Evening Star Newspaper, March 6, 1929, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR the extent of allowing leakage of water | was made to secure an smendment to With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY.....March 6, 1929 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company ‘Business Office: 11th 8t. and Pennsylvania Ave. Now Y Mce: t 42nd St Chicagn Office: Tower Bullding. Buropean omeml‘txne jent St., London. glan Rate by Carrier Within the City. e Evening Star.... ... _...45 rer month Suinday’ &t ys) . ‘he Evening and ar (when 4 Sunday . ... .60c per month The Evening and Sunday Star (when 5 Sund 65¢ per month y »....5¢ per copy Collection made at’the'end of each menth. Orders may be sent in by mail or telephone Main 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. ?llv and Sunday ally oniy unday only 1 ¥r. $6.00; 1 mo., 80c 1 S $4.00; 1 mo.. 40¢ ANl Other Sta Daily end Sunday..1 yr Pauly only . jundey only Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press 13 exclusively to the use for republication of all rew: atches credited to it or not otherwise ered- ted in this paper and also the iocal news published herein. All richts of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. — Secretary Mellon’s Status. Two distinct questions are raised by the action of the Senate yesterday in adopting & resolution directing the committee on the judiciary to report upon the status of Sccretary Mellon, whose name was not included in the list of cabinet nominations submitted to the Senate, sitting in extraordinary session. One is whether the head of any de- partment of the Government may legally hold office as such after the ex- piration of the term of the President by whom he was appointed. The other is whether Mr. Mellon is legally eligible to hold the office of Secretary of the Treasury in view of any ownership by him in interests of “trade or com- merce.” Had the proponents and supporters of the resolution been better versed in history they would not have raised the first of these two questions. They would have known that only one of the ten heads of departments holds office with a fixed tenure, he being the Postmaster General, who is bonded and who must be reappointed if he is to continue be- yond the four years of his definite term. ‘The other nine cabinet officers, as they are called—though there is no such title known in law—hold office at the pleasure of the President. Their terms are undefined. They may serve under single appointments for four or eight or twelve years, or longer. Qr they may serve for only one or three or five. It has not been the practice in cases of “hold over” department heads to send their names to the Senate for re- confirmation. There is no occasion for such procedure so long as there is no term limit. As to the other question involved af- fecting Mr. Mellon's status, yesterday’s action was needless, and, in fact, un- " graclous. The status of the Secretary of the Treasury is today precisely what it has Dbeen for eight years past. It has been heretofore questioned and answered. And furthermore, inasmuch as the Senate has not at this time a renewed jurisdiction over his appoint- ment, inasmuch as his name is not before it and need not be placed before 1t, to raise the issue even indirectly. by reference to the judiciary committee is a clear instance of going out of the way to be unpleasant. It was aptly suggested yesterday in the Senate that the adoption of the resolution was not only superfluous but improper, inasmuch as if an offense has occurred in the helding of the office of Secretary of the Treasury it is an oceasion for impeachment by the House and for trial by the Senate. In view of that contingency the Senate should not prejudge the case in advance of its submission to it as a court of trial. ‘These questions having been raised, and by what must be in fairness con- sidered as only a perfunctory adoption ! to be rid of the matter, the committee on judiclary should meet and repert promptly. It is inconceivable that that yeport should be otherwise than in dis- ' tinct negation of both questions. There should be no cloud upon the title of the Becretary of the Treasury to his office, and that which has been raised by partisanship should be swept away speedily by the Senate itself. — e Perheps Mr. Dawes would have been more sympathetic with the Senate's attitude toward rules if he had been in service like Vice President Curtis, under long influence of senatorial tra- dition, ——— e ‘The weather is a conventional topic of conversation, excepting around in- puguration time, when it becomes 8 Bistoric subject. s SRS 5 { T Perfecting Submarine Safety. ‘The Navy has perfected its “lung,” or eompact diving helmet, to a point where men have actually left & submarine on the floor of the ocean and risen safely to the surface. On Monday the S-29, lying fifty feet below the surface off the coast of Costa Rica, was raised by hav- ing her ballest tanks blown from out- | side connections, with her crew sitting | idly inside, not turning a hand to get the ship up. Safety in submarines is| far from being absolutely assured under all conditions. But the Navy has al- ready reached the point, in developing new safety devices, that may preclude in future the total loss of life such as on the §-¢ when she went down off Provineetown. Monday's experiment consisted of two phases. First, divers attached air hose from the salvage tender Ortolan, on the gurface, to valves with connections on the outside of the hull of the 8-29, thus permitting a flow of fresh air into the submerged ship which expelled the foul air. Later, the divers attached air hose to the 5-29's ballast tanks, again from outside valve connections, and blew them free of water. The ship rose to the surface, ‘The safety devices perfected since the sinking of the S-4, provided they are proved practical and can be made part of the standard equipment of all| submarines, remove a great clement of the danger when a submarine becomes stranded on the bottom. Through their use the erew might escape, by using the “lungs” and leaving the ship through the escape hatches, And a salvage ship on the surface can raise the ship by blowing its tanks. In case o ageidgat g ¢ and the formation of poisonous gases, there might be no hope of salvation. submarine is alive after the ship reaches bottom, and the hull remains airtight, the chances for safety and eventual rescue have been greatly increased. Neither surface ships nor submarines will ever be made absolutely safe. But submarines have already reached the point in their development when they can sustain themselves for long pe- riods and under any conditions pro- vided their machinery has not been damaged by other agents, such as col- lision with surface ships. But even then the Navy's new safety devices have materially lessened the odds against total loss of life and equipment—odds that were quoted a short time ago at about a hundred to cne. B - The Capitol Park. ‘There is an ancient Spanish proverb to the effect that “all comes round to | him who will but wait.” For a score of vears the project of extending the Capi- tol grounds northward to the Union Station has been agitated. After many delays, and the passage of much legis- lation, court action and the like, it looks as though Congress had finally brought the project to a position where it would be put through. Just before adjourn- ment the so-called Capitol plaza bill was passed by the Senate, the House agreed to the Senate amendments and the measure was signed by the retiring President, Mr. Coolidge, all within the period of fifteen or twenty minutes. But while action came quickly at the end, this legislation has been given much thought and was the subject of con- troversy. The measure passed yesterday, known as the Keyes-Elllott bill authorizes the final steps for carrying out this project. The plan has been gradually extended to cover more ground than the original scheme, until now it fits in admirably with the whole project for the develop- ment and beautification of Pennsyl- vania avenue. ‘The extension of the Capitol grounds northward to the Union Station, pro- viding a beautiful entrance to the Na- tional Capital, has been the obvious thing ever since Congress authorized the construction of the Washington Terminal. But like many things that are obviously correct, it has been de- layed, postponed and sidetracked. There were difficulties with some of the own- ers of the property after the passage of the first legislation authorizing the ex- tension of the Capitol grounds. For the most part the property was unoceupled, or was occupied by buildings of poor construetion, and there was reason to believe that the Government would have comparatively litile trouble aequir- ing the land. Then came the World War, with crowded living conditions in a city which never before had been crowded. The influx of thousands of Government workers, high rents and lack of accom- modations gave rise to the project for the construction of dormitories for woman workers. They were built on the ground which had been intended for the Capitol park. There they still stand. ‘The determination of some of the mem- bers of Congress to keep the Federal Government in the hotel business, not- withstanding the fact that Washington has long since been able to build up to the requirements of its population, hds been responsible for further delay in carrying out the project. During the last session of Congress, which ended yesterday, there was a demand that if these Government dormitories were torn down others should be erected on another site, Finally this demand was abandoned and the plasa bill was per- mitted to pass. But it has been with the understanding that even now it will be two years before all these dormi- torles go down. ‘The Congress has done much in re- cent years to provide for the develop- ment of the Capital City and to beautify it. No more important step has been taken, however, than that which makes it possible to put into operation at last the plans for & park extending from the Capitol to the Union Station. B — L President and Press. President Hoover's first formal con- ference at the White House was with the press. To the fourth estate he ae- corded the honor of an audience even hefore he had assembled his cabinet in session: The episode is significant and symbolical. It is an unmistakable ac- knowledgment on Mr. Hoover's part of the important role played by the Wash- ington newspaper fraternity in the scheme of Federal Government. The President had a special motive in communing promptly with the knights of the typewriter. Perturbation had filled the souls of many of them in consequence of the reserve which Mr. Hoover, as candidate and as President- elect, imposed upon himself. They feared that the White House under his regime might become a tower of silence. Occasion was taken at the first meet- ing with the newspaper men and wom- ' | en to banish these anxieties. Mr. Hoover explained his reticence in the past and pledged the maximum of communi- cativeness for the fyture. He will eon- tinue the semi-weekly press conferences. He will see privately any individual seribe who desires an audience. He. will do more than that. He will immediately counsel with & committee of corre- spondents, with a view to expanding the White House news system in every di- rection compatible with the conduct of public business. That is precisely as it should be. President Hoover's liberalized press policy is not an act of noblesse oblige, It is simple recognition of the inalien- able rights of a free press in an en- :lightened democracy. That the pro- | gram will work out to Mr. Hoover's own | good, to the satisfaction of the news- papers and to the benefit of the public which they serve is not to be doubted. v—.— One historic tune the bands neglected to play is “Never Mind the Weather.” v Inauguration Weather. Washington has no apology to offer | to its inaugural visitors on the score of the weather. It is not responsible in any degree for the conditions in which ihe Presidents of the United States are inducted into office. Many years ago it was recognized that the constitutionally preseribed period of change of adminis- tration was unsuitable for public demon- " s .5 LS 6 M 4 5 R - - But provided the crew in a stranded; the Constitution changing the date to the latter part ©f April, when there would be a better chance of clement weather and no chance of dangerous visitations of storm and cold. This proposition came within a single vote on one occasion of being approved by the House of Representatives. Success, however, was never to be had. Mean- while another proposition was brought forward relative to the inaugural date. 1t comprised a complete revision of the Federal calendar, including provision for a meeting of the newly elected Con- gress in January, immediately follow- ing election, with the inauguration of the President and Vice President in that same month. This resolution has been on the verge of passage through Congress on several occasions. It has never yet quite made the grade. It may some day be adopted and submit- ted to the State Legislatures for ap- proval. Of course, it might rain in April and mar an otherwise perfectly enjoyable public celebration, And by the same token it might be stormy and bitterly cold in January. As between the two suggestions Washington feels that the former is preferable as regards public health and security and comfort. As the Nation’s meeting place it still mod- estly urges that the April date for in- auguration is preferable. As long, how- ever, as Congress refuses to make the change it cannot feel that it is in any degree responsible for the bitter disap- pointment of the thousands who come to the induction ceremonies only to be drenched and chilled, as they were on Monday. ———— Private enterprise is regarded as more desirable than governmental adminis- tration of resources. Merger promoters have been insisting for a long time that the processes of financial evolution can- not be interfered with. ) When Mr. Coolidge takes his pen in hand as a contributor to print there must be some eager curiosity as to whether he will decide to tell all he knows. e THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL, Eating to fox-trot music makes one's jaws wag double time. To chew one's way through a meal to so-called “dinner music” when some jazz orchestra is on the air means hit- ting it up with the molars to a point somewhere beyond culture. Yet when the boys away off there be- gin on “Anything You Say” there is nothing to it but to champ away in perfect 4-4 time as if the very life of the loud speaker depended upon the dental rhythm, Thus radio takes its place in the American home as an exponent of the system of Fletcherizing, about which one used to hear a great deal more than one does today. Yol o Eating to the average fox-trot tune is rather a hasty affair. Cream of tomato soup—especially if very hot—trickles into the system more gently to Drdla’s “Serenade” than to the peppy rhythms of “Me and the {Man in the Moon.” “Lover, Come Back to Me,"” renders the consumption of hot biscuits rather more of a feat than when undertaken to the melody of Beethoven's much- abused “Minuet.” e ‘The diner takes larger bites when eating to dance music than when dining to the more staid classical melodies. ‘This results in a blockade along the aesophagus, a crime which we believe we are the first to put at the door of jazz music. Such outpourings of the American spirit have been blamed for almost everything; it would seem rea- sonable that something else might be added. Yet on the other hand—although it is not Supposad to be quite the thing to cat with the left—there can be little doubt that the sturdy swing of the fox- rot aids digestion to some extent. The fact that one burns one's mouth while swallowing too large a portion of hot baked potato to the strains of some late toe-tickler is made up for, di- gestively speaking, by the fact that the clemental beat of the fox-trot rhythm aids digestion. * % k% It remains for some scientist to hitch a meter to the home fox-trot consumer. Charts traced before and after listen- ing to such music at meals would show how appetite waits on_digestion, and both on the strains of “Ten Little Miles From Town.” Greater personal comfort might have been attained by Trotsky if he had been content to turn his industrious talents for writing to the production of best sellers, When Mussolini develops plans for restoring ancient glories he will have to take into account some new factors, such as airships and submarines. ——te The patriotic picture for Inaugura- tion day might have been improved if manufacturers had thought ef provid- ing red, white and blue umbrellas, ———— It will remain the privilege of Sen- ator “Jim” Reed to ask questions. The established motto of Missouri is “Show me.” e ‘Throngs who visited Washington, D C., for the inauguration leave no doubt of the sentiment in favor of “Seeing Ameriea first.” ———es SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Letters. In reverence, let s not forget Inventors of the alphabet, Who brought a brush or chisel out And records made, with fingers stout. While words show foolish theughts or wise, One thing we ought to recognize: These are the men wko made secure Foundations of a literature, Those ancient scholars bring us ease Who taught us all our & b ¢'s. The statesman wise—the warrior bold— A story has which must be told. Biography, historic lore, Come to attention, more and more; And they who struggle and endure Find rest at last in literature. Intellectual Competition. “You told some things worth think- ing about.” “I am sure of that,” answered Sena- tor Sorghum. “But I am doubtful whether any oratory of mine can lure the public mind from its jazs music and its eross-word puzzles,” Jud Tunkins says he slways hopes for the best, except when he is talking about inauguration weather, “We speak with reverence of our an- cestors,” said Hi Ho, the sage of China- town, “hoping to imply that we are ignorant of their vices and are imitating only their virtues.” Fisherman. A man of high position Bits on the river's brink. He says he has gone fishin'— But he only wants to think, “Pacts is what counts,” sald Unele Eben. “You kin tel} de time o’ day jes’ as well by a dollar clock as you kin by a diamond-studded wrist wateh.” RADIOTORIAL, Nothing Being Taken Back. Baid Dawes, “For senatorial rules We need new parliamentary schools, And as I lay this gavel down I'll say, though some ’old friends may frown And hint that judgment fine I lack, That I am Taking Nothing Back.” And Curtis next the gavel raised. He vowed those rules were to be praised Which enly Senators can make For Courtesy and Order's sake. We'll travel on the good old track, The 8enate will Take Nothing Back. Fireworks That Failed, We had the ceremonials; we had the great parade. We listened to the music whieh so joy- ously was played. But the Fireworks in the'ev'ning—we were horrified to learn The moisture was so heavy that the powder wouldn't burn. Our visitors are sighing as they turn to 80 away, “What is life without the Fireworks on Inauguretion day?” Concerning policies, it is our privilege to copan. We think that Mr. Hoover should re- prove the weather man. — oo Perhaps some reader may think we overestimate the part which the fox trot plays. To such we would say that the carefree dance music so popular with young people is almost equally popular with tired executives and work- ers of all degrees of executive and non- executive ability. Many of them will not admit it. If you ask them point-blank what they prefer, they may tell.you that they like best & symphony concert. Sneak up to their front door some evening, however, and listen to the loud speaker through the bricks. The chances are 10 to 1 that it will be booming away on a snappy melody hot off Broadway. e ‘The reason for this seeming discrep- ancy is not hard to find. Classical mu- sic, no matter how lovely, is a trifle staid, just a bit boresome. Most of it, surfeit. ‘This is particularly true of the very greatest music that has ever been written. Broadcasters everywhere have attempted to give the people “the best,” but when the best comes blatting through the ether from a hundred dif- ferent points, and night after night and year after year, it also becomes the boresome, even to the real lover of the best music. Dance music, on tha other hand, changes more or less frequently, and when well rendered has an elemental swing to it which seems to enter into the blood 0f even the most conservative persons. After all, there is something of the savage still left in the most civilized, and it is best satisfied by the thump- thump-thump-thump of the fox trot. It is analogous to the drum beats of the African savages, the steady beats so often described by travelers as the “drums of doom.” * ok Kk There are few civilized Americans past a certain age who have not won- dered, at some time or other, gver their innocent delight in jazz musie. Many of them have a sneaking feel- ing that they should not like it—but they do! Somehow the steady rhythm gets into their feet, and makes them want to dance, whether they ever in- dulge in the pastime or not. This is the reason the fox trot has held onto its popularity year after year, while the “two-step” is played only on occaslon. Even the delightful tango comes and goes in waves, As for the perennial waltz, it is heard once to every half dozen fox-trot tunes. The rhythmical, almost systematic, beat of the fox trot is the tempo of modern America, It is the old “com- mon” time with a few tricks of its own added for good measure, T Part of the popularity of the rhythm is due to its informality. We do not mean the absurd antics of “trick” drummers and the like. Thank heaven, the radio today will not broadcast that! Such a doubtful pleas- ure is reserved for the future. What the general listening public likes about the dance music of today is the gayety of effects, a combina- tion of tootles with the saxophones, thumps upon blocks of tuned wood. clashes of cymbals, soarings of the trumpets, the steady roar of the hig bass horn, the marking time by the incisive banjos. In addition to the elemental rhythm and this gay general effect, there is a change of pace in instrumentation which has a classical derivation, com- ing down as it does from the sym- phonies, especially those of Haydn. Thus melodies are carried first by the violin, then perhaps by a trumpet, then swung down into the lower registers, appearing persistently but differently, always the same, yet ever changed. So slight is the musical content of the average dance selection that this varfety of instrumentation, these gay effects, this elemental heart throb, ail are necessary to make it win and hold its place in the affection of music listeners. That it has done so is very much to its credit. Whether one dances to it‘or eats to it, he will be made happler because of it, although he may choke on mashed potatoes to the tune too, has been played to the point of of “You're.the Cream in My Coffee.” WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC | Probably few, if any, of our Presi- dents ever set about their jobs so naturally and easily as Herbert Hoover, when he took the helm at the White House, dark and early on the morning of March 5. After all, the President has been knocking about the Capital in an_executive capacity for the better part of 13 years. He came here as food administrator in 1917 and “carried on” as Secretary of Commerce from 1921 onward. The White House has been vety familiar terrain to him all that time, so he takes to it more or less like a duck to water. Hoover lugs his favorite working clothes into the presidency with him—double-breasted blue serge suit, stiff double turn-down collar, gray soft hat, and all. The President must have other kinds of togs, but he dons them only on dress-parade occasions Itke good-will tours in South America and inaugurations in Washing- ton. Sartorially, Herbert Hoover is as plain as an old shoe. He will never be the hero of advertisements of snappy effects in male attire. * ok k¥ ‘The President's first press copference was an unqualified success all around. The soribes liked it so well that they burst into hearty applause when it was over. Mr. Hoover smiled one of his broadest schoolboy grins in s?pyech. tion. What the writing fraternity likes best about the President's press policy is his readiness to see indivtdual cor- respondents whenever they desire to consult him privately. The Califarnian is far and away at his best “under four eyes,” as the Germans say. He has never lgult.e overcome an innate shyness in talking to a crowd, even if it's only the 50 or 60 persons who assemble at a White House press pow-wow. Amid the intimacy of conversation with a single person, Hoover shakes off all re- serve, throws a leg over the arm of his ehair, tugs at his pipe, and thinks aloyd freely and informatively. It can be foreshadowed with certainty that the correspondents will often take him at his word to see them “on application.” * ok ok % Millions in the country-wide radio audisnce on Inauguration day must have caught one of the outstanding e'[l)’lsndos cf the ceremony on the Cap- itol front when Mr. Hoover was sworn in. Chief Justice Taft was its hero. He was reading to the President-elect the his- torie oath of office. Mr. Taft had pro- ceeded in solemn, ‘modulated, uniform tones to the final words, “and defend the Constitution of the United States,” At that point Taft rajsed his voice ‘o ammost stentorian pitch. It was plain- ly symbolical of the paramount stress which the Supreme Court, the inter- reter and guardian of the Constitution, lays upon our Magna Charta, x Kk % Are we acquiring “ruling families” in the United States? The Hoover cab- inet contains only a few names that are unfamiliar in Federal Washington. We've had Stimsons, Adamses, Mellons, ‘Wilburs, Davises and Lamonts in high places in the District of Columbia for lo, these many years! The names of Hoover and Curtis themselves are not wholly strange. In Congress, too, the country needn't trouble to accustom it- self to new terminology. With the Lang- worths, Watsons and Robinsons contin- uing to wield power on Capitol Hill, Uncle Sam is doing business at the old stand and more or less under the old firm names, * ok ok ok Curtis D. Wilbur was a guest, a few days before March 4, at a luncheon in honor of the Pan-American Trade Con- ference. The host called ypon him w expectedly to speak. “In the Navy, said the Secretary, “we've only got one trade mark, and that's the anchor. I guess T'll stay anchored,” and then Wil- bur sat down. Whether that was the that he expected to remain at the Navy Department is not known. If it was, he cast his anchor to windward wittily, but in vain, . * kK ok John Garibaldi Sargent doesn't have to go back to his country law practice at Ludlow, Vt, if he doesn’t want to. He has worked up for himself in Wash- ington quite a tidy trade as a repairer Or a Slush Probe. From the Muneie Morning Star, ‘The burglar who stole a pair of galoshes may have feared & pair of of clocks. Tinkering with clocks is the former Attorney General's favorite in- door sport. The clock hasn't yet been invented that Sargent can't take apart, | advocates Federal judge-to-be’s way of signaling | WILLIAM WILE clock that's been purely decorative for a generation, and after a couple of hours’ dissection get it going with the reliability of a ehronometer in a jewel- er's window. * ok ok ok It was the Army versus the Navy in the stunt the two big broadcasting net- works tried out during the Hoover in- auguration—that of reporting the event by radio from the air. Army sent up its big three-motored Fokker, with an installation that was the last word in military radio. The whir of the pro- pellers signally failed to interfere with “Bill" Lyneh'’s deseription of.the scene below over the National Broadcasting Co.’s chain. Navy sent up one of jts standard fighting planes, a Mar T-4-M, a single-motored affair, which did 120 miles an hour, and could take the two announcers of the Columbia Broadcasting System anywhere they wanted to go with speed and dispatch. Columbia had its vice president, former Radio Commissioner Sam Pickard, and Martin Codel of the North American Newspaper Alliance, as its battery of announcers. Morton Sterling, Salt Lake City boy, piloted the Navy plane. Tak- ing turns with him at the controls was “Peewee” Payne, one of the crack avia- tion pilots of the Navy. “Bill” William- son, chief radioman at Anacostia, was at the transmitter and receiver. * ok K % President Hoover has received thou- sands of messages of congratulation, but perhaps, he prizes none more highly than the following remarkable greeting from the Quakers of California: ‘The Friends’ Church in California feels a comforting satisfaction in the call that has come .to thee to the highest place of influence in national and world leadership. We wish to congratulate thee on that eall. In this crisis of world history, we be- lieve that God has been preparing thee, both by thy Quaker heritage and all of the varied experiences in thy past life, for this very hour. We shall pray that God's hand may be upon thee, not only for national ad- ministration in material and spirit welfare, but to help lead the world from strife and bitlerness to lasting peace and good will. (Copyright. 19 - Urges Preparations For War Gas Attacks BY E. E. FREE, PH. D. Organization of the citizens of Eu- ropean eities into four emergency crews, each told off for its specific duties in case of bombardment by poison gas in war, was advocated by Dr. F. R. Humphreys, former British army sur- geon, in a recent lecture before the Royal Sanitary Institute in London. In the next great war, Dr. Humphreys be- lieves, cities will be sprayed with tons of poisonous liquids, evaporating slowly into the air to become far more deadly than the poison gases used in the last war. It would be impossible, he believes, to give every citizen a gas mask and instructions for using it. Instead He is group system of anti-gas preparation. One of his four crews would have the duty of mustering oth- ers into gasproof rooms, at least one of which should be provided, the doctor helieves, in every building now erected or to be constructed. The second gang would turn out equipped with chemie and masks to flush down the streets with solutions able to destroy whatever enemy gas has been used. The third erew would treat all ex- posed elothing and furniture to remove clinging poisons. The job of the fourth i crew would be to provide first aid and to remove gas victims promptly to treat- ment stations and hospitals. All this organization should be perfected imme- diately, the lecturer urged, and trained by practice ala*ms, as the crew and pas- sengers are drilled by boat drill on shipboard, - B ] That’s a Rich Discourse. Prom the Wheeling Intelligencer. While there is nothing provincial about young Mr. Rockefelle! ltpt-ooklzhtm sut together and set ticking again. H L XX S inion of the Politics at Large By G. Gould Lincoln. The first shot at the Hoover ad- ministration was fired yesterday by Senator McKellar of Tennessee, Demo- crat. He put through the Senate a resolution requiring the judiciary com- mittee to report to the Senate whether a cabinet offieer could continue to hold office after the clése of the term of the President who appointed him to that post without having his name sent to the Senate for confirmation by the incoming President, and also whether Mr. Mellon was eligible to hold office as Secretary of the Treasury under section 243 of the Revised Stalutes, which forbids a Secretary of the Treasury to be_engaged in trade or commerce, Had not the administration’s friends been entirely satisfied that Secretary | Mellon’s position was impregnable the resolution would not have been per- mitted to pass. In the opinion of lead- ing legal lights of the Senate, there is nothing whatever in the casc which Mr. Mellon’s opponents have sought to | bring against him. In the first place there is a long list of precedents of | cabinet officers holding over into new administrations and new presidential terms, dating back to the early days of the republic. A cabinet officer serves, after he has been confirmed by the Senate, at the will of the President. The only exception is the Postmaster General, whose term of office is fixed by law at four years, and when that term is completed, his name must be i resubmitted to the Senate along with his new appointment. * K koK The anti-Mellonites in the Senate, however, plan to renew their attack on the Secretary of the Treasury when the special session of Congress meets in April. Mr. Mellon has been under fire from Senator McKellar for years. Certain other Democratic Scnators and a few Republicans, including Senator Couzens of Michigan, have had their axes sharpened for the Seceretary of the Treasury. The question of his eli- zibility has been raised a number of times in the Senate. It apptars a safe bet, however, that Mr. Mellon will eontinue to serve as head of the Treasury Department as long as Mr. Hoover desires to retain him, or as long as Mr. Mellon is willing to con- tinue in office. He is about 75 years of age—indeed, his birthday falls on March 24—end he may wish to retire, after a year or two of further service, from a job that is arduous, to say the least. “The threats of opposition to the confirmation. of James W. Good of Iowa and Illinois to be Secretary of War did not materialize when his name was presented yesterday to the Senate for confirmation. Seeretary Good's confirmation was promptly carried through, and so was the confirmation of the appointment of Attorney General William D. Mitchell, the Minnesota Democrat, selected by President Hoover to head the Department of Justice. * K ok K Both Senator Watson of Indiana, the newly elected Republican leader of the Senate, and Representative Tilsen of Connecticut, the majority leader of the House, are agreed that a bill for the reapportionment of the membership of the House shall be put through at the coming special session of Congress. ‘The House passed such a bill in the last session, and it was held up in the Senate and died on the Senate calendar. In a statement issued yesterday Sen- ator Watson said, “Every effort that the Republican leadership in the Sen- ate and the House can give to this be- lated validation of the Constitution will be provided.” He added that he expected a reapportionment bill to be taken up for consideration in the Sen- ate during the first week of the coming special session. The predicted inclusion of the re- apportionment bill and its companion piece, the census bill, in the program for the special session is the first break in the adr tration’s plan to hold the special session to the consideration merely of two subjects—farm relief and tariff revision. However, it had been expected that the reapportionment bill of in the last session. They are matters of major importance, and it is_under- stood there will be no opposition on the part of President Hoover to their in- clusion in the special session program. Certamly Senator Vandenberg of Michi- gan and others who have championed the reapportionment bill will urge that it be dealt with promptly, * % ¥ x ‘The Republican national committee, meeting here yesterday at the call of Dr. Hubert Work, its ehairman, has promptly acquiesced in the plan pro- posed by Dr. Work to keep the Re- publican organizations, State and Na- Uonal, in fighting trim for the con- gressional elections next year and the presidential struggle in" 1932. The executive committee of the national committee yesterday passed upon the Wisconsin contest, in which two sets of candidates claimed membership in the national committee. George Vitts and Mrs, Mary Thomas were recognized officially as members of the committee from the Badger State, and Herman Ekern and Mrs. Elizabeth McCormack were turned down. The latter pair belong to the La Follette faction in Wisconsin, while Mr, Vitts and Mrs. Thomas represent the “stalwarts.” So the fight goes on in Wisconsin. The stalwarts have elected a governor and carried the State for Herbert Hoover. On the other hand, Senator Robert M. La Follette, jr, has been re-elected to the Senate. The struggle between the two factions in the State shows no signs of abating. * ok ok K Among the theusands of visitors to Washington for the inauguration of President Hoover was Sol Levitan, treas- urer of Wisconsin. Mr. Levitan was a strong supporter of -Mr. Hoover in the last campaign and he himself was re- elected by an overwhelming vote. The veteran treasurer of the Badger State was for many years a strong supporter of the late Senator La Follette, and has supported also the junior La Follette. He refused to be led: away, however, into the support of a Democratic nomi- nee for President by Senator Blaine, during the last campaign. Mr. Levitan called upon the President yesterday and was much impressed, he said, with the kindliness and humaneness of the new President. Last night Mr. Levitan went to Baltimore, where he delivered an ad- dress before the Chamber of Commerce in the city where, 49 years ago, he was a peddler with a pack on his back. He has a strong belief in America and American opportunity. * kK K ‘The so-called progressive group-on the Republican side of the Senate cham- ber, which has for a number of years held the balance of power in the upper house, is likely to find itself less po- tent in the coming special session of Congress. The political make-up of the Senate at present is 54 Republicans, 39 Democrats, 1 Farmer-labor and 2 vacancies, both of which eventually will be filled by Republicans. One va- cancy, that caused by the retirement| of Charles Curtis to become Vice Presi- dent, is to be filled almost immediatel through appointment by Clyde Reed, Republican Governor of Kansas. The other vacancy is in Pennsylvania's rep- resentation—due to the attack made on Senator-elect Vare. When the Senate meets_next, it will, in all probability, have 55 Republican members. The op- position can muster only 40 votes, if Senator Shipstead, the Farmer-labor Senator, is listed with the Democrats. The Republicans have a margin of 15 votes. Eight Senators must swing from the Republican side to the Democrats in an enti-administration fight. And eight Republicans who will oppose President Hoover will be difficult to find at this stage of the game. When the last Congress assembled, so evenly di- Senate that Senator Shipstead held the balance of power—with vacancies from Imng‘ls and Pennsylvania. Former Pres- g it by ot Vi, S and the census bill could be disposed | © ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - BY FREDERIC ). HASKIN. Have we had the you through our Washington Informa- tion Bureau? Can't we be of some help to you in your problems? Our business is to furnish you with authoritative in- formation, and we invite you to ask us any question of fact in which you are interested. Send your inquiry to The Evening Star Information Burgau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washing- ton, D. C. Inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Q. How many cities are on passen- ger airplane lines?—S. R. A. The American Air Transport As- sociation stated on February 22 that passenger lines reached 102 American cities, and flew 33,458 miles daily on 42 schedules. Q. What cigarette is the mildest?— M, F. B, A. Denicotinized cigarettes are the mildest—that is, they contain the least nicotine. Ordinarily manufacturers do their cigarettes for nicotine so0 they are not classified as to Cigarette tobacco is natural- kind of leaf tobaceo. Q. Which -of the Mississippi floods came the nearest to the flood height es- tablished in 1927?—T. B. W. A. That of 1882 came close to it. On a twin tree on the Mississippi a home- made flood gage shows the mark set in 1927 as the highest. Below it are 1882, 1884, 1897, 1922 and 1912 in the order named. Q. What is meant by “corn stover?” -—P. N. A. This is the name given to stalks, tassels, leaves and shucks used in mak- ing pulp. Q. What is the smallest state in the world?—F. B. A, The new Vatican City, comprising 105 acres, or less than one-sixth of a square mile, is now the smallest inde- pendent state. The population of this territory is estimated at 500. Q. What place does wheat hold in the diet of the American people?—sS. K. A, It contributes about one-fourth the calories of the American diet. Q. How long has it been that women l'Alave been wearing short skirts?— . J. G, A. The skirts began to shorten about 1915. ‘With the exception of one or two seasons, the tendency has been to short- en them an inch or so each season. At present, women seem to be adapting the length of skirts to their ages, older women wearing dresses that cover the knees amply, while flappers incline to quite abbreviated skirts. g. DWhét is a round of ammunition? _A. It is ammunition for one shot by each soldier, gun or cannon. Q. Are the magnetic goles directly opposite each other?—M. H. A. The magnetic poles are not co- ineident with the geographical poles, nor are they diametrically opposite to each other. Recent investigations of the magnetic observations made in polar regions lead to the conclusion that the north magnetic pole may cover a region of considerable area, and that the pres- ent approximate mean position is lati- tude 70.8 degrees N. and longitude 96 degrees W. For the south magnetic pole, from a consideration of all the re- sults available, according to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, the ition of latitude 72.7 degrees and longitude »156 degrees. E. has heen leasure of serving tentatively adopted. .l oburvedl’ Because of e in the direction of the magnetic needle from year to year, it is believed that the magnetic poles are not stationary, but their motion is un= doubtedly slow, # Q. When did the letter J come into use?—sS. A. V. A. The letter J is a_comparativel late variant of the Latin I. The form was developed from I dus the Middle Ages, but it was long used in certain positions in the word without regard to the sound as consonant or vowel. J gradually became differentiated from I in function as well as form, but the separation of J as & consonant and I as a vowel was not fully established until the seventeenth century. Q. Who were the native inhabitants Island?—sS. H. A. The Bureau of American Ethnel- ogy says that very little is koown definitely of the native peoples of Long Island. For example, the name Montauk is sometimes linjited to a particular group or tribe known by this name, but at other times it includes most of the tribes of Lang Island, those of the western end being excepted: sometimes it is ly used as synonymous with the name Metoac. The latter name is made to include loosely all the natives of Island, who appear to have existed in the fol- lowing ~ bands, subtribes or _tribes— namely, Secatoa quake, Merric, Massapequa, Menhasset, Corchaug and Canarsee, with & number of lesser groups, such as the Meroke and Rokanawahake. Q. What does the sale of electrieal equipment and supplies amount to in & year?—N. E. R. A. In this coustry in 1926, electrical manufactures amount to $775,828,000. Q. How long has Philosophical Hall, Philadelphia, been occupied?—R. A. . It has been occupied since the year Geor| Washington = was in- augurated, 1789. In the Hall of the American Philosophical Society, Inde- pendence Square, Washington sat for one of the Gilbert Stuart portraits.. Q. Is there any way of removing slight dents in wood?—D. G. A. Place moist blotting paper over tl.e dent and then apply heat by plac- ing a warm iron en the blotter. The heat and the moisture cause the fiber of wood to swell and the dent fills up. Q. In what school for the deaf did Mrs. Coolidge teach?—D. R. A. Mrs. Coolidge taught at the Clarke School for the { “in 'Northampton, Mass., before she was married. m;l lzaku an active interest in the school. of Q. What percentage of ‘attendance is lost by school children on account of illness?—M. A. N. A. Children lose about 4 per cent of the possible-days of attendanece at school ricie by Dr. Hugh 8. Cumming o the art . . Cumm United bs’um P\Iuglh Health Service. Q. What is the Eskimo boat called which has just room for one occupant?— L. M. A. The kayak is the swift and sea- worthy canoe, made of skin, entirely decked over except for the round hole in the middle, in which one oeccupant sits. It is zmulble for the e: ddler of kayak to right ‘mmediately when it is need e canoe overturped in the water. Chicago Stay-at-Homes Blamed For Failure to Beat Thompson Since about half of Chicago’s voters went to the polls when they had a chance to wrest control of the eity council from Mayor Thompson, the rest f the country isn't surprised that ne more was accomplished than a redue- tion of the mayor's margin of power, “Stay-at-homes must shoulder the blame if their city suffers in the next two years,” says the South Bend Trib- une. “The citizens had an opportunity to put Thompson in a position where he could hardly avoid resigning, and to serve notice on all politicians and gang- sters that the two electoral revolutions which occurred last year were not ac- cidents. But only 50 per cent of the registered voters went to the polls Tues- day. The citizens who failed to vote have given the disreputable element every reason to believe that it has nothing to fear.” Reviewing the past, the Savannah Morning News comments: “Not long ago Chicago was all worked up. It had a day of prayer for itself, and it went to the polls and voted, and gave the ma- chine a whipping. And then the good citizens patted themselves on the back and went baek to their civic sleep, from which they had awakened but tempo- rarily. e rofessional politicians never sleep. The good citizen rarely wakes.” And that is the whole reason why there are such outbreaks of law- lessness as occur in Chicago. . If the good citizen doesn't care enough about his city to go to the polls and vote he cannot expect the bad citizen to vote into office men who would stop his bad- ness at once.” :‘Chicago is in many ways a_wonder- ful city,” the Roanoke World-News re- marks. “It is developing a magnificent art center. It has improved the lake front into a park system that shames the sordid water fronts of most of our large citles, New York included. It con- tains many splendid, public-spirited citizens who will give liberally of their means and their time. But when it comes to city government, these same ublic-spirited citizens are singularly lacking. They will not work for Chieago where work for it would count most, ® * * The splendid efforts of Dis- trict Attorney Swanson to eliminate gang warfare, beer raids and street killings have not been supported at the polls.” * ok ok ok “As for Tlilnois folk,” according to the Rock Island Argus, “they feel it to be their Erl\'flege to scold the big city by the lake. But, in reality, they are very proud of it. They believe as thoroughl; as any Chicagoan that Chicago wlfi outdistance New York—in fact, they be- lieve Chicago right now is preferable to New York. When there are so many fine things about Chicago it is too bad there are so many evil-minded people who are allowed to compromise its repu~ taticn. Crime, allied with politics, has given one of the greatest cities of the world a bad name. Chicago will put a stop to that alliance one of these days.” The verdict that “Chicago’s citizens —_— situation and one almest equally un- favorable in the earlier part of his ad- ministration. * k% % President Hoover has recommended that the prohibition enforcement did not rise tolhumpe to reform, to some extent, It in that city” comes from the Lindein State Journal, which holds that the eity “cannot be reformed by & police drive, nor can it be reformed by an efection”; that “it tflhoth the elpction ‘of honest and efficient officers and & ~eontinued ggllu drive. The ahcflm’?l‘m or two nest aldermen,” continues that paper, “will do more toward cleaning up the city than a half-hearted and brief po- lice drive. es & long, hard cannot expeet to has taken ;un to build ™ take years for eitigens of overthrow this structure.” * * x ¥ “The fact that they reduced the strength of the mayor's clutch upon the couneil may be regarded as proof that the will to reform has not been lost in Chicago,” in the ion of the New York Times, although that paper admits that “of eourse, the reduction is only glx;pplpedri for !la Chieago, as elsewhere, posedly reform candidates ha ‘}'ti o‘d i % verd after election.” The Saginaw Dail; News finds eause for satisfaction, hnw}: ever, in observing that the city * to a doubting world that it can a quiet and orderly eleetion,” and that “the forces of Thompsonism suffered some reverses,” even though “Thomp- sonism remains in the Mud'k." - Advice that “eitizens of Chicago should not be discouraged because greater results were not obtained in vanquishing gang rule in the election” is given by the Madison Wisconsin State Journal, which points out that “the machine is well omi:ed," that “public sentiment crysta] slowly,” and that “for some reason voters fail to appreciate that minor offices often mean as much in government as major posi« tions.” The Baltimore Sun emphasizes the fact that in the Illineis city “the council has large control over the gov- ernment,” and says that under the dom« ination of Mayor Thompson the “con= sequences in lawlessness, corruption, extravagance and increase of debt have been deplorable.” “Chicago cannot afford to wait any longer before coming to a life-and- death struggle with the criminals,” in- the judgment of the Columbus Evening Dispatch, while the Springfield, I, State Register argues: “The responsi- bility is not individual. It {s general. It does not rest so much with Thompsen as with others in high places who wear the mask ef virtue but who temporize and compromise with the powerful criminal eclasses to promote their own business or political interests.” * ¥ % X ‘The Chicago Tribune concludes: “With few exeeptions, the governing bodies of Chicago are bankrupt. Chi- cago banks, which already have loaned to the city all the money which tho‘ feel can be advanced with due regar for the interests of their depositors, have refused further credit on tax-an- ticipation warrants. * * * Not since the great fire has Chicago been in greater need of high disinterestedness in agencies be transferred in part from the Treasury Department to the Depart- ment of Justice. He will have the sup- port of dry Republicans in Congress provide? tion enforcement as a whole from the Treasury and shift it over to the De- partment of Justice. But if there is proposed a plan of building up another prohibition unit under the Department of Justice and abandoning that in the Treasury, there is likely to be a decided howl. There are signs that the big drive is on to bring about real prohibition en- |rejoice in the fact that the forcement. The Jones bill increasing penalties for violations of the dry laws, just signed by former President Cool- idge, is sending cold echills down the backs of bootleggers. Furthermore, Hoover intends to “dry up” Washing- ton, and particularly official Wuhh‘ng ton, as an example to the rest of it 2 Y PoRnE public office.” ——— They're Bigger, Anyway. gre: he proposes {o lift the prehibi- | From the Fort Worth Stas-Telesram snd | *with_a boundary dispute on thelr hands, Texas and Oklahoma should be g'ad they are not in Europe. - There Are Cats and Cats. From the Cincinnati Times-Star. Fur-bearing wild animals probal nbuse ca} can be made to do service for almost any of them. There's Plenty for Em. vided were the political parties in the |there are indications that President |From the Lansing State Journal. Mo be of vmmumwm e d to back up to rear