Evening Star Newspaper, October 24, 1927, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY...... THEODORE W. NOYES The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: lvanis Ave. New Nork: Oficer 10" East 42na-st. Chicago_Office; Tower Building. Furopean Office: 14 Regent St.. London. England. The Evening St ing edition ts" del the city at 60 cen B carrier at end by carriers within e Month- dally <niy. Sundava cnly. 20 cents v Le gent by mail o D0, Coflection 18 oiade by of each month Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. y d Sund £0.00: 1 mo.. 7! e s 8 sunday oniv . .1 vr $300° 1 mo.. All Other States and Canada. and Sundas.1 vr.. $12 00: 1 mo.. $1.00 only.. 1sr 00: 1 mo.. aniy mo.. Dail Duly Sundar b 1y Member of the Associated Press. Associated Press 1s exclusively entitled ot Ao%ar Tepubiication of all news di atrhes eredited fo it or not otherwise cred- [tad in this paper and also the iocal news porblished herein. Al 1ights of publication of s dianatches herein are alsd reserved. Business Optimism. With York stock market in stroag reaction that has carried the average of prices down to effect, it is estimated, inka of values to the extent of nearly four billion dollars, a tocling quarte the New of uneasiness prevails in some Jest this sudden change may signify a definite and serious slacken- fnz of business in the United States. The stock market is regarded as an index to general conditions. It does not however, always follow that spasmodic’ movements in the stock lists are in- dicative of unsound conditions in de. Svidence that the sharp stock reac- tion of the past few days is not looked upon as a barometric indication is af- forded by the sentiments expressed at Houston, Tex., by delegates to the an- nual convention of the American Bankers' Association, which begins to- day. A compilation of interviews with these delegates regarding the prospect for 1928 masses into a positive opti- mism. In the language of one dis- patch summarizing the statements, *“the present prosperity of the United States is based op a sound and lasting foundation; it is not a prosperity as| bounteous as that witnessed last year, when industrial activity was at its peak, but more persons are participat- ing in it and it holds little threat of & major recession either during the rest of 1927 or in 1928. Among the favorable factors cited by the bankers as indicating continued prosperity are the enhancement of egricultural purchasing power, due to the recent advance in the price level of farm commodities; the freedom of 81l business frcm inflated inventories; the generally sound finarcial condition of the banks of the country; the sanity with which Government finances are being handled; the prosperity of the railroads, and, finally, the actual evi- dences of expanding Autumn trade. Prophets of gloom are always quick to seize upon casual happenings to predict depression. there are many persons who are so timid in their business transactions as to give heed to these forecasters rath- | er than to others whose relation with the business world is intimate and who see no signs of the dissolution of the fabric of prosperity. Genuine and gen- eral depression may follow from curtail- ments by only a few in the beginning but multiplying through trade rela- tionship. Anxiety may cause the very peril that everybody hopes to avoid. The shortening of orders to prevent & possible overstocking may alarm manufacturers and lead to a reduction of working forces. The dismissal of a few thousand artisans in any indus- trial community seriously affects its buying power. The process is cumu- lative. The recession of trade gathers force. In a few weeks prosperity may be replaced by severe depression, with thousands out of work, mills idle and merchants bankrupt. There is, happily, no reason to look for such a phenomenon now. As long as the buying power of the country re- mains high, confidence is maintained by manufacturers and by vendors, and upon the faith of these two factors in the economic equation rests the struc- ture of prosperity. ——r———————— A French author is about to write & play about Lindbergh. A man who has earned fame cannot protect him- self against independent efforts to capitalize it. ——————————— The Geneva parley will hold historic attention if only for the amount of in- side gossip it is likely to develop. — e Chicago's War Against Britain. .October 24, 1927 . Editor with the Sunday morn- | Unfortunately, | reflect criticism of American life and manners is carried through, it will be necessary to eliminate, by the bonfire method, some of the classics of mod- ern British prose and verse. Certain of the works of Charles Dickens would have to be elided from the collection. Some of Rudyard Kipling's most vigorous and characteristic writings would go. In view of the generous gift of Britishers to the Chicago Library in the hour of desolation, the firing of these volumes would be a churlish act of ingratitude and a ridiculous perver- sion of judgment. The whole affair, in ruth, is silly. Mayor Thompson be- comes the laughing stock of the coun- try in his role of self-appointed guard- |ian of the historical perspective and |titerary critic. Tt is to be hoped that common sense will go to his rescue from a preposterous position, even if | the law does not suflice to prevent a | spectacle that will shame the Ameri- | can people. ———r—t—————— Aviation at Its Best. Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, that re- markable young disciple of flying, has just hung up a record for reliability in aviation that matches his record for the transoceanic crossing. “Lindy” has just completed a twenty-two-thou- sand-mile air tour of the forty-eight !States for the Daniel Guggenheim fund for the promotion of aeronautics. | The famous Spirit of St. Louis was |his vehicle. He visited eighty-two | cities and was late only once, and this |could have been avoided had he cared |to leave his precious ship unguarded for a night in a field. He flew two | hundred and sixty hours in all kinds | of weather, made thirteen touch stops |and sixty-nine extended ones. During the tour he attended sixty-nine din- ners, made one hundred and forty- saven modest speeches to boom avia- | tion, and was seen, it is estimated, by | thirty million people. | Col. Lindbergh attained world-wide |fame when he zoomed over the ocean | trom New York to Paris. At that time there were many who thought that his spectacular -exhibition of airman- ship was finged with luck. Veteran airmen, however, scoffed at this | charge, and one well known aviator summed it up this way: “For ‘Lindy’ to have stayed within fifty miles of his course to Ireland would have been luck, for him to have stayed within twenty-five miles would have been good navigation, but for him to have kept within five miles of his course was sheer genius.” And so it is with “Lindy’s” air tour that has just been completed, which refutes, if refutation s necessary, the belief that anything but skillful pilot- ing, cool nerve and unerring judgment made the youthful colonel one of the foremost flying exponents of the day. “Lindy” is supreme in his field and has done more for aviation than any other single person. His tour is in its way just as remarkable as his transatlantic flight. It is seldom that such a blend- ing of skilled airmanship can be found in one person. On one hand there is a spectacular overseas trip, requiring the highest nerve and ability, and on the other hand the exhausting city- tocity fiving, day in and day out, which ! - . tablished a new record for reliai in the annals of avia- tion. “Lindy” has done both. He is spectacular and he is methodical. | What a combination! A Lesson in Paint. The school authorities are to be con- gratulated upon the appearance of the Western High School as the result of painting operations carried out during the Summer. This historic building, an instance of the classic in school architecture, all the more precious because it per- haps never will be duplicated, once more takes its place as a most dis- | tinctive secondary school edifice. As it stands today, the Western | plant, including the annex, is a living picture and example of what paint will do. Whereas last Spring this building presented an ugly, run-down appearance, the opening of this term sees it shining with new glory. Its walls have been painted a soft cream, and its towering pillars, some- what reminiscent of Montleello, a pure white, with the result that the build- ing, in its setting of lawn and trees, becomes an attractive adjunct to | Georgetown. Set as it is in a residential section fast developing to the westward, the school has a plainer duty in this re- spect than some others, yet for many months it stood bare and bleak, sadly in need of paint, and in a yard but partly covered with green. Sowing of seed in quantities last Summer has resulted in a good car- pet of grass, exactly the background which this particular type of building needs to set off its beauty. It is hoped that the repainted West- ern will tend to point out the plain | Mayor Thompson of Chicago is run- | ning into snags in his drive against | the pernicious literary and historical | Influence of Great Britain in America, and particularly in the Windy City. His proposal, through a deputy who | 1s a member of the board of trustees truth to all who pass, that paint will do more good on wood than on skin. ———————— Old English dramatists used many words now considered improper. They at least saw to it that the words had of the Public Library of the city, to burn all the books in that collection that savor of anti-Americanism, has been challenged on the ground that the law under which the library was founded does not give the authorities in charge of the institution the right to destroy any volumes. They may withdraw them from or deny them circulation, on the ground of public morals but they cannot throw them into such a bonfire as Mayor Thomp- £0n's Proxy proposes. And there is another fact in this connection that has just been brought to light that tends to give pause to the plan to make a holocaust of the *perniciou: prints in the Chicago Public Library. It is now recalled that after the great fire of 1871, which wiped out the library, the collection was renewed largely through the as. sistance of Rritish friends. Thomas liughes, author of “Tom Brown's #chool Days,” Initiated a movement in England which resulted in the gift of 12,000 volumes. Queen Victoria, (iladstone, Disraell, Tennyson and Car- Jvle and hundreds of other British Yierary men contributed to the fund for the restocking of the Chicago in- stitution. It is now pointed out that ideas behind them. Simplifying the Tax Law. ‘Whatever may be the extent of the reduction of the income tax burden as a result of this Winter's legislative ac- tion by Congress, it is fairly certain that a material gain will be effected in favor of simplicity and certainty in the making of returns to the Govern- ment. Today the joint tax committee meets for the purpose of considering ways and means of lessening the com- plexity that has from the beginning of the present income tax system afflict- ed the public and caused confusion and misunderstanding regarding the purpose and effect of the law. A new draft of the income tax law has been prepared, to serve as the basis of the joint committee’s action, which it is believed will straighten out some of the complexities of report and statement and will enable the average man or woman to compute the amount of the tax due the Govern- ment without the assistance of expert accountants and advisers. As the case now stands it is seldom that the tax- | payer ventures upon his own calcula- tion. The form which the Govern- ment furnishes, with its oross refer- 18 Mayor Thompson's crusade against | enoes and subtle calculations, turns Lritish works which in any manner the taxpayer cold with the apprehen- in his own back yard.” THE EVE G slon of making a mistake that will later be formally reported by the col- lector of internal revenue, with a de- mand for additional payment. Rarely does the taxpayer make a mistake in favor of the Government, it would seem. Perhaps with all the simplification that may be worked out in the lan- guage of the law and the form sub- mitted to the taxpayer few persons will venture, for the present, to ex- periment in self-computed tax returns. But it will be helpful to have the mat- ter clarified. At the worst no actual harm can be done to the fiscal inter- ests of the Government to have the blank bill which is submitted to the Trea: . «'s debtor framed in plain terms. Hats in Elevators. The perennial argument on whether or not a man should take his hat oft in the presence of women in an elevator has bobbed up again. And, strange as it may seem, South Carolina, one of the bulwarks of chivalry and gallantry to the feminine sex, has started it. A neat sign framed behind glass in elevators of the Carolina Life Insurance Building in Columbla politely requests, “Gen- tlemen, for the good of the service, keep your hats on.” Ever since the elevator was invent- ed it has been customary for men to remove their hats when woman pas- sengers were in the cars, but from | the beginning there have always been | those who pointed out the incongruity | of the habit, inasmuch as hats are not removed in street cars, railway trains | or other public carriers. The discus. | sion has waxed fast and furious. It has never been carried to a conolusion, however, because there seems to be an overwhelming majority in every community which ins rules or no rules, on removing thelr hats in elevators. It is the same in the experiment in South Carolina. Ninety per cent of the men are reported to disregard entirely the neat little signs and gal- lantly remove their hats whenever a woman steps aboard. Of course, from | a practical standpoint, and from that | of fast service, hats should not be| removed because when held in the hand they take up space that could well be used by other passengers. But the fact that it is both practical and convenient does not outweigh the average man's conception of courtesy, and hats will continue to be removed, as of yore, when femininity graces the lift with its presence. —_—————— Old-time business regarded success as depending on the amount of money that could be claimed from the public. Reduction in Hght and power costs will rank as another of the miracles | wrought by electricity in modern | business. The number of banquets Charles | Lindbergh has survived shows he has not forgotten the lessons of youth. He knows better than to belleve all he hears or to eat all that is set be- fore him. There may be a very earnest effort to compel President Coolidge to run | again. His popul: has Increased | amazingly since he said “I do not | choose.” Blessings brighten as they | take their flight. Florida has not been as prominent as formerly for real estate booms. The period of quietude will no doubt | give the genuine values a chance to| assert themselves on rational terms. ———e—— Chicago may yet become so fearful of too much insidious British influence in histories as to demand that all the original fireworks be put back into the Fourth of July. e e It the Democrats should make Mr. Reed of Missouri President, the world will have in store some of the most witty and sarcastic state papers on record. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Gone to the Movies. Where are the lads who used to be The leaders in the game? Where are the girls we like to see? Their charms are still the same. But, like the boys, thelr talents sought | A fleld which would allow More scope for beauty thought— They're in the movies now. O Tom and Dick! O Peg and May! You've joined the crowd so vast, Forever going on its way, 5 ‘Where flims are being cast. The prospect now I must bemoan Of some sad moment hence, When I may find myself alone To be the audience. and for Hostilities. “Will you be glad to get back to | Washington among your old friends?” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum, “but what I chiefly enjoy is the pros- pect of getting another chance at my old enemic From Sublime to Ridiculous. My radio! My radio! A wondrous work thou art! But many a thing you say or sing Doth almost break my heart. Jud Tunkins says it's wrong to play poker on Sunday, but it looks as if only the losers were punished. Mental Strain of Flivving. “How many miles do you get to a gallon of gasoline?” “Don’t know,” answered Mr. Chug- gins. “I have worry enough with topography and the speed regulations without undertaking mathematical problems.” “He who laughs too much,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “and he who laughs not at all are both hypocrites,” Forgotten Delicacles. Said Rip Van Winkle to his host, “Bring me some reedbirds brofled, on toast.” The host replied, in mild dismay, “The ham and eggs are nice today. “An honest man,” sald Uncle Eben, “is one dat can look de world in de face when he has a chicken foh dinner an' show dat he has one chicken less STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, OC THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. ‘Who, except a restaurant cook, would think of putting peanuts in gingerbread? Seated the other day at a table, we fondly crunched into an appetizing- looking slab of this old-time favorite delicacy, to find an utterly unsus- pected and unnecessarily large num- ber of peanuts reposing beneath the crust, . At ‘the same time our roaming eyes happened to see an advertisement of a magazine article, “Why I Don't Want to Live to Grow Old,” or some- thing along that line. Physically and mentally, overflowed with indignation, Why on earth would any one want to put peanuts—of all nuts—iy ginger- bread? And why should any one want to die before they got old As for us, we want to live to be as old as possible, the older the better, be- cause we hope that by the time we are 150 years of age we will know better than to eat at places that put peanuts in gingerbread, or read mag- azines with such silly articles in them, By the time we are 175 years old we hope to be able to forget utterly about the crude young men who re- ted in us when we enter a store with the price of some rticle in our hand, and a large and ent craving in our mind to pur- chase the aforementioned article, whether it be necktie, radio or what- not, By the time we reach the good old age of 200 years we may have come to the point when many things that now offend us in persons and thing will appear as nothing, or next to nothing. which may or may not be the same thing. our cup EE At our present infant age—in com- parison to that 200 years—our mind literally seethes with indignation upon our body discovering peanuts in the gingerbread. "0ds bodikins! or words to that ef- fect, fsn't gingerbread good enough without doping it with goobers? To go crashing into a fat peanut gives one a gustatory start, as it were—a shock to the delicate merchan- ism by which we sustain our being. First of all, let it be known that many of us consider eating a nui- sance, at best. Willingly we would abolish the custom. Think of the time and money which would he saved! Of course, eating has certain good points. The taste, as it goes down, is something, and the solid nourish- ment cannot be discredited. Since Nature seems to find so much foodstuff necessary to the mainte- nance of life, one would not bhaldly call her a fool and attempt to set her right in the matter. Perhaps, in another world— But in this one let us eat and be as merry as we may, because there is no escaping the plain call of the system for grub. Also, there i3 a certaln amount of social contact which one secures in! eating that is not to be sneezed at. This is the reason why a man should eat slowly and take his time about it. Talk ought to occupy a line on the | bill of fare, as well as being in actual evidence at a meal. Solitary feeders are harming both their psychic and physical beings. Gingerbread, famed of our grand- mothers, occupies a niche of ita own in the heart of every man who has not forgotten his youth. How sad, then—how utterly woeful it 1s—to dive tooth first into a peanut when one expects nothing but ginger- bread! There can scarcely be enough con- demnation for the misguided wretch who evolved the brilliant idea of put- ting peanuts in gingerbread. stop with peanuts? Pieces of apple, within the body politic of the ought to rtle any patron sundry growls and muffled curse Perhaps slices of fried to deftly placed in the corner stone the chef's latest together with a copy of apers and the Bible, might guarantee the most staid gingerbread muncher a pleasant nigh(;. neatly concealed into * % X Once the cook goes on a rampage with peanuts, there is no teiling when the thing may stop. Peanuts carelessly thrown into the coffee urn might impart a novel taste to the favorite brew of | States. | Do they float? We do not know. Our_impres | only float, swimme to cross knows. Whether volition ¢ high-powered motors, | to cream no doubt would startle the patrons of ice eream parlors the country over. the Channe 1 one their hacking they move of require the own of Peanuts have as much right in pump kin ple as in gingerbread. The sea son of punkin ple is at hand, when these magic circles of melting good- ness come into their own again. Desecrate a punkin pie, wretch, if you dare! We can stand peanuts in our gin- gerbread, once in a while. Maybe there are sections of the country where this is common practice, al- though we hate ta think it. But when a man steps forward with the bold proposition to flood the pun- kin pies of this Nation with peanuts, | then we come forward, like Ajax de- | tying the lightning, and bid him halt. |~ Desist! In the name of all the good mothers | who bake punkin pies, put not a | solitary peanut into a single pie! Chef, spare this ple! Put peanuts into gingerbread, if you must, or even into doughnuts, if you | have a complex in tnat direction. For the sake of the young generation, | however, spare the beloved punkin pie! This was the ple of our childhood, | our young manhood, our slightly-gray- ing-at-the-temples manhood. We want it 100 per cent pumpkin, or not very much spice or squash, anyway. Shall peanuts invade the rights of the punkin pie of our fa- thers? God forbid! Let this pie be sa- cred to American childhood, to Amer- ican manhood, to American woman- hood! Let our motto be, “Millions of | peanuts for the monkeys, but not ‘one in a punkin pie!” you WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC Now that the Coolidge-Fess spank- ing episode has pitchforked the I-do- WILLIAM WILE. ‘Women, 'tis said, may have harder sledding in the foreign service than Why | the United | peanuts added | Let us not stop with gingerbread! not-choose mystery once again into | the speculative limelight, it's timely to | crence of Miss Lucile Acherson for bring forth a bit of unrecorded history. | matrimony rather than a diplomatic President Coolidge, as is well known, | carecr. Miss Acherson has resigned has a ‘personal cabinet” of three|from the service, after four or five time-tried and trusted friends. They |years, “for personal reasons.” which are Dwight W. Morrow, now Ameri-| tyrn out to be romantic in character. ot {‘"‘"fl";“d" to Mexico; Frank | An Ohioan, Miss Acherson was the aterman Stearns, Boston merchant | frst American woman to qualify for prince, and William M. Butler, erst- | (o toreign sarvice, After three years while Senator from Massachusetts and | i {he State Department. she was sent present chairman of the Republican D S D ¥ Scowan sen they might have had, due to the pref- TOBER 24, 1927 Mr. Salmon Defends Greek Census Data To the Editor of The Star: I note with interest the letter from | Mr. Carlyle S. Baer, published in The Star of October 17, in which he takes exceptions to certain statements I made in your columns a few days earlier. There was no intention on my part of touching upon anything of a controversial nature, nor do I see where I have done so. Mr. Baer attempts to discredit the statistics published by the Refugee Settlement Commission, saying that commission and the two international commis- ions for the exchange of populations, Iso referred to, did not come into ex- istence until after the war. This, of course, is true, The figures given, compiled by the Refugee Settlement | Commission upon the basis of what | we must assume they considered the | most authentic statistics available. | They were published by the League ations in 1926, in a book entitled | fugee Settlement.” There | is no question as to the international | character of the three commissions | veferred to. Mr. Baer quotes figures, which he says were taken from two Greek writers, in an attempt to prove that the Refugee Settlement Commission's figures for 1912 were incorrect. Dur- ing the period of Turkish rule all flK-“ ures were based more or less upon guesswork. I am not familiar with | the estimates made by Chalkiopoulos, hut have before me the other hook re- ferred to by Mr. Baer locotronis and published in 1919. annot check Mr. Baer's figures with the hook itself. but 1 do find a table in which the writer estimates the num- | her of Greeks living in Greek Mace- donia as a little over 488,000. This figure is easily reconcilable with the | 13,000 mentioned in the Refugee Set-. | tlement Commission’s repor | During the Bulgarian invasion of | Greek Macedonia, shortly after Bul-| zaria entered the great war on the ! side of the central powers, thousands lof Greeks were driven out, their homes destroyed and the territory lald waste. I have personally visited this section and am speaking from my | own knowledge. Therefore, it we are to accept the fact that the figure was 513,000 in 1912, it would not be sur- prising that it had shrunk to slightly | under 500,000 shortly after the close of the war. Neither is there any diffi- culty in reconciling the figures given for 1912, even if we accept Mr. Baer's high figure of 600,000 for the Greek population of all of Macedonia for the | same date, for the reason that Greece | was given only the portion of Greek Macedonia in which the Greek popu- | lation predominated—that is, the southern portion. | Mr. Baer gives figures for the area of Macedonia which he says are ac-| cording to the “limits as drawn by the | best historlans and geographers of modern times.” The best geographers and historians of modern times agree with a recent editorial in The Star that Macedonia is “a classic geograph- ical rather tham a political designa- tion,” and, further, with great una- nimity, sidesteps any attempt to draw the boundaries of Macedonia, a thing which Is obviously impossible, for Macedonia, as such, has never existed since ancient times. Isaiah Bowman, director of the American Geographical Society of New York, when referring to Macedonia. in his book, “The New World,” says “the region has always | had indefinite houndaries.” The whole point which I attempted to raise in my previous communica- tiontion is that as far as Greece is concerned the ‘“Macedonian question” is settled definitely, and as Mr. Baer seems willing to accept the figures of the Refugee Settlement Commission for 1926, I assume that he agrees with me on this point. Incidentally, I am not interested in | perpetuating or arguing old feuds, but only in the constructive efforts which are being made to heal them. Such | an effort is the settlement in Greek | Macedonia of the Hellenic populations of Asia Minor, Eastern Thrace and | | Bulgaria whether they came as refu- | gees or under the treaties for the ex- | | change of populations, changing the entire district into a busy hive of in- | Qustry and definitely settling the | Macedonian question as far as Greece however, were | givel written by Co. | ¥ ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ]. HASK. Q. What is the national flower of | Hawalii?—N | A. The hibiscus was made the offi cial flower of Hawaii by joint resolu- tion of the Legislature, Q. What percentage of the blind | population lost their eyesight due to industrial occupations?—G. E. T. A. The National Committee for the Prevention of Blindness savs that <uch occupations are responsible for | A per- | 15 per cent of the blindness. sistent campaign is being carried on to induce all workers in plants to wear goggles. . _How many giraffes are there in the United States?—D. an estin is There are between 20 and in this country available, living Q. What tree does soapbark come from and where does it grow?—C. E. A. The soaphark tree (Quillaja soponaria) helongs to the family Ro- saceae, It is a native of Peru and Chile, but is cultivated in other countries, Q. What is ‘hoodlum™?—N. An explanation of this has been in the following tale: Out in neisco a great many years © was a man named Muldoon, the leader of a band of hoy A reporter who to a story of thic to coin a name for transposed the name A. n San 1go ther ho wa gang them Muldoon, attempted il calling the gang noodlums. The type-| etter mistook the letter “n" fe ind made the word “hoodlum passed the proofreader and bec a recognized word Q. 1s it improper to offer to serve as pallbearer at the funeral of a neighbor’ & A. An_ unusual situation might prompt the offer of such a service, but it is customary to wait unti asked. X Q. What was the first book printed in English in England?—A. R. B. A. What is believed to be the first book printed in England is William Caxton's “Recuyell of the Historye of Troye,” published in 1474, a transla- tion of Raoul de Fevre's work. How- ever, Caxton’s “Dictes and Notable Wise Savings of the Phi printed November 18, 1477, is the first book that can with certainty be main- tained to have been printed in Eng- iand. Q. What is the amount of damage suffered by the railroads in the Mi sissippi flood area? How long was op- eration suspended?’—S. T. A. According to an estimate made v & committee of the American Rail- way Engineering Association, the ac- tual physical damage caused by the 1927 Mississippi flood to the railroads, including the cost of protective measurers, is approximately $10,000,- 000. Operation was suspended for from 10 to 120 days on 3,000 miles of rail- ways. Q. How can our paper currency be kept from cracking as it grows old? —E. E. B. A. The paper is so prepared that the bills do not crack in time; old bills show wear but not cracks. Q. What rivers empty Mississippi?—M. M. O, A. Medium rivers Mississippi River ars into the entering _the Chippewa, W The ‘‘comeback” of Senator Reed of Missouri is a subject of comment cans. His recent speech attacking the Republican administration inspires widespread political discussion, accom- industrial | the origin of the word | TP had been | among both Democrats and Republi; panied by acceptance of the fact that | national committee. Up to midday of August 2, when the oracle spoke, the ‘“‘personal cabinet” stood 2 to 1 with reference to the momentous question as to whether Calvin Coolidge would, | or would not, choose to run for Presi dent in 1928." Mr. Morrow was certain that the President would not aspire to succeed himself. Messrs. Stearns and_Butler were confident that he would, None of the trio, nor Mrs. Coolidge, had any * ok Kk ok James M. Beck's selection by the Philadelphia Republican machine to succeed Senator-elect Vare in the House may be interpreted as a gesture to improve Vare’s political reputation. When Philadelphians the other day rolled up an impressive protest vote for J. Hampton Moore in the mayor- {alty primaries against Vare's candi- date and personal campaign manager, Harry A. Mackey, even the tightest joints and bolts in the Vare steam roller creaked with terror. Election day is nearing. An independent Repub- lican ticket is in the field. The atmo: phere Is charged with uncertainty, it not with actual danger. So along comes the astute hoss and anoints as heir to his seat in the House as di tinguished a Republican as Pennsy vania has sent to Congress in many a day. Mr. Beck functioned as the Senator-elect’s counsel in preparing constitutional data for the fight against the seating of Vare in the Senate. The psychological effect of the Beck nomination, the Vare people expect, will be to show “corrupt and contented” Philadelphia_that the ma- chine, after all, s capable of picking high-grade men for the offices which it controls. * ok ok H. Wickham Steed, London editor, who will be entertained at a public dinner in Washington on November 1, is embarking upon a speaking tour that will take him into a score of our cities. He has come at the invitation of the World Alliance ferInternational Friendship, Through the Churches. The alliance’s annual meeting takes place at St. Louis early next month. The central theme is “Must We Have War?" The general subject of Steed's addresses is “The World Outlook.” Formerly editor of the London Times, under Lord Northcliffe, Steed is now owner of the English Review of Re- views. He has been a figure in Euro- pean politics and diplomacy for 30 years. During the Paris peace confer- epge Steed presided over a mansion in whicl one might encounter as many remaRers of the world as in the coun- cil chambers of the conference ftself. Statesmen of all nations sought the sage advice of the editor of “The Thunderer.” * K X ‘Wallace R. ¥Farrington, Governor of Hawali, has been putting in effective licks at Washington this month on be- half of the territory over which he so pridefully rules. Well posted as Far- rington is on everything Hawaiian, he was caught napping the other day un- der embarrassing circumstances. The governor was rhapsodizing, at the desk of an exalted Federal official, over Hawalian industrial development. He waxed particularly enthusiastic over the pineapple industry. In glowing terms and impressive figures, Farring- ton was telling how many more thou- sands of cases of pineapples the ls- lands now produce than they used to. “How many cans are there in a case?”’ interrupted the distinguished gentleman whom the governor was addressing. Farrington was stumped. He didn’t know. It wasn’'t until later in the day that he accidentally found out—from & lady who lives in Okle- homa, who said there are 34 cans in & case of pineapples. advance intimation | | of the “choose” manifesto. to Panama. The department is quoted | is concerned. as being a little peeved over her resig- natiqn, and there's unofficial talk of making woman candidates for diplo- macy take the pledge of single blessed- ness. The Standard Ofl Co. has a for- | eign service training school of its own. | Young college men who enter it must | agree not to marry for three years. * ok Kk Whatever his status as a speech- maker may be in White House quar- ters, Maj. Gen. Charles P. Summer- all's “rep” as an orator stands ace- high with the American Federation of Labor. Just before the chief of staff was ordered home from the coast, he made at the A. F. of L. convention in Los Angeles what was dubbed pretty good labor speech.” In it the general said: “I don't believe there is any- thing advocated on this floor, or anywhere else in the organized | bodies of labor, that is not hon- | estly intended to be for the better- ment of great numbers of people, for the creature comforts, to which men have a right to aspire; for that estate in progress, in stand- ards of living, in education, in skill of the hand or mind that make us a more progressive and more efficient people.” * Kk ok % It Earl Carroll had been interned In the new and handsome Federal Prison for Women—first of its kind in America—at Alderson, W. Va., he mightn't have been so anxious for liberty. Alderson is described as the last word in penitentlal luxury and comfort. The prison has no walls around 1t; windows are without bars; inmates (never called prisoners) walk about the grounds unescorted, and they will eventually inhabit 17 fire- proof bungalow cottages, Highly pol- ished hardwood floors are adorned with rag rugs. Each inmate has a dresser, mirror, individual kimono and bedroom slippers. A nursery is pro- | vided for inmates with dependent chil- dren. There are 4 acres of recrea- tion grounds. More than 60 per cent of Alderson's “‘population” are there for violation of the narcotic laws. (Covyright, 1927.) UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR Ten Years Ago Today Gen. Pershing, in the midst of the French attack on Aisne front, pene- | trates through shell fire to second iferman trench line. His coolness made 2 big hit with the French Army. * * * Announcement is made that Ionly onc-tenth of necessary 20,00° men for aviation branch have thus far been recruited. * * * Navy takes over all of the Army’s transports and will man them with fighting crews. Deci- sion in favor of such a move believed to have been hastened by recent sink- ing of the transport Antilles, which was manned by civilians. * * * ditional loan of $30,000,000 to Great Britain made today. * * * President Wilson buys $15,000 worth of second Liberty loan bonds. Nation-wide re- ports indicate that nearly three bil- lions have been subscribed to date. to obtaln 100,000 tons of raw sugar trom Louisiana producers to end short- |age in large Eastern cities. oo Give and Take. From the San Antonlo Evening News. Trouble is, the weatherman sends long Indian Summer like an Indian wal |* * * Food administrator arranges B. P. SALMON. I’W!‘ih‘,r Raps Choice of Fire Engine Site| To the Editor of The Star: “Why do they do it? Why | do things which harm our cit This questioning by a Washington | | resident a year or more ago related | to things done in Washington and | inevitably making parts of our city | ugly—permanently ugly. | | During four years I have resided | and now reside on Allison street near | Sixteenth and Webster streets. Now, {reading The Evening Star, on a | train leaving Washington, I learned | for the first time that it is proposed to” place a fire station at the south-| east corner at the intersection of those | two streets; that indeed the land has heen purchased. I at once recalled those words: “Why do they do it? | Why do_they do things which harm our city?” Why do they propose to do what | will ‘permanently harm Sixteenth | street, which is up to the present | time the least injured street in Wash- | ington? Many, nearly all, other residence | streets have been iivaded and de-| prived of their residence character. | | Fourteenth street is an example. On | | that street, at one place, and then at another, a building or an activity out of harmony with residences has depre- ciated rental or sale values of resi- dences to such extent as to lead owners to go to the Zoning Commis- sion with requests to have their properties classed as ‘“commercial.” Then actual changing use of those properties harmed other nearby resi- dences. That process has continued until practically all residences on that street have been reduced in sale and rental value and commercial and simi- lar buildings are in excess of needs. Shall the same process destroy Six- teenth street as a residence street? Only a little way south of the pro- posed location of the fire station, on the same side of Sixteenth street, is a gasoline station. That makes near- by land undesirable for residences. It is to be anticipated that the own- ers of those lands will ask for com- mercial zoning. That will extend de- preciation, which will call for further commercial zoning. If the fire station is located as pro- posed, that will cause residence de- preciation, which will be taken as justification for asking change in zon- ing. The owners cannot be expected to hold unprofitable property. Then the transition already under way on other streets will he under way on Sixteenth street. Then ex- tension of that transition cannot be prevented. In addition to decided local depreciation, there will be gen- eral depreciation throughout the length of the street. Then from scat- tered places will come demands for rezoning. And such transition on Sixteenth street will reduce property value near Sixteenth street. And all such de- preciation will reduce valuation for taxing. That feature should be noted. There is absolutely no reason for supposing that the experience of Six- teenth street will be different from the experience of other Washington streets. : Clearly, manifestly, the fire station should be put elsewhere, and the gaso- line station should be removed by pur- chase or condemnation. CYRUS KEHR. Fewer and Funnier! From the Dayton Daily News. Marcon! predicts 3,000 minute by radio, but most liste: prefer qualify to quantity. do they a in | list of hates the launching of his boom in the home State is the opening of the campaign. Much attention is given to the fight ing qualities of the Senator in dis- cussing his fitness for the presidenc The speech, delivered in Missouri, is | described by the New York World | (independent) as “a_bold, courageous | challenge to the politics of the Gov- | ernment,” while the Davenport Demo- | crat (Democratic) refers to it as “plain talk for those who like plain speech,” from a man who “has never been one 0 who say one thing and mean The Lynchburg News (in- dependent Democratic), replying to the charge of the Philadelphia Public Tegger (independent Republican) t it was “a hymn of hate says, “If, Senator Reed includes among a_ long very, very many things that should be hated by honorable men, assuredly no censure of the Sen- ator on that score will hurt him.” “Reed means to give Smith a run for his money and his eloquence, and as an orator he has the edge,” in the opinion of the San Francisco Bulletin (Republican). The Nashville Banner (independent), remarking that brings to bear a tremendous resource- fulness of eloguence and information,” declares that “his restoration to lea | ership in his State is one of the most signal triumphs any leader ha achieved in our politi The Tulsa World adds, “We know of no other case where a distinguished politician apparently lost his prestige and the support of his State, then by con- testing every inch of the ground with his adversaries, and without recanting or apologies, regained what had been lost and emerged a favorite son.” * koK K “Jim Reed has said it, and said it well. Who would Jiave thought the Democrats would be throwing up their hats for Jim Reed in Missouri?” asks the Savannah Press (Demacratic). The “‘comeback” also impresses the Kan- sas City Post (independent) and the Huntington Advertiser (Democratic) as remarkable. The result, as it ap- pears to the Jersey City Journal (Re- publican-independent), will be that “the national campaign next year may open up with more pep and ginger than has heretofore been generally expected.” o “Everything he said before the Mis- souri Democrats is true,” asserts the Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch (independent Democratic), with the conclusion, how- ever, “While Mr. Reed lacks balance and may be unequipped for the presi- dency, he is a born prosecutor, having obtained his start in politics when he went to the front in his youth for clean politics, and he has stuck to his ast.” The IHartford Courant (inde- pendent Republican) believes that “if he shotld be nominated for President, the country can rest assured that the Democratic campaign will be col ducted at fever heat and that dm cracks in the Republican armor will be mercilessly exposed. From present appearances, however,” continues that paper, “the probability of his nomina- tion is not large.” “Senator Reed is ready to answer a call to lead his party agsinst the in- trenched enemy, and he has given a good showing of this armory of weap- ons,” states the Charleston Evening Post (Independent Democratic), “but he has not actually marched upon the field, which is already so fully occu- pled by Al Smith’s army.” The Okla- homa City Times (independent) holds that “Reed isn’t the type of man to be considered seriously as a compro- mise candidate,” and the Little Rock Arkansas Democrat (Democratic) warns the party that “the time isn’t ripe for a ‘radical’ President to occupy the ‘White House"; that “the next Presi- dent may not be conservative as Mr. Coolidge, but he will not be fired with any great zeal to upset the status quo.” \ hat | consin, Rock, Towa, Des Moines, Kas. kaskia, Meramec, ancis, Yazoo Large rivers entering the Mississippi River a llinois, Missouri, Ohin White, Arkansas Q. Why is a man who cuts hair |and trims beards called a “barber RTI The word is derived from Larba,” meaning “beard" Q. Why are the gold mines in Afric called the “Rand Gold Mines"’—E. H A. “Rand” is a Dutch word meaning “horder or edge.” It is used in South Africa to describe the low rounded range of hills. It is specifically used abbreviated form of the nam an elevated ridge in I The Rand is b ng 's and a synonym arvied on t of the area: also for the city which this in- dustry created. Q. How many oysters are taken from the Chesapeake Bay region’— 3. E. . Out of the total of 21.000,060 oysters taken annually, 8,000,000 are found in this n. Q. Will some appliances function on h direct current and alternating nt?—M. McG Many appliances have universal windings and can be used on either kind of electric cur Q M live through the m J. A. JThe postal laws and r statethat harmless live animals ha ing no offensive odor, and not likel {0 become offensive in transit, may he sent in the maile to points that they may reasonably be expected to reach in good condition. They must e properly prepared for safe trans- | mission and containers must be labeled “Perishable,” and a note of their contents marked thereon. th | Latin southern an: famous for its gold- the word is oft for the minin; over a great be Q. Where was the territory of the Moabites?—M. M. S. - | A, The ancient territory of Moabites is in modern Hedjaz | Arabia. the in . Where was the first free public | library established?—G. L. A It impossible to determine jch was the first library in the | U'nited States supported by public | funds and wholly free to its users. | The earliest recorded gift of books | to a municipality is that of the Rev. n Sharp, who in 1700 hequeath his library to the cit ew York for the benefit of the people. The town library of Petersborough, N. H., formed through the efforts of the Rev Abiel Abbot in 1833, appears to have been the first free iibrary which has continued to the present day. Q. When was the first section of the Welland Canal put into use’— M. B. H. A. It was opened November 27, 1829, What do you need to know? Is there some point about your business or personal life that puzzies you? Is there something you want to know without delay? Submit your question to Frederic J. Haskin, director of onr Washington Information Bureau. He is employed to help you. Address your | inquiry to The Evening Star Informas tion Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, direc- | tor, Washington, D. C.. and inclose 2 cenis in stamps for return postage. Comeback of Senator Reed Is Lauded, Yet Discounted “There is no likelihood of the nom- | ination and the possible election to the presidency of Senator Reed,” accord- | ing to the Altoona Mirror (independ- ent). The New York Evening Post (independent) “can hardly conceive Mr. Reed as a real presidential candi- date, although there have been post- war upsets as ng in other countries.” The St. Louis Times (Re- publican) says that “fault-finding, criticism and personal invective will not c: Jim Reed or any other can- didate, Republic or Democrat, into the White House.” “Senator Reed doesn't play pussy- foot; he hasn’t anything catlike and creepy in his approach to such a sub- ject as the maladministration of pub- lic affairs,” declares the Philadelphia tecord (independent Democratic), and the Richmond News-Leader (inde- pendent Democratic) feels that “he will command a certain following, par- ticularly among those who believe that denunciation is the chief weapon of | reform, but he can hardly become & formidable candidate for the nomina- tion.” The Seattle Daily Times (inde- pendent Republican) refers to his lat- est speech as “a cha attack on everybody and eve surp: The Fort Worth Record-Telegram (Democratic) comments: “At the pres- ent time ‘Agin G. O. P.ism! i bout all the clarion call he has in his voeabulary Practically all the calling he has done heretofore has been that casm upon something somebod; was trying to do. \Watching him try to gather all those loose ends into one mantle of leadership will be a liberal education in political legerdemain.” The Waskington Courthouse Herald (independent) sees qnly “abusing his opponents,” and the Worcester Ga- zette (independent) calls the Senator an “idol smasher,” with the sugges- tion that “every Wilsonian Democrat and every dry Democrat has rankling memories of Reed’s word: Minimizing the effect of the Sena- tor’s criticisms on economic grounds, the San Bernardino Sun (Republican) | contends that “there is only one thing that might’ win the election for the Democrats, and that is if the di Democrats are keen enough for p: power to accept a candidate wet enough to attract the wets of the Re- | publican party.” The New York Sun | (independent) comments upon the fact that Senator Reed, “erstwhile the most outspoken of the wet Democrats, made never a mention of the eight- eenth amendment, the Volstead act, modification or anything else pertain- ing to rum.” Longfellow Tribute To Authors Recalled [To the Editor of The Star: .. Your quotation this evening on Arbitrary age limit for workers” { interested me and brought to mind | Longfellow’s “Morituri Salutamus.” | delivered at the fiftieth anniversary of his class at Bowdoin College, in which he refers to the great work done by Cato, Sophocles, Simonides, Goethe and others when past 80, and Theo- phrastus at 90, giving to the world literary masterpieces which time can not destroy. Then he finishes his salute wit “For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, tho' in another s, And as the evening twilight fades away, The sky is filled with stars invisible by day.” All of which applies as well today § as when Goethe wrote “Faust,” Sophocles his “Oedipus” or “Chaucer his “Canterbury Tales.” i J. A. MacMAHON. Rare Species. From the New York Herald-Tribune. Funny you never meet any of those Pullman porters who are ng the tipping system so strenuc b 4 v ' 4