Evening Star Newspaper, December 21, 1927, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. ‘WEDNESDAY .December 21, 1027 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor ‘The Evening Star Newspaper Company Oftice: sylvania A 11th S it Fen; . S I T Buropean Office: 14 ‘London. Entiang T o AL ith ti 3 B e ey e, s, Erene B onet g mag 1 s T mal ! carrier at end of each month. " Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. nd Virginia. 300" All Other States and Canada. &m{ Sunday. } vr.. $12.00: 1 mo.. $1.00 only 1. 3 only... 1l 1 vel 00: 1 ma. 78c 00:1mo> 35c Member of the Associated Press. s Associated Press ts sxclusively entitled for republication of all news dis- 3 ted to it or not othsrwise vaver and aiso the local news in. All richts of publi~ation tchen herein are also reserved. 1 mo.. 78¢ 1 mo.. 80c 1 mo.. 25¢ The Chamber of Commerce Report. The report from its committee on District finance, taxation and assess- ment adopted last night by the Cham- ber of Commerce sets forth certain steps which in its opinion should be taken to reach a solution of the prob- lem of equitably distributing the cost of maintaining and building the Cap- ital. In brief, the recommendations are that the sixty-forty basis of ap- propriation be maintained by Con- gress “pending the discovery of a more scientific method of procedure”;| that used and unused sources of rev- enue in the District be investigated and that revenue used for Federal purposes be distinguished from that used for local needs; that in future the funds for these two purposes be currently indicated, and, with all such facts before it, some agency will “de- velop a permanent plan of fiscal re- lationship which, while imposing no undue proportion of the tax burden upon District residents, will insure a total revenue sufficient to provide for the proper upbuilding of the Na- tion’s Capital”; that future financing take cognizance of the difference be- tween expenditures for maintenance | and expenditures for development, with a view to spreading the latter cost over a period of years, and that the present system of planning for one year's expenditures be abandoned in favor of a system which will look for at least five years ahead into the needs of the Capital. The chamber’s report is wise in rec. ommending continuance of the sixty- forty plan of appropriating “pending the discovery of a more scientific in not attempting to outline a method structures within the triangle as soon as the Government acquires. title to the land, thus permitting clearance and grading of the various squares as they become the property of the Gov- ernment. This i= in line with the often repeat. ed recommendation that the entire area be considered as one site, to be utilized as quickly as the Govern- ment’s building program requires and to be treated meanwhile as a reserve of space. It will avoid the spectacle &0 long presented of the Government standing as owner of conspicuous buildings which are rented for private uses of a miscellaneous character. The long delay in utilizing the “five square site” at the western edge of the triangle led to an anomalous con- dition. The United States was placed in the position of landlord, with its | property used for hotel purposes, theater purposes, garage uses, food provision enterprises, mill operations, various manufacturing industries and some dwellings. By taking the land as a whole and by clearing it up as rapidly as title is acquired, it will be possible to plan this space consistently and in con- formity with the general scheme of constructions. It has often been urged that in the treatment of this space existing street lines should be ignored to the end of providing the maximum units of building area together with necessary avenues of approach and thoroughfare routes between the sec- tions of the city. The Senate amend- ment is in the line of the best possible development and it should, without fail, become a feature of the law which now appears to be on the point of enactment. —_—— Auto Indemnity Approved. The Washington Chamber of Com- merce last night approved in princi- ple the enactment of a law for the District providing indemnity for per- sons injured or whose property is dam- aged in automobile accidents for which they are mot responsible. Thus im- petus is given to the movement to sweep the streets clean of the finan- cially irresponsible motorist and sub- stitute in his place the responsible, careful, conscientious and law-abiding automobile operator. While the chamber did not specifi- cally approve any form of financial automobile legislation now in exist ence, it did wholeheartedly approve thHe principle of insurance or bond for every motorist, instructing its law and legislation committee to work in conjunction with the committee on police and fire protection and public safety to draft a measure to be intro- duced in Congress with the backing of the chamber. Before submitting its report, the committee on public safety had made an intensive survey of the situation pertaining to automobile insurance. Hearings had been held, with both proponents and opponents of such a which would be more scientific, but Jeaves that discovery to some agency of Congress, which first will have thoroughly looked into the matter from all sides. The mew system, pos- sibly to be devised after an investiga- tion, would not only insure a total e sufficient to build the Nation's but would protect Washing- measure being given an opportunity to express their views. In this respect a portion of the report, showing the findings of the committee, is especially significant: The misconception due to the un- fortunate designation “‘compulsory automobile insurance” to cover a public indemnity plan for motor vehicle operations is responsible for such opposition to the plan is not based on extraneous or selfish reasons. Active indorsement of the principle of public indemnity is retarded by the lack of tion of proponents to of “an undue proportion of the tax burden.” For Congress guaranteed to match, dollar for dollar, the money raised from District revenue, thus im- today as it was half a century ago. It was revised to meet modern condi- tions in 1922, but it has not been rad- fcally changed. There is nothing un- scientific or unwieldy in the system. The awkwardness and unscientific method today is mot due to the sys- tem, but to the fact that it has been cast aside. By all means, however, let the chamber’s recommendations be fol- Jowed and a responsible agency be charged by Congress with investigat- ing and rectifying the present condi- tion. It may help this agency to differentiate between expenditures for purely local needs and those for Fed- eral purposes. But such separation s not fundamentally important. The fact that Washington is the American Capital’ must -never be allowed to es- cape. Its local needs are, in a man- mer, national needs. Its national needs, likewise, are local needs. Con- gress is responsible for building the Capital. The residents of Washington share in this responsibility. But it should be fairly distributed. After all, that is what Washington asks. The proposal of the chamber that year-to-year financing be abandoned in ‘favor of a program that will look far into the future deserves serious study. The yearly budget principle| 1s of comparatively recent origin with | the Government. Its logical extension is already recognized by Congress in the adoption of five and ten year pro- grams. There is no reason why the appropriations for 1929 should not be made after anticipating conditions in 1934 To ‘plan for them will be to meet them without radical fluctuation of sharply bending the curve of cur- ‘rent expénditure. Atrocious crime may yet demand Juries composed of psychoanalysts. ——— et The Triangle Sites. The bill for the immediate acquisi- tion of the entire Mall-Avenue trian- gle for public building uses, which is about to pass the Senate, has been chgpged by the Senate committee with an important amendment, which should and probably will be accepted organiza combat the highly trained paid or- ganizations of the opponents. The active proponents and supporters of the movement are very largely judges, lawyers and public-spirited citizens=— those who are most familiar with the need for' legislation of this character. It is an unfortunate fact that a measure so undeniably beneficial to public welfare must butt the wall of selfish Interests before it can win through to general adoption. Selfish- ness is at the base of all opposition to compulsory insurance—<the insurance companies are afraid of State insur- ance, the automobile dealers are afraid swiftly have met the punishments that their deeds merit. This Cincinnati verdict comes at a time when the country is greatly aroused over an abominable crime of particularly bestial character that has just occurred in Los Angeles.' The slayer of little Marian Parker, for whom a posse of several thousand peo- ple is hunting, is evidently from the known facts an “abnormal” type. Only a perverted mind could conceive such a horror. If he is caught—and there seems to be a bright prospect of his capture—the insanity defense will undoubtedly be set up by him or in his behalf. It is already stated that he was at one time under restraint for mental irregularity. This possibility. added to the fiendishness of the crime itself, has led to an open avowal of purpose on the part of many of the residents of Los Angeles to execuie the slayer without trial, lest he be per- mitted by some freak of justice to es- cape the just punishment for his trighttul deed. i It it be true, as some alienists aver, that every criminal is more or less in- sane, that there is a mental unbalanes in every instance of lawbreaking, es pecially of a major character, there is no possible defense on the part of so- clety against crime through punish- ment. This, of course, is an extreme view, but not a violent distortion in view of the numerous instances in which the insanity defense has been made to cover murders and outrages that before this plea was advanced and received through oversophistication of judicial procedure were treated with the peremptory justice they deserved. Between ‘“justifiable homicide,” and the “unwritten law,” and the insanity defense, murder has hecome almost a harmless pastime in this country. The man who “takes.the law into his own hands,” becoming hiz own avenger, settling his own grievances, stands a good chance to escape at least with his life if not with complete liberty and— this is the most shocking part of it all—with the cheers and adulation of a morbid public and often, as in this instance in Cincinnati, with the welling sympathy of the jury. e r————————— The statesman may again be expect- ed to hold the stage who asserts he has something to think about. when he has only something to talk about. et — “A Merry Christmas” and “a Happy New Year” have value as diplomatic messages when expressed by a favorite aviator. e ‘When President Coolidge said he did not choose, he threw the situation wide open to a number of aspirants who would choose if they dared. e Every prospect pleases and only man is vile. The glorious climate of California does not prevent startling demonstrations of human perversity. ——————t———————— Tax reduction is an incontrovertible evidence of a Nation's prosperity. —————————— $ilk stockings have become so cheap that even the musical comedies can afford them. ——— Holiday shopping again comes into attention as evidence of a Nation’s extraordinary prosperit: SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Day Draws Near. A month before Christmas— In accents so gay We shouted, “Shop early! Make joyous the da. A week before Christmas— In eager accord, We search out the presents The purse can afford. The day before Christmas— How sad is the lot Of the man who remembers that they will sell fewer second-hand cars, often mere pieces of junk that menace lives and property by their ill-conditioned and creaking joints, and the motorist opponent is fearful lest he may be burdened with a few extra dollars a year for his own protection, and selfishness will fight to the last ditch against public welfare. It is a crying shame that this is the condi tion, but the condition it is, and it is essential that those who have no axes to grind and are intelligent and public-spirited should band together so that the District may have the benefit of this desirable legislation. ————ae————— His decision to attend bullfights in Mexico permits Lindbergh to assert himself merely as a guest and not as a critic. Making Murder a Pastime. Whilée the verdict just rendered at Cincinnati in the casé of George Remus, tried for the murder of his wite, is not surprising in view of the manner in which the trial proceeded and the plea of insanity was developed, it was nevertheless an additional shock to the country. The jury in this case would doubtless have returned a find- ing absolutely clearing the defendant of the charge and setting him free but for the instructions of the court, which held that a verdict of manslaughter or second-degree murder must at least be returned unless the jury thought the defendant to have been insane at the time_of the killing. In these circum- stances the utmost the jury could do for Remus was to acquit him of the murder charge on the ground of in- sanity. Under that verdict, if it stands, he may be incarcerated in an institu- tion for the insane, from which, how- ever, he may be later released through clemency. The insanity plea has been worked to the point of weakening public con- fidence in the efficacy of the law which provides maximum punishment for the deliberate taking of human life. It has availed in many cases to save from the gallows or electric chair or from life imprisonment in States where the death penalty is not prescribed. It has been invoked in many forms. Momen- tary insanity, “brain storms,” congeni- tal instability of mind, abnormality of various degrees, eccentricity, all have been worked to the end of condoning murderous deeds. Alienists have given by the Hoyse. This amendment gives the Secretary of the Treasury author- ity to proceed to demolish existing ) hairsplitting definitions in behalf of slayers who but for this modern method of ure would surely and The things he's forgot! Not Soliciting. “Why don’t you ask your constitu- ents to vote for you?” “No use” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “There are so many reasons for not voting for the other feliow that I can afford g stand pat.” Holiday Cheer. The gorgeous lights have won Such great applause, You'd think Tom Edison ‘Was Santa Claus! Jud Tunkins says a false friend be- trays no one so much as himself, The Dangerous Flask. “Every man in Crimson Guich used to have a gun in his hip »ock'l!" “It's different now,” angwered Cac- tus Joe. “What you now fear from a hip pocket is splintered glas: “A good servant,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “may more easily find'a new master than a master may find a good servant. Communism is, after all, a problem in what they call ‘efficiency.’ " Errant Kriss Kringle. 0ld myths survive with gentle cheer. But where's the Saint who once drew near To sound the glee on Christmas day? He's dancing in a cabaret, ‘I peads my Bible,” said Uncle Eben, “an’ T tries o keep away from de arguments an’ stick to ‘Peace on Earth.’ " Luster of Fame Undimmed. From the Topeka Capital. In spite of the Rupert Hugheses. the world will stick to thinking well of George Washington. It realizes that if it didn't it couldn’t very well think well of anybody whatever, and that is too great a deprivation. ———r————————— Anent Vare and Smith Cases. From the Boston Herald. The politiclan who thinks too much about “serving his party” serves his party Il and his country not at all. There is only one way to serve a politi- cal party, and that is so to speak and act as to command public respect. No honest party ever yet was made of dishonest men. No party ever yet held public confidence by arguments of Insincerity. A California Comment. From the San Diego Union. It is announced that Kansas City BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. The use of the cat motif on pot- terles of various kinds is strikingly shown in the stores this Christmas, There are pitchers with cats climb- ing over the rims, serving. the utili- tarian purpose of handles; there are candy jars surmounted with cats in defiant poses, and many others. Most of these articles are the prod- ucts of foreign lands, where the peo- ples have lived so long that the cat, after going through much persecution, has come to be accorded an honored place in the body politic. Those who imagine that only women like cats will be interested in the fol- lowing letter, mailed from a local hotel: “Dear Sir: The writer is a travel- ing man who has occasion frequently to tome to Washington and one of thé first pages 1 turn to in The Star is the editorial, to read your column. “I love cats, and your stories of Jack Spratt and Nipper touch home. We have at home six cats, and study- ing, watching and playing with them is one of the things I look forward to most on my return. 1 know, that you must really love your two from the manner in which you write, and from their antics they must be very intel- ligent. “J wonder if T would be presuming to ask as to the sex of Nipper. If a female and ever has kittens, I would appreciate having one. As I come in contact with many business men in the city, I am going to leave this letter unsigned, and if you would ex- press yourself in The Star in the next few days as to the point mentioned, further developments could probably be arranged. “I read today that Nipper eats but- ter. This is indeed strange, but one of my cats has an equally unusual cus- tom of being fond of celery, while none of the others will eat it. T wish you would try celery on Nipper and write as to his reaction. “Give us more stories of cats in vour daily column and do not leave the subject for attention alone to the Sunday edition. Good wishes to you.— A Worcesterite from Massachusetts.” * ook K Two no less diverse persons than Agnes Repplier, the essayist, and Carl Van Vechten, the novelist, have writ- ten books about cats. Either “The Fireside Sphinx,” by Miss Repplier, or “The Tiger in the House,” by Van Vechten, would make an excellent Christmas present to a booky person. After all, there is no present quite s0 appropriate to a man or woman who loves to read as a book. This goes without saying, although its oc- casional repetition is helpful. To the man or woman who likes cals, there is no more appropriate book for presentation purposes than one about the furry friends of house and alley. Catdom has its aristocrats, the Per- sians, as well as its alley cats, al- though there are many who will pre- fer the short-haired ‘“common cats"” to the long-haired breed. New England folk have been fa- mong other things e house cat. They even have a distinct type up there. called Maine cats, which differ from other cats, as far as we know, only by virtue of a thicker coat and some- ‘what bushier tails. The booklover with a fondness for cats will find that the two books named, with their graceful titles, are simply the feminine and masculine treatment of the same topic. America's foremost woman essayist antedated Mr. Van Vechten by a score of years, her “Fireside Sphinx" hav- ing first been published by Houghton, Mifflin Company in 1901, A reprint was put out last year, bearing the ‘“‘coat of arms” of the cat on the cover—a black Persian, in pro- file, on a gold and white shield, with the motto, “Libertas Sine Labore” (Liberty Without Work). This volume, distinguished by the style inseparable from the name of the author, presents a straightforward history of the cat throuzh its centu- ries of vicissitudes and finally triumph as one of the two household pets of mankind. The dog and the cat—these two con- stitute practically the universal house- hold pets, the only four-legged crea- tures allowed to share the house with the master. Monkeys and other animals at times, and in certain places, enter the sanctum, but, largely speaking, the dog and cat alone enjoy this boon, it it may be ecalled that. Both dogs and cats have been subjected to hu- man cruelty. in their progress toward the goal of equal sharing with man of bed and board. The very word “dog” has come fo be a term of contempt, when applied to a human being, so.ill treated and despised were these faithful friends in certain countries. During the Middle Ages the cat was subjected to great cruelty, but even mankind did not escape the torture, so perhaps Puss was not singled out particularly. * ok x Miss Repplier's book, which may be called the standard cat work, is di- vided into nine chapters, as befitting the animal with nine lives. The chapters are: “The Cat of An- tiquit “The Dark Ages,” ‘‘Persecu- tion,” “Renaissance,” “The Cat of Al- bion,” “The Cat in Art,” “The Cat Triumphant,” “Same Cats of France,” and “The Cat of Toda Discussing the origin of the cat, our writer declares: “‘However myste- rious and informal may have been her birth, Pussy's first appearance in veracious history is a splendid one. More than 3,000 years ago she dwelt serenely by the Nile, and the great nation of antiquity paid her respectful homage. = Sleek and beautiful, she drowsed in the shadow of the mighty temples, or sat blinking and washing her face with contemptuous dissegard alike of priest and people. * * * The cat cares little to see the world, and disiikes the discomforts of travel. Some graclous instinct binds her to her home. She feels the charm of the familiar, and her fidelity to the shel- tering hearth has made her—now that her old honours have passed away— the little god of domesticity, the friend of those who are too happy or too wise for restlessness.” Miss Repplier ends her books with the following tribute: “Always by the fireside, always basking in light and warmth, always in graceful harmony with her surroundings (it has been well said that no house is really fur- nished without books and cats and fair-haired little girls), always a pleas- ure to every well regulated mind, Pussy fills her place in life with that rare perfection which is possible only to a creature delicately modeled, and begirt by inflexible limitations. We are soothed by her repose; she is un. fretted by our restlessness. A fine invisible barrier lies between us. She is the Sphinx of our hearthstone, and there is no message we can read in the tranquil scrutiny of her cold eyes.” WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. It's taken less than three weeks of the Seventieth Congress to prove that there is no longer any such thing as party solidarity or party leadership on Capitol Hill. Since De- cember 5 there have been votes in House or Senate on three major mat- ters. On each occasion party lines were broken in all directions and the orders of party leaders flouted. 1In the Senate, where the Republican “majority” exists merely on paper, and hardly that, fopsy-turvydom was to be expected. But in the House, where the G. O. P. has a majority of 39 over all, the Republicans were disastrously snowed under the first time they attempted to pass an ad- ministration measure—the new rev- enue bill. The “majority” command- ed by Representative Tilson, Repub- lican, of Connecticut, succumbed to the “minority” led by Representa- tive Garner, Democrat, of Texas. Only a day or two before party loy- alties were completely disrupted in the Senate, when the Republican “majority” attempted in vain to pre- vent the barring of Smith and Vare. On December 19 a supposedly safe and solid Democratic-Republican pro- gressive phalanx was crushed by a Republican - Democratic combinatios opposed to Senator Thomas J. Walsh scheme to investigate the “power trust.” They are folds of fickle f lowers that “Charlie” Curtis and “Joe Robinson, respectively, lead. The party whip has lost its crack. . * Kk ok ¥ Herbert Hoover's supporters.inter- pret as a sign of his growing strength, rather than his weakness, the outbreak of the whispering cam- paign now in full blast against him. Almost every week piles fresh fuel upon the fire of tittle-tattle. Here's an incomplete list of the ‘‘charges” leveled against the Secretary of Com- merce since the Hoover boom got going: (1) That he’s an Englishman, 12) that he was born in Canada, (3) that he once angled for a British title, (4) that he lived a quarter of a century in the British Empire, (5) that he supported President Wi son’s plea for a Democratic Congre: in 1918, (6) that he favored in 1919 American entry into the League of Nations, (7) that in 1920 he wasn't sure whether he was a Republican or a Democrat, (8) that up to that time he had never voted in the United States, (9 and that he is ineligible to the presidency because he hasn't lived in the country for 14 consecu- tive years. * o E % There's authority for saving that when the time comes all of the anti- Hoover accusations will be dealt with and refuted. Republican leaders who favor Hoover's nomination—like Sen- ator George H. Moses of New Hamp- shire—speak of these barbs at Hoover as “hurdles” which he’ll have to take before he can win the prize. But insiders profess no anxiety regarding his ability to do so. As to the most dangerous and definitely political charge against Hoover—namely; the impurity of his Republicanism—this observer is informed that some con- clusive evidence can be produced. It consists of a letter from Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson, written when the war President offered Hoover the post of food administrator. Hoover over his signature reminded Wilson that he (Hoover) is a Re- publican. * ok ¥ President Coolidge recently enter- tained at a flapjack and Vermont maple-syrup breakfast party in the White House a group that contained New Englanders and Southerners. Talk rather naturally turned to the subject of New England's textile de pression and the emigration of mill owners and workpeople from that region to Dixie. Mr. Coolidge won- dered if the influx of Northern cotton- will entertain the G. O. P. national convention. But we shouldn’t be sur- prised if it turned out to e other ‘way around. mill workers might not affect the labor situation in Southern textile districts. Thereupon Senator Cole L. Blease of South Carolina spoke up and remarked that colored people somehow don't make satistactory cotton-mill hands. “The whir and hum of the looms and spindles,” Blease explained, “seem to lull them to sleep.” Quoth the President, “Why don’t you put cotton in their ears?” * K ok % One .of Washington's well known business men's luncheon clubs enter- tained the other day a score or more of the foreign Ambassadors and Min- isters accredited to the United States. A corresponding number of members were told off to act as individual hosts to individual envoys. The member assigned to fetch, and sit alongside, the Albanian Minister thought the oc- casion called for two things—first, a pair of spats, and, secondly, some knowledge of Albania. Having never worn spats, he made a maiden in- vestment therein, and for three nights brushed up on Albania in the Encyclopedia Britannica. But some- thing went wrong, and the Albanian Minister was not among those pres- ent. At any rate the — club now boasts a member with diplomatic spats and international knowledge. * K ¥ “Every day is Christmas at the White House, as far as pardons are concerned,” was the sententious state- ment authorized by the President this week, when somebody asked if there was to be a shower of Executive clemency this Yuletide. What Mr. Coolidge means is that applications for pardons come before him nearly every day of the year. During the al year 1927, 382 applications were sent to the President’s desk by the Department of Justice. He granted 221 and denied 161. The veteran par- don attorney, James A. Finch, did not submit 537 other applications, be- cause they were adversely reported by Federal attorneysand judges. Out- right pardons numbered only 3, and conditional pardons -nly 2. The over- whelming majority of cases in which Executive clemency was exercised consisted of pardons to restore civil rights after sentence was served (83) and nntencu*co;m:uled (82). * 1 Favored Washingtonians are in re- ceipt of on» of the season’s finest Christmas cards from the Roosevelt Club of Boston. It is a photograph- size engraving of “T. R.” made by the Bureau of Engraving and Print- ing “especially for the club from a picture selected by his family. It is also the portrait of Roosevelt adopted by the Government for the so-called presidential gallery. From it Uncle Sam’s 5-cent stamp was engraved. “Bob" Washburn, indefatigable presi- dent of the Roosevelt Club and Cool- idge biographer in 1924, says, “It is the best engraving of ‘Teddy’ to be had, not only in the process, but particu- larly in the force and dignity of the likeness.” (Copyright. 1827.) ——— i, Misleading in These Times. From the New York Herald Iribune. There is little in & name any more. Very few people associate the word “Scotch” with Scotland. ey Pessimist Is Defined. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. A pessimist is a man who has to prepare biographical data on the can- didate of either party. Willing to Give Him the Knife. From the New York Sun. President Coolidge reiterates his in- tention of retiring to Vermont for a spell of whittling and it is reported that a lot of politicians are willing to give him the knife. PG ER R | Lo i Deep Thoughts, Probably. | From the Oklahoma Daily Oklahoman Earthworms think, a seientist says. And what do reckon they think Apa ehalds"soy f | of Gov. Alfred E. Politics at Larg Friends of Senator James A. Reed have resented strongly the effort in some quarters to make it appear that the fighting Missourian would aban- don the race for the Democratic nom- ination for President. A statement by one of Reed's supporters made here recently that he would file for the Senate to succeed himself was im- mediately selzed upon by adherents Smith of New York that Senator Reed was leaving the field to Smith. In order to spike this report, Samuel W. Fordyce, chairman of the Demo- cratic State committee of Missouri, has issued a statement declaring that under no circumstances would Senal tor Reed file for the Senate and that his friends would make a real fight in the Democratic national conven- tion for his nomination for President. The Reed hat is therefore more def- initely In the ring than ever before, although the Senator himself has not formally announced as a candidate. Mr. Fordyce asserted that an active campaign in Senator Reed's interest is now well under way. b There have been hints in the past that the opponents of Smith for the Democratic nomination might yet swing to Reed as the man to “stop” the New York governor. This would scarcely please the drys among the Democrats nor those who resented as an indication ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS sy 3 BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Q. How many Christmas trees are shipped to New York and Boston fron. Quebec?—C. A. A. Three hundr: carloads of CLristmas trees will be the probable extent of the amount delivered to the trade from the Province of Quebec. This will mean around half a million trees, of a value of about $150,000 to the farmers. The average size of the trees sold on the New York and Bos- ton markets last year was 6 feet. Mostly they are of white spruce and balsam, the latter known as a “weed tree,” of very prolific growth and lit- tl. commercial value. As to the for- mer, denial is given to the charge sometimes raised that the use of spruce as Christmas trees constitutes any loss to the forest resources of the | Don.inion. The land on which the trees are grown can produce only scrub and brush, and trees rarely at tain a height exceeding 12 feet. Since the rapid growth of the trade in the last few vears farmers have estab- lished plantations on their farms, set ting out suitable trees and arranging the supply on a rotation basis. | Q. Ts there any method of destroy ing cockroaches without the use of poisons and repellents and fumigants! —W. A. J. A. Various forms of traps have| been employed very successfully. These devices are all so constructed that the roaches r-ay easily get into them and cannot afterward escape. The destruction of the roaches is ef- fected either by the liquid into which they fall or by being doused with hot Senator Reed’s break with the late President Wilson over the League of Nltla{!t But some of the politicians hold that unless the elements opposed to Smith put forward a man upon whom they can unite, the fleld may be left largely to the two most outstand- ing men in the Democratic party to- day, Smith and Reed, and that the opponents of Smith may have to make up their minds between them. Under such circumstances, Reed would, in- deed, become a formidable candidate. The Smith candidacy- has to date been a runaway affair so far as the Democrats are concerned. While there has heen strong opposition to the Governor of New York on the re- ligious and prohibition issues, no one has come out against him. It will be interesting to watch the course of the Reed boom, which is the most active now running against the New Yorker. * kX % The Republicans of New York have done as much to boost the candidacy of Gov. Smith for the Democratic nomi- nation as have his Democratic sup- porters. These Republicans have de- clared it was necessary to obtain a Republican candidate for the presi- dency who can beat Smith in the Empire State. They have emphasized the governor’s strength in New York over and over again by such demands. They hdve demanded the renomina- tion of President Coolidge or the nomi- nation of former Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes on the ground that either of them could carry New York against the governor. Some of them have opposed the nomination of Secretary Hoover of the Department of Commerce on the ground that he could not swing New York against Smith. But it has yet to be developed that Mr. Hoover could not run as well in the Empire State as any other Re- publican. If Mr. Hoover is nominated, his friends insist, he will make a strong appeal to the voters of New York, as he will throughout the coun- try. ¥ * k¥ ¥ The “whispering”s campaign which has been inaugurated against Mr. Hoover by his political opponents Is likely to prove a boomerang. Charges that he is pro-British and sought British_citizenship, that he is ineligi- ble under the 14-year residence clause of the Constitution, are falling flat as publicity is given to them more and more and it is shown that there Is no basis for them. If Senator Reed of Missouri should be the nominee of the Democrats and Mr. Hoover the choice of the Repub- licans for President, it would bring into conflict two enemies of years’ standing. Senator Reed has attacked Mr. Hoover many times in the Sen- ate and his own State of Missouri. They came into open conflict first soon after Mr. Hoover returned to this country and became food ad- ministrator during the war. Senator Reed resented bitterly some of the steps taken by the food administrator, and before a Senate committee at the time put him through a severe cross- examination, which Mr. Hoover bore with no little equanimity. Senator Reed has been among those critics of Mr. Hoover who charge him with being pro-British and an interna- tionalist. * x ok Senator George H. Moses of New Hampshire wants Mr. Hoover elected President, and in an article appearing in the North American Review, just published, points to the widespread support of the Coolidge policies of administration and declares that who- ever carries the Republican banner must march under the Coolidge col- ors, which seems remarkably sensible. There is no doubt that the Repub- licans must go to the country on the record of the Coolidge administration next year, and if they cannot put the President in the field they must put up a man who stands solidly be- hind the Coolidge administration. Senator Moses insists that Hoover is | the man. Is he a candidate? Sen- ator Moses asks, and_continues: “He has not said so; but we are mak- ing a candidate of him. He is attend- ing to his job as Secretary of Com- merce; but we are carrying him to the people, It is surprisingly easy to secure Hoover reaction almost every- where, Among business men, among laborers, among farmers who farm the land instead of the farmers, among labove and beyond the call of auty in water. Q. Please give a sketch of Edgar Guest's life.—J. 8. A. Born in Birmingham, England, Ausust 20, 1881; son of Edwin and Julia (Wayne) Guest; brought to the United States in 1891; educated in grammar and high schools at Detroit; married Nellie Crossman of Detroit June 28, 1906, He has been connected with the Detroit Kree Press since 1895; conducts the column of verse and humorous sketches; author of “Just Folks,” “A Heap o' 1 “Over Here,” “Path to Home,” “When Day 1s Done,” “Aill That “The Passing Throng” and “Rhymes of Childhood.” Q. Why does Samuel Woodfill head the list of our World War heroes?— 8. A. Samuel Woodfill, first lieutenant, 60th Infantry, 5th Division, recelved the Congressional Medal of Honc: for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity action with the enemy at Cunel, France, October 12, 1918. He captured three machine-gun nests with little assistance. Inspired by his example, the men under him pressed on to their objective under severe shell and ma- chine-gun fire. Q. When did Harold Bauer make his American debut as pianist? Does he play the violin?—W. C. A. He first appeared in the Uhited States in 1900. At the age of 10 he made his debut in London as a violin- ist and toured Great Britain for nine years in this capacity. He made his debut as pianist in 1893. Q. Why is “Parris Island” so called? -LJ I A. Parris_Island was originally called “Port Royal Islan ‘ol. Parris, who was for many years public treas- urer of South Carolina and otherwise conspicuous in the early history of the province, died March 10, 1736, and in the course of time the island came to be called “Parris Island,” while its former name, “Port Royal,” was ap- plied to the larger island to the north thereof. ©. From wh t country does the sur- pame Jarvis come?—E. F. A. It is a Scottish clan name. . Where cid Willie Pogany receive bis training in art?—M. P. A. Willie Pogany was educated at th> University of Budapest and at the | were copyrighted la | were m? V:’l:t mgtta:hl used i‘n’trlmmlnl exterior of the new Washi Al.llll:ljt?—bE. . C. R . Cast bronze is used in d % ing the Washington Building. R Q. What is_the avi e lif chlAmpnan‘A—h Y . The life of a chimpanzee i own surroundings is Mmzo year:--.‘u Q. Where was the first Indlan reservation established in the United States?—H. T, M. It is believed that-the reserva- tion at Indian Mills, N. J.. established in 1758, was the first Indian reserva- tion established in the United States, Q. In how many places in the United States are weather observa- tions taken? . T. T. A. Daily weather observations are made at ‘about 5.000, places in the United States and its possessions. Q. How many n.usical compos year’—K. L The copyright office of the Li- brary of Congress says that there 24,240 copyright registrations for musical compositions in the United States during the year 192 Q. Which an altar?—O. A. The epistle side of the altar is the right side, looking toward it. It is so called because the epistie of the day is read at that side. [t is second- ary to the gospel, or left, side, and on fete days it is occupied by the lesser dignitaries of the church. . What city is known as “Paris of the North”?—T. F. T. A. This is the nickname of War- saw, the capital of Poland. Q. Please give me some informa- tion about Brest, France.—D. W. W. A. It is a seaport in the Depart- ment of Finistere, situated on the Roads of Brest, in latitude 48 degrees 24 minutes north, longitude 4 degrees |29 minutes west. It'is the principal | naval port of France and a strong fortress. It has a large roadstead, a commercial harbor and a military harbor, with a famous swing bridge, a castle and large quays and dacks, and is the terminus of a transatiantic cable (to Duxbury. Mass.). It figured in the Hundred Years' War, rosisted an English attack in 1513, was de. veloped by Richelieu, and was fort| fled by Vauban. The English Werd defeated here by the French in 1694, and the French were defeated hy the English fleet under Howe in 1794, fons o1 stle” side of is the . W, the Q. What do_the Japanese call th> collection of dolls that is made by éach family? . G. D. A. Tt is called the Hina. Had any Vice President other than Calvin Coolidge attended cabinet meetings?—C. L. G. A. Until the administration. of President Harding no Vice President had had a seat in the cabinet. Q. At what temperature milk be kept in the home?—W. A. The best temperature for keep- ing milk is 50° or less and good milk kept as cool as that should remain sweet for 12 hours at least and ordi- narily 24 hours or more after it reaches the consumer. If ice cannot be obtained, ap iceless refrigerator or some such device is a help, éven though a temperature as low as 50° F. can rarely be maintained in it. should H. There is no other agency in the world that can answer as many legiti- mate questions as our free Information Bureaw in Washington, D. C. This highly organized institution has been built up and is under the personal direction of Frederic J. Haskin. B keeping in constant touch with Fed- eral bureaws and other educational en- terpriges it is in a position to pass on to you authoritative information of the highest order. Submit your queries to the staff of experts whose services are put at your free disposal. There ig no charge except 2 cents in_stamps. for return postage. Address The Evening rt School, Budapest. He also studied in Paris and Munich. Star Information Burcau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Press Praises Lindbergh’s Latest Achievement in Air _ Lindbergh's lone flight from Wash- ington to Mexico City, acclaimed by the public rien of both nations as the inspiration for a new era of under- standing and friendship between the republics, has been followed by an- other series of admiring tributes to the marvelous youth from the Ameri- can press. The Pasadena Star-News calls him the ‘“outstanding hero of the times,” and the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin says the public “looks upon the young fiyer as the latest human wonder of the world.” The Philadelphia paper adds: “Col. Lindbergh would Le the last to claim for himself ary attribute of a superman. On the contrary, he insists that, given goed equipment and flying experience, navigation of the air is reasonably within the average gamut of human activities.” “He is the master flyer,” declares the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which proclaims that “his Viking spirit is matched by his ¢kill,”” and continues: “The marvelous in performance seems but the ordinary with him. }He seems to know no other way. One day he was heard of as having flown in from the West to make the transoceanic flight from New York to Paris. The next heard of him he was un his way as the Lone Eagle, piercing through darkness with the couraze of destiny. It was to the credit of the world that woman voters, even among the politi- cians, Hoover sentiment has long ex- isted and is growing. The business men have long recognized Hoover as one who comprehends their problems 1nd who wants to help irf solving them Sroperly. The laboring men have found him sympathetic and helpful in all his efforts to adjust and ameliorate their conditions. The real farmers have seen him as an intelligent student of their affairs and seeking for a real remedy for such genuine ills as they have. The women of the country have always been with Hoover.” “And, more than all else, he cannot only be elected. but re-elected. I do not fear for 1928. The scars which the Democratic donkey put upon himself in 1924 are still fresh and there are many of his grooms who take delight in showing them. But in 1932 is an- other matter. Hoover will give us such an administration that we shall hold and augment all those elements which have combined in two successive cam- paigns to give the Republicans their unprecedented majorities. The chie?- tains of my party may be content to play for the stake of a single term more or Republican control of the Nation. I am not. I want to foresee and to assure Republican control until the 4th of March, 1937. That is why T am for Hoover." Frank R. Kent of the Baltimore Sun, writing in the January issue of Plain Talk, insists that the Republicans must turn to Hoover, and, unlike some of the New York politicians, takes the view that the fear of Smith's nomina- tiog by the Democrats must force the nomination of the Secretary of Com- merce, Mr. Kent said: “There is no real love for Hoover among the Republican bosses of the Eastern group. They will not nomi- nate him except under pressure. But the Smith candidacy provides the pressure. With that in the offing, the danger of pushing the logical man it was held spellbound. It was seeing a performance the story of which will | go down through the ages.” ‘An explanation of Lindbergh's per- fect performance is found by the St. Louis Times in the fact that “always he has been alert, watchful, com- pletely conversant with the condition of every bolt and rivet in his airplane, | with its oil feed, with all the details| which must enter into full prepaved ness for rerilous undertakings. * * That,” says the Times, “is what in- sures success—in most things—pre- paredness. ‘Lucky’ Lindbergh is no more lucky than is the best chess player in a tournament. He always thinks ahead and knows what he; thinks about.” UNITED STATES : N WORLD WAR Ten Years Ago Today i { Deplorable conditions in some of the | Army cantonments will result in a general shake-up in the Medical Corps and Gen. Gorgas issues an order to eliminate all “incompetent medical officers.” * * Chairman of the Shipping Board, appearing before Sen- ate investigating committee, promises huge cargo fleet. Nine hundred and ninety-six ships already contracted for and 132 yards are now rushing the work. * * * Argentine crow clamor for war and riots in Buen Aires follow publication of latest Luxburg revelations by Secretary Lansing. TUnited States Government expected to demand explanations con- cerning ex-German envoy's dispatches. * ¢ * Ttalians recapture consider- able portion of ground in the region of Monte Asolone on northern front, recently taken by Austro-Germans. . aside is altogether too great. With that in sight, this would be no race for a dark horse. Hence, if we get a first-class President in 1928, it may Artillery engagements continued with unabated intensity. * * Coal shortage causes Fuel Administrator Garfield to grant State administrators 1bergh can extend his tour intc The Atlanta Constitution speaks of his having received “all of the official honors that could be accorded 'the highest official of this Government,” and of his latest feat says, “He flew alone, as he did on his memorable trip across the Atlantic, and this sec- ond victory of the air, the great Mexi can peaks considered, was just as notable.’ “We have lately sent of our best to Mexico,” remarks the Worcester Eve- ning Gazette, “one of our keenest husi- ness men in the person of Ambassador Morrow, the kindly spirit of American humor in the person of Ambassador- without-portfolio Will Rogers. Now the man who personifies American coolness and daring is on what he calls a visit. Such visits should do more for good Mexican-American relations than half a century of diplomatic con- versations.” The Charleston Evening Post re- gards the Lindbergh flight as “more effective for good will on this bemi- sphere than the conference which is to be held in Havana in Januar) The Schenectady Gazette, acknowledging the “splendid beginning made by Am- bassador Morrow,” adds, “Now, With the hero of the transatlantic flight swooping down upon the capital of Mexico, the imagination of tne ordi- nary citizens will be fired and a senti- ment favorable to this country will b2 developed.” “Santa Claus himself is rivaled by he procession of good fellows we are nding Into Mexico,” observes'the Hartford Times, and the eJorts of these three, as viewed by th: Des Moines Register, “can have practical effects of great consequence to rela- } A tions such as those between the United ( States and Mexico.” The Trenton Evening Times forecasts “the hirth of friendship and a new mental attitude toward the differences which now ex- ist,” and the Asbury Park Press fcels that it will be a good thing if ‘.ind- parts of South America where hostility 10 the United States is rampant.” * ok ok ok Lindbergh's achievement, in the judgment of the Albany Evening News, “will be an impetus to aviation Detween the United States and its neighors to the South—an impetus to commerce. It is crly a qu-:''on O time before aerial coa.wnerce heiween this country and Ceatral and ~eutd America will be common, and Lind bergh is the man best fitted (o mark the way and arouse not only ia"ar2st but enthusiasm.” The Akron Beacon-Journal thinks that “it is the success of his sustained flights that has done more fo win pop- ular confidence in the safacy of «V'd tion than any single circumstance within the advance of that n°w sclence,” and of Lindbergh's 2fective: ness as an ambassador of good Wwill n their high regard for a common hero the people of every na- tion, whatever their own antagonisms for each other, are as brothers.” 5 To the Chicago Daily ~News this latest triumph. sugges in - the question of what the future holds for the young colonel. “He is a natfonaj figure and a national asset,” Javs the Daily News. “He would ve wasted in a bureaucratic job, yet he should be more than a mere unattached fyer, The Government might well create for him a special high position ib Avia- tlon—a pasition in which he would be an Inspiration. a guide, a real for not_be Smith, but Smith will be the' sweeping -powers and authority to f.‘.‘".'..‘“:'-'.i.‘l‘.“‘.‘;‘.i mfilfi °5'|§‘.‘: reason just the same.,” close "luxur:? ‘industries, . <