Evening Star Newspaper, June 21, 1928, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. _ WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. ... .. .June 21, 1928 fuct that In November the voters will have an opportunity to cast their bal- lots. Appeals more or less subtle will be made to them to support one or the other of the two principal candidates for President. Issues will be discussed 'THEODORE W. NOYES. .. . Editor | freely. While much of this political % The Evening Star Business Ofice: 1Uth St and Pennsrivania Ave. New York OfMice: 110 Eazt 42nd St Chicago Office: Tower Rutldine. Furopean Office: 14 Rereat St. London, England. Rate by Carrier Within the Citr. g: venine Sta 43¢ per month vening and (when 4 Sunc 60c per month r Sunday Star s b2 fwhy 68 per month .8 per copy af esch wonth ail or telephone Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Marvland and Virginia. tlv and Su {lr onlv Suncay oniv .. All Other Paily andt Sunda A ¥ i Sunday onl nday... . L se0n; 1 mo.. 80¢ T $4.00: 1 mo.. 40¢ iy Member of the Associated Press. e Associated Press i< excinsivaly entitled to the Ppatches nd also the lacal ehts of nuhlicatian of hes herein are also reserved special ¢ Prohibition at Houston. If there has been any impression that the New York Democracy would softe pedal the prohibition issue at Houston in the intercst of harmony and the nomination of Gov. Alfred E. Smith for President, Norman E. Mack, Democratic national committeeman from the Em- pire State, has given it the lt» direct. In a staiement ted on his arrivel in the convention city, Mr. Mack says: *3ov. Smith has and always will stand for peorsonal liberty and State righ's.” He is opposed to prohiition He is for temperance. Gov. Smith be- lieves that if any State desires a certain alcoholic content of beverage, that State has the right to determine that content. If the State desires to be dry, then it is the right of the State to be dry.” Mr. Mack did not state the corollary of his proposition—that if any State desires to be wet, it is the right of the State to be wet. This is the New York idea. The elec- tion of Smith to the presidency spells beer and wine and whisky to many New York voters. Any veakening -on the part of Gov. Smith on the prohibition issue would mean the loss of votes to him next November. The danger of pussyfooting on the wet and dry matter has been bria=ght home to Gov. Smith EgEms wnu 2gain by some of his most ardent supporters. And now it appears that there is to be no pussyfooting at Houston. even to win for the governor the presidential nomination. This may be good politics in the North and East, but it wiil come as a rude Jolt to those Democrats m the West and South who have been easing their con- sclences by pointing out that Gov.| Smith has declared himself frequently | for the enforcement of the laws, includ- ing the prohibition laws. ‘The Republicans in their national platform adopted at Kansas City have | declared for prohibition and against the nullification of the eighteenth amend- ment. It adopted the plank presented by Senator Borah of Idaho, who has #elf the alcoholic content of beverages manufactured and sold for consumption within its borders. The issue has been squarely drawn by the Republicans. If the New York Democrats are to have of this country, they would not stand for i This 15 contrary to the views ex- pressed by many of the leaders in America’s industries and business. They have held that prohibition has been a great boon 1o business and to the workers. ———— e That Madison Square Garden con- vention was a grand and giorious ex-| perience while it lasted. But no one yalues excitement enough to wanl W give i an encore, ——— e e As a lover of horses, Scaator Curtis may be found helpful in a the conditions of any kind of a race, et Radio and Election. While no statistics are avallable, it is @ sufe asumption trat there are| more people now “listening in” on the radio than there were four years ago, and that while the proceedings at the pational conventions are not likely to be on the whole as lively and inter- esting a5 were those of 1924, especially that held in Madison Square Garden, & far grester pumber will heve fol- lowed the hoppenings st Kansas and Houston the radic will play an important part in the campalgn which in a few days will be formally opened with notifica- tions and epeeches of acceptance by the candigates. The possibility of the radio eflecting & considerable increase in the number of voters at the polls in November has been seriously considered by those who zre now endeavoring through orgsniza- tion moveinents o incresse the per- centage of vowrs, Federal Radio Com- missioner Latount, in an interview printed The Blar, expresses the opinion that in consequence of the di- rect personal contacts which the people now have with political matters through the radio, the election next November will set & new high mark for the num- ber of votes cast in a presidential contest Assuredly there will be no lack of | information on the score of the pend- ency of the national campaign. Ar- rengements are now being made with the broadcasting ¢ mpanies for the use of the radio by both parties. Speeches Newspaper Company Moe: naws | |arising. The political boss is peren- | It i well assured that| material will be incidental to what is called entertainment by radio, it can- not fail to have its effect. It is a standing reproach to the American people that so few of them exercise the privilege and discharge the duty of voting. The statistics of elections show that minorities actually determine. This is due in some meas- ure to the fact that in the “Solid South” the real fights come at the primaries and that the votes of the| dominant party on election day are as a rule smaller than those cast in the preliminary bouts. Perhaps the radio |can materially aid in correcting this | condition. If stimulation and constant ! reminder of the first duty of citizen- ship can have any effect, the total vote cast this year should break all records : vt i3 *Big Bill" Must Refund. By a decision rendered yesterday in Circuit Court in Chicago. William Hale ! Thompson, mayor of that city, and six of his political aides are under| orders to reimburse the municipality | in the net sum of about $1,600,000.{ THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, assigned to the case and the detective force of Houston is running down all clues. & Honston, and Texas, feel ashamed that this thing should have occurred. But the shame is not confined to Texas. It reflects on a eivilized Nation as well. The Nation will watch with more than ordinary interest the efforts of Houston to purge itself of this stigma. ————————— A Culture Revival. The death of Donn Byrne unques. tionably is a notable literary loss. He was a leader in that neo-Celtic school which has sounded a new and refresh- ing note in British poetry and fiction during the last quarter of a century. The roving American newspaper re- porter had found for himself a mission, the preservation of that delicate, lovely symbolism and mysticism which les deep under Irish life, ‘The neo-Celtic school promises even- tually to produce a literary genius of the highest rank and to add to the litera- ture of the world some of its most im- perishable masterpieces. Byrne was one of the devoted band of candlebearcrs lighting the way for the master who is to follow. As such h> scems assured of a permanent place in literature. Neo-Celticism is essentially lyric. It is a mood and a music. It is a chorus of singing birds out of a dark forest. dif- ficult to penetrate. No more beautiful This money, the court holds, is due from them because in 1921 they con-| !spired to use the public funds for the ! establishment and perpetuation of their | :arnmnuon. Suit to that effect was | brought seven years ago by the Chicnzo; | Tribune. It has trailed along for the| ibetter part of a decade as the court, has delved into the records and now | culminates in this decision, following a | “gudtcml study of the evidence and ar- | guments covering & period of four | !months. Judge Hugo Friend, in ren- | dering the decision, said: | The essential facts are clearly es- tablished. The Thompson group, in its | quest for control of the city, coun.y and State offices, required vast sums to maintain its organization and for campaign purposes. To mest these ex- penses, which became constantly press- ing obligations, a plan was conceived and carried through by which nearly $3,000,000, constituting trust funds of the city, was paid to five experts, who contributed large portions of their fees to ‘help defray these political obliga- | tions. ~ More than $2,500,000 was paid iw the real estate and building experts | illegally. Through various steps pub- lic funds were diverted from the city treasury and by devious means applied for political debis of the Thompson organization. ‘The case is extremely complicated, for the methods by which the diver- | sions of public funds were effected were ingenious and overlapping. The pub- lic works involved were provided for by bond issues totaling $28,000,000 for the cpening of certain streets and ave- nues in November, 1919. Experts were employed to value the land to be taken | for the new streets. The graft which | went to the benefit of the political or- | ganization was covered up in the form | of excessive valuations and fees. Although the suit was brought im- mediately and public exposition was | made of the charges, Thompson and his party, after one defeat at the polls, were returned to office. The city con- troller of 1921 became county treas- urer. The president of the board of local improvements was restored to that position. The voters of Chicago, be- guiled by Thompson's extraordinary methods of campaigning, re-established him in power. They have since ad- ministered a smashing rebuke, though in an election in which he was not a candidate, in which other issues than the graft charges figured. Uniess the decision just rendered is overruled by a higher court, these men must pay out of their own pockets— or others if they can be reached—be- tween a million and a ha!f and a mil- lion and three-quarters dollars. Two of the experts have already made some restitution. One of those named in the This ought to put an end to the rule of “Big Bill” in Chicago. At the next ’eheflm he should be swept out of power and his machine broken beyond erir. But the political memory of the people is not long-lived, and, after all, this is money that was collected and spent years ago and there is al- ys the chance of some other issue nially resourceful and has an uncanny way of wriggling out of the leash of millstones hung about his neck in the orm of scandals and crimes against | the public purse. ——— According to Al Smith's admirers, Jim Reed of Missouri is & dark horse, | but does not know it. ————esagopr The Shame of Houston. It was a peculiarly ironical fate that | has brought to Houston, Tex, a dirty smear on its name in the form of an atrocious lynching. As that city was going on dress parade before the entire Nation, after months of busy prepara- |tion marked by unselfish sacrifice on |the part of its citizens, a small body of cowardly men dragged a negro pris- oner from his death bed in a hospital, | took him a few miles out of town and Ihnnled him from a bridge. It is the | first lynching in the history of Hous- ton. 1t is the second to occur in Har- ris County, where Houston is located, | since the early ploneer days when men |carried guns on their hips and the |lynch law was the only law. Just as 1Houzmn was preparing to enfoy and | profit from the fact that its name would | be broadcast in hundreds of thousands | of date lines, an incident occurs which casts & blot not only on Houston, but | the Bouth as & whole | ‘The only recompense is the fact that !the crime has shaken Houston to its foundations. There is resentment made more bitter by anger and & determina- {ton to mete out due punishment to |the offenders. Having had its name | smeared, the whole city —In fact, the | Btate of Texas—is determined to right the wrong by quick and decisive punish- {ment. The citizens of Houston have act~ |ed promptly. A fund of ten thousand | dollars, taken from the municipal treas- | ury, has been made available for special | Investigation. Gov. Moody of Texas | has offered s reward of 8280 for the | conviction of edch member of the small | "mob” that was concerned in the lynch- | vania’s vote in the Kansas City conven- or intangible body of legendry ever has been cre in the world than that upen which' the new Irish writers have to draw. Byrne saw the possibilities, as dozens of others have seen them in the | past few years. The world received its first hint of | what a mass of unwritten poetry lay | under the surface of Irish life nearly two hundred years ago with the publi- cation of Macpherson's “Ossian,” which, despite its wild bombast, profoundly influenced men so far apart as Goethe and Napoleon. The Scotch schoolmas- ter exploring in the Highlands did a| crude job, and “Ossian” long since has | gathered dust on library shelves. But he had opened a fascinating field. Ever since poets and novelists have been dip- | ping into it. But the difficulty has been that they‘ have been temperamentally unfitted to catca the spirit and meaning. The | field has remained for the Irish mind, as is fitting. The dark forest is en-| chanted. Only those in the favor of the | spirits of the wood ever can enter it and feel at home. To all others it is a beau- titnl tangle, but strange and fantastic. The revival of Celtic culture doubtless is one of the most fundamental cultural movements in progress in the world to- day. What will come out of it only time can tell. But surely lovely and beauti- ful things will emerge from the woods just under the sunset in good time. e e When the announcement of Pennsyl- | tion is historically recalled, Mr. Vare | will be remembered not exactly as the | real voice of the occasion, but rather | as the loud speaker. I et Bootleg activities are sald to be so/ wall organized that even old John Bar- leyeorn may claim to be something of an efficiency expert. ———— e A nominating convention affords a striking reminder of the fast work made possible by the perfection of modern machinery. Mr. Scopes of Dayton, Tenn., has| been studying for some time, but is not yet ready to report any new views on evolution. st . It may be that the influence of women in politics tends to shorten the talk and enable the delegates to get back to their families. ————e—— If the farmers continue to assert strength, the Secretary of Agricuiture may become one of the most responsible members of the cabinet. ———————— ‘The relief party, as in the old days, remains the most important element of a Polar expedition. ————— The only man of political eminence | who appears to be enjoying a real vacation this year Is Calvin Coolidge. | c———- SHOOTING STARS. ER JOHNSON, BY PHILA) Third Party. Again we hear a threat severe Of party partings drawing near. ‘The future may on some strange day Unite old foes for a new fray. Our patient Mule observes his rule And secks Friend Elephant to fool. For the new champion let us honk, And call him the “Elephadonk.” Not Running. “Are you going to run as a wet or a dry?” “I'm not going to run at all” an-| swered Senator Sorghum. “I shall not enter the race unless I am sure of win- ning in a walk.” Impudence! Though many airplanes cross the sky, Mosquitoes still come flaunting by And murmur, as they fret the eye, “Behold how beauteously we fly!” Jud Tunkins says most of “the fun folks who have to stay In town get is| imagining the lucky rusticators:are be- | ing eaten alive by mosquitoes., i Preliminary Work. Art has in politics arrived! This claim can't be reverted. A nomination well contrived 1s thoroughly rehearsed. Prohibition and Profits. “You are a prohibitionist?” “Yes," answered Uncle Bill Bottletop, | “and so's your old bootlegger.” “A man who reads much,” sald Hi Ho, | the sage of Chinatown, “becomes wise | or foolish, according to what he reads.” Btreet Car Discipline. Don't quarrel while the coppers click, As you to ride prepare. Remember, when you make a kick Youwll maybe boost the fare. “De man dat looks foh Trouble,” said Uncle Eben, "oughtn't to be surprised when ‘Trouble starts in lookin' foh him." — v ——e— |ing. And the grand jury of Harris and erguments will be the order of the | County has been ordered to hold in dey throughout the Summer and Au-| aheyance all other investigations and to tumn untll election dsy. The conven-|wurn loose its_facliities in determining P woceedings themselves will be fol- | the gulity ones. The Texas Rangers, by constant references W ’y that fine body of Btate police, have been If Janus Lived, Prom the Milwaukes Journal, - | ward the building of good public re- ‘This column has received several re- {quests from readers for a list of “sure- fire” plants which will succeed in any garden. There is a need for such a reduction. Ordinarily the ama'eur gardener is | faced h a long list of annuals. perennials, bulbs and shrubs. catalogued in such profusion that he scarcely vs whare to begin, Every plant in the list has its merits: {usually its bad points are deftly hid 'unlm;flr the bushel of ignorance. a few is gi dred, with so little discrimination made in the choice that only bewilderment is the reader's share. Out of this confusion ought to come a list of “sure-fire” plants, not only for the benefit of the individuals who de- sire such a list, but to the betterment of gardening in general. To select one plant from a score, simply because its color appeals to one, is a pretty poor plan, after all. The chance for garden happiness is slim. If, on the other hand, the amateur were given a list of plants that cannot fail, he would have 20 chances out of 20 of being plersed with his garden. | ment with some of the others in the big lists. At first, however, he wants to play safe. Che This time in the year is a peculiarly good one in which to do this mental gardening, since planting anything is about an end. The “fireside gar- dening” of Winter is replaced by the contemplative siesta on the front porch. Sitting at one's ease with a pitcher of lemonade at hand, one may go over the bulky flower lists and abstract therefrom the dved-in-the-wool “sure- fire” plants which cannot fail. “Cannot™ i3 a big word, but the following list of plant: big in potentialities for suc- cess. One may use the positive “can- not" in relation to their chances of fallure with a surcty born of expel ence. sure-fire” 1list is divided into biennials, perennials, shrubs ‘With such a variety the se owner may start in with confidence that he is beginning right. Novelties and difficult-to-grow flowers have no place in the new plan. Start right and end right; start wrong and end wrong. The easlest is the best, often actually is the best, even when compared with the very finest. ‘The “sure-fire” plants follow: ANNUALS. Zinnia. Petunia. Marigold. BIENNIAL Hollyhock. PERENNIAL. Peony. Rose. B Darwin tulips. Gladiolus. Althea. Spirea Van Houite. Privet (California). * % ¥ % ‘This list needs eaplanation. Some will ask why we have included the peony and the rose, herbaceous shrubs. SHRUBS. Success would lead him on to experi- | D. C. THURSDAY, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. as perennials and left out compietely many examples of fine perennial flowers, Our answer is that the object of this list is to reduce the number of plants to the absolute minimum. The larger | the list, the more agreement it would get: the smaller, the more disagree- ment, Since a perennial is a plant that igrows and blooms every year without | irouble to the gardener, we have se- lected the peony and the rose to fill this type as more satisfactory than many of | the true perennials. But to take up the list in order: The annual selection is “sure-fire” enough to sult any one. These are flowers that give a maximum of show and at the same time will thrive under neglect. This latter is an especially desirable quality, for of cne is not able to give flowers much attention, Among the zinnias, the newer races, such as the so-called dahlia flowered, |are to be preferred, and among them particular colors, since the mixtures |ultzn glve less pleasing results than two {or three selected colors of one's choice. | Rosy Morn is a good choice among the petunias, which run a close race with the zinnia for surety of bloom |and long life in the border. Aimost lany of the petunias, however, are ex- {cellent. Some of the frilled varieties, | called “Giants of California,” are un- | surpassed as flowers for window boxes. i * K k% ‘The biennial of our choice is the old- fashioned standard hollyhock, not only because of its beauty but by reason of its sure blooming. Once planted, the hollyhock becomes in effect an annual. For tall, spirelike beauty, there is noth~ | ing to approach this flower. The peony and the rose, regarded as Among the peonies the first choice by the beginner may be Festiva Maxima, although Solange is much the best, if one has the money to pay for it. As for the roses, the inner should stick to Radiance and Radiance | These are sturdy, disease-resisting and full-flowering. Many an experienced | rosarian finds them his favorites after many years. Darwin tulips and _gladioll are no happler selection can be made than the variety Clara Butt; among the gladioli, no better for home -culture than Mrs. Frank Pendleton. The latter are the big pink with maroon throat, ;vhlch the florists charge $5 a dozen or. . As for shrubs, the beginner makes a good selection who picks the altheas (Rose of Sharon), the Spirea Van Houtte and California privet. The altheas are “sure-fire” growers and bloomers for a tall. shrubby hedge. The Van Houtte Spirea (often miscalled the “Bridal Wreath”) is deservedly the most popular shrub. The California privet not only makes a great hedge but raay be used as individual plants with success either in sun ox shade. ° Stick to the plants ndimed and enjoy all the beauty and happiness which growing, flowering things give. From this good beginning one may go on to other and perhaps greater things, but, all considered, he will find no better plants, as plants. Testimony before the Federal Trade’ Commission disclosing activities of pub- lc utility interests in the educational fleld continues to be the subject of vigorous comment in the press. ‘The facts made public are viewed by the Baltimore Sun as “striking evi- dence of the extent to which public utility propaganda has been focused on Is, colleges and text book pub- lishers.” That paper adds: “It has now been charged before this inquiry that in at least one case the expenses of a group of college professors attending a meeting sponsored by the,utility inter- ests were paid by thess interests. This, of course, is overstepping all the bounds t propriety.” “The utilities have a legal right, per- | haps, to employ teachers and others to speak for them.” concedes the In-/| dianapolis News, “but every address so dolivered and all publicity matter so given out,” contends the News, “ought to be label@ what it is. Certainly, it | is highly unethical for a college pro- fessor, presumably speaking from an unbiased point of view, to utter, for pay, utility propaganda as the matured | opinion he has reached as a result of “Wherever this campaign has been in the judgment of the Topeka Daily Capital, “the plain object is to create a bias in the pupil's mind, and this is what the interested utilitjes | regard as ‘education’ It is, of course, ‘sducational’ from their point of view, but propagand: d education are as | wide apart in fact as the poles. It is| no part of education anywhere or at any stage to give students opinions ready-made, but it is education to fit them for forming opinions.” * o % ¥ Reference is made by the New York Evening World to disclosures concern- ing Texas, where “the director of the Texas Public Service Information Bu- reau stated that 80,000 ‘text books' pre~ pared by the Texas gas and electric power companies were distributed last year and are now being used as such in 350 high schools of the State. The companies, continues . the Evening World, “regard it as a philanthrop; and have regarded it as helpful in con- nection with dctivities “directed to- lations.” The World concludes, “That is the philanthropy of it, the ‘good public.relations’ idea.” “The right of the public utilities to plead their case openly before the public,” declares the Spokane Spokes- man-Review, "is not denied. What is resented, and an evil practice that must be stopped, is the sly injettion of their propag; into the public schools—practie like (those revealed by the investigation in Washington.” The Worcester Telegram says ‘‘there * a strong case against public owner- ship” and asks: “Why can't the elec- tric power interests have faith in that case? If they really are resorting to propaganda in the schools and colleges. the public will urally be suspiclous of their motives.” The Worcester paper holds that “political propaganda, whether the propagandists are right or wrong in their arguments, ought to be kept out of our educational institu- tions " “Thé subject of ubstract economics cannot be left free to the untrammeled sway of truth and logie,” states the Louisville Courler-Journal, “if the teacher 15 in the hire of commercial i~ terests more bent upon molding minds to their puBposes than on training them to think stralght.” The Nashville Ban- ner describes the “power issue” as “by far the most important” of present tssues, “In fits direct results upon the welfare and future of the State,” an advises "vigilance and determination.” ok ok “What would the schools of the coun- try be like,” asks the Milwaukee Jour- nal, "If every interest in this country began to shower them with pam- phlets? * ¢ * The money that has fnne fnto the universities has been Argll{ to shape the course of research and instruction. Educators who have accepted th's money say that it has not influenced them. Maybe not. But it certainly has not ralsed the standing Utility Activities in Schools Subject of Vigorous Comment through such abuse by outside influ- ences lies in a scrupulous attitude on the part of the school authorities in their treatment of the materials whic! make their way into the classrooms. he Janesville Gazette remarks that 'no person who is not careless of his rights of American citizenship can look on complacently while any private in- terest or even partisan political prop- aganda shall attempt to inject into school books those one-sided and de- batable arguments for any proposition.” With the query as to why there should be secret propaganda for a thing which is desirable, the Portland Oregon Journal asserts: “The public utilities have paid handsomely for the propa- ganda. They have compensated prop- agandists with money collected from their patrons through rates. used the money of their customers, paid to the companies for service, to prevent municipally owned plants.” * xox “The weak spot in the armor of many of the country’s business executives, the Dayton Daily News thinks, “is their openness to the professions of the press agent who spends their cash on the trainloads of printed mail which heads into the waste-basket of a fed-up world. In the case of public utilities, this sort of expenditure is worse than foolish.” In defense of the use of utilities ma- terial, the San Francisco Bulletin con- tends: “When a high school boy or girl is ailotted a side in a debate, he or she gets hold of the best information avail- always accessible.” The Bulletin be- lieves it logical to obtain prepared ma- | terial for such uses. The University of Tennessee is con- gratulated by the Roanoke Times on the fact that “its trustees take the at- titude that it doesn't need money badly by the power interests. Accordingly,' as observed by that paper, “the offer of ‘Tennessee power companies to con- tribute $18,000 to the university for the purpose of ‘conducting research work in electrification of homes by the engl neering department’ has been decline UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR Ten Years Ago Today. The American forces northwest of Chateau Thierry further straightened their line this morning by a series of small but brilllantly executed attacks on the north side of Belleau Wood. Americans rushed the desired positions held by the enemy without the cus- tomary artillery preparation. * * ¢ American artillery at midnight poured an avalanche of projectiles into the wood to the east of Chateau Thierry where the enemy are massed, severely unishing them. " American fire reached ts highest concentration in one 10- minute perfod when 1,200 shells of all calibers fell on a small area. * American airmen, co-operating with lled alrmen in the great battle raging along the Plave, succeeded in bombing @ new bridge the Austrians had thrown across the river, * ¥ * Torrential rains have converted the Plave into a vast rushing cataract which is greatly handicapping the Austrians. —Allled aviators bombed and wrecked all seven permanent bridges, and feeding the famished enemy troops herded on the right bank is possible only by using hydroplanes, * ¢ * The Rainbow Division, on the completion today of & hundred days' consecutive service on the front line in Lorraine, receive a citation by the French general testify- ing to the good work of the division. * * * American forces are now hold- ing 39 miles of western battlefront. * % ¢ Casualty list of Marine Cor reported today contains 137 names, of them severely wounded. e Women Hardest to Ple; ase. of thelr work with that part of the If Janus, the celebrated two-faced chap of antiquity, could come back he would make an 1 Congres —per- +sonally wet and ofcially a6 the same time, public which 1s diseriminating. The very acceptance of this money xn!': them on the defensive, It is har forget who thelr paymasters are.” tion of the Wichite Beacon cure for any evils which o that “ Srom Capper's Weekly. Some one has found out that in 38 out of 50 cases it is the woman who seeks the divorce. That's what you might expect of th hm'(un-hu;\.l:\t Bex, we y but don't suppose, u!. n | perennials, fulfill every garden need. | named as typical bulbs. In the former, ' have come into the school systems| ‘They have | competition against their utilities by | able. The side taken is not always the | debater's choosing and the data are not | enough to permit itself to be subsidized | tI ly | out doubt, his JUNE 21, 1928. NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM LG.M. DRIFTING SANDS OF PARTY POLI- TICS. Oscar W. Underwood. The Century Co. This book is the fulfiliment of a promise made by its author to himself. “When I realized the constant con- flict between the pclitical expediency yielded to by the Congress and the | fundamental ~principles of free gov- ernment on which test the rights and the liberties of the people of the United States, I promised myself that by way lof an apology for the compromises I was at times compelled to accept I would write a book and point out how we had drifted away from the ideals of the great men that founded our Republic.” “Drifting Sands of Party Politics” stands, therefore, in part, as personal apology, in other part as definite ex- plication of the measure to which the country as a whole, and the Demo- cratic party in particular, have aban- doned the ideals of Thomas Jefferson. Since the Congress Is, supposedly, the organ and Instrumeat of the people, the study becomes an analysis of Fed- eral enactments from the point of view of the party of Jefferson, the Demo- cratic party. It is, in consequence, a summary of the changes that, within the past quarter of a century, have under Mr. Underwood’s own eve, come tenets of that party, local self-government and free trade. This summary is reached by way of expert analysis applied to the various tariff acts enacted within the period—an analysis that carefuly assigns to the | writer's own party iic measure of re- sponsibility for clear political unfaith to the fathers through the prescure of | immediate promise and urge. The end |£s fully met by a soecific tracing, also, of the degree to which local self-gov ernment has given way to Federal con- trol and supervision. These two themes become here the foundation upon | which Mr. Underwocd builds the | tory of Federal legislation concernir them. They become the standpoint, as well, from which he estimates the industry—monopoly in Federal Govern- ise of tyranny and oppression to the people as a whole. ‘There can be no question about the value of the study, gathered at first hand from the author’s long participa. tion in Federal legislation. The book stands as authentic history of two specific and important classes of law provided by the Congress. Mr. Under- wood is deeply familiar with the gen- | eral outlook of the two dominant | parties of Congress, with the political | motives of each. with the modes and i manners of both. “Drifting Sands of Party Polities” is, clearly, an important ! for special study. P This country has changed inconceiv- ably since the day of Thomas Jefferson. uppose he himsalf were lcoking out n it today, out upon this giant com- so far outreaching even the ireams of colonial times. One wonclers ust what modifications of his original plans he would be inspired to make by the amazing prospect. Certainly so wise a man would concede more of latitude in construction than his fol- lowers are willing to do. No, not any sacrifice of principles—certainly not. (By the way, just what are political principles and what do thess mean, actuallv and practically, to the politi- cian himself?) But would not Jefferson see that organization, co-ordination, control, are basic essentials of this stu- pendous, going concern, the United States, and would he not relinguish some of the old claims for an inde- pendent, individual program? The common, current fear of the great or- genization appears to rise from a belief in the general weakness of human {nature. Not only in both political | varties, but outside these as well, is trere a large acceptance of the theory \vulnerable heel. Touch this sensitiv spot with a dime, more or less—and the man is gone, sold out. nonsense and as evil as it is silly. The great majority of men and women are honest and impregnable in such hon- esty. The Congress is not purchasable, |even though in political frenzy such | charges are made. The voter is not pur- | chasable to any appreciable degree. | “Corruption,” “venality,” “conspiracy. i get into the o] picion in place of in-lependent opinions founded upen hard and widespread | study of our country and its political | institutions. TAMMANY HALL. Doubleday, Dor Here is a big b story of one of \! n’s oldest in- stitutions. The declares the narrative to be mode entirely of evi- dence gathered out of the documents and records of the hall itself, giving himself a touch of praise that he has, In every instance, resisted the indule gence of personal opinion at any Much of the story is made up of bio- graphic sketches of certain leaders of Tammany Hall—William M., Tweed, R. Werner: 0. that tells the t Charles Murphy and others of outstand- ing fame. The history runs from the organization of Tammany to the close of Murphy's reign, something like four years ago. These were powerful men in eir days, and you will enjoy reading this unvarnished tale of their suprem- acy in the control of New York City. Let us, however, go back to somewhat less personal items, back to the rise of Tammany and its growth. The society, |as it was called at first, was organized by one Thomas Mooney, & pnpermngcr in the city, who, following the Revolu- tion, became an almost frenzied advo- cate of the rights of the common peopl as against the aristocratic claims and practices of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. If these could have their exclusive Order of the Cincin- nati, why, the common man could have his own also toward which no aristocrat need cast a friendly e Not only were the original members of Tammar drawn from the common people alo but they must be 100 per cent American besides. Therefore, no Irish need apply. And right here one wonders where Mooney got his name. Still, this is his- tory and no place for idle conjecture. erdless to say that times have greatly changed in respect to the blood stramns of tie original Tammany. Largely of soclal cast in its beginnings, Tammany in no time at all began to feel the urge of moving into the fleld of politics. At first this fleld was a little one and very practical in its operations—so much for o much seemed to be the order of its activities. The order grew and grew, always on the basis of an open exchange of benefits desired. And upon this foundation of practical advantage it continued to grow until it became, and still 1s, the oldest political organization of the country and-—probabl one of the strongest. All that is beyond con- sideration here. ‘The book is before you if you care to follow the fortunes of St Tammany of New York. Let me say for the book that it appears to carry no means of concealment anywhere upon its person. Here is a cold-blooded dis- regard for everything and every person. onlf the sacred truth claims to be the goal of this recorder of deeds. . however, like a saga: “Once upon a time there was an Indian chief. name Tammany and his deeds were legend"—leglon, too, one takes it. Now, Tammany wi mighty warrior, but he found time for much of useful occupa- It sets 8 | tion. For instance, he discovered “corn, beans and tobacco, which last com- modity he used only to destroy fleas and to drive away mosquitoes,” He was sald also to have discovered the cruhwk\u and to have invented the canoe. In his hazardous exeursions he labored with extraordinary zeal “to subdue the mon- sters of the forests.” He also worked out a form of government, which, with~ wers have labored to pattern upon, and which, in an equal growth of monopoly In finance and | ment, besides, with their equal prom-| book for general rcading as well as| that every mother's son of us has the | That is utter | int.’ Honest John™” Kelly, Richard Cyoker, | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERI What do you need to know? 1Is there some point about your business or per- sonal life that puzzles you? Is there something you want to know without delay? . Submit your question to Fred- eric J. Haskin, director of our Wash~ ington Information Bureau. He is em- ployed to help you. Address your in- auiry to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C., and inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Q. Who appoints the director of the United States Marine Band?—B. G. A. He is appointed by the major gen- eral commardant of the United States Marine Corps. Q. In a legal sense, what is an act of honor?—F. E. M. A. This is an instrument drawn up by a notary public, after protest of a bill of exchange, when a third party s desirous of paying or accepting the bill for the honor of any or all parties to it. Q. Was the Roman Colisenm standing in the time of Christ>—A. B. A. This amphitheater was not built until 80 AD. Q. What is oakum?—F. F. A. Oakum, which is used for caulking, is any hemp fiber for filling seams, tut especially that obtained by untwisting and breaking up old rope. Q. What is the legal meaning of act of God?—N. O. L. A. It is any accident due to natural causes, directly and exclusively, with- out human intervention, such as could not have been ‘prevented by any amount of foresight, pains and cars reasonably to have been expected. Broadly, the term usually applies to natural acc dents, such as ‘hoss caused by light- ning. floods, earthquakes and tempests. A severe snowstorm which blocked up raflroads was held within this rule. Also, in a case where fruit trees were frozen in transit, it was held to be | by the act of God when it was proved that there had been no improper delay on the part of the carrier. Q. How much is spent each year for doctors’ bills?—N. S. A. According to_ Miss_Elizabeth G. | | Fo Nursing Service, the following is true: “Each family in the United States | spends an average of $60 yéarly on doc- | tors’ bills. Thal comes to a daily total | | ! Here is a straight tip on the money |market. (But nio one should gambie.) Something is gring to happen in Paris after midnighc next Saturday that will affect billions_of francs by stabilizing their valus what valuation that stabilizing will leave |ths franc, what a fortune might be his by selling short—or Ibng—and cashing n Sunday morning, or whenever the Bank ®f France gets ready, on the basis of the new legal valorization! That's why our tip is importan be fixed by any decree of the Assembly? Somehow the idea smacks of the “16-to-1" high finance, when world ence of a fiat to be issued by Congress, provided——. The mere fact that it took about 32 ounces of silver to equal 1 ounce of gold in place of 16 made no difference in political oratory. “Sixteen to one” must be the ratio to “save the poor man.” But now France, without oratory, is going to fix the value of a franc and make the valuation stick, and that is interesting. Vive la Franc Vive les francs! e Other countries have stabilized their money, so it is not an impossibility. Stabilizing fixes the value and reduces | speculation. The essence of the virtue jof money at any time is its fixity of value, for money is a measure of all values—it has no cother raison d'etre. If money be elastic. like rubber, prices of all kinds of goods fluctuate, and debtors and creditors alike suffer im- measurably. Trade is paralysed when confidence ceases. It is less than four years since the purchasing value of a -cent franc had fallen not only to 4 | keep money overnight without t: to | byy something tangible with it beicre | iis entire value had disappeared. And | France could not export anything, for | her money was worthless in foreign ex- ‘thnnze—or nearly so. isted in Italy before the Mussolini re- | gime: also in Belgium and all other | countries of Furope. It was costly to | be victorious in a World War, for the | victors suffered po less than the van- quished, until the Dawes Commission took hold of European liquidation and made it possible to collect the German reparation debt to the allles, of which annual payments 52 per cent is allo- cated to Prance. In the fourth year of the Dawes plan Germany pays $1.750.- 000.000 gold marks—about $435.000,000 —of which France gets more than hal hereafter the annual pavment will be approximately $625.000,000. And that is gold—not paper money. o ox o But up to 1926 France was unable to ! collect enough taxes to meet her cur- rent expenditures. Financiers call that task “balancing the budget France could not “balance her budget” while rebuilding the devastated area of war's destruction. The government borrowed beyond all legal limits from the Bank of Prance. The radicals insisted on is- suing flat paper money over and over | again, and every issue reduced the mar- ket value of all the money in circula- tion. It was basad on nothing but faith, hope ang charity. During the war the United States | maintained the value of both the Brit- ish pound sterling and the French franc by agreeing to buy all sterling offered at a certain fixed rate, and Great Brit- ain, in her turn, agreed to buy at a cer- tain rate all francs offered. But in 1919, following the armistice. this artificial support, the burden of which fell entirely upon the United States. was suspended by both the United States and Great Britain. Half the gold of the | ‘Treasury, but it could not be shipped to Europe until Europe ceased to make ex- travagant purchases abroad, beyond her just so long as her imports exceeded ex- ports, she would require to make settle- ments for her excess of forelgn pur- chases in gold exchange, and so any ad- vances (loans) of gold to Europe would resi only in reshipment of that gold abroad, while she persisted in PXC?M of imports, leaving Europe as barren of gold as before. So she had only flat “legal tender” paper money, Which she could circulate at home. but not abroad, { 50 her trade was forced to be domestic. She was obliged to rely upon what was produced at home and consumed at ome, until she became able to produce more than she consumed, giving a sur- us for export. ‘That condition applted o all Europe, but nowhere more acutely than in France. The conditions have so improved within the last five years that the United States has been able to ship to Europe a net sum of about half a billion dollars certainty, St. Tammany would have been no end proud of could he have foresson the helghts to which Tamman Hall has risen in the political Nl\lts of one of the greatest modern cities, to say nothing of its aspirations to a still higher place in the couneil of the t commonwealth itself. Political history, municipal government, polities bared to the bone of a give-and-| theary, ad- venture, romance--ssrmon, if you wiil, M all here . an amazement of open ox of the Red Cross Public Health | If any one knew just at| How can the market value of a franc | d markets were to be ignored in the pres- | The same conditions of finance ex- | | world accumulated in the United States | home production and her exports, for | C J. HASKIN. income of $1,500,000 to the medical and allied professions.” Q. How many eggs does the bald eagle lay znd how long does it take them to hatch?—N. N. A. The American or bald eagle Jays its eggs once a year, usually two in number. The period of incubation 1is about one month. Q. Why doesn't it kill birds to roost on an electric wire?>—P. T. A. A. The fact that birds can sit on an electric wire is because there is not a_complete circuit. If a bird were to alight on a wire and one of its wings | touch another wire, it would be apt | to cause death. Q. When was base ball first played | in Washington?—S. M. | A, It was seen for the first time in | this city in 1360. During 1861 no | games were played, but in 1362 the city had become more or less accustomed to the state of war then existing, and | ball games were resumed. The Na- | tional and Potomac nines played on & | reservation between the grounds of the White House and B street. Q. If two cars are coming in oppo- site directions at the rate of 40 miles an hour, will they strike each other with greater force than one car going at the rate of 40 miles an hour and strike ing an _immovable object?’—C. E.R. | A. The Bureau of Standards says | that the two cars will mest with no greater force than if one car met am immovable object Q. Why isn't the paper used in mak- ing our currency used for other pure poses?—M. M. W. A. This paper is protected by statute penalizing its manufacture for othep urposes. The paper is of the toughest nen and is made by a secret process. Q. Who discovered sacch: 7—T. L. A. Dr. Constantine Fahi and Dr. Ira Remsen discovered the coal tar de- rivatives in 1879. Q. Should the verb “is” or “are” be i\x<ed with the noun “headquarters”?— M. h | | | i P. A. “Headquarters” is both the singu- lar and piural form. The verb used would depend upon the meaning to be conveyed: “The main headquarters is in Chicago’ eadquarters are being established in several countries.” BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. | of gold, and it “stays put” and no longer travels back on a “return tourist ticket." * x K % So, gradually, European paper cur- rency has acquired a rising vaiue, and inflation has been curtailed. Some of this improvement is directly attributable to American generosity. For example, America sent shiploads of food to Lat- via to save the starving. That food was consigned to the government of Latvia, ! gaye us her bonds in pay .n.ndlntugn consigned the food to_municipalities and took their bonds. Those bonds then became the basis of a Latvian money systam—all based upon American food su?glus. Some day the bonds will be paid. Greece called in her paper money and clipped it in halves literally, destroying one-half. Other countries called in their paper money and charged a tax of 50 | Pr cent for stamping it, making all un- tamped currency worthless in trade or taxes. * %% % { . But in France the radicals overthrew i the Poincare government in 1924, and that resulted in the ter loss of warld confidencs in French finances, for the | radicals called for inflation to meet an- | nual deficits, and inflation increased the | downfall of credit, until, as above noted, | the panicky crisis was reached in 1926. | To meet that crisis, after many cabi- | nets had fallen, Poincare again headed A ministry, made up, then. of several | former ministers, representing a coali- tion of parties. ‘ Drastic measures were undertaken, in- {cluding a constitutional convention to pi are terms that should not be allowed to | cents, but was on the verge of falling | amend the constitution so as to enable , there to breed sus- |further to 2 cents, and then—to na- |the government to increase taxes and { picton in & world and a time whose most | tional bankruptcy. There came a crisis, | provide for a sinking fund to reduce dangerous scourge today is ready sus- /a panic on the Bourse. Nobody dared | the enormous debt. Her annual interest alone amounts to 60 per cent of her in< jcome. This vigorous action of the coa |lition cabinet aroused patriotism and ‘mnfldem\‘. so that the market value of | the franc showed increase, espec: in | domestic purchases. Trade revive home, and by Christmas, 1926—six |months after the installation of the Poincare coalition cabinet—the Bank of France announced that it would buy or |sell all francs offered, at a fixed rate, ap| tely 3.95 cents per franc, or | 12 rt:?%‘pe'r pound sr:; ing. So the | Bank nce succeeded in “pegging” | the franc at that pri *ox % % | L zwee‘;x' a .::d franc 20 cen! and & T _franc with its market value of pl;\s):e than 4 cents. But now it is p d by Poincare that on next Saturday night, after midnight, th: law shall pass fixing a legal ratio between gold and paper francs. Gold francs, of course, Temain at par. Some claim that that ratio will be 4.2 cents per paper frane !cxhen that it will be, in a long dect~ | mal, about 395 ce The secret is | strictly t speculation de facto and | de jure rate. | The law will authorize the Bank of France to buy on government ac- \C:‘unr all the paper francs offered at the fixed legal rate. and the govern- ment, in the meanwhile, has fortified itself by buying up foreign exchange to the total amount of more than 40,000.000,000 fran: s«'or:;i thl'hl‘ worl actual gold in its treasury Bank of France had not d” the | franc at 3.95 conts. the m?x'x‘sg:‘:em.n- jening of the government reserves { would have so increased the market | value of the franc that it would have | brought down the selling value of all merchandise and caused great dist 0 debtors and producers in all lines. *Eowow ‘The Economist of June 9 says that in order to stop the flow of foreign iexchange into the Bank of France, nOw that the bank holds such a strong Teserve, “the buying rate (for francs), which has stood at 124.02 francs per m‘r:f;:iml(' tlo?r‘ the pa:l year, has 0 134.20, and the se! ‘nn: from 124.10 to 134.20" 5y Very recently Mr. Polncare was re- { turned to power by the electorate upon the issue of stabilization, but, accord Ing to the London Statist, “There is “:,l:rlu do\:‘b! that :‘mm.-m M. Dou- 'fue i3 opposed on principle to ! stabilisation ai the pn\s!m‘ ngul!v. and :l‘\;:nu. g.nlx’u\.d an influential per- s . who heads the strongest group on the Right, shares his \Iv:::" Y A new governmen: loan by Polucare Was subscribed by the people of France franecs the | | . to p | before it becomes a to the amount of 10.000 million (320,000,000 000), and this enables government to wipe out its indebteds ness to the bank, substituting Indebtedness to the 3 Statist further i “The accumus Jation of foreign currencles is also con= demned, because it tends to lead to inflation. France is saturated with {currency and credit, “and the addis tional amounts pumped into eirculas tion are finding employment in wn~ why rss speculation. * ¢ ¢ The only effective bur to the continuas wld DL these infavorable ul on an uneauivocal tion on the of the N