Evening Star Newspaper, March 18, 1929, Page 8

b byt e S ™ NS THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY........March 18, 1929 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 42nd 8t e Michigan Building. Zuropean Ofice, 14 Rerent t. London, ng! Rate by Carrler Within the City. The Evening Sta 5c per month The Evening and (when 4 Sunda: 80c per month The Evening and hen 5 the Orders may be sent in Main 5000.- Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. aily and Sunda: 1 ¥r,$10.00: 1 mo., 85¢ Datly oniy, 1 $6.00: 1 mo., unday only $4.00; 1 mo., 40c All Other States and Canada. g-uy £nd Sunday..lyr. 31300 1 mo. 3} 2 aily only .. 58 mo. undey only $5.00; 1 mo., S0c Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled 1o the use for republication of all rews ais- patches credited to it or not otherwise cred- ited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All riehts of publication ot Zpecial dispatches herein are also reserved. The First Step. | The first step in the campaign to Introduce the safety responsibility bill ! of the American Automobile Association to local civic organizations, with a view to enactment of the law for the Dis- trict of Columbia as an example for the rest of the Nation, was taken last week, when the measure was presented to the traffic committee of the Wash- ington Board of Trade for consideration and referred to a subcommittee for study. Hailed as “the best piece of legisla- | tion yet drafted” on the subject of driver financial responsibility on the highways and embodying the best fea- tures of the statutes now in effect in various States, the safety responsibility bill was drawn up by the American Automobile Association after a year's study by a committee of experts from all parts of the United States. Follow- ing its completion, it has been succes- sively subjected to the most searching scrutiny of various organizations and individuals that it would affect, and ap- proval of its principles has been uni- wersal. ‘While the opponents of compulsory automobile insurance claim that this law, which is now in effect in Massa- chusetts, compels the law-abiding ma- Jjority to pay for the sins of the few ond that it has been made a political foot ball, the A. A. A. measure provides that if a person is careful in the opera- tion of his car he need never show financial responsibility, and the law is 50 drawn that it cannot serve as a po- Jitical issue. Not only does the proposal leave the good and careful driver severely alone to work out his own salvation, but it does what all laws of this nature are designed to do—makes life miserable for the criminally inclined motorist. TUnlike the statute now in effect in Connecticut, it does not allow each \driver one serious aceident with injury ried the city by only a paltry margin, lost the State, lost the country. And, to make the matter more strange, Demo- cratic candidates for Senator and for governor carried city and State. As for Mayor Walker, he has reached the point of differentiating the pro- cedure in the selection of Tammany leaders.. Formerly the leaders picked the mayors. Now it would scem that the mayor is to pick the leader. At least, it is just now believed that the new leader must be a man who is friendly and sat- isfactory to Mayor Walker. And it is plainly indicated that the former gov- ernor and presidential candidate does not fall into that category. It is reported, however, that Mr. Smith is now to get to work to talk to the district leaders, man by man and group by group. His friends expect much to happen from this series of interviews. Smith is an artful persuader. He may have a line of talk that will bring about a new deal. Not, say his friends, that he wants the leadership for himself. But he does want the leadership to be friendly, at least. Tammany is passing through a change. It is no longer the political or- ganism of the largest community in the State. Its membership covering only the | boroughs of Manhattan and the Emnx.‘ formerly dominant in numbers, it now faces the fact that it is actually a mi- nority. Brooklyn has today over 600,000 more people than Manhattan, while; Queens is catching the Bronx and will| soon be rated as the third largest of the five boroughs. It gives to think, as the French say, thus to look upon the cen- sus figures, which of late have shown a marked disregard for the prestige of | Manhattan and the Bronx, the field of Tammany's power. Perhaps the new | dispensation may be broader in scope | than merely in the matter of leadership. o Hoover's Great Opportunity. The House and Senate committees on agriculture are to begin work on a farm bill within a short time. The Senate committee meets at the call of Senator McNary, its chairman, one week from today, and the House committee is to begin its hearings also next week, on March 27. President Hoover will sub- mit to Congress his recommendations for farm legislation when the session of the new Congress opens April 15. The fact that Mr. Hoover's plans for farm relief are not to be made public until the middle of April might be con- sidered a handicap to the committees which are to prepare bills for intro- duction soon after the Congress meets were it not for the fact that members of the committees, through conferences with the President, have in mind the lines along which Mr. Hoover desires to go in the matter of farm relief. Furthermore, there is much preliminary work, in the way of hearings, which must be handled before the committees actually get down to the work of drafting a bill. For that reason it is not be- lieved that the delay in the formal an- nouncement of the President's farm program will prove a handicap. Mr. Hoover in his message to the new Congress will also deal with the tariff, yet the House ways and means committee has been working for months or loss of life before his financial stand- ing is investigated, but provides that immediately on conviction of a major trafic offense, even without accident, the driver of a motor car must take out insurance, post & bond or demon- istrate solvency before he is allowed to luse the highways again. In other words, Bt the very start of his demonstrated inclination to be a menace to other ‘users of the road he must show, re- gardless of any action by the trafic authorities, that he is able to pay for damages levied against him, before his operator's permit is restored. The motorists next to be taken care of under the bill are those known as Judgment-proof, who have no assets, or who conceal their assets when they are involved in a serious accident caused on a bill for presentation soon after Congress assembles. This may appear to be putting the cart before the horse, but from a practical point of view it enables the congressional committees to THE EVENING STAR. WASHIN GTON, D. MONDAY, i MARCH 18, 1929. Brookhart and his suvcommittee in their findings he is likely to file a mi- nority report with the Senate. ‘The opportunity for dickering by Southern Republican political leaders, according to Senator Brookhart, comes after the examinations for positions have been held and three persons are certified by the Civil Service Commis- sion as being qualified for appointment. In the South, he maintains, this has too often’ opened the way to the col- lection of money by unscrupulous poli- tictans from candidates for office. An executive order of the character proposed by Senator Brookhart, it is be- lieved, would have to be effective in all parts of the country as well as in the South. This would take away much of the patronage now handled by members of Congress from the North and the West and the East. But this does not dismay the Iowa Senator. He believes that members of Congress would be bet- ter off if they did not have to make recommendations for Federal office. In- deed, it has always been a questjon as to whether a member of the Senate or House gained more friends or enemies by distributing the patronage plums in his State or district. For every man given an appointment there is usually a number of disappointed and disgrun- tled applicants. ————————— A succession of pleasant March days continues to call resentful recollection of March 4. Plain intelligence should suggest a change of date for inaugura- tion. But Congress appears willing to take a chance once in four years. All the plain intelligence available is now needed for matters of more immediate legislative concern. —— e Announcement that Trotsky is writing another book recalls him as a rather clean-minded though radical politician, who has little chance of producing an erotic work that will line up with the best sellers. A liquor-laden truck hired by a lega- tion in Washington, D. C., has brought up a question, delicate and interesting, as to whether diplomatic immunity, undisputed on location, can travel on wheels. N Jack Dempsey may be a sufficiently successful prizefight promoter to prove that a pugilist may be a great financier, even though no financier, like the late Rickard, for instance, has been a great puglist. e — The farm relief problem in Mexico consists largely in the search for a method by which agriculture may be made more attractive than rebellious army service. oo Automobile speeding is not a sport- The first garden casualty of 1929 ap- Feared in the form of a long rip on the eft hand, caused by a rose thorn which lived up to its traditions. Inanimate things have their tradi- tions, too. Rocks and hills and thorns g0 through their various duties, as*im- planted in them in the beginning, and such usage constitutes their traditions. 1t is the duty of a rose thorn to prick. just as it is the duty of a dog to bark at an intruder. He who curses the thorn, or orders the dog to cease barking, is at- tempting to work against the eternal principle. ‘Thorns that will not stick, dogs which will not bark—these are not living up to the traditions of their race—traditions which constitute an unwritten body of times as enduring. * % * ‘There will be garden casualties from pay no attention to it. Not every one is by nature a farmer, but almost every one, given the op- portunity, enjoys digging around in the earth. Just how deep he shall dig, or how long, depends mostly on inclination, be- ing one of those matters of taste on which no two persons are said to agree. In amateur gardening there can be no nice judgments fixed; he who gardens for the fun of it does as he pleases. If he gardens well, that is his busi- ness; if he gardens poorly, that also is his personal business. * ok kK Whether he garden well or badly, however, the chances are 10 to 1 that he will cut his hands, or get some dirt in his eye, or fall down (please observe we refrain from the rest of it), or in virgin beauty of a precious cuticle. For who would garden in gloves? The proverbal cat in mittens is no more clumsy a creature than the gar- dener, male or female, who sallies forth in early Spring wearing a nice heavy pair of canvas or leather gloves. Especially during the first days of Spring one wants to get right down to earth. Nothing quite takes the place of feeling the moist sofl trickle through the fingers. e In pruning rosebushes, which should be done by this time, gloves are per- missible. After getting a few neat scratches, the amateur is inclined to think that any one who does not wear gloves while monkeying around rosebushes is something of a fool. Rose thorns can deliver as neat a cut as any natural article—cuts much re- sembling the long raking scratches made by an angry tomcat. Since rosebushes are constantly ex- posed to the winds, there is no telling what inimical substances may have fallen upon them. ‘There is a peculiar necessity for care- ful attention to all such garden cuts, since the deadly tetanus germs are supposed to lurk in soil. Scorn of slight cuts is simply fool- ishness; many a person has come to his end by such an attitude. With the exercise of ordinary cau- ing test of skill. It risks human life on the possibility of imperfection in a nerveless machine. JESSEE—— Always a brave man, Gen. Smedley Butler is said to be thinking of return- ing to Pennsylvania to mingle in the political life. A ‘There are few great human questions which may not come into contacts in- volving diplomacy. Even prohibition does s0. R ST A Mexican revolution is very likely to look, as a rule, like another form of the prepare in advance of the meeting of Congress and thus to shorten the period that the Congress will have to remain in Washington after it has been as- sembled in special session. ‘There have been intimations from the ‘White House that President Hoover is not to submit the draft of a bill for farm relief. It is quite true that he will not submit & tariff bill, nor would any one expect him to do so. The busi- ness of the President is to make recom- mendations to Congress for -legislation that he believes is necessary for ‘the benefit of the country. The business of unemployment problem. o SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Poets All “There are no poets,” some one said. A grave man smiled and shook his head. “The children, still,” we heard him say, “Imagine poems in their play.” ‘The man who models & machine Has realized, at last, a dream. ‘The printed pages bring to sight A brand-new poet overnight. by their negligence. Up to limits of | the Congress is to frame the legisla- | Compositors show fancy fine five and ten thousand dollars these per- | tion and to wark out the details of the | In measuring a length of line. sons are compelled to satisfy final judg- | measures upon which it proposes to act. | Each of us turns an upward gaze, ments found against them in courts of But while Mr. Hoover will send no Searching the sky, to find a phrase. ‘competent jurisdiction or suffer per-|farm bill and no tariff bill to the Con- | The Muse sees Youth in strong pursuit imanent revocation of permits. And to | gress, it may be expected that he will | And often murmurs, “Aren’t he Cute!” make the law nationally effective, the|pe very definite in his discussions of both | “No poets?” Let us not despair. A. A A proposes that every State|subjects in his message to Congress. He | We now have poets everywhere! should adopt an operator’s permit law ®o that a person barred in one State ‘could not operate a car in another. Simple in its operation, yet deadly in Beeking its mark, the financially irre- sponsible operator of an automobile, the afety responsibility bill will accomplish mot only & Natlon-wide carefulness in the use of potentially dangerous vehi- «cles, but will serve to weed out those who have demonstrated themselves as unfit. Assuredly nothing better could be done for the District of Columbia than the adoption of this law to lead the procession that is bound to follow. ———— “Mount Weather” as a place of Sum- mer sojourn comes into frequent promi- nence. A few practical and persistent realtors may eventually succeed in settling its future. ———— Tammany’s Faction Troubles. ‘Tammany's turmoil, due to the resig- nation of Judge Olvany as leader last ‘week, without the slightest advance no- tice, is not lessening with the passing of a few days. Rather is it increas- ing, for, while at first there seemed to be likelihood of a speedy selection of 2 new leader, in the person of former Justice Maloney, now faction has raised its ugly head and there is discord where, in consonance with the traditions of the Hall, there should be harmony. Faction forms, it seems, along Smith ‘and anti-Smith lines. It forms, likewise, along the lines of friendliness and op- position to Mayor Walker, who now, after some flirting with the question, has made known his desire to be re- nominated. It forms, likewise, along a new and somewhat peculiar line—favor for and opposition to a lawyer in the Jeadership. Judge Olvany may be suc- ceeded by a non-professional because of the feeling of a large element in Tam- many that too many “pickings” have gone to the legal-professional chief. The anti-Smith faction occuples per- haps the strangest position of all. A few months ago Tammany was hailing the governor candidate for the presi- dency ws the proudest product of the Hall. To the eye of the country there was no division of sentiment Tegarding him on the part of the great political organization of Manhattan and the Bronx. But on election day something could scarcely do less, in view of his call for & meeting of Congress. It may be ex- pected that he will clearly indicate the lines which he expects this legislation to take and also indicate limitations beyond which he is not prepared to go, in the matter of either farm relief or tariff revision. It is known that he does not propose to give his approval to a general and inordinate raising of the tariff duties. And it may be ex- pected that he will agree to no farm bill which to him seems economically un- wise and practically unworkable. Much is expected from President Hoover as a leader in the matter of farm relief. He has before him a great opportunity to develop his leadership. No one hitherto has been able to weld all the factions and groups interested in farm legisiation into a single group, ready to accept legislation of a certain type. But with the verdict of the elec- tion behind him, Mr. Hoover is in a position to assume such leadership, [ ——— ‘Texas, now one of our most moral of States, is doing everything in its power to set a good example to Mexico. —————— Senator Brookhart’s Solution. ‘The patronage snarl in the South, which has been causing much dis- cussion in recent days, could be ironed out to large extent, in the opinion of Senator Smith W. Brookhart of Iowa, by the issuance of an executive order by President Hoover to the effect that the candidate for post office appoint- ment passing the highest examination be given the position. ‘The Jowa Senator points out that this would do away with the certifica- tion of three candidates for each office { by the Civil Service Commission, which | opens the way for political influence finally to select the appointee. Senator Brookhart is head of the sub- committee of the Senate committee on post offices and post roads. whi¢h has been investigating the alleged sale of post office jobs in Georgla, Mississippi, Texas and other Southern States. He hopes to be able to make & report to the Senate when it convenes in April, and the indications are that the report will be full of spice and ginger. His re- The Chanceful Life. “Some day you will be riding to the United States Capitol in an airplane.” “I don’t feel the need of the addi- tional thrill, as yet,” answered Senator Sorghum. “I have to take chances enough after I get there.” Jud Tunkins says reading is like med- icine. Some of it improves you and some of it doesn't. S The Big Singer. The bluejay said to the mockingbird, “That robin song is politgly heard. Does it seem to you, as it does to me, On professional boycott we should agree?” Said the mockingbird, “Your song’s not sweet. Let's acknowledge the worth of the {riends we meet; And pause for a moment, respect to heg For the cackling hen who has laid an e Superior Virtue. “Does your bootlegger come around to see you any more?” “Yes,” answered Uncle Bill Bottletop. “He has gone out of business and seems to get a sort o' mean satisfaction out of reminding me that he has reformed and I haven “A debt,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “should never cause resent- ment. It always implies the willingness jof a friend.” Extremes. And here's & story very old: It is too warm, or else too cold, And here's another, just as bad; Life is too gay, or else too sad. “I wishes sometimes,” said Uncle Eben, “foh de old ways. When a fiivver balks, dat settles it, but dar always was some little chance of makin’ friends wif 2 mule.” The Bellman. ‘The bellman says, “I now make bold ‘To say, although the winds are cold, Forsythia begins to bloom. Hyacinths will dispel the gloom. Soon wiil the restiess bee be heard ‘With weicome to the hummingbird. On war and terror I might dwell. port will go first to the full commit- tee, and if approved by that body then happened which suggested that all was to the Senate. In the ‘event the full not well within the ranks. Smith car- committes does Dot uphold Semalor N L . » 1 Such things we know, alas, too well! 8o, as the watchman, on my way, April dag,” law older than the pyramids, and many | now on, as the lure of the land creeps | into the blood of those who ordinarily | some other manner cut or infringe the | THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. {tion, one need have no fear of all the germs which may float in the winds, or be hatching out in the soil. ok % % Better an “old woman's” caution, if you please, than months in the hos- pital, or worse. ‘The simplest method of attending to such garden cuts is to wash the hands at once with hot water and soap, or | cold water, and then to apply some one | of the popular antiseptics, either the ybrown or red. ‘Those who get foreign bodies in their eves upon the slightest provocation— |and there are many such—will have to take more than ordinary precautions. This does not mean recourse to gog- gles, but simply forethought, a realiza- tion that digging with spade or fork may flip up particles of earth, Once the Spring gardener remembers | his eyes, he will be on the watch for flying particles, and thus will be able to wink quickly enough to catch the particles before they squirm in, Gnats and other small winged crea- tures constitute another hazard for those whose eyes are so constructed that forelgn bodies get in easily. Again let there be a warning against the sneerers. Those by Nature so for- tunate to have eyes which permit the entrance of few foreign bodies are in- clined (evidently by the same Nature) to jeer at those who are not like them- selves. Such incivil jests will in no wise deter the gardener who values his eyes and understands the precautions he must take to keep them healthy, wealthy and wise. % 4% Working with the trowel affords a | particularly easy way of hurling small particles of carth into the eyes. One is then close to the soil, indeed, and a flirt with the trowel may bring a veritable hail of particles. ‘When working with tough clay there is danger, as sometimes much force must be put forth to break up the clinging particles, especially carly in the Spring, before the soil has been “worked,” as it is called. Cleaning up the yard, usually the first Spring task. also involves some slight hazard. Often bits of glass will be found among leaves or debris. Rusty nails sometimes appear from Heaven knows where, along with sharp bits of wood or metal. Broken-off rose “stickers” may crop up suddenly. * o K K Yet, despite these little chances of misfortune, gardening should be done bare-handed, in order that one may get the “feel” of it. In this sport one is at elemental grips with the earth. There is here no implement, such as racket or bat, but simply the hands of creatures delving into the source of all life. It is necessary, therefore, to feel the moist, fresh earth actually, tangibly and visibly, if one is to garden profit- ably, which means gain mental, enjoy- ment intellectual. Small cuts and bruises fade to noth- ing, in the face of these real gains, the true immortal payments received for .pleasurable work in the home garden. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC Instead of “California, Here I Come” being the official White House anthem, as was once feared might be the case, “Minnesota, Here We Are” has become far the more appropriate. With two out of ten cabinet portfolios (State and Justice) at present in the hands of St. Paul and two out of three Hoover sec- retaryships (Akerson and Newton) as- signed to Minneapolis, the Gopher State has California effectually backed off the map. It will not have escaped the at- tention of the Twin Cities, whose mu-~ tual affection is proverbial, that the Chief Engineer, true to the tenets of his profession, has preserved a nice bal- ance between St. Paul and Minmeapolis. Each now has two representatives in the official family. The proportion will be upset when Secretary Kellogg is re- lieved by Secretary Stimson. But prob- ably St. Paul considers the attorney generalship (plus - a Supreme Court Justiceship) a fair set-off “against two Minneapolitans in the immediate en- tourage of the President. * ok ok K ‘Mr. Hoover has promptly pursued at least one Coolidge policy—he has chosen & Congressman for a White House sec- retary. Like C. Bascom Slemp and Everett Sanders before him, Walter H. Newton transfers directly frogj the House of Representatives to the White House. ‘It was President Coolidge who first saw the wisdom, and initiated the practice, of having at his right hand a man with contacts on Capitol Hill. Mr. Newton also happens to mount into the presidential entourage, as Sanders did four years ago, from the chairmanship of the Western speakers’ bureau of the Republican national committee. That's evidently a stepping stone job and will doubtless be coveted in future presi- dential campaigns. Secretary Newton adds one more lawyer to the legal paladins with whom -President Hoover is so extensively surrounding himself. Newton's youngest son bears a name distinguished in the law—John Marshall, * ok kK Now that he's no longer in the cabi- net, there becomes printable a tale that's been kicking around in Wash- ington for about a year. When the late Oscar S. Straus, former Secretary of Commerce and Ambassador to Turkey, passed away, a New York newspaper sent around to members of the Coolidge cabinet for tributes to his memory. This is what Secretary —— said: “I never had the pleasure of Mr. Straus’ acquajntance, but I always thought that his composition of the ‘Blue Danube Waltz' was one of the finest pleces of music ever written.” Secretary —— got dates mixed, He was thinking of Johann Strauss, the Viennese waltz king, ‘whose 100th birthday anniversary has just been nationally commemorated in"Austria. . A Canadian colleague in Washington writes to this observer: Apropos your account of Chief Justice Taft's bestowal of a cast-off suit on a North Dakota farmer, per- haps vou would care to know about the suit he once gave his French fishing guide at Murray Bay, Can- ada. The following Summer Mr. ‘Taft banteringly asked Pierre if he ' had been able to make use of the clothes, which, like the North Da- kota farmer's gift, were of early and capacious vintage. “Oh, yes!” said Pierre. “Out of one leg my wife she make sult for oyr small son. Out of other leg she make suit for big- ger boy. Out of seat of pants I my- selt make sail for my boat.” * kK K Senators Edge and Kean, Republi- cans, of New Jersey, are bringing pres- sure to bear at the White House for the appointment of Chauncey G. Parker of their State as solicitor general. Mr. Parker has been in Government serv- ice since 1918, first as special legal ex- pert of the War Risk Insurance Bu- reau and later in charge of litigation for the United'States Shipping Board. Since 1922 he has been general counsel for the Shipping Board and Merchant Fleet Corporation. Parker is of emi- nent legal ancestry, is a Harvard Col- lege and Columbia’ Law School grad- uate and for many years has been a leader of the New Jersey bar. He is @ younger brother of Justice Charles W. Parker of the New Jersey Supreme Court and of the late R. Wayne Parker, a former member of the House of Rep- resentatives from *New Jersey. * kK * There was an epidemic of Hoovers pt the White House the other day, when WILLIAM WILE three of that now exalted name were under the roof of the Executive Office at the same time. They included the President; J. Edgar Hoover, the bril- liant young chief of the Bureau of In- vestigation at the Department of Jus- tice, Uncle Sam's Sherlock Holmes, and “Ike” Hoover, veteran head usher of the White House, who is celebrating the fortieth anniversary of his connec- tion with that noble mansion. He went there in 1889 as a young electrician from Plainfield, N. J. The White House had just been wired for incandescent lighting and the President and Mrs. Harrison were a little fearful about the safety of turning the bulbs on and off. Hoover was sent down by the company, which had made the installation, to tell them how to do it. His appointment as permanent White House electrician en- sued, and later'he became chief guardian of the pottal. President Wilson took Hoover to the peace conference as door- keeper of the Paris White House. * kK K Uncle Sam's annual bill for trans- portation: of his property, employes and troops in 1928 was $25,797,108. This does not include the $100,000,000, odd spent for carrying the mails by land, sea and air. W. H. Hawley, Washington research statistician, finds that 39.5 cents of the Government's “transpor- tation dollar” was spent on the Army, 33.3 cents on the Navy, 7.6 cents for Interior Department requirements, 7.4 cents for the State and other depait- ments, 6.2 cents on the Veterans’ Bu- reau, and 6 cents on the Treasury. One and one-fifth cents out of every dollar charged, Mr. Hawley shows, was re- covered by the General Accounting Of- fice, where the eagle-eyed and relentless McCarl presides and prunes. (Copyright, 1929.) ———— Birthday of Holmes Recalls Bit of History To the Editor of The Star: Apropos of the recent birthday anni- versary of the venerable jurist, Oliver ‘Wendell Holmes, I recently came across the following entries in Longfellow’s Journal for the year 1861: “Oct. 5th: I walked to town and back. On the bridge met Dr. Holmes, who is troubled about his son, lieutenant in the Massachusetts 25th, which has been in the engagement on the Potomac. “Oct. 25th: Bad news, young Put- nam is killed and Holmes wounded.” I was remnided of the lines from “Paul Revere's Ride”: “Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year.” FRANK K. NEBEKER. Youth Will Be Served By Elders in Cabinet From the Toronto, Canada, Dally Star. ‘The New York Sun suggests that in the matter of United States cabinets “youth will be served—by its elders.” In the new cabinet the youngest, Sec- retary Hyde, is 51. Mr. Mitchell and Dr. Wilbur are 54. Secretary Davis is 55. Mr. Brown is 60. Col. Stimson and Mr. Lamont are 61. Mr. Good and Mr. Adams are 62. Secretary Mellon is 74. The average is 59 years. The Canadian cabinet contains younger men than these, and none so old as Secretary Mellon. Half a dozen are under 50—Mr. Cannon, 42; Mr, Dunning, 43; Mr. Rinfret, 46; Col. Ralston, 47; Mr. Malcolm, 48; Mr. Cardin, 49. Six more are in their fifties— Mr. Lapointe, 5 Mr. Euler, 53; Premier King and Mr. Heenan, 54; Mr., Elliott, 56; Dr. J. H. King, 57. Six are in their sixties—Mr. Stewart, 60; Mr, Veniot, 65; Senator Dandurand, 67; Mr. Forke, 68; Mr. Robb and Mr. Mother- well, 69. These are the ages of a cabinet which has been in office for some time, whereas the United States cabinet is newly formed. It is evident that “they catch them younger” in Canada. Pre- mier King had just turned 47 when he assumed office in December of 1921, Mr. Meighan had just turned 46 when Sir Robert Borden's mantle fell upon him in 1920. Mr. Bennett, however, is 58—and it looks as though he will still have to wait awhile. o We've Noticed That. From the Ottawa Journal. A scientific writer says there is no such thing as time. Quite a few of- fice boys are of the same opinion. |u. S. Shipping Failing To Hold Its Place From the Waterloo Tribune. From first to seventh place in the shipping of the world is the position the United States is in. Only last year this country was in third place. ‘The war ended with British shipping | shattered, except that between the | island and its colonies. German ship- | { ping had departed from the seas. United States had built many hundreds of ships, had acquired others as prizes | of war and in American hearts came | the glad cry, “The American flag is| back on the sea and into every port in the world!" But since the war the United States merchant marine tonnage has been steadily reduced, while other nations have been steadily increasing their ton- nage. World new tonnage last year | amounted to 2,699,000 tons and the | United States produced only 3!, per cent of the world's total. In 1928 we produced only about half the tonnage we placed in the waters in 1927, Go-back to 1919 and the United | States launched 4,075,000 tons of ship- ping, or 57 per cent of the world's total. But in 1919 we were still building for the war—building ships faster than they could be destroyed. And no nation could compete with us in shipbuilding. Before the Civil War the” United | State was the leading maritime Nation. The war stopped building. While the | war was on, the steamship came into | being. We were not organized to build steamships. We had the idea, anyway, that wind was cheaper than coal and steam. Before we knew it we were out- ranked in shipbuilding and shipping. ‘What the Civil War did to this coun- try, the World War did to Great Britain and Germany. We had our chance then to build and to maintain supremacy on the seas. But here, in 1927, Germany, in spite of all her troubles, was back in the ship- building and shipping business. Great | Britain_ recovered more quickly than | anybody thought she could. She bent her efforts to recovery because she knew the value of her merchant marine. In 1927 Great Britain was first and Ger- many second, with the United States third. For 1928, we find Holland, Den- | n}ark. Sweden and Japan out ahead of us. How lonesome the American traveler used to be in a trip abroad when he never saw an American flag! How happy he was when he saw the Ameri- can flag in about every port he visited! How proud he was to see the Stars and Stripes flying in the midst of flags of other nations! From indications the American trav- eler abroad will soon be lonesome again. R Soldiers Eager to End Spanish Rebellion From the Kalamazoo Gazette. Prompt and decisive action by the civil and military authorities has nipped in the bud what apparently was in- tended to be a widespread revolt on the part of various units in the Spanish army. According to reports from Madrid, the “overt act” of the uprising —the mutiny of the 1st Artillery Regi- ment at Ciudad Real—was ended with- out bloodshed when a squadron of gov- ernment airplanes flew over the revolt area and dropped proclamations from Premier Primo de Rivera, promising that only the ringleaders would be pun- ished if the soldiers would surrender at once. It is evident that the soldiers in the ranks were glad to accept these peace overtures, for the premier has already given the Spanish Assembly for- mal assurance that the disorders have been completely quashed. Minor muti- nies in the military posts at Corunna, Barcelona and Valencia apparently have made no headway at all. - ‘The utter collapse of this latest revo- lutionary ‘movement suggests that the movement itself was poorly organized or that it did not have sufficient support. Foreign observers necessarily find it difficult to determine, with any degree of certainty, the extent of revolutionary sentiment in Spain. Reports of anti- government plots in various sections of the country have been heard time and again since Primo de Rivera established himself as dictator six years ago, but thus far the premier has managed to keep his power unshaken. It is gen- erally understood, however, that dis- satisfaction with the Rivera regime has been growing considerably during the last yvear or two, and that it has been manifested far more openly than it was during the early years of the dictator- ship. The Spanish premier never has displayed such frank autocracy as that characterizing the administration of his “professional colleague” in Italy, but he has not hesitated to violate many of the personal liberties and immunities which his countrymen hold so dear. It remains to be seen how seriously Rivera will take this latest uprising. s Sees Hoover Urging U. S. Entry in World Court From the Detroit News. The Hoover administration is goi to make a serious attempt to puguv,;:g United States into the World Court. This is evident from President Hoover's inaugural speech and from the confer- ences which Elihu Root is holding with Aristide Briand. Mr. Root is in Europe at the invita- tion of the League powers, who wish to make more definite the statute on Wwhich the World Court is based. If that statute can be reworded in such a way as to meet or remove the Senate's reservations defining the conditions under which the United States is willing to enter the court, the way to adhesion will again be opened. In his inaugural President Hoover, speaking of the World Court, said: “The way should, and I believe will be found, by which we may take our proper place in a movement so fundamental to the progress of peace.” It is evident that he is fully acquainted with Mr. Root's mission, and hopes for its suc- cess. ¢ ¢ o If the court statute can be revised in such a way as to make an American objection a bar to the consideration of an advisory opinion on a question in which this country is interested, the greatest obstacle to our entering the court will be removed. It is this for which the President evidently hopes, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Any reader can get the answer to any ! question by writing to our Information | carry out the obliga Bureau in Washington, D. C. This of- fer applies strictly to information. The bureau_ cannot give advice on_legal, medical and financial matters. It does nor undertake exhaustive research on any subject. Write your question plainly and briefly. Give full name and address and_inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. The reply is sent direct to the inquirer. Address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Q. What is meant by Delegates and Commissioners in our Congress?— ME V ‘A. Delegates are the representatives | who come to the Congress from the Territories of Alaska and Hawaii, Com- missioners are those who come from our insular possessions. The Philip- pines are entitled to two and Porto Rico is entitled to one. These Dele- gates and Commissioners have no vote. Q. Are Indians good swimmers?— ‘A. The American Indian is a fairly good swimmer. a river, the Indian would hang on to the horse’s tail. Q. What is the average length of life of a dog?—J. M. H. A. The average life of a dog is about seven years, Q. When were carpet sweepers in- vented?—V. U. A. Carpet sweepers of a crude pat- tern were made in England hundreds of years ago, but not until 1876 was this device seriously considered as a time- | saving, labor-saving household article. To Mr. M. R. Bissell is due the credit of producing the first carpet sweeper that did the work properly. Q. Are there any subways under the ‘Thames River?—C. W. McD. A. There are several subways be- neath the Thames. The Rotherhithe Tunnel is 1 mile and 440 yards for foot, passengers and vehicles, the Black- wall Tunnel is nearly one and one- fourth miles long and is for foot passen- gers and vehicles, the Greenwich Tun- nel is 406 yards long and is for foot passengers only, the Thames Tunnel is 1,300 feet in length and is now closed. The Tower subway is for foot passen- gers and is now closed. Q. Why does a gas jet gas is turned off>—B. F. W. A. A gas jet pops because of the accumulation of air in the pipes. Q. Why is “colonel” pronounced as if the word contained an “r"?—A. C. A. The present-day pronunciation of the word “colonel” is based upon the original spelling of the word, which was “coronel.” Q. Should the liquor on canned vegetables be discarded?>—R. D. A. The mineral salts and other soluble substances which foods possess partially escape into the water while cooking, so that the flavor and savor of the canned goods is impaired if the liquor is discarded. For this rea- son vegetables should be prepared using the liquid as a sauce or dressing. If the vegetable is to be served in some way not requiring a sauce, reserve the liquid for a soup. Q. Will soap thrown into a geyser force it into action?>—W. R. P. A. The Geological Survey states that sometimes soap is used as an expedient to hurry up the action of a geyser. The soap makes a film over the water and causes an accumulation of steam. ‘When the steam accumulates to a cer- tain point, it causes the eruption. Q. Where do the Eskimos live?— W. A, D, A. The Eskimos are inhabitants of the northern coast of the American continent down to latitude 60 degrees north on the west and 55 degrees on the east, and of the Arctic islands, Greenland and about 400 miles of the nearest Asiatic coast. They prefer the vicinity of the seashore, from which thfiy rarely withdraw more than 20-80 miles. Q. What is the Norbeck-Andresen act?—P, N. A. The Norbeck-Andresen migratory- bird refuge act, which has just been passed by Congress by unanimous vote of both houses and approved by the President, is one of the most important wild-life conservation measures ever put on the statute books of any nation. It supplements the migratory-bird treaty Public Finds a pop when the Ww. Study of former President Coolidge's initial literary effort, a magazine article published immediately after he left the White House, has resulted in a rather general recasting of the public estimate of his quiet personality. Especially is there interest in his philosophy as re- vealed in his comments on the death of his son Calvin. “The glory and the power of the presidency departed, Calvin Coolidge writes, with the death of his eldest son,” says the Harrisburg Telegraph. “Coolidge the cool, non-committal Pres- ident becomes Coolidge the fond father, mourning for his first born, and, like millions of others before him, questioning the inscrutable ways of Providence in this visitation of sorrow. * * * The greatest triumph is tinged by tragedy; the greatest joy is always tinctured “with sorrow. Mr. Coolidge forgets the glory of the presidency to weep over the grave of a beloved son. The country will love him the more for this frank and simple revelation.” “The President who made no parade of his private grief at the time, but carried on with no outward expression of it, though the shock, it now seems, inspired his decision to renounce an- observes, “is also the father to whom the boy turned in suffering and de- lirilum. ‘He was asking me to rhake him well. I could not.” Inability to do and it is this which Mr. Root is evi- dently trying to urge upon European statesmen, r——ors Lauds Admiral Billard’s Order Under Dry Law Prom the Baltimore Sun. Admiral Billard’s order that Coast Guard vessels shall not fire upon pas- senger ships plying on the Chesapeake Bay reflects sense and good judgment from an official who must be harassed by the improprieties of his subordinates. It is to be hoped that the admiral’s or- der will hold, in spite of the rash state- ment of Seymour Lowman, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, that “it does not make any difference what kind of a boat it is,” the Coast Guard will fire as it pleases. With public opinion aroused by the President Warfield incident, "' will be notable if the sanity of Admiral Billard does not prevail over the rash- ness of Mr. Lowman, Thus for the moment at least the “right” claimed by Comdr. Kerr of the Coast Guard to fire upon passenger ships suspected of ca: g liquor be- comes an academic matter. It is not too late, however, to challenge the existence of that right under any de- cent standard. ‘The President Warfield had on board a Negro's automobile con- taining & quantity of whisky. We em- phatically deny that such & circum- stance justifies a Coast Guard cutter in firing upon a coastwise ship. Coast Guard may have the power to do 50 under the law; but it cannot claim, for it does not have, the right to i convenience peaceful passengers, terrify women and children and conceivably cause serious injury to innocent persons. he | them are human, with ti this for a dying son turned the presi- dential power to dust and ashes. Per- haps the common voters saw deeper into this Coolidge than the critical in- tellectuals.” lieves that “the people of the Nation will feel closer to the former President on learning more intimately about his paternal devotion.” % * ok kK “Calvin Coolidge, the man viewed as stern, silent and cold-blooded, loosed and revealed a thoroughly human soul to his countrymen,” avers the Tulsa World, which finds real literature in the “grief-laden story.” The Adrian Daily Telegram_offers the estimate of his writing: “The former President’s words seem strange, coming from & man whom we have been led 10 think of &s s0 practical and hard-headed. It is al- most mystical, his allusion to the strange, inscrutable destiny that made his son’s death appear to him as the price of his own triumph. Yet such thoughts have entered many an afflicted human mind. Why should we be sur- Krlsed‘ and why should the publie not ave guessed it from the first?” The Danbury Evening News recog- nizes in him “a bereft father, trying to understand, as millions of other be- reft human beings have tried to under- stand, the eternal mysterles of lite and death and the inscrutable ways of Providence.” 4 “Despite the glamour that surrounds exalted stations, the le occupying secret sor- rows, the troubles that beset the rest of mankind," records the New York Evening World, while thg Kansas City Journal-Post voices the thought: “As President he did not give way to his grief, as King David did over death Generally, in crossing other term,” the Grand Rapids Press| |act of 1918. Both laws were passed to tions of the United States under the treaty with Great Britain to protect the wild birds that fly back and forth each year from | Canada, and both will be administered The | not, attempt to settle domestic troubles, | by the Bureau of Biological Surves. | Q. What land was given to railroads | when_they were built?—0. D. C. | "A. Different _railronds received _dif- | ferent amounts of land in the grants of their charters. Generally the odd- {numbered sections were given them | within & certai distance of the rail- road. The distance was usually from 20 to 40 miles, but in one case it was only for a distance of 6 miles and In another for 12 miles. Q. Did Gen. Gordon dic before the relief expedition reached him?—S. L. A. Gen. Charles George Gordon. a British soldier and adventurer, died fighting the Mahdi Desert tribesmen in | Khartum, the Sudan, in 1885, just two | days before the arrival of a British re- | Hief expedition. He had been besieged | nearly a year. The reading world fol- lowed the drama with intense interest, only to be shocked by its tragic end. Q. How did the figure of speech “acid test” originate?—G. W. P. A. It refers to the application of acid to test the purity of gold. Q. Give the origin of the name “nicotine” found in tobacco.—T. M. A. “Nicotine” was name after Jean Nicot. who introduced the tobacco plant into France. Q. Do many persons visit Edgar Allan Poe’s grave?—A. S. N. A. Since 1925, when the Press Club of Baltimore took over the care of Edgar Allan Poe’s resting place in West | minster Graveyard, approximately 40,- | 000 persons have visited the tomb. Q. Are leather book bindings used as | much as formerly?>—C. B. A. According to Joseph Savidge, | Philadelphia bookbinder, leather book {bindings are becoming less popular | every year. Q. What was Admiral Dewey's favorite poem?—W. W. A. The admiral’s favorite was “Abou Ben Adhem,” by Leigh Hunt. CQN lt’vhcre is Tristan da Cunha?— A. ‘This little island is in the South Atlantic, midway between Buenos Aires and Cape Town. It is off the main routes of ships and 1s seldom visited except by cccasional cruising vessels. This lonely island has about 150 inhabitants. Q. When were the Niagara Falls completely dry?—E. W. A. The Geological Survey says that Niagara has never been completely dry. ‘The Winter of 1847-48 was extraord narily severe in this country. Heavy ice formed in Lake Erle. When it was broken up during the latter part of the entrance of the Niagara River at Buffalo, where it jammed in a solid mass, completely choking the outlet of Lake Erie, with the result that on March 29, 1848, the falls of Niagara were practically dry. Similar conditions prevailed during the Winter 1925-26. Q. Where is the largest elm tree in the United States>—R. H. W. A. Along the Lee Highway, near the confluence of the north énd south forks of the Holston River;and a few miles from Kingsport, Tenn., stands what is claimed be the largest elm in the world. Its age is unknown, but it was described by the first Europeans to visit the region. Other famous old elms were. the Treaty elm of Willlam Penn_that once sf on the bank of the Delaware River; the Washington elm at Cambridge, which fell several years ago, despite the skill of modern tree_surgery, and the old Liberty elm at Boston. It was beneath the last that the first mutterings of a revolt against Great Britain were started. g. }!’n real life, who was Jim Bludsoe? A. The hero of John Hay’s poem was the engineer, Oliver Fairchild. Q. At what time of year are the Mex- ican bullfights>—E. S. A. The bullfight season in Mexico begins at the end of November and lasts until Easter Sunday. Fights are held all over Mexico, but Mexico is where the principal fights are Q. How many shoes are made in the United States?—K. L. M. A. In 1928 there were 344,000,000 pairs of shoes manufactured in the United States. New Coolidge Revealed by Literary Effort of his beloved Absalom, but it is plain to see that the hurt was mortal, for he saw all kinds of promise in that re. markable lad, taken away so prema- turely.” The Huntington Ad r feels. that the article already prini “sheds more light on the inner man than the reader could ever hope to get from the countless addresses and offi- clal statements during his six years' oc- cupancy of the*whlt: House.” -k . “While President, Mr. Coolidge prob- ably left unanswered more questions than any of his predecessors in that office,” the Atlanta Journal draws the conclusion: “He did not do this to leave fresh material for writing, of course, but his taciturnity has undeniably en- hanced his position as author. What- ever he says now, with the bonds of public service broken, will have the virtue of being not only history but news.” The South Bend Tribune pre- dicts unusual public interest in what he may have to say about international affairs and on “the presidential routine.” Assuming that he is “prepared to lay bare the intimate thoughts, the more personal emotions he experienced while Président,” the Worcester Telegram re- marks that “no previous President has done this.” The nghamton Press offers the suggestion: “He is, in essence, a political analyst. Perh: it is not wise to expect political ‘revelations’ from Calvin Coolidge. Yet if he would tell the inner story of his attainment to the supremacy of his party—which he does not do—what a graphic page of 'Americnn political history that would The Elkhart Truth be- |, ., * ko Seeing merit in his workmanship, the El Paso Herald states: “Readers want accuracy and condensation. Mr. Cool- idge has these qualities to an unusual degree. He has essentially a critical mind. He seeks proof. When he makes | |a statement, either written or spoken, it can be accepted at exactly its face value.” The Glendale News-Press credits him with the “faculty of expressing himself effeetively.” “Most Americans are -of rural back- (ground or antecedents suggests the | Olean Herald, “and iustinctively they | understand the viewpoint and the way |of thought and action of this reticent Yankee, They have a shrewd suspicion | that Mr. Coolidge has stored up a rood | many thoughts and observations that will be worth attending. now that they can be told.” The Bellingham Herald | is impressed by the thought that “in the last few months a new sort of Coolidge has been unfolded,” and points out that “it was a topic of wide comment that | as the days of his voluntary retirement approached. his grim and masklike visage softened and took on an aspect almost of happiness.” S S Not So Early, Either. | From the Ssginaw Daliy News. b Gigantic footprints are found in New Jersey excavations, 30 feet or more un- der present-day surface. Probably 'Skt‘-':t:. of the earlier mosquitoes of the March, the winds swept the ice into .,