Evening Star Newspaper, October 13, 1927, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. ....October 13, 1927 THEODORE W. NOYES. . ..Editor The Evening Star Newspager Company The Fvening Star with the Sundas morn Jer month: Sundays on per month - Orders mav he sent by mail o 1rlaphone Main 5000, Collection is made by carrier at end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and V i Vv Sunday onlv ates and Canada. 21700 1 mo . $1.00 SK00: 1 ma. T3 $4.00° 1 mo. All Other § 4 Sundas. 1 vr e iyr Sundisy o Member of the Associated Press. sy ennitled is. Reed's Hat in the Ring. 1912, i 1 Jim™ av. mp Clark Democraey, as in the Missouri to make a hid for nomination. Dynamie, Reed is the “favorite Fifteen v zo it was Speaker of the House, another forceful and picturesque figur Woodrow Wilson of Jersey the Baltimore convention of the na tional Democratic party. Tt is the shade of Woodrow Wilson which most strong'y hinders the presidential progress of Senator Reed today. For there are thousands of Wilson Demo- erats, particularly in the South, who dislike Senator Reed hecause of his attacks upon Wilson's pet policy, the adherence of the United States to the League of Nations. “Why,” say these critics of Senator Reed, “should we Democrats make Reed captain of the ship he sought to scuttle the last time it sailed triumphantly upon the seas?’ Whatever the opinion held by Southern Democrats—and not all of them are opposed to Reed—Missouri Democracy has “gone Reed.” In the short space of seven years, Jim Reed has become the idol of his party in a State which has for its popular motto “Show me,” and in which he was bit- terly attacked because he was anti- Wilson. The Democratic State com- mittee has unanimously indorsed Reed for the presidential nomination. Yes- terday he was accorded an ovation by "15,000 shouting Democrats, meeting for a party rally and barbecue at Sedalia, Mo. His address at this meeting was regarded as the real opening of a campaign for the nomination, though Senator Tieed himself made no refer- ence to his possible candidacy. In his speech vesterday, however, Senator Reed indicated the line of attack upon the Republicans which a .campaign he might lead would follow. He charged the Republican party with “rottenness,” with subservience to the big interests, and recalled the oil scandals of the Harding administra- tion. He pleaded for a return to local self-government and for an abandon- ment of bureaucracy. An old opponent of the League of Nations and the World Court, Senator Reed raised aloft again the “America first” stand- ard. This may not please many of president matic son” to sals. They are actuated by what Bis- {marck termed Realpolitik—the politics of reality. They are pursuing the Grover Cleveland program of confront- Ing conditions rather than theories. They know that by treaty hetween Nicaragua and the United States this Jovernmment possesses canal and naval hase rights in Nicaragua of inalienable character and vital va'ue. They are conscious that American capital is in dispensable to Nicaraguan economic welfare. They are aw in the lizht of costly and sanguinary experience, lthat the strong arm of the United the one reliable guarantee, ised, of domestic tran- Nicaragua's ocean- States is whenever it is quillity within | bound- dominion. This may be “imperi 1¢ it is, | Nicaragua's answer to those who charge it may well be “Make the most {of 1t ism." - — o Bus Terminal Solution. Tentative consideration being given at the District Building a ‘|\|"mnsul that a central bus terminal might be built beneath the projected }}yvla‘m which, according to the present (Government building program, will be Pennsylvania Avenue, £ and Fifteenth is bounded by street, Fourteenth streetz. The proposal is intevesti |for it shows that-the authorities at 1 <olution for the problem constituted Jin v | But there are several abjectios ent themselves immediately | pre A treatment is that the proposed pla {of the area in question will not come | years. Fi the build- Ives are to be erected to |ings them { provide sorely necded housing fo leral Government departments. The | plaza and other landscaping work will probably come last in a program which as vet shows few physical sizns of etting under way. Meanwhile, the | necessity for a union bus terminal, conveniently situated in the downtown area. becomes more acute every day Possibly within the next year the pre ent haphazard arrangement of allow- ing the busses to make use of Little Ninth street as terminal facilities must give way before the Government build- ing program. The only substitute in present is another portion public streets, located some- else, to be allotted without for the exclusive use of the at of the where charge busses. It it were declded to comstruct an underground bus terminal on Govern: | ment-owned land, in line with the suggestion now under consideration, much thought would of necessity have to be given to the feasibility of a municipally owned and operated ter- munal, for the use of which the bus com panies would have to pay. In the first place, the Federal Government's consent would be necessary, and in the second the division of cost of con- struction and profits from operation would have to be decided by Congress. The better plan would seem to be to encourage the construction of a bus ter- minal by private_enterprise. And if such enterprise is lacking, to force the busses to solve a problem which is peculiarly of their own making. As long as tentative suggestions are thrown out now and then from the District Building hinting that the Dis- trict may possibly enter the bus ter- minal business, the bus companies are going to wait until they know definitely which way the wind blows. As long as the District generously provides them with free parking space on the public streets, the bus com- the Wilson Democrats who fought, bied and died for the League of Nations. On the other hand, Senator Reed made no open demand for a repeal of the eighteenth amendment, although he is rated a wet, and to this extent was conciliatory to the dry Solith. If the 1 ‘mocratic nomination goes finally to “Jim"” Reed, the party will have placed in the field a bitter and determined fighter, a man who will earry the war to the Republicans from the drop of the hat. It is doubtful that any Republican candidate could defeat him 'n his home State, and Reed would make an appeal to other States of the 17est which Al Smith of New York, for example, would lack. It is in the East, however, that the Missouri Senator must look for his strongest opposition for the nomina- tion, and after he is nominated, if he be the party’'s choice, ——————————— Notoriety no longer succeeds on the stage, unless backed by cleverness— end capital. The powers behind the throne of art are the auditor and the publicity man, ———————— Disappointed candidates may be in- elined to follow “The Sidewalks of New York” with a good losers’ chorus of “Whudduzit Mattah' The Nicaraguan Presidency. Within a few davs two rival candi- dates for the presidency of Nicaragua will be in the United States for the mutual purpose of securing American approval of their respective ambitions, Gen. Emiliano Chamorro, a former President and the Conservative aspir- ant, is already here, Gen. J. M. Mon- cada, lately an embattled leader of revolutionary forces against the ex- isting government of Nicaragua and now a Liberal candidate, is about to present himself in Washington, There are sentimentalists and so- called “anti-imperialists” in the United | Btates who wax wroth at the thought that sovereign Nicaraguans, seeking the presidency of their own country, should be .compelled to come, cap in hand, beseeching in advance the favor and recognition of Uncle Sam. The thought finds heated expression that American domination of still another Latin American republic is thus bru- tally exempufied. Nicaragua, say these international calamity howlers, has now gone the way of Haiti, the Dominican Republle and Panama. Bteartniy, steadily and southward the couras of North American empire takes its deadly and irresistible course. Dollar diplomacy continues its all-con- quering march toward the Equator. 80 runs the dismal argument. The best answer to all this is that Gens. Chamorro and Moncada, repre- senting the widely divergent and all- embracing elements of the Nicaraguan people, by their arrival in Washington panies have little incentive to bestir themselves and look elsewhere. The present is a good time for the proper authorities at the District Building to weigh the advantages of & municipally owned and operated bus terminal against those of a privately owned and operated terminal. And on the basis of careful consideration, some decision might be announced to the effect that the District govern- ment does or does not intend to en- ter the field. With this point settled definitely more rapid headway in pro- viding a terminal—which must come eventually—would be gained. Little progress in ihe right direction can be seen at present. r————————— . There is no escaping the impression that Remus would have been happier if he had gotten himself a reliable hun- dred-dollar-a-week job as a “white- collar man.” A National Party. The Progressive Republican bloe, now organizing in the Senate for con- sideration of presidential candidates and legislative problems, holds the balance of power in the upper house of Congress. If the bloc organizes solidly and acts in concert, it may have far-reaching effect on the legis- lative history of the coming Congress. The Republicans have 48 seats in the new Senate, including Senators-elect Smith of Illinois and Vare of. Penn- sylvania, whose right to be seated has been challenged; the Democrats have 47, and the Farmer-Labor party 1. It is clear that if the Progressive group in the Republican ranks acts together, by joining with the Democrats, it can defeat the administration forces when- ever it desires. In the formal statement, the first ®0 far issued by the group since their conferences began here last week, the Westerners assert their purpose is, not to form a new party, but to make the East understand the Republican party is national in scope, #wd not merely the party of the Kast. This is a laudable purpose. There has been too great an inclination on the part of Eastern leaders to ignore the West and its problems. It may be of in- terest 1o Eastern Republicans to ex- amine the history of their party in this connection. When the G. O. P. has suffered defeat at the polis, it has been because the Republicans of the West rose in their wrath and voted the Democratic ticket, or for a third party nominee. This was true in 1912, when the Progressive movement under Roosevelt galned great head- way. It was true in 1916, when sev- eral of the Western States, ordinarily Republican, voted for Woodrow Wil- son ipstead of for Charles Evans Hughes. Progressive Republicans of the West are threatening today to bolt acknowledge in the most unqualified manner the necessity of American good will in the governance. of their country. They do not come as vas- the Republican ticket next year and vote for a Democrat, provided the Democratic party nominates a “Pro- gressive.” They make this threat an | the Distriet Building are trying to find | hington's present bus muddie. | THE EVENING ultimatum to the East. They demand legislation satisfactory to the West and a presidential nominee reasonab Progressive and caleulated to give the West “a fair deal.” it it survive, must be a national party not a sectional party. In this | Progressived are clearly right. called rezalar Republicans in States of the West are enden to impress this fact upon their ern brethven. Numerically strong, | the East has been long in the saddle ' and has ridden roush-shod, they say. The Western Progressives of the enate, therefore, have undertaken [to make their weight felt. They are in a strategie position to do so in the coming Congress. Much will depend upon how wisely they use their pow- | er, and upon how far the Progre | ind the reg are willing |along together, It the Dem |party was not torn by internal dis- ent differences in might have far greater significance politically. As it is, the regular Republicans and the | Republicans of the Kast have been too much inclined to bank solidly on at the polls next year and to egard the Progressive threat. The Schoo.>oy Patrol. For the second successive vear the schoolboy patrol is organized and| functionin Under the supervision of the American Automobile Associa- | tion and school officials, three hunsred and twenty-five boys have been sclect- ed to ry on safety work for the benetit of the school children of the city, These lads, equipped with white Sam Browne belis and a silver badge. and picked for their scholarship rec- ords and general ability, are charged with the responsibility of building up safety ideals among their comrades. They will in no sense act as traffic po- licemen, but at intersections near the various schools they will be stationed to prevent students from running heedlessly into traffic, and in the fulfiliment of this important duty they are expected to set an example of con- sideration for others that will be ab- sorbed by their schoolmates. The American Automobile tion is to be commended for ils spon- sorship of this activ Fatalities among school children in the heavy trafiic of today are pathetically high. It only one life a year can be saved by supervision at crossings the cam- paign will accomplish a decidedly worth-while object. But this is not the only benefit to be gained. Chil- dren, by this method, will become in- terested in safety in traffic and the special training in school and home will add to their ability to avoid ac- cidents. The schoolboy patrol, there- fore, teaches safety and consideration, and functions as an organization to re- duce the unnecessarily large toll of school children fatalitie: R .. Complaints by Mr. Rickard that peo- ple hear a prizefight free of charge are partially offset by protests of ring- side purchasers located so far away that they cannot see the punches. ——r———— is to and the So- the | ring | a8t | Associa- 1t is easy for Americans to have an interview with Mussolini. The circum- stances are usually so formal as to permit little expression beyond the words “Pleased to meet you. e Public interest would welcome a presidential campaign to overwhelm the attention demanded by the grand jury. ——er—s an in-and-outer Trotsky manifests Soviet influence. But he is no Musso- lini. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Arrived. He toiled for his country with patience obscure, And offered full many a thought. A lot that was humble he strove to endure, ‘With various penalties fraught. He studied the numerous questions that came, Evoking a laugh or a sob. At last, he is welcomed, in comfort, to fame. He's got a political job. No longer he works through the long, weary night To find what the public may need. His name is presented in letters of light, ‘Which any one passing must heed. And every one lifts up a welcoming volce, z As hearts are so wildly a-throb. His labor sincere made nobody re- Joice— But he's got a political job. Terms. “You have been sent to the Senate | many times. “1 hav answered Senator Sor- ghum. *“And I am proud of the fact, It is always an honor to serve a term in the Senate when so many are] threatened with a term in the peni- temtiary."” Words and Music. M, Radio! My Radio! 1 read while still you madly play. The book dispels the tune, you know. The tune helps drive the book away. Jud Tunkins says a man who mar- ries a girl with money has to be watched to keep him from getting the money and forgetting the girl. Welcoming Contributors. “I understand your boy Josh has become a ‘colyumist.’ " “Yep,” answered Farmer Corntossel. “Josh decided on a litr'y career. And he has a lot o' free contributors.” “All free?” “Yes. That's why I keep tellin’ Josh that it he was a good sport he'd en- title his ‘colyum’ ‘Hello, Sucker!" " “We hope for the best,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “meaning usually what may happen to be best tor ourselves.” Agin the Classics. To contemplate the case we pause. It can't be viewed as funny— Grand op'ry gets the most applause, The jazz gets all the money. “De more a man takes off time to go fishin’,” said' Uncle Eben, “de mo’ he hates office hours an’ complains 'bout overwork.” | short STAR. W THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Who would want the “Unfinished mphony”’ finished, or “The Chord” found? Th of the unfinished will unreservedly commend the action of a famous pianist who has protested the offering of 1 prize for the completion of S bert's “Symphony in B Minor." Such an attempt not only would he desceration, since genius ix divine, bu perfection of unfinished perfection Porfection must not be tampered with When a great artis ament th through tem- ta finish a one so great « to dure come along, wheiher a yea or a hundred years later, and attempt to complete what the master has left uncompleted o * k% The attempt may be made, bui the chances are a million to one that the result will be a failure, especially if it be as the result of a prize offer. Some good things, it is true, come out of such offers, but whel total amount of greatness so realized is compared with the huge stack of medioerity achieved, the result is neg. lible. eatness is not secured by taking thought. Hawthorne wrote a great story, known to ev school- child, called “The Great Stone I in which the hero comes (o gi by the route of sclf-forgetfulness, I must compose something no doubt says the mus have the a pen in hand. lle is bent on finishing the finished?” uppose he does complete so many ars, so many sheeis of paper, does it in a musicianly manner pose even he surpasses his own effort. Suppose the result is really great— Well, it Wil not he Schubert. That great composer had a “style” all his own. When he wrote the first two and only movements of the symphony popularly called the “Unfinished” he was in a certain mood. Various legends have been told of that mood, all of which may be dis- counted, for such st es are general- ly fabrications, made up generations later to please the popular fancy. The fact remains, however, that Schubert did achieve a distinguished tone-poem, even though he did not vealize it himself. Those who create in any of the arts know that often the creation one likes best himself is not the one that oth Often enough the work rejected by the creator wins the human heart. The - composer, therefore, is not always the best judge of hix own work. The rich depth of melody, the fine construction of the “Unfinished,” have endeared it to countless music lovers of every land and age since its discover Thare is in it such a blending of real musicianship with an appeal to the average musical ear that it de- serves (o be called probably the most beloved of orchestral compositions, certainly of the symphonies. Beethoven’s “Fifth” many might re- Lost | who believe in the perfection | we DAY, OCTOBER 13, 1927, gard as its superfor, but to most hear- re there Is something at once v, vet sad, in the “Unfinished | that gives it a unique place in their affection. If there ix anything In music that will legitimately bring tears to the eyes of concertgoers it is the second ovement of Schubert's “B Minor S as done hy a great or- such as the Philadelphia * ok ok X Arn unfinished masterpiece, whether lin music or writing, is the work of |a certain mood of a certain man {whom the world has agreed to call eat. | "1t is_impossible for another to be | that man, or to plit himself into that 1 completion of the unfinished | work, no matter how well done, will fail to harmonize, as it were, to sensi- tive hearers or readers. This is the “tical reason why the “Unfin- ished Symphony” should be left in- | tact in its incompleted greatness. Charlex Dickens’ “Mystery of Kdwin Drood,” which that great novelist left unfinished at his death, has been com- pleted Ly “other hands,” but with no especial benefit to humgnity. Joseph Conrad’s incimpieted had better been master left it. If the “Lost Chord” of whic Proctor =ang could be “found, | we rather not leave it in its pr | perfect state of lost'ness? |7 In this world of ours, in which so | many of us are unable to finish whst ve begin, and where all of us m t lay down our tasks unfinished, it is heartening to contemplate some. |thing great that was not completed. | Such ereations a those mentioned. left hy genius in an incomplete or even | mutilated state, remind mankind of his mutability, yet strengthen him with | their inspiration, that they, despite |incompleteness, achieved greatness! They came to perfection, although | imperfect: they realized greatness, al- | though but a fragment of themselves. They have won the love of th world, despite the fact that they have no arms, or are without a head, or have but two movements, instead of | four. or have no ending at all. Thus these masterpieces are human with a humanness which strikes through all superficial bluff, which would demand that every one and everything be finished, complete. per- fect, and show that often enough the incomplete is the most complete, the imperfect the most perfect. Those who strive, with struggling hearts and weary hands, to be better men and women, who too often fail, las, or who are forced by fell circum ances to give over the struggle, may ce heart from these human master- pieces, left incomplete but glorious, unfinished but divine, They point unerringly to the old truth that life, after all, is not measured by rule, but is deep with meaning which escapes us if we do not have love and pity in our hearts, eyes that see through im- perfection, ears that listen for Heaven through the incomplete melodies of this world. “Sus. left as the| h Mis: * wou 1 t Ancient Code of China Stresses Human Relations BY DR. WILLIAM HUNG. Dean of Yenching University. Peking. China. The difference between the char- acteristics of civilization in old China and in the West may be likened to that between two explorers who set out on the path of world progress bearing the same mot on their standards, “Go Togethe: But West has impatiently unders one word Go, while the heavily traced in red ink the word Together. The characteristic difference be- tween civilization is wholly a matter of historical emphasis on certain ele- ments common (o all, and not a ques- tion of inherent unlikeness. Among the three main relationships of hu- man lif that of man to man, that of man to nature, and tha* of man to God, China has stressed the first, man's scheme of adjustment to his fellow man; the West has stressed the second, man’s empire over nature: In- dia, for example, is typical of the third emphasis, faith, adjustment to the universe. x ok kX Such an emphasis as the cultural history of China has resulted in the development of a system of ethics, or regulations for the contact of with man, which has been one of the strongest stabilizing influences in the life of old China. But this insistence on the structure of society and on the importance of etiquette has led to evils and weaknesses which young China insists must be scrapped. It has led to the neglect of the individu- al's physical welfare in favor of the demands of his many relationships; to dependence upon tradition and the ex- perience of others instead of upon the critical faculties of one’s own intelli- gence, to the discouragement of per- sonal initiative through family inter- dependence, and to the sacrifice of na- tional solidarity in favor of family solidari The individual has heen imprisoned within the solidarity of the family sys- tem. Patriotism, freedom for partici- pation in a larger national life, has been denied him. It was always “fam- ily firs at the expense of every- thing else. These are weaknesses of the “old man of the house™ on the eve of his ‘retirement before the world- wide revolt of youth. * K kK But Young China is not altogether ungrateful to Old China. There are many excellences in her past, and if in the confusion of today's change these may seem disregarded, they are not forgotten and will never be tossed into the discard. China still believes that “together” is more important | than “go.” And while we have sacri- | ficed speed, we have in China more | companionship, less of competitive hate and more of the tranquillity that comes from moderation. And we have more simplicity—simplicity in think- ing and in living, rather than bril- liance—running true to the ancient doctrine of moderation, of uprearing a guard against excess. We are taught that the impetuosity of the Westerner is not thoreughly admirable: that it is more important to know when and how to stop than how to stal Confusius sald, “If you are in a hurry you may never reach your destination.” Yet among these weaknesses and ex- cellences of the old order and in the midst of the turmoil of change toward | the new, there are constructive cur- rents at work, honestly seeking to evaluate, adapt, scrap and preserve to the end that the old house may be set in order under a strong new manage- ment and again become the pride of the neighborhood. PHILOSOPHIES BY GLENN FRANK It is nearing noontime; under my study window a crowd of hungry and hilarious boys, guests of my son, are bringing a Saturday morning’s. play to an end, and, with that lovely tact- lessness of boyhood, they are hurling one insistent question back and forth across the yard—When do we e#t? It reminds me that there are few more important questions for the American people to ask than this— How do we eat? Amel does not yet face the prob- lem of food quantity; but it must face the problem of food quality, for upon this the health and-the happiness of the Nation depend to a degree not generally recognized. There are no essential foods; but there are essential food factors that must enter into our diet or we become an_ill-nourished people. The experts tell us that the two most important innovations modern man has introduced into his eating are as follows: First, he has learned to cook his food. Secand, he has made cereals and cereal foods the foundation of his diet. Until recently science steered clear of the kitchen, and we paid little at- tention to what these two innovations might mean to our health and hap- piness. . ‘We know a little about the effects of cooking on foods, but not as much ! as we need to know. Cooking makes food easler to chew; some foods taste better when cooked; some foods are more digestible when cooked; cooking sterilizes foods. These effects of cooking are all to the good; but there are other effects not 80 good. Cooking reduces the vitamin con- tent of foods; some foods stick paste- like to the teeth when cooked. and cooked foods may produce acid fer: mentations on the teeth. We need the scientist in the kitchen to tell us more about the effect of cooking on our diet. Research has uncovered the fact that cereals and. cereal foods which we consume in such great quantities Jack certain very important nutritive factors—among these, most has been sald about the lack of vitamin con- tent. The superficial reader of such re- searches will rush to the conclusion that the thing to do is to throw cereal foods out of the window, but the counsel of science is to balance our ration with foods that have the nutritive factors that the cereal foods lack—such foods as milk, meats, nuts, eggs, fruits and vegetables. And, meanwhile, I venture the guess that it is only a question of time until research, which has already dis- covered the principles, will have de- vised a process for investing cereal foods with the vitamin content they may now lack. (Copyright, McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) Account of Booth Death Challenged To the Editor of The Star: On page 40 of the program of the recent military carnival held at the ‘War College in this city is to be found the following: “Booth, with the other assassins, wade his escape, but were all soon captured (all except Booth, who was killed in Maryland).” . I have a vivid recollection of reading the published accounts of the tragedy immediately after its occurrence, which stated that Booth was shot in a barn on a farm known as the “Gar- rett Farm” in Virginia. In the over 62 years that have passed, I have never heard of those accounts be- ing disputed, so I feel justified in char- acterizing the statement in the program as, historically speaking, “bunk,” bor- rowing the language of Henry Ford. The article in which the foregoing quotation was made was “Prepared by the historical section, Army War Col- lege.” which has access to all data re- ferring to the “‘crime of the nineteenth century,” and therefore no excuse is available in justification of such a grossly misleading statement. J. B. JAQUES. Ground for Hope. From the New York World. The panel of presidential candidates isn't exhausted by any means. There are a number of prominent men who have not yet declared that they will not accept a nomination. Virginia Realty Tax Rate Held Reasonable To tha Editor of The Star: In your editorial of October 6, re- garding the matter of motor license reciprocity between the District of Commbia and Virginia you silude to “burdensome real estate taxes” Virgini The Northern Virginia Bureau has recently completed @ rather extensive research study of real estate taxes ir some 300 tax areas throughout the United States, for the purpose of comparing the average of taxes ectu- ally paid in nearky Virginia with that of comparable communities in_o:her parts of the country. This compara- tive survey discloses the fact. in no uncertain manner, that Virgiia, gen- erally, is an area of low 1val estate taxes, and that the three Virginia communities just across the Potomuc from the District, Alexanmdria Arlington County and Fairfax County, are arcas of very low real estate taxes, It is true that tax rates in the three sections - seem higher than those of the District or the nearby Maryland counties. However, the tax rate in a community may bear little relation to the actual tax burden on the property owner. There is one State in the Union in which the legal hasis of assessment s 38 per cent of true value. The tax rates of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., were $7.325 and $7.041, respectively, in 1926, These figures look like tremendous burdens, hut the actual tax paid in these two cities was less than 50 per cent more than that paid in the District of Co. lumbia in 1926, Let me call your attention to fact that tax rates in the nearby V ginia areas have not increased in (he past two vears, as have the rates in the District and the Maryland coun- ties contiguous thereto. Last year Virginia Lecame the fourth State ing the United States to segregaie real property for local taxes, and the for- mer State tax on abol Not_only ind in the District and the nearby Maryland counties, but -the hasis of valuation~for tax purposes has also shown a sharp rise in the District and Montgomery County, Md. Tn making our tax survey we used ever publication available on the subject and made a large number of inguiries on our own initiative. Our researches included not only officidi figures from the 200 largest cities in the country, but some 50 of (he small- er cities, comparable to Alexandria, and some 50 suburban counties, com- parable in position und economic sit- uation to Arlington and Fairfax coun- tles. No attempt was made to select areas. On the contrary, we made it a point to secure facts from every important metropolitan area in the country, with one exception only, in which case dependable figures scem to_bhe unobtainable. The situation in nearby Virginia. with regard to tax rates, is this: The rates seem to be high, but the actual tax paid is low, on accourt of lower- than-average bases of valuation. There is quite a difference in favor of Virginia taxpayers in the amount of taxes actually pald there, as com- pared with either the District or the adjacent Marviand counties 1t would seem that the Virginia sit- uation is ratLer vnusual o the casual observer, unaccustomed to delve in the subject of real estate taxes. On the contrary, it is not unusual. Our survey shows conclusivi that com- are assessed of property are the exception, rather than .the rule. Not much more than 10 per cent of the areas on which we have figures assess on thé market vilue basis, and we have reason to doubt the fact, in most ‘of these cases, as it seems to he difficult to establish a fair market value basis for assessment. Virginia taxes are gradually reach- ing a basis of better urganization for the average resident of the State. The present administration is commitied to tax reforms, many of which have al- ready accomplished. At the present time Virginia is cne of rhe most favorable States, from a tax viewpoint, for the average citizen to live in, hecause real estate and prop- erty taxes are actually lower, in amount paid out, than in almost any other part of the United States. C. A. Northern Virginia Bureau. Urges Potomac Gorge Be Saved From Ruin “Ta the Editor of The Star: Nature lovers everywhere, as well as in Washington, of course, are duly heartened by the assurance that the American Institute of Architects has Jjoined other organizations in the cam- paign, as The Star editorial of Octo- ber 9 puts it, “to save the gorge of the Potomac from ruin through power development.” Strenuous effort has been necessary to protect Niagara and its gorge from industrial exploitation, and it is now the patriotic task of the combined idealists of the country to preserve to the Federal City its most striking scenic feature, a gorge not less mag- nificent in its way than that of the Niagara River itself. In which connection it may be well to note the obvious fallacy of the con- tention that “dams and bridges con- structed in accordance with modern engineering skill and good taste, stead of marring the scenic beauties of the gorge would “add to its ai tractiveness.” It is, of course, admitted that the gorge’s dammed-up river flow might form an exceedingly beautiful lake. But even if the lake were actually more attractive than the gorge as it stands today, it would be objection- able for the reason that it would very much impair the scenic diversity of the city's natural environment. ‘Washington boasts a noble expanse of water as it is. With the tidewater Potomac on the south, with the park- way of the Anacostia on the east, not to mention the encircling blue hills of Maryland and Virginia, the rocks and rapids and cascades and greenery of the Potomac above Little Falls com- plete a marvelous and unrivaled civic setting. To interfere with that natural ar- rangement by inundating the gorge would be a sacrilege. ‘WM. TIPTON TALBOTT. UNITED STATES N WORLD WAR Ten Years Ago Today ‘War Department orders big shift, involving about 130.400 drafted men, to fill up six National Guard division: in the South and West. * * * Ad- miral Mayo reaches 'Washington on return from allied naval conference in London and confers with Secretary Daniels and Admiral Benson. Secre- tary Daniels calls “tommy-rot” the story to the effect that Admiral Mayo had predicted the emergence of the German fleet and a big naval action soon. * * * Draft officials announce that men will be freed from service upon proof that they are the sole sup- port of dependents. * * * Gen. Pershing, insisting upon rifle practice, says that Americans must be up on marksmanship when they reach France. Also declares the men should be drilled rigidly in military bearing and smartness. * * Federal offi- cials ar ter milk dealers for price boosting. * * * Army men subscribe $6,700,000 for second Liberty loan. Great rivalry develops among canton- ments, regiments and companies, * ¢ Shipowners welcome Govern- ment -control of ships and regard as fair policy as announced by the Ship- ping Board ANSWERS TO BY FREDERIC Q. What In the total horsspowsr of all’ the antomobilen in the {/nited States?—8, M, A. The aggregile the 20,000,000 motor carn registered in 1926 probably amounts to uhaut 44, 00,000 nominal horsepower, | Q borsepawer of When is St Martin's Susimer” o Dk In northern Europe there is & period of, the Autumn, correxg ing to our Indian Sum chill of the season is by or two of comparativel The legend is that on a bleak Novem: | ber day St. Martin emerged Vo church and found & beggar crouch- ing on the doorstep, shivering with cold. St. Martin tore his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. | Since that time the season of the which the event took place cterized by a period of mild- | of the ex- R. 8. slang expraession “green- originally used in refer- ence to a cow, deer or other horned animal when its horns are immature. In its applied sense we have traced the expression as far back as 16! Q. How many kinds of goldenrod grow in the United Stat A. There are about 125 varieties of | goldenrod. most of which are found in | this country. They are cross-fertilized | by butterflies and bees and are t cal insect-pollinated planis. Th pollen gives a positive hay-fever reaction, but, not heing wind-borne, can cause hay fever only upon direct inhalation. the initials ¥. A. L They stand for Federation Aero- nautics Internationale, Q. Is not the dome of St. Peier's Cathedral in Rome the largest in the world”—W, T, T. A. Recently a resort hotel has been built at West Baden, Ind., whose im- mense dome ix 212 feet across, 12 feet greater than that of St. Peter’s, which was forms the largest in the world. Q. How should a club sandwich be eaten?—N. 8, D. A. A club sandwich should not be taken in the fingers. It is usually difficult, if not impossible, to use sim- ply the fork. In cutting the toast, etc., it Js correct to use both knife and | fork, Q. Where is the world?—T, A. France claims it. Le Bourget, near Paris, is the largest, and the (l:r{"" aviation hangars are those at T the largest airport in Q. When may moose be shot in New Brunswick?—E. B. A. The open season for moose is from October 1 to November 30. Deer, September 15 to November 30. Q. Lately I saw a large cloud over- head frequently lit up with lightning, but heard no thunder. What caused this?—A. A. L. A. The Weather Bureau says that this is a well known, though not very common, phenomenon, at least when the cloud is overhead. It probably is owing to rather feeble disgharges | oper | thunder OUESTIONS 1. WASKIN, wt grant heighte, Sound from great hatghte Goms nat exrry down well, as wa exy, th the eurface of the earth. Hecides, lightning discharges in the prtions of eloudsy often are festila iy eomparison 1o those that stpike {6 the emrth and give but little Indesd, they may be of Sk patire ne 1o produce v little Hunss wuen close by ¥y wan f6 awindle? ved w. How wieh money great Humbert » On the repraseniation that she had inhersted a fortune of $20,002.00 from an Ameclenn millionaire Mme. Humbert and her husband netted about 310,000,609, while the amount of no‘es in the form of origina) loans and renewals equaled 340,000,000, Q. What is the oath taken hy the Republican deputien of the Irish Free State?—T. M. A. It ix ax follows: “I do solemnly swear due faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the Irish Free State, as by law esiablixhed, and that 1 will be faithful to King George V, his heirs and successors by law in viriue of the common citizenship of Ireland with Great Britain and her adherence to membership in the group of na ns forming the British commoni- wealth of nation Q. How old is Richard Dix? that his real name?—N. D. A. The actor is 33 gears of age. His real name is Peter Brimmer, Is Q. In adding apple juice to fruit lacking In_pectin, for jelly what should the proportion be? E A. Half apple juice should be used. Slightly tart, juicy apples should be used. Combine the juices and use two- thirds as much sugar. Boil the juice hree minutes, add sugar and cook idly until the jelly will fall in a cet when poured from a spoon. ) Q. Are there many steam wells in the world?+C. 1 A. Geyser Creek Canyon. ahont miles from San Francisco, has on. Lardelo, Italy, has several. There are, ho r, few localities where natural steam wells are possible. Voleanic a«- tion must have brought the heated in- terior of the earth’s crust close to tha surface, and conditions must be fa- vorable for water to reach the heated vock masses through natural chan- nels. Other such regions are the Val. ley. of Ten Thousand Smokes in Alaska, a region in Japan, one In northern Chile and one in New Zea- land. Q. Why was Ypsilanti so named?— G. 8. 'A. ‘Ypsilanti, Mich., was named in? honor of Demetrius Ypsilanti, the Greek patriot, who lived from 1797 to 1832, Letters are going every minute from our free Information Bureaw in Wash- ington telling readers whatever they want to know. They are in answer to all kinds of queries, on ail kinds of subjects, from all kinds of ‘people. Make use of this free servicg which The Evening Star is maintaiding for you. Its only purpose—is—ta Jielp you and we want you to bemefit from it. Get the habit of writing to The E: ning Star Information Bureau, Fred. eric J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. 4 Labor’s Co-Operation Policy Noted as Marking New Era Announcement from the American Federation of Labor in annual session that its present poiicy is one of co-op- eration with capital and that the stril.e weapon no longer is called into public use, except under unusual eir- cumstances, is warmly acclaimed by the press. President Green of the federation, especially, is credited with leadership in bringing about a def- inite policy which points 1o a new era in the relations of capital and labor. The attitude of the union leaders toward Communist agitation also re- ceives wide commendation. The present tendency, as viewed by the Houston Chronicle, is one which “gives evidence of a new and encour- aging day in our industrial affairs. one that not many people had hoped to see so soon. Of course,” continues the Chronicle, “all this has not come about merely because people wanted it to come about. The ideal is not in the course of being realized merely because it was an ideal. Labor is co- operating with capital both because it has learned that is the course of wisdom and because it has been given the opportunity to co-operate.” “In wage disputes that have re- sulted in a strike,” says the New Bed- ford Standard, “we have often heard people admitting their perplexity as to the merits of the case. The work- ers have asked for certain wages, the employers have said they cannot af- ford to pay them. Of facts on which the public can base a conclusion there has been a total lack. 1f, in the fu- ture, labor backs its demands with facts, there is no question but that public sentiment will be more speedily crystallized. Even if labor’s facts are disputed by the employers, the argu- ment will be enlightening. That labor should feel itself competent to study costs and profits and business cond tions is a sign of the growth of intelli- gence in leadership.” * ok k% attractive. Labor in Russia, it is true, lives better than any other class. But it lives far worse than labor in this country.” The Waterloo Tribune holds that “class does not count in the United States,” and continues: “We are petitioned by radicals to look upon the experiment in Russia a: something new. It isn’t mew at all. It is old. It is founded on class hatred and our forefathers did away with class hatred long before they heard of socialism and communism. “American labor has been compara- tively free from ultra-radicalism,” says the Louisville Courier Journal. “The. proportion of reds on this side of the Atlantic is small. Though Communists influences have been at work, they have not penetrated to any appreciable extent the great mass of American workers. The well-being and pros- perity of the average laboring man have made him proof against the virus of anarchy and revolution.” The Buffalo Evening News concludes that “it would help a good many theoretical thinkers if they could grasp as clearly as does William Green the fact that communism is not a doctrine that is uplifting labor, but an experiment in which the poor man is a pawn, and in. practice has been sacrificed relent- lessly to attain political ends.” ————————— No Sky Robbers. From the Aun Arbor Times-News. Air express planes, though carrying packages valued at thousands of dol- lars, will not be armed against ban- dits, for the simple reason that the aero bandit has not yet put in his appearance. It seems, indeed, as though aerial travel is safe from hold-up men by virtue of the apparent fact that there is no way for them to uperate. How- ever, it not yvet sufe to make the statement that the aerial hold-up man is an_impossibility. 1t would not be surprising, indeed, if the scientific sky ) “Something like the opening of a new era is recorded,” observes the Newark Evening News, with recogni- tion that President Green of the fed- eration “noted a change in public opinfon toward the trade union due to the new emphasis labor has put upon constructive work. Strike and strife have been relegated to a back seat. Co-operation with industry and society have heen brought to the tront.” The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin is impressed by the fact that oreign observers have all noted as the chief characteristic of the Ameri- can movement, as contrasted with that overseas, the greater recognition of the community of interest of em- ployer and employed.” A Tactor cited by the Ashevil Times is that “experience and the schools are having their wholesome effects on the labor movement”; that “years of good times must also be taken into account in explaining the absence of many strikes. Thousands of workera, organized and unorganiz- ed.” continues that paper, “have saved part of their earnings and become em- ployers and owners of property or securities. With additional responsi- bilities has come straighter thinking about capital's side of the age-long industrial controversy.” The Spokane Spokesman-Review hails mome tous and beneficial change of attitude,” as a result of which “the country is enjoying the blessings of an almost unprecedented era of good feeling be- tween labor.and capital.” The Syracuse Herald finds it is not amiss “to say that President Green has proved uimself to be a worthy successor of the late Samuel Gompers, At a time when the ultra-radical, mischief-making wing of the American Federation was far more insidious in methods and threatening in numbe than its shriveled remnant is today, the Herald adds, e was a pillar of strength in the mov. ment for its suppression. In that respect he was President Green' exemplar and peacemaker."” * ok k% As to the deflance of the Communists, the Wichita Beacon remarks: ‘‘Russia’s inability to proselytize in the ranks of American labor is due to the fact that American - labor is too well satisfied with the way it is living. Russia has nothing to offer which is w burglar ultimately makes his appear- ance. Aviation is in its infancy, and there- fore it faces no complex problems. Such difficulties will develop, no doubt, in time. There is bound to be an aerial traffic situation calling for con- trol, and numerous other problems of which there has not yet been even a hint. For example, there recently devel- oped In Grand Rapids a problem 'n- volving a church and Sunday fving. The church protested that aviatcrs flying over the edifice of worship made 80 much noise that the services were interrupted, and a request was made that air travel in that particular lane be prohibited on the Sabbath day. That may be an inkling of what lies in store for aviation as ft expands on 2 large scale. It seems unlikely that all will be smooth sailing, even with atmosphere for cushions, because there never is progress without ma; difficulties to overcome. Who knows for sure, then, that the flying burglar Is not to make his appearance? Let us hope that he doesn't, but wherever there may be valuables somebody usu- ally finds a way to get his fingers on them, and when the air becomes filled with flyipg men and women, well, even the birds probably will not be safe until, of course, the flying cops work out a comprehensive system of Pprotection. Automobiles, you know, have cre- ated serious problems in public and personal safety that their inventors never dreamed they were capable of producing. Look ahead a hundred years in aviation and see if you can even guess what difficulties—and ad- vantages, of course—are fated to ma- tertalize. ’ Escaping the Reformers. From the New York Tribune. It the automobile builders don’t top referring to them pleasu cars, the reformers will soon prohibil their use. - A - Modern Matrimony. from the Baltimore Sun. Modern ideas of matrimony seem to i the. : for.credit ‘the: the L