Evening Star Newspaper, August 1, 1927, Page 8

8 THE EVENING .STAR With Sunday Morning _Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY .August 1, 1927 THEODORE W. NOYES. . ..Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office and Pennsylvania Ave. < o 110 East 42nd St. York Ofice: 1] T4 Rex Loudon, i ent St by carriers within | month: daily only avs only. 20 cents ng edit the Gt 45 cents ner month per month. | Orders may nt by mail or Telenhonn Ma'n 5000 Collection is made by carrier at end of each month i <0.00: 1 m aily SH.00° 1 mo. Daily Sunday da. 1 mo 1 mo 1 mo, Al Othor States and Paily s Daily Sunday ¢ Sunday iated Press. ess ix exclusively entitled ation of all news dis. ot otherwise the local news niblic es roms! Member of the Asso 1o the 1 evubl Pateho 1o it o Jted v i Y nd al rixhts Flying From Ship to Shore. 1] who made the | n cross-Atlantic | pded in an ex- Clarence Chambe second of Amer i flights, b suce periment which will perhaps resuit in material saving of time in steam- between American and | Using a specially tform on the steamer pped off this morning B in a plane from that ship when she yout eight hours out at sea from New York landed saf: at Cur- < tiss Field in about an hour and a half. Al reports indicate a perfect performance. Chamberlin intended to fly to Teterboro, N. J., in order to test * {ne mail route, but a heavy fog made 4t desirable for, him to land at Cur- tiss Field This flight fully demon: ibility of taking . off from a ship at sea, either going or E making land in faster el. 1In this case the distance in ju a £hip Furop e . an ports. and { the 1 nstead. coming, and time than the ves Chamberlin covered six and a half hours less than the steamer had required. She was 120 2 smiles at sea when Chamberlin hopped | off. In practice it is expected that the .. plane will take off from the moving ship as pproaches port, althougn in this instance the experiment was % tried on a departing ship. The pur- pose is to enable passengers who are in a special huriy to reach shore ahead of the sailing schedule, and also to get mail ashore more speedlly. The Leviathan was equipped with @ launching platform which it was - expected would enable the plane to " take off safely by traversing its en- * fire length. The report shows that . Chamberlin was in the air when he "had covered about half of the length 2 of the platform, which shows the fea- | & sibility of this form of aerial link be- « tween a moving ship and the shore. It is probable that other ships of the : United States Lines will be at once i equipped with this type of platform and that airplane auxiliaries will be “used on all of them in order to expe- dite the mails. There is no estimate J_of the distance that may be covered * by this supplementary mail service, ¥ though a statement has been given * out that it is expected that for mail‘ purposes the crossing can be reduced from five to three days. o Carol's wory | young n highest office. Let the people but say the word, and, difficult as the task may be and heavy though the sacri- fices, the patriot will respond to the call to duty. In Carol's case it is perfectly well known that he would like nothing better than to repudiate his renuncia- tion of the succession to the throne and re-enter Rumania as the ruler, taking the place of his infant son, who has just been proclaimed King under a regency. And it is also well known that certain political leaders in that country would like to see Carol return, even at the cost of a revolu- tion in Rumania. But just at present those political leaders are out of pow- er. The Bratiano party is in the as-| cendant and the Averescu party fs out of the running. It is not difficult believe that s and actions are being dictated from Rumania’s capital. The n himself is living just as he personally likes to live. the initiative to to He lacks ake a chance on his | jown responsibility; he is simply keep- | ing his claim alive. It may get him nowhere, but it is undoubtedly giving the Rumanians cause for thought. There is intrigue In this case and Carol is but the pawn in the game. Very likely the statement that he tel- ephoned Saturday to the Associated | Press was dictated from Bucharest. ———— Ambulance Speed. Maj. Hesse has warned hospitals | of this city to hold down the speed of their ambulances and has issued an ultimatum that arrests will follow if drivers exceed the limit. To make the matter complete in every way the police head also instructed the insti- tutions to see to it that the sirens on the big vehicles are used sparingly so that those with tender ear-drums will not suffer unnecessarily. The first the public learned of this strange and unuspal order was when one of the hospitals announced that it would ohey the new rule. From the time that the first auto- | mobile was invented and the first traf- fic problem arose fire engines and am- bulances have been given not only the right of way over all other traffic, but have been allowed to exceed the peed limit and to violate regulations in emergency runs. How, then, does Washington’s police head reconcile this fact with such an order? How can he pass judgment on whether or not a person’s life may be saved by a speedy run? Or how can he arrive at the conclusion that it is not per- fectly safe for an ambulance, with right of way and siren blowing, to get its patient to the hospital in the short- est possible time? Of course, it may be that some peo- ple are put into nervous fits whenever they hear the shriek of the siren or that stupid motorists cannot under- stand that they must give up right of way at the approach of an ambulance. It would seem, however, that Wash- ington is too large a city to cater to this class alone. If people are annoyed by the horn or lack the common sense to pull over to the curb and stop, it then follows that they should move to the country where the only noise they will have to contend with is the moo- ing of ths cow and the only traffic the hay wagon on the way to the barn. This is a modern and progressive city. Ambulances on errands of mercy should not be forced to crawl to answer emergency calls. All traffic should give way and the hospital ma- This morning’s experiment marks ! chine should give plenty of warning an important step forward in the prac-lpy a continuous sounding of its siren. - tical use of the airplane and may be | Those motorists who refuse to comply regarded as a direct result of this| | i Summer’s transatlantic flying by Lindbergh, Chamberlin and Byrd. e ra—————— 4 Expensive Entertainment. "I fThe steadily increasing expense of an evening's entertainment is cited as one of the strong lures to crime, ac- 'cording to the head of a large surety company. It now costs from fifty to one hundred dollars for a man to en- - tertain for an evening a girl in a large ““clty, and the official points out that such a sum is far beyond’ the means of the average youth. In an endeavor to meet competition from other men, * he says, there is a constant temptation ¥ 10 overstep the financial budget, which | fnevitavle leads into consideration of | ways and means of procuring more money, It is an undoubted fact that a “blow- out” for two people nowadays Is “an expensive adventure. Flowers, dinner, theater, supper and dancing, » with taxies and incidentals included, _ill empty the old wallet in short © order, but the answer to the ques- tion is obvious because no worth- while girl desires to overextend her * escort in the financial way, and after all that is the only kind of girl to take “ out for the evening. iy Portraits of Hugh Gibson leave the| .+ impression that in addition to being thoroughly hearsed in his lines he is well able to look the part of the diplomat. r—————— Conservative as usual, London be- lieves firmly in British sea supremacy because it has long been customary. e In naval conferences it looks as if | determined to rock the some one W boat. e Prince Carol Files a Caveat. | Prince Carol of Rumania, exiled| from his country and banned from the | throne by his renunciation of suc ion rights, is playing a clevel game. He n t to callers | and inquirers at his viila in Neuilly, but he telephone | himsclf evidence, ither or throush a representative | that despite ln.\E renunciztion he mair d- | ftary rights. Asserting that he has no| intention of provoking any agitation in his country, regards it as his | duty as well as his right to safeguard | and watch over the prosperity of his ewn “Should the Rumanian \ own denies near uses the o keep persor he has just in ains his he nation people appeal to him, he believes it| would be his duty to obey that com- mand.” American politicians know this move feetly. Many a “potential candi- date” for the presidency has thus con- v * structively tendcred his services to the people, saying that if they are de- pired he will serve. It is regarded, in- deed, as the pre in the fundamental right-of-way rule should be deprived of their permits, and the others whose ears are jarred should buy a little cotton for stuffing. Washington will not tolerate a condi- tion that reduces the efficiency of its ambulances and will hold the Police Dzpartment responsible if a ridiculous conception of the situation results in the loss of a life that otherwise could be saved. A New Traffic Wrinkle. Denver is trying an experiment in traffic enforcement. According to a new policy just laid down, offenders against the regulations will be told to “pray, rather than pay,” which means that they will be warned and not arrested, and urged to go oftener to church, where the ministers have been asked to specialize on traffic sermons. And just how long this experiment will last is a matter of guesswork, and as one guess Is as good as an- other, it might be estimated that about halt a day would be ample to con- vince the Denver authorities that the only ones who pray on the streets today are the pedestrians. It is a serious subject, and levity should not enter Into it, but, nevertheless, the spectacle of an intoxicated motorist who has just had three collisions and ended up against a telegraph post being approached by a policeman and told to pray, rather than slapping him in jail, tickles the imagination. Every one, of course, should pray, should go to church often and should conduct himself as a righteous person, but it is difficult to see the connection between praying and running past a street car which is discharging pas- sengers. The hard-boiled motorist who commits major traffic offenses would understand neither prayers nor ser- mons in regard to his acts, The only thing he would understand is an ar- bitrary revocation of permit, to go along with a prison sentence. Denver will have the good wfshes of every one in its traffic experiment, but it Is freely predicted that the reign of prayer will be of short duration, SR John Barleycorn, In recent synthetic demonstrations, reveals himself as most dangerous when he mixes gaso- line with his gin. —r———— Sir Harry Johnston. From London comes the news of the death in England of Sir Harry John- ston, explorer, author, painter and pioneer in British colonization in Africa. He was sixty-nine vears of | age, and n that span of life had done | many things of note. He was, indeed, one of the remarkable men of the | period, a type of the British adven- turer imbued with the purpose of ex- tending the dominion of the empire and maintaining its prestige. To THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY. AUGUST 1, 1927. books of particular interest. Gifted with'an easy literary style, he largely occupied himself after his retirement from the British forelgn service in the production of a series of imaginary sequels to works by great authors, Three of these, “The Gay Dombeys,” “Mrs, Warren's Daughter” and “The Veneerings,” carried forward tales of Dickens and Shaw in a fascinating manner. But his concern was chiefly in the spread of clearer information on the part of the British people regard- ing Africa, and he wrote voluminously on such subjects as bad cualified him to deal with effec- tively. Such men as Sir Harry Johnston have carried the British flag into re- mote regions, and have kept it there against difficulties and hardships. Johnston himself entered into the life of the peoples of Africa with whom he came in contact, learned their lan guages, studied their dialects, adjust- ed administrative conditions to, their peculiarities and traditions, and while he ruled upon occasion with a rigid hand, he was nevertheless considerate. He did much for the sanitation of dis- ease-infected areas and his service in Africa made for a happier land and an advance toward civilization. When a prominent Demioc clares he will not be a candidate for | the presidency, a large number of fellow prominent Democrats appear to find it difficult to vestrain an impulse to rush forward, grasp him by the hand and congratulate him on his political perspicuity. o 1t is amicably understood by all con- cerned that the American Minister to Ireland is expected to concern himself with national relationships and not to volunteer as referee in any more or less local dissensions. e Pugilism as an index of prosperity will reveal glad -assurance when the | prices of Tunney-Dempsey ringside | seats are finally announced. Extrava- gant payment. for entertainment must imply a.liberal reserve for necessities. —— e 1t is confidently expected that when Henry Ford sticks to the line of thought in ®hich he has been pre- eminent, he will turn out an airship that will leave no room whatever for apology. t de-| a e et The Post Offico Department, habit- ually submitted to all kinds of criti- clsm, looms large in admiring atten- tion now. The alr mail service is recognized as the great training school for aces. e Whatever may be decided on as the limit of a navy, this country should have an understanding that any ships it builds will be as nearly as possible non-scrapable. ———— An important evidence of peaceful inclination 1s reported from Geneva in relation to the fact that nobody seems inclined to quarrel with the hotel bills, ——————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. High ¥z, When he the flowing bowl pursued Until the early dawn, And played at cards, with hopes re- newed, ‘Till all his wealth was gone. When his relations viewed with dread His finish, by and by, Our heads we sadly shook and said That he was “flying high.” An aviator, young and bold, Starts for the lofty heights, In every moment self-controlled Amid the lonely nights. He makes, with an untroubled brow, His pathway through the sky; This is the type of man just now ‘That's really “flying high.” Ins and Outs. “Politics seems to depend a great deal on publicity.” “It does,” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “You've got to learn when to get into the newspapers and when to get out.” Lightning Bug. The lightning bug wings on his way. His lamp gives but a feeble ray. “And yet,” said he, “‘a place I've won To rank with stars and moon and sun. “However slight appears my glow *Mid the illuminating show, I'm of the few content to be Delivering light entirely free.” Jud Tunkins says a man who wants everything in sight seldom figures on the trouble that goes along with the | effort to handle too many different kinds of business. Mixing. *““That young man appears ill.” ‘Drink,” whispered Miss Cayenne. 'Victim of alcohol?” 'No. Salad dressing and ice cream soda.” No Concealment. The flapper creates a scare. But this we're knowing: A hip flask she could never wear ‘Without its showing. “A truly successful statesman,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is one who, in a crucial hour, can command as much public adulation as a triumphant athlete.” Good-by, Bill. Shakespeare wrote some able rhyme; But none of it would go With pleasure for the present time Across the ra-di-o. “I likes a camp meetin’,” s Eben. “It 'pears to be ’bout de only place where a whole lot o' folks kin git ences of opinion. e IR The Champion Kissee. | From the Des Maincs Evening Tribune, The lady of our United States cur- reney has the long distance record for being kissed good-by. R e Envy. From the Hartford Tinies. Few men past 30 can trundle the lawnmower long without marveling that Dempsey was able to come back. e Wasted, at That. From the Indianapolis News. his experiences 9, id Uncle | ot the first official trans together without serious differ- | THIS AN D THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. The absurdity and cruelty of the an- cient Greek mythology today is ap- parent to all men throughout the world, but at the time of its height it took sublime nerve to speak a word against it. Lucretius, no doubt, was regarded as a superbolshevist when he penned his tribute to Epicurus, who, he say first dared to raise his ey and call the bluff of Jo thunderbolts. The modern reader, in following the A. J. Munro of “The slation by H. 2 Nature of Things,” by Lucretius, must keep in mind that the author w speaking solely of the system of “rm ligion” which then fettered the minds of men. “When human life to view lay foully | prostrate upon earth, crushed down | under the weight of religion, who shewed her head from the quarters nf{ the heaven with hideous aspect lower- ing upon mort man_of Greece ventured first to 1lift up his mortal eves to her face,” begins this majestic bit of ver “Him neither story of gods nor thun- derbolts nor heaven with threatening roar could quell; they oniy chafed the more the eager cour his soul, filling him with desire to he the first to burst the fast bars of nature's por- s to heaven e and his tin Mherefore the soul gained the da beyond the flaming living force of his| m he passed far alls of the world hout in mind and the immeasurable - univer: when he returns a conquerer to tell us what can, what cannot come into being; in short, on what principle each thing has its powers defined, its deep set houndary mark “Therefore religion is put under foot and trampled upon in turn; us his vic tory brings level with heaven.” | * oK ok So, today, every discovery of man, whether in morals or science, brings mankind in closer relation with Heaven, or God, and into a deeper | understanding of life, the miracul It seems the saddest thing in all this world that earnest men, attempt- ing to use their God-given minds, should be branded as heretic worse, vet this has ever been the| history of the world, and probably will keep on so being. | Possibly, in 1927, in Washington, | D. C., ome persons will read the last | paragraph quoted above, and imme- diately become outraged in mind be- cause, forsooth, a Roman gentleman 000 years ago had an honest thought two! ‘We hope not; in ers “of This and That credit fc finitely more sense, not only in ordinary meaning, but also in that| of a sense of humor. A sense of hu-| mor has to do, not only with -vit,| as such, but even as much with a common-sense view of life, a gentle- manly restraint of invective, a will ingness to refrain from being of- fended. | To us there is something wonder- 1 inspiring in Lucretius’ picture of Epicurus and his soul, passing far beyvond the walls of the world, and traversing throughout in mind and spirit the immeasurable universe. This is a flight that any one may make, due to the powers of the mind | and spirit with which mankind have been blessed. If the individual can make it in no other way, he can do so_by reading a great book. What matter if you agree with the thought? The spirit of high adven- WASHINGTON The propazanda headquarters set up by Soviet Russia here in Washington, right under the nose of Secretary Kel- logg, continues to flourish unmolested and without attracting much public | notice. Under the title of Russian In- formation Bureau, the Soviet organiza- tion maintains a complete retinue of attaches, trade experts, commercial agents, translators, interpreters and| stenographers—all of the appurte- nances and accessories of a full-fledged embassy minus the title and minus of- ficial status. It is headed by a Rus- siin named Stavir who came to Washington at the time of the disarm- ament conference, in 1922, as a mem- ber of the delegation of the Far Iast- ern Republic. Subsequently, the Far Eastern Republic was merged in the Soviet Union and Stavirsky stayed on in Washington as trade reprgsentative of the Soviet. A pretentious private residence not far from IEmbassy Row houses Stavirsky's “mission.” He and his associates always insist that the bureau exists solely to promote busi- ness between Russia and the United States. Back of trade information, however, is the underlying purpose of the Moscow regime—recognition by the United States. * K Kk One of the President’s unofficial hosts at Rapid City is Harry L. Gandy. one time Indiana newspaper publisher later a South Dakota cattle rancher and now prominently identified with the bituminous coal industry. Mr. Gandy served three terms as member of Congress from South Dakota, en- joying the unique distinction of being the only Democrat ever sent to Con- gress by his adopted State. For the past half-a-dozen years in the post of executive secretary of the National Coal Association, the stalwart organi- zation of bituminous coal operators, Mr. Gandy has continued to spend most of his time in Washington. But he still_retains his home in Rapid City, and his extensive ranching int 5 there. He is back home tl ummer, and as a leading citizen is taking a prominent part in welcoming Mr. Coolidge, Mr. Gandy is reported to be in the frame of mind that if Mr. | Coolidge would run on the Democratic | tigket he would vote for him with enthusiasm. * ok ok K still uncertainty the Spirit of St. Louis, will find a_final resting place in the National Museum, but that is the present expectation in Washington. Commemorative of the Byrd flight, the regulation mail pouch ried on the America on the] New York-Paris flight will surely go| to the museum. The mail sack, which contained 293 letters weighing4 pounds and 13 ounces, was submerged in the sea at Ver- r. But though water soaked the sack reached its Paris desti- nation, its contents were delivered and it is now safely back in the hands of our Post Office Department, trophy | tlantic air There is whether some * % ok K The National Citizens’ Committee on Relations with South Ame headed Senator Norris of Nebraska, which believes that ‘the Coolidge-K lnvm:j Latin Ame¥ican policy as manifested in Nicaragua and Mexico is “a viol tion of every sound American tradi tion,” has five members of the Senate on its roster besides Norris—La Fol- lette of Wisconsin and Wheeler of Montana, Frazier and Nye of North Dakota, and Walsh of Massachusetts, Publicists, educators and editors pre- dominate in the committee ranks, which include such notables as Nor man Hapgood, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, | Oswald Garrison V rd and Frank P. Walsh of New York; Prof. Irving Fisher of Yale; Edward Keating, edi- tor of Labor; Zona Gale of Wiscon- and | : ~|the white milky sin, Willlam Allen White of Kansas It seems to take a good deal of type, bed mode of an-!Americans Sir Harry Johnston is best lejther to get the Stillmans garried or Miouncing a willingness to accept the known as the author of a number of to Keap them that way. and Huston Thompson of Colorado. The make-up of the committee again fllustrates the old adage that “poli- ture is enough. , Respect the integrity of soul of the man! He, too, was a secker after God. * ok The poem begins, strangely enough, with an invocation to Venus, used hundreds of years later by Edmund Spenser, who made a similar invoca- tion, copying it almost verbatim. Why should a man who professed enmity to the system of gods and goddesses of mythology go to the trouble of opening his propaganda with an invocation to one of them? This may be explained in two ways ~either Lucretius had just a bit of veneration for them, after all, or else he simply t »d, in Venus, the cre- ating force of nature. Probably this latter is nearer the truth. After the panegyric on Eplcurus, (then as now a most misunderstood man, who has suffered from the mi aipplication of his principles), Lucretiu defends his system against the charge of_irreligion. The three main subjects treated by the poet are the atomic theory, the nature of the soul and th» phenomena of the heavens. Imagine a man today writing a long poem on the molecular theory, pon molecules and jons, and the electrical structure of the atom. Yet this was exactly what Lucretius did. managing to extract some real poetry from his theme, mostly, it is true, bhecause he saw, beneath the dry theory, the wonder of it all. He had @ great love for humanity— his purpose was solely ethical—he anted to nelieve men of fear. He wanted to serve. His entire poem is broken, here and there, with places of beauty in words, simple pictures of the lambs in_the nds at a picni With Lucretius presents many re- ions upon human life which are ally true. e EE ¥ Nothing is gotten out of nothing, Lucreti 1s says, enunciating the theory of law in nature, Matter is imperishable. “A thing, therefore, never returns to nothing, but all things after dis- ruption go back into the first bodies of matter. (Atoms.) “Lastly rains die, when Father Ether has tumbled them into the lap of Mother Earth: but then goodly crops ing up, and boughs are green with leaves upon the trees, trees them- elves grow and are laden with fruit. b them, in turn, our race and the race of wild bea are fed, by them we seb glad towns teem with children and the leafy forests ring iy!\ ‘:nll sides with the song of new birc 3y rough them cattle, wearied with their lond of fat, lay their . bodies down about the glad pastures, and tream pours from the distended udder: “Through them a new kly limbs frisk the soft grass, hearts Atom and giv it. brood with and gambols over rapt in their young with the pure new milk.” he points out, are invisible, score of instances to ture works hy unseen v The property of is to weigh all things downwar Thus he ehun- ciates the theory of gravity. Arguments are given to prove the indestructibi of the atom. He argues against the theory, then cur- rent, that fire was the original ele- ment, saying: “Fools admire and like all things the more which they per- ceive to be concealed under involved anguage, and determine things to be true which can prettily tickle the ears and are varnished over with finely sounding phrases.” OBSERVATIONS . ties 11akes strange bedfellows.” The mmittee’s latest statement issued apropos the present fighting between the Marines and the Nicaraguan “out- laws” denounces in scathing terms the American occupation and declares that “moral responsibility for Nicara- guan bloodshed belongs wholly to President Coolidge.” * kK ok %k Secretary Kellogg is at the moment the only member of the Coolidge cabi- net who is at his desk in Washington. The Geneva conference has badly crimped his vacation plans. Secre- tary Mellon is on a yachting cruise in the Mediterranean, and Secretary of War Davis on a holiday on the con- tinent. Hoover is in California and Attorney Gene Sargent is at his home in Vermont. Dr. Work is in Colorado, Secretary Jardine is on a Western speaking ‘trip and Secretary Wilbur is combining business and pleasure in a short sojourn in Massa- chusetts. Postmaster General New is on a cation in Michigan and Secre- tary of Labor Davis is commuting to Long Island for week ends with -his family and between times keeping Eastern speaking engagements, * oK ok K _ Congress sitting and Congress ad- Journed makes a_difference of 30 per cent in the business done hy Wash- ington merchants, hotel keepers and the like, according to figures recently compiled by the local business men. Th! s not because Congressmen, taken as a whole, are big spenders. They are not, for comparatively few of them have large bank rolls. The money lost stands for what the men and women spend who are drawn to Washington when Congress is in ses- sion, either for the social season or for business with the Government. So far as the merchants are concerned, the more lobbvists the better. Per- haps this is why Washington is al. ways 5o much more stirred up by talk of extra sessions than is the rest of the country. (Copyright. 1927.) UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR Ten Years Ago Today Constitutional amendment for Na- tion-wide prohibition passes Senate, 65 to 20, and fight now shifts to House. Senate inserts six-year proviso that unless 36 States vote “dry” in that period the reform measure fails. * * * U-boat destroys American tanker Mo- tano wh Twenty: s rvivors landed. oe predicts failure of U-boat offensive, with America's aid, s German people will revolt gn is a shing, accom- nch generals, in- cantonments of American troops front. * * * Kourteen million e hundred thousand dollars will be hington that al- d governments are exchanging views Austria that may have a bearing ard peace. * * * Navy Depart- ment gives out facts of convoy escape. aves' report shows the Creel story exaggerated the ambush of transports. Not an attack in force, but at least two encounters with sub- nd. one sunk by a * * * Shipping Board de- les to increase wooden shipbuild- ing program 20 to 30 per cent. South- ern pine producers warned that pa- triotism comes before profits. * * * Crowder tightens exemption rules. No discharge to be given for material hardship to individual or * * ¢ War {s now $700,000,000 a month, expenditures and “depth | . He Saw Walter Johnson Pitch His First Game To the Editor of The Star: The writer belongs to the “I was there” club. How well he remembers it, for it was on that very day tbat my first “grandmother” died. Many of my other grandmothers have died since, but the death of the first one was a sad one indeed, for it was on that very day that Wailter Johnson made his big league debut and suffered his first defeat. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. I was office boy and general nuisance to one of the best sports that ever walked God's earth, my old friend William Barnum, who was then editor of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. The morning of the game I was very early, the boss’ desk had been cleaned as it never had before, new ink and new pen points stood out, as well as fresh blotters; every scrap of paper had been thrown away beyond secall. 1 even remember a bright new necktie I bought that morning which would rival the rainbow. If the boss sensed anything he did not give him- self away. How well I remember the beating of my heart in the expectation of telling him the sad news of my de- parted relative. I sometimes believe he must have read the news in the paper, because he looked me straight in the eye and told me that I could attend the funeral. However, as a parting shot, he suggested that the next time I attend a funeral it would be more becoming to wear a black tie. And then I knew that he knew and he knew that I knew that he knew. You know what I mean. However, the next morning the first thing I was asked, “What do you think of him?" Then I told the story of a giant from out of the great West; he had arms 10 feet long; hands as large as platters, etec. I told him about a large colored gentleman that sat in front of me at the “funeral.” He was having a great time and af- ter a while he laid back, shut his eves and spoke his piece as follows: “Boys, I'm_shutting mah eyes ‘cause I kin see this here game in the dark. Now, ebery time you hear dat bat hit dat ball you know Washington's at de bat, but when you hear dat ole umpire yell “Three strikes, yer out, den you know dis here new baby dol} Johnson's in de box.” And after 20 vears I can still see that big black boy sitting near me with a mouth like a watermelon, enjoying life if ever one did, sitting back with his closed eyes and smiling a smile-a mile long when- >ver he heard “Three strikes, yer out!” I suppose my colored friend, if he is living today, has shut his eyes many, many times and—smiled out loud! The thought has often come to me that Walter Johnson has done more not only for base ball but for all the sports of our country than any ath- lete that America has ever produced. To those of us who have lived in his day and watched his progress it has heen a blessing. 1 believe, too, that his name will go down in the pages of history as an example of what a real American stands for, that our children and our children’s children will know full well that he was as wreat a hero and idol as was any idol of war—an idol of clean living, gen- tlemanly sportsmanship and true Americanism! This week, when all Washingto- nians will honor their Big Boy, I am sure that throughout the whole land and across the seas, wherever the American flag is unfurled, the best wishes and prayers of all true sports- men will be here in spirit! And no doubt the great majority will sit back with eyes shut and smile as they hear “Three strikes, yer out!” 4 IRVING M. GREY. Fleeing Bootleggers Are Potential Murderers To the Editor of The Star: I wish to compliment you on the editorial, “The Pursuit of Criminals,” which appeared in The Star of July We find in the newspapers today what in effect is an encouragement of crime. This is not so much an in- dorsement of the acts of lawbreakers as it is a continual campaign of de- nunciation for those whose business it is to enforce the law. Every pre- text is seized to belittle and discourage the police and prohibition enforcement officers, until one sometimes wonders whether the criminal is not the more honored member of our present social organization and the man who con- scientiously strives to preserve our government the pariah. Our roads are becoming more unsafe for the ordinary traveler each month. Every bootlegger in his high-powered car i3 a potential murderer and should be hunted down relentlessly. It is time we were praising the man who chases such scoundrels. We need more of such lucid, unanswerable arguments as that contained in your splendid editorial. H. N. VINALL Says Real Service Is to Feed Animals To the Editor of The Star: The Animal Rescue League receiv- ed, in my opinion, undeserved indorse- ment in the news item in The Star of July 18, wherein the residents of this city were urged to aid in bringing to the league dogs and cats that have been left behind by families which had gone on vacations. The news item in question spoke of the league’s one automobile as being busy all day “in a vain effort to take all the waifs to_Kind Harbor.” Why should your reporter call such a place “Kind Harbor”? Does he not know that the Animal Rescue League kills almost all the animals taken there? The last published animal report of the Animal Rescue League shows that 96 per cent of the animals *aken there were killed. Therefore, it is a gross error and a shame to refer to that institution as “Kind Harbor.” Those who truly love animals wish them to live. They should not be ex- horted to carry animals to their death. Rather should they be encouraged to feed them during the temporary ab- sence of the owners. That is real kindness. Mortals cling to life most tenacious- ly. Let us reflect that animals love to live too. We should be loath to take their lives. Give them a chance. FRANCIS D. SCOTT. Friend of Animal. - Commends Article To the Editor of The Star: Your paper of Saturday evening, July 23, contains an article on the editorial page with regard to the in- humanity shown pets by owners leav. ing the city in the Summer for long or short periods, making no provision for their care. I cannot commend you too highly for this article. I only hope you may spread enough such re. liable propaganda abroad that either ignorant or unkind people may feel i As an active chibwoman, I am Alwa;;r interested in such good articles lool ing toward uplift, and wish on all occasions to use my voice in the in- terest of our much-loved and faithful friends, the dogs and cats. MRS. L. W. BIDDLE. The Real Question. From the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. It's not of so much interest to us how any star manages to break into the movies as why! % Onward and Upward. From the Lafayette Journal and ¢ ‘There is a type of SR > ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q How large is Rumania?’—N. G. A. Its territory was greatly in- creased as a result of thd treaties fol- lowing the World, War. It now has an area of 122,283 square miles and a population of about 18,000,000. Q. How many people attended the Decoration day races at the Speedway in Indianapolis?—E. J. B. A. The official paid attendance is not of public record. Newspapers es- timated the crowd at between 135,000 and 150,000. Q. Why Is the South American tea called “mate”?—J. E. A. The term “mate,” which has by usage become attached to this product, belongs originally to the vessels in which it was infused for drinking; these were usually made of gourds or calabashes, often trained into curious forms during their growth. Into the hollow vessels thus formed a small quantity of the material is put and boiling water is added. The effect of mate is much the same as that of tea, stimulating and restorative, ow- ing to the presence of a large propor- tion of caffeine. Q. Do Eskimos live in the same type of house the year around?—E. B. H. A. The dwellings are always of two kinds—tents for Summer and houses or huts for Winter use. The tents are made of sealskin; the igloos, or Winter houses, are far more va: ried in structure among the different groups. They are usually built of stones, chinked and covered with moss and banked up with snow. The en. trance is a long passage high enough to admit a man crawling upon hands and knees. Q. How many people are killed in traffic accidents in Boston?—s. K. B. A. For each 100,000 inhabitants 12.1 persons were killed last year. Q. How mapy negro college gradu- ates are there in America?—S. A. A. There are in the United States about 10,000 negro college graduates. Six hundred and seventy-five received the bachelor's degree last year. The degree of doctor of philosophy has been awarded to 29 negroes by Ameri. can universitfes. 3 Q. When did the Salvation Army come to America?—C. S. D. A. 1In 1879. It originated in London in 1865, but was known as the Chris- tion’ Mission until the late seventies, when the name was changed to the Salvation Army. Q.HWhere is the Moffat Tunnel?— A. It is in Colorado, about 50 miles west of Denver on the Denver & Salt Lake City Railroad. It shortens the ‘distance between the two cities by 173 miles. Q. What city is called the San Fran- cisco of South America?—P. A. R. A. Valparaiso, Chile, is given this name because, like San Francisco, it is so hilly that part of the city is built in the valley and part on'the hills, and because it has suffered earthquakes Q. How many carriages and bug- gies are now manufactured?—T. S. T. there were 14,789 made. In addition, 15,719 business wagons, 140,851 farm wagons and farm trucks and 1,878 sleighs were manufactured. Q. Ts there really a blind spot in the eye?—F. N. A. There is a spot in the retina of each eye which is blind. It cor- responds to the point of entry of the optic nerve. Q. How much industrial group in- surance is now in effect?—D. V, A. The Industrial Conference Board vs that the growth of industrial Toup insurance, which had its begin- ning about 15 vears ago, has been so rapid that today the lives of 4,700,000 employes are protected under this form of insurance for a total amount of approximately 0.000,000. The number of those insured under the group plan increased by more than 1,500,000 during the last two years. Q. A, What is Gilsonite?—L. H. sonite is the mineral named It is uintahite and of asphalt common in | Jtah Mountains, and enters into the manufacture of paving cements. %, What makes a forest petrity?— % G. G. A. When wood or other vegetable matter is buried in soil charged with petrifying material, it becomes satu- rated with it and the cells filled with infiltrated matter. When the wood decays the petrifying material is left, retaining the structure of the wood The most common petrifying materials are silica, carbonate of lime and sul | phide of iron. The most celebrated ex- amples of fossil forests belonging to more recent geological periods are those of Arizona and the Yellow- stone Park. There the wood eells have ‘heen replaced by silica. The silication was probably accomplished by hot alkaline waters carrying dis- solved sllica, for there s evidence of voleanic activity in this region, which might give rise to thermal springs. Q. Is there an association eom- posed of men who have recefved medals of honor in the military serv- ico of the country?—T. Y. A. There is the Medal of Honor Le- gion, wthich was at first limited to participants in the Civil War, but which has been extended to all medal holders. 1t has about 400 members among Army and Navy veterans. &, What does infra dig mean?—F. A" It 13 a shortening of the Latin infra dignitatem, and means beneath one’s dignity—undignified. Have we had the pleasure of serv- ing you through our Washington In- formation Bureau? Can’t we be of some help to you in your daily probd- lems? Our business is to furnish you with authoritative information, and we invite you to ask us any question of fact in which you are interested. Send your insuiry to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. and has had to be rehuilt. Inclose 2 cents in stamps for return postage. Strong Views on Nicaragua Reveal Differing Judgments Radical differences of opinion as to the justification for killing of several hundred Nicaraguans in battle with American Marines are shown by comments in the American press. Those who support the action taken under the State Department believe that no other course was possible and that the killing ‘was in self-defense. Crities of the administration insist that American fighters should not be employed on_foreign soil in the ab- sence of a declaration of war. , “The affair at Ocotal is, of course, highly regrettable. No American can be elated,” says the Fort Worth Star-Telegsram (independent Demo- cratic), “over the killing of several score natives of another country by United States Marines on duty there for important reasons. But, at the same time, no American would want the Marines to fail to do their duty. This is the whole story of the fight at Ocotal. The so-called army involved on the other side was, in fact, a band of outlaws, who had been holding seized American property in violation of the laws of their own country, as well as the arrangement between' that country and the United States, which arrangement the Marines were there to uphold. Moreover, the Marines did not attack but were attacked. Their defense, so effective that it served the purpose of a crushing of- fense, is something that Americans can be proud of as upholding the best traditions of the American soldier.” On_the other hand:the New Bed- ford Standard (Republican) makes the comment: “Secretary Kellogg says they were merely brigands, but if so, all revolutionists are brigands, and in any case, must we forever undertake the suppression of brigandage in other American countries? To Central and South Americans it must look as if benevolent intervention by the United States means a lot of work for tre burying squad. The victory will have jts repercussion in increased distrust of American intentions, honorable and friendly as they are. It would be hard to say how much we have lost in good will south of the Mexican border. * ok ok ok “The responsibility for what has happened rests with the agsressive bandit_force,” in the opinion of the St. Paul Dispatch (independent), which adds that “the United States will, or should, maintain whatever strength is necessary to keep order in Nicaragua, pending the election next year.” The Oakland Tribune (independent Republican) points out that “were there no neutral force there, prepared to maintain order, the country would be overrun with armed bands, leaving terror, suffer- ing and poverty in their wake. There are times when a great nation can- not do the easiest thing, which, in this case, would be to leave Nica- ragua to its Sandinos, Sacasas and rifle-bearing politicians s Attacking the logic of “some of the critics who are condemning the action of the Marines,” the Wate: town Daily Times (Republican) asks “What would they prefer? Would | they have wanted to see this small force of Marines annihilated by a| gang of bandits that would have! spared _neither wounded nor prison- } ers? Did they want Capt. Hatfield) and his little group to become vic- | tims of the man who promised ‘to drink Yankee blood’?” “Instead of weakening the admin- istration's hand, the Ocotal the President in his attempt to bring peace and order to the country,” de- clares the Charleston Daily Mail (in- dependent Republican), while the Fargo Forum (Republican) and Ban- gor Comimercial (Republican) em- phasize the fact that the enemy forces were “only outlaws.” The San Francisco Bulletin (Republican) adds fight |, strengthens it, and further justifies pendent Democratic) belleves that “the ghosts of these slaughtered Nicara- guans will rise for years to come. o trouble us. They will give the Latin Americans a battle-cry akin to our ‘Remember the Maine.' * * * Unless the United States can and will go at this task co-operatively, acting in con- Junction with the rest of Latin Amer- ica, when local disturbances arise, its £0od intentions will always be doubted, and it will be hated and feared to its Pw"v! ss and the loss of all the Amer- icas,” continues the News. The Port- land Oregon Journal (independent) maintains that Secretary Kellogg is costing American business. “untold millions.” It is perfectly well known ing to the Des Moines Register (inde- pendent Republican), “that the peace that we enforced was a Diaz peace. The Liberals accepted it be were told they had to.” The Regi: also remarks that “eve might well re- member that the Boston tea party was called the work of ‘bandits. The Rochester Times-Union (independent) adds: “The vice of the situation has lain in the fact that one of the prin- cipal two Nicaraguan factions has not believed, and does not believe, that it will get a square deal from the United States.” The Youngstown Vindic (Democratic) argues: “Cert planation is due the Ame: peopia as to just what our Government iy doing in Central America. If we are there merely to protect American in- l\‘:fix}nems we hfiad better get out in a * ok ok % o Ocotal is in perfect harmony with the morality of America,’ as morality has been illustrated by Coolidg=," contends the Birminzham News (Demceratic), which quotes the President’s statement on the oil s dal to the effect that “the thing to be wondered at was that th been so little corruption at Washing ton when there might have been so much corruption there,” and imagines the President saying: “The thing real- ly to be marveled at in Nicaragua is that only 300 Nicaraguans were slaughtered.” We hold aloof from the League of Nations lest our boys be committed to fight on foreign soil in a quarrel be tween outsiders,” suggests the Oma World-Herald (independent), “and yet, without congressional authorization, and although no been committed a that is just pred doing “We don’t feel much patriotic pride when we think about that Nicaraguan ‘battle,’ ” says the Little Rock Ar- kansas Democrat (Democratic), and the Baltimore Sun (independent Demo- eratic) avers: “The most stolidly com- placent of American citizens would have no trouble in placing responsi- bility if another nation sent its troops where they had no business to be, and then found it necessary to slaugh- ter natives by raining bombs from air in order to protect the troops O Ttaly’s Drink Problem. From the Montana Record-Herald Mussolini has closed 25,000 bars in Italy and threatens to take the licen es away from a lot of others. Thus it appears that Italy has a drink problem just like the United States, which is dry—in spots. Drunkenness And the effects as Mussolini's ory, y what they are v statistics show that only hs from alcoholism occurred 9 while in 1 the figure was less than half that number. The chief difficulty that faces the fascist government is that, although the export trade in Italian wines is small compared to that of France, that the Marines “wrote a page in history which 1is like the famous the | tremely rare 15 years ago. there is one-third as muoh again more land devoted to the cultivation of grapes for wines in Italy than in France or Spain, Wine is abundant and cheap, and the economic pros- perity of the country has led to ex- ve drinking, ‘and drunkenness in the ts of the large towns is now a common sight, whereas it was.ex- Signor | Mussolini called the attention of the these facts in a recent ‘made it plain, at the same is not in favor of Ho