Evening Star Newspaper, September 12, 1927, Page 8

“THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY.....September 12, 1927 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Bustness Office: 11th St and Pennay New York Office: 110° Ea Chicagn Office” Tower Bu European Office: 14 Regent St.. Eogland. . London, The Evening Star with the Sunday mom- 1pe edition ta’ delivered by carricry within he city at 60 cents per month: daily «nly &5 cents per month: Sundavs Gnly ante o5 montn, Ordera may be wont by m plephone Main 500 e by o ‘ma: 0. Collertion is mad carrier at end o h month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Pajly and Sunday Daily oniv. .. Sunday only. All Other Stat: aile and Sunday.] vr aily only .. 1vr. unday oulv.. .1 1yrl and Canada. $12.00: 1 mo.. $1.00 S8.00:1 mol " T8 $4.00: 1 mo.: Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Preas is cxelusively entitled o the ‘use { Ryhes ted in this pan pahlished b of kpecial also the local news All rights of publication tches herein are aleo reserved Philadelphia's Mayoralty. The fight now raging in Philadel- phia for the Republican nomination for mayor has far more back of it than the choice of a chief executive for the City of Brotherly Love. The control of William S. Vare, Senator- elect, is at stake. The election may even affect the seating of Mr. Vare in the Senate, the choice of delegates to the next Republican national con- vention, and the renomination of Sen- ator David A. Reed next year. Vareism hangs in the balance. The organization, headed by Mr. Vare, has its back to the wall. It expects to win. Its ticket has the indorsement of W. L. Mellon, nephew of Secretary Mellon and chairman of the Repub- lican State committee. The Vare ticket offers for mayor Harry A. Mackey, who managed Mr. Vare's campaign for the senatorial nomina- tion and election in 1326, the &&m paign in which huge sums of money were expended, as revealed by the Reed slush fund committee. Oppo- nents of Vareism have rallied to J. Hampton Moore, former member of the House of Representatives and former mayor. Mr. Moore is the hope of independent Republicans. He is the battering ram with which they are trying to smash the organization. The ©dds against him appear tremendously heavy. But Mr. Moore has been elected mayor of Philadelphia before this by an aroused electorate. Reports from Philadelphia indicate the “virgin” territory is exhausted by dint of research and scouting and the chances of novelty are steadily re- duced. It has been sald that a good loca- tion is at least half the picture. The | whole of California has been combed over for appropriate sites. Prospectors have gone thousands of miles to get ®gopd shooting ground. A picture di- rector abhors the thought of repeat- ing backgrounds and is constantly seeking novelties. Money is no ob- ject. The addition of a few thousand dollars to the cost of production sim- ply goes into the ‘“overhead” which the public pays, without being con- sclous that it is assessed for a few strange hills or trees. Clever ag is the plastic art of the scene-makers in the studios, it can- not reach the point of sincerity at 80¢ | which nature is perfectly simulated. Real hills and mountains, gorges and torrents, forests and plains are re- quired to meet the taste of the sophis- ticated speetators, and hence the in- tensity of competition that prevails between rival corporations. The de- - cision of the Governor of Utah in this case may have no bearing upon fu- ture disputations, but it will, perhaps, add something of interest to the law of movie priority. ———— Constitution Day. Constitution day has been officially proclaimed by the governors of twelve States and will be observed through- out the country on next Saturday. Mayors of thirty-three cities have pledged themselves to participate in the programs of patriotic meetings ar- ranged by the National Security League, which is directing a propa- ganda to encourage the understand- ing, and the teaching, of the Consti- tution in the schools of the land. We have Mother's day, Father's day, Independence day, Decoration day, Armistice day, Labor day, Apple week, Thrift week, Safe-Driving week and a host of other days and weeks dedicated to this, that and the other thing. Some of them are important and some of them are silly. But none is more fundamental than Constitution day. And it is to be hoped that in popular- izing the observance of Constitution day those directing the movement will emphasize the fact that there are three hundred and sixty-five days in the year, and that Constitution day is only one of them. The ultimate aim of the Security League is, and should be, so to focus attention on the Constitution on one day that in- terest in the subject will stretch the year around. Our primary schools teach a smat. tering of history, inject a dose of political science and civics and eco- that the registration for the Repub- lican primary, which is to be held this + month, is very heavy. This outpour- Ing of voters is interpreted by Mr. Moore as an uprising, a forerunner of & political upheaval. Mr. Mackey, on the other hand, says it meraly shows that the organization is working at maximum efficiency and is getting all the voters registered. The city of Philadelphia gave Mr. Vare a huge majority in the senatorial election, after the Reed committee had conducted its investigation of the sen- atorial primary. In the senatorial election it was Vare against a Demo- erat, William B. Wilson. In the com- ing primary it is Vare's campaign manager against a Republican, run- ning independently of the organiza- tion. The victory of Mr. Mackey will be hailed widely as an indorsement of Mr. Vare. His defeat, on the con- trary, will be a heavy blow to Mr. Vare's hopes of being seated in the United States Senate, and to the hold of Mr. Vare on the Philadelphia Re- publican organization. - In his campaign speeches, Mr. Moore 18 stressing not only a need for clean- ing house in Philadelphia, but also the possible effect of the election of Vare's campaign manager on na- tional Republican politics. Continued Republican support in Philadelphia for Vare will be construed outside of the Btate as an indorsement by the Repub- licans of Pennsylvania of the methods which brought about Mr. Vare's nom- fnation and election to the Senate. This is a burden which the Repub- Hean party should not have to bear In 1928, Mr. Moore insists. e The magnificent example in the matter of discreet silences set by President Coolidge is not duly appre- ciated and respected by some of the Government's trusted employes. —————————————— Movie Location Rights. As spectators of motion pictures have sat before the screen during re- eent years and have watched scenes of great beauty flashed before them they have doubtless wondered at the #kill and enterprise of the organiza- tions that have found these locations and secured them for the purposes of their companies. Perhaps some of them have, in view of the fact that there are mary organizations in the field, wondered whether there was any rivalry for choice sites, and, it 8o, just how competition was adjusted for par- ticular bits of scenery. A dispatch from Cedar City, Utah, throws a little light on this question, end the hope is born that perhaps #some sprightly director may make a movie of the episode and put it on the screen. It appears that the scouts of two rival production companies found the same “location” in the mountains of southern Utah, particu- larly suited to pictorial purposes. The consequence was that advance squads | of the two concerns moved out to the site, each bent upon arranging for shooting scenes there, and coming into contact at Cedar City they fell into disputation which waxed 80 warm that the business manager of one of the companies and the production manager of the other were arrested. It appears that one of the organiza- tion had a posse of fifteen armed men and a force of deputy sheriffs on the lot guarding the approaches to lhe) disputed location. For the present a truce has been declared and the con- troversy has been put up to the gov- ernor of the State for settlement. Just what are the priority rights of & motion picture company to & select scene? Who determines the question? Is rent paid for the use of scenery? How can a producer establish a lien on nature? These questions will be asked not only in this case, but in fihm that are certain to arise ?u nomics, and furnish their pupils with an introduction to the rules of gram- mar, which gives them a speaking ac- quaintance with the English language. A systematic study of the Constitu- tion would be an excellent addition to the curriculum of the preparatery schools. It should be made the text for a study of history, political science, economics, civics and English combined, and not treated superficial- ly as an historical incident. The boy or girl graduating from high school should be able not only to name the articles and the amendments to the Constitution, but should know what principle is involved in each of them; should know what lay behind their adoption; should have a rudimentary knowledge of their interpretation by the courts and the manner in which each of them works in the day-to-day procedure of the Government. Such a course would be far more valuable THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. from it. The dirt sides are soft and any ear that goes off the concrete is almost invariably in trouble. ‘The safety of a road is measured by the skill and consideration of in- dividual drivers. No matter what the rules may be, or the conditions, there are always drivers who take chances, who “hog” the road, who try to over- take cars on curves and in the face of approaching traffic. These are the danger eclements on any highways, and especially 20 on narrow ones, A fifteen-foot road is too narrow to accommodate these reckless drivers and their victims, the careful drivers who are forced off the concrete to avoid collision. There is but one remedy for the condition. That is a widening of the road. So many accidents have oc- curred on this highway that this remedy should be adopted at once. A demand has arisen even for the clos- ing of the road pending this improve- ment. This would be an extreme re- sort, not to be considered unless de- spite repeated warnings the incom- petent and careless drivers continue to cause mishaps. Definition of a safe speed in terms of forty miles an hour is an absurdity in view of the conditions on the De- fense Highway. Anybody who tries to make that speed on that road in its present condition is practically cer- tain to come to grief himself or to cause disaster to others. MR e Strikes and Schools, A reflex of militant trade unionism | has manifested itself at Gallatin, Pas in a manner that illustrates the in- tensity of the feeling on the part of those engaged in industrial conflict, even to the children of antagonists. The Gallatin school is attended by pupils who belong to both union and non-union families. The other day boys and girls of the former class stoned and drove away from the school the children of non-union miners. Troopers were summoned and restored order. When on Friday the teachers prepared for the day's work they found only the children of non-union miners present and learned that the union men had ordered their children to keep away from the school as long as the others were present. Now the school authorities of Gallatin have warned the parents of the ab- gentees that unless the pupils are present forthwith for classes legal ac- tion will be taken under the compul- sory education law. The school authorities cannot take cognizance of the trade union status of the parents of the children who are eligible to attend classes. They could not possibly forbid the non-union chil- dren to attend school for the sake of peace, for the latter have a perfect right to an education regardless of the industrial affiliations of their par- ents. On the other hand, the law re- quires parents to send their children to school unless they are physically Incapacitated. It would seem in thes circumstances that there is nothing left but to send the little unionites to school and make them behave. —————.—— After a prizefight has been decided preparations for the next encounter immediately engage the efforts of typewriters and printing presses. Pugilism is the longest serial story known to popular literature. e Uncle Sam has riches which inspire many nations to a willingness to lay their wisdom at his feet with refer- ence to how to use the mone; ————— 'The Mississippi flood danger is not fully disposed of before the Panama Canal threatens a formidable overflow than one which informs the student that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two, and that Queen Isabella is alleged to have pawned her jewels to let him do it. High school is noneé too early to begin such a course. A year's study provides none too firm a foun- dation. 1t is only through a widely held and intelligently understood knowledge of the principles of the American Gov- ernment, as embodied in its Consti- tution, that its institutions will con- tinue. Such a knowledge, as the Se- curity League points out, “will prove the only antidote for radical and So- cialistic propaganda.” That is very true. Radicalism, in its accepted meaning, fattens most quickly on ig- norance. It is constantly being plc- tured as a bloodthirsty creature which prowls the land seeking small children to devour. The ignorant, discontented individual is apt to be drawn to it by the mystery which surrounds it as a way out of his difficulties. In such an individual lies the greatest danger. There will always be radicals. But the intelligent radical does not throw bombs. The young man or woman with a basic knowledge of our Con- stitution will at least be able mental- ly to compare some of the funda- mental differences between the Ameri- can form of government and that which would be set up by the radical theorist. He will be able to weigh one against the other. In his com- mon sense should lie his greatest se- curity, and the security of his country. ————— According to some theorles one way to assist prohibition would be to try out new people and keep & “help wanted” ad running in all the news- papers. e ———— Defense Highway Not Safe. Opinion is advanced by the chair- man of the State Roads Commission of Maryland that while the Defense Highway should be wider, it is not unsafe. He bases this judgment on the fact that if a man drives at a de- cent rate of speed he will never get into difficulty, He regards forty miles an hour as such a “decent rate of speed.” No fifteen-foot road is safe in mod- ern conditions of traffic, regardless of the rate of speed of cars traversing it. The margin of safety is too small. If all cars were the same width, the standard width of touring cars and others of the individual type, it might be possible perhaps to make forty miles an hour on such a highway pro- vided everybody drove skillfully and considerately. But there are wider ve- hicles, such as busses, and there are trucks of greater width, and these, apart from any other consideration, crowd the road and with the most careful driving are themselves forced off the paved surface or force others of diplomatic argument. ——— e ‘There is nothing for science to gain in a long-distance air flight when no- body survives to describe the details. —— e ‘The original prizes so generously offered prove but a small part of the cost of experimental flying. o SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON, Life Worth Living. T know a man of whom, I guess, T'd say his life was a success. He never paused for crying. And when a disappointment came He proved all resolute and game, And simply kept on trying. Some days were dark and some were bright. He met them all with spirits light. He had no time for sighing. Said he, “Though hapless hours ar- rive, You still are hopeful and alive 8o long as you keep trying.” A Charm of Music. “Are you fond of music?” “Very,” answered Senator Sorghum. “At a great gathering it's a great re- llef to be able to join in a song with absolute confidence that none of the words you utter at this particular moment are likely to be used agalnst you during the campaign.” Jud Tunkins says the only time his daughters obey a word of command is when the radio announcer says “Please stand by.” Grandma to the Rescue. Grandpa was a gambling man, ‘Who wasted his estate. Grandma does the best she can To conquer cruel fate. Although the silverware has gone Into forgotten ways, We base new family hopes upon The game of bridge she plays. “A philosopher,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is a man who somehdw succeeds in expressing him- self in terms of a one-sided argument.” Overgrown. “How is your mint patch?" “It is progressing,” answered Uncle Bill Bottletop. “Thanks to prohibi- tion, it's no longer a patch. It's a fleld.” Barber Shopping. The barber shop chord is no more In the spot where we sniffed it of yore. The barber cuts hail While the radio there For base ball fans calls out the score. “Dar is two men dats mistaken,” said Uncle Eben. “One thinks every- thing is wrong an’ de other takes it for granted everything is firlxht." The late Elbert H. Gary in his will advised his heirs to “refrain from an- g their income in any re- spec Coming from such a sound business man as Judge Gary, this warning may well be taken to heart by most of us, who _perhaps deal, at the most, with hundreds, and at rare intervals thou- sands, instead of hundreds of thou- sands and millions of dollars. 1t this Is good advice for wealthy people, it is excellent counsel indeed for those in what are popularly called “moderate circumstances.” One would not become involved in the controversy over installment buy- |ing. One may be reasonably sure that Judge Gary had something larger in mind. His warning can in no sense be regarded as for the housewife who needs, some household appliance, and who therefore buys it “on time,” as Judge Gary's warning went deeper than that, to the larger purchases in iife, in an effort to prevent the smooth talk of high-pressure salesmen from overcoming the resistance of those who ordinarily would use their com- mon sense. * ok ok ok We heard recently of a case in point which we coupled immediately with Judge Gary's warning. “This was what he meant,” we sald. The story, as it came to us, goes in this wise A young man, doing very well in his business and already the owner of a small home, desired a larger domi- cile. He went through the customary procedure. He was transported hith and yon by ambitious real estate sales- men with their eye on the main chance (the commission). No one can blame them for that. Matters of this sort get around. If one is hardy enough to call in an in- surance agent, for instance, 10 other agents respond with a week. No matter how carefully one covers up his tracks, a dozen competing agents will find one out a few days after the first automobile salesman is ap- proached. So it is with realtors. These in- teresting psychological studies have ‘approaches” varying with the indi- vidual. Bach man fondly imagines that he craftily varies his “approach’ to meet the prospect in hand, but all the time the aforementioned prospect (if he has studied his Freud and his Bril) knows that the bozo is always himself. e b As for that, how can any one be any one else than himself? It is a wonderful hour for a young man when he wakes up to the as- tounding truth that this chap he has been so carefully shaving every morn- ing is, for a truth, his very self. To admire another, and try to be like him, is something—in fact, it is a great deal—but when the best im- itation of another has been put u and one has failed, more or less mi erably, is is highly satisfyi turn to reality and be whole-heartedly one’s self. This is why middle-aged gentlemen take on a certain self-satisfied look. They just make the best of them- selves, The old line about “for better or for worse,” which they listened to without understanding, some years ago, means som:thln: now. To get back to the real estate sales- man. Every reportorial ear in Washing- ton will be cocked till further notice for a whisper, hint or suggestion from Calvin Coolidge in amplification of his immortal, but indefinite, statement of August 2. Does “I do not choose to run” mean “I will not run”?—that is the question. The President will be politely, but persistently, pestered by {the news-gathering fraternity so long as he takes refuge in continued si- lence, Mr. Coolidge sprang the original bombshell without notice. It is well within the range of probabilities that his next utterance will be equally un- heralded. Meantime, there’s only one topic of interest from the standpoint of the Fourth Estate, and while it re- mains an unclosed incident no rest will prevail in that inquisitive realm. * ok ok K Friends of the President declare he returns to the White House in no light state of indignation over the imputa- tion that he is playing smart politics. They assert no real admirer of Calvin Coolidge can attribute to him the “bad faith” of which he might be accused if he consented to be “drafted” in 1928. The President's two bosom com- rades, Chairman William M. Butler and Frank W, Stearns, are described as writhing in high dudgeon over sug- gestions that they are the archpriests of the draft-Coolidge movement. All that can be said with positiveness, until finality issues from the oracle, is that the overwhelming majority of Republican leaders takes Coolidge at his chosen word. It believes he is out of the picture completely. But there is an impressive minority which thinks he would not resist a summons if he conceived that national welfare and {)lnrly good alike demanded his re-elec- on. * % k x Col. George Harvey, editor, diplo- mat and President-maker, has put the finishing touches upon his first book: It is a biography of the late Henry C. Frick, financier, steel mag- nate and potent Pennsylvania poli- tician. Harvey and Frick were close friends. His biographer considers that Frick was a power in big busi- ness and high finance, of stature requal to that of Pierpont Morgan or Elbert H. Gary. Harvey had access to all of Frick's papers and letters, particularly those dealing with the an arbiter of Republican destinies in Pennsylvania. Confreres who had opportunity of looking over the colonel’s shoulder during the pro- duction of his “Life” of Frick predict for it high place among the growing library of works deal’ g with the stel- lar figures of American industrial times. * K kK An untold yarn about Vice Presi- dent “Tom" Marshall is spun by the Rev. George F. Dudley, rector of St. Stephen’s, Washington. Dr. Dudley, being of that distinguished clan known as Hooslers, enjoyed the friendship of the Democratic sage. “Dudley,” marked Marshall one day, don't you write a new Epis- copal prayer to include the Vice President of the United States?” The rector replied that the prayer in common use called for divine guid ance “for the President and all others in authority.” Whereupon Marshall rejoined: hat's just the trouble. The Vice President hasn't any authority!” Dr. Dudley is a son of the Indiana G. O. P. boss who achleved fame as ‘“Blocks-of-Five” Dudley, but that didn’'t prevent the rector from being invited to deliver the prayer at a session of the Balti- more Democratic National Conven- tlon in 1912, It was & blistering hot afternoon. Budley’s invocation lasted exactly 45 seconds. voked a tornado of cheers—a tribute to his brevity! * kK ok The other day a letter arrived in Washington from Philadelphia, ad- dressed “District of Columbia, Wash: ington, D. C.” The Post Office re- turned it to the writer undelivered, marked “Unknown.” R Friends throughout the Army are much distressed over the aflliction ‘ - [ will achie ironmaster’s less well known role as | His “Amen” pro- | He approached his prospect with the following line of chatter: “No, this particular house is not too expensive for you. “You expect promotions from time to time, don't you? Certainly you do! You would not remain with your present firm if you did not. So—" etc., etc. If we were head of a realty firm, and knew that any of our young men used such an argument with a pros- pect, we would fire him instanter, because we would regard his talk as thoroughly vicious in theory and practice, Surely this is exactly the sort of thing Mr. Gary meant when he earnestly requested his heirs to r frain “from anticipating their in. come in any respect.” T To purchase an article, even a house, a little at a time, is merely action on the injunction, “Here a little, there a little.” The first thing you know, you have the thing paid for, on the basis of the income at the time of signing up. To anticipate one's income, however, to the extent of signing up on the strength of money one merely hopes will come to him, is an entirely dif- ferent thing. Expectation is grand and glorious. So is optimism. qualities, however, ought never to mislead a man into putting his name on the dotted line. A bird in the hand, truly, is worth two in the bush, “Never count your they are hatched,” maxim, chickens untii says the old * ok ok % There is such a thing as a reason- able optimism, a reasonable expecta- tion. Such optimism ought to help A man to keep a level head, not to mislead him into anticipating his in- come, Reasonable expectations may be used as the basis for futurity pur- chases, but not in the way that the too ambitious salesman suggested, Wwho wanted the young business man to tie himself up for payments on the strength of an income which he had not yet received and had yet to earn. It would seem that no human being would ‘“fall” for such a plea, yet probably thousands do every year. Some of them swim out of it, others do not. All of them have much per- turbation of mind during the process. It is submitted that living reason- ably free from perturbation is one of the objectives of life. Troubles and sorrows make character, but no one would seriously subject himself to them on the theoretical belief that by doing &0 he would emerge clarified. Imagine a man saying to himself, “Now I will nvolve myself in trouble, so that by passing through the fire I greatness Troubles and sorrows that come naturally are strengtheners; in fact, correctly speaking, there are no other kinds. The perturbation in which one in- volves himself by anticipating his in- come, in the way discussed, leads on to a lingering sorrow, a gnawing trouble. The way to avoid it is to stlek to one's income. Purchase nothing ex- cept on such prospects as one's com- mon sense tells him are legitimate. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. which has befallen Brig. Gen. Merch B. Stewart, the accomplished superin- tendent of the Military Academy at ‘West Point, Though just turned 52, and apparently in rugged health, Gen. Stewart suffered a stroke immediately following graduation week in June, and it is feared his days of usefulness in the Army may be at an end. He has been at the head of the academy only since April, 1926. Tragedy ac- companied Gen. Stewart into office a year ago. He was succeeded as com- mandant of the cadet corps by Maj. John G. Quekemeyer, Gen. Pershing’s World War alde. “Quek,” a dashing cavalryman, who had returned with Pershing from Tacna-Arica only a few days before, arrived at the Military Academy to assume the comman- dantey, but fell ill of pneumonia and died within 48 hours. ) Jeremiah Smith, jr., Boston lawyer, who put the economics of Hungary on their feet in 1925 and 1926 as com- missioner general of the League of ‘Nations, has just been honored afresh by that body. It invited Smith to be a member of the League's financial committee, and he has accepted. The committee consists of 11 members, and the Bostonian is the first from the United States. The financial com- mittee has devoted itself almost en- tirely to reconstruction work among the ~war-shattered countries of E rope. Austria and Hungary both owe their stable fiscal systems to the League's supervision. * ok * Paul Mellon, only son of the Secre- tary of the Treasury and destined to be one of the world's richest men, threatens to succumb to journalism, instead of following in the ancestral financial .paths. He recently was chosen as one of the chief editors of the Yale Daily News, one of the prized blue ribbons at New Haven. Mellon was honor man of his class last year. He will be graduated in June, 1928, on the threshold of attaining his ma- jority. e (Copyright, 1027.) Objects to Concrete In Lafayette Square To the Editor of The Star: It would seem that Lafayette Square, one of the beauty spots of ‘Washington, is doomed to ]:l‘adua! ruin from “the blight of the engineer.” Several years ago it was seriously pro- posed to cut a street through the mid- dle, presumably on the theory that the vista of piebeian Fords is more suitable at the front door of the White House than herofc bronzes. Hardly had this wild idea been squelched and forgotten before the invasion of engineering “improve- ment” began anew. The pleasant and restful gravel walks are being rapidly replaced with endless yards of the glar- ing concrete that already disfigure the base of Andrew Jackson's magnificent effigy. To make matters worse, in- stead of confining the width of the bare and inane concrete to reasonable proportions, enormous walks about 15 feet wide are being put in, making the appearance of the square one of deso- lute barrenness, with the trees and remaining grass struggling hard for a living in between, Every artist, architect and lay lover of the beautiful is by now famillar with the endless variety of beautiful flagging, slate of various hues, sub- dued paving tiles and other materials available for walks where something besides the mechanical, machine-made sidewalk is desired. If these barren wastes of concrete had been reduced to a reasonable width, say 6 feet in- stead of 15, the difference saved would have fully met the cost of beautiful and artistle paving that would add | instead of detract and helped to make this focal point in the Capital City even more beautiful. It is time the citizens of Washington and environs present measures to Congress that will prevent artistic depredations un- der the guise of engineering “improve- ments,” ROSSEL ?ITOHELL D. T, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1927. Doubts Greek Plan., Observer Believes King Will Not Try to Regain Throne. To the Editor of The Star: The A. P. dispatch from Bucharest, dated September 9, referring to the alleged intention of the ex-King ot Greece to utilize the money which the ex-Queen is to receive from the estate of her father, the late King of Rumania, should not be taken too seriously. The amount of the be- quest (said to be $500,000), while enough to enable the royal couple to live more comfortably than in the past, is hardly enough to finance a campaign for a change of govern- ment in any country, and nothing in the attitude of the ex-King since he left Athens in 1923 leads to the beliet that he would risk this sum upon what, after ail, would probably be a fruitless quest. That the ex-King would consider it his duty to return to Greece, if re- called by an overwhelming demand on the ‘part of the people, is un- doubtedly true. It is also true that there is a strong sentiment in Greece in favor of the monarchy, which is counterbalanced favor of the present Republican form of gevernmant. The comparative strength of the radical Royalists and radical Republicans is hard to esti- mate, though each party loudly pro- claims itself to have an “overwhelm- ing majority.” The only overwhelming majority in Greece today, in the opinion of this writer, who has just returned from a year's visit to that country, consists of the conservative element that is determined to put an end to the in- ternal dissensions of the past 13 years —dissensions fermented and kept alive, as the Greek people are wise enough to know, by other European POW for the latter's ulterior and unscerupulous ends. All political factions in Greece are e that no matter how much the 1 leaders themselves may effer- , the people will not tolerate any actlon that could possi lead to a breach of the peace. It is the knowl- edge of this fact that has induced the political leaders to co-operate in a manner that two years ago did not seem possible. In November, 1926, the former King stated emphatically that he would re- turn to Greece only upon the demand of the whole people. Since that time there has been some desultory talk of a new plebiscite on the subject of the regime, but the only serious proposi- tion of this kind was made by one of the Republican leaders (the present foreign minister), indicating that he at least had no fear of a result which would endanger the life of the Re- public. The Greek people, burdened by many years of warfare and internal strife, absorbed in the care of the million and a half refugees cast upon their shores, have the will for peace, both beyond and within their fron- tiers. They have so advised their po- litical “leader and, in the opinion of this writer, are prepared to cast into outer darkness any politicians that do not heed their heh B. P. SALMON. White House Termed Monument and Tomb To the Editor of The Star: The goal of most citizens of this Republic—whether or not they are conscious of the fact—is the Executive Mansion at Washington, and the po- litical skirmishes and battles to cap- ture that goal or to retain it have been numerous and memorable. Of our 29 Presidents, Washington did not occupy this mansion, but from Presi- dent John Adams to President Cool- idge the White House has been the home of our Chief Magistrates. Here President Adams reluctantly moved out when President Jefferson was in- augurated. Here Jackson moved in after his victory over John Quincy Adams, and Harrison rested for a few weeks after - his strenuous campaign in 1840. Here Abraham Lincoin watched anxiously the varying for- tunes of a Civil War, and, during this twentieth century McKinley, Roose- velt, Taft, Wilson, Harding and Cool idge have dwelt for one or more terms. The White House has, indeed, been & monument of magnificent achieve- ments, but it has also been a mauso- leum of political disappgintments. CHARLES NEVE! HOLMES. aw politi ves PHILOSOPHIES BY GLENN FRANK In no other single field has as much hokum been dispensed as in the dis- cussion of the moral values of pov- erty. There is not much to be said for a poverty that denies to men the sure tools of achievement and the satisty- ing luxuries of enjoyment, The general impetus to great achievement that comes from grind- ing poverty has, I am sure, been great- ly overrated. This blanket glorification of pov- erty has been confused with the thor: oughly sound principle of the spur of necessity. But the spur of necessity is not the spur of the hungry man to find bread and butter; it is the spur to do great work promptly in order to meet a great responsibility. ‘Willard Parker was an eminent sur- geon in an earlier day. A serious goiter case was brought to him. The sufferer was a very wealthy man. As the story comes to me, the family of the afflicted man wanted Dr. Parker to operate and to guarantee the suc- cess of the operation. “We will give you a million dollars if you will guarantee the success of the operation,” they said to him. “Oh,” said Dr. Parker, “I can't guarantee anything, but I will do the best I can!” The operation was successful. “How did you feel,” asked a friend, in discussing the case—"how did you feel when you were about to perform that operation?” “Well,” said Dr. Parker, “my hand trembled dreadfully, because, you know, I am an old man now; my hand trembled dreadfully; but as soon as the instrument touched the delicate place my nerves were strong as steel, and, without any excitement, I went right through a successful operation, and with no anxieties; as soon as I began my hand was firm.” Here is an example extraordinary of the spur of necessity. It was not a case of hunger search- ing for food. This was a case of man’s glving his b‘nflt under the challenge of neces- sity. Most of us try to dull the spur of necessity. ‘We fool ourselves into thinking that all superb achievement comes out of a slow and polished effort made pos- sible by ample leisure. I suspect that most of the best work is done as rush orders. Our aversion to the proddings of the spur of necessity is due not so much to the love of perfection as to the love of laziness. We say we want leisure as a tool. ‘We really want it as a luxury. (Covyright, 1927.) - Unsatisfactory. From the Arkansas Democrat. What possible pleasure does a re- former get out of yelling at a man who doesn't care a whoop elther way? . ————— e Old Stuff! ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS . Q. Has a copy of the Liberty Bell cver been made? How much does the original bell weigh?—G. R. A. A number of coples of the Lib- erty Bell have heen made. The bell weighs 2,080 pounds. . What makes white gold rings turn dark?—J. L. F. A. Tarnishing of the silver in white gold rings causes the darken- ing. They can be brightened by the use of a metal polish. How many miles of rallroad has Russia?—L. G. C. A. The latest survey gives the 1924 mileage as 45,892 miles. Q. What is the purpose of the American Engineering Standards Com- mittee?—N. T. B. A. It is primarily concerned with national and international industrial standardization. Q. When was C Q D used as a radio distress signal?’—G. R. C. A. On January 7. 1904, the Mar- coni International Communication Co. issued an order to all stations to add the letter D to the general in- quiry call C Q, then used by British ships to form a signal of distress, for use by all ships. The International Radio Telegraph Convention of Berlin went into force in July, 1908, at which time the signal S O S was universally adopted, although for some period subsequent to that date operators used both C Q@ D and 8 O 8 in order that there would be assurance that their distress signal would be under- stood. Q. Give a short biography of Eddie Rickenbacker.—T. E. 8. A. Edward Vernon F{lf‘,kenh:u"kl\l'l was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1890. He was a well known automobile racer and went to France in 1917 as | tures, “Souvenirs,” i He | embourg. and another, a member of the motor car staff. BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. North America from the northern limit of trees south to absug the Mexi- can border. They are absent frém the coastal parts of South Carolina, Georgla, Alabama and Texas and from Florida and nearly all of California. They do mot occur in parts of the interfor plateau that have no stream: or lakes. Throughdut their extensive range, except in Newfoundiand and southern Louisiana, they are consid- ered as of one species with about a dozen geographic races. Q. What constitutes the “supreme law of the land"?—S. D. A. The Constitution of the United States together with foreign treaties and acts of Congress made under fts authority. are the supreme law of the land. Q. What is meant by saying that note paper has a deckle edg A T. A. A rough, untrimmed edge § meant by deckle edge. This is the edge left by the deckles, which are the curbs on the sides of the apron of a paper machine confining the flowing pulp, this determining the width of the paper. The deckle edze on note paper is usually an imita- tion of this. Q. What is the use of the little fan in a clock which is set in motion when the clock strikes?—T. T. W. A. This fan acts as a governor to prevent the clock’s striking too fast. Q. Is there an artist by the name of Charles Chaplin? I do not refer to the movie actor.—P. B. A. Charles Chaplin, a painter and engraver, of English parentage, was born June 8, 1825, at Les Andelys, Eure, France. Be became a natural- ed oitizen of France and died in ris in 1891. One of his best pic- in the TLux- “Haidee,” is in was soon transferred to the Air|the Metropolitan Museum, New York Service. He was made commanding officer of the 94th Aero Pursuit Squad- ron, and in this service destroyed 26 enemy planes. Following the war he organized and became vice president of the Rickenbacker Motor Co. Q. How many dial system tele- phones are there in the United States? Why are they not in general use?— L. H. S. ‘A. On June 30, 1927, there were 228 dial system central offices and 5,840 manually operated central offices. There were about 2,600,000 dial tele- phones in the United States out of a total of 18,151,000. Dial telephones are being installed when practical, espe- cially in territory where there is a scarcity of operators. It requires a change of equipment, however, and the change is usually made when old equipment has worn out. Q. When was the general order is- sued designating May 30 as the first Decoration day?—I. E. P. A. The general order for the observ- ance of Decoration day was issued by Gen. John A. Logan, then commander- in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, May 6, 1868. The order designated May 30 of that year for G. A. R. services and the decorating of graves, that day being the day of discharge of the last Union volunteer of the war. Q. Where are there muskrats in North America?—J. J. A. The Biological Survey says City. Q. What wers “seven thirtles"?— N.E. M. ‘A. During the Civil War, United States Government bonds paving 7.30 per cent interest were the name ‘“seven thirties’ plied to them. Q. Who was the first person to be cremated in the United States>—C. C. A. The first body to be cremated was that of Baron de Palin at Wash- ington, Pa., in 1876. Q. Was Lafcadio Hearn an Ameri- can, an Irishman or a Japanese’— S.T.P. A. Lafcadio Hearn was born of an Irish father and a Greek mother in the Ionian Islands. He was educated in England and France, was a journal- ist in Cincinnati and New Orleans, and finally_went to Japan, where he became a Japanese subject with the name Yakumo Koizumi. The keynote of the times is efficient service. In supplying its readers with a new information bureaw ington, The Evening Star is living up to this principle in_deed and fact. We are paying for this service in ore: der that it may be free to the public. Submit your queries to the staff of experts whose services are put at your disposal. Inclose 2 cents in stamps to cover the return postage. Address The Evening Star Informa- tion Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, di- muskrats inhabit the greater part of Press Sees Political Raid On Chicago’s School System Chicago's school controversy, which bégan with the accusation from Mayor Thompsen . that Supt. Me- Andrew was a “stool pigeon of King George,” and wound up with the charge of insubordination against the school head, is appraised with practi- cal unanimity by the American press as a drive to turn the schools over to a political machine. Removal of the superintendent has been ordered by the school board, but the muatter is pending in court. “Of serious nature is the effect of this conduct upon the children, and thereby upon the future not only of the city itself, but of the State and the upper Mississippi reglon,” declares the Springfield Illinois State Journal. “A community that has no more regard for its own welfare than to permit without protest its schools and its children to be exploited for the politi- cal and selfish interests of ignorant men and women intrusted with brief power cannot be said to be worthy of the privilege of self-government.” Of the superintendent the New York Evening World says: “All of the charges made against him are false, and these pro-British charges are so ridiculously false as to make a fool grin. But Thompson now has a sub- From the Nashville Banner. The addiction of the English to ancient customs is splendidly fllus- trated by the fact that they are still trying to swim the English Channsl. servient Board of Education, and it has the power to throw down the superintendent for any cause, and Thompson wants him thrown down and out for his own political comfort and aggrandizement. That is pretty near the whole story. Happily, Dr. McAndrew is not going to fall without a fight, as Chicago's demagogic mayor may learn later on.” * K KX The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel ex- claims, “It's a shame, but—oh, well, the people usually get about the kind of government they have coming to them, although it's a pity that school children have to pay for the ignorance, the prejudice and the folly of certain absurd adult The Buffalo Evening News says that during the time Thompson was out of office the schools were taken out of politics. “He is de- termined to reattach them to his polit- rector, Washington, D. C. Journal, while the Savannah News also is amused by the “funny bait with which_Chicago voters are caught.” The Springfield Republican’ asserts that “the charge would never have been made if Bill's need of votes had not set the Chicago River to blazing with fear of a new British invasion 150 years after the Illinois wilderness was conquered by George Rogers Clark from the old King and the red- skins."” “‘Supt. McAndrew has the back- ing of a powerful press in Chi- cago,” it is pointed out by the Lincoln Star, “and of an organization of pub- lic-spirited citizens primarily interested in the preservation of the schools. Even Big Bill and his satellites on the Board of Education may find they have bitten off a larger mouthful than they can comfortably digest.” T Asheville Times remarks of Dr. McAn- drew that “‘some of his first work as a teacher was done in Chicago in 1889, and yvet he was suffered by the unsus- pecting inhabitants to return without protest.” The Waterbury Republican refers to “‘Big Bill's’ happy way of protesting against the alteration of school his- tories to tone down their patriotic flamboyance with respect to the wars between this country and England,” and insists that “there is no evidence, so far as has appeared, that Dr. Mec- Andrew has ever promoted the altera- tion of school histories in the interest of anything but accuracy and truth.” The Norfolk Nebraska Daily News concludes, however, observing the school board had fallen back on the insubordination charge for lack of a majority to support the history charge, “Anyway, we can sleep better now that the King George bogey has been discredited by Mayor Thompson's own school board.” Sun Spots and Crime. From the New York World. From Moscow comes news of a sa- vant who asserts that sun spots are the cause of crime. His thesis, it ap- ical machine,” the News adds. “He is going to make the Department of | Education serve him, not the children of Chicago. If he has his way, he will more than ever shame the city.” The Chicago Daily News, citing the conclusion of the mayor's investiga- tion that “no existing American school history is suited to Chicago’s needs,” and that “a history therefore should be speclally written,” remarks, *“Here is a profitable contract waiting for some 100-per-cent American who can make the grade under ruminative and calculating eyes in the Chicago city hall.” The Chicago Tribune declares that “the raid on the teaching of his- tory in our schools must be resisted,” and that there is yet to be found a body siding with the mayor, “who has standing either as educator or his- torian.” ' “McAndrew’s removal seems to be accepted as a return to the old politi- cal spoils system,” in the opinion of the Janesville Gazette, “and the school board is to be used by Mayor Thomp- son as a part of his machine.” The ‘Watertown Daily Times suggests that “the Chicago school children are going to be reared on Bill Thompson's politi- cal catechism,” but that paper adds: “Why blame Thompson? He is a shrewd politician and he knows the art of ballyhoo. The fault is with the people of Chicago who fell for him.” “The_ attack,” states the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, “renews to general at- tention the quality of the opposition to Dr. McAndrew. It represents the viclousness and malevolence of those who resent efficiency, intelligence and decency in the conduct of public schools, and who believe that those in- stitutions should be run on a political basis for the benefit of the politicians and their friends.” The Newark Eve- ning News, referring to the basis of the matter as ‘“charlatanry,” holds that Dr. McAndrew “does not deserve to be made the victim of the cheapest kind of municipal politics.” * ok ok % “The fight would be laughable if the public could see it in its true light,” says Louisville Courier- pears, is that sun spots cause special meteorological conditions, and that these affect adversely the human nerv- ous system so that men find them- selves doing things which they would not do under normal circumstances. Which, since it has yet to be proved that sun spots have any effect on the weather, will strike most of us as moving cause and effect pretty far apart. But it does suggest one interesting point: Does weather affect delinquency to any appreciable extent? During a rainy week, are more persons arrested for drunkenness than during a week of fair weather? Are crimes more numerous? Do more persons commit suicide? One suspects, somehow, that the weather is intimately related to these things. In the Mediterranean countries it is accepted that when the sirocco blows delinquency of all sorts increases. In that part of Pennsyl- vania where dwell descendants of the Dutch settlers one hears that they have to prohibit the sale of rope on rainy days lest all the citizens make away with themselves in a body; and while this is perhaps an exaggeration, it does ‘'suggest that the relationship between weather and morale has come to general notice. And in our own American corn belt it is accepted that que:l'l political hmov.menl‘ Vi in- versely as to the amount of rainfall. It might be illuminating if some scholar would dig into this subject and see what it holds. A series of graphs showing the variation of gen- eral delinquency together with the amount of rainfall might teach us more than many surveys, A Genius. From the Toledo Blade. Real estate promoters must envy Tex Rickard's ability to sell frontage clear through to the alley. o Waiting for the Last Game. From the Louisville Times, Nobody appears to yearn much for home nowadays except ball players.