would he do so? Obviously help should not be e tended in a spirit of charity Few families would accept that. But should there not be governmental ma- chinery to assist such families on a systematic_basis—from purely selfish motives? Don't forget that the mem- bers of the Gentle family are being brought up as “self-respecting and useful citizens,” and if the Nation is not interested in that phase of the situation it is not concerned with its future welfare. Surely good citizenship ought to be a matter of as much concern to the Nation as a whole as to an individual family. It doesn't seem entirely logi- cal to build prisons for housing the poor citizens without doing something constructive and comprehensive to in- sure the production of more good ones. Sturso, whose book, “Italy and Fas- cismo,” translated by bara Bar- clay Carter, has just appeared, re- lates how Mussolini, while still call- ing himself a Socialist, saw that bol- shevism, with its center of influence and control in Moscow, was becom- ing epidemic in Italy. He, therefore, turned the weapons of the bolsheviki against themselve and replaced so- cialism in Italy with his own abso- lute dictatorship. That may have been pure patriotism, or, as claimed by the anti-Fascimo, it may have been shrewd self-advancement. In either case, there remain the won- derful ancient standards of accom- piishment to be now unearthed in the long-preserved Herculaneum and Pompeil. e What organization in 63 A.D. con- trolled municipal art? Will our own art commission take note? Who made the width of streets fit their chariots, when we have not yet made our streets fit our automobile traffic? Answer: Distr issioners What inspired their ture, zuided their artists’ hands and imagi- nation in their wonderful paintings and mosaics? How did the world lose touch with all that beauty throughout the Dark Ages, and sub- stitute the crudeness of the ‘“primi- tives” in art, after it had known the perfection of Phidias and Prax- iteles? In no case can the achievements of ancient Rome, nor of Greece, nor the tyranny of modern Communism nor of Fascismo (both demanding every sacrifice of personal prosperity and pleasure for the state) dim the luster of the American ideal of a government of, for and by—not a dictator—but the peopl: Perhaps Americaph are not living up to the message @f our liberty en- lightening the world, but what race heun Wnr, au Fepont mm«. mu (Conyriadt. 1087, of Kurope is livi up to its own professions? Testy the ideal under fire or water, whigh shines as an ideal with untarnished luster? ssure | isn't worried a | Q. Please give some information about the attendance and the value of the physical effects belonging to the various fair associations, such as buildings, roadways, race tracks, ete.—J. C. K. A. The International of Fairs has a_membership of about 80 of the leading fairs of America. The valuation of the physical effects of these fairs runs from $250,000 to | $3,000,000 per plant and it is estimat- | ed that probably the average would be somewhat near a million dollars a Dl The attendance annually runs ' mnl 75,000 to 1,600,000, an average of 200,000 per ir. Then, in addition to this, there are about 500 smaller fairs, the value of which would be pretty hard to estimate. Q. and, if Association | be grown from seed how?—E. D. "\, "'A large proportion of the seed is fertile. Plant in a deep sod, mixed | with about 50 per cent sand. Provide zood drainage in the pots in which the sced are first planted. an tribute the seed evenly. Cover with L thin layer of soil. Keep the tem- perature warm uniform, 70 de- | grees being a good temperature. | When water! use a gentle sp i | order not to disturb the seeds. | plant after three or four clusters spines appear. Q. Please give a de petual motion."—R. E. motion is ant motion of hine perpetually 'n motive forces independ- ny action from without. The Bureau of Standards says that per- petual motion is not possible accord- ing to any known physical law. nition of T “per- the a con- i hypo- thetical ing_its ently of the consumption of -B. O. F The March consumption of cot- | ton, 694,193 bales, w The total consumption for the eight months ended March 31 was 4,718,680 bales, compared with 4.381448 bales for the corresponding period in 1926. Q. What is an imperfect chord of B D F? What is an imperfect chord in general?—A. G. A. Perfect chords are: The major chords, consisting of prime, major third and perfect fifth; the minor chords, consisting of prime, minor third and perfect fifth. All other chords are classed as imperfect. The one especially mentioned is the dimin- ished triad, consisting of prime, minor third and diminished fifth, and is based on the seventh degree of the major scale or the second in the minor ‘mode. Q. Q Is How steep are grades made on railways nowadays?—J. B. S, A. Any grade of 2 per cent or over is very uneconomical. Grade re- vision has progressed in this country ntil there are few grades of 2 per 'nt or over. The Denver & Rio Grande has 12 miles of 2.4 per cent grade westbound from Helper, Utah, to Kyune, Utah, and a 2 per cent grade from Soldiers Summit, Utah, to r, Utah, a distance of about 15 Q. How Drive in Chie much did the Wacker 180 cost?’—G. B. |a cost of $22,000,000. Of this $8,700,- 000 was the cost of construction, the remainder being the cost of condem- nation, ete. The total length of the drive, from Michigan avenue to Mad- ison street, is 5,470 feet, the double- deck level being 3,500 feet in length. The lower level is 135 feet wide from the store fronts to the dock lines. The | upper level is 110 feet wide, Q. How many languages are spok- en in Africa?—J. P. A. About 275 are known. Q. What is the age limit for play- | less var | W. D. with | Level the | surface of the soil carefully and dis- supply- | cotton |« a record figure. | A. The entire project was built at ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKI ers on the West Potomaoc Park goit course?—L. G. A. Children under 10 years of age are not allowed on the course, Q. T have put yellow varnish on & linoleum instead of & clear or color- ish. What will remove it?— A. The Bureau of Standards knows of no method of removing the varnish you applied to the linoleum which would not at the same time mar or damage the linoleum itself. Q. 1s a public library always pub- v owned?—R. N. There is no universally accepted definition of the term “public library. In general, it may be said that public library in the United States is either owned or controlied by the pub- lic, or is freely accessible to the pub- lic, or it has two of these features or all three of them. Q. lic How many Boy Scouts are there in the United States?—W. B. A. There are now a few more than 0,000. How mar apple trees are thers m the Shenandoah Valley?—A. F. E. A. The Bureau of the Census has re- ported on the number of apple trees in 1925 in the North Shenandoah Valley and in the South Shenandoah At that time there were apple trees in the North nd $40,483 in the South Valley. trees in the North Valley, re bearing fruit, while n-bearing trees. In 307 were bearing re non-bearing. Q. 3 Valley 2 Of the truitr while 119 Q. Who called the German-Belgian - treaty p of paper,” and in what circum, 7—0. M. B. | A, Tt is supposed that the German ‘hancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg used the phrase 'rap of paper” in reference to England’s entry into the World War, 1914. He is quoted as saying that England was going to war for Belgian neutrality, ‘‘just for a scrap of paper.” His phrase was widely understood as expressing the German attitude toward the Belgian | treaty and hence toward all treatles. Q. Did the United States Govern- ment have a right to draft Canadian citizens during the World War?— € AT, A. By a convention of June 3, 1918, {2 treaty was formed between Great Britain and the United States, which was to take effect September 29, 1918, providing that prior to September 29, 1918, Canadian citizens resident in the | United States eould claim exemption from the United States draft, and that after said date, unless such citi- zens had left the United States to join the British Army, they could be com- pelled to serve in the American Army This treaty operated similarly for American citizens in Canada. Q. Was it possible for the Egyptians to mummify an aduit's body so that it became the size of a child's?>—J. J. J. A. The body of a mummy is inclined to shrink. In some instances the body of an adult has been found to be ap- | proximately the size of a child's body. | 8 1;; whistling of any actual value? |—L. B. A. It is used in some schools in remedying speech defects. The answers to questions printed here each day are specimens picked from the mass of inquiries handled by the great information bureau maintained by The Evening Star in Washington, D. C. This valuable service is for the free use of the pub- lic. Ask any question of fact you may want to know and you will get an_immediate reply. Write plainly, enclose two cents in_stamps for re- turn_postage, and address The Even- ing Star Information Bureax, Frederio | J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. major parties, is favorable to the ability and fitness of Evans Woollen, Indianapolis banker, who has been put forward by Thomas Taggart, In- diana leader, as his favorite for the Democratic nomination for the Presi- dency. It is conceded that he strength- ens the position of his own State in the 1928 convention, but there are varying views as to the possibility of his nomination and as to the prospects of his success as a standard bearer. Classifying him a man “of some- York World (independent Democratic testifies that “‘he has repeatedly shown that he has the courage of his convic- tions,” but nevertheless concludes: “Mr. Taggart—at this stage of the game, at any rate—is not taking very serjously the idea of an Indianian for President. He is looking for some- body to hold together the Taggart vote at the convention, and he has made a happy choice.” 1f thi. forerunner,” remarks the Rale and Observer (Demo- cratic) 's presenting Donahey, Miss Reed, Towa Meredith, Ten. nessea Hull, and a dozen other States sending delegates for a favorite son, it may grow into a policy of securing a national convention in which the delegates will be free to deliberate, unl each ‘favorite son' gets it into his head that by helping to pro- long a deadlock he may be nominated. That is what happened at New York. It was not so much that McAdoo and Smith tied up the convention a3 that the favorite sons held on tn th: hope that lightning would strike them.' On the other hand, the l.oaisville Times (Democratic) maintains that “Mr. Woollen commands the interest of many Democrats who would avoid disaster of division within_the narty and who wish to see the Domocra(icl banner borne by a sane, sound candi- date who stanc v principles with | which the party has been identified | historically.” His qualifications are enumerated by the Times, including the details that he “is a midlander, free, as he is known now, from cer- tain’ disadvantages which are suffered by some others: a native of Indiana, a | battleground State; a banker, in whom farmers have confidence.” | * Kok K { “Evans Woollen is one of the really outstanding figures in this country's public life,” according to the Birming- ham News (independent Democratic), which advises that “the Democratic party might do worse than by keeping an alert eye upon this upright, able- minded, cool-headed and hard-hitting who ‘takes his Democracy as that Democracy was Jefferson_and later exem- ught by n, Tilden, Cleveland plified_t he South Bend Tribune (independ- | ent Republican), describing him as “the Calvin Coolidge of the Dem cratic party,” offers the epinfon t “in a year when Mr. Coolldge was not the Republican nominee the Indian- apolis banker would have a good chance. The Democratic party of the | State 8 showing its judgment in get- ting behind one who is easily among | the most favored available men in the United States.” “Certainly Thomas Taggart cannot be dlsmissed as an idle dreamer,” de- clares the Hartford Times (independ- ent Democratic). “His candidate in what conservative stamp,” the New | Woollen, Taggart Selection, Cited as Presidential Timber Public opinion, as expressed in both dable one. In 1924 Mr. Taggart pro- posed Senator Ralston and the con- vention was tending very strongly to- ward that Hoosier when he took him- self out of consideratibn. Now Mr. Taggart is ready for Mr. Woollen.” The Times concludes its discussion with the statement: “Doubtless Mr. Taggart would give a great deal to see Mr. Woollen nominated for Presi- | dent. He would probably be glad to see him land the vice presidential { honor. And unquestionably he is not | insensible to the desirability of creat. ing a situation where all the other leaders must ‘come and see’ him. * ok K % “We have an idea that Woolle whatever his merits, will not get very far in his candidacy for the big place,” says the Nashville Banner (in dependent), and the Savannah Press | (Democratic) states that ‘“nobody be- lieves that Mr. Woollen could be elected if nominated,” while the Wor- cester Telegram (Republican) ask “But who—pardon—is he?” That pa- Der suggests memories of 1852, when, as it records, Democrats sailing the Mississippi received news of a nomina- tion and “threw up their hats with wild cheers for Franklin Pierce, but likewise inquired, ‘Who is he?' " The Anniston Star (Democratic), believing that Mr. Woollen would “make a very formidable candidate,” notes that A Meredith “will also be put forth as a farmer candidate”; that “it is prob- able that there will be a few candi- dates from the South,” and conclude: “All of which is very interesting, as it indicates that the party as a whole is by no means inclined to hand the nom- ination to Al Smith on a silver platter or to tolerate another Smith-McAdoo talemate.” Observing signs of another Smith- McAdoo battle, the Indianapolis Star (independent) says: “The next ques- tion is to get a neutral, well known, and satisfactory candidate on whom all may unite. Indiana does not pro- pose to be caught napping when such an opportunity is in prospect. It is getting in on the ground floor, so as to give the rest of the country time to realize that it is offering a man worthy of favorable consideration. UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR Ten Years Ago Today MAY 19, 1917, Secretary Daniels announces that a regiment of Marines, 2,600 veterans of many hard campaigns, will go with first American Expeditionary Force under Pershing. * * * Total force now desigrated totals nearly 40,000 men. * * All details are kept se- cret as Pershing's commnnd is hur- riedly made rea ® * Thirty- five thousand men now training inten- sively at officers’ training camps throughout the country. * & Thousands apply for enrollment in aval Reserve Flying Corps. * * * Senate passes urgency appropriation bill of $3,342,000,000 without a dis- senting vote following White House conference between President and Re- publican Senators Lodge, Knox and Gallinger. * * * Russia spurns 1912 was Thomas Riley Marshall, who emerged with the vice presidential nomination and became one tlu country’s best-loved figures. M shall grew in stuture as he held ce, Had he llved unul 924 he m et separate peace. * * * Nicaragua breaks with Germany. * * * Presi- dent, chafing over congressional delay in adopting food control legislation, lar | places facts plainiy before American people. *-* * llames Herbert Hoover % pan he m:w- food m