Evening Star Newspaper, January 14, 1929, Page 8

THE EVEN. NG STAR, WASHINGTON, D. (., MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1929. THE EVENING STAR |that advantageous lands might be pro- | No American, even though he be ex- cured and administrative salaries paid. |alted to the White House, is or can be With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY......January 14, 1920 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Bustness Office: b St and Pennsyly icago Office: Tower Building. European Ofice; 14 Regent St London, Englan ve. nd 8t Rate by Carrier Within the City. 45¢ per month 60c per month 65¢ per month 5c per ccpy ach month. Orders may be senl in by mall or telephone Main 5000. ng a undays) Evening and S Sunday: Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Dally and Sunday....1 yr., $10.00; 1 mo., Daily only . yri, $6.00; 1 mi Sunday only $4.00; 1 mo., All Other States and Canada. Dafly end Sunday..1 yr. $12.00; 1 mo., $1.00 Dally only . yr, §8.00; 1 mo.. 75 Sunday only . » $500; 1 mo, 30c Member of the Associated Press. The Assocated Press is exclusively (ntitled t0 the use for republication of all news dis- patches credited to it or not otherwise cred- ited in this paper and also the local rews oublished herein. All rights of publication of special dispatcnes herein are also reserved. History Repeats Itself. In its report on fiscal relations be- {ween the District and the Federal Gov- ernments the Bureau of Efficiency very properly devotes a large section of the textual matter to a relatively brief his- torical discussion of the question. ‘The summary is necessarily brief. But recurrent mention emphasizes certain points. The excerpts below tell their own story: A review of the fiscal affairs of the District of Columbia during the period 1790 to 1871 indicates that no definite plan of contribution vy the Federal Government toward the support of the District of Columbia existed during any part of this period, and that appeals were continually made s Congress by the residents for relier from a situation which they claimed was becoming in- tolerable. It was held that the District of Columbia, as the Capital of the Na- tion, was being developed on a scale beyond that which could be afforded by the gverage municipality and that, therefore, the Federal Government should share with the citizens the cost of its operation and maintenance * * *. In 1835 the committee of the District of Columbia of the Senate made an in- vestigation of the subject and recom- mended that the Federal Government should pay a definite proportion of the expenses, based upon its property hold- ings in the District. No action was taken on the committee’s report, and the Federal Government continued its. irregular voluntary payments * * *. ‘The act of June 30, 1874, created a temporary form of commission gov- ermment for the District, under which * * ¢ the legislative functions were reserved by Congress to it- self. * * * No definite plan of con- tribution by the Federal Government ‘was provided for * * * although the committee recommended a_division of the expenditures for the District be- tween the Federal Government and the citizens on the basis of fifty per cent for each. * * ¢ By the act of 1878 the Federal Gov- ernment obligated itself to defray half A native Westerner, he knew and loved the country wherein most of the parks lie, His personal example, as well as his skill in presenting the cause of the national parks to Congress, had weight with the legislative branch, so that generous appropriations have been made on their behalf. He not only interested law-makers, but ob- tained the co-operation of private citizens of means and of vision, en- thusing them with his own spirit, with the result that our park system was made larger and more comprehensive and its pleasures and profits more ac- cessible to the tourist. Not often is a country so fortunate as to possess at the head of one of its governmental branches an executive so whole-heartedly devoted to the interest thereof. This entire Nation has bene- fited by Mr. Mather’s Services. That he may recover in full his impaired health and live long to enjoy some of the pleasures he has created for his fellow citizens will be .the ardent hope of his many friends and his many ad- mirers. e Our Reparations Spokesmen. It would be difficult to conceive of happier choices than the selection of Messrs. Owen D. Young and J. Pierpont Morgan to be the American representa- tives on the allied-German commission which is about to come to grips with the reparations problem. The name of their alternate, Thomas Nelson Perkins of Boston, is less well known, but he is a lawyer and financier of distinction and for two years was the unofficial American member of the reparations commission ‘at Paris. The “citizens of the United States” whom the European governments have invited to advise with them, are of a caliber which insures Germany and her creditors that the best America has in the way of expert counsel will be at their disposal. On our’own part, there is equal cause for congratulation that men of the type of Messrs. Young, Morgan and Perkins gre to be this country's spokesmen. The United States is only secondarily inter- ested in German reparations. The merest fragment of them—2% per cent—is allocated to us. Even that sum is not indemnity for war damages, but remuneration for the cost of our tem- porary army of occupation on the Rhine. But American concern in the tangled issue of reparations far outstrips in im- portance the bagatelle Germany is ob- ligated to pay us. ‘There is growing indication that the revision of the Dawes plan, the primary purpose of the expert inquiry in which the American advisers are to partici- omniscient. The many-tongued voice of the people can only be a welcome voice in the ears of a man about to be elevated to the grave responsibili- ties Herbert Hoover must presently shoulder. On no outstanding public issue is there unanimity of view among the American people. There is none even among members of the Republican party. Citizens see such problems as farm relief, prohibition, Great Lakes- to-the-sea canal, Boulder Dam, flood relief, national defense, merchant marine, reapportionment and interna- tional relations through differently colored spectacles. All that a new President can hope to proclaim in his inaugural address is a program that reconciles his own views on given ques- tions with the largest possible number of views among his fellow Americans. Mr. Hoover is & well known believer in the eficacy of counsel and confer- ence. We may be sure that his time in ‘Washington is not being devoted ex- clusively to patronage perplexities. On the contrary, the conclusion may safely be indulged that the President-elect is systematically engaged in listening in on Uncle Sam's hopes, aspirations and wishes for the four years which Amer- ica and the world are about to asso- clate with the name of Herbert Hoover. o The supremacy of the Rockefeller name is frankly disputed by Col. Stew- art of Indiana. The division of Stand- ard Oil interests into separate com- panies, though at first regarded as a sort of subterfuge, has made a differ- ence, after all. ————— Paris no longer dictates fashions for America. This fact has commercial as well as smart significance. In the course of time Europe may reverse the old custom and come to the U. 8. A. for the latest examples of elegance in attire. ——— o, It would seem only reasonable to insist that various insinuations be quieted by insisting that all prohibition agents be strict total abstainers. e The call of the microphone is still sent out for Al Smith. The governor has “radio personality” which the pub- lic is not willing to lose. ————— An opportunity is given by the Kel- logg peace pact to substitute the promise for the threat in international affairs, ——————— No insidious methods are practiced by THIS AND THAT No man on earth, it is safe to say, ever selected such a shirt as our friend had on that day. - It had a background of plain white, but the plainness ended there. Large stripes of vivid pink, alter- nating with black bars, were superim- posed on the white, so that the effect was of little ladders leaned against a manly chest. One expected momentarily to see elves or gnomes dart out from his vest gockels and start racing up the lad- ers. In such a strange event—although perhaps not much more startling than that shirt—our friend’s merry eyes would be the goal. * ok ok % ‘Visions of historic shirts were brought up by the sight of that shirt on an in- nocent man. His wife bought it. ‘Whenever you see a startling shirt, whether due to color, design or what- not, upon the manly frame of a con- servative man, know instantly that his wife bought it. You could no more get such a man to buy such a gay affair than you could induce him to array himself in underwear of giddy hues. Wives purchase “Christmas neck- ties” only once a year, of course, but their liking for striking shirts extends over the entire 365 days. So shirt merchants slip it over on Santa Claus. * ok ok One of history’s famous shirts was the creation purchased by Alexandre Dumas in his old age. He did it of his own free will It was in the latter days, when the fame of the author of “The Three Musketéers” had suffered something of a decline. Men had begun to think, alas, that they had been led astray into undue praise by the novelty and force of such productions as “The Count of Monte Cristo.' Could this gigantic force, known as Alexandre Dumas, who poured out a ceaseless stream of writing, be one of the immortals? Did he not, after all, they kept ask- ing themselves, produce too much? * Kk ok K Dumas, however, didn’t care, Although funds were not so plentiful with him as in those palmy days when he purchased and furnished his villa, called Monte Cristo, after his great success, he still had enough left to buy & shirt. So when the opportunity to call on an old friend presented itself, he jumped at it, only to discover that he hadn’t a clean shirt left to his name. Just why shirts are “left to a name” is something probably no one knows to- day any more than Alexandre did. The elderly Dumas, however, had enough money to buy a new shirt, so he sent a servant out to procure one. In those days, evidently, one didn't have to have any money to have a the “flu” germ. Every cough or sneeze he compels is a danger signal. pate, contemplates the flotation of & Huge German bond issue. The sum of $2,000,000,000 is commonly mentioned. World financial conditions are such that no issue of that magnitude could be seriously considered without envisag- ing the American money market as the one in which the llon's share of the flotation would have to be made. It is the cost of operation and maintenance of the District of Columbia.* * * ‘The fifty-fifty basis, as it came to be known popularly, continued unchanged until the fiscal year 1921.% * * How- ever, the plan was attacked in Congress from time to time, particularly on the score that the citizens of the District ‘were undertaxed, and upon several oc- casions, notably in 1898 and.1915, spe- cial studies of the subject were made by con; nal committees, which brought about no o change. * for the fiscal year 1921 provided that forty per cent-of the sums necessary should be . appropriated out of any money in the Federal Treasury not otherwise appropriated and sixty per cent out of the revenues of the District of Columbia. Thé same provision was contained in the appropriation act for 1922, and in 1923 the smty-forty basis ;e-:rs provided for that and subsequent ‘The appropriation act for the year ending June 30, 1925, provided the spe- cific sum of $9,000,000 as the con- tribution of the Federal Government to- ward the expenses of the District of Columbia, ignoring the sixty-forty ratio in force under the substantive law. ‘The story of the development of the Americén Capital is closely interwoven with the story of fiscal relations between the Federal and District' Governments. The indissoluble partnership between the local community ana the people of the United States in the task of Capi- tal building makes this so. The years of neglect of the Capital have been those years in which the Federal partner ig- nored his own responsibility and shifted it to the shoulders of the Capital com- munity. The years of progress in de- velopment have been the years when Congress, acting for the people of the United States, definitely committed it- self to a fixed program of appropria- tion. From time to time some of our legis- lators have shouted in alarm and raised the old hue and cry against the men- dicity of the Washington community and the munificence of the Federal Government, demanding that something be done. Investigation has followed in- .. vestigation. In the end the results have been the same. The fact is redis- covered that Washingon is being de- veloped as the Capital of a Nation and not as an average American municipal- ity. It is reaffirmed that the Federal Government must share in this develop- ment, and the logical method of shar- ing has been to contribute a fixed pro- portion of what the local government contributes. Abandonment of the plan brings the recurrence of conditions which led to its adoption. History, in other words, repeats itself. ——— Investigation of the Rothstein killing is based on a principle of fair play. Even gunmen and professional gamblers, though commanding no great sympathy, must be restrained from killing one an- other. ——— Stephen T. Mather. That this Nation for a decade pos- sessed as the head of its national park gervice & man as competent, as far-see- ing and as public-spirited as Stephen T. Mather should always be a-cause for self-congratulation. That it loses his ss in making appropriations s promptly suggested that Mr, Morgan's selection as one of the American ad- visers was with'the view of “faclitat- ing” the marketing of new German reparation bonds in this country. Our interest in reparation develop- ments does not end with the possibility that American investors may be asked to finance Dawes plan revision. The European nations which owe the United tates Treasury the lump sum ‘of $10,000,000,000 resolutely cling to the theory that these debts and German reparations are interlocking proposi- tions. Allied spokesmen, of whom M. Poincare 'is the outstanding type, con- tend quite bluntly that if Germany’ reparation debt is to be revised down- ward allled Europe's obligations to the United States must be correspondingly reduced. To date, the attitude of the Coolidge administration has not been such as to encourage either of the European hopes just alluded to. The Washington Gov- ernment is not enamored of the idea of transferring the burden of .reparatipns from German shoulders to those of American investots, nof fs 1t willing to concede any relationship between repa- rations and war debts. Messrs. Young, Mbrgan ‘and’ Perkins' will serve unofficially, as far as their own government is concerned. But their lines of communication: with the White House, the State Department and the Treasury are altogether likely to ®e kept in a constant state of repair. I8 is not probable that the American experts will identify themselves with any schemes for Dawes plan revision which are not assured of the support of the United States Government. . — e Philadelphia. used fear ges to quell a convict mutiny. A little weeping may | be beneficial, even when not occasioned by sincere remorse. R et The 'Inaugural Message. Reports oozing out of the tower of silence which President-elect Hoover inhabits during his present brief so- journ in Washington are concerned almost exclusively with speculation re- garding the make-up of his cabinet. These narratives leave out of account one factor which must be engaging the attention of Mr. Hoover and his callers quite as assiduously as the question who shall be Mr. Secretary This or who Mr. Secretary That after March 4 next. The President-elect has a great and traditional duty to perform on that day. It consists’ of his inaugural address. Sinee time immemorial the remarks which the incoming Chief Executive delivers on the historic east steps of the Capitol have been the keynotes of their administrations, They pitch the tone in which their major policies are enunciated far more distinctly than is possible in speeches accepting presi- dential nominations. Inaugural ad- dresses are couched in terms of definite responsibility. A speech of acceptance is a bid for the people’s support. An inaugural utterance at the Capitol is oot ‘There is no danger in witchcraft, ex- cepting the very serious peril that may. arise from fanatical credulity. — e SHOOTING STARS, BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Rocket Planes. ‘The daily gzind leaves fault to find With this, our earthly sphere. But when the facts I call to mind, I'm rather glad I'm here. ‘The glittering star seen from afar, I'd fain be drawing near— Then Wisdom says, “Stay where you are. Be thankful you are here.” . ‘The snowflakes fly.' The' birds' draw nigh; And so0, for grief or cheer; Why should we wander through the sky? 3 ek We've got ’em both right here. I yearn for no great suns aglow Out in the heavens clear. I'd rather play the games I know And win or lose, right here. * Presenting a Choice. “You made some energetic speeches over the radio.” “Campaign manager got behind me,” sald Senator Sorghum, “told me I could tdké my choice between going on the alr or ‘getting the air’” - Jud Tunkins says many boys think they know more than thelr parents, and mébbe’ sémetimes they do, Contradictions. Debates in Congress bring us woe. Our doubts we cannot smother As arguing statesmen fall to show Belief in one another. Equal Opportunity to Lose. “I thought you rather liked Mr. Crasher. You know he believes in .| equality for women.” Yes,” said Miss Cayenne, “He goes fat I thial ‘idea to sult me. When hé téok'me to the opera he insisted on mmtching coins to determine which of us was to pay for the fickets and the supper afterward.” “1f' you' tell only what you know to be mbsolutely true,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “you will meditate for six months before speaking five minutes.” Consolidated Authority. When Mergers have worked out & plan ‘Too strong to fear some jealous pang, Each wishes he could be the man ‘To own and run the whole shebang. “You has ‘to recognize luck,” said Uncle Eben. “Even de syre-thing per- son dat stacks de cards has to be lucky not to get caught.” 1 oo 4 More Than Records Smashed. From the Asheville Times. The stock market for 1928 smashed all records and not a few bank ac- counts. ——raee. Helping the Undertaker. From the Oklahoma City Dadly Oklahoman.. ‘The hand that wabbles the steering wheel is the hand that boosts business for the undertaker. But Jails Are Not Congested. From the San Bernardino Daily Sun. a President’s promise to carry out the services because of his resignation due to long-continued ill health, patiently borne, is a source of regret to every one of his colleagues, including his able suc- cessor, and to every citizen who has par- taken of the benefits and of the enjoy- ments which our great national parks afford. A man of wealth as well as an en- thusiastic conservationist and technical expert along conservation lines, Mr. Mather gave not only of his energy and his wisdom, but, in emergencies, went, actually .into .his own jpocket in order e el i mandate with which the electorate has intrusted him. So the procession of party leaders and distinguished advisers now stream- ing past Herbert Hoover is not com- posed entirely of place-hunters or of spokesmen for place-hunters. They are part and parcel of the system of pop- ular government of which the Call- fornian is about to become the Head. That system calls for contact with the Nation's citizenry. It is well for both President-elect and for his unofficial vitors thgt 1 should bo Spaplshes. They are arresting slow drivers in New York, but 2s yet the jalls are not overcrowded with them. Recognizing a Stork. From the Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch. “How do you recognize a stork?” Why, writes an u;?uhn;l‘ng ml'uhacrlber. by the size Refueling on Highways. From the Los Angeles Evening Express. Now they are refueling planes vhile servant. * ok ok ok ‘The little shop around the corner, on the Rue Something-or-Other, had an WASHINGTON BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. obliging proprietress who expressed de- light to be able to serve the illustrous M. Dumas. She rummaged through her shelves hopefully. “Alas, alas,” she said finally, with| the addition of a few “Mon Dieus,” in | the way the French have, “I have but one left, monsieur!” Now since history affords no other such example of an atroclous shirt, nor have haberdashers ever dared since to produce its like, let us describe it at length. We have no way of knowin what its length was—history is nogt 33:.' cise on that point—but its color and pattern are matters of record. e o The background of this feroclous shirt was_yellow. On it little pink devils were pitch- forking lost souls—also of pink—into small round pools of vivid red. Plcture that grand shirt, messires, A background of yellow. On that background swarms of small pink devils, armed with pink pitch- forks. Each pink pitchfork impaling a vivid pink soul. = Each pure pink soul taking a header for a neat round pool of red. * ok Kk K When Alexandre Dumas saw shirt, he uttered just two words: S “Mon Dieu!” he said. He surveyed it from every angle, but no matter what angle he looked at it from, there were just as many pink devils and red pools, and just as much saffron visible. “I must wear it, however,” he con- cluded. “I must wear it because I have nothing else.” With the aid of his trembling do- mestic the grand old man was arrayed in the world’s worst shirt, and so went forth gallantly to call upon his beauti- ful mademoiselle. * ok ok ok In comparison with the famous shirt of M. Dumas, pere, everything since seems mild. Although it has been a long time since pink devils on yellow r)lngnde a fashionable pattern, some of our milder traceries of today sometimes strike shrinking males as hectic. Let it be asserted that men, left to their own devices, would invariably ar- ray themselves in spotless white broad- cloth and so make an end of it. Wives everywhere, however, insist on selecting their husband’s shirts, often with calamitous results, as witness those pink ladders heretofore in- stanced. Surely a law might be enacted to ad- vantage prohibiting haberdashers from selling shirts to any one but the wear- ers thereof. Or it might be made a felony for any woman to commit hab- erdashery. Thus the masculine world would be forever spared the humiliation of pink shirts, with or without devils, and might in time cease to be harassed by visions of gnomes and elves darting’ out of their vest pockets to climb long pink ladders with black rungs. ¢ OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE Presidents-elect at this stage of the game have their inaugural messages on their minds, as well as the make-up of their cabinets. It may just happen that one of the things Herbert Hoover talked about when Elihu Root lunched with him last week was prohibition. The country’s most distinguised elder states- man ranks as a wet. Hoover is gen- erally expected to come to grips with the enforcement problem, and Root is exactly the.sort.of “best mind” which the incoming .Chief Engineer is fond of consulting on controversial occasions. Prohibition is bound to be a conspicuous feature of Hoover's remarks at the Capitol on ‘March 4. Hardly any one is better qualified to give him the anti- dry end of the argument than the ven- erable New..Yorker, of whom it was said, when the liquor interests employed him to argue against the eighteenth amendment_before the Supreme Court, “Beer Hires Root.” The former Secre- tary of State and of War was the au- thor of the proposed New York State prohibition referendum. * x Xk ¥ Organized dry interests count confi- dently on a new prohibition enforcement deal under the Hoover administration. They do not look for anything drastic at his, hands, for the Californian is not a fanatic on the subject. The drys anticipate vigorous, rather than rigor- ous, carrying out of Hoover's prenomi- nation theory that prohibition “is a noble experiment, which must be con- structively enforced.” The Volsteadites are not worried over the prospect of more Mellon in the Treasury Depart- ment. Their view has always been that the Pittsburgher is ready. to give all the enforcement the President of the United States calls upon him to give. It is an open secret that the extreme drys are not enamored of the enthusiasm with which Calvin Coolidge has ap- proached prohibition, Mellon, they say, has taken his cue from the White House. If the White House after March 4 indicates that it wants stiffer and sterner, enforoement, the drys are con- vinced that.Mr. Mellon—or whoever succeeds him—wijl deliver the corre- sponding goods. * K Xk Mr. Hoover has just had a call from one of the comrades of his Chinese days 29 years ago. He is Oscar King Davis, veteran newspaper correspond- ent, confidant of Theodore Roosevelt and now secretary of the National For- eign Trdade Council at New York. In 1900, at the time of the Boxer rebellion, Davis was transferred from Manila to China by the old New York Sun, which he was representing in the Far East. Davis arrived at Tientsin at the mo- ment the Boxers were shelling the “foreign devils'” concessions there. Hoover was living in Tientsin as the chief engineer of a Chinese mining company, and, with Mrs. Hover, was oc- cupying a house in the district im- mediately under fire. The Californians invited the American newspaper man to live beneath their roof. It proved to be noisy and perilous hospitality, but beyond some damaged walls nothing Serious happened. Davis pays high tribute to the nonchalance and courage of the next First Lady of the Land under bombardment. * K ok ok A major Coolidge appointment to the foreign service—that of J. Reuben Clark, jr. of Utah—to be Undersecretary of State still awaits confirmation by the Senate. Some mystery seems to pre- vail as to why action is delayed. Mr. Clark’s appointment dates from August 4%, 1928. It came to light about the middle of last year that a subcommit- tee of the Senate foreign relations com- ittee—consisting of Messrs. Moses, eed (Pennsylvania) and Harrison— was at, work on an investigation of the foreign service, Later on Senator Moses, chairmen - of. the subcommittee, re- quested that all nominations for ap- pointments in either the diplomatic or consular branches (including the State Department) should be referred to the subcommittee before confirmation ac- tion by the Senate. Apparently Under- secretary Clark, who has functioned ever since his nomination, has not yet passed muster. * X % Lieut. Comdr. J. M. Kenworthy, M. P., who proposes to Representative Britten, chairman of the House naval affairs committee, two informal Anglo-Ameri- can pow-wows over naval matters this speeding through the air. Let us hope the motor speed maniacs will not de- mand the same convenience on the e S L :%:LM_A_W year, is one of the stormy petrels of the House of Commons. He visited the United States a year ago and talked ember: navy to many m s of Congress, Some day Kenworthy will be the eighth Baron Strabolgl, a title in the British peerage dating back to the fourteenth century. He is now a Labor member of Parliament. Educated for the Royal Navy, Kenworthy saw active service with the British fleet throughout the World War and wound up as assistant chief of staff at Gibraltar. Like Rep- resentative Britten, Comdr. Kenworthy is an amateur boxer of no mean skill. Perhaps they’ll decide, sooner or later, to settle the question of Anglo-Ameri- can naval punlx with eight-ounce mitts. * ® Kk 5 Senator Frank L. Greene, Republican, of Vermont, who is back on his job after a slight collapse on the Senate floor the other day, will embark upon his second term on March 4. Vermont Republicans paid Greene.a handsome tribute last year by renominating him without opposition in the senatorial primary—the second time that has Hap- pened to the Green Mountain states- man. _Although Senator Greene has never been himself since a prohibition agent's stray bullet struck him in Wash- ington on February 15, 1924, he attends fully and regularly to his official duties on Capitol Hill. A couple of years ago, when senatorial colleagues proposed a Treasury grant to reimburse Greene for the heavy hospital expenses to which he had been put after the shooting affray, he declined to accept the money, though the Vermonter is very far from being a rich man. * ok kK One of Herbert Hoover’s bosom friends will be a president before he is. Dr. Vernon L. Kellogg, permanent sec- retary of the National Research Council, is about to be elected president of what is sometimes called Washington’s acad- emy of the immortals—the Cosmos Club. It would be hard to think of any one closer to Hoover than Kellogg, whose affiiliations with the President-elect be- gan with their mutual interest in ‘Stan- ford University and were_cemented by their joint activities in Belgian relief during the war. During the past seven years Dr. Kellogg, a zoologist by pro- fession, has often made his home with Mr. and Mrs. Hoover in Washington. (Copyright, 1929 . ) Causes of Influenza Discussed by Layman To the Editor of The Star: A layman who makes no pretensions to medical knowledge may be per- mitted to speak his mind concerning the existing epidemic of influenza and allied diseases, now taking such toll of humanity in many places. Let us look to possible causes, and in that way hunt up measures of pre- vention and cure. It seems true that any mode of living that lowers resist- ance to disease will bring trouble. The germs of many diseases are floating in the air. Millions of people are exposed to germs of tuberculosis, pneumonia, ete., and it has always been so, but infection did not take place besause the system of the individual exposed could throw it off; there was no congenial soil in which it could take root and thrive. 1t also seems true that with increasing creature comforts, such as warm (or, rather, overheated) houses, heavier clothing in Winter, eating more food than is necessary to maintain life and health, lack of brisk exercise and other factors of our later civilization, there has been a lowering of resistance to cold and damp weather. Few would like to go back to the old system of open fireplaces, etc, but it looks as though we had better general health when such heating was in vogue, and when we. had to work harder for existence. A man of my acquaintance has not worn an overcoat, even in the severest Winter weather, for more than twenty- five years past, and during that time has not been sick a day with colds or kindred troubles. He would not recom~ mend that for everybody, but it looks like the average person wears too much clothing and does not walk enough. Hot-water heat, automobiles, heavy over and under clothing, rich food, lack of physical labor—these things go along with epidemics of respiratory troubles. [Excesses in tobacco and stimulants are increasing, and, with them, mortality from heart and brain diseases. ‘These facts, although they may_ be only coincidental, are indis- putable. ‘They at least furnish reason for thought and possibly for investiga- tion by competent authorities. SOpOS CECRSSAR > LTV SRS L S S » N *|'themr that believe. Quotes Bible to Show Origin of Spiritualism To the Editor of The Star: The writer who replied in The Star of January 7 that Christianity is against Spiritualism and that spirit communica- tion did not introduce Christianity to the world is simply making a state- ment which the New Testament and the Founder of Christianity disproved. The writer says that Christianity is not founded on a vision, but on the per-; son, teachings and works of Jesus Christ. That 1s true, but not the whole truth. Hed not the ‘angel or spirit appeared to Mary how would we have known what it was all about? Had not the spirit communication been given to Joseph, explaining the conditions of the com- ing of the Messiah, how do we know we would have the “teachings and works” of the Master? Even after the coming of the Christ, Joseph saved the life of the young Child by obeying a spirit communication that bade him take Jesus and His mother and flee into Egypt to avoid the wrath of Herod; there Joseph remained until another spirit message told him what to do. Evidently Mary and Joseph believed in spirit communion. Then the writer declares that com- munication between the seen and the unseen world belongs entirely to the “for- mer dispensation” and that with the coming of Jesus there was no more need of these old methods; in fact, he says it was contrary to Jesus' teach- ings. Are we to suppose that Jesus Himself acted contrary to His own teachings when He talked with the spirits of Moses and Elias in the pres- ence and to the conscious knowledge of Peter, James and John? If the writer will look this up in the New Testament | his mind may become clarified on just | what a spirit communication is; I fear | he mistakes fortune telling and the like | for the real thing. Jesus followed this same seance by charging His disciples | to tell no man of this vision until the Son of Man were risen from the dead. Clairvoyance Shown. Jesus also showed His perfect clair- voyance on many occasions. Some may say that of course Jesus could see all things, but we mottals cannot hope to reach such heights. I prefer to take the word of the Master, who claimed that all the things He did we should do, and greater. Because those who claim to be Christians are not doing them is no reason to deny them. I believe the foregoing shows why the Book of Hebrews did not dispose of the visions and voices so successfully as the writer in opposition declares. The writer's expression of surprise that a leading church of Washington indorsed the cause of Spiritualism indi- cates a somewhat limited knowledge of the advance of the times. On many occasions I have heard spirit communi- cation commended from the pulpit, and in such leading churches as the Baptist Temple in Philadelphia, Henry Ward Beecher's Church in New York and also in at least three prominent churches in the District of Columbia. It was so “asténishing” to the high dignitaries of old that Galilieo dared to | teach the theory of the solar system now taught in our common schools that they compelled him on bended knees to swear he would never more propagate this theory by word or in writing. Then because of this truth he was sentenced to an_indefinite term of imprisonment. But the truth went marching on! United Fire and Water. It was “astonishing” to the religious in the days of Robert Fulton that he defled God by uniting fire and water, elements which they said the Creator had made hostile to each other. At a general conference of ministers in ses- slon at Towa less than 20 years ago, it was again “"astonishing” that man at- tempted to fly; therefore they passed a resolution condemning him. But the science of aeronautics is moving along. There is no safety in cowardice. Man do not hesitate to investigate scientific hypotheses; why not this one? Why speak of the “imperfect condi- tion of men’s spiritual grasp” in the past tense? Men's spiritual grasp is still very imperfect according to no less an authority than the Master. Did He not tell us how to distinguish the be- lievers of His teachings and works? He said, “And_ these signs shall follow In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Where are the believers? Lead me to them! What the cult of Spiritism is doing ‘I eannot say, since I am not a member of any cult, merely a student of Chris- tianity. Nevertheless I do know that Spiritualism does not claim that the spirits of departed people are mediators between this and the unseen world. Spiritism even in its lowest form claims nothing further than friendly visits of the so-called dead bringing messages and advice to be taken in the same spirit in which we take any friendly call. All Spiritualism is endeavoring to do is to prove daily what the followers &YJ "the Master claim, namely, immor- Y. I do not feel at liberty to impose m personal experiences upon a public tz whom I am a stranger, therefore I omit a reply to the purely personal note. EST HAGIN. . Tim Murphy Hailed As Brilliant Actor To_the Editor of The Ster: You were right in your news an- nouncement of the death of Tim Mur- phy when you say, “To the younger generation it will mean little or noth- ing in that he was a favorite of bygone days.” He was not only a favorite, but a great actor—more so than he was a general box office favorite, because of the inherent intolerancy of his name to a very considerable number of the- atergoers then, as now. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” but with a different name he would have heen one of the greatest paying stars in the business of yesteryears. I had a very vivid, as well as an expensive, ex- ample of it at the Columbia Theater, in this city, years ago, when he was starred with us in one of the most artistic roles ever given an actor, and was 100 per cent perfect, which, at the time, the critics so pronounced, to the poorest business -played at the theater. Any other name than his would have packed the house, which was the reason why Lawrence ‘Barrett, John T. Raymond, “Billy” Florence, Ada Rehan and others were financial successes. T’ll wager that his most priceless pos- session was an old alpaca coat which was worn by William Jnrmlngs Bryan in the memorable campaign of 1896, and which became so famous that its wearer | was often referred to as the “man in | the black alpaca coat.”” It was given to Tim by the Commoner after that campaign, W. J. DWYER. = o Canada’s Big Four Listed by Banker From the Spokane Spokesman-Review. Sir Frederick Willlams-Taylor, head of the Bank of Montreal, sets down Can- ada’s big four resources as wheat, tour- ist_traffic, mines and pulg and paper. It is surprising that he computes the incomes from tourist traffic as sec~ ond only to that flowing into the Do- minion from wheat. ‘The wheat crop he values at $348,- 000,000, tourist traffic at $300,000,000, mines at $245,000,000 and pulp and paper at $220,000,000. In the light of these figures, it is not surprising that our Canadian neighbors—like communi- ties on this side of the border—have a glad hand for the tourist, provided that he comes in his automobile or rides the cushions instead of the brake- beams, His Speed Was Fatal. From Kansas City Journal-Post. ‘The California foot ball player who ANSWERS TO ‘This newspaper puts at your disposal | a corps of trained researchers in Wash- ington who will answer questions for vou. They have access to the Govern- | ment departments, the libraries, mu- seums, galleries and public buildings, and to the numerous associations which | maintain headquarters in the Nation’s Capital. . If they can be of assistance to you, write your question plainly, and send with 2 cents in coin_or stamps to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, ‘Washington, D. C. Q. Who will be the minister of Presi- dent-elect Hoover's church?—V. N. A. Dr. Augustus Taber Murray of Palo Alto, Calif., will be the next minis- ter whose church will be attended by a President of the United States. Ar- rangements have been made for him to assume charge on March 1 of the Orthodox Friends Congregation at Thirteenth and Irving streets, where Herbert Hoover will worship. Q. Are there any snakes in Ireland? If not, what kills them?—R. T. L. A. The Biological Survey says that there are no snakes native to Ireland and never have been, so far as there are authentic records. This is due to geographic position, isolated as it is from the region in which these verte- brates originated and which they now occupy. A few attempts have been made to introduce harmless species, but as yet its records show none established onthe island. This may be due to a lack of proper environment, climate, disease or other abnormal condition. The slow-worm or lag-worm, a legless lizard which superficially looks very much like a snake, is native to Ireland, and may account for some of the snake records of that country. Q. How many women are serving in State Legislatures?—P. D. A. There are 145 women scattered through the Legislatures of 38 States. Of these, 100 are Republicans; 38, Democrats; 2, Non-Partisan; 5, no party designation. Fifteen of these are State Senators. Q. Does an airplane shoot faster than a machine gun used on the ground?—S. R. H. A. The field machine ground gun shoots from 500 to 600 rounds per minute. Guns used on airplanes shoot from 800 to 900 rounds per minute. Q. How many words is one supposed to n\'gage a minute on the typewriter? —J. R. A A. The minimum speed on & type- writer required by most business schools before a student can be graduated is 50 words a minute. Q. What powers does the King of England exercise?—E. P. S. A. The King to the people of Great Britain is the embodiment and symbol of the unity and permanence of the British Empire. though the power of the King is less than that of the President of many countries, his activi- ties are not confined to the sphere of politics. He is the social head of the country; the patron of religion, chari- ties, science, agriculture and other en- terprises; also the encourager of sports. The King remains aloof from party politics; therefore, he is not held re- sponsible for acts of his ministers. Q. What per cent of the money spent by the Government can be attributed BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN. QUESTIONS Q. ;low is mental age determined?— R. A. Mental age is most accurately based upon the individual Termgn- Binet test of intelligence. A child is said to have a mental age of 10 years, for example, when he passes the tests on the Terman-Binet scale which, it has been found, are passed by a major- ity of normal 10-year-old children. Ter- man defines mental age as follows: "By a given mental age we mean that dégree of general mental ability as is possessed by the average child of cor- responding chronological age.” Q. How warm must the water be for coral reefs to form?—L. C. A. The reef-building corals are the Madrepora and Moeandrina, the latter dome-shaped and massive. They are confined to waters in which through the coldest Winter months the tempera- ture does not fall below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, though usually the water is warmer than this. ~Coral reefs are abundant in the West Indies and occur on the coast of Brazil. Q. What are the Cinque Ports?— J.N. P. A. The Cinque Ports were original- ly five seaport towns on the coast of Kent and Sussex, England, called in early times “the five most important havens in the Kingdom.” They were enfranchised by Edward the Confessor. Willlam the Conqueror subsequently granted them the privilege of an almost independent state, under command of a warden, with a court at Dover Castle, The five ports were Sandwich, Dover, Hythe, Romney and Hastings. Win- chelsea and Rye were added later. Up to the reign of Henry VII their chief function was the supply of the coun=- try’s naval contingent. Dating from the revolution of 1688 their privileges were gradually abolished, the Lord Warden's jurisdiction ceasing in 1835. Q. In the last 50 years, has the death rate increased or decreased?— T.P. A.” Despite the additional hazards of automobile, airplane and other ma- chines, the death rate in the United States has decreased from 19.8 to 11.8 per thousand persons. Q. Is helium used more in the United States or abroad?—J. D. L. A. Heltum is used in all United States ships. Hydrogen is used in most foreign airships. Q. Who are the nurses chosen to be in attendance upon King George?— M. W. A. They are Nurse Purdie (English), Nurse Biack (Irish), Nurse Davies (Welsh), Nurse Gordon. (Scotch). A specialist in dietetics, Nurse Rose Sim- mons, is also in attendance. in 1ll‘lova should lobsters be shipped? A. Lobsters should be shipped pack- ed in wet seaweed or in ice. Lobsters have been sent across the country by the seaweed method, and were kept alive well over a week. In packing lobsters they should be kept wet and provided with plenty of air. Q American Cousin"?—C. F. A. Tom Taylor was the author. Q. When was Mammoth Cave dis- covered?>—L. R. S. A. It was discovered in 1809 by & hunter named Hutchins. The Mam- moth Cave is but one of an extensive in some way to war?—C. McC. A. In the fiscal year 1927, 82 per cent of net Federal expenditures was for wars, past, present and future. Criticisms of campaign expenditures which have followed other presidéntial elections are largely lacking in comment on the new high marks set in the 1928 battle by both major political parties. Neither side, it is conceded, has any ground for condemning the opposition. “The truth is," declares the Balti- more Sun, “that the public generally recognizes that an enormous amount can be honestly expended in a national election in which thirty-five million voters take part. It is chiefly concernd in ascertaining how it is provided and how it is used. If satisfied that the sources of contributions are mot objec- tionable and that funds are properly expended, there is disposition to ignore the claim that presidential elections are being debauched. Such belief should not, however, cause the slightest cessa- tion of effort to procure publicity that will keep the Nation informed as to what is going on about Hoover and Smith funds, as well as those of lesser candidates.” * ok kK “Such large outlays of money in na- tional campaigns are not healthy,” how- ever, contends the Lynchburg Advance, quoting the total figure as about $12,- 000,000, and that paper makes the com- ment on the real cost of electing a presidentlal ticket. “No figures are available—and never will be—to show the bearing of these huge expenditures on the final result. In close States, money may have been a deciding factor, but there is no way of knowing. This much is certain, however: Thousands upon thousands of dollars were ‘wasted. Enormous amounts of literature of every description were sent out by both par- ties. The cost was huge, but it is our honest belief that 90 per cent of it found its way to the waste paper baskets with- out being opened.” “The fact that the Democratic war chest was unprecedentedly well stocked,” in the opinion of the Philadelphia Eve- ning Bulletin, “robbed the’ opposition of a traditional weapon, the ‘slush fund’ charge. In generzl the country was dis- posed to take the common-sense view that a nation-wide campaign with an appeal to a constituency of 36,000,000 runs legitimately into a substantial cost, expenditure of which is entirely proper and unavoidable. Radio broadcasting, for instance, cost the Democrats, ac- cording to their own announcement, $600,000, and the Republicans as much.” * kK K A tribute to the honesty of the cam- paign is voiced by the Salt Lake Trib- une with the statement: = “Millionairss gave largely of their means to the party whose presidential candidate they fa- vored, but their contributions ~were openly made and there is not the least system of caves occurring over an area of not less than 8,000 square miles in Kentucky and Tennessee. Cost of Electing President Now Accepted As Legitimate most as much more, through unofficial sources, as was expended through their party organization.” “The country has no reason to be proud of the fact that it cost as much as it did to awaken interest in either candidate and to get out the vote for him,” argued the Davenport Demo- crat, while the Asheville Times states in review of the existing practice: “Ail these politico-financial ~ transactions have been carried on without any pro- tests, The moral indignation that once was so hot against big campaign funds seems suddenly to have been dissipated. Probably the country is coming to the viewpoint toward these funds that it has long since adopted for combinations of capital; they are by no means evil conclusion. However this may be, ap- parently the limit on campaign contri- butions, both as to total sums and the individual contributions, has been re- moved, or the sky made its symbol.” “While these reports suggest that the expenditures,” in the judgment of the New York Evening Post, “there is rea- those in 1896, before complete account- ings were required. These were’ esti- mated at the time at more than $10,- 000,000 for the Republicans, with outlay of several millions by the Demo- crats. The Republican and Democratic national committees spent about $3,- 500,000 and $650,000, respectively.” .- Commercial Aviation Hailed as Dependable To the Editor of The Star: In view of the constructive editorial policy of The Star toward civil aviation, the following facts, which few people appreciate, may be of interest: Commercial aviation has.become de- pendable and is rapidly becoming as much a part of any firm's selling and distribution system as rail or steamer transportation. . In the year just closed planes flew 40,000,000 miles in civil aviation, of which 7,500,000 was flown by the air mail, which completed 94 per cent of all the mileage scheduled for it by the Post Office Department. The balance of the flying was done in commercial pursuits, which show the usefulness of the plane, including aerial photography, dusting of crops, forest patrol work, scientific studies, aerial advertising, geographical study, spotting schools of fish, observing traffic congestion, searching for lost persons, surveying, map-making, representation of properties, engineering surveys, carry- suspiclon they either expected or de- sired special favors at the hands of the successful candidate at the time of making their subscriptions.” The Bel- lingham Herald adds that “so far there has been no hint of ‘scandal’ and little general criticism;” that “possibly one reason is that the contributions were attended by publicity and another that neither party was in a position to point the finger of accusation at the other on account of the high cost of the cam- paign.” “The Democratic leaders have the unpleasant task, which the Republicans in an earlier campaign found demoral- izing, of raising funds to meet a heavy deficit,” says the Buffalo Evening News, observing that Mr. Hoover had insisted on the budgeting system employed by President Coolidge in 1924, and that “Republicans now make the gratifying exhibjt of moderate expenditures, bal- anced books, no debts and a substantial surplus.” This result is credited by the Columbus Evening Dispatch to the fact that the national committee “did some-~ thing out of the ordinary when it chose for its treasurer a Cleveland banker.” * K Kk % In the opinion of the Charleston Evening Post “the Republicans could as well have had 10 or 14 or 28 millions if so much had been necessary to carry the election for them. They had oniy made a phenomenal run with a ball in the wrong direction is being praised for his speed. Many men in larger LINDSAY S, PERKINS, afalis have won the same kind of fame. doubtless expended in their i to make their wants known,” continues that paper, “and the money would come in. As a matter of fact, there was — al- | breakfast lng supplies to inaccessible regions, first aid to devastated cities and in many other ways. During the year the established re- sgonslble aviation companies improved their equipment and many of them ex- panded their transportation facilities, and the notable development in 1929 will be the rapid extension of strictly air passenger lines, including two trans- continental air lines, together with the linking up of strategically located cities with passenger service. As the American people as a whole are op) to Federal subsidies to busi- ness, they will be interested to know that this expansion is being done with American capital and without any Fed- eral aid, contrasted with subsidies which run from 5 to 70 per cent of gross revenue in European nations. ‘The air transport system has become so extensive that passenger, mail and express planes operating on daily sched- ules now stop at 108 cities in 36 States and they are operating with a regularity and dependability comparable with train schedules. HAROLD CRARY, Manager American Air Transport Association. ————— We Understood They Did. From the Tulsa Daily World. Alabama research scientists are make :nr: m go: peanut shells. But wé ve s 'mup our astonishmen$ . Who wrote the comedy, “Our . 1928 campaign set a new high mark for | son to believe that they did not equal | in themselves—a somewhat doubtful .