Evening Star Newspaper, December 4, 1927, Page 61

EDITORIAL PAGE NATIONAL PROBLEMS SPECIA Part 2—20 Page: GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP ISSUE LOOMS IN CONGRESS Federal Control of Utilities Held Likely to Permeate Both Houses. BY WILLIAM HARD. Among the manj lative notes which in the session tomorrow Senators and Representatives there is one which will continuall appear and reappear and which ma be rezarded as on its way to being pminant. That is the note of Fed- eral governmental public ownership and operation. It makes itself heard as a central theme or as an aftermath in the course of all the plans for such wide- Iy different and separated proposi- tions as farm relief and flood con- trol, ocean-going merchant ships and Boulder Dam and Muscle Shoals, the Inland Waterways Corporation and the Senate resolution by Mr. Walsh of Montana for a drag-net inquiry into the habits and manners and cu: toms of all the privately owned ga and electric_public_ utility corpora- tions of the United States. Farm Relief Plans. | The farm relief plans seem focusing | toward at least one point of probable | agreement. The Government seems at this moment to be destined to en- large its op banker, Tt already. through ers of su- pervision over the 12 Federal farm loan banks, has a great deal to do with managing the loaning of im- mense amounts of capital on agricul- tural land. It already, through the Yederal governmental public capital in the 12 Federal intermediate credit banks, is engaged in a great deal of direct and indirect financing of agricultural interests. It now is being almost irresistibly impelled toward a large-scale financial participation in the hazards and emoluments, and losses and profits, of Nation-wide agriculturdl marketing operations. 1f any farm relief plan at all is able finally to secure both congressional and presidential approval, it seems likely at least to increase the duties and powers of the Federal Govern- ment as a financial backer of private agricultural business endeavors. In the case of flood control in the Mississippi Valley, the tide of thought is setting strongly not only toward en- larged Federal responsibility for the building and managing of local flood control works and structures, but also toward the development of improved means of water transportation, which ‘will bring in its train an enlargement of the activities of the tugs and barges of the federally owned and operated Inland Waterways Corporation. That corporation is now operating a water transportation service from Minneapolis and St. Paul to St. Louis, conflicting legis will be soun of Congress opening it begins to seem clear to | that | L FEATURES Debates in | plant after the Government has built it? {"“on this point Senator Johnson has | been thoroughly impartial. His bill permits the Secretary of the Interior, who will be In charge of the plant cither to lease it outright to private | interests or else to retain it in publi {control and sell the power to privat: distribution companies or to local public subdivisions such as municipal- ities or counties. It is to be pointed out that public operation of the whole mighty plant at Boulder Canyon would not require the services of more than a score or so of men at any given moment. The private opposition to the plan does not spring from any fear of any new horde of Federal employes. It springs from a fear that the plant might produce power at a lower cost and sell it at a lower price than is cus- tomary among the private companies in that part of the world. Boulder Canyon’s Future. There is absolutely no chance, how- ever, that the Congress will now ever hand over the Boulder Canyon to any private company for mer private development, and therefore the prac- tical choice is likely to be between the Johnson plan on the one hand and, on the other, no plan or progress at all. Time and human need and the pres- sure of the future would therefore | seem to be working on Senator John- son’s side, and the ultimate prospect is that he some day will triumph. Meanwhile, to watch him, and also to watch Senator Walsh of Montana and the Walsh resolution, for an in- 'y into our privately owned public utility companies, we this year have in Washington one of the most im- pressive “lobbies” in Washington’s history. It is headed by Josiah New- comb and it is maintained by a triple alliance between the National Asso- EDITORIAL SECTION @The Sunday Star WASHINGT BY BEN McKELWAY. ONGRESSMAN - ELECT An- drew Jackson Jefferson Jinks, from the second district of Arkolina, was no typewriting expert, but after an hour’s work of laborious punching with the index finger of his good right hand he drew a sheet of paper from the machine with the evident satisfaction of one successfully emerged from the throes of difficult composition. He read it aloud, evidently to test for himself the fine sound that it would make: ANDREW JACKSON JEFFER- SON JINKS, Republican, son of Jehosophat and Mary Jackson Jef- ferson Jinks. October 1892. A descendant on his mother's side of the Jefferson family from which sprang the third President of the United States, and also related to the Jackson famiiy which produced the seventh President of the United States. Educated in the public schools of Ola, Arkolina, and the Arkolina_State University (A. B.. cum laude, LL. B.). While in col- lege served as president of the Literary Society, secretary of the Shakespearian and Dramatic Club and manager of the Arkolina State debating team. Was also member of the Young Barristers' Club of the Law School, and won the gov- ernor's medal for the best oration delivered on the occasion of break- ing ground for the new Chamber of Commerce Building of Ola. Ad- mitted to the bar July 2, 1913 clected assistant prosecuting at- torney for Sim County in 1913; eiected prosecuting attorney in 1915, and in that capacity prose- cuted successfully many important s for the people of Sim Coun- 1y On _numerous occasions re- ceived tributes from the bench and bar, and in 1916 retired from public life to take up the private practice of law. In 1917 he answered his country’s call and received a com- mission_as a second lieutenant in the Q. M. C., serving with distinc- tion in the Le Mans area; honor- ably discharged from the service December 11, 1918, and returned ciation of Electric Light & Power Companies, the National Associatfon of Gas Companies and the National Association of Electric Railway Cum- panies. Their investments amount to many billions of dollars, and Mr. New- comb has the interesting task of dong mortal eombat politically with Senator Johnson and * Senator Walsh—aed Senator Norris. Some other equally ardent “lobly- ist” for private business versus publc ownership will presently arrive in Washington to do combat with Senn- tor Jones of Washington. Mr. Jon.s will presently reintroduce his bill fer authorizing the United States Ship- ping Board to spend money building more and better publicly owned mer- chant ships. This bill was at the last session recommended to the Senate from its commerce committee by a from St. Louis to New Orleans, from New Orleans along the Gulf Coast to Mobile, from Mobile up the Tombigbee and Warrior Rivers to Birmingport, Ala. From that last.point it owns and operates even a railroad service into Birmingham, Ala. The corporation is one which un- doubtedly takes the Government into what is ordinarily regarded as private business, but it is causing the Govern- ment no losses and it is giving a committee vote in which there were no negatives. Private-ownership Sena- tors have despaired of persuading the Congress ever to appropriaté’ money for a subsidy to privately owned American merchant ships. They are becoming numerously convinced that the only way of keeping the American flag successfully on the ocean is to pass appropriations for improving and enlarging the publicly owned merchant fleet now in the care of the Shipping Board. The Shipping Board is in service which private enterprise does not seem able & willing at this time to_give. Not far from: Birmingham, the ter- ~~minus of the Inland Waterways Cor- tion, there ia the big dam and the power plant, both federally owned, 'éb;:‘, go under the name of Muscle s. Muscle Shoals Question. - No ingenuity in Washington seems capable of devising an acceptable plan for either leasing or selling the Muscle Shoals power plant to a private com- pany. The bargain always seems to be perilous to the interests of the Government. The plant remains in public hands. It seems likely to con- tinue to do so. The problem begins to narrow down to the striking of bar- gains for the sale of publicly owned and produced power to private distri- bution companies or to municipalities in the vicinity. Senator Norris of Nebraska, to en- able the Secretary of War to make better sales and to get higher prices for this public power at Muscle Shoals, will introduce a resolution au- thorizing the Secretary of War to build transmission lines out into the country surrounding Muscle Shoals in order to be able to reach distant cus. tomers in case the nearby customers refuse to pay reasonable prices. In the meantime Senator Johnson of California is earnestly, and busily pressing his famous hill for a feder- ally constructed dam and power plant at Boulder Canyon in the Colorado River. Nobody seriously denies that the power from that plant can speedily he used in the great Southwest. No- body denies that while the Govern- ment is building the dam for flood control and for irrigation, it might Just as well simultaneously build the plant for power. The problem then, from the standpoint of genuine publiz interest, simply is: unanimous agreement with this point of view and it calculates that the an- nual expenditure necessary for new eeded ships in its fleet would amount to some $40,000,000. Federal Ownership Looms. These public-ownership prospects are all of them most intensely—and, in this writer’s judgment, most prop- erly—distasteful in principle to the mass of Senators and Representa- tives. Increasingly, however, they find themselves obliged to solve a series of practical situations in accord- ance with immediate apparent neces- sity rather than in accordance with ultimate theory. They now see cer- tain sorts of Federal public owner- ship closing in upon them from all | sides. ‘This review may close with the one point of humor that Senators and Rep- resentatives have been able to glean from the public-ownership problems that surround them. In the midst of their general dislike for the public- ownership idea on behalf of the coun- try at large, they have gone and estab- lished a quite striking instance of pub- lic ownership for themselves. The Capitol Building, the Senate Office Building, the House Office Build- ing and the immense Congressional Library do not buy their light and power from any local private com- pany. Those .edifices are lighted by the *“‘Capitol power plant,” which by vote of the Senate and of the House was built and is maintained with pub- lic money in order to avoid paying charges into private coffers in Wash- ington. There is at any rate one laugh in a state of things which shows us our Senators and Representatives defend- ing the principle of privately owned power throughout the country and then cheating the local private power and light interests out of the job of providing the illumination for their ‘What shall be done with the power 8,000,000 Tons of New Form of Mineral Found in One Deposit in California The discovery of some 8,000,000 tons of an entirely new miweral all in one huge deposit in Kern County, Calif., has set a record in modern mineralogy. The mineral is “rasorite,” named after its discoverer, C. M. Rasor, leading borax engineer of the Mohave Desert field. While new minerals in small quantities turn up once in a while in various parts of the world, it is unusval for 8o vast a quantity of an entirely new natural chemical sub- stance, and a valuable ore at that, to be so long overlooked. Rasorite is known to chemists as the tetrahydrate of borax. As freshly mined, it emerges in striated crystal- Jine bars of glassy texture, some as | Jarge as common stovewood. It re- quires only a recrystallization with an added quantity of water to vield commercial borax, whereas all other important borax ores such as cole manite and ulexite require expensive chemical processes with resulting high prices of the product. According to chemical theory, the natural rasorite is a substance which cannot be produced under the ordinary Atmospheric pressure of 15 pounds to | the square inch, and thus had never # Yeen observed either in formations on the surface of the earth or In the gynthetic laboratory. Great pressure due to an over-layer of lime borate and desert sediment has permitted the grmation of the unique compound far | r:low the surface of the Mohave ‘yresert. The deposit is located almost on the Kern-San Bernardino County line a few miles northwest of Kramer, Calif., and thus near the transcon tinental line of the Sapta Fe to Sap — legiglative labors. Francisco. The supply in sight is enough to meet the needs of the | United States for over 50 years at the present rate of consumption. The market price of borax, already sagging from keen competition among | California and Nevada corporations, seems to be headed decidedly down- ward as the new branch railway line to the rasorite mines nears comple- tion. Borax is used extensively in {enamels, welding fluxes, laundry ma- terials, etc., but is application in the jalmost unbreakable borosilicate glass promises the most conspicuous new henefits, At present a few bottles, pitchers, baking dishes and other vessels of this glass are marketed at high prices, but if borax, the critical ingredient, should go below $40 a ton there will likely be a much wider use of the new ' glass. Borosilicate glass, com- posed largely of sand and borax, ex- pands but slightly on heating and thus will stand boiling water and even oven temperatures without cracking, ! "As now constituted, fruit jars and ! milk bottles offer a fertile field for improvement. Unfortunatelv. the man- ufacturers of bottles will have to be shown why they should make an un- breakable bottle and thus have no op- } portunity to sell replacements. The | dairyman passes on the responsibility for cracked glassware to his delivery- man and customers, and so he has not yet become excited about the mat- ter.” However, the casualty list on bottles is enormous, taken the coun try over, somebody has to pay the bill, to Ola to resume his law practice. A prominent speaker at patriotic gatherings and a member of many patriotic societies and active in work for the ex-soldiers. Is also a noted after-dinner speaker. In 1912 he married Miss Jeane d'Arc Bosco, and they have three charming chil- dren, Andrew Jackson Jefferson Jinks, jr.; George Washington Jinks and Barbara Fritchie Jinks. Elected to the Seventieth Congre: by an overwhelming majority, which caused comment in the edi- torial columns of newspapers throughout the Siate of Arkolina. That, mused Congressman -elect Jinks, wasn't so bad. There were shorter biographical sketches in the Congressional Directory, but not many that were longer. It might be a good idea to call up some of the newspaper boys, now that he had the thing writ- ten, and give them a copy. They'd probably want to have it on file, be- cause it wouldn’t be long now before the name of Jinks was on every first page in the country. “Jinks Praises Tariff,” *“Jinks for Tax Cut,™ “Jinks Threatens War"—he rolled the head- lines around on his tongue, tasting TO GIVE WAY Rather BY REX COLLIER. Uncle Sam, prohibition evangelist, has come down from his soap box lec- ture platform, taken a hitch in his belt and sallied forth to garner con- verts by main force, if necessary. Finding his lecture audiences some- what listless and rather sparse, the venerable, sober-minded crusader for the right and the 18th amendment has stroked his whiskers dubiously and arrived at the conclusion that preach- ing prohibition, rather than enforcing it, is easier but not so effective. Since results are what he considers eminently essential at this crucial period in law respect and enforcement, he has laid aside his copy of the Con- stitution, with its underlined clause about strong drink: folded up his sta- tistical pan\phlits and law books and taken a grim hold on his old police cudgel. This new brand of dry evangelism will not be so loud and spectacular as the exhortative measures hereto- fore resorted to as an auxiliary to sterner enforcement methods, but i is believed it will bring in converts to the ‘“cause”—whether the converts like this cause or not. The latest prohibition plan has the support of administration officials, par- ticularly Secretary Mellon. It is a drastic departure from the school of thought led by such former crusaders as Roy A. Haynes. It is a severe blow to the “Izzy and Moe” type of prohibition publicity, formerly re. garded as a telling weapon for stam peding converts into adherence to pro- hibition principles. “Ballyhoo to Be Dropped. Governmental dry agents will con- tinue their ‘“swooping,” but all the ballyhoo and fanfare attendant upon spectacular raiding expeditions in the past will be eliminated. The pro- bibition artillery will continue to lay down a barrage against law flouters, but the guns are going to be equip- ped with Maxim silencers, as it were. No vne shall know where the shells will hit next, but when they find : mark their explosion will be felt, ii not heard, it is pointed out. pedagogue in furtherance of the Vol stead act had been more successful grave doubts exist in the minds of ad- ministration officials as to the pro- priety of his propaganda activities. None of them questions the right nor, indeed, the advisability, of preach ing prohibition to the American peo ple, providing the exhortation is done by properly authorized individuals or agencies. 1In fact, Treasury officials recognize that there is a distinct need for convincing arguments in behalf of amendments should be upheld from the puipits, the lecture platform and other appropriate rostrums. They do not feel, however, that Con gress intended that the prohibition burean should essay any role other {h.’m that of administrator of the dry aws Haynes' Program Superseded. This latest policy is widely at var' ance with the broad prohibition meas- ures sponsored by Mr. Haynes. He and if the consumers’ demand for stronger hottlex become insistent ough they will dou‘h&uu be made. put into effect a program of “‘educu tion" designed to popularize resper for the prohipition amendment and in PROHIBITION EVANGELISM ERA Uncle Sam Decides to Enforce Dry Law Rather Than Preach to Audiences Somewhat Listless and Even though Uncle Sam’s role as a; the law. The Constitution and all its | N, D. C, SUNDAY % "/// /}/ /Z !, them like juicy morsels as they came into his mind. * K ok % This meditative soliloquy of Con- gressman-elect Jinks was rudely inter- rupted as the door of his newly ac- quired quarters in the House Office Building flew open to admit the portly figure of Senator White of Arkolina, and Congressman-elect Jinks jumped to”his feet. “Why, Senator! This is an honor, indeed! How did you know 1 was here? Why I, why I—" Mixed emotions caused Mr. Jinks to stam- mer. Some of them were due to em- barrassment and some of them to a satisfaction which manifested itself in u flush of genuine pleasure as he walked forward to take the Senator’s hand. He, Jinks, was something— but Senator White! Senator White's name was known from one end of the country to the other. He was a power in the land, a friendly adviser to Presi- dents, a leading figure in the Senate— TO MAIN FORCE Sparse. still fear in the minds of those con templating breaking it. ! The educational program included | public lectures by authoritative speak | ers, statistics covering many phases | of the liquor problem and issuance of much interesting and not-so-interest ing literature regarding law enforce- ment, especially with respect to the Volstead act. Under .this ‘“educational” policy came, also, the startling and colorful operations of publicity-seeking prohi- bition agents, of the I1zzy Einstein ilk, who filled the newspapers with ac counts of their dashing exploits as dis. guised rum sleuths, With regard to the latter divertisse- ments, dry officials found that the pub licity gained by such spectacular methods served in the end to defeat the very purpose of such forays by “wising” the public as to the unique methods employed in seeking enforce ment of the law. After a while boot- leggers became so suspicious of every strange cab driver, garbage collecto: or street sweeper they met that dir guises were rendered of little avail and something new had to be con- cocted. Era of Sensational Raids. Then followed an era of sensational raids, with more of the much-sought- after publicity. Night clubs, speak easies and other resorts found them- selves thoroughly ‘“swooped” down upon by none-too-esthetic Federal offi cers, who were not at all reluctant to throw in a few fillips to make the nex day’s stories better. This was very accommodating for newspaper men, al- ways thirsty for good stories and ex- citement, but in some of the higher governmental circles the feeling gain- ed hold that the reactionary effect was not overly beneficial to the whole cause of prohibition. Out of this reaction, it is said, has come the more quiet but equally de- termined enforcement policy made : public the past week at the Treasury Department. Elimination of the propaganda ma- | chinery will help materially to cut down on the overhead involved in the admittedly stupendous task of mak- {ing America obey its self-imposed | ! constitutional mandates regarding { whisky. Savings Seen Sizable. That these savings are sizable is indicated by the fact that Secretary i Mellon will ask Congress for no addi- tional prohibition _legislation othelr than the regular appropriations ;Aau;; 5 1y included in tsel ht“dg.l; vaor min- tion of the Volstea . m'ge prohibition authorities seck no turther authority than they now pos- | sess. They are of the opinion that the enforcement powers already bestowed upon them are adequate to continue the slow process of drying up the United States. America is not dry, they concede ard a long. hard road lies ahead of even the more optimistic defenders of prohibition. Uncle Sam is encouraged by the progress already made, however, and so long as the 18th amendment re mains a part of the United States Constitution he intends to use every proper means at his command to sec that it is obeyed., _ ey oo MORN and had been in Congress almost as long as Mr. Jinks had worn pants. Mr. Jinks had intended, of course, to call upon Senator White. But here was Senator White coming in to see him. Honor, indeed! *“White Confers With Jinks"—why, the afternoon pa- pers would probably carry that head- line clear across the page! “Sit down, my son, sit down,” saig the Senator, as he eased his own heavy bulk into a big leather chair. “I heard from your dear mother today and she asked me to look you up. Glad to see you. When @id you get n?" “Only yesterday,” said Jinks. “I haven't seen the papers. Maybe they bave something about it. I'm just getting settled. Haven't had a chance to do much except get my office, and, and—this."” * Kk K Mr. Jinks handed the Senator his typewritten biographical sketch, and the Senator gave it a hurried glance, DECEMBER 4, 1927. returning it with a grunt which signi- fied almost anything. “I've noticed,” said the Senator, “that a Congressman's biographical, or autobiographical, sketch often de- creases in length in proportion to the number of years he stays in Congress. I came here, now lemme see, about 30 years ago, I guess, and I recollect I wrote up quite a sizable piece about myself, but I've been sort of cutting it down ever since. But tell me about yourself, boy. This is your first trip to Congress. Now you're here, what do you aim to do? I thought maybe I could help you some.” “I've several things in mind, Sena- tor,” answered Mr. Jinks, rising nervously to pace up and down the floor, his hands behind his back. “I'm immensely interested in this tax question. I think we ought to reduce taxes. The country is demanding it. The time is ripe for it. I think I'll get on the ways and means commit- tee, for I believe, in addition to the speeches I shall make from the floor, that I can do much in committee. And then there is this business of an. nual gppropriations. You know, Sen- ator, I am thoroughly in accord with the President's economy program, and I would do nothing to hurt or injure the standing of our dear President, but it seems to me, that is, Senator, I thought that in addition to my work on the ways and means committee 1 could probably help out on the appro- priations committee." * k k% “Yes,” agreed the Senator, what else?” “Well,” replied Mr. Jinks, “there is this farm relief question. I thought that T would like to be placed on the agricultural committee, because while I haven't really given the subject a great deal of attention, it seems to me, it seems to me, that is, it seems to me that the country is demanding something one way or the other. And there is our Navy. And our Army. I do not believe in war, Senator, but I do think we ought to be prepared. T have written a speech for delivery when the national defense appropria- tions come under consideration. I have called it ‘Preparedness in Peace Is Our Best Guarantee Against War.' A rather good thought, that, and new. “I have under consideration a num- ber of other projects, Senator, among them a plan for perpetual peace. In fact, Senator, my coming to Congress is the realization of all my dreams. I can hardly believe it, Senator, but here am I, Andrew Jackson Jefferson Jinks, soon to be a full-fledged member of the United States House of Repre- sentatives. A statesman, Senator, I am a statesman, and how I feel the solemn obligations which that great word imposes! Aye, Mr. Speaker, ffom the sunny shores of Maine to the rock-ribbed coast of California; from the great invisible line which divides our beloved country from a friendly power on the north to the muddy waters of the Rio Grande. From the snow-capped mountains, Mr. Speaker, to the sun:bleached—" “Hey! Whoa! Slow down!” shouted (Continued on Seventeenth Page.) “and HUGE NAVY BILL IS AWAITING CONSIDERATION OF CONGRESS Largest Measure Since Conference Here Halted Pro- gram, Prepared in Move to Compel England to Adopt Disarmament Plan. BY DREW PEARSON. When Congress convenes on Mon- the Jargest Navy bill since the ington arms conference killed the building of dreadnaughts, will be ready for its consideration. ultancously, the preparatory commission on disarmament will be busy in Geneva, endeavoring to head oft increased building and to bring about world disarmament. Congress will be asked to authorize enough 10,000-ton cruisers to equal the British fleet of 15. Eight such cruisers already have been authorized by Con- gress, of which two—the Pensacola and the Salt Lake City—will be completed in 29, so that at least seven and possibly ten more will bs requested of Congress. Seek British Equal. American naval leaders hope to have at least a paper strength equal to the British by 1931. The year 1931 is to be a crucial one in American naval history. In that year the Washington naval treaty comes up for technical re- vision. Although the treaty cannot be changed in any material way until 1936, it is believed in American naval cireles that the British government can be forced into further limitation if the United States can show a large Navy in process of construction by 1931. No matter how many cruisers Con- gress authorizes, however, it will be a physical impossibility for the United States to equal the British cruiser fleet, except on paper, by 1931. The limited shipyards of the United States cannot build fast enough. But Amer- ican Navy men feel that if enough keels are laid down and enough ad- ditional cruisers are authorized to convince the world that the United States is resolved not to be outbuilt, then the British may be forced into eruiser limitation by 1931. Meanwhile the preparatory Disar- mament Commission at Geneva is in- directly trying to head off an Amer- ican armament race. This conference, therefore, is of vital importance to the United States. It was not thought at first that it would be. The State De- partment said publicly over a month ago that the conference did not par- tcularly interest this country, al- though it would participate. But the urgent disarmament demand of the League of Nations Assembly last Sep- | tember, coupled with the recent Lithu- anian-Polish war scare which has worrfed Europe, and the sensationi.l Russian demand for disarmament, has transformed the present session into one of the most promising in League history. U. 8. Not Responsible. Security is one of the chief prob- lems to be discussed at Geneva and the French hope that a series of Lo- carno pacts or arbitration 2greements can be worked out which will guaran- tee the peace of Europe so thaat dis- armament may then proceed. On this “security committee” the United States will not be represented, and Secretary Kellogg has notified the T.eague that the United States cannot guarantee any foreign country from attack by any one, or be responsible for Europe' ‘security” in any way whatsoever. e However, regarding the other pro- ceedings of the disarmament commis- sion—the non-security or disarma- ment work—the United States is di- rectly concerned. Officials here are, first of all, awake to the increased security which a disarmed and peace- ful Europe gives to American trade and investments, and they are also keenly aware of the reaction which disarmament success would have upon naval building in the United States. Should any appreciable headway be made at Geneva toward disarmament, the result undoubtedly would be a second naval conference between the chief naval powers. Secretary Kellogg has indicated America's readiness to take up naval reduction a second time by authorizing the statement that the United States believes that the chief naval powers “could enter into a naval agreement among themselves, ~and that they should do so.” This does not mean, however, that this Government will be rushed into any new naval conference. The in- itiative, on the contrary, will have to come from other interested parties, and the State Department will have to be firmly convinced that success is possible before the movement is launched. Most especially, the State Department will have to be convinced that the big-navy element in the Brit- ish cabinet—Churehill, Salisbury, Bir- kenhead and Chamberlain—has be- come reconciled to British parity with the American Navy. Plans Made to Rebuild Bomb-Ruined Cathedral Plans are ready for the reconstruc- tion of the Nedeljia Cathedral of Sofia, which was destroyed by a Communist bomb with great loss of life. This information has been imparted by the Metropolitan Stefan of Sofla, who was present when the bomb exploded. He considers it a miracle that none of the royal family was injured, and he himself escaped. For this reason, among others, he wants the cathedral reconstructed in its present location. Also King Boris was blessed as King in St. Nedeljia, and other historical events took place there. The plans were accepted after a_competition of architects. The new Nedeljla will be patterned something like St. Sophia of Constantinople and an old ortho- dox church at re. Because of the heavy expense there is some opposi- u:n ;o reconstructing the famous church. ——— Problem for Experts How to keep postage stamps.from sticking where they should, not eo that they will adhere where they should is a problem before cvxperts at the United States’Bureau of Stand- ards. The Bureau of Printing and Engraving, where the stamps made, has been advised that it may find a special moisture-proof - cello- “ckn COMMERCIAL PLANES UNFIT FOR WAR, SAY U. S. FLYERS Cost and Design Cause Wide Difference in Military and Privately Owned i Air Machines. ahead. The fiselage space behind him, under the single wing and its trailing _edge, 1s passenger-carrying space, which would have to be remod- eled for bombing operations, observ. ing, photographic and 1adio work, along_with protection in the form of macaine guns., The gunner, in some fashion. would have to_be out in the open in order to swing his guns ahout while enemy pursuit craft swarm around the plane like bees. Such a plane. some military airmen believe. would be less valuable for ob- servation work and the fighting duties that go with it than the war-time Lib- ertyengined De Havilands used by the Americans and British. But there are other military aviators who be- liave they could serve a small useful purpose in this work if time permitted reconditioning, but even so. they lik- ened the planes unto the Paris taxi. cabs which were pressed into service as troop carriers when the enemy was at the gates of the French capital. Opinion of Pilots, While it may be possible to stretch a few points of imagination and op- timism together with aeronautical en- gineering and military strategy and utilize some commercial types for bombing and observation work. the fighting pilots are unanimous in their declaration that pursuit aviation can find no substitute among non-military craft to date, The pursuit planes, al- most universally bi-planes, are built and braced to withstand terrific pres- sures brought against the wings in violent acrobatics so vital in the type of fighting which the single-seaters indulge in. Further, they are designed to carry but one man, who is pilot. gunner and bombardier: an extraordinary hlood- thirsty voung man who must be so well drilled in the art of flying that he maneuvers about the sky by intui- tion in order to concentrate entirely on firing at the enemy with his fixed guns mounted on the fuselage in front of him and which shoot through the propeller. Every time this pilat takes aim he must aim the plane, and if he is not accurate to the fraction of an inch an enemy bullet may find its way into a vital part of the plane or the airman’s body. The Army and Navy's Boeing and Curtiss pursuit ships are equipped with engines with horsepower ranging from 400 to 700, giving them speeds in excess of 165 miles an hour. and, in experimental cases. over 200 miles an hour. No commercial plane in ex- istence today can compare with these tigers of the air. Pursuit aviation constitutes the strongest arm of aerial defense. Pur- suit planes and pilots are required to block any aerial invasion in addition to serving as protectors for_bombers and reconnajssance craft. It is th most spectacular, daring and thrill- ing of all forms of aerial warfare, and nothing but the best in airplane con- struction and airplane engines is ac- cepted. BY FREDERICK R. NEELY. HEN, during the battle for supremacy of aviation on Capitol Hill a couple of years ago, the cry was heard that every com- mercial plane in flight on the day war is declared could be transformed almost overnight into a deadly weapon, heads nodded approvingly. but today military airmen have come to the conclusion that the possibility of sweeping every non-military plane in the country into active fighting service on a few hours’ notice is as remote as a future executive order equipping the Infantry with double- barreled shotguns used for rabbit hunting and pistols designed for feminine handbags. ‘While the commercial plane may not be able to fight side by side with a speedy pursuit plane or a powerful bomber, it can render valuable service “behind the front,” the airmen hold, and should extreme danger befall the country, one or two of the commercial types might, as a last resort. and with some remodeling. be sent into the heat of battle. Viewed at the present time, how- ever, commercial planes are flying in one direction and military planes in another, and it would be a rare and perhaps unhappy occasion when the former would sit side by side on the war front with a battle-scarred mili- tary plane, ready to take its place in a patrol or bomb raid. Money and Design. Design and money are the wedge that has been driven into aviation, separating commercial from military flying. In the case of the commercial ship, it is designed for a tvpe of fly- ing calling for a normal take-off, horizontal flight and a normal glide into a landing at the destination. For this work. the cabin monoplane with the 225-horsepower air-cooled radial engine has convincingly demonstrated its purpose. The military plane, however, needs horsepower and more horsepowe good visibility, the strength of a mountain, high speed and perfect maneuver-ability. - « The characteristics of the commer- cial plane can be purchased for a com- paratively small sum—at $10.000 and down as low as $2,000—and the pur- chaser will be satisfied with the eq ment as being capable of filling his purpose. The characteristics required of the military plane, however, range trom $25,000 upwards. The average person regards an air- plane as a contraption that flies through the air_and little more. To the Army and Navy airmen, an air- plane that cannot perform, but just flies, is no airplane at all. The pur- pose for which it is to be used deter- mines the design and type of airplane, and as the national defense ranks first, it is altogether fitting that the Gov- ernment should employ a product that is beyond the financial reach of its citizens. Of the commercial planes that could be used in a pinch, the big three-en- gined Fokker monoplane, manufac- tured commercially by the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, which also is a contractor to the Government, prob- ably would serve the greatest useful purpose, in the opinion of aerial strate- gists. These monoplanes would func- tion excellently in the capacity of troop transports, as each plane car- ries 10 persons; as transports for haul- ing motors, airplane armament and ordnance or as ambulance planes. But this would put them in the “behind- the-front” category. Army Short on Bombers. The Army is short on bombers to- | day, primarily because it has insisted on getting the best type that Ameri- can aeronautical genjus can produce; but with a small amovnt of remodel- ng, the Fokker monoplanes could be converted into bombers carrying at least a 2,000-pound bomb in addition to sufficient fuel for a fairly long cruising radius. The Fokker three-engined passenger ship, so remodeled, would make a fairly good bomber, but nowhere near as efficient as its military sister ex- perimental bomber now being tested by the Army. This Fokker bomber carries two 400-horsepower Pratt & Whitney “Wasp"” air-cooled engines mounted on either side of the fusilage under the wing, and the space ordi- narily occupied by the third 225-horse- power air-cooled Wright “Whirlwind" engine in the nose of the commercial Fokker has been utilized as a cockpit for the bombadier and the machine gunner. In addition. a bomb-bay is lo- cated where the cabin should be in the commercial job, and quarters and equipment are provided for two ma- chine gunners, one to man guns firing through the floor and another to op- erate guns firing through the “roof™ of the fuselage. This experimental monoplane bomb- er also is a departure from Army Air Corps precedent, which in the past has called for mammoth twin-engine biplanes. Competing with the Fokker in tests for a production contract is the Curtiss “Condor” biplane, powered with two 600-horsepower water-cooled engines, and the Keystone “Cyclops,” also a biplane with two heavy Packard water-cooled power plants. These tests, now under way at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, will determine whether the monoplane bomber is in the same efficient class with the universally used biplanes. The Army and Navy planes bear not the slightest resemblanee to com- mercial ships that, for the purpose of argument. could be put in the cate- gory of ‘reserve observation™ craft. The Army uses the Curtiss and Douglass biplanes, fitted with engines ranging in horsepower from 400 to 650. They must carry a good load of small bombs, have space for mounting Commercial planes of the transport and passenger-carrying type have no other function than to take off with pay load in a normal climb, gain the desired altitude, circle the airport des- tination and make a normal glide into the fleld for a landing. Because this is all that is expected of them, the monoplane is used owing to its high lifting power. The strength of that wing is sufficient to preclude struc- tural failure even should some acro- batics be indulged in, but it is generally conceded that the commercial mono- vlane could not survive the terrible beatings the heavily-braced biplanes of the military services receive month in and month out without the slightest sign of weakness. Requirements of Planes. All military planes, except the big night bombers, must be as agile as a contortionist. ‘Washingtonians are tamiliar with the squirmy character- istics of the Army and Navy pursuit ships as they “stunt” over the city. The observation plane must possess ability to escape from the enemy should it be caught out alone. The observer, standing up in the rear cock- pit and raking the sky with his guns. together with the pilot firing fixed guns as a target flies past his forward vision, is not sufficient to guarantee prolonged life. . The two-seater must be able to dive at_terrific speeds, loop, roll, spin and side-slip, without falling apart. Because the two-seater is heavier and carries a heavier load, it must be constructed strongly enough to withstand the mighty air pressures brought against the wings and control surfaces in these maneuvers. Hence the biplane, because it offers additional means of bracing and interbracing, although the effl- ciency of the lower wing with respect to lifting power is almost negligible compared with that of the upper panels. The bomber is not required to de- part from dignified, horizontal flight, and, even if it were, such efforts would be practically useless in the face of a flock of enemy pursuit ships. The bomber’s business is to carry a load of hombs to a certain objective, drop them and return home. He should use his guns from the front. and after cockpits, from the engine nacelles and from underneath the plane while he flies on in a stately manner as the sparrows peck at his wings, The tremendous weight the bomber must carry, though, makes it necessary that his wings be strong. and_sufficiently strong to withstand the stress and strain brought upon them many times greater than the load for which it is designed. Capacity of Factories. The aircraft industry, engaged pri- marily in the manufacture of military planes, turns out on an average 24 planes a week in peace time. What fixed machine guns that are fired by the pilot through the propeller and guns in the rear cockpit for the ob- server to operate. The Navy has the highly efficient Vought “Corsair’ air- cooled-engined biplane for shipboard use. Observation Craft. The modern commercial “reserve ob- servation” craft referred to consist of the 225-horsepower cabin monoplanes of the Ryan Spirit of St. Louis t; Columbia, Stinson-] Travelair, Universal (R types, althoug! ey rmn the past few months they can carry enormous loads a'afidflwlllh their single Wright “Whirlwind" engine is half the borsepower of the Curtiss, Douglas and Volqht ships, could not make the grade as.military observation jobs, if for no other reason than their lack wer, beyoi phane, the thin transparent material] desi ::mulm used to wrap candy, better | immed these factories’ capacities would be in war time cannot be learned. There are several commercial facto- ries of wide reputation engaged in building cabin monoplanes, in the main, powered with the “Whirlwind" engines. They cali for strong cos- struction, first-class material, excel- lent workmanship, and the Govern- ment regards them as being a nucleus for a geserve industry. The manufae- turers of the small, double-cockpit 90- horsepower biplanes and monoplanes also bring up the third line of reserve by virtue of their familiarity with modern airplane construction. ‘Transportation facilities usually are manned by the Government if at war, and commercial air lines and activi- ties, in the event of hostilities, woul? play an enormous role in the com: munieation and transportation o which must run at top speed to k the forces at the front in m In this work the commercial planes would be in their element and of far greater assistance to the Nation than it they elected to perform a duf which their R