Evening Star Newspaper, September 26, 1927, Page 8

{THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY September 26, 1927 THEODORE W. NOYES. ... Editor ew sx§a;er Company Ottice The Evening Star —Payable in Advance. ard Virginia. ): 1mo. 7 Member of the Assoc The As 0 the b Pross is ol epublicat 1 it o on of Gaining Momentum. epted that un- for a candidate Democrats at least, of d of the dele- next national convention Smith of New York will Such a under the ccretary Mere- ling some days ference, has gone went in various to seck the man who t against the favorite. in that the Smith gaining momentum, particu- in the West. While the Ogden conference, which resulted in an in- doseement, may not be regarded as aswtring Smith delegations from all the seven States there represented, the psvchological effect of the declara- tion is unquestionably favorable to the New York executive. Smith com- to be It is comi less the £uc Gov be nd senti ress simultaneously. In all likelihood many individuals and interests will desire to be heard on the subject. It has been suggested that to conserve time and expense the congressional | hearings should not be held until the | technical report on the subject is be- | fore the committees. Should there be | confilict or difference of view between the House and Senate on the subject, the same groups would naturally wish to be heard in both wings of the Capitol. But it would seem possible for one branch of Congress to initiate a legislative proposition assured of acceptance by the other. This is a vitally important matter. It will involve a huge expenditure It should not be hurried to the preju- | dice of the solution of the problem on | the hasis of certainty of results. But lit should he settled at this coming ses- If it is postponed to the mnext will stand little chance of | decision, for the time will then be short, with a heavy legislative pro- | ram to be completed before adjourn- | ment on the fourth of March. It is accepted that flood control can be effected and that the only question is as to the means and the cost. The magnitude of the problem does not render it unsolvable. If the Panama Canal could be constructed the Mis- | sissippi and its tributaries can be harnessed and confined. It is simply a question of by what method and at what cost this end is to be accom- sion. | session it plished. e Tax Payments Due Saturday. Next Saturday, the first day of Oc- tober, all District taxpayers who have not paid their assessments for the first half of the 1927-28 tax year will be subject to a penalty of one per cent a month. There has been ample warn- ing of the date on which these first in- stallments are due, Yet the collector of taxes reports that returns are being received very slowly, and there is a prospect that many of the property owners will permit the time to lapse. There is no economy whatever in 'al- lowing a tax bill to run overtime. I¢ must be paid eventually or the prop- erty will be subject to sale. If cash is not immediately available for pay- ment it can be borrowed at a lower rate of interest than that which is mittees are being organized through- out that region and a veritable drive Is on for delegates. It is the frankly expressed hope of the Smith organiza- tion that by the date of the meeting of the national Democratic committee, which will choose the place and time of the convention, there will be enough Smith strength definitely in sight to make an attack upon the two-thirds rule unnecessary. This confidence on the part of the Smith managers may be Jjustified. They are assiduously spreading the word that Smith is the only man who has a chance, not merely to win the nomination but to win the election. They have an asset of decided value in the spectacle of the Madison Square Garden convention with its devastating deadlock, which was due to the effort to “head off McAdoo"—an effort which ‘was fatally successful. They believe that Gov, Smith is the mostly highly qualitied exponent of Democratic principles. Minimizing his political liabilities, they extol his virtues, his abilities, his successes. The Smith boom is being well man- aged. It is aggressive and thorough. It is calculated to appeal to the party member who, having no counter predi- lections, is apt to feel that the party cannot win with anybody else, but might win with him. It is also ap- pealing to the Democrat who shrinks from the prospect of another Kil- kenny cat fight such as that of 1924, ‘Waiving the question of responsibility for that spectacle, the governor's friends are claiming for him that only through his nomination, assured in ad- vance, can another demeralizing dead- lock be averted. And that is a mov- ing argument. — s Going Back. Having won again the heart of Paris, the Legionnaires, turned tour- ists, are revisiting parts of France which hold glowing memories for them. Some are flocking to the sun- shiny Riviera, where nine years ago they were disporting themselves as soldiers on leave, . Many others are turning north from Paris and, with faded maps, perhaps compasses, are orlenting themselves again to find spots in an altered terrain which are landmarks in their lives. Much of the searching will be in vain. In their minds they retain a sharply outlined picture of the torn villages of Cuisy, Montfaucon, Nantillois, Septsarges; roads gaping with smoking shell hole: Broves of grotesque skeletons of trees; snaky walls of crumbled stone, behind which they dug themselves fox holes and slept in pouring rain; the Fall- tinted leaves in the Argonne and the miles upon miles of tangled, rusty barbed wire; the thick hedge rows, where machine guns hid; Daily Mail Cross Roads, which, as they remem- ber it, was piled high about with the carcasses of horses, rolling kitchens, ammunition carts—and other things. But all this is changed now. The landmarks are gone. To the Legion- naire seeking out the site of the shell hole on e Bois de la Hesse, wher ast saw his mess- mates, there must come the thought that nightmares live in darkness, but that dawn dispels them and the clear light of day shows them only as bad dreams to be shaken off, quicker forgot the better, e is still willing to fight . including the referee. e Flood Control Legislation. It is the expectation of the Pres- ident that a report on the subject of flood control will have besn prepared by the Mississippi commission by the fifteenth of November. The com- mission is now at work on this prob- lem, in conjunction with committees representing the devastated States, and it is the present purpose to leave the question with those agencles, which will in effect report directly to Congress Whether committees of both House and Senate will take this matter under consideration at the same time not determined. It would seem, however, to be the more practical method to have the legis- lation on the subject originate in one house and then be passed on to the the e he Demy anybod ey is paid in the form of penalty. Under the law the delinquent taxpayer is mulcted at the rate of twelve per cent a year. For six per cent, or one-half of that penalty rate, money can be obtained for immediate payments. It is therefore economy to meet the tax bills promptly. Consideration for the financial wel- fare of the District government should prompt early payments. Tax delin- quency means not only shortage of funds at the District Building, but in- volves complicated bookkeeping which congests the work of the tax col- lector's office seriously. If all bills were paid on time, even on the last day of the prescribed period, the ad- ministration of tax collections would be greatly simplified. It is, of course, to be supposed that all property owners intend to pay thelr taxes. If they do mot they not only suffer the current penalties for de- linquency at the rate of one per cent a month, but they risk the loss of their titles. Should taxes be neglected to the point at which the property may be offered for sale for unpaid as- sessments a heavy additional cost is imposed in case the owner then moves to redeem. He must pay the cost of advertising and also a premium to the purchaser of the “tax title,” who has himself paid the taxes and the penal- ties.' In many cases clouds have rest- ed upon titles owing to this neglect, to be dispelled only through legal pro- cedure and at heavy expense. 8o now it is up to the taxpayers during the few days that remain of the month of September to send for their bills and pay them before the end of the month. They will be money in pocket by so" doing, the District will be in furids for its opera- tions and there will be no doubt as to title. The collector of taxes will be grateful, and everybody will be easier in mind. This is not merely a meas- ure of precaution, but a matter of civic duty. ——————r———— Better understanding with the U. 8. A. is desired by Russia’s Soviet Government. Conferences have seldom secured any decisive results. - Cn the other hand, they do no harm, and there is always the possibility of results. ———r——————— ‘While the airplane has made won- derful progress, the perils attending landings indicate that the parachute industry is still in its infancy. Zoning Laws in America. Statistics compiled by the Depart- ment of Commerce throw an interest- ing light upon the spread of the zon- ing principle in American cities. In one form or another zoning laws are now in force In forty-six States and the District of Columbia, to the effect at least of permitting municipalities to zone themselves for the purpose of regulating the character and use of buildings in communities. The effect is that more than 30,000,000 people, representing over fifty-five per cent of the urban population of the United States, and comprising 553 cities, towns and villages, were on the first of July last living under different forms of zoning regulations, New York City enacted the first comprehensive zoning ordinance in the { United States in 1916, although Bos- ton had regulated the height of build- ings twelve years earlier and Los Angeles had adopted a partial code of building regulations affecting - uses and sizes in 1909. The real progress of this principle dates from the New York enactment. The United States Supreme Court has upheld the prin- ciple of dividing citles into districts or zones in which the use, height and area of buildings may be regulated. In four cases within the past twelve months that court has sustained laws from which appeals had been taken, and it is now accepted as definitely established that it lles within the right of the municipality, provided basic legislation has been enacted, to impose limits on not only dimensions | but the use of structures. Unfortunately, in many cases the zoning principle has been applied too other rather than to have two. andllate to prevent the development of possibly conflicting inquiries in prog- undesirable conditions in many cities. The truth is that American cities, al- most without exception, up to the be- ginning of the present century grew and developed in haphazard manner. There were, of course, bullding laws and regulations which were supposed to safeguard life by requiring sub- stantial forms of construction by im- posing inspection upon structural work and. as the building art devel- oped. by requiring the use of fire- proof materials. But heights were not regarded as subject to limitation nor was there any thought of limit- ing uses or restricting areas within which business could be conducted. New York's zoning movement was due in large part to the realization that the race to gain the maximum use of a certain specific area would, it not checked, lead to the development of an abnormal city of deep chasms. The “step back” principle was adopt- ed, requiring successive recessions from the frontal plane of the struc- ture beyond a certain height. Included in this program of limitation was a series of use restrictions. In Washington the zoning law has worked in general satisfactorily. The city has been improved under it. Resi- dential areas have been preserved from invasion by commerce and trade and, in the main, equity has been maintained in the various rulings and proscriptions of the Zoning Com- mission. There is no desire what- ever to go back to the old virtually condition of no regulation, save as to security restrictions. With the strict maintenance of sound zoning principles, in course of time old errors will be cured as new ones are avoided. The decadence of structures, leading to their replace- ment, will eliminate many of the blun- ders of the past. Doubtless additions will constantly be made to the list of zoned communities, ‘including those of smaller size which are in as urgent need of proper restrictive la; as are the larger ones. For the small town of today may be the city of tomorrow, and it should be given a proper start. e Paris has taken pride in welcoming American comrades in arms. Matters of mere financial detail are not per- mitted to disturb the spirit of gen- uine sentiment, whose importarce transcends all other considerations. The long human struggle will enable nations as well as individuals to under- stand one another. ———r——————— A number of representative Repub- licans were so much impressed by the brief speech, “I do not choose,” that they will probably give its distin- guished author time to take an encore and maybe two or three of them. ———— The Leiter estate brings reminder that the larger the property the more likelihood of litigation. The admiral's historie remark, ‘“There is glory enough to go ‘round,” can mever be stretched to make it apply to money. st European statesmen used to profess scant information about Amercan politics. Now there is hardly one of them who does not feel perfectly com- petent to tell Uncle 8am all about how to run his business. e r—t—————— Interest is already warming up for the national conventions in 1928, The sale of ringside seats would be a means of bringing great revenues to the campaign funds. —— o ————— In old-fashioned romance the woman who discovered she had married the wrong man used to take poison. Sen- sational news print now indicates that she feeds it to her husband. —— et Lives must be risked from time to time in order to develop flying. It is surely needless to waste them indis- criminately. ! Flights of rhetoric have their perils as well as aviation, as critical sub- officials frequently discover. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Old Locomotive. Good old locomotive! You're not so very swift, Although your pace Once led the race To give the world a lift. You're now on exhibition. you with disdain; ‘We yleld applause, . Nor sneer because You're not an aeroplane. None view Good old locomotive! The bygone day’s not far ‘When should he think He'd like a drink The brakeman stopped the car. Men feared while they admired you as on your way you'd go; You seemed so fast. ‘We vow, at last, ‘You once were safe and slow! Discreet Disapproval. “Do you approve of the use of money in politics “No, sir,” answered Senator Sor. ghum, “If I ever have a campaign manager who uses money, he's got to be smart enough not to let me know a thing about it.” No Subject for Levity. They told us it was wrong to jest Concerning prohibition’s way; And such advice was for the best— 'Tis strewn with tragedies today. Jud Tunkins says one of the hypoc- risies of civilization is compelling pugilists to shake hands. Little Difference. “I understand you have a new cook?"” “I can't realize it,” answered the weary housekeeper. ‘‘She seems like the same old cook in disguise.” “Great inventions, id Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “enable us to travel the skies, yet they bewilder the mind and do not inspire our philoso- phers to loftler thought. Stopping Polnts. He started for a trip sublime, With famous destinations; The places where he spent his time ‘Were mostly service stations. “When I hears a man talkin' loud an’ fast,” said Uncle Eben, “I kind o’ speck dat if he yuthuh felier could be .| him. A poet, as a poet, does not amount to so much, nowadays; but when Alexander Pope was writing verses in England, the poet's status was en- tirely differen One of Pope’s poems was an event in the polite world of London, where he was the leading “literary light” for many years. It is almost impossible today to realize what an effect the poems of the cynical, sarcastic poet had upon the reading public of that day and generation. They were perhaps more eagerly awaited, in a sense, than election re- turns in the United States; at least there was a comparable interest aroused. ‘While one would not say that a new poem, in 1711, from the biting Pope, was received with the palpitating in- terest of the modern American public as it listens in on the radio account of the latest pugllistic encounter, it is true that every one who was any one wanted to know whom Pope was taking out his spleen on. * K X % In that year his “Essay on Criti- cism” was given to the world anony- mously, although every one in town knew who wrote it. In it Pope took a few slants at John Dennis, a mediocre writer of poems and plays, who also essayed the role of critic with some success. It is said that Dennis, immediately the book appeared for sale, went to Lintot's bookshop, and stood at the counter reading the essay, until he came to the following lines: “Some have at first for wits, then poets pass'd, Turn'd critics rext, and prov'd plain fools at last.” Dashing down the book in a rage, B;:I‘N! roared, “He means me, by So Pope had made another enemy. * ok ok % The above anecdote we take from the mepnoir of Pope by the Rev. Alex- ander Dyce, to be found in some of the older editions of the poet's works. Dr. Johnson and other literary worthies have written at length of Pope—the “ape of Twickingham,” as he has been called by some of the most severe of the critics of his time, was nothing if not picturesque. He spent his life turning out per- fectly polished verses—so perfect, in- deed, that one finds himself repelled, if the reading is persisted in. But for sheer perfection, perhaps there has been no work in the world that ex- celled certain portions. The man's mental traits, his fre. quent quarrels, no doubt, were the proper reflex of his sickly physical nature. Had Pope been an athlete there never would have been any Pope as we know him. Perhaps his relatives and friends would have had a mellower friend and acquaintance, but there could have been no couplets, none of the keen bite which is still onic to Jaded readers. %ok Spence, in his “Anecdotes,” relates the following story of Pope and Lord Halifax, which contains so much hu- man nature that we retell it here: Lord Halifax, according to the story, was rather a pretender to THE EVENING BTAR, WASHINGTO , MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, : THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. taste than the possessor of it. It was at the time that Pope was translating the lengthy Greek of Homer into English couplets, perhaps the most absurd poetical medium which could have been chosen to render the long roll of the Greck hexameters, but as it was the only sort of thing Pope could do, naturally enough he chose it. Lord Halifax let it be known that he would like Pope to come to his home and read the translation of the first two or three books. Poets were big men in those days, as previously stated; an impending poem was looked forward to by all who read, which class did not include the whole popu- lace, by any means. The great Addison attended the party. According to Pope himself, four or five times during the reading, Lord Halifax stopped him, and said: *I beg your pardon, Mr. Pope, but there is something in that passage that does not quite please me: be so good as to mark the place, and consider it a little more at your leisure; I am sure you can give it a better turn.” Pope (according to his own narra- tion of the event) was sorely puzzled hy the vague nature of the criticisms. Of course, he wanted to please the lord. Every one wanted to please a lord. Naturally! He put his difficulty up to his friend, Dr. Garth, who immediately advised him not to put too much time on the criticisms of Lord Halifax: that the great man had a habit of making such diffuse criticisms. “Don’t worry yourself by even look- ing at the passag he advised Pope. “All you need do is to_ leave them just as they are; call on Lord Halifax two or three monthe hence, thank him for his kind obsé*vations on those passages, and then read them to him again.” If one may believe this anecdote (which Dyce ridicules), Pope waited on Lord Halifax in due season, and reminded his lordship of his criticisms, and said that he hoped his objections would be found removed. He then read the verses to him ex- actly as they were at first, whereupon his lordship was extremely pleased with them, and cried out: “Ay, now, Mr. Pope. they are perfectly right! nothing can be better.” * ok kX ‘Whether true or not, this is a pleas- ing anecdote, particularly as showing the esteem in which poets were held in_that day and place. Pope, it would appear from all the information left of his life, rode this esteem harder than any other poet who ever lived. He was the Jack Dempsey of poets. His life was a constant battle with other and lesser poets. He wrote meanly and vindictively. He sowed sarcasm and reaped the same. He must have been, from all ac- counts, a much feared and hated per- son, yet there can be little doubt that he was equally loved and admired by others. Such is the fate of all positive per- sons, who, for all their faults, can never be called lukewarm, but must be credited with the merits they have. Much may be forgiven a man who handled words as if they were jewels, mindful of the precious mintage of the human intelligence. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. John Dyneley Prince, American Minister to Jugoslavia (Belgrade), has just completed as unique a commis- sion as ever was intrusted to a Yankee. He was invited by the gov- ernment of Latvia to invent a new language for that country. A com- plete grammar, bearing his name as author, is now out. The first copy to reach America is in the hands of Dr. Prince’s friend, Albert P. Dennis, vice- chairman of the United States Tariff Commission. Latvia—one of the bor- der countries carved out of old Russia —is mostly populated by Russian or German-speaking people. But as Lat- vians don’t lie awake nights blessing either Russla or Germany, they de- termined to emancipate themselves from the languages of both countries. So Dr. Prince, a world-renowned authority on the Slavonic and Semitic tongues, was asked to produce some- thing that would be all-Latvian. He has evolved a distinctive branch of the Fino-Ugrian languages. Before ap- pointment to Belgrade last year, Dr. Prince was Minister to Denmerk. He was active in New Jersey Reépublican politics for many years, and once was acting governor of the State. ER Baron Ago von Maltzan, the Ger- man Ambassador at Washington, who crashed to his doom in a German air- plane, achieved a lifetime ambition just before he returned to the Father- land for his fateful vacation. He toured the United States from coast to coast, north and south. Maltzan spoke of it as a “voyage of discovery.” He undertook it not only to carry out a long-cherished personal desire, but in order to acquire what he considered part of the indispensable equipment of a foreign diplomat stationed at ‘Washington—namely, first-hand knowl- edge of America. No more “human” envoy was ever sent to our court. Maltzan’s noble Mecklenburg lineage outstripped in both age and rank those of the Hohenzollerns themselves. Yet the Ambassador accepted democracy in Germany unreservedly, and here, his first post under the Republic, he acted the part of a democrat. Maltzan's maiden Autumn in Washington fell in the midst of a world series. He be- came infected with the base ball mi- crobe and remained a fan. One of his first moves in this country was to drop from his name the ‘“‘von” which is the sign of German nobility. * ok K X Reports that Chairman Butler is convening a powwow of prominent Republican national committeemen to consider “drafting Coolidge” are indig- nantly repudiated by friends who claim to know the Butler viewpoint. They acquit him of harboring any such plan, primarily because it would “discredit” the President and impugn Coolidge’s good faith. Others may talk ‘“draft,” knights of the inner White House cir- cle declare, but never the faithful But- ler, or the equally devoted Frank W. Stearns, either. Naturally, these Cool- idge field marshals would welcome the prolongation of their hero's reign, but only, ’tis said, if he chooses it. This observer hears in Amherst quarters that Stearns has in the past opposed another Coolidge terra. But that re- quires confirmation by the merchant prince of Tremont street, who is once again star boarder at the White House. * ok ok ok Minnesota is speculating over what 1928 will bring forth in the United States senatorial situation. The lone sentinel of Farmer-Labor, Henrik Ship- stead—upon whose vote organization of the next Senate may depend—comes up for re-election. At present, his most likely opponent is Gov. “Ted” Chris- tianson, Republican. Whether Chris- tianson is to be nominated for a third term in his present office or run for the Senate is to be decided at a Repub- lican “indorsement” convention next Spring. In any event, Shipstead is conceded to be a foeman worthy of any steel that can be pitted against Though his Senate record has been consistently Farmer-Labor, he is seldom as rabidly anti-administration as many colleagues who wear official G. O. P. livery. Just how formidable a vote-getter the blond young Scan- dinavian giant is may be gauged by the fact that if the Republicans nom- inate Gov. Christlanson, it will be be- cause he’s held to be “the only man who might beat Shipstead.” * ok kK No fewer than three first-class con- firmation controversies will disturb the peace of the Coolidge administra- tion next Winter. Senate approval is required of the recess nominations, respectively, of Robert E. Olds to be Undersecretary of State, of Joseph C. Grew to be Ambasssador to Turkey and of Dwight W. Morrow to be Am- bassador to Mexico. Will there be 0. K.'s or K. O.'s of these good men and true?—that's the question. The President hasn’t had much luck with his major nominations on Capitol Hill. Three appointments in which he was vitally interested were rejected— Charles Beecher Warren of Michigan, to be Attorney General; Wallace Mc- Camant of Oregon—‘the man who made Coolidge Vice President”—to be a Federal judge, and Cyrus E. Woods of Pennsylvania to be an Interstate Commerce Commissioner. There be those who say the Democrats and Re- publican insurgents are bent on es. tablishing a Coolidge non-confirmation record. * % ok ok Mrs. Emily Newell Blair of Mis- souri, vice chairman of the Demo- cratic national committee, asserts that reports of her resignation from that post are, like the celebrated advance news of Mark Twain's demise, prema- ture. She has no intention of relin. quishing the vice chairmanship, which holds until after the next Democratie national convention. But Mrs. Blair is not standing for re-election as a national committeewoman next year. As her name is now regularly in the leading magazines, she's apparently forsaken polm:s inr literature. * * Dr. Julius Klein, Uncle Sam’s over- seas commerce sleuth-in-chief, is about to tour what he calls “the new foreign trade centers of the South. These in- clude Mobile, New Orleans, Birming- ham and Memphis. Dixie now plays the kind of role in our business rela- tions abroad that has traditionally b?cn the monopoly of the North and East. So. Dr. Klein is going to spread through the Southland the gospel on which he is now concentrating—the necessity of industrial America to gird its loins for ‘“the coming competition with Euroj Southern Chambers of Commerce have prepared a series of rousing meetings for him in October. (Covyright. 1027.) UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR Ten Years Ago Today Two hundred Germans rounded up in New York City by Federal agents found to have maps, plans and data of munition plants, navy yard and armories. Many of the men were em- ployed in and around munitjon plants, ® * * First war review issued by Secretary Baker. Reports on opera- tions on French, Italian and Russian fronts and says attrition will continue on the west front until the American forces are ready to strike. * * ¢ Pershing’s men see liquid fire in ac- tion and are deeply impressed by demonstrations given by the French. * ® * Further loan of $40,000,000 made to France, bringing total thus far advanced to allies to $2,466,400,. 000. * * * Secretary Lansing o) poses alien draft plans. Fears re- prisals i we bar from citizenship those seeking _exemptions under treaties. * * * United States Ship- ping Board issues report showing that 1,036 cargo ships are now being built. Some will be ready in 60 days and the greater part of 6,000,000 tons will be completed by end of the year. ¢ * * Germany offers to give up Belgium for trade and military guar- antees and proposes to contribute to- ward paying for the damage caused by the war. Official Washington looks upon such terms as impossible. ———- More Illumination Needed. From the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. When old Diogenes assoclated with a certain class of poliicians, he needed a searchlight, not tern. Approves Campaign For Traffic Courtesy To the Editor of The Star: Your editorial, “Traffic Courtesy,” In The Star on September 22, 1927, r citing that Judge Schuldt of the Traf- fic Court asserts that there is no “au- tomobile courtesy” in Washington wa an excellent opening gun for the sug- gested campaign calculated to relieve this unfortunate and dangerous situa- tion. If my recollection serves me cor- rectly, the drivers of the District of Columbia and nearby Maryland have not always been so lacking in courtes as they are today. Naturally the in- crease in the number of motor vehicl on the streets and roads has made driving more difficult and the strain of getting somewhere as quickly as possible much greater than it was a number of years ago. However, is there not some outstanding reason for this deplorable, growing tendency? In my humble opinion there is. With all due respect for the earnest efforts of the traffic_authorities, past and present, of the District, I believe the present system of automatic traffic lights as installed on Sixteenth street and Massachusetts avenue northwest is the breeder of several important |traffic ills, including driving selfish- ness, which I agree with you is not equaled in many other sections of the countr; It is only necessary to stand on a corner on Sixteenth street for a few minutes during the busy hours of the morning or evening to see that there is a mad rush to get away at the flash of the green light, or more often on the caution light. The principal object seems to be to stay out in front, at any price in courtesy, so as to be in position to get through the group of green lights. Some con- Ative drivers, possibly several, will slow up the procession to the dis- gust of those in the rear, and then begins a series of weaving, dodging, cutting-out, fender-scraping maneu- | vers to pass, either on the left or right, the slower-moving vehicle. Then, after a couple of blocks of this nerve-racking, dangerous driving, dur- ing which the best intentions of the v have been converted into ill-feel- gs,nasty looks and sometimes words, the cars in the block of green lights become somewhat separated into a more natural and safer stream of traf- fie. Then what happens? A red light appears and this mass of traffic is |again forced to enter the same dan- gerous condition for another series of maneuvers, and so on. In my opin- ion, there lies the real failure of this lighting system—that is, it transforms safe, easy-flowing traffic into con- gested groups at regular intervals. Now if there was a real necessity for this, which necessity might be caused by an equally heavy cross-town traffic, then I would have no criticism of this bunching of cars, but that necessity |is not present, and this assertion can be proved by observing how smoothly north and south bound traffio proceeds on Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Seven- teenth streets, which streets have practically identical cross-tow: traffic. Massachusetts avenue and Sixteenth street would accommodate many more cars, running at a safe rate of speed and well distributed over the whole street, if the cars were separated and cross-town traffic would get through as it does on Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Seventeenth streets. As a substitute for these automatic lights why not use the boulevard or arterial highway curb “Stop” signs for traffic entering or crossing Sixteenth street or Mas- sachusetts avenue? By doing this the arterial highway feature would still be preserved and we would get out of these thoroughfares the maximum use. These automatic traffic lights, ex- cept for a few instances where single lights are installed, do not fit Wash- ington conditions. We all make errors at times and the taxpayers of Wash- ingtor-will be glad to forget and for- give the error of installing these lights, but for traffic's sake, if not for the taxpayers’ sake, do away with this unnecessary, bad-habit-forming system and acknowledge that it does not fit our conditions. This is an im- portant question for the people of the District and nearby Maryland and it is one on which the people using Washington streets should be heard. There are many people who will not take enough interest in civic affairs to express an opinion if it calls for the writing of a letter, but I believe some valuable expressions would be given if some simple method of get- ting these expressions was available, H. W. BARBER. Attacks on Fascisti Oath Called Unfair To the Editor of The Star: So much has been written in the last few days about a supposed “Fas- cistl oath” that it is only fair to ask that your paper, with its characteristic candor, publish the actual text of the oath, €0 that vour readers may judge for themselves whether it is in har- mony with the American spirit. Mr. Thomas, the Baltimore naturali- zation examiner, who has won such generous publicity by attempting to deny American citizenship to mem- bers of the Fascisti League of North America, speaks mysteriously of this oath, as though it were some hidden thing which had just come to light. The unfairness of such an attitude is apparent when it is realized that this oath has long been printed as an offi- cial document of the league and has been available for free distribution to ;\ll \‘\‘ho have visited the league to ask or it. The reason why Mr. Thomas has never heard of it before is quite plain. There is nothing in the oath which is any more reprehensible than the oath of any one of the scores of other organizations which exist with honor in America. Others who have read the oath, including American citizens and officials of the highest eminence, have praised it as a document which breathes the American spirit in every line. It has remained for Mr. Thomas to condemn it. It is significant that in all the statements which he has made to the press he has not quoted a single line of the oath. He has ex- pected the American people to rely upon his judgment that it is un-Ameri- can, without citing a single extract to prove his charge. The Fascisti League of North America, which is an organization en- tirely distinct from and unaffillated with any European body, takes pleas. ure in quoting the exact language of the only oath which our members ve ever been required to take: swear upon my honor, To serve with loyalty and dis. cipline the Fascist idea of society based upon religion, nation and fam- ily, and to promote respect for law, order and hierarchy, and for the tradi- tion of the race; “To love, serve, obey and exalt the United States of America and to teach obedience to and respect for its Con- stitution and laws; “To keep alive the veneration for Italy as our country of origin and as the eternal light of civilization and| greatness; “To fight with all my strength the theories and ideas aiming to subvert, corrupt or ‘disintegrate religion, love of country and family; “To make all efforts to better my culture and myself, physically and morally, so as to deserve to belong to those who serve and guide the na- tions in the greatest mioments; “To be disciplined to the hier- rchies of the Fascisti League of North America.” H The outstanding task of the Fascist League since its organization has been to encourage American citizenship and loyalty among the Italian population of thisg country, while combating the subversive organizations of the Com- munists and anarchists among our people who have formed for the pur- pose of discouraging Americanization. Instead of ing and weaken: | weeks of the regular session.” Q. What is castor sugar?—M. E. E. A. “Castor sugar” was the old name for what is now called sugar The term is usually found in cookbooks written 50 or 60 years ago. ing aquarium cement.—M. C. S. A. Cement for panes in aquariums is produced from litharge and glve- erin. The former must he as finely powdered as possible and the glyc- erin very condensed, of a sirupy consistency and limpid.e Mix the two ingredients into a semiliquid paste. coat the places, or pour the tough mass into the respective cavity, and pre: into it the part to he cemented on. The surplus oozing out must be removed at once and the place cleaned, as the putty hardens very rapidly. Q. Who was the man who invented the electric chair, and who was the first man executed?—R. L. A. The electric chair was devised by F. Davis, the State electricia of New York, about 1888, The method of electrocuting criminals was_first adopted by the State of New York the law making this mode of capit: punishment obligatory, being passed June 4, 1888. The law became effective on the 1st of January, 1889. The first criminal to be executed by elec- tricity was William Kemmler, on the 6th of August, 1890, at Auburn Prison. By 1906 about 115 murderers had been sugcessfully executed by electricity in New York State, in Sing Sing, Auburn and Dannemora prisons. Q. What percentage of the Ameri- can-people are interested in the Red Cross?—D. N. B. A. According to statistics at the end of the last fiscal year the number of adult members of the American Red Cross was 3,012,055, and juniors were enrolled to the number of 549.428, ap- proximately 12 per cent of the total population. Q. What i and Iron Polic A. The Pennsy Police are commis: he Pennsylvania Coal >. W. H. nia Coal and Iron oned by the Secre- Various companies State for as many men a. at their plants and thes commissioned to cover only the pro erty of the plant to which they are igned. They are paid by the plant which asked for this protection. They have full police authority on the property to which they are assigned, but no authority at any other place. Q. What are the dimensions of the RS-1?—F. L. De G A. The RS-1 is 282 feet long, T4 feet 6 inches at its greatest width, 80 feet high, with a helium capacity of 719,000 cubic feet. Q. What is a Bantu?—J. W. N. the great family. of Negroid tribes oc- cupying Equatorial and Southern Africa. portant divisions, the Kafirs, Damaras, Bechuanas, Swahilis and many tribes plural personal prefix Aba., as in Ba-ntu, or Aba-ntu, itself a combina- tion of this prefix with the syllable -ntu, a j.2rson. Q. What is the width and average depth of the English H.J. Y. A. The English Channel is 20 miles wide at its narrowest poin! The average depth ranges from 20 to 30 fathoms in the Strait of Dover to 60 fathoms at the entrance. Q. When was the first clock made and how was the time computed?— ‘A, It is uncertain when the first time clock was constructed. Its in- vention is claimed by many from the Chinese 2000 B.C. to the Germans of the eleventh century. The oldest clock of which there is a description is the tower clock of the Palace of Charles V of France which was set up in 1379 by a German named Henry De Vick. Methods of computing time have been in existence from very early periods. Before the invention of the clock the sundial clepsydra, or water clock, and Secretary Hoover's report showing conditions™ in ‘the lower Mississippi flood area to be better than many had supposed has not quieted discus- sion of the possibility of a special ses- sion_of Congre: “The probability is that there will not be a recurrence in 1928 of the flood conditions of 1927,” says the Kansas City Journal-Post (independ- ent Republican), “but such disasters have often traveled in pairs, and ordinary prudence would suggest safe- guarding against such danger so far as repair of existing levees may con- stitute a_safeguard. But even if this may be safely delayed, it would appear that it would be an obvious advantage to have the sensational senatorial election contests from two of our most populous and wealthy States, Pennsylvania and Illinois, brought to a speedy conclusion, so that more time may be given to the numerous pressing problems.” ~The Journal-Post believes that “there should be at least an extra session of the Senate and that great caution should be shown in tax reduction.” On the other hand, the Boston Transcript (independent) states: “If it were true that the early assembling of Congress would be the means of alleviating human suffering and the saving of human life, then it is im- possible to escape the conviction that Congress should so meet. But the President, relying on Secretary Hoover, who spoke with personal knowledge of the conditions in the flooded areas, declined to be swept off his feet. Now his course is vindi- cated by the report which Mr. Hoover has made to him. The Secretary finds that of the 614,000 flood vic- tims at one time dependent upon aid, only 46,000 ars now unable to care for themselves. In other words, about 92 per cent of the total number are again self-sustaining. Red Cross funds are sufficient to take care of the others until the first of January, and, perhaps, leave an unexpended balance of $1,000,000. * * * If Government aid is necessary in financing the farmers another year, there is no good reason why provision cannot be made for it during the early * ok ok K “Unfortunately, there is a chance,” in the opinion ‘6f the Kalamazoo Gazette (indepet@ent), “that the re.| pair work now being performed by the War Department may be seriously delayed for lack of funds. Secretary | Davis estimates that there is only enough money on hand to continue this work until November, and it is doubtful if all the levees can be closed by that time. Since Congress does not convene regularly until De- cember, it probably will be necessary to arrange some sort of fund trans- fer so that the work may be con- tinued. Up to the present (Septem ber 20) efforts to effect such a tran: fer legally have failed. Inasmuch as failure to repair the damaged levees promptly .may result in further de- struction, the problem of obtaining the funds needed is one which calls | ing, an official in Mr. Thomas' posi- Q. Please send me formula for mak- | make application to the Secretary of A. A Bantu is a member of one of These tribes include, as im- whose names begin with Aba-, Ama-, Ba-, Ma, Wa-, variants of the Bantu- Channel?— ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. (the hour clock were used. Tt wou'1 not be a difficult for an inventor clock to obtain the correct time fi« the position of the sun. Q. Has the wearing of feathers t | Indians_any special significance?— |c. | says that the wearing of a means bravery and there are three grades of bravery, which are de noted by the position of the feathe Q. At what place in France was e armistice signed”—W. A. The armistice was s Marshal Foch's private car was on a switch near the Castle of “rancport, nes Choisy-au-Bar France. The Bureau of Indian Affairs feathe | thi Q. When was the first chtamp | ship fight in this country?—M. [ | A. The first championship ring | fight in America occurred in 181+ Jacob Hyer beat Thomas Beasley. fon- | Q. Please tell me how to dissolie sulphur—J. S. S. A. Sulphur is not soluble ter. It may be dissolved by bisulphide. in wa carbon Q. What are poker chips and bil- liard balls made of?—A. B. D A. Poker chips are made of cellu [loid or other composition. | balls are generally used in playing, although composition are also used. Q. What is a “wheel window . L A. In architecture this term is ap- plied to a circular window with radi- ating mullions resembling the spoke of a wheel. Q. Will you please tell ma what vinegar is made of—not apple vine but the dark a vinegar' S. B. MeD. A. Anything may be used for m: ing vinegar, so long as it contai enough sugar and is in no way ohjec- tionable. The following are most com- monly used in the United States: Apples, grapes, oranges, peaches, per simmons, pears, berries, honey, mapl2 products, watermelons, grains, chiefly corn, barley, rye and oats, and mo lasses. The Bureau of Chemistry says that acid vinegar is distilled vinegar made from dilute alcohol and is color- less. Dark vinegar is made from red raspberries and from sorghum mo- lasses. Q. Who was the first negro to be consecrated a Roman Catholic bishop in America?—C. H. E. A. The first negro to be consecrated a Roman Catholic bishop in America was Rev. Francis Zanier de Luna Vie- toria of the diocese of Panama. lle vas consecrated the 15th of August, 1751. He is said to have been the first person born in the Western Hemisphere to have been created a bishop. B | Q. Please inform me as to what would be the liquid measure of a so- called jigger, used before prohibition in regards to mixing drinks?—A. W. A. A jigger is a slang term for one dram of liquor. Q. What is the style and color of the hat worn by the United States Army and how long has the present style been in uso?—A. B. D. A. The present cap authorized for the United States Army is called the Pershing cap. It is olive drab. The crown is high in front and low in back. The crown is more circular than the former one, while the peak is 31 inches in the center longe than the previous cap. The Pershinz cap has been used since about 1921 or 1922, Have we had the pleasure of serv- ing wyou through our Washington Bureau? Caw't we be of some help to you in your daily problems? Our business is to furnish you with @u- thoritative information, and we invite you to ask us any question of fact in which you are interested. Send your inquiry to The Evening Star Infor- mation Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Inclose 2 cents in stamps for retudn postage. Sentiment for Extra Session Seen Despite Hoover Report for the best efforts of the Govern- ment's legal and fiscal experts.” “Apparently, most of the crevasses in the levees of these Southern rivers are unrepaired,” it is pointed out by the Shreveport Journal (Democrat). “This is Sep- tember. Next January, four months 3 the time for the next r lar seasonal rise in the water level. Isn't it about time for the rest of the country, far from the flooded areas, to stop thinking of. ‘the flo as Noah's and,begin to regard it our own and a disaster about whi something constructive and lasting must be done soon? The Philade!phia ening Bulletin (independent Republican) holds that “provision of effective control mus wait on congressional action, hut * levees have been made safe for t moment by temporary repairs. The whole situation seems to have been met in typical American fashion bv a justified reliance on a combination of private generosity and individua self-help.” The Bulletin also em phasizes its conclusion that “Secr tary Hoover's optimistic portraval the situation is welcome news to t country.” 215 i s h * ok * % session of the entire Con been quiescent temporar 1ing to the St. Louis Times (R i lican), “it is certain, once an ad jsession of the Senate is agreed on, they will come to the front again and ask the President to give them a whole loaf instead of a hall.” As to tk~ ruling of Controller McCarl that $2,000,000, which was su 1 to be available, cannot be used wit out further legislation, the Times says, “The co-operation of the Holse is necessary and it is safe to pred | that this will be made a special fea- ture of the new arguments directe fat the President in favor of cail {both branches of Congress to bezin | their labors in advance of the regulat time."” The Yakima Herald (independent) sees the need of action from s ness standpoint, averring that loss of purchasing power in the would be felt throughout the comme cial structure of the country, Con gress will be told in no uncerta erms that, even it humanitarian ide are smothered, 1t will be good bus ness for the country to grant re- llef funds to the flood victims. “Failure to start work on the M sissippl River problem until the ular session of Congress,” states U Lincoln Star (independent), “will mean that at the very earliest no tangible results can be anticipated before another year or two. If, in the meantime, nature is kind to thosc hard-pressed people who were brought to the virtual brink of bankruptcy through the great flood of 1927, they may survive the ordeal. But, on the other hand, x season in the upper basin of the Mis- sissippi and Missourl rivers. produc- ing anything akin to the conditions which prevailed list April and May, will result in a national disaster of the first magnitude.” As to the arguments against a special session, the Roanoke World- ws (independent Democratic) con- tion should welcome and encourage the Fascist League as a militant force for American ideals among the 3,500,000 Italo-Americans. e e e X MACALUSO. . th cludes that “the whole truth of the matter is that Congress is not in. terested in Mississippi flood relief or in prevention of such disasters in