Evening Star Newspaper, September 27, 1928, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR Wflh S:mhy Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. .September 27, 1928 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor ‘The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 11th St and Penncylvania Ate. New York Office: 110 East Chicago Office: Tower Bull European Office: 14 Regent St. England. st ndon, Rate by Carrier Within the City. The Eveninc Star. . .45¢ per month per copy h month. telephone Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Marvland and Virginia. Daily and Sunday....1 yr..$12.00: 1 me Datly only . T. Sunday only All Other States and Canada. Daily and Sunday..1 yr..$12.00; 1 mo. $1.00 Daily only ... 1 yr., $8.00; 1 mo. 3¢ Sunday only 1 yr. $500: 1 80c Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use tor republication of all news dis- atches credited to it or not otherwise cred- ( ted in this paper and also the iocal news published herein. Al rizhts of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. = 50 50¢ 40c mo.. Police Discipline. Acting on Inspector Pratt's original suggestion, but adding to it his own idcas, Maj. Hesse has recommended to the Commissioners an amendment to the rules governing disciplining of po- licemen for minor offenses which would permit captains and bureau command- ers to punish officers with extra hours of duty, cancellation of leave or the levying of small fines. Under the Pratt-Hesse plan the police offender could choose whether he should be tried by his commanding officer, the major and superintendent, or the trial board. All cases tried by the com- manding officer would be reviewed by the chief of the department, who would have the power, however, to refer any case to the trial board for disposition. Commissioner Dougherty is reported to be favorable to the amendment and it is considered probable that it will be degree, these victims of jealousy and revenge have been paraded in death and heroized while the law-abiding citizens of the community have shud- dered at the flagrancy of crime. However, this present series of raids may yield material for further opera- tions that will give Chicago a chance to redeem fitse!f in the eyes of the country by making way with the pro- fessional gangster who has for several years defied the law and made that city an object of shame and reproach before the world. International Oratory. As a development of the National Oratorical Contest, inaugurated several years ago in this country and partici- pated in by several million American school children, the international com- petition, the third in the series of which is to take place on the 13th of October in this city, has assumed a decided im- portance and has become an event of intevest to the people of several coun- tries. This international contest is a meeting of the winners of national forensic battles in their own lands. In the United States alone this year over 1,800,000 secondary school pupils partici- pated, and it must be assumed that in the eight countries that are to be rep- resented on the 13th of October the total of actual contestants reached sev- eral million. In general terms, the con- ditions and qualifications of the various national competitions elsewhere have been similar to those prevailing in this country. Thus these eight young men who two weeks from Saturday night will deliver their orations one the stage of the Auditorium represent their respec- tive countries in the fullest and most significant sense. The eight nations that will be rep- resented here are France, Canada, Ar- gentina, England, the United States,: Germany, Mexico and Cuba. The speeches will be delivered in the re- spective tongues, three in Spanish, three in English, one in German and one in French. The judges, who are yet to be named, will be multilinguists, versed in the various tongues that will be used on the occasion. They will, as adopted. At the present time all cases, no matter how trivial, must go to the trial board unless the defendant chooses to be tried by Maj. Hesse. Precinct com- manders have no authority to discipline their men. This procedure naturally results in a clogging of the trial board docket and inevitable delay in the dis- position of serious cases before the board. With this year's harvest of in the national competition, judge the | orations from the point of view of the . matter and the manner of delivery. The award of excellence will take the form of a trophy cup, but, apart from this souvenir, the real prize is the honor of selection. No more distinct proof of the value of these international contests can be had than the growth in the numbers of the contestants. Whereas on the police offenders against the regulations, which has been unusually large, the weakness of the present system has been glaringly apparent. If the amendment is adopted, po- licemen who violate the regulations will be in much the same position as the motorist who commits some trivial offense against the trafic laws. The policeman will appear before his com- manding officer and will probably be assessed a small fine in the same way that the motorist would avoid trial by forfeiting collateral which he had de- posited at a precinct station. In all major gases, however, the policeman would be required to appear before the trial board as the motorist is compelled to appear for trial in the court. It is obvious that the plan has merit. ‘To assure success, however, the Com- missioners and the chief of police should impress on precinct command- ers that the shifting of authority to them can mean but one thing, and that is that they should exercise it. ‘The public will never be satisfled if the trivial offenders under the new system receive more lenient treatment at the hands of their immediate su- periors than they would from the trial board. With this phase of the matter understood, discipline in the depart- ment will be swift and sure and Wash- ington will receive the benefits of & ‘well policed city. ————— Mexico is happily convinced that Emilio Gil has not only the knowledge but also the courage needed for presi- dential position, Peril and disappoint- ment in official Mexico have never elim- inated the all-important factor of pa- triotic bravery. ———. Chicago Starts Housecleaning. A gleam of hope comes from Chi- €ago in the form of a dispatch received recently telling of a round-up of criminals effected the other day in three raids conducted by a deputy commis- sioner of the police. Twenty-five men and two women were arrested and it is stated that as a result of these cap- tures more than one hundred crimes have been solved. These raids were evidently planned with unusual care. The persons taken are said to be mem- bers of one big gang that practices crime in all its branches. The leader, whose sobriquet is “Big Jack,” some- times varied as “Big Leo,” is still at large and is being sought. The gang- sters, taken in different groups and “isolated,” when put to question, were evidently frightened into telling the truth. Police stenographers were kept busy throughout the night taking their statements and confesslons. Among the crimes which it is said have been confessed are the slaying of a private watchman during a hold-up, Septem- ber 8; the shooting and serious wound- ing of two policemen and the slaying of John Pecora at a cafe September 21; the daylight hold-up of the Davis Hotel September 9; a pay roll robbery in a newspaper office July 28, and an unsuccessful similar attempt at another newspaper office July 30. One of the men, who, under quiz, told of partici- pation in several of these crimes, was identified as a member of a gang that held up a bank in Lafayette, Ind., last November. He, however, would not talk of that robbery, saying in demurrer, “Let's stick to the Chicago stuff.” There was evidently plenty of “Chi- cago stuff” for purposes of conversa- tion. Chicago’s criminal complex is not solved by any means by this series of raids and these confessions. There re- main the gangs, mainly composed of /[foreigners, who have terrorized the city and whose score of murders is ap- pallingly long. The fact that many of their crimes have been committed against rival gangsters does not lessen the obligation to ferret them out and punish them. The spectacle of elab- orate and expensive funerals for vic- first and second occasions five nations were represented, there are now eight. It is conceivable that others will be added to the list as time passes. In each of the contesting countries here- tofore there has been the keenest in- terest on the part of the educational authorities, political leaders, and, nat- urally, school children themselves. In no surer way can there be a whole- some arousal of interest on the part of the younger generation in the his- tory and political development of the countries that participate. In the United States the oratory con- test has proved a factor of high im- portance in the development of the younger citizens, and it is now recog- nized as & most valuable influence in na- tional life. The international compe- tition makes for better understanding and a closer union of thought between the nations. The topics of the oratory contest soon to take place are illus- trative of this influence: “French Thought and the Idea of Liberty,” “Canada’s Future,” “The Reborn and Free Civilization of the Argentine Re- public,” “The English Governmental System,” “The Development of the American Constitution,” “Unity, Justice and Liberty in the Development of the German Constitution,” “The Character and Future of Spanish Culture in America,” this by the representative of Mexico, and “The Cuban Govern- ment,” All who hear these orations, deliv- ered by youths of from seventeen to nineteen years, whether they hear di- rectly or by radio, will gain a better insight into the fundamentals and ideals that have prevailed in the mak- ing and the maintenance of govern- ments. ———— ‘The railroads are always fortunate. The ticket seller is non-partisan, and a political campaign calls for an immense amount of travel not only among those who conduct the ceremonies, but among those who wish to be present. ———es The New York Conventions. New York Republicans are to gather in Syracuse tomorrow to pick their can- didate for governor, United States Sen- ator and to write the party platform for the State. Much importance hangs in the balance. A strong State ticket, to which all factions of the G. O. P. may give whole-hearted adherence, naturally would aid the Republican na- tional ticket in a State where the na- tional election is to be a desperate contest. Harmony is the chief desid- eratum of the Republicans in the Em- | pire State—harmony and organization. The latter cannot be expected without the former. Two years ago the Republicans held their State convention in New York City. There was extreme bitterness. |1t arose principally over the wet and THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, vention. The Republican organization in New York has been more or less shot to pieces by repeated defeats in State elections in recent years. There are hopeful signs, it is reported now, that the factions at last are prepared to get together. If they do not, Re- publican hopes in New York will not be high for the election in November. On the eve of the convention it appears reasonably sure that At- torney General Ottinger will be the party nominee for governor, and that an up-State Republican will be nominated for the Senate. There has been talk here and there of bring- ing Wadsworth back into the battle, but it is discounted. Such a move would be considered mere political sui- cide under the existing conditions, with Hoover and Curtis running as drys, and the up-State dry Republicans ready to fight again if necessary to prevent the election of Wadsworth. Alanson B. Houghton, Ambassador to Great Britain and a former member of the House, is widely discussed as a senatorial candi- date. But Mr. Houghton's near rela- tions with the British Empire might not make for his popularity in a State where many of the voters are not overfriendly to the British. Others who are under consideration are Rep- resentative Snell, chairman of the House rules committee; Representative James S. Parker, chairman of the House interstate and foreign commerce com- mittee, and Representative Hamilton Fish. Ottinger is regarded as a good vote getter. He was the sole Republican on the State-wide ticket who was elected to office two years ago. He is a Jew, and if elected would be the first of his race to serve as Governor of New York. Of one thing the Republican leaders may be reasonably sure: When the Democrats hold their State convention in Rochester next week there will be harmony aplenty. Gov. Smith will hurry back from his Western campaign tour to be present. New York's Democracy is taking no chances this year. It is bent on sending Gov. Smith to the White House, and all other personal ambitions will be sacrificed to this end. The very best ticket which can be se- lected, with a view to aiding the na- tional ticket in New York, will be picked. It is practically assured that Senator Royal S. Copeland will be renominated. He is a Protestant. He has made many friends in the State, and he has dem- onstrated complete loyalty to Gov. Smith, coming out as a wet more than a year ago. The Democratic nominee for governor is still in the making so far as the public is aware. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Senator Wagner, Owen D. Young are some of the men who have been mentioned. Whether any of them will be chosen remains to be seen. There has been no rush for the hon- or, apparently, among them. —_— e As he reads the reports from Phila- delphia, Gen. Smedley Butler is con- vinced that missionary work among the Chinese should prove comparatively easy. ————e——— Scientists say that the Sahara Desert can be reclaimed. There is no kind of “dry” sentiment that will antagonize such an achievement. ———ren—. Effort is now being made to show that the general membership of Tammany was so simple and high-minded that grafters had no difficulty in imposing on it. — e ‘The American public retains its bal- ance and is still able, amid other agi- tations, to take its base ball with intel- ligent seriousness. ——— e An early snowfall gives Chicago a temporary mantle of whiteness to which the police records do not appear to en- title her. —.— Disasters in the air make no impres- slon on flying men. Fearlessness is the first element of the aviator’s equipment. —————————— The person who refers to this as a “whispering campaign” has evidently mislaid his loud speaker. o SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Agreeable Exemption. The Proverb still salutes my ear, In phrase so neat and pat; “You can’t believe the half you hear"— And let’s be glad of that. You can't believe the word unkind That gossip sends along. You can't believe the folks who find ‘That everybody's wrong. In patience let us persevere. ‘The world must have its fling. “You can'’t believe the half you hear’— And that's a lucky thing! Meeting the Test. “You say you never doubt the in- telligence of the public.” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum. “It is beyond dispute. Look at the number of times the public has re- elected me to eminent office!” Eclipsed Inspiration. Some thoughts he had in stout array. The eloquence now on display Leaves nothing more for him to say Than just “Hooray!" Jud Tunkins says a professional politician carries some style. He may dry issue, with many of the up-State Republicans deeply resenting the re- nomination of James W. Wadsworth, jr., for Senator because of his decla- rations against prohibition and the eighteenth amendment. But the sup- porters of former Senator Wadsworth were in control. He was renominated and Ogden Mills, present Undersecre- |tary of the Treasury, was named for |governor to run against Gov. Smith. What happened thereafter is a matter of history. The bitterness which was | manifested at the State convention and in the committee meetings continued on into the campaign. The dry wing of the Republican party, fighting mad, put & candidate of its own in the field for Senator, running as an independent Republican, and Wadsworth was doomed to defeat almost before the race was under way. The dry senatorial candi- date received some 300,000 votes, and Senator Wagner, ardent Smith man and Tammany leader, was elected to the Senate seat which had been held for a dozen years by Senator Wads- tims of these gang wars is a blot upon Chicago’s record. Utterly lawless, be bad, but an amateur is worse. Flood Control. ‘The torrents have been most severe. ‘They brought us grief. ‘The Crime Wave is the next we fear ‘That needs relief. Deference Denied. “We must bow in deference to the ideas of our ancestors.” “To a certain extent,” answered Mr. Chuggins. “But no amount of senti- ment is going to persuade me to try to drive a trotting horse through a street that is full of automobiles.” “It is a wise man,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “who can attain great wealth and then purchase with it something better than envy.” Station Adv. ‘When Sentiment is going strong, It turns and leaves us sad. Each poem and each little song Is just another Ad. “New troubles look like relief f'um worth. Mr. Mills lost to Gov. Smith. + Many of the same leaders will at- de old ones,” said Uncle Eben. “Jes’ Inow we's lookin' forward to changin' shamelessly defiant, cofrupt to the last tend the coming Republican State con- de lawn mower foh & snow shovel” ” D€, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7. 1928 ° THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “Dear Sir: Not long ago you wrote an article in praise of the novels of Maupassant. Will you kindly name a few which you consider the best, as I have never read any of his stories and I have great confidence in your opinion on almost any subject. I enjoy your column greatly—have always sized you up as a man who gets a real kick out of just the daily happenings of life. Will appreciate any suggestions you may give me on Maupassant. _Sin- cerely, C. McD." ‘While the novels of Guy de Maupas- sant have never held the place in the esteem of the readers of the world accorded to his justly famous short stories, of which there are several hundred, the longer works of this author are very fine in their way. Just how well such a tale as “Mont- Oriol” is handled can be better ap- preciated by comparison with some of the works of Maupassant’s cotempo- raries. This novel, which we consider the best of the half dozen which Maupassant wrote, seems a far superior work in every way to Emile Zola's “Nana,” for instance. The crude, boorish sentences of Zola’s utterly sincere novel—one calls it a novel, although it is scarcely that —contrast strangely with the reticence of the chapters of “Mont-Oriol,” which might have been written by an Anglo- Saxon, so delicately is it handled. Personally, we know of no better in- troduction to the real French litera- ture than through the pages of Maupassant, for he combined the Gallic spirit, the inimitable something which distinguishes this literature, with a strange decency in handling the themes which he essays. And this is all the more strange, Mdeed, since the man himself was to axd up in a madhouse as the resuit of his depravi- ties. * ok ok ok “Pierre and Jean” is our second choice of Maupassant’s longer works. It is a short novel, but one packed from cover to cover with mental con- flicts, which, in the long run, are the real essence of a real novel. In this story of the jealousy of a brother, scenes are worked up to in a manner which makes the actual words take on reality. Every one has witnessed a “family scene,” and has experienced the feeling of dread which overtakes one at the realization that there is no way of stopping another one. ‘“Pierre and Jean"” goes on from scene to scene, ending in a masterly picture of a real family quarrel. And if any one wants to see how a real writer gets a great deal out of nothing, he should study the final chapter, which recounts noth- ing more than the sailing of the brother to America. The family sits in a small boat and waves good-by to him, as he stands on the bridge of the steamer in the uniform of the ship’s doctor. All the poignancy of such a farewell is there, and it will bring the tears unbidden to the eyes of the sen- sitive, not,in the manner of the maud- lin movie drama, but as the result of true workmanship built up word by word to an inevitable climax. This novel contains Maupassant’s famous introduction, in which he gives his ideas as to the place of realism’in lit- erature. The average reader, after wading through it, will admit that he could write better stories than he could write about them. Narration, not exposition, was his fleld. He had the heart and mind of the true story teller. Another of his short novels, scarcely more than a novelette, “The Inheritance,” is a piece of capital fool- ery, distinguished by a picture of the life of French government clerks whicl shows all the powers of observation of the author. p Even such a brief account as this weuld not be complete without the in- clusion of Maupassant'’s most famous novel, “A Woman's Life.” The French title is simply “Une Vie” (A Life), but in the feminine form, so that most translators properly make it “A Wom- an’s Life.” We like the unmodified title the best. This story is not one of our favorites, although we admit its power. To many readers it is simply a dis- tressing account of an unhappy life. It might be termed a “psychological novel,” if that term means anything, which it doesn’t. Like most stories, this one will mean somsthing or not in pro- portion to the life of the individual reader. It is astounding how much or how little a reader may bring to a beok! * % % % We take the liberty of adding to our novel preferences a list of the short stories of Guy de Maupassant which, in our opinion, are the best he wrote. In making such a choice, cne is treading on dangerous ground, but we have re- ceived so many requests for such a se- lection that we hazard it. If we had to select one story as Mau- passant’s best we should unhesitatingly choose “The Olive Orchard.” some- times translated as “The Mount of Olives.” The reader finds Maupassant here at the height of his dramatic and character-portraying power. This writer attained a isimilitude, at his best, which was simply astounding. He might have been writing a real happen- ing for a newspaper, so straightly does he tell this powerful story of a priest visited by his past sin. There is here none of the superficial trickery which oftentimes mars the stories of this writer. ~ “The Olive Orchard” goes right along from first to last with the powerful stride of the master story teller in his element. The scenes in the son, with his subsequent conduct, bring out with fine force the inherent ability of Maupassant to do better than a mere tale of s better, bigger, on a par with “Mont- Oriol,” which for the first time demon- strated to both the writer and his pub- lisher that the author had moral lean- ings. The question comes, If this man, who had a debased outlook upon life, was forced, through his very genius, to make his work at its best take on a moral tone, may not morality be an in- herent force in life on this globe? And can any amount of sophistication shake its firm place? ® ok “Fifi.” a story of the Franco-Prus- sian War, is one of the- world's great short stories. Written in the incisive, matter-of-fact way which characterizes all the stories of this master, it pos- sesses both plot and picturization, if one may put it that way. Zola, for in- stance, had no plot. His stories are merely masses of description out of life. Such plot as living has for every one of us is to be found in his novels. A work of art, however, requires more than life. It must contain in the back- ground the mind and hand of the master, just as this universe seems to require, though invisibly, the hand and mind of a superior Intelligence. ‘Three other short stories which would recommend are “Tallow Bal “The Establishment of Mme. Tellier and “The Necklace.” The latter has been declared universally to be “the greatest short story in world literature.” No doubt it is, both through method and_content. It belongs to the very small group of Maupassant's stories which are not tied up with the subject of sex, and for that reason has been seized upon as readily permissible in any collection of short stories. Yet the essence of this man’s stories is what Freud declares is the essence of life itself. This is why “Tallow Ball” and “Mme. Tellier's Establishment” are superior as examples of Maupassant’s art. Surely the scenes in the first of these two great stories are incompa- rably well done. As for the second. it will remain as a masterpiece of its kind. Our last recommendation is “The Sun- days of a Parisian,” five or six sketches, not allowed ,by the critics as genuine short stories, but which to us have always seemed among the best things Maupassant_did. ‘We would caution any reader not to be shocked at Maupassant. Compared with some of the work of his cotempo- raries his stories are of fairy delicacy. Although his themes deal almost en- tirely with sex, the subject is treated in & curiously detached manner which makes his stories acceptable to any one ho values a good story well told. And who does not? ve BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. Ordinarily, in constitutional monarch- ies, the King nominates the prime min- ister, who selects his cabinet, which is subject to support of Parliament. When Parliament, defeats an important meas- ure of the cabinet, it is incumbent upon that cabinet to resign, and then the King selects a new man to form a new cabinet—the so-called “government.” That was the method followed in Italy, even when the 200,000 Fascisti marched upon Rome in 1921. and demanded that their leader, Benito Mussolini, be made premier. At first, the King, Victor Em- manuel, tried to compromise, and of- fered to name Mussolini for the head of the “Government,” provided he would make up a coalition cabifiet with representatives of the several parties. That compromise was refused, and finally Mussolini was given power to make his own selections. The Fascisti gained complete control, and it has been asserted that King Victor Em- manuel III. now supports the Mussolini government and approves of the Fas- cisti policies throughout. He well may seck at least to mantain that appear- ance, lest his very throne be swept away by the dictator. Of all Kings in the world, that one which remains the Italian figurehead retains the least ini- tiative influence in his own country. Mussolini is absolute dictator. He has been guided by an etxraconstitutional “council,” not recognized by law. * ok ok ok Within the last few days, the Fascisti have taken steps to perpetuate their power, as part of the constitutional gov- ernment, so that the King will be de- prived entirely of the right to name his premier; all royal power will be nullified. Heretofore the “council” has had no le- gal status, but now the dictator will name and appoint members of the council, and the council, in turn, will fill the vacancy when the premier dic- tator dies. That is a revolution without & battle! This constitutional amend- ment so providing will be presented to Parliament within a few days, and Parliament is but a “rubber stamp.” There are no members in Parliament except such as have been put there by Mussolini; they must obey his mandates. ‘The revolution has been a matter of evolution, the Fascisti gradually absorbing all rights and all power. They abolished the right of any political party to exist in Italy, except Fascismo. They abolished municipal government elective by the people, and so mayors of all cities are appointed by the cen- tral power of the Fascisti. They abol- ished freedom of the press and free- dom of speech. They instituted a sys- tem of spies called the “cheka,” so that no person of however humble station can whisper a word of opposition against Mussolini or the Fascisti gov- ernment without being reported and being persecuted and assaulted ‘“in style,” with weapons such as a flexible club, and beaten into submission. The cheka system is as terrible as the cossacks of Russia, as omnipresent and relentless as the church spies of the Inquisition. The sentences for such ‘“cruel and unusual punishment” (made uncon- stitutional in America) are issued even by the generalissimo of the militia, Gen. Italo Balbo, according to publication in Italian newspapers prior to the com- plete abolition of the freedom of the press in 1924. The letter so ordering punishment 5 quoted from the Italian newspavers in a pamphlet issued in New York entitled “The Fascist Dic- tatorship,” by the International Com- mittee for Political Prisoners. It reads: “To the commander general of the national militia: “As far as the men acquitted in the trial of December 2 are concerned, it will be necessary to explain to them that a change of air and establishment in another province is hygienic. “If they insist upon remaining. and consequently causing moral discomfort, it will be necessary to beat them—not too much, but, as is customary, until they decide to leave. “Show only this part of my letter to the prefect, and say to him, in my name, that I have sufficient evidence to Justify my demand that the ruffians should leave the city and province. The questura will do well to persecute them at least weekly, and let the pre- fect notify the King's procuratore that for a possible beating (which must be in style) no trial is desired. Read this part of the letter to the consiglio fed- erale. If I write this from Rome it is certain that I know of what I speak. That is enough!” When beating a victim “in style,” care is taken to strike only the but not his skull, according to the Cor mittee for Political Prisoners. A man with a broken jaw stays “quiet” a long time, yet he is not killed. * ok %k It is a boast of the Fascisti that they have not killed as many opponents as have the Bolsheviki in Russia. In a pro-Fascist book, “The Universal Aspect of Fascism,” by J. S. Barnes, member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, is this paragraph: considerable gravity are already, at the time of going to print, nearly one year old, namely, those following two con- secutive attempts on Mussolini's life in the Autumn of 1926. What was the an- swer of the Fascist government? The prosecution and imprisonment of hun- dreds of Fascists, the expulsion from the ranks of the party of hundreds more, the dismissal of a large number | of prefects, the strengthening of the numbers and authority of the regular police, and the -assumption of the mir istry of the interior by Mussolini hi Iself, in order that his great prestige jand authority might be exercised di- {rectly on the preservation of order and the enforcement of discipline. “Finally, it may be said in this col nection, to the credit of the Fascist re olution, that the death roll has been ex- ceedingly small in comparison with that entailed by other great revolutions. The total death roll of the revolution is little more than 4,000, and, cf these 4,000 deaths, half have been incurred by the revolutionaries themselves. The victims ~ of . the “revolution number scarcely 2,000! Compare the figures of the French and Russian revolutions.” A footnote reads: “According to the official figures issued by the Moscow government, there were executed (in Russia) over 1,800,000 persons between 1918 and 1923 So the Fascist thanks God “that he is not like other men"— even the Bolshevists, who slaughter mil- lions where he kills thousands. It is interesting to note that Italy’s revolu- tion has already cost 4,000 lives, which i chances to be the same as the number | slain in the Revolution of the Thirteen American Colonies against George IIT in 1776-1783. But our dead were killed in battles, not by cheka assassination. * K ok K Mussolini holds to the theory that all Italians, wherever they live, should still owe allegiance to Italy. He wants them to be registered as “absentee voters” in Italian elections and to be subject to the quiet cottage and the intrusion of | “The last excesses committed of any | Law Against'Boxing In Virginia Quoted To the Editor of The Star: An announcement appears in last Sunday’s Star of the organization and incorporation of a proposed “club” to permit “boxing” and similar events at Arlington Beach. of the exact plans for the conduct of these eveny, Vat if the editor will per- mit me I wish to call attention to cer- tain sections of the Virginia Code of 1924, which read as follows: “Pp. 4426—Prize fighters, pugilism and fights between men and animals: | how punished.—Any person who shall voluntarily engage in a pugilistic en- | counter between man and man or a fight between a man and bull or any other animal for money or other thing | of value or for any championship, or upon the result of which any money | or eny thing of value is bet or waged jor to see which any admission fee is i charged, either directly or indirectly, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and upon conviction shall be punished by confinement in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than five years. By the term ‘pugilistic encounter’ as used in this section is meant any volun- tary fight or personal encounter by blows by means of the fists or other- wise, whether with or without gloves, between two or more men for money or for a prize of any character or for any other thing of value or for any championship or upon the result of which any money or thing of value is bet or wagered. (Cole, 1887, pp. 3693; | 1895-96, p. 546.) “Pp. 4427—Their aiders and abettors; how punished.—Whoever is present at such fight as an aid, second or surgeon, or advises, encourages or promotes such fight, shall, in the discretion of the jury, be punished by confinement in the penitentiary not exceeding three vears, or by fine not exceeding $500, or both. (Code, 1887, pp. 3694.)" It will be noticed that this law is practically the same as that of the District of Columbia, with the addi- tional provision that “aiders and abettors” are subject to penal provi- sions. As _a citizen of Arlington County, may I express the hope, which I believe is common to Arlington people, that nothing is contemplated which the courts would find to be in violation of the provisions of this law. DEETS PICKETT, Research Secretary Board of Temper- ance, Prohibition and Public Morals of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Al rdity Is Cited About Vote Pest To the Editor of The Star: The “don’t-throw-away-your-vote” pest is again busy in our midst, warn- ing not to “throw away your vote” on a candidate who may not win. The idea of this fellow seems to be that any vote . cast for a losing candidate is a “lost” vote. A moment's thought will show the utter absurdity of this view, which apparently holds that the ballot is solely 2 means of selecting public of- ficials. Carried to its logical conclusion, this view would require citizens to dis- regard their convictions and vote only for the party and candidates they be- lieve will surely win. And, then, if they guess wrong, they “lose” their votes, according to the “don’t-throw-away- your-vote” boys. Elections are more than a mere method of selecting public servants. sentiment, of giving each citizen a voice in the Government. They give the voter an opportunity to have a hand in the government of Nation, city and State. Looking at elections from this standpoint, the vote cast for the So- ialist and other minority parties is not “lost”; on the contrary, it is equally as important as the vote of the winning party. If you vote as you believe you have made good use of your ballot, though you may be alone among many thousands. The only vote that is “lost” is the vote that is not cast at all. OLIVER E. CARRUTH. ———— Accuracy of Statement By Hoover Questioned To_the Editor of The Star: In an editorial in Saturday night's Star you commend as “wholly admir- able” Mr. Hoover's statement that “in no other land could a boy from a coun- try village, without inheritance or in- fluential friends, look forward with un- bounded hope.” I must protest. Was it not generally conceded, at the time this statement was made, that it was not in accord- ance with the facts, and that it might easily give offense abroad, coming from a candidate for an office involving very grave international responsibilities! At least one English paper countered, in a good-natured way, by a simple reference to Lloyd George and Rame say MacDonald. Italy might instance Mussolini. and Germany her President Ebert. The list might be carried back through Napoleon to Dick Whittington, and beyond, and it might be made to cover pages. Genuine patriotism, whether in chil- dren or in adults, is not furthered by loose thinking. MISS MAUD G. SEWALL. B Left Turn Protest Lauded by Autoist To the Editor of The Star: I want to congratulate you on your editorial “Protesting the Left Turn.” That turn has brought nothing but con- fusion and delay and certainly ought to go. But with it ought to go also the awkward and confusing left turn where there are traffic lights. I toured 3,300 miles through the Eastern States and Canada this Summer and never met that awkward turn once. What do tourists do when they come to Wash- ington? Not having before met so senseless a regulation, they must make many mistakes. It makes one feel cheap to hear people outside of Washington refer to Washington’s traffic regulations. Some- where back of Washington’s traffic regu- lations there is a woeful lack of in- | telligence, but just where the lack lies I do not know. I do not kno W. C. RUEDIGER. —.—————— Rum-Running Laxity Of Canada Is Chided From the Toronto (Ontario) Daily Star. It may be news to many that the honor of Canada is involved in the prevalence of rum-running to the United States. Yet that is not too strong a statement to make. For on June 6, 1924, this country pledged itself in formal treaty with the United States to deny clearance papers “to any vessel carrying cargo consisting of articles the importation of which Into the territory of the United States is prohibited.” The faflure of Canada to give effect to that pledge may be due to the ab- sence of legislation forbidding the ex- porlation of liquor. But those with whom the treaty was negotiated must have assumed that the Canadian gov- ernment would take whatever steps were necessary, whether by administrative regulation or legal enactment, to make the pledge of value. * * @ Plainly the people of this country are violating the comity of nations, as well as their treaty obligations, in leaving undone anything that would hamper the actions in this country of the ciim- inal gang thav is engaged in the con- spiracy to violate the liquor laws of the United States. call in case of a military crisis for Ital- ian service. The United States Depart- |ment of Labor holds that Fascism makes bad and undesirable American citizens, and that {f a man takes the Fascist oath he should not be permitted to take the oath of allegiance as an American citizen, for the two obliga- tions are antagonistic to each other. (Covyrikhs. 1028, by Paul V. Collins.) T have no knowledge | They are a means of revealing public | J BY FREDERI ‘What do you need to know? Is there some point about your business or per- sonal life that puzzles you? Is there something you want to know withouy 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- quiry 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. How large are circus rings?— G. ‘A. They are of uniform size, having a diameter of 42 feet. Q. How many books are in the 1I- brary of George Washington Univer- sity?>—L. E. T. A. There are 68,000 volumes in the library of this school. Q. How long has the source of the Nile been known?—R. A. L. A. Since remote sntiquity the Nile has been famous for the civilizations developed on its banks. Its sources however, remained a mystery until re. cent times. In 1858 Lake Victoria was discovered by Speke and in 1864 Lake Albert was found by Baker. Q. Are wooden-soled shoes worn by men when breaking up coke around refineries>—H. R. T. A. The Bureau of Mines says that wooden-soled shoes are worn by cer- tain workmen at refineries when break- ing up the coke which has been de- posited in the stills. There remains considerable heat in the stills and be- cause of this the workers wear wooden- s?lcd shoes and other protective de- vices. Q. When was the first school opened in Alaska?—M. E. A. The first known school in Alaska was opened at Three Saints, Kodiak Island, 1785, by Shelikof, a Russian trader, to afford religious and secular training. All schools are now under the Bureau of Education. Q. Does the Government control the supply of helium in this country?— A. N. A. Until recently it did. but with the opening of a new plant to extract helium at Amarillo, Tex., helium has been placed on the open market. Q. How old is Jascha Heifetz, who was recently married to Florence Vidor?—L. T. A. The violinist is 27 years of age. Q. How did coats-of-arms originate? —G. E. C. A. The coat-of-arms is a relic of medieval times of ihe armorial insignia which was embroidered on the cloth worn over the armor to render a knight ¢ .spicuous in battle. Heraldry was developed during the Crusades, when it was necessary for a knight to have some mark by which he might be known. Later the emblems were sys- tematized and recorded. Q. Is salt water denser than fresh water?—W. A. H. A. Sea water is about 3 per cent denser than fresh water. Q. How many miles of track are there in the United States for electric street railways and interurbans?— L. A. The American Electric Railway Association says that the number of miles of track December 31, 1927, was 41,738.62. Q. What does it mean when a letter is_returned to sender with the word “Fraudulent” stamped upon it?—K. B. A. It means that a fraud order has been issued against the company. Q. What part of the ordinary re- ceipts of the Treasury does the income tax furnish?—L. H. A. In the fiscal year 1927 the total ordinary receipts of the United States Treasury Department amounted to $4,128,422,887.61, of which amount $2,- ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS C J. HASKIN. 219.952,443.72 was represented as In- come tax receipts. Q. How much does a man sweat at hard work on a hot day?—R. F. P. A. The Public Health Service that according to observations made by scientists the average quantity of sweat in 24 hours may amount to two or three pints in a person clothed and at an average temperature of 32 degrees Centigrade. Persons engaged in un- usual muscular effort or under other unusual conditions of temperature, hu- midity, or other factors, may excrete considerably more than this amount, or, under certain conditions, less. Q. How many books and pamphlets are there in the library of the Pan- American Union?—E. D. A. The Columbus Library, as it s d, contains more than 70,000 vol- Q. Is there a word for the condition of the atmosphere caused by a_combi- nation of smcke and fog?—R. R. A. Such a condition is called “smog.” . When and why was Glordano | Bruno burned?—G. A. A. Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600 for teaching that there is more than one physical world. Q. When and where was the Robert E. Lee built and did it win its race with the Natchez?—W. J. W. A. The steamboat Robert E. Lee was built in New Albany soon after the Civil War and was towed across th2 Ohio River to the Kentucky side to have her name painted on her wheel~ houses. She was commanded by Capt. John W. Cannon. There was great rivalry between the Robert E. Lee and in the world-famous race, won by the Robert E. Le2 in July, 1870. Q. What was the cost of construc- tion of the bridge across the Colorad) River?—H. T. R. A. The first bridge to span the Col- orado River is nearing completion. Its cost will be $330,000, $100,000 which was appropriated from the tribal funds of the Navajo Indians. Q. Is it not true that an increas> in the weight of airships and airplanes decreases the efficiency?—R. N.. A. In airplanes. increase in size de- creases relative efficiency. The freight load that a plane can sustain in pro- portion to its weight is less as the size of the plane increases. The reverse is true of airships. Every increase in the size of the airship means a decrease in the amount of horsepower required for each passenger. Q. What is the National Home Study Council?>—V. W. A. The National Home Study Coun- cil is the banding together of the out~ standing correspondence schools and several resident schools under fair play standards to protect ambitious people from deception and imposition, and constantly to advance the standards of home study schools. Q. How long has there been a writ= ten language in Hawaii>—C. C. H. A. The Hawaiian is one of the Poly- nesian languages. The written language dates only from the time of the arrival of missionaries in 1820. ‘The alphabet consists of 12 letters which are pro- nounced as in Latin. Q. What is meant by ground game? —A. A. C. A. In English law this applies to hares and rabbits, which are subject to extinction by the occupants of lands to protect their crops from injury and loss. This removes these animals from the protection, which, in the interest of the sporting classes, the English law throws about wild animals which are hunted for sport. Ordinarily, the pos- session of land confers no right to kill or snare game found thereon. but it is not uncommon in England to provide in a lease for the keeping down of ground game. Doom for the communistic experi- ment in Russia is the American in- terpretation of the latest Soviet offer of concessions to foreign capital. “In a frenzy of passionate zeal,” calls the Birmingham News, “the Rus- sian revolutionists slew the RomanofTs, rubbed the old slate clean, loafed around and invited their soul. It has been a sort of dreamers’ republic all cluttered with various theories. Trains of leaders have appeared and disap- peared. Most of the old schools of Soviet leaders have insisted upon na- tional isolation. In these latter days the international separation, detach- ment, has begun to irk. Capital isn’t {in such bad odor. The jingle of the guinea has begun to help the hurt that honor feels. * * * To loaf and in- vite one’s soul for a season is well enough. To try isolation, just to see how it feels to be alone, is a permis- sible experiment. But it is not good for a man, or for a nation, to live alone—permanently.” Among the industries thrown open to private capital the Kansas City Post mentions “mining, machine construc- tion, paper pulp, motor cars, lumber, public utilities and building,” with the provision that “materials for these un- dertakings that are not available in Russia will be admitted duty free,” and the Post offers the comment: ‘“Though these activities undoubtedly will be sub- ject to a degree of governmental reg- ulation considered socialistic elsewhere, this new policy is_virtually an admis- sion of defeat. Russian communism is going so much farther than half way that soon it will be more capi- talistic than socialistic. This was in- evitable in the face of the opposition of foreign countries and the Russian peasants to communal ownership.” * ok ok % “It is not too soon to say that the most extensive experiment in com- munism ever undertaken is passing from its original form,” says the In- dianapolis News, with the explanation: “What_is significant is the evidence that Russia’s rulers are modifying communistic concepts. Exclusive State management of enterprises is no longer to be relied on. This may not mean a gradual transition to capitalism as it exists in practically all other parts of the world; there is no sign of that yet; but sufficient evidence has ac- cumulated to point unmistakably toward & considerable compromise by Soviet chieftains.” “They are offering concessions to: foreign capital,” remarks the San Fran- cisco Bulletin, “but that would be un- necessary if they simply guaranteed to each investor and worker the fruits of his labor. A little foreign capital would be a great help to Russia in her present appalling condition, but the Russian people would soon build up cap- ital of their own if there were rewards | for industry and security for savings. Russia once fed herself and helped to feed half of the rest of Europe. Now she cannot feed herself. The lands are as fertile as ever, but communism has killed the industry of the people.” A similarity between the Russians! abroad and the Shakers in this coun- try is found by the Toledo Blade, which refers to the death of the last survivor of the famous Shaker colony in Ohio, and holds that, in each instance, “the fatal disadvantage is the lack in: centive for individual attainment,” and adds: “Russia’s . communistic experi- ment is u larger-scale failure than that of the Shakers, but the principal reason for both failurcs is the same.” “They tried to make unequal abilities Failure of Communism Seen In Russian Bid for Capital‘ J by proven experts developed into losing ventures. They bocame liabilities in- stéad of assets of the communistic state, and long ago changes were made to give executive direction to industry. Even this did not fill the bill. There was no_incentive of proper reward for real ability. And so it is now that Russia is bidding for the investment of foreign capital in the land.” o w “Soviet Russia has discovered that there are no fly specks on foreign gold” and “filthy lucre is to be invited to pay a visit to the land that detests money™” are the comments of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, while the South Bend ‘Tribune sees “another step away from the communistic Utopia” and “another Soviet confession of failure,” resulting in the decision that “capitalism is a necessity, after all.” “But_ Russia needs something else which is even more difficult to regain than money,” advises the Saginaw Daily News. “It needs the confidence and trust that bolshevism destroyed * * * Ruthlessly enough, the Soviet destroyed the credit that Russia once had, and it is the most difficult thing in the world to revive” Even further, the Waterloo Tribune warns that, “knowing what has happened and is happening in Russia, foreigners will be wary of this new at- tempt to introduce capital * * * To- morrow the radicals, witnessing some success and fearing encroachment of capital again, may take over the con- cessions.” Nevertheless, the Seattle Daily Times believes that “if Soviet Russia shows by its acts that it is sincere, it is probable that success will attend its efforts,” and the Kalamazoo Gazette state: talin evidently realizes that his country needs the support of foreign capital for the development of its immense natural resources, and that such support cannot be obtained without a decided broad- ening of the government's economic policy.” UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR Ten Years Ago Today. Opening the fourth Liberty loan drive in New York City, President Wilson stirs an audience of 5,000 Liberty loan workers and representative men and women by asserting that the peoples of the world are sweeping statesmen and rulers before them, and have taken the issues of the war into their own hands and have resolved that justice and peace shall be established on earth by the complete defeat of the arbitrary and ruthless rule of force repre- sented by Germany. * * ¢ 1st American Army continues its drive, and captures 4 more towns and 3,000 more prisoners. Savage counterattacks by Prussian Guard troops were repulsed by cur men, many of them fighting for the first time. The American advance precipitated an engagement of great Intensity. German resistance becom- ing desperate as the Americans near their Kriemhilde lines. * * * French troops in the battle line east of Reims make further advance, and have taken more than 10,000 prisoners in two days, together with more than a dozen villages and important strategic points. ¥ % * Attacking before dawn, Haig’s forces advance on a 14-mile front, cross the Canal du Nord and pierce the Hindenburg line at several cqual,” declares the Memphis Commer- cial appeal. ut no law, nor any ex- ccutive direction can achieve that ab- surdity. So it was that factori-s oper- ated by political favorites rather than: points. * * * Bulgaria asks armi- stice of allies for purpose of discussing peace, * o Four _hundred and s;,neltxs"-mvu’r cs':cuamzs. released tod;;’ e War tm contain 1 killed in action. ROrtmRh <3 ol