Evening Star Newspaper, December 8, 1927, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. ..December 8, 1927 THEODORE W. NOYES. . .:Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: ih 8, ivania Ave. N‘;w: Fork ;5&"9{."*";‘{‘.?‘:“.’{ dani st ower Ruiling. European Ofice: 13 Reent St.. London. England. The Evening ine edition is the city at 60 cents per month 45 cents per month: Sundass only. « onth, Orders may he eant by mail or elephone Main 5000, Collertion is made by carrier at end of each month. Rate by Mail—Payabl Maryland and ailv and Sunday. aly only. ... Sunday only’ in Advance. inia. All Other States and Canada. Daile and_Sunday.l vr.. $12.00: 1 mo. S1 1 vr. $K.00:1 mo. Daily only 4 Sundav oniy $400: 1 mo.. 00 7he 1vrs 35¢ Member of the Associated Press. e Aseacinted Prace 10 the use for repuhlication patches credited ta it or not otherwise cred- the loeal news of nublisation 1e0 1 eserved S The District Budget. The budget for the District of Co- lumbia forwarded to Congress vester- day contemplates Capital needs for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1929, as requiring an expenditure, to be di- vided between the municipality and the Federal Government, of $40,431,186, which represents a cut of about $2,000,- 000 by the Budget Bureau from the Commissioners’ estimates, and an in- crease of about $1,211,005 over the ex- penses of maintaining the Capital dur- ing the current fiscal year. The bud- get shows no radical increases or de- creases in any of the departments, but merely portrays the constantly grow- Ing demands of a growing American city. As sent from the Budget Bureau, the estimates are framed on the as-| sumption that Congress will contribute | the lump sum of $9.000,000 carried in the appropriation bills of the last four fiscal years. The assumption is rou- tine, merely following established cus- tom of wording budgets after the wording of preceding appropriation bills. Should Congress retain the lump-sum principle of appropriation in the face of annually increasing in- equities, it will reduce a Federal con- tribution stipulated 'in substantive law as forty per cent to an actual contribution of twenty-two and a frac- tion per cent, with the prospect of its being even less. Several increases are noted in the budget to provide necessary improve- ments. There is an item for repav- ing the Highway Bridge, for instance, & work that can be no longer delayed. Another provides for the elimination of the dangerous Michigan Avenue grade crossing. Twenty-five new po- licemen are called for, and although these additional recruits will be help- ful, they do not meet the needs esti- mated by police officials. A fund is provided to build a new station house for the fifteenth precinct. Only four- teen precincts now exist. Increases are given for the schools, providing ninety-five new teachers and contem- plating the completion of the McKin- ley Technical High School and new schools in 1929, which will add sixty- two classrooms and eight assembly halls and gymnasiums to present school housing facilities. Funds are also provided for new school construc- tion, to begin in 1929, which will add forty-eight classrooms and two assem- bly halls énd gymnasiums. An in- crease for 1929 in the general expenses for public buildings and public parks is added for the purpose of expediting improvement of the Rock Creek and Potomac connecting parkways. In- creases for playgrounds and swimming pools will maintain and improve ex- isting recreational equipment and give the city two new playgrounds. The budget of $40,431,186 sent to Congress yesterday does not include some of the important needs of the District which will be covered in sup- plemental estimates forwarded by the Commissioners. The budget may be trimmed by Congress, but the total ap- propriated for the District, when the cost of additional projects is taken into account, is more likely to exceed than fall below the amount set in the regular budget. Every year the needs of the Capi- tal increase. Every year new projects become necessary to meet the require- ments of a growing city. Every year the budget will demand a larger rev nue from the District, and larger reve- nues mean higher taxes. If, in the face of these growing needs, the House con- tinues to base the Federal contribu- tion upon an unelastic lump sum, arbi- trarily set at $9,000,000, the participa- tion of the people of the United States in the building of their Capital will regularly diminish, while the iocad to be carrled by residents of the District will constantly increase. This fact has been demonstrated in every budget since the fiscal year of 1925. it receives further demonstration in the budget for the next fiscal year. Increasing the lJump-sum contribution would mean temporary, but unscientific, allevia- tion. Contribution by fixed ratio is provided by law. In all fairness, the House must return to law. ———te ‘The Senate often has an inclination that the alleged election of a new member is only effectual in placing him on the waiting list. ————ate— The simple statement “I do not choose” has stirred many politicians to realization that “blessings brighten as they take their fligh ‘The Police and Local Crime. Maj. Hesse's admonition to the police of the District to “get busy” to check the prevalence of crime in ‘Washington does not imply that the members of the force have been negligent of their duty. They have assuredly been as active as thelr numbers and the large area requir- ing patrol permit. While there have been some flagrant crimes of late, and especially one series confined to 2 certain neighborhood, there is noth- ing to indicate a more than usual degree of lawbreaking in the Capital. Every season at about this time, ‘when shops are filled with goods for the holiday trade, many burglaries are committed. 1f the police. force i | savory repute of that marauder. It were doubled these crimes could per- haps be checked, for then it would be possible to place men on patrol throughout the business district in such numbers as to insure a constant watch over premises. crime as that of the other day, when expert operatives looted a case of valuable contents in a jewelry store during business hours, is not to be scored agalnst police inattention or inadequacy. Perhaps in some respects the police have not been as thorough in their pursuit of lawbreakers as the public wishes. The other night a man was detected by a janitor in an effort to enter an apartment house and was wounded by a shot. He sought refuge in a shack, which w: sur- rounded and searched without result. Later, after the police had left, he was seen to depart and all track of him has been lost. He may have been the so-called “Cat” bur Revolution and in 1784 for the return of peace: that George Washington ap- pointed such a day in 1789 after the adoption of the Constitution, and in 1795 for the general benefits and wel- But such a i fare of the Nation. It is well to be set straight in this matter, and thanks are to be extended to the Paris journal for making this important contribution to American knowledge of the history of their own land. R Foot Ball Fatalities. Statistics on deaths resulting dl- rectly from participation in the game of foot ‘ball throughout the United States have been compiled with ut- most care by a Topeka, Kans., news- paper, and distributed through the Assoclated Press. The death toll is scattered among eight different tates. No tab on injuries can be ept, of course. Soon the annual cry for the abolish- @e may have been an imitator, or an- other who knows nothing of the un- would have heen more reassuring if this man had been caught when an opportunity was afforded. In the District estimates just sub- mitted to Congress is an item provid- ing for an increase of 25 men in the This is not enough. needs a much larger to finsure it police force. Washington rumber of patrolmen against depredation and crime. ———t Kansas City Wins. Selection of Kansas City for the meeting place of the Republican party next June, when it assembles to select presidential candidates, is in the nat- ural course of political expediency. It is located in the heart of the *‘corn belt,” that great area of American agriculture regarding the state of which there has been much concern of late. It is well known that there are sehisms in the Republican ranks, due to this very problem of agricul- tural relief. Success at the polls in November, 1928, depends in large measure upon the degree to which the farmers of the West are assured by legislative action of the sincere desire of the Republican party to ameliorate their troubles and to aid them to se- cure their rightful share of the na- tional prosperity. The contest before the national com- mittee lay between San Francisco and Kansas City, with the former in the lead at the outset and the latter grad- ually gaining until on the twentieth ballot it polled a majority vote. Geo- graphical considerations had probably much to do with the decision. Kansas City 1s fairly central and will be much more convenient of access than the Pacific Coast city. From the point of view of the Eastern press, further- more, the choice of the Missouri city is much more satisfactory than would have been that of San Francisco, for, as the convention of 1920 showed, the task of reporting to Eastern readers ment of the game, which grows fainter vearly, or for its improvement, which is constant, if not crescendo, will be heard. It is probable that if the deaths per thousand of participants in the game were figured out, the number fifteen would become so insignificant as to be negligible. When it is con- sidered how ma thousand young men are running, charging, kling, passing and kicking for several hours every afternoon, rain or shine. from the middle of September until Thanks. giving or longer, can say with safety that the proportion of Killed or even seriously injured is favorably comparable with almost any other out- door diversion, or even occupation, and a good many indoor ones. Almost every voung man and boy chasing the pigskin is being bettered, physically, mentally and morally. Sup- pose, for example, the same number of hours were spent by the same num- ber of persons in motoring. Who will say that the death rate would not be sensationally higher? Or suppose all these were, in their leisure, doing not one thing, but anything that happened to strike their fancy. Would not the casualties he as great? Before 1910, about the time Presi- dent Roosevelt told the leading coaches of the country where they and their game got off, American foot ball was pretty bad. It harmed many in body, nor did it benefit greatly the un- scathed. Today tells a far different story. Calamity howlers must not be stampeded by the news that fifteen men or boys (and it is usually the younger, lighter and more untrained youth who gets the fatal injury) have been killed on the gridiron. Even if the figures next year jump to 115, it still would be very much a case of a doughnut versus a hole. ——————— Nice questions of precedence arise, but the old principle still stands that no motorist, however lotty in diplo- matic dignity, has a moral right to crash the highway. —_———— one the events of a meeting at such a distance is attended with extreme diffi- culty owing to the adverse time dif- ference. “Vhether the decision of the na- tional committee favors any particular candidacy is a matter of speculation. It is not established that the locale of the nominating convention is an advantage to an aspirant for the nom- ination. It certainly did not prove to be so to Gov. Smith of New York when the convention of 1924 was held in Madison Square Garden, and ¥il- As a guide to estimating the sin- cere deference to prohibition some statistics as to increase or decline in the manufacture and sale of hip flasks might be enlightening. —_———— So many quaint personalities have been made prominent that the re- appearance of Gaston-Means as a star performer is impatiently awaited. He was at least unique and daring. ———————— According to some of the iconoclasts the speeches of old-time statesmen are on their way to a limbo from which liam Gibbs McAdoo, a Californian, de- veloped probably no less strength there than he would have west of the Rockies. ! Kansas City is equipped to entertain the convention, with a large hall ca- pable of seating all the delegates com- fortably and a reasonably large ‘“gal- lery.” That it will be the scene of a lively gathering is assured. President Coolidge’s latest announcement opens the field wide for favorite sons and other aspirants, and without doubt within a few weeks there will be a list of possibilities long enough to as- sure an entertaining meeting. —_——————— In order to appreciate the interest taken by the entire Nation in its Capital City, it is only necessary to inspect the license plates on motor cars that crowd the streets. They rep- resent every State in the Union. ———.—— History. Commenting upon the average Frenchman'’s ignorance of American history and traditions, says a dispatch recelved today from Paris, a widely circulated newspaper of that city prints the following remarkable con- tribution to the information of its readers: ‘The American fete of Thanksgiving was instituted three centuries ..go by Lincoln following an astonishing event. In 1695, while some of the settlers were dying of hunger, others had mar- velous crops and were able to come to the rescue of their distressed breth- ren. Very religious himself, President Lincoln saw in this a miracle, and named a day of thanksgiving, upon which God was to be thanked for His merey. He fixed, arbitrarily, upon the last Thursday of November for the annual observance of the fete. Truly, this 1s a helpful correction of a misunderstanding. Even Ameri- cans are informed by it and are thank- ful to the Paris journal for the service. They have heretofore supposed that In 1695 the settlers in America were under British dominion and that the word “president” had not yet been coined. They have been told by their historians—Mayor Willlam Hale Thompson of Chicago will take notice —that it was not until some time aft- erward—nearly a century, in fact— that there was such an office as that of President of the United States. And they have been perhaps crudely mis- led into the belief that George Washington was the first to hold that office, and that Abraham Lin- coln did not come along to occupy it until 1861, or 166 years after 1695. ‘There are other items in the corrective publication in Paris which are to be appreciated. For instance, it has heretofore been a tradition, firmly accepted by the American peo- ple, that the earliest harvest thanks- giving in America was kept by the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth in 1621, on an occasion of an especially abun- dant yield throughout the Northern colonles, and was repeated throughout only an intense interest in ancient &chool readers can rescue them., Sindbad in the valley of diamonds ap- parently enjoyed little less freedom than a crook engaged in rifling the show windows of a jewelry shop. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Punktilious Declamation. To speeches we will listen As the days go swiftly by. Sometimes our eyes will glisten, And with sentiment we'll sigh. Sometimes we will be merry, And believe dull care is sunk. A part is pleasant, very— But the most of it is punk. One truth is quite a plenty To inspire a tedious talk, ‘Where long pages, ten or twenty, Cause an auditor to balk. And long to take his station In his cozy little bunk— For in each long oration There must be a lot of punk. Gifts, “Have you any ideas to present to your colleagues?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum. “I have learned by experience that there is no kind of holiday gift less welcome than an idea.” Anticipation. On early shopping we agree. On Christmas morning, presently, Old Sant will merely call to see If things have passed off pleasantly. Jud Tunkins says some men make themselves seem important. because they can be tiresome for hours with- out anybody’s venturing to stop them. Beauty Contests. “Beatity contests are over for the present.” “They are,” answered Miss Cayenne, “unless some Eskimo fashion expert introduces the sealskin bathing suit.” “He who speaks only the truth,” sald Hi Ho. the sage of Chinatown, “must be as cautious as a workman with high explosives.” Contrasts. 1t is the way of Congressinen, Their gentle greetings soon to quit. They first say, “Merry Christmas!” ‘Then They say some things for print unfit. Don’t take yoh Christmas so serl- ous,” sald Uncle Eben, “dat it makes you look worried insted o’ happy.” Go Abroad for Divorce. From the New York Herald Tribune. The marriage rate has overtaken the divorce rate in New York Cit; New Yorkers having found it mos expedient to get the majority of their divorces in Paris. Heavy Walkers. that and the ensuing centuries; that Congress recommended days of Thanksgiving annually during the From the Christian Science Monitor. It might be remarked, ton, that the middle-of-the road politician Kkicks wp a 108 of dust. 2 THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Those with some maturity, though it may not be very much, often find themselves pitying young people who find life a very difficult proposition. It is common experience with men to go through various sloughs of despond along the road of life, and, in later years, to laugh at the misery of the former, so unnecessary, vet too cruel; so uncalled for, yet so harsh. A child’s sorrow, they say, is the greatest of all. If this be so, then the disappointments of youth are al- most as bad. 1t takes a certain amount of living to teach a man or woman the sublime truth of the homely saying, “It will all come out in the was The wash of the years-—truly it teaches us a great deal, in its resist- less flow! * K K K Ralph Waldo Emerson, whom some call America’s greatest philosopher, and believe equal in rank to the divine Plato, had a very hard time of it during his young days. And his trouble was all self-caused. It was in his mind, the worst and best place for troubles to be, for real troubles can be driven out of there, as easlly as false ones, if the possessor !have enough experience. In one of his journals, under the date of October 256, 1822, Kmerson Jjotted down the following: “I find myself often idle, vagrant, stupid and hollow. This is somewhat appalling and, it T do not discipline myself with diligent care, T shall suf- fer severely from remorse and the sense of inferiority hereafter. “All around me are industrious and will be great, T am indolent and shall be insignificant. Avert it, heaven! avert it, virtue! I need excitement.” 7 years of age, Emerson ¢ fate which was not to be his—that of insignificance. If there was any ung man of his day and age who was (o become signifi- cant, in American life and letters, he was the man. It is difficult. in the present age of aters, movies, motor cars and ra- dios, to realize that when Emerson grew up the pulpit and the lecture rostrum were almost the only public “‘presentations” which were open to the average man. A lecturer, in those early days, drew the entire populace to the meeting house. Everybody who was anybody was there. He was a traveling “show” in himself, appealing to the de- sire for excitement, for something different, as well as making a direct call upon the minds of. his hearers. * koK % “All around me are industrions and will be great, T am indolent and shall be insignificant.” So spoke the heart of youth—and spoke falsely! This is the hope of every young man or woman who finds himself bewailing his fate. His lamentations, 10 or 20 or_30 years later, will look absurd. It seem foolish, that is, if he shall have done what Emerson did— determined that he would correct his faults, or seeming had points. There is nothing in the life of Emer- son to show that he actually was in- dolent. He merely ‘had very bigh ideals for himself. Even when 19 years old he wrote: My approaching ma- turity is attended with a goading sense lamented the of emptiness and wasted capacity.” And also: “Perhaps at the distance of a score of years, it I then inhabit this world, or still more, if I do not, these will appear frightful confessions: they may or may not—it Is a true plcture of i barren and desolate soul. Ho who had a fruitful soul called himself barren! He who was to make words grow into flowers of thought and phraseology called himselt “deso late!” How absurd they seem, from the slight peak of even a little maturity, these lamentations of youth. Too often they abuse themselves unjustly, even unrighteously. They accuse | selves of all sorts of crime themselves up to themselves of evil or failures of the worst s when all the time they are as driven snow. It would he a fine thing, perhaps, it every youth could realize that his sorrow of whatsoever nature, run at least an equal chance of heing no sor- rows at all, but only the fine self-pity of youth trying to exalt itself hefore the time comes. * Kk ok ok 1t Emerson ever looked back over his journals, as no doubt he did, he must have smiled at himself, as self- plctured. Indolent — insignificant — barren — dosolate! Surely the sage, if he ever went back over these records, smiled whimsically at the fine heat of his youthful period. Granting that there wns a germ of truth in the strictures which the phi- losopher-to-be cast upon himself, It is more than evident he used his musings to good purpose. Thus it Is seen that no sorrow of vouth, whether just or not, Is wasted it the bewailer goes on to correct him- self in the light of his self-discoveries. Only the conceited person Is lost in this He who is so self-assured as to find no imperfections in him- celf, 1o be wholly perfect in his own eyes, he will never attain to the sig- nificance which every man hopes for. He may come to a spurious success on a cheap plane, but it will hardly be the sort to command the respect of the world. 1f there is o grain of truth in a self- censure, it behooves the critic to make the next step—to determine to right the wrong. This is where so many of us fall down! It is not so hard to single out deliberately as to correct after the fault is discovered. A more mature person, as well as a younger man or woman, may find it ‘profitable to study Emérson's re- morse, in_the light of his subsequent career, with an eye to applying it to his own case. Jot one’s faults down on a piece of paper and consider what steps one might take to correct them. The happy thing is that there. is a sort of magic in this procedure. No sooner are the shortcomings down on paper than the precious magic—black and white magic, if you wili—gets to work. Defects, Imperfections, infirmities, one and all tend to right themselves it one is honest enough to look them squarely in the face. Such self- inspection is rather old-fashioned, but it is just as wonder-working today as when Emerson and Franklin tried it out. BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. The finaancial settlement with Greece, recently announced by the Secretary of the Treasury, by which we advance to Greece $12,000,000 oh account of a war-time agreement, is the final adjustment of a complicated transaction growing out of a contract signed between the United States and Greece in 1918. It should be borne in mind that al- though the United States had never actually declared war against either Bulgarig or Turkey, those countries were at the time allled with the ene. mies of the United States and their defeat was essential to final victory of the United States and the powers with which it was associated. Part of Greece entered the war in the Fall of 1916 and the whole coun- try was engaged by Midsummer of 1917. 1. December of that year a military convention covering the joint prosecution of the war on the Mace- donian front was drawn up, and in February, 1918, a financial agreement was signed, under the terms of which the United States, England and France were to provide funds, up to approxi- mately $50,000,000 each, to facilitate Greece in carrying out her portion of the military agreement. This agree- ment was intended to cover expendi- tures in Greece, while England and France, under a separate agreement, furnished credits for war munitions. In order to prevent an unfavorable effect upon the exchange rate between the powers making the loan and Greece (the currency of Greece was at that time above par), it was ex- pressly stipulated that no money should be transferred until six months after the conclusion of peace. In the meantime credits were to be estab- lished, these credits being assigned to the National Bank of Greece, the Greek bank of issue, to cover an is- sue of paper money of a similar amount, such paper money to be with- drawn, naturally, when the money was transferred, six months after the conclusion of peace, as stipulated in the contract. The United States actually advane- ed on this $50,000,000 pledge only $15,- 000,000. The first installment of inter- est was paid promptly by Greece, but when that country asked for the bal- ance on the account she was not ac- commodated. The war was over. Hence she ceased to pay additional in- terest, so that today that original pay- ment of $15,000,000 now reaches $19,- 000,000, inclusive of deferred interest. That leaves approximately $31,000,000 of the Wilson agreement still due Greece, but the whole claim has now been satisfactorily adjusted by the ad- vance of $12,000,000 on the agreed loan, and Greece exchanges her own obliga- tions, funding the entire sum—$19,- 000,000 plus $12,000,000. All is to be repald. within 15 years. Notwithstanding the original agree- ment to advance a loan to the limit of $50,000,000, with full approval of Con- gress, the present settlement, making a total loan of only about $31,000,000, will require the formal approval of Congress, The knowledge that the fund is in ald of humanity in great need, in time of peace rather than in further destruction in war, will not lessen the interest in the act of hu- manitarian co-operation betwen one of the oldest and one of the newest nations of civilization. * K K K +The delay of the United States in concluding peace with Germany de- layed the date on which the transfer was to take place until April, 1922, In the meantime many changes had occurred, including a change of ad- ministration in the United States and in Greece an overthrow of the po- litical party which had conducted the war. For a long time the United States was not represented-by a Min- ister in Athens, nor did it recognize a Greek Minister in Washington, This was due to a pecullar chain of circumstances rather than to any in- tention of either party. The elections in Greece, held in November, 1920, resulted in the re- call of King Constantine, whom the allies did not wish to recognize at the time, They did not break off diplo- matic relations with Greece, but left their Ministers in Athens to carry on regular relations with the Greek foreign office, although they did not enter into social contacts with the palace. The American Minister, however, was a recess appointment of Presi- dent Wilson, and, as the Senate in its final session in 1920-21 refused to confirm any of President Wilson's ap- pointments, the commission of the American Minister automatically ceased upon conclusion of that ses- sion of Congress, at noon, March 4, 1921, We could not appoint a new Minis- ter without accrediting him to the King; neither could we receive a Greek Minister without accepting his credentials from the King. Therefore it was impossible to carry on any negotiations of an official nature with reference to the loan agreement for a period of several years. This is probably the essential reason for the delay in the adjustment which has now been made, as during the period when it was impossible to carry on negotiations certain differences in opinion arose, due to the different interpretations of various factors which had arisen affecting the situa- tion. " It is not disputed that Greece per- formed her portion of the original contract in good faith. This is conclu- sively shown by the fact that the Interallied Financial Commission ap- proved and forwarded to Washington vouchers in the sum of $48,236,629.05, for which the Treasury of the U States accepted obligations of the Greek government in accordance with instructions previously given. * kK K One of the main points of the pres- ent settlement is that Greece, while agreeing to relinquish a ciaim of $33,- 000,000 in exchange for a loan of $12,- 000,000, will get money which is ur- gently needed for the final rehabilita- tion of 1,500,000 refugees who arrived in Greece from Turkey between 1922 and 1924, Of these refugees the larger number were agriculturists, and these have been settied upon the land in Macedonia and other sections. One great difficulty which has been encountered is the extremely heavy percentage of women and children. Greece, not being an industrial coun- try, has found it necessary to create industries where women could find em- ployment, and now that the agricul- tural refugees are settled, the commis- sion is in need of immediate funds to establish small industries where the women can become self-support- ing. Any one who has seen how quickly and surely these people get on their feet if given a little aid declare American friends of the Greeks can appreciate the great humanitarian work which is being accomplished by the Refugee Settlement Commission and the vital need of giving it both material and moral support. Among the industries éstablished for employ- ment of women is that of weaving carpets and rugs. It is said that prac- tically the entire industry of making Oriental rugs has been transferred to Greece through this gigantic migra- tion of Greeks from out of Asia Minor. (Copyright, 1027, by Paul V. Colline.) e Farming Always a Problem. From the Cleveland News. Sometimes we fear the farmer might not be wholly satisfied, even if the Government could relieve him of the danger of bumper crops. g Long Time Ago. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Once upon a time there was a year without a coal strike anywhere. ——o——————— The Susceptible Age. From the Boston Herald. Strange how an elderly man who would not hire an office boy without studying his record from birth up will marry an uninvestigated adventuress on a smile, a caress and a flatterer's line! T Pacifier: From the Cineinnati Times-Star. Jewelers and furriers have prob- ably done more to heal domestic troubles than all the - benevolent judges of this Republic. as white | PHILOSOPHIES BY GLENN FRANK Genius in the arts and sclences has long been assoclated in the popular mind with garrets. Genius in politics has long heen as- sociated in the popular mind with log cabi 1t is popularly assumed that sleek elhows, frayed cuffs and empty stom- achs lure the gods of inspiration, while warm clothes, clean linen and a com- petence frighten them away. A while ago Herbert Hoover took a pot shot at this theory in a plea for adequate endowment for scientific re- search in America. “The day of the genius in the gar- ret has passed, if it ever existed. A ho: of men, great equipment, long, patient, scientific experiment to build up the structure of knowledge, not stone by stone but grain by grain, is now our only sure road of discovery and invention.” Modern research tends more and more to become a well financed and thoroughly organized enterprise. There is both promise and peril in this fact. There is promise in that large re- sources are being put at the disposal of the hitherto lonely genins, and there is nothing but promise in this; ade- quate facilities help genius; they do not_hamper it. “The geniuses of the garret have tri- {umphed in spite of the garret and the bleak poverty it symbolizes. Genius need not be killed by sub- ; but genius can be killed hy a ody supervision that worships at the shrine of a bogus efficiency. The magnificent laboratory that in- stalls a supposed superman of seience as director and surrounds him with a hand of scientific slaves may serve the short-time ends of quick invention, but it is likely to fall short of adequate service to the long-time ends of justice. The scientific genius is at heart an si-prophet, despite his ebjective eighing and measuring; he cannot always, as John Jay Chapman has sug- gested, “expound his half-born insights to a hoard of management, or give such an account of his time as would show favorably on a halance sheet.” T want to say my word for the full- est possible endowment of scientific research; 1 want to say my word for the fullest possible organization of sci- entific research; but 1 want also to say a word for the importance of lodging the direction of scientific research in the hands of men who know when to halt the factoryizing of research, men who know when to excuse the genius from the laboratory lock-step and per- mit him to follow his dimly sensed trails into the unknown. (Copyrizht, McClure New et Proposed Phone Rate Increases Are Scored To the Editor of The Star: I read, with much interest, your editorial regarding the contemplated increases by the telephone company on telephone rates, and I am certainly glad to know that you are looking out for the citizens of Washington in this respect, as we have frequently en- deavored to get both the Public Util- ities Commission and the Interstate Commerce Commission to refuse to allow increases to the telephone com- pany when practically all other cor- porations are reducing the prices of their services and increasing their efficiency, which, to my mind, is not being done by the telephone company. I might also call to your attention that about one year ago the long- distance messages to nearby points throughout this section were increased anywhere from 5 per cent to 40 per cent when the telephone ecompany advertised that they were reducing the rates. What they did was to reduce the rates for great distances and increase the nearby ones, therehy collecting from the citizens of Wash- ington and all other nearby citizens a great deal more, T suspect, on the short-distance messages than the pa- trons in the same territory save on the longer-distance messages. I am Inclined to think that the weapon which you have is the only one, namely, publicity, that will do the citizens very much good, as the commissions, evidently, do not trouble themselves very much about looking after the public's interests. VERNON M. GREEN. ar aper Syndicate.) The House-to-House Salesmen Defended To_the Editor of The Star: Your House-to-house Peddlers edi- torial December 1, I think, is a very great injustice to this class of sales- men and women. They are not any more dishonest and I doubt as many peddlers (so called by you) as there are slick, sil- ver-tongued men and women, spon- sored by the various big interests, manufacturing associations, retail stores associations and realtors. Our greatest menace today is too many big interest associations and not enough citizens' associations. It is high time the ordinary citizen begins to think for himself and take a cue from the big interests and or- ganize for their own interest. I have lived in many States and foreign countries and among all class- es and nations. But so far I have never been cheated or molested by these house-to-house salesmen. Our country has very little of peddling. I believe Washington has a law against it, so that would leave your editorial a direct slam on the salesman who was not sponsored by the big interest: Other countries allow real peddling. You can buy anything from a paper of pins to household furniture right at_vour door. This country is getting so tied wp with business associations that a peor man or woman is at their mercy. An honest living at any trade or work should be our slogan. DAISY 1. WHITON. Educational Work Done by the W. C. T. U. To the Editor of The Star: . I trust you will give me space to state in_your columns that recent ob- jection by the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment to the work of the W. C. T. U. in the public schools seems to have arisen from a misunderstanding. The great educa- tional work of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union for haif a century has not been “proselyting of dry propaganda,” but has been the weil known work of educating the Ameri- can public in the effects of alcohol on the human system. The first publie school system to adopt this education as a necessary part of its curriculum was in the Dis- trict of Columbia, the education being made a necessity by an act of Con- sress which has been on the books for nearly 45 years. That was, it my memory does not fail me, the work of the late Senator Henry Blair of New Hampshire, a foremost pioncer in_temperance matters. Recently the National Education Association and its subsidiary depart- ment of superintendence have adopted resolutions favoring a strong continu- ance of the once universal policy of educating the children in the effects of alcohol. > The W. C. T. U. helieves with many historians that the pathway to prohi- bitlon was laid by the work of the school teachers in the little red school- houses of the 70s and 80s. Surely, the Association Against the Prohibi- tion Amendment cannot object to an educational campaign among the chil- dren. MRS. N. M. POLLOCK, President W, C. T. U. of District of Columbla. Q aquarium be kept?-—-S. M A. The aquarium should have a northern or northeastern exposure In Summer, while in Winter it should he placed where it will get the sunlight for from two to three hours each day. The light should enter the aquarium in about the same way it enters the streams. If too much light is admit- ted, it will stimulate the growth of low vegetation known as “algae,” which causes tire water to turn green. Q. Why do forsythia and redbud bushes bloom o early in the Spring” —P.R. A. They develop their blossom buds ng the previous Summer. of is Q. What is the population Egypt and what per cent of it illiterate?—K. H. A. Of the approximate number of 14,000,000 inhabitants of Egypt, 97 per cent can neither read nor write, ac- cording to the 1917 figures, which are the latest. Q. Give the dates of the beginning and ending of the Philippine Insurrec tlon and the numper of casualties of the United States Army.—S. G. A. The Philippine Insurrection be- gan April 11, 1899, and was declared to be at an end and peace established in all parts of the Philippines, ex- cept in the country inhah Moro tribes, in the Presic lamation dated July 4, Philippine Insurreetic terminated July 15, 1903, in the Moro country. The total number of killed and wounded was 1 3 Q. How many islands are there in Japan?—W. B. A. The archipelago of Japan con- sista of six larger islands with many hundreds of small islands, Q. What was the Anti-Rent party? S, H A. In United States politics this refers to a party in the State of New York which had its origin in dissatis- faction among the tenants under the State. The tenants refused to y rent in 1839, resisted force, and a years later carried their opposition into politics. The matter was settled by a compromise in 1850. Q. What is the correct pronuncia- tion of Ramon Novarro’s name’— BT A. Ramon Novarro's given name is pronounced Rah-mone, not Ray-mon. Mone rhymes with hone; No-vahr-ro, accent on middle syllable, Q. Can the planet Venus be seen in the daytime?—F. P. M. A. The Naval Observatory says that it is not unusual to see Venu with the naked eye when the sun shining brightly, if one knows exact where to look. The brilliancy of Ve- nus at any time depends on its dis- tance from the earth and the relative positions of Venus, sun and earth. During October, 1927, it passed through one of its periods of greatest brilliancy. Q. Is there any advantag ting coal before it is burned A. The Bureau of Mines says t the sprinkling of water or salt brine A A Q. Could a man more than 22 years old enter West Point?—F. M. A. Tt is an ironclad rule of the Mili- tary Academy at West Point, N. Y. that applicants must not have a tained their twenty-second birthday on the date of their admission to the academy, which date is always the first week day in July. Q. What food is used most widely? 'A. Rice is more extensively grown and more widely used than any other foodstuft. Q. What was the Seven Weeks' War?—F. T. A. A. It was a short war in June and July, 1866. between Austria and oth- er allied German states and Prussia, rekulting in victory for Prussia, which Mutiny Modern prison reform methods per- mitting loose handling of dangerous criminals and the incompetence of political ‘appointees as executives are blamed by many newspaper editors for the recent mutiny of a thousand convicts at Folsom Prison, California. Several men were killed and it was necessary to use troops and machine guns to retake the prison from the mutineers. Pointing out that the convicts “had been released from their cells and workrooms to assemble in the theater for a motion-picture play,” the Los Angeles Express observes that “their return for the kindness was murder of some and attempted murder of others of those who provided the treat,” and adds: “Convicts should be treated humanely. That is the right of every creature. But prison is meant as a place of punishment for crime, a place where reparation may be made for the injury done soclety, where men who at large are dangerous to their fellow men shall be Kept, so they can do no further harm.” “Too frequently, in our sympathy for the criminal,” says the Oakland Tribune, “we forget the families of those who have been bereft of their main support because of murders which have .taken place. *-* * It should be kept in mind that in the effort to make life there too pleasant we are likely to afford opportunity to those who await the least chance to take advantage of every kindness to jeopardize lives of innocent parties.” * K x “Is it possible to convert these fessional eriminals by appeals to tim>nt?” asks the Minneapolis bune, with the comment: “Here Is a practical answer. We might as well leave sentiment alone in dealing with pro- sen- “Tri- | patroon system in eastern part of the | At hat | on coal has no beneficial effect on it. | [sent by Wes ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKI! il ————————— In what light lhmlld’l: goldfish | M. P, and the cession of Venice to Italy by Austria. Q. Describe the tapestry moth?— N. G A. The tapestry moth is not so com- mon in the United States as the case- making or the webbing clothes moth, and_is larger than either of them having a wing expanse of ahout three-fourths of an inch. It is more strikingly colored The head andq basal third of its forewings are blac| while the outer twq-thirds of th gs are creamy while, though more r less ohscured on the middle with & The hind legs are uniformiy pale gray. Q. 1% Bruce Barton married?—D, ¢, A. The author married Esther M. Randall of Oak Park, I, October 2, 1913, Th e three children, Ran. dall, Betsey Q. Mow much pasteurized milk used in the United States?—F A. The Bureau of Da estimates that app gallons of pasteur sumed daily in the U se give me some infor & the life of Bishop ) A. Franci v was Handsworth Affordshire. August 20 (217), 1745, H first bishop of the Methodist Church in_ the United States. v 4% a missionary to the American colonies in 1771, His dear occurred at Spotsylvania, Va., 31, 1816, h h used for any p I\ than as a cut flowerl— M. E. T. A. The dried flower heads are son times used in soups and stews, and the so-called petals digulate florets) are employed in med Q. Who String Qus A The the B. Quartet formed in 1. De Coppet, & American and na after his Swiss villa on Lake Gen the death of Mr. De Coppet 1816, his place as patron was taken by his son, Mr. Andre De Coppet Q. In what countries is the pro. duetion of maple sirup an important industry?—A. S. N. A. The production of maple sirup and maple sugar is purely an Ameri- can industry, the United States and Canada being the only countries where these products are made. The er explorers in this country fou Indians making sugar from the sap from maple trees, and in some sec. tions, especially along the St. Law- rence River, produeing it in quantity for trade. The crude methods of the Indians were soon improved upon by the white people, but heyond the tap- ping and hoiling the general process = still the same as it was at that time, Q. How extensively are machines used in coal mining?—0. §. K. A. It is estimated that more than 56 per -cent of the coal produced in the United States is machine-mined. organ Flonzaley Q. at is the value in our money of 2 yen?—W A. On a normal basis of exchange the Japanese yen is worth 49.8 cents. Q. When Army and Navy officers of the same rank are together, which one has precedence?—S. A. O. A. In official ceremonies where the question of precedefice arises, Army officers supersede Navy officers of equal rank because the Army is the oldest branch of the United States military service. ZLetters are going every minute from our free Information Bureaw in Wash- ington telling readers whatever they want to know. They are in answer to all Kinds of queries, on all kinds of subjects, from all kinds of people. Make use of this free service which The Evening Star is maintaining for you. Its only purpose is to help you and we want yow to benefit from Get the habit of writing to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Wash- became head of the German states,|ington, D. C. in California Prison Called Lesson to Reformers thority at bay for hours. There should have been no chance for them to ob- tain or secrete weapo They are the worst of ‘bad men.' * * * Once in a prison, men who menace safety should be absolutely without chance of escaping. “It is easily understood why the seven claimed to be the directing force should attempt the organization of a rebellion,” remarks the Santa Rosa Press Democra®, “but it is hard to un- derstand why more than a thousand of the ordinary prisoners could be in- duced to join them, considering all that was at stdke. Why did they take chances on losing their limited liber- ties and all their credits for good be- havior?” * ok x % That the mutiny “points a lesson” is the conclusion of the Pasadena Star-News, which explains: “That des- perate essay was doomed to failure. Hardened criminals are confined in that prison. The cunning of some of them succeeded in starting the mu- tiny. But the mutineers found—and that quickly—that the whale power of the State was against their mur- derous outbreak. Not only the Na- tional Guard and peace officers of cities and counties but private eciti- zens rallied to prevent escape of these lawless men, who are confined not alone as punishment for crime co mitted but as a safeguard to societ “American methods of prison dis- cipline need a general overhauling.” insists the St. Paul Dispatch. “Stand- ards of management need to be re-es- tablished and observed. RBetter men, perhaps men with military training. need to be employed as executives. Political interference should be he!d to a minimum. Guards and other as- sistants of greater fitness should be bad men. Obviously they have no ca- pacity for it or they wouldn't be mak- ing a profession of crim And the Flint Daily Journal wants to know:: “Is this epidemic of jail breaks the thanks the well intentioned prison re- are getting for their efforts? murder of jail guards by con- victs, who always seem to have arms and ammunition handy, the fruit of the efforts to make things soft for the fellow behind the bars?"” “There must be something radically wrong with the management,” ac- cording to the San Francisco Bulletin, which argues: “We are given elabo- rate stories of the coolness and courage shown by the warden during the cri- sis, but coolness and courage, though mmendable qualities, are not sub- stitutes for the ability to foresee and prevent a revolt.” * kK X The Fort Worth Record-Telegram declares that “the nature of the penal institutions of the entire Nation is in need of reconstruction and a thot- ough renovation.” That paper sug- gests that “to permit the punishment of law violators to be a part of the political machinations of two State polictical factions is an unbelievable condition.” It is apparent that there was some failure in watchfulness,” says the Al- beny Evening News. “Prison guards were not vigilant enough, This is not the first time that riots like this have arisen in prison. But whether these men considered themselves abused or not does not matter so much. What matters is that men of that type should be given an opportunity of any kind to rise in revoit and hold au- used. A prison system which encour- ages mutiny instead of obedience and turns criminals loose upon society in stead of detaining them defeats the purpose of its existence.” NITED STATES IN WORLD WA Ten Years Ago Today. Sixty-nine American officers and men tost on the destroyer Jacob Jones,sunk by a German submarine in the North Atlantic while doing patrol duty. Goes to bottom so quickly that only 43 of t:l: ererl“?re saved. Fate of many others still in doubt. Two previous at- tempts had been mada to aink the Jacob. Jones while still in American waters. * ¢ ¢ Following up the declara- tion of war against Austria-Hungary, the work of weeding out Austro-Hun- garian _subj from the National Army begin: Ny are ordered to leave training camips and report back to 1‘7::1. drl::, :llon:dxh for discharge 'oul hat they are enemy aliens, * ¢ « President)(nd:‘:-!:s‘ the efforts of the Salvation Army to raise $1,000000 for work behind the trenches. Many women of the organi- zation are aiready doing their bit in France near the firing lines. * * * ‘Tlrol:lg'l demands kmluen' war aims and ve: em a week t o) drmistice plank, A" FUR ol the Bolshevists may repudiate all foreign loans fails to country, m“':‘" h"""