Evening Star Newspaper, November 24, 1927, Page 8

1 8 2\ . e e e ———ee THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY...November 24, 1927 P —————— THEODORE W. NOYES. ... Editor v D 4 The Evening Star Newspaper Compan Bustness Office: « 4 Pennayivania A Chicaga Office: Tawer W : -4 Regent St.. London. Eurvbean Office ol The Evening Star with the < Ing edition 1e. deiverad by carri st 50 cen per mont! Srders m A oo ' T aent b m talephone Main SO0 LU oo each month. Rate hs Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. o0 ) mo ton 1 ma $300° 1 mo. 750 1er 1 Darie and Sundav . Dale wnlv ... 3indas oniv.’. All Other States and Canada. Sundav onlv....l 1 erl $100: 1 mo. Member of the Associated Press. Press 18 exclusvely -4 ot 10 hews e ofited T 1 ar mot niherwiea oo | o L alen tha meal 1 ews | I thie maner A ehia 'of mumi- 2 5¢ TIncompatible Projects. | Fuither conferences hetween repre sentatives of the Patomac River l‘m-‘ poration, whic h seeks a permit hudroeiectric development of tl (';uv'\r below Great Falle, and hers of the National Capital Park and Planning have served| enly to convince the latter hody be-| vond doubt that hydroelectric and | park development of the river are in | eompatible, and that in the last anal vsit there must he a choice between ;h-||v. for they cannot he combined. The question for ultimate decision is whether the river is to he used for power development or Aas the mrvnl’. for the long-planned extension of the National Capital's park system. The economie feasibility of the river's use | for power has not been satisfactorily | demonstrated, but it has been shn\\n‘ econclusively that il the power dam as | proposed is built the unequaled beaut of the Potomac gor; will be lost for for he Po- | mem- | Commission Hection (s made by | llnkrn to prevent an up be prociaimed equally well at other first-night performances throughout the world. There has been ‘many a weary theatergoer who has wished heartily that he had the plain nerve to do as much. Probably a plan to retain at least one honest poet for every play offered the public might be a good one, espe- cially it the poet were gifted with a | deep sense of his duty to the public in a moral sense. A man may have private morals which will not do for the public. Thers is a duty to the community in all forms of literary deavor which every artist unfortu nately does not recognize. A plain-speaking one tive to the thoroughly bad, including en- | poet, sonsl | | | i omplish much good in the world of the moment—a world in which humor seams to be degenerating toward vul garity, and sincerity turning cravenly In the face | of many modern tendencles thers is a | erving need for men and women every- inta crude sophistication 1 in public and ery righteously, “Bad, T very b R Bratianu's Death. In the death of Ton Rratianu, mier of Rumania changes abruptly. No inti mation of his ill healih had come west pre conntry ward, und it is to be believed that his | failing condition was being carefully concealed from public knowledge, even in Rumania. 1t reached a fatal climax vesterday when an operation was per- formed for a throat affection. Imme- diately the eabinet named his brother Vintila prem nd precautions were sing of the Carolists—adherents of the exiled and title-renouncing crown prince, who is now in Paris awaiting events. lTon Bratianu, who was popularly called “Ionel.” a diminutive, to differ- entiate him from his father, who was for a long period before him the head of the state, was a man of vigor and keen ol perception. He had been virtual ruler of Rumania for vea Occasionally, when political conditions for a time became adverse, he withdrew from the premiership to the voigar and the vielons, might ac- | the situation in that | THE EVENING rather than earry on across the ocean which has already taken several lives Were this the first ease of doubtful | performance Giles would he generally | the frand attempted | defended. Rut and all but accomplished by Callizo in France serves to el prejudice against him in the mind. Callizo claimed to have attained hed by “doe Jean | {1he highest altitude ever ¢ {man. It was found that he } public | tored” his instruments hefore leaving | | the ground and that in fact he had not | | gone up 10 any unusual altitude. but | had Toafed avound for a time and then {returned with an apparent record | When this fact was proved, and he had confessed his guilt, his | were stripped from him, even that of | the Legion of Honor, which | for the first time in history ecanceled fan award. With th anees of aviators, whether fiyi honors French exceptions the perform in company or alone, have heen accepted as veritable, th has heen felt them. Tt has heen regarded as estab. | where, whather poets or not, to stand | lished that no aviator would think of | | cheating, or pretendinz. Tt hoped that Giles will | able to prove -thoush proof is difficult, |1t not impossible—that he actually met conditions that prevented further flight. The air place for the quitter or the coward. o Thanksgiving. Whatever misfortunes may have he. fallen the country during the thera always cause for thanks on the day set apart by custom and specifically by presidential procla- mation for the expression of gratitude for the favors of Providence. This vear has witnessed some severe trials Large areas of the country have heen |swept by angry waters, which have | taken a heavy toll in lives and prop. | erty values. Other tragedies have oc- | curred. to individuals and to communi- | ties. But recovery has heen immedic te and sure. In no instance has there been a permanent injury to the public welfare, and for this specifically there is ground for the le pause from its activities to express thanks for hlessings. Affirnatively, [ fore to he he is no | vear, is nation-w the day of national all time and the American Capital will |a less conspicuous post, but his aun- |thanksgiving is an occasion of stirring he deprived of what is potentially one of its most valuable scenic resources. in his letter to the Federal Power Cemmission vesterday Col. U. Grant, 3d, executive officer of the Na- tional Capital Park and Planning Commission, renewed the commission’s ohjection to the proposed power de- velopment and answered the sus- gostion that a reasonable power de-| velopment might he carried out with- out destroying the essential p-rkl value of Great Falls and the gorge; of the Potomac. Regarding this sug- gestion Col. Grant points out that preliminary investigation already in- dicates that the power development eannot he so planned that it will not destroy the park plans without adding to the cost of the power development. | #and that this additional cost might; serve almost to consume the margin | of profit contemplated for the m'l'-rs Aevelopment. In addition, it is em phasized that if the proponents of the power development are able to Sug- gest a plan for their undertaking which will not destroy the scenic as- pects of the river gorge, there should be no further delay in presenting it. ¥or the park plans are at hand, and the power pians are not. Prolonged | delay in producing the latter might endanger the former. ‘Washingtonians who are unfamiliar with the projected power development of the river may obtain a rough idea of what it would mean by walking from Conduit road over to the biuff on | the District side of the river at a point not far above the Chain Bridge, where the new filtration plant has just been completed. It is at this point that the proposed dam would be built. From it ons obtains a long view up- stream of the winding gorge of the Potomac, with the steep palisades on the Virginia side of the river and the more gently sloping banks on the Maryland side. It is not difficult to visualize from this point the destruc- tive effect of building the proposed dam. Its completion would create a lake, the water line of which would ereep high along the Virginia pal- isades and inland on the Maryland mide. The effect of the gorge would be Jost. In dry season the water line of this lake would recede, leaving un- sightly marshes along its banks. For- ests which now grow down to the water's edge would vanish. And while it is only reasonable to suppose that the proposed dam would be construct ed with all the engineering skill to he mustered, there must also he horne in mind the danger to Washington should this man-made device crumple under unexpected stress of unprece. dented floods. Dams along small waterways in New England were con structed with a maximum load in mind. But nature sent along a load which exceeded this “maximum” and death and destruction followed. Possibly .he grealest weakness in the proposed davelopment of the river for power purposes lies in the fact that the ecoromic urge for it has not made itself more strongly felt. The practical results from such power de- velopment have always been ques. tioned. There has never been unanim- ity of opinion, backed by an existing necessity. 1f the power development was shown conclusively to be neces. sary for the welfare and happiness of the people 1n this region, there would be more strength in the argument for carrying it out. As it is, one of the most beautiful and inspiring spots in the United States, an integral part of | the National Caplital's development, scems threatened hy a project which, in the end, may be of questionable | benefit. e A Chinese politician is wise if he knows just how his politics is being internationally suggested. “Bad, Very Bad!” Many persons will applaud the star- tling frankness of the Spanish poet who, during the premiere of a play at Madrid, suddenly rose in his seat and shouted, “Bad, very bad!” lvidently it was not his play, but that of a brother artist, for he con tinued to shout, “Ead, very bad” un- thority was at all times dominant. The ouster of Carol from the succession upon the elopement of that erratic was attributed to influence over the commanding. The scion of royalty Bratianu, whose failing King w act formally accepting Carol's renun- ciation of succession rights was due to his :insistence that the severance of Carcl from the crown should be made definite and absolute. Recent evenis have indicated a wan- ing of Bratianu’s power, especially the acquitte! of former Secretary Manoi- | lescu, who was accused of complicity passage through the Parliament of an | significance. Since the institution was |1ast observed, a year ago, America has | prospered wonderfully. Its material well-being has heen maintained upon A higher scale than ever hefore. It | has gone forward spiritually. It has made progress in the solution of so- cial problems. The enrollment of men and women in the cause of righteous- ness and for the amelioration of the condition of the less fortunate has in- jereased. Last night President Coolidge, for the first time in history, sent forth to the people by radio hiz words of ad- monition that the country observe in a plot to restore Carol to the throne. When that occurred it was | intimated that Bratianu was nearing | the end of his long career of authority, | though it was not known that his health was failing. | Probably the course of events will | for the present lie in political chan- | nels. with the overturn of the min-| the organization of an anti-| Bratianu government, revocation of rol's renunciation. and. it that young man Is wiling to stand the chance, | his return. Yet this would he a rev lution in fact, inasmuch as the present monarch of the country is the little boy \ichael, under a regency. The turn of affairs may be upon the loy- alty or disloyalty of the army. If| that lody holds to the present re- gime Carol's chances, despite political changes, would seem to be slight. There may be fighting. Rumania may be swept by civil war. The chief con- cern of the world is that in such event the turmoil will not spread into other Balkan states and precipitate a dangercus condition menacing the peace of FEurope. oo Washington, D. C.®enjoys many theatrical ~productions first hand. “Trying it on the dog” is an old theatrical phrase. Asa “dog.”” Wash- ington should be entitled to regard itself as something of a pet. — e A crap game leads to a quarrel, The money involved meant nothing to the well-to-do participants, yet it re. sults in tragedy. Sportsmanship should he attempted only among sportsmen. S When President Coolidge said “I do not choose,” he may have offended a certain Boston sense of grammatical precision hecause he did not say, “I refrain from selecting.” ——ee. Revivals of comic opera in many instances bring up the classic quer “Where are the laughs of ve Y ————r et —— Was Giles a Quitter? Has the fair record of aviation for the integrity of the flyers who brave great dangers been further smirched by a pretense of peril? Intimations are made that the return of Capt. Frederick Giles, shortly after starting his flight to Australia from the Pacific coast, was not necessitated by an en- counter with disabling and all but tatal wind conditions, as he stated upon his arrival, shortly after his take- off. Giles explained that he had run into an air pocket drenched with phenomenal railfall, that his ship was turned over, that he lost his in- struments and supplies, and escaped by a miracle with his life and his ship and was barely able 1o make land. His statement is questioned by the Weather Bureau observer at San Francisco, who avers that there were no such conditions off the coast at the time of Giles' flight and that the fiyer could not have had better conditions if he had waited twenty years. Giles retorts that the Weather Bureau ob- server did not know of the circum- stances. At the same time Giles’ backer, in Detroit, angered by the controversy, sends him peremptory orders to take off again, intimating that he does not believe the tale of lost instruments, noting that in such |case he must have lost his whole instrument board. 1t Giles is telling the truth and he did run Into a disabling air pocket, which caused him to lose control and til the police arrested him. the justice of hi ticism, the public 1.ust eredit him with sincerity. fll.s verdict, “Bad, very bad!" might Whatever | Thanksgiving day. It is well to hear in mind on this dav that there is now at the service of the people a means of instant and universal address and information. From year to year the facilities of communication and the spread of intelligence are increased. Science is performing marvels. To the extent to which they are availed of hy the country for general betterment, for clearer understanding, for wider vision and for better living, they add 10 the causes for thanksgiving on this annual day of gratitude. P When “contempt of court” is men- tioned, a delicate point is raised. The entire tabric of social responsibility is mvolved in any question of the respect due to judicial authori r———— An executioner says he does not like his task. His function is necessary. He should not be compelled to undergo the humiliating ordeal of publicity. oo Turkish Jadies no longer wear veils. Photographs do not indicate, as a rule, that they have gained anything in personal charm. Le e A “best seller” is often a work that leaves the reading public wishing that it could have its money back. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON, Thanksgiving. Many days are fair and bright As they dawn and darken. This is one day named aright, To whose call we hearken. Grateful for the skies aglow; Glad that we are living; Other days may come and go— This one is Thanksgiving! Sad Suspicion. “Your constituents always want you to go back to Washington.” Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum. “Their persistence in this respect al- most leads me to suspect that I am not so very popular in my own home town.” Subtle Indication. The turkey, ere the festal dinner's done, Some intimation will afford: The man who gets the drumstick is the one ‘Who hasn’t kept up with his board. Jud Tunkins says a loud voice gives a man a big chance in life. He has to decide for himself whether he will be a side show barker.or an opera barytone. The Dyspeptic. “Had a fine large turkey on Thanks- giving day. “Yes? How about night?” Thanksgiving Behind the Times. “You have made some interesting excavations.” answered the professor. “What works of art have you brought to light? “Numerous—chariots which were ornately embellished but wholly lack- ing in self-starting devices.” “Envy,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown,” is what transforms an old friend Into a new enemy.” Histories. George Washington, he could not lie While answering every riddle, But his biographers get by With many a taradiddle. to spill his supplies and instruments, {he is greatly wronged by the insinua- tion that he is faking. The implica- tion is that he lost his nerve and quit “A mule” said Uncle Ehen, “is pretty much like his boss—good-na- turgd while havin' his owa T ate a is there. | giving STAR. WASHINGTON. AND THAT RBY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. 4 . THIS | 1u tine with the helief recently an- Dnounced in thi= coiumn that every one tught to he ahie to do everything, he question of dr linteresti wculation. | The desire to draw comes naturally {10 all children, vet it is common ob. | wervation that most little ones cease i 10 make any advance in the art after the sixth or seventh giade in the pub- licschools. Ivery child specializes in some one | subject, such as te, marine |scenes in gene girls,” ani { mals, houses, I | In the dave when we were in grade | | «chool the favorite subject of the boys was the sea picture, particularly the | vacht. Perbans the activities of Sir {Thamas Lipton had something to do with it, irls il subject, nenally preferred the “prefty and no doubt the {con girl,” then at the height of her popularity, had a great deal to do with their choice. Painfully progres: from the first | arade onward, most of the hoys zot to the point where they could draw a | very creditable schooner or other sail- |ing vessel. with the accent on pic- [ tures of the Constitution and other | menof.war of past days. The Yankee clipper hip, the heroine | af Cooper's sea tales (which were very | popular with the boys of that era, as no doubt they are with the hoys of today), drew the pencils of the kids. | (In passing. may we say that we have na ohjection to the word “kid.” al [ though we naver Jiked “kiddies?" The former’ is w0 largely used in conversa ion, among all classes, that it is more less a good word.) ok ok The other day, in an idle moment, we tried our hand again at drawing a sailing vessel, and discovered, some- what to our amazement, that we could not do a thing with our old-time fa- | vorite subject, Many years have passed over our | head. and in many activities limproved immensely, as per every one who knows us will but when it comes fo drawing a Yan- kee clipper_ship we are entirely hope- [ less in 3 As we recail the hrave and beauti- ful ships we drew in sixth grade, hehind the cover of the hig geozraphy book, we play it up in memory as rather neat work with the pencil. Per- haps it we could actually see some of our specimens foday we would not vate our artistic ability of that period so high! The wobbling deck and crooked of our latest production, how- surely would not have passed ter with a fourth-grader. Those hips, a8 memory painis them (and as we believe we did)., had straight lines where straight lines should have | been. The bowsprit stuck out at the proper angle, the masts leaned just so much, the sails gathered every bit of breeze that was blowing on our painted acean. We were particularly pleased with our waves, we remember. Depicting the ocean with a pencil is na easy job, as any artist will admit. Pen- ciled waves, unless the joh were neat- ly done, had a habit of looking rather like terra firma, which was the term we delighted to use for the earth at that period, having just heard it. To- day we prefer “earth.” Our oceans looked a great deal like water, the highest tribute that can be paid te any sea picture, If the ship appears to be in water instead of sitting on a series of recumbent eartn ripples, the artist has achieved his purpose. * ok xx As one looks back over these early In one way or another, we are all engaged in the adventurs of snaring the blue bird of happiness. A vast amount of futile sentimen- tality has been poured upon the prob- lem of happiness: the glad men have sickened us with the sw-ctness of their exhortations, but the conquest of happiness remains one of the most practical issues of existence. There is always some quack doctor of the spirit at our elbow urging us to play horse with our intelligence, telling us that all we need to do to be happy is to stand still, look up and think beautiful thoughts. Most of us are too little the mystic and the poet to arrive at happiness by that route alone. Most of us prefer to say, with Dean Inge, “If I can help it, I will play no tricks with my soul,’ in the faith that though } .uff may sometimes pay very well in this world, it will cut a very poor figure in the next.” Dean Inge, whose mind is usually scientific and rarely sentimental, has said the sanest word I know on this eternal problem of happiness: his word is brief, but burstng with sound sense. i “The happy people,” he says, “are those that are producing something; the bored people are those who are consuming much and producing noth- ing. wing ability offers | BOREDOM AND HAPPINESS BY GLEN, President of University of Wisconsin and former editor of the Century Magazine. n. 0, gave such to the voung artists, it lis amazing to recall and to realize that they had no relation whatever to the actual “art work” taught in the classe | The latter was confined, as one re- members, strictly to snch subjects as | branches of pussywillow in a vase, | Autumn leaves and other “subjects” of | | o appeal to boys, real or otherwise. Somehow or other, teacher never omed to feel that a ship was a scemly subject for art work. Perhaps our sailing vessels were crude in the extreme, but they had our interest behind them, which the more artistic pussywillow in a neat | vase never had. Even to this day we {find oursell lightly passing such “studies” (o look at the sea pictures lin the dealers’ windows, | Nor did the sight of a heart, which we exacted from a | butcher on the payment of 15 cents and hrought to the class in the stydy of physiolo help us a bit in e study ‘of human anatomy Our clandestine drawings of men and women (also behind the covers of | that amazingly helpful geography) | | never attained the lucidity of our s<hips at sea. There was movement to {our ships, verve and dash to the long | streamer ‘of smoke from our steam- ers, whereas our men and sweet | Indies were very wooden in face and | figure. | "As we recall, we gave up the hu- man figure in disgust, heing particu- tarly displeased with the arms and hands, which appeared to be only so many boat hooks. We had *a companion, strangely {enough, who later went to sea and | hecame one of the best officers in | Uncle Sam's Navee, who specialized lin drawing sweet ladies, and who, finally, by sheer perserverance, man- aged to achieve a really good speci- men by the simple expedient of eras- irg every curve that did not look I right. At the end of a month of hard manual labor 7e had a drawing that even the drawing teacher would have labeted “Excellent.” * K kK A continus of these early efforts, along the right lines, would have enabled us to keep up our enthusiasm and at the same time increase our ability, so that foday we might he able to ijllustrate our meaning with pencil as well as with typewriter. The ability to jot down a quick sketch, as well as a few notes, would prove invaluable to any man in busi- ness or in most of the professions or trades. Yet very few men possess it. And it would seem something of a shame that they do not, because the desire to draw is institnctive. Children take to it long before they learn how to read and write. Our_point is not that every child shouid be turned into a painter or a cartoonist, but that each one should be given enough real art training to draw straight lines straight, circles as real circles, to put in light and deftly, not in drawings of daffodils and leaves, but in the thousand and one subjects that interest growing boys and girls, Only a few, of course, would get that firm grasp of the subject which would allow them to become real ar- tists with pen or pencil, but all, we maintain, might be taught so that in after life they would be able to draw a ship as well as they did in grade school! Perhaps the fault was our own— we have no doubt in the world that it was—but the fact remains that such a fundamental activity as drawing, coming down to us through the cen- turies, from our cavemen ancestors, ought to be better developed in most adults than it is. | artistic which | satisfaction ventures, large ox N FRANK “When people are hored they gen- erally look ahout for a new pleasure or take a holiday. There is no greater mistake. What they want is some hard piece of work—some protective drudge: § “Doctors are fond of sending their fashionable patients to take a rest cure. - nine cases out of ten, a work cure would do them far more good.” An _illustration of this principle of happiness through work is the well known Lloyd George story. Under the stress of war days Lloyd George appeared at a meeting looking rested and refreshed, when those around him bore marks of strain. “How do you manage to keep fit under all this work and worry?” he was asked. “Oh,” said the mercurial Welshman, “you kniw, with m:, a change of troubles is as good as a vacation.” ‘The essence of happi.ess is joy, which is something more fundamental than pleasure. Pleasure is a temporary stimulation of the senses. Joy is an abiding state of mind that grows out of a sense of harmonious adjustment to one's job and to one’s universe, re may come from play; joy rom creative work. (Conyright. 1927.) Not Too Many Borahs. From the Topeka Capital. e Senator Borah’s appeal to the Na- tion to stand for ohservance of law and for “the integrity of the Federal Government” may be taken by many as all in the day’'s news and of no greater significance than any other news item of the day. 1t is not, however. It is an out- standing event. It was an arresting statement that the Idaho Senator made as to lawlessness in high places and low. “We know,” declared Sen- ator Borah, “from the decisions of the Supreme Court, that we are passing through a period in which corruption has reached to the very doors of the White House, dominated cabinets and robbed the people of their inherit- ance.” This is a staggering phase of lawlessness and disregard of “the in- tegrity of the Government” which has other phases in bootlegging and gang rule in cities, as well as widespread petty and major crime. In a transition perjod from the virtues of a simple society to far- reaching luxury old-fashioned critics are needed, and Senator Borah has a eritie. role of the Elder Cato, “the censor,” in the Roman Senate, but Senator Borah is not a man to vote, for ex- ample, to seat the unspeakable Vare of Pennsylvania, or to condone or join in hushing up a nation-wide oil scandal that, as he says, “reached to the very doors of the White House,” nor the widespread indifference to the law and the Constitution in the mat. ter of prohibition. “In the clear sun- light of the issue” of enforcement and observance of law and of “the integ- rity of the Government,” he says. “mere political expediency is both dis- creditable and futile.” Washington and the Nation has ers who are wedded to “mere political expediency”; it will not have too many Borahs. . Hoosierdom’s Need. From the Watertown Daily Times. Indiana is to build a memorial to Lincoln, and there is no State in the Union that needs it more. Pikers! From the Bellingham Herald. Henry Ford has heen sued for $6,000,000, Why do people insist on annoying Henry with chicke suits? proved himself more than once such | He does not precisely fill the | lenty of lead- | Streets and Business. New York Herald Tribune. It the order of Police Commissioner Warren that interurban and subur- ban busses must cease to use the streets as terminals is extended to sightseeing busses, a crying nuisance will soon be abated. To permit the bus lines to park at corners where private cars are forbidden fo park is manifestly unfair. The streets are already overcrowded with traffic. Vehicles operated for profit ought not to be permitted to add to it. But the worst offenders at present are the sightseeing busses, which are used also as transportation vehicles between the center of town. and, the seaside resorts or the race tracks. These are of far less benefit to the general public than are the suburban cars, and the profit derived from them 1s said to be much greater. The condition which confronts Com- missioner Warren existed under his predecessor. Indeed, it has existed since these great motor cars were first put on the streets. But that is no reason why it should continve. If the urban and interurban busses can be forced to provide their own ter- minals, so can the sightseeing bu: There is no valid reason why any par- ticular operating companies should enjoy & special immunity from a rule Which ought to have general applica- tion. S | Another Chance for Corrigan. | From the Baitimore Sun. | John Corrigan, a garage man of ! Salem. Mass., is not lacking in the i quality of nerve. Hearing that Presi- dent Coolidge would. be unable to at- | tend the Army-Navy foot ball game, he | sat down and. wrote his Congressman that he would like to use the Execu- { tive pass in the President’s stead. He | got_two_tickets by return mail. And it Mr. Corrigan is as good a Yankee as seems the case, he I3 at the moment probably wondering why he didn’t try the same procedure when President Coolidge let it he known that he does ! not choose to hold another seat for | four more years. i —eee— Boomerang. From the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. All knockout punches are not alike | The hoxer lands one and collects, bu THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 24, | Federal in Chicago a woman socked her hus- band in court and knocked herself out of $85 back lhnwll.\k 1927. Encourage Distance Fans, Radioist Says To the Editor of The Star: Tn your editorial comment of the Tth instant upon the requekt of the Radlo Commission that sia- tion WRC cense broadcasting at 11 p.m. in order to give Eastern listeners chance to pick up KFI in Los An- les, you express the opinion that the tio Commission must he exceeding- Iy optimistic regarding the character | of radio sets owned by Washingto- | | nians, and state that the commission believe that every one of the in Washington is an eight-tube | affair, ete. The c optimistic in this respect, no sential that a radio owner have an cight-tube set in order to pick up these distant stations—provided, of course. | there is freedom from interference, I have had station KFI at Los Angeles | on a number of radio sets. none of which was an elght-tube set. As a matter of fact, they were three-tube | sets with the exception of one, a four- tuba set. Furthermore, they were homemade sets—that is. they were built by myself, but not the tyvpe of set one usually thinks of as a “home mada” set. It is not at all ridiculous for Washingtonians owning good radio sets of one or more tubes to try for Los Angeles after WRC has shut down. Nor was it <o utterly ridiculou as you seem to think for the owners of two-tube sets to attempt to bring in European stations during the test of Jast year. The trouble during that test was that there were so many adiating receivers in use that the listener could hear nothing but the howls and screeches broadeast hy his fellow dial twirlers. During the test of 1924 1 succeeded in picking up a station in Brussels, using a three-tube and received official confirmation. he fans to whom you refer as he. ing content with local stations are not radio fans—they are music fans. They owe much of their present enjoyment | to the real radio fans of previol years, fans likp those composing the minority you mention. Those ploneer fans were in the game for the thrill of achievement. They were not seeking the entertainment that comes from good music. Far sweeter to their ears was the voice of the announcer of a distant station, regardless of the “straining of ears” or the crashes of static. Theirs was a new toy of absorbing interest, and they spent their time and means foward its improvement. How well they succeeded is apparent to all who are familiar with the development of the radio receiver, for it is an undis- puted fact that these amateur set builders led and the manufacturers followed. ~Shall we discourage these long-distance fans now that radio has been brought to a =ort of “you-press- the-button” sfage, where one has but to turn a switch and move a single dial to some certain number to tune in a station? Evidently the Radio Commission thinks not. J. R. MAGILL. Lo Ty Simple Warning Urged To Replace Stop Signs To the Fditor of The Star: Having driven automobiles in the District for about a score of years, it has been my privilege to see almost all of the traffic rules hrought forth and tried. Some of the new-born rules, found to be good, have been raised to prolonged life and dig- nity, while some, found wanting, have been Killed and decently buried. ‘What I have to deal with now is not with the beneficial rules, for the good is too often taken as a matter of course, but with one provocative rule that is the cause of much mild and some deep resentment—and this is the peremptory “Stop” sign at the inter- section of cross-streets with boule- vards and arterial highways having the right of way. Often and often have 1 driven to these highways and with no car coming in sight from either direction I must, perforce be- cause of that “‘Stop” sign, apply the brakes, throw out the clutch and stop, with the result only an unnecessary wearing of the brake lining, the clutch disk and the rear rubber tires, with loss of time and gasoline to boot. (I have often wondered if this “Stop” rule was born in the mind of some one owning stocks in the brake-lining and clutch-facing industry.) But it is one thing to criticize a seeming fault and another thing to offer a remedy for the same, never- theless here is a suggestion: In place of the word “Stop” let the sign read, “Cross-street ahead has the right of way. drive carefully. It being known and understood that the driver who crosses the right of way must bear the brunt in case of accident, the said driver would, of course, be duly cautious. A.F. o “Memorial”’ Defended as Name for Bridge To the Editor of The Star: As to the name of the new bridge which we hope will at last connect the North and South, now so long un- happily divided, much is to be said in favor of the original name “Memo- rial.” It is already fixed in the public mind, and is itself as smooth a term as our tongue affords, presenting no difficulties to any habit of speech from the Ural to the Sierra Nevada, for we are become a most cosmopolifan peo- ple and must so adapt ourselves, and having spoken the name each may be left to his own memories, fond, we trust, and mild. Let us by all means keep to “Memo- rial” and make no more ado about it, aslse it may become a “Pons Asino. rum,” and we shall at length be driven.| to some such euphemism as “Euclidian Bridge” or “Isosceles Bridge,” which would favor the Greeks to an extent zreater than any true American would care to honor any single peaple. PEARSON CHAPMAN. UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR Ten Years Aso Today must ENQUIST. American steamer Schuylkill tor- pedoed and sunk in Mediterranean and 40 of her crew are landed at a Medi- terranean port. Extent of lives lost not yet known,*®*®Two American destrovers sink U-boat with depth charges. Victory one of the cleanes neatest and quickest pieces of an submarine work vet recorded by the American squadron. ** * This i3 the first officlal announcement of the sinking of a German submarine by American forces made public by the Navy Department, the purpose in withholding news of losses being to create anxiety in the minds of the enemy and encourage spirit of mutiny among German ¢+ s * * * United States Commission for Relief in Bel gium charges that German U-boats sunk 12 ships and shelled 3 others after Germany had given assurances of immunity. ® ¢ * German newspaper declaring America’s help comes too late to help allles, says the enten‘e is playing us as their last card.*** War Board orders all Eastern rail- roads he run as one unit, probably for duration of the war, to expedite freight movements. ———— The Biggest Backing of AllL From the Waterloo Tribune. Friends of Lowden, Hoover, Hughes, Norris and Curtis are getting considerably worked up, but old Gen eral Apathy seems to have most of the followe s Jazz and Booms. From ths Flint Daily Journal. It a presidential boom could only [t £ P BY FREDER, Q. Please glve directions for writ- ing a radio drama.—F. H. K. A. The radio drama is a thing for which the technic has not as yet been fully developed. The chief point is incorporate_the essence of the drama, the conflict, the incessant mo- tion towards a climax. into a half-hour of dialogue so contrived that all ac- tion, expressions. gestures, even st and business, van be conveyed by word of mouth to the ear of the listener. Q. Tn sending a manuscript to a publisher, should it be rolled or folded? Must it go first-class postage? Shouid it be registered?—H. R. M A. Never roll a manuscript. Enve. lopes can be purchased in which man- useripta will fit without folding. It is better 10 send them flat. First.class Fostage is required and return postage should be enclosed unless the article has heen ordered. AManuscripts may be sent hy registered mail, but it is not obligatory. Q. Please name some of the most famous buildings in the world.—F. S A. Among the most famous build. ings of the ancient and modern world are the Parthenon at Athens, Tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus, the Pyra- mids, Egypt; the Taj Mahal, near Ag- ra, Tndia; the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris; the Cathedral of Milan, Italy: the Cathedral of Cologne, Germany; Westminster Abbey, England, the Ca: thedral of St. John the Divine, Morn- ingside Heights, New York City: the Woolworth Building, New York City; the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, e, Q. A. The Jenny Lind bottle was a hottle with a globular body and a long, slender neck, originated in 1850, when Jenny Lind came to America. The bottles were first decorated with her picture, but later other designs were substituted. What is a Jenny Lind bottle?— s Q. Please name some of the lan- guages spoken in North Americ; A.” Among the languages spoken on the continent of North America_are Bohemian, Rulgarian, Chinese, Dan- ish, Dutch, Egyptian, English, Flem- ish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Tapanese, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Hebrew, ' Portuguese, Russian, Rue mahian, Serbo.Croatian, Spanish, Swedish and over 100 Indian lan- guages. Q. What mine ha most silver?—S. M. C A. The silver mines of Guanajuato, Mexico, which date from 1538, have produced over a billion pesos in silver —more than any other area in the world. The mines have been in almost continuous operation for nearly 400 years. produced the Q. Can watermelons making vinegar’—W. K. A. Watermelons have heen used successfully for making vinegar, but the juice must be concentrated to ahout half its eriginal volume to zive the proper sugar content. be used in Q. Who invented granulated sugar? . W. A. It is not known who was the first discoverer of the art of boiling sugar to a crystalline or granular stage. Such knowledge is known to have existed in both Arabia and India as early as the seventh century. In the fifteenth century a Phoenician eiti- zen received an award of 100,000 erowns for the invention of the art of making loaf sugar. Q. What is hessite?—C. RB. T. A. It is a rare but valuable ore of gold and silver. Hessite contains 63.3 per cent silver. Q. How many people received as- sistance from the Red Cross during the Mississippi flood?—L. M. A. The national headquarters says that 607,000 persons received emer- gency assistance from it. The flood area embraced more than 20,000 square miles, of which more than 6,000 square miles were under cultl- vation. Q. When was the expression. pork barrel, first used in regard to con- gressional appropriations?>—R. S. A. The term. congressional pork barrel seems to have been first ap- plied to a river and harbor bill passed March 3, 1823. Q. What are the dew-ponds of Eng- land?—P. H. A. Dew-ponds are certain isolated ponds found on the upper levels of the chalk downs of southern Eng- land and_elsewhere. Some are very ancient. It is believed that they de- pend on dew largely for the mainte- nance of the water contained in them, which is used as a supply for cattle. The question is controversial, how- ever, and has been much discussed. Some authorities state that when a ANSWERS TO QUE ze | STIONS IC 1. MASKIN‘. new dew-pond is formed it has to be filled with artificial water first and dbes not come into existence by grad. | ual accumulation of water in an fm- | pervious basin. Q. How much wealth of the Unite creased in the E. D. E. A. During the last 50 vears the in. ternal wealth of the United Statss proper has growna from less than $40,000,000,000 to over $400,000,000,000, As the Sta past national 50 the Confederate States of expect that the Northern might some time join them?— Q. Did America State W. N A. Jefterson Pav rated as President, said: “It is not unreasonable to expect that States from which we have recently parted may seek to unite their fortunes to ours under the government which we have instituted.” when inaugu- Q. Why was a volt of electric so called?—J. F. A. The volt was named for Al- lesandro Volta, an Italian physicist and pioneer in electrical discovery, who lived from 1745 to 1827 Q. What was Oscar Wilde's real name?—M. M. A. His name was Fingal O'Flaher- tie Wills. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, Octobher 15, 1854, and died in Paris, November 30, 1900. Q. Why does wall paper somatimes come off the walls soon after it has been put on?—R. L. A ‘The Bureau of Standards says that it is probable that the cause of the wall paper coming off is at- tributable to the destruction of the paste used in the application of the paper by the lime in the plaster. This quite often occurs, particularly if the plaster is not thoroughly dry and the lime therein not entirely ear- honated when the application of wall paper is made. Q. Please tell me how bouillon—W. H. H. A. To elarify bouillon, remove the fat and pour the broth into a clean kettle. Add the crushed shells of two eggs. Stir thiz into the cqld soup until well mixed. From the moment it begins to boil let it cook steadily 10 minutes longer. Set it back on the stove or hearth for 4 or 5 minutes to settle. Then strain it through a cloth. Allow the houillon to drip. remembering never to squeeze the bag. A very clear soup is n a very nutritious one. Q. Can articles made of nickel plated? Could they silvered?—A. P. A. The Bureau of Standards says that it is perfectly feasible to mickel plate articles made of zinc. Tt is = possible to plate these with after the nickel plating. Q. Is it true that the sunrise In Lon Chaney’s picture artificial? It so, how was it made? —C. A. A. The sunrise in the picture “Mockery” was worked out by passing screens over powerful electric lights. Q. apples?—P. B. S. A. Apples contain water, 10.8 carbohydrat tracts, 2.7 cellulose, .12.0 sugar, proteids, .4 fats, 1.0 acids. Q. Mow long a time elapsed he- {ween the collision of the steamship City of Rome and the S-51 'Ind the sinking of the submarine? What was the value of the S-512—T. A. B. A. The §-51 sank within a minute after the collision. The value of this submarine at the time of the col- lision was $2,290,352.32. to clarify zine bhe then be What is the composition of s 724 per cent . 4 free ex- Q. What is the derivation of the word cemetery?—G. A. P. A. 1t is from the Greek Koim terion, from keimar, meaning to lie down. Q. What is the origin of the use of a cross instead of a signature?— E.N. K. A. The cross with or without the signature has been used on docu- ments since early medieval times. Tt was regarded as equivalent to an oath and therefore attested to the truth of the statements made therein. Did_yow ever write a letter fo Fred- eric J. Haskin? You can ask him any question of fact and get the ansiwer in a personal letter. Here is a great edu- cational idea introduced into the lives of the most intelligent people in the world—American newspaper readers 1t is a part of that best purpose of a newspaper—service. There is no charge except 2 cents in stamps for return postage. Address Frederic 1. Haskin, director, The Evening Star Informa- tion Bureau, Washington, D. C. New York’s Vehicular Tunnel Arouses Hopes in Other Cities In the Tolland vehicular tunnel under the Hudson between New York and Jersey City, the country acclaims one of the great engineering feats of the age. And, even as they marvel over this realization of a dream of years, students of modern progress {urn their thoughts to what may come next. “Man has learned to overcome nat- ural obstacles.” says the Pasadena Star-News. “He has gone beneath the surface of the land and beneath the surface of the sea, in his devices for subserving the ends of peace and war. He has gone into the air also— and Air development is but begun. By one process and another the conges. tions of the surface of the earth are being relieved.” Many committees are interested in the stimulus which may be given their own civic projects by successful operation of the great ~underwater highway. “Every such enterprise com- pleted anywhere necessarily arouses interest here and directs attention to both our achievements of the past and requirements for the future, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette remarks in a discussion of the Holland tunnel and its_effect. In the opinion of the Newark Eve- ning news: “The resulting benefits will be widespread, even national in scope. | Those who see with clear vision the promise of the future will be justified in their conviction that the tunnel, like the hridges and probably more tunnels, will vield the largest guerdon to New Jersey in the years to come. ‘The Passaic Daily that “the tun like the bridge that 1s to follow, will make a Jersey resi dence more appealing to Manhattan cliff dwellers who earn their living | across the river.” * ok ok * “Technical histor: when the ventilating signed,” declares the Salt Lake Deseret News, and the New York Sun, noting success in that respect, adds that “thus is removed the one serious ob- Jection to use of the tunnel which has persisted since its construction be- gan.” The Trenton Evening Times quotes statements that “the air in the tunnel is actually purer than that in the streets outside.” The Jersey City Journal, reviewing the experiences of the opening day. states that “of course, the handling of the added traffic is a problem both in w York and in Jersey City. Within a reasonably short time great improve- ments will be made in the handling of was written sweep the country like a new jazz dance, the problem of some politicians ' has the harder job of the two at the | may would be considerably simplified, the traffic here. * ® ¢ New York moment, but the congestion at the Herald also feels ystem was de- | tunnel entrance is no greater than at a number of points in New York."” The Lincoln State Journal, predict- ing the spread of population through this| means of transportation, con- cludes, “In practice it will be found, no doubt. that tne tunnel will merely add to the facilities for getting into New York from the suburban area with the result that the streets of Manhattan will be more clogged than bttt “The luxuries we think nothing of today,” observes the Albany Evening News, “some one worked for vears to perfect. ~Automobile, telephone, elec- tric light, great dynamos, radio— these were the dreams of yesterday, the results of long planning and long toil. How soon the world accepts the new and wonders that it ever existed without it' But let us not forget the dreamers that were, nor scoff at the dreamers that are dreaming now of strange, new thing: The Indian- apolis Star also savs: “So quickly is the public attention directed to new marvels that the vehicular tube soon will be accepted as a matter of course. Tt will remain. however. one of the o1 gineering triumphs of the generation.” * ¥ * % The Rochester Times-U'njon recnlls that Kipling “caught the essential drama in this and other great under ngs of our age of steel and clec tricity in his ‘Sons of Martha.' Of those who in all ages ‘take the buffet and cushion the shock.'™ contint the Times-Union, “he sings: They say to the mountains removed!” They say lesser floods, “Run_dry Under their rods are the rocks re proved: they are mot afraid of that which is high. Then do the hilltops shake fo the summit: then is the bed of the deep laid bare That the sons of Mary may overcome it. pleasantly sleeping and un- aware.' " “In such manner was brought to ! final realization a_ magnificent engi- | neering dream that has involved eight vears of work and the expendi- ture of more than $48.000,000." says the Providence Journal, while the Saginaw Daily News appraises it as “one of the world's greatest,” and the Macon News points out: “Other cities are studying the Holland tun- nel. A similar artery is to connect { Detroit and Windsor. Oakland and Alameda are to be linked in the same manner. The pioneering done by the men who huilt the New York tunnel stands as their nartienlar monument, DUt there witi he oiners In which they so claim their share of the “Re ve to the credity