Evening Star Newspaper, November 15, 1928, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR |on the 2d of May, 1912. It confirmed | way concerns, pay & tax on bus opera- With Sunday Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. .November 15, 1028 THEODORE W. NOYES. . . .Editor The Imlu!shr ng.pt_p- Company 11en st e n%uyb?l'nn Ave. fiu: 110 East ce: New York o fl\ 8. 14 Ernt b Lotidon. rur e Rate by Carrier Within the City. vening Star_. ... 43¢ per month o ng snd (when 4 Sundays) .80¢ per month The Evening and Sunday Star (vhen & Sundava)..... ‘The Sunday Star llectisn made orde gl o T rs mas e sent In by mall of telep Bain 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and vllr‘ln!nl. gy iaanine L ¥ Bunday cnly ..... T, $4.00: 1 me All Other States and Canada. Batly snd Sunday..1 781 1 Daily only .. " > Sindas ony yr. $5.00: 1 mo. Member of the Associated s ted in this paper and also the ews published hereln. All rights of publication of special dispatches hereln so reserved. Now for the Vestris Facts. Memories of the Titanic disaster of over sixteen years ago are revived by the Vestris horror at sea. Despite wide differences of conditions, there is a cer- tain likeness between the two catas- trophes. Both were avoidable and in both there was evident mismanagement after the fact to cause increase in the casualties. In both the radio played an important part in summoning aid, and but for it the losses, appalling as they were, would have been far greater. In the case of the Titanic the ship was driven at full speed into a field of peril, where it was known that icebergs were present. In the case of the Vestris the ship was kept on her way after she had begun to take in water and to list dangerously, in a heavy storm, and aid was not summoned until a very short time before she sank. In 1912, following the Titanic dis- aster, there was a protracted inquiry. A committee of Congress, despite the | fact that the shin was of foreign reg- | istry and sank in midocean, undertook to develop the facts through investiga- tion, with reference to the question of culpability on the part of the ownership and management. Now, the Vestris disaster is to be investigated. Already an inquiry has been started by the Fed- eral district attorney in Neéw York. ‘There is a proposal that the Department of Commerce conduct another inquiry, and the inevitable suggestion of a con- gressional investigation has been broached. It is vitally important that the facts regarding the Vestris’ sinking should be ascertained at once, while the survivors and witnesses are available. There are certain specific accusations. One is that the ship’s boats were in bad con- dition, leaky and improperly provisioned and incapable of being safely launched at sea. Another is that the cargo was not properly stowed, with the result that it shifted - during the storm and crashed about and knocked holes in bulkheads and caused leaks. Another is that the rubber flanges of the coal ports had disintegrated so that the ship toek in great quantities of water in the heavy seas. There are details of equipment and management that can be determined with prompt research. As to the question of judgment in the sending out of danger signals, which were delayed for perhaps as many as twelve hours after the ship was actually in peril, there can be no absolute rule of guidance. The judgment of the ship's master determines. It is his duty to keep his ship going as long as he deems it safe. He is faced by the laws | of salvage in a manner to induce him | to avold as long as possible the call for help that will entail a heavy loss upon his company. At the same time he is responsible for the lives of his pas- sengers and crew. As between the money loss of possible salvage service and the loss of life there can never be rocm for hesitation or doubt as to the proper course of procedure. It is evicent now that Capt. Carey made & mistake—a ghasily, horrible mistake, He thought his ship would | weather the storm and right itself and | he delayed his message of distress too | long. He has paid for his blunder with | his life. H: has at least been true to the tradition of the sea in that respect. But his gallantry of final bearing does not compensate for the losses, for the | little children abandoned to the sea, the women left struggling in the water, the | men who died because somebody blun- dered. If there was inadequate inspection at port, giving the ship improperly a cer- tificate of seaworthiness, despite disin- tegrated flanges and undependable life- | boats, somebody in the Steamboat In- spection Service of the Department of Comumerce is at fault and should be held responsible. If the owning company did not itself provide proper safeguards, re- | lying upon the perhaps perfunctory in- spection of the Federal service, it is to be held accountable. And the penalties that are administered, if blame is found to rest upon those who are within the reach of the iaw, should be severe enough to assure more strict compliance hereafter with the laws, written and unwritten, governing seamanship and marine transportation. ————— A busy man all his life, President- elect Hoover refuses to stand by and wait for Inauguration day. ———— The Titanic Disaster. In the case of the steamship Titanie, which sank after collision with an ice- berg off the shore of Newfoundland, April 14, 1912, two investigations were conducted, one on this side and one in England, the ship being of British reg- istry. A committee of the United States Senate, which was then in session, im- mediately began an inquiry, summoning all available witnesses to this city. After protracted sessions it made a re- port which blamed the commander of the Titanic for ignoring warnings of the presence of ice in the course of the ship and also blamed the management for failure to provide proper life-pre- serving apparatus. The Senate commit- tee likewise censured the British Board lof Trade for laxity of regulations and for inadequate inspections. the findings of the Senate committee, but made a report that was less severe in terms. The commander of the ship was exonerated, but the Board of Trade was blamed for its failure to revise the rules. The court made recommenda- tions as to lifeboats and water-tight bulkheads, which were presumably car- ried into effect, but there is no available record at present to indicate. As far as the roll of the ship company kept at Liverpool disclosed, the Titanic carried 2,208 persons. Of these, only 705 were saved and 1503 were lost. This was one of the most terrible dis- asters in history, and the most shocking feature of {t was that it was absolutely without need. The ship was on her maiden voyage. She was a new «crea- tion, supposedly the last word in marine construction. The managing director of the owning company and other officials 40c (of the line were aboard. Yet entering a zone of known ice peril she was driven ahead at high speed, only to crash into , @ berg, the presence of which had been indicated by a fall of temperature un- noted by those on watch. A slight turn of the helm, a slackening of speed, a show of ordimary caution in a zone of danger and the Titanic would have been saved. These memories of one of the world's greatest marine disasters are revived by the sinking of the Vestris and the con- sequent inquiry into the question of re- sponsibility which has already started. Cabinet-Making. From Palo Alto comes word, on his own authority, that President-elect | Hoover “has had no conierences rela- tive to selection of his cabinet.” It is added that he “does not intend to hold any until he returns to tkis country” from Latin America. No doubt this is the literal truth. But between conferences about a cabi- net ‘and cogitations thereover is a mighty difference. That Herbert Hoo- ver is immersed in deep heart-search- ing on the subject can hardly be ques- tioned. It is the specter that rises up to confront and confound a President- elect from the moment the electorate’s choice has descended upon him. Ware ren G. Harding, writing to & friend in January, 1921, two mon‘hs before his inauguration, observed: “I think it will be no indiscretion to say in reply to your note that the choosing of a cabi- net is very much of a job.” It is. It is one of the most perplex- ing of the many big jobs Herbert Hoo- ver has ever tackled. He has nearly as many hungry politicians to succor as he had Belgians to feed fourteen years ago. His plight does not differ from that of a score and more of his predecessors in the White House. The dogma that “to the victors belong the spoils” may have been of Jacksonian origin, but it long since became bi-partican gospel. President-elect Hoover, despite his iwell known dislike of the tricks of the political trade, recognizes tnat ours is a Government based upon the party sys- tem. The party system calls for,patron- age, and patronage unfailingly causes incoming Presidents perturbation un-~ confined. Mr. Hoover's troubles will spring from the necessity tc rec:v:ncueI legitimate party obligations with estab- lished fitness for office. It is authoritatively stated on Mr. Hoover’s behalf that he takes office un- hampered by entangling alliances of any personal nature or by campaign pledges calling for personal reward. The Californian, as a member of the Harding cabinet, must have become pain- fully aware of the pitfalls into which a President can stumble, shackled in ad vance by embarrassing affiliations, The country is well assuied that Her- bert Hoover is not burdencd with such menacles. It is persuaded that the ed- ministration of which he is to be chief engineer will be manned, trom stem to stern, by persons distinguished for ef- ciency rather than for woiitical merit. No single one of the monumental tasks which the President-elect has per- formed at home and abroad could have been surmounted had any other method of selection prevailed. It is the Hoover system. It is certain to have full sway in the make-up of his cabinet, no mat- ter how many ambitious and deserv- ing Republicans go “rolling down to Rio"—or Buenos Aires—to put fervent fleas in the presidential ear. } § ———t—— Medical men pursue experiments de- pending on the remarkable resem- blances of the blood of man to that of apes, and refuse to believe that con- troversy concerning evolution should in- | fluence laboratory work. —rene. | As a new figure in national politics, ' Gov. Smith's friends do not hesitate | to assure him that he did very well for a beginner. B ) Equalizing Bus Taxes. No better example of the need for a revision of the District’s antiquated law on licenses and fees is available than the recommendations just made by the Public Utilities Commission for equalizing taxes on bus companies. The recommendations have been placed in the hands of a committee now engaged in suggesting changes in the license laws, which will be placed before Con- gress. Twenty-seven years ago, when the' present law was put into effect, there were no busses and it is to be doubted if any one foresaw the con- dition that exists today. Consequently a new form of transportation has been developed and is attaining a healthy growth in the Capital, free from the burden of paying what should be a just revenue to the community, whose streets and facilities it uses in its busi- ness, Today the street car companies which operate busses pay a tax amount- ing to four per cent of gross revenue from the operation- of such vehicles over defined routes, and a four per cent tax on revenue from the charter hire of busses. This tax is imposed bscause the taxes on street car companies are well defined in law. But the independ- ent bus companies escape this tax altogether, for the simple reason that they do not happen to be operating street cars. In the case of two Wash- ington concerns, they pay a personal property tax and a fee for the “jitney license.” Other bus companies, operat- ing in Washington, but not Washington companies, merely pay the “jitney li- cense” fee, amecunting to nine dollars per year per vehicle, The recommendation of the Public tion amounting to six or eight mills per bus mile. The former figure is favored by the commission, in view of the fact that the Washington Rapid Transit Co., with a ten-cent fare, is now unable to pay interest out of earnings. The six- mill tax would serve to distribute the tax burden evenly among the bus com- panies, but would not materially in- crease the gross revenue from bus tax- ation now received by the District. The purpose of the suggested change is not more revenue, but revenue more evenly divided among those who pay it. . “Tainted” Money. Out in Louisville, Ky., generally con- sidered a State as warm-hearted as it is broad-minded, a group of ministers sitting in denominational conference, has juét voted against .the "acceptance by orphanages under their jurisdiction of a considerable sum of money raised on behalf of those nstitutions by means of a one-day charily race meeting. It will always remain a puzzie in the minds of many persons as to why funds from any legitimate source should be deemed unworthy of use for a worthy purpose. There are undeniably many who disapprove of horseracing, and par- ticularly of betting on horseracing. One would think, however, that the mental reaction of such of these as arc concerned with the furtherance of an orphanage would be one of extra de- light that the contributions came through these who had enjoyed this sinful pleasure. As a matter of fact, not a dollar comes to any organization of any sort that has not, at some time, been tainted to a greater or a lesser degree. To ac- cept money direct from, for example, a charitable burglar or hi-jacker, would not be proper, for it was not his to give. On the other hand, a pickpocket, a blue-sky promoter or a bookmaker may need a gas stove and may purchase that article from a prosperous manufac- turer, who later can give the same money—perhaps the identical bill—to any favored charity with perfect pro- priety. The Kentucky colonel who arranged this race meet held it on the grounds of his beautiful farm near Lexington. He bore all expenses of the affair, which attracted thousands of sport-loving peo- ple from all sections of the country. The proceeds were to be divided among thirty different Kentucky orphanages, For clergymen to meet in solemn con- clave and decline the gift handed over by him would seem to be a reflection on a worthy man and a distinct injus- tice to a goa§ many thousand of little children for whose benefit gate-money and bets had been turned into bread and butter, pinafores, and, mayhap, a piece or two of much-needed play- ground apparatus, Economists are pretty well agreed that the American system of politics could not survive if there were not al- ways on hand a minority party, willing to face defeat for the sake of having both sides of an argument intelligently expressed. ———— In spite of the wonders of modern ship equipment, a catastrophe at sea reverts to the primitive causes that threatened the first sailing vessel. The “human element” is ever-powerful and good seamanship is the first essential. et Aviators cannot be ‘expected 6 re- frain from reference to the Vestris as thowing that the airplane, with all its perils, sacrifices only a few at a time. ——ra—— Wall Street has found prosperity going at such a rate that the stock ticker is left far behind in an effort to keep up with it. ——r———— - The farmers of the country are again disappointed. The political forecasts have in many instances been as disap- pointing as the weather reports. ———— Burdens of the police are consider- ably lightened by millionaire bootleg- gers who secure guns and go after one another, e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Asking a Favor. As mighty Fortune comes or goes, Man sdon or late must ask repose. “What do you crave,” said Fate, grown kind, “To satisfy your eager mind? Will you have jewels flaching bright And courtiers bowing, left and right, Where Beauty reigns, with plush and plume, ) And fragrance fills the lofty room? What will you ask? A part you've done Which marks you for reward well won. | 8o, now, what favor fits you best?" “Grant me,” the hero sighed, “a rest.”” Statesman and His Public. “Your public has forgotten some of your important services.” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum, “and it has also refused to recall certain rather indiscreet remarks I made in years gone by. No wise statesman wants a public with too good a memory.” Jud Tunkins says a man is never out of politics so long as he has his voice and a hopeful disposition. No “Safety First.” Of all the puzzles known to man, This is, perhaps, ths worst: To formulatz a perfect plan For what's called “safety first.” It makes no difference where you ar: In all this earth’s domain; You'll have to dodg> a motor car Or else an aeroplane. Influential Citizen. “Do you find that attention to the duties of home interferes with your po- litical influence?” “No,” answered the woman who speaks gently. “I have been taking care of a family of twelve and every one of its members votes the way I say.” “Children cry for the moon,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown. “When they grow older they face cruel hazards for objects no less beyond their reach.” How Can It Be Done? The planets hold a rapid course Through many constellations, With no policeman to enforce The traffic regulations, " 'Tain't no use trying to lead a lazy life,” said Uncle Eben. "“When a man Utilities Commission is that all bus ain' got anything to do, he goes fishin’ The Briteh court of inquiry began companies, including the street rall- an gits tired an worried jes' de same.” \ THE EVENING STAR. WASHINGTON, D. ©. THURSDAY. NO VEMBER 15, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. It is a pleasure to return good for evil, if for no other reason than to sce how people take it. It is an infallible test. The gentleman will show himself to be a gentleman. The gentlewoman will prove herself a gentlewoman. ‘The roughneck will unfailingly come out a roughneck and the ill bred woman show herself to be something of a hussy. Knowingly or unknowingly, every one brands himself for what he is. The psychological experimenter, there- once judge and jury as well as chron- icler of events in his own mind. Returning good for evil is thus taken out of the sphere of religious abstrac- tion and placed squarely in practicai juse in everyday life. ‘Those happy persons who can apply | this great rule and at the same time have achieved the crown of without_suspecting it. e ‘This scientific approach to a funda- mental twofold problem is not always understood. Like the scientific approach to any- thing, it is so free from human emo- | tions that many persons who wish to be fair are utterly unable to under- stand it. Yet nothing is more true than that human relations can be made the sub- ject of scientific cxperiments as well as the elements into which this universe is divided. Not even rare gases are as subtle as the human spirit, which yields itself, nevertheless, to the scientist who approaches it correctly. The first step in this interesting ap- proach is to free the mind from anger. As long as ire plays any part in the experiment there is a residue which clogs the delicate apparati ,involved. Choler has long been understood to be one of the greatest brakes on the pur- suit of happiness, not only by individ- uals, but by nations. In every phase of international, national and personal life the specter of anger lifts its ugly face, ready to throw discretion to the winds, eager to make a howling monkey out of what was the moment before a reasoning man. Thus the experimenter with good and evil finds it necessary to rid his mind of anger, if not wholly at least to an extent unknown among those who live simple animal lives. It is because most people live such lives that they are not able to understand how the experi- menter can say and do certain things entirely free from human anger. Un- able to lput themselves in similar situa- tions without anger, they declare that no_one else can do it. Just as they have never deliberately experimented along these lines, so they also fail to disassociate such experi- menting from human anger and there- fore invariably give as the cause for such experimenting the very thing that played no part in it. L If anger has no place in such experi- ments, neither has the ordinary motive in human society, the simple, uncom- pounded desire to “get back at some one.” Those who live entirely on the plane of cause and effect, who invariably hit back when hit, always refuse to admit that any one else can live by a rule which will not permit him to indulge in such natural reactions. Thus they not only fail to understand the great martyrs of history—they even more misunderstand those who in everyday life have passed beyond the human de- fe, often | ‘With the “co-dperation” of the United States Marines, Nicaragua has held the most peaceful election of a President in the history of the country. And now, in spite of the alleged “imperialism” of the North American monster, known as the United States, all the American ad- visers are immediately withdrawing from that country and the Marines are preparing to tollow within a few days— (or as soon as the native police can be organized to take over the task of keep- ing order. It was a remarkably quiet, orderly election on November 4. Even the bandit chief, Sandino, who had been in re- bellion against the de facto and de jure administration, and who had defied the Americans when we were asked by both parties to preserve order, failed to dis- turb election day, while 100,000 citizens went to the and cast their ballots without outside influence controlling a single one. And Sandino’s Gen. Mon- cada is elected President! %o e There was no question as to who was “boss” around the polls. There were 13 departmental chairmen, and 12 of them were American Army officers, with a Liberal and Conservative Nicaraguan completing each of the 13 committees. In every voting precinct there was an American non-commissioned officer or private—all competent to_speak the language of the country—351 of them on duty throughout the day. And so Gen, formerly chief critic of the United States was elected and will depend uoon the force and influence of the United States to uphold him in his of- fice. lcgal, he may rely upon that support while he upholds the Nicaragua consti- tion and laws, and respects our inter- national rights and the rights of other nations. i * ok ok ok In an article published by Foreign Notes, writien by Isaac J, Cox, pro: fessor of Latin American history, North- western University, this is said: 5 “Stormy times are evidently aheac for the new administration. Such. in- tervention as has occurred can only bc justified as it promiscs to establish permanent peace and order and insurc continued protection to foreign property interests, including those of our own citi- zens 1f the United States is willing alter each four years, to continue suck experiments as we have just witnessed and in the interim to watch carefull, that no setback occurs, we may in the course of one or two generations meas- ure a respectable advance on the part political self-sufficiency. In the mean time, there is little prospect that our Merines can be withdrawn from tha. troubled land or that its people wil make substaniial advance toward self- government or that other Latin Ameri- cfn countiies will cease to criticiz American procedure there and at othe: points in the Caribbean.” ok * K How much of Prof. Cox’s remarks must be taken as criticism of the policy of American intervention to preserve or- der among Latin American neighbors at the request of their government is no quite obvious. Does he question the propriety or obligation of the United Statcs to so act? If it is sarcasm, 1 is micleading, to say the least. This same Prof. Cox has written a book, “Nicaragua and the Unitew States,” in which he publishes man’ quotations from Central anc South American newspapers denouncing th: alleged “imperialism™ of President Cool idge and Secretary Kellogg. One sucl editorial from La Nacion of Buenc: Aires, which he classes as a “judicial utterance,” makes this allegation: “Fresident Coolidge, in the matter of Yl‘o'tc“nl the rights of his country be- ore a weak Central American nation, practically establishes a doctrine of act ing in an unwarranted manner on me: disquieting or vague threats M"m.‘ur; to his country’s potential righte. * ook “Unwarranted?” In answer to the too ready attacks of partisanism at home, and unintelligent | As the election was so falr and | o™, "t name 'for the interfercnce of Nicaragua and her neighbors towarc. | fore, gets a “kick” out of life which | others miss, since he is able to be at | keep in mind its religious significance | |can be where he will not discover fine BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V., COLLINS. | | | | | | Moncada, the Libsral who was| | | sists in help and assistance lent by one | {on this side of the world.. Or we had | sire to “get back” at another for some real or fancied evil action. Our human experimenter returns | good for evil not simply becauss re-, ligion tells him to—he would do it any- way, because it Is as interesting, in its way, as the other procedure undoubt- edly is in its too extended sphere. By simple experiments in human goodness he is able to find out in a few minutes what might otherwise take him years to_discover. | There is nothing spectacular about ! his experiments. No laboratory work- | er, unseen and unheralded. ever went about chemical experiment with less publicity. Just as the chemist holds his test tube up to the window, so our | experimenter holds a human being up to the clear light of the human intelli- | gence. It is really a thrilling thing. | Without malice (although some might attribute it to him, of course), without | anger (although some might think he posaessed it), he docs or says something | which demands a certain reaction. He does not set up out of a clear sky either the action or the reaction. Humanity has, through its centuries of existence, made both action and re- action. Civilization has formulated certain rules, certain standards, which civilized beings who take pride in their status in the universe adhere to be- cause they know instinctively they are right according to all the knowledge which mankind has of himself after thousands of years of cxistence. *x e Let us see how this works. Suppose some one—a woman, for in- stance—has gone out of her way to treat a friend capriciously. ~They finally come to the parting of the ways. She returns one of his gifts. He replies with a letter, which is so courteously worded, so utterly sincere, that it demands an answer. Now this | is the crux of the experiment. He knows that it demands an answer. He did not invent the test, he did not formulate the rules. He simply worked with certain agents which the world had long tested and thoroughly under- stood. The experiment was a standard one. A woman of inherently good heart would respond to it by making some sort of answer if it were no more than a formal note of thanks. The woman of lesser standards would equally re- spond to it by making no response whatsoever! Thus the infallible test | never fails to function. Just as a jew- eler tells a false diamond with a cer- tain test, so our experimenter detectsa false gentlewoman by means of & let- ter. She had been weighed in the scales and found wanting. Our experimenter plies his experi- ments in the most public places without batting an eye, for what he works with is invisible. There is no place he people and their reverse. But just as wit is most often interesting when it is ill-natured, so experiments which re- sult in discovering dross often prove the most interesting. This 1s a fault of human nature which God no doubt will correct in time. He loans a book to one who is, so far as he knows, only mildly interested in him. He is. therefore, free from any possible admixture of anger or any- thing other than a simple interest. The man keeps the book two months, then appears with it one day across the street from the public vehicle stop where our experimenter stands. The latter notes with interest (being the | scientist he is) that the other waits on the other side of the street until the vehicle comes along. A gentleman would have come over at first. Is it not an interesting game? jealousy abroad, it suffices to remind | the critics that this aid given to Nica- ragua _at the request not only of its| legal President, Gen. Diaz, but also of | his opponents, except the young bandit, Sandino, is not “intervention” at all— | much less “imperialism”—but is defined | by highest international authorities as| co-operation.” ~ (See John Bassett Moore's Digest of International Law.) It must not be overlooked that th action of the United States in Nica. ragua was approved by a law of Con-! gress before the diplomatic events, and | {hat the law, passed in 1926, distinctly | authorized and stipulated the protection of American interests in that country. Nor does that policy of the adminis- | tration differ from the principles estab- | lished by our earliest leaders, even long ! before the pronouncement of the Mon- | roe Doctrine in 1823, as voted by | President Jefferson. | Defining_what is_intervention, Op- | penheim, in his standard work, “In-| ternational Law” (volume 1, page 189), | sa. “But it must be emphasized that in- | tervention proper is always dictatorial ; interference, not interference pure an simple. Therefore must neither be con- feunded with good offices, nor with | mediation, nor ‘with intercession, nor | with co-operation, because none of these imply dictatorial interference. | 'Good offices is the name of such! acts of friendly powers interfering in a conflict between two other states as tend to call negotiations into existence for the peaceable sattlement of the con- flict, and mediation is the name for the direct conduct on the part of a friendly power of such negotiations. Interces- | consisting in friendly advice given, or friendly offers made, with regard to the domestic affairs of another state, H ““‘And, lastly, co-operation is the a) pellation of such interference as con- state to another at the latter's request for the purpose of suppressing an in- ternal revolution. Thus, for example. Russia sent troops in 1849, at the re. | quest of Austria, into Hungary to as- sist Austria in suppressing the Hun- garian revolt.” * k% * | So the United States co-operated with President Diaz in’safeguarding a peaceful election in Nicaragua, which election results in victory of Diaz's chief rebel opponent. Gen. Moncada. That comes directly under the definition given by both Moore and Oppenheim, | differentiating between ‘“intervention” (which must be dictatorial) and ‘“co- operation,” which is not dictatorial, but friendly assistance given at the request of the logal government. 1f, however, the legal government | had failed to ask for co-operation, the United States might have “intervened” in full accord with international law, under the “primacy” of this country and the Monroe Doctrine forbidding | European nations from acquiring terri- tory in this hemisphere, on the ground of our “primacy” of superior interest | a right to “intervene” to protect onr | acouired purchased authority to build and protect an interoceanic canal across Nicaragua. the right costing us £2,000.000 and being of vital importance to our national safety against foreign menace. We therefore might have ex- ercised a right to protect our interests in Niceragua in view of the purchased canal license there, identical with simi- lar treatv rights of intervention in the Republic of Panama for the protec- tion of our Panma Canal. But such a question of real intsrvention in Nica- ragua remains mersly academic, for there has bsen no intervention; that, as already defined, requires dicta- torial action adverse to the independent mve:':eimty of the Nicaraguan govern- ment. Even Prof. Cox, above quoted as criti- cizing the Coolidge administration as to our Niearagua action, says, “Hitherto its course might be termed one of in- terference rather than intervention," until after President Diaz had given renswed promise of protecting our rights to the canal under the Bryan-Chamor- whereunnn the United States sent 5,000 men with plenty of munitions d | subjects and the character of work lin Science Discovers New Form Soup Fish BY E. E. FREE, PH. D. | Science is about to present the world's cooks with a new dish, toheroa soup. | The toheroa is a shellfish, remotely | like an oyster, which lives in enormous numbers on sandy beaches on the is- | lands of New Zealand. Tried success- | fully as food by the inhabitants of the | islands, these shellfish have attracted | the attention of Australian food ex- perts and are to be cooked, canned and shipped to Europe and America, both as meat and as soup. The latter | delicacy is said to be an improvement on oyster soup in flavor and to be equally nutritious. Laboratory tests | disclose, New Zealand dietitians claim, | that the toheroa is unugually well | supplied with vitamin A “the same | vitamin which exists in cod liver oil | and in butter. It has been discovered also that the bodies of the toheroas contain surpris- | ingly large amounts of chlorophyll, the | chemical substance which is responsible for the green color of leaves and which | is supposed to bz valuable in animal ! foods because of its chemical resem- blance to the red hemoglobin of blood. | This chlorophyll is produced only in | the vegetable kingdom, not by animals; | but the toheroa, lying snugly on the bottoms of the New Zcaland beaches, eats enormous numbers of microscopie, green plantlets which float in the water, | thus acquiring the chlorophyll, the chemical substance of which "will be passed on, the makers promise, to the toheroa soup. UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR Ten Years Ago Today. | American forces are busy preparing | for an advance toward Germany. | American divisions will follow the with- drawing German armies to the French border and then, proceeding on to Ger- man sofl, will occupy the assigned zone along the Rhine. * * * Gen. Pershing, addressing his troops, congratulates them on the splendid victory achieved and urges them to continue well dis- ciplined, correct in their behavior and respectful of civil rights while on alien territory. * * * The new German gov- ernment appeals to President Wilson to send peace plenipotentiaries at once, and are told that their appeals must properly be referred to the Supreme War Council. * * ¢ Fifteen thousand re- l~ased prisoners of war came througn the American lines northeast of Ver- dun today clad in ell sorts of male and female garments, anything to keep them warm. * * * Republic declared in Hun- gary today, with full suffrage for men and women planned. * * * The return of American soldiers, is waiting on the course of European events. Supreme ‘War Council must work out the ques- tion of how many will be kept overseas for guard duty. * * * Some predict that armies will be needed to quell revolu- tionary movements in Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary. * * * The French minstry of justice orders criminal pro- ceedings be instituted against German officers accused of atrocities. ! the moon shines in the Arctic and Ant- | When it is above the horizon, and full | | Great Hall of the Vatican Library, in ANSWERS TO Any reader can get the answer to any question by writing to our Infor- mation Bureau in Washington, D. C. This offer applies strictly to informa- tion. The bureau cannot give advice on legal, medical and financial matters. It does not attempt to settle domestic troubles nor undertake exhaustive re- search on any subject. . Write your question plainly and briefly. Give full name and address and inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. The reply is sent direct to the inquirer. Address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, | ‘Washington, D. C. Q. Have foreign countries as good | roads as those of the United States?— A. A A. Europe does not have the motor | traffic that is &mnt in this country, | therefore lags behind us in rapld ex- tension of concrete, asphalt. and brick | road surfaces. With the increase of | motor traffic abroad, foreign engineers | are interesting themseives in our road- | building program. Leading highway of- | ficials of all parts of the world are com- ing to the United States in 1930 in response to an invitation extended by our Government. Q. How many persons are burned to death each year?—N. N. V. A. It is estimated that about 15,000 human lives are lost annually in the United States as the result of fires. Q. During the long nights or period of twilight in the Arctic or Antarctic regions, does the moon shine?—W. H. Z. A. The Naval Observatory says that arctic regions for a part of the time during the long nights. At the Pole itself the moon is above the horizon continuously during one-half of each lunar month and below the horizon continuously during the other half. In the Wintertime full moon occurs when the moon is above the horizon, and new moon when it is below. while in the Summertime new moon oceurs moon when it is below. Q. Where world>—W. A. The word “room” is not always in- terpreted in the same way. Some of the places listed might be excluded un- der some interpretations of the word. Among the largest of which we can find record are the Battle Gallery of Versailles in France, which is 394, feet long. 43 feet wide. The Glass Gallery in the same bullding is 235 feet long, 35 feet wide and 42 feet high. The is the largest room in the | E. H. Rome, is 220 feet long, while the Gal- leria Lapideria, in the Vatican, is 700 feet long. Q. Who rang the Liberty Bell when the Declaration of Independence was adopted?—A. B. A. Andrew McNair, the official ringer of the Liberty Bell from 1759-1776, rang the bell upon the occasion of the signing of the Declaration of Independ- ence. . Q. Why is Death Valley so hot and Trial College Reports Progress Prom the Kansas City Journal-Post. The experimental college, a college within a college, which has been in ex- istence in the University of Wisconsin for more than a year, is able to make an_interesting report of achievement. Only freshmen were matriculated fhe first year. but now there is a sophomore class. Nothing is said as to selection of the comparatively small number ac- commodated. They were volunteers, of course, but the remarkable record made in all kinds of student activities, in- cluding athletics. musle, drama and Journalism, betrays the fact that they were unusual. They could not have received at the start of their school work en opnortunity to show their qualittes which resulted in their pro- motlon to posts of responsibility had they not been unusual students, with preparatory records that justified such opportunities. This factor interferes with critical judgment of the experiment. It is re- grettable . that the opportunities were not withheld until the sophomore year, so that the observers might clearly watch the effect of the experimental | college, which leaves the selection of lareely to student volition after con- sultation with the faculty advisers. But the class evidently had a fine time during the year. They made a special study of Greek life in the time of Aristophanes, when Athens was in its full glory. This universal genius, Wwhote satire has been applicable to hundreds of situations in subsequent centuries, might very profitably be studied more in all institutions and by Ecxl';wnx who long ago left academic alls. Specfal care was shown to introduce | th students to many other studies un- A. The Calif,, is due in a measure to its con- figuration. It consists of a long, nar- row, parallel valley, considerably below sea level. ~The Panamint Mountains shut_out from it the moist winds of the T'ecific so that in August there is less than one-half of 1 per cent of moisture in the atmosphere. Q. Is there any way to keep pump- kins throughout the Winter>—A. R. A. Pumpkins may be kept fresh un- til Spring if gathered just before fully dry?—L. G. climate of Death Valley, QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ]. HASK] method is to place them on shelves, seeing that they do not touch each other and occasionally wiping them off with a dry cloth, or peeled, cut up, sune dried and properly storéd, they can be used all the year. Q. What are the names of the twé new ocean liners recently built in Gere many?—B. A. T. A. The FEuropa and the Bremem, They represent the latest developments in the construction of the ocean grey- hound of today. They are equlrpea with devices for launching airplanes from their decks. Q. What is the size of the diamond that features the new capitol in Hae vana?—S. O. M. A. This diamond is being placed in the dome floor of the building. It is said to weigh 50 carats and is the gift of a millionaire Cuban Senator, whose urpose was to provide a “fitting top™ for the new building. Q. Was it decided that there was & tribe of white Indians? . M. R. A. Three of the white Indians were brought to New York in 1924 and ex- amined by distinguished anthropolo- gists and ethnologists. Although the men of science are not entirely agreed on an explanation of the strange blond« ness of these people, the weight of opinion is that they are probably al- binos—or, as Mr. Marsh, who brought them to New York, put it, pseudo- albinos. Apart from their color they are like the San Blas Indians among whom they were found and show no indication of any Caucasian blood. That blondness of the sort should be common in Darien seems improbable, for albinism is nowhere common; but | there is no other solution of the probe lem that seems so likely. Q. Are crayfish akin to lobsters?— G. ‘A Shrimp«. pawn and crayfish are allied to the lobster, the crayfish often being called “fresh water lobster.” Q. How much damage 18 done to tele- phone wires by ice and sleet?—M. V. A. The damage runs into millions of dollars. At times sleet or ice forms on | the wires to a weight of 5 pounds to the foot, and a mile of wire is bearing an enormous burden. It is not sf that so many wires break under the strain. Q. What is the local namé of the glblt‘scua. Hawaii's national flower?— “A._The flower emblem. of Hawali is the Pua Alealo. Q. Can the speaker cord on a radio cause a crackling noise?—B. N. A. A defective or loose speaker cord does cause trouble. It should be re- placed with & new one. Q. Should a window be left open in a closed automobile, even in cold weather>—S. F. P. A. For proper ventilatton, at least one window should be slightly open. This is also a precaution against pos- sibility of carbon monoxide ipoum'llx:l due to some improper functioning the machine, Q. What: counties in England are rale{regv to as the “home counties"?— A. Middlesex, Surrey;. Kent, Essex and sometimes Hertford and Sussex, counties bordering on London, are called the “home counties,” Q. Is the water urougd Cape Horn navigable the year around?—A. A. X. . It is possible to round the Horn at all seasons of the year Q. How old should a patrot be when it begins to talk?’—E. B. ! ripe and if the storage place is dry, cool and protected from frost. The bast A. If a parrot, is a talking parrot, it should talk before it is 1 year old. Ancient and M ultra-modern in actual progress with its ancient traditions of governmsnt and ceremony never was more strik- world than by the awesome formaliti-s attending the enthronement of Emperor Hirohito. ‘The ceremony is described by the Co- lumbia State as “unquestionably the ent in all history,” and that paper says of its significance: “The Japanes> are careful to distinguish this great rite from what the West calls a ‘coro- nation.’ the placing of a crown upon royal brows. It is, indeed, something far more immense and impressive than any Western coronations, and the sig- nificance is vaster and profounder. Here is crowned no mere human being. no mere successful military leader or conquistador. no mere scion of a trans- sient dynasty. These personages are der direction of capable professors, wi‘h whom the matriculants have lived. as | well as associated, during the school | hours. The progress during the second | and final year of the experiment on | these particular students will be givan | wide study. as will the progress of the | students when they follow regular | courses in the junior and scnior vears, which is part of the plan. | Whether the experiment would be [well for average students cannot be ©f determined. hacause of the unusual | character of the first group. But even | if the plan resvlts in the full develop- | ment of men of ex~eptional promise it would be wo:th while. | ekl A | Frost Ruins 3,000,000 Bushels of Potatoes! ) From the St. Paul Dispatch | Potato dealers estimate that the first hard frost in the Red River Valley | caught about 3,000.000 bushels of | tubers in the ground and rendersd them | vseless for food. It seems a largs quan- | tity of foodstuff to go to waste when! 200.000 people are reported starving in | China, even resorting to canni and when 350,000 children are perishing | the famine districts of Southern Ukraine and parts of Crimea, where | drought burned up the crops. But the potato crop is so large this | year that 3.000,000 bushels compose almost neglmble fraction of the whole vield in the United States. 464,000,000 bushels. In the Red River Valley the Minnesota side has produced 8,000.000 exalted, half-gods, soon to be full gods | of the Shinto hcavens, and, in the long procession of ‘imperial ancestors,’ chief deities of the Japanese pantheon. They are condescending to be enthronad in the seat of their imperial fathers | who have ruled and owned Yamato Japan's unique intermingling of the | ingly impressed upon the Occidental | grandest, most glamorous and resplend- | odern Linked In Hirohito’s Enthronement is s2id to be in sympathy with Western methods and Western political ideas. His friendly attitude toward the United States has been demonstrated on more than one occasion. This country can do no less than salute the new Emperor and wish for him peace and prosperity tn his time.” * k% ‘The expenditure of millions of dollars on the ceremony is viewed by the Provi- dence Bulletin as evidence of the new monarch’s acquaintance with business methods. and also as showing that the oeople themselves believe they are “get- ting their money's worth.” That paper says of the underlying wisdom: “It wouldn't be at all surprising if the youthful Emperor, who has had his learning abroad and knows a thing or two about modern economics, had caleu- lated this elaborate carnival fully as much in the spirit of good business as of an antique rite. For he must know that prosperity with ‘its radios, automobiles, installment buying and Emperor's expensive robes .is after all largely a state of mind.” Importance’is séén by the Chatta- nooga News in the fact that the from its creation—at least, even in the strict historical sense, for generations | and millenniums more remote than any | dynasty or royal family or even people Europe.” it “Though the Emperor still governs by | divine sanction,” the Chicago Daily | News says. “the nation of which he is | sovereign has been democratizing itself | and adopting ways called Western with | astonishing rapidity and effectivene: and adds: ‘Japanese thinkers s frankly that they see no virtue in misty distinctions between Occidentalism and Orientalism. They adopt sound ideas | wherever found, provided these can be applied with benefit to conditions in | their own country. They believe that civilization is monistic, not pluralistic, and that justice, good will and progress mean exactly the same things all over | the world. They wish to be judged by universal and permanent standards, as' and their internal policies. This is a legitimate demand. The Western na-] tions are learning to respect it." ] “In its mingling of the ultra-modern | with a tradition drawn from prehistoric antiquity,” states the Springfield Re- publican, apan is unique among the nations, and the ferment which has| been going on for two generations is | likely to be intensified under the reign | | bushels and the North Dakota side | of Hirohito. Amid the splendor of the | nized and rarely r | 7,000,000 bushels. The quanity left in the | enthronement it might be possible to | Emperor “speaks and writes English, German and French, eats foreign food with European silverware and is in all ways thoroughly modern.” and the News continues: “Hirohito faces many | problems, prominent among which is the Shantung dispute. The menace to Japan in Manchuria and the break- ing of the Chinese boycott must be handled. In the homeland he must attempt to stabilize the yen and re- build the silk industry. His empire's | relations with the Occidental world are, happily. cordial and there are no clouds in the sk: $500 to VRiailway Group For Best Kept Tracks From the Baltimore Sun An inconspicuous little story tells of the award to a section of the Maryland division of the Pennsylvania Railroad ibalism, | Well 88 by the fruits of their diplomacy | of the general manager's $500 prize for the maintenance of the best line and surface of tracks. The portion of the railroad receiving this token of merit extends from Perryville to Buck Creek. Seemingly unimportant as a matter of news, this item has value far beyond many of those which win a grand dis- play. It calls attentlon for those who ponder it a little to labors performed for the public which are seldom recog- ewarded. The traveler who journeys by rail around is averas 20 per cent of the | imagine that nothing had changed, but | often thinks as hs looks up at the great grnp in the vmf'e')g "‘rmsp!s regarded as | the spectators emerged after the spec- | panting locomotive of how much he an unusually large percentage to re- | main undug and dealers ascribe it to | the low price, now less than 20 cents | ‘dangerous thought.’ a bushel. that the market offers. tacle into a real world where every- thing changes in spite of edicts against Even the position of the Emperor is not what it used to | owes to the steady hand. the quick eye and clear brain of the engineer, and he may give a passing thought to the cau- fon and_good judgment of the con- Frost is the only existing answer to | be, although it is doubtless to some ductor. But so little are we influenced the potato surplus problem. Unlike | extent what personal quality makes of | by the things that are unseen and do wheat, potatoes cannot be shipped long | it, and Hirohito has already shown |not directly touch us that few ever distances without injury and require | that he is not to bs a mere figurchead.” | stop to consider how completely their special storage facilities that from frost. ——— e protect to suppress cpposition to the legal gov- ernment. -Referring to preliminary ne- gotlations, he adds (pagz 797): “A mission made up of two Liberals and a non-party neutral. accompanied by two officers from Admiral Latimer's staff, left Managua to confer with Gen. Moneada. It inform~d this Liberal chieflain of the recent military measures of the United States and of the treaty proposed by Diaz, and then attempted, on that basis, to reach some sort of permanent settlement. * * * Like his Poll‘.lcll chief, he would acquiesce in he control of affairs for the next 18 months by the United States. but not in continuance of Diaz in offic The fact that it is this same Gen. Moncada whom, under American pro- tection, the people have now elected | President is the strongest possible proof | of United States neutrality. (Coorricht. 1928, by Paul V. Collins) * k% i Pointing out that Hirohtto has been regent during the several years of his | father’s illness, the San Antonio Express lauds his progressive spirit. Of the rela- | tions between Japan and the United | States, the Texas paper es: | “Japan greatly depends on its exporul‘ to the United States, which average $400,000,000 a year and run from 40| to 45 per cent of all Japanese sales abroad. Between 1922 and 1927 this country bought more goods from the Mikado's realm than did all the peo- ples in Asia, and Japan is an excellent customer here. This profitable busi- ness for both countries is a potent factor in maintaining peace.” Special qualifications of the new ruler are described by the Philadelphia Rec- | ord, which finds as to his preparation: “Hirohito is well versed in foreign af- fairs. He is the first ruler of Japan to have visited the Western world, having made a tour of Euj in 1914. Since he came to man! he has made a close study of international affairs, and | fate has been in the possession of those men whose duty it is to keep the road- bed in repair, spy out imperfect rails or loose joints and generally to provide against those trivial dangers which pro- duce great disasters. Such is the vanity and injustice of life that we heap with honors the per- formers of spectacular feats and neg- lect almost altogether those on whose faithful, competent and unfailing ful- fillment of their dull, daily d very lives depend. It is a pleasant thing, then, to see the worth of this kind of service noticed and the men who give it made aware that they are a) reci;udA It is :‘i; xwor'k" of this class of men, not ol n railroading but in every other organization, that makes it possible for the old world to carry on at all. — s That's Why It's Utapia, "I Blopia pedesirians don't have to than two }ump a distance of more feet, if any. 3