Evening Star Newspaper, May 16, 1929, Page 8

{THE- EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Editien. WASHINGTON, D. C THURSDAY.......May 16, 1089 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company "Bfll(: em‘ ess : 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd St. Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. European 14 t St., London, Englan Rate by Carrier Within the City. The Evenine Star. .. .45c per month e Evening and Siinday’ Star (when 4 Sundays) .60c per month The Evenin in r (when 8§ .85¢ per month Sunday St c i mon #6e 1 mo., 40c Al and Bunday..1 onl; Daily £ 7 Yt "1 9r), $800: 1 mo. y only .. Blnday onty ‘1 yr, §5.00; 1 mo, 50c ‘Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclysively ent tled Tews Gis- ted in this paper an i hews At i also the local ne published herein. rights of publication of pecial dispatches herein are also reserved. — — Reapportionment Again. A reapportionment bill granting to the States their proper representation ; sistance already is being rendered. So it either withdraws entirely or, if it the help is inadequate or ill ad- , comes to a co-operative agree- ment with the first group. Charity s not a competitive business. At the best, there is barely enough to meet the needs of the community. In- vestigations in other cities have shown as many as ten agencles working with one family, each unknown to the other and each supplying adequately, in its own judgment, the needs of the case. With the central card index every move made to help a family or an in- dividual is recorded. When a record accumulates over a number of years it is easier to analyze it and determine the underlying cause of the maladjust- ment which keeps pérsons a continual burden on the community. ‘There can be no efficiency in spas- modic, amateur charity—and most char- ity is such if it is forced to function without standardized records. The un- deserving cannot be distinguished from the deserving, the parasites from the unfortunate, the sick from the malingerers, ——— Honor to Dr. Putnam. An innate modesty would make Her- bert Putnam the first to protest against an allusion to the Library of Congress 88 a monument testifying to his thirty years of labor as its Librarian. If the in the House, measured by their popu- | rihrary is to be regarded - lation, is finally before the Senate, With | ment, Mr. Putnam !:ould 1::;“'::: un prospects of action in the Upper House. | o5 representing no one man, but as a Twice during the last decade the House qtself has passed reapportionment bills and twice they have been blocked in the Senate, where the rule of unlimited de- bate has been used as an instrument to nullify the clear intention of the Con- stitution. The reapportionment bill has been made the unfinished business of the Senate. There is no limitation upon the present sesgion of Congress. It may run until next mber. Filibusterifig tacties against the pending bill may cause delay, but they are not likely to prevent final action. Opposition to the reapportionment bill comes from States where represen- tation in the House will be lost by fol- lowing the actual enumeration of the people. Several of the big industrial States will gain in representation. But in some of the agricultural States the population has stood still or actually decreased. In the past it has been the practice to meet such changed condi- tions by increasing the membership of the House, allowing those States which have not kept pace with the growth of population to retain their existing rep- resentation in the House and granting to other States an increase in repre- sentation. The House membership is now 435. ‘There has been a distinct feeling that the membership should not be further increased; that as a legisia- tive body it is already too large and un- ‘wieldy. The pending bill retains the same limit of membership. A Already there is advanced a series of arguments in the Senate against the reapportionment bill. No Senator has come forward in opposition to the ap- portionment of the House in accord- ance with the terms of the Constitu- symbol of the finer and spiritual ele- ments that go into the making of a Nation of millions of men. And he would never regard it as completed. It can never be completed. But In their session this week, given over to honoring Mr. Putnam, the members of the American Library Ase| sociation, by the tenor of their re- marks, showed clearly enough how high the Librarian of Congress is held in the esteem of his associates, not only in ‘Washington and in the United States, but throughout the world of libraries. The remarkable growth of the Library of Congress, in size, in influence and in use- fulness, were cited as self-evident trib- utes to the devoted service, over a long period of time, of one man. The Li- brary today was pictured as the realiza- tion of the dreams of Dr. Putnam thirty years ago and the Library that will stand tomorrow as the fulflllment of his vision today. Dr. Putnam fis now abroad, but the librarians have sent him their cabled greetings and felicitations upon his re- cently observed thirtieth anniversary as the Librarian of Congress. Their more recent tributes go to supplement other testimonials rendered on that occesion. ‘This community, of which Dr. Put- nam has long been an honored member, appreciates the fitness and the worthi- ness of the compliments to the Libra- rian. As for the other librarians gath- ered here in convention, Justice Staf- ford spoke for Washington when he told them that “our own beloved and super- excellent Librarian has often demon- strated to the committees of Congress that Washington has more intelligence and fewer libraries than any town of its B ortnate ot e toat the | atze in the whole United States. What ground that the House is 2 inference should be drawn from these TOTe PAT- | 4o, facts remains & subject for annual ticularly interested in the matter. The House, it has been suggested, will be “affronted” if the Senate undertakes to put through such a measure first. This argument is advanced by Senators who not long ago voted for the debenture clause in the farm bill, which House leaders, not only Republican, but also Democratic, consider a revenue meas- under the Constitution, the House. Senators in the reapportionment bill t this particular measure reapportionments of the fu- from Congress and lodges in the hands of the Executive. is only thé case where the itself falls to carry out the The plan to have the reapportionment bill dealt with first in the Senate has the approval of House leaders. clear that if the consideration of the bill in the upper house was delayed until after the tariff and farm bills are both out of the way, those opposing reapportionment might again be in a position to delay it indefinitely. Inci- dentally, many of the opponents of re- apportionment are supporters of the so- called “national origins clause” in the immigration law, which is to go into ef- fect July 1. The longer the discussion of reapportionment the less chance there will be of & vote in the Senate on & proposal to suspend national origins. ———— o Epithets are becoming more polite. There seems comparatively little offense discussion. You will see, therefore, that Washington is the very place where your convention should be held.” And 1t is. ) The Cleveland Tragedy. Any expression of sympathy for the victims of Cleveland's terrible disaster seems inadequate, and attempts to draw moralizing conclusions as to cause or culpability pale and become mean- ingless in the light of this most ap- palling castastrophe. That the loss of life occurred in a hospital bullt and dedicated to the alleviation of suffering adds a peculiar poignancy to the trag- edy, while the nature of the death of the helpless patients, the nurses, the doctors and the rescuers themselves connotes an indescribable horror. Thoughts now turn to the dead. But almost immediately there ‘are to be the usual investigations and attempts to fix responsibility among the living. How futile such steps seem! Necessary, no doubt, but in the wake of such trage- dies man is always found merely to be groping impotently, if busily, in his ef- forts to seise upon something tangible as & possibly comforting explanation of the mysterious workings of an omnip- otent Providence. A photographer’s lot is not a happy one, His art is welcomed when gayety is supreme, but no one wishes to be photographed when he happens to be in a splash of trouble that makes him really interesting. Expediting Public Business. The tariff bill is before the House. to be taken when a statesman, instead | The country and farmers and the man- of confronting the stalwart objurgations | ufacturers will know soon practically to of the past, inds himself referred to | the dotting of an “i” and the crossing of in langusge that might be agreeable, | o “t” what the measure will be when it even to Alice in Wonderland, merely | passes the House and is sent to the Sen- as a “pseudo.” ate. The bill has been drafted by the RS R RS majority members of the ways and There is a fear that ofcial break- |means committee, as has been the prac- fasts may grow s trifie tiresome 10 |tice from time immemorial in handling statesmen who do not happen to like | tariff bills. It is, to all intents and fish. purposes, a party measure in the House, VSISt with & huge Republican majority to Bookkeeping in Charity. back it. The bill will be considered The Washington Council of Soclal |under & special yule and probably dis- Agencles plans to establish & soclal | posed of within fhe next three weeks. service exchange with & card index of | Why need the Senate finance commit- all charity cases in this territory. tee, which must deal with the tariff bill, This is in line with the best social | walt longer to begin its hearings on service practice. It should contribute | the various schedules? It is obvious substantially to the efficlency of all|that the committee can, -by beginning the charitable organizations represented in the Community Chest. When an individual or a fumily is in distress various groups are prepared to extend help. Unless there is some central source of information two or more such organizations are likely to work blindly and at cross purposes with each other. Each, without knowing that the other is interested, sends its agents to investigate the circumstances and prepare an effective plan for relief. Each has a different plan and & different procedure. Efforts are dupli- cated. Money is wasted. The suffering family is educated in indolence and mendicity. Under the new plan the first organ- 1zation called in will prepare a card for the central file, detalling the circum- stances and the procedure adopted. ‘When the case comes to the attention of some other agency the first step is |1 or August 1, with the prospect of |, ‘1o comsuls this fle. It finds thpt es- long, hot weeks ahesd of it and the Guard would bave probably sunk its hearings immediately, save much valuable time. The Senate committee, if it does not let the grass grow under its feet, may be able to have the bill ready to report to the Senate within & month. Congressional leaders generally are anxious to conclude the work of the special session at as early a date as possible. ‘The stumbling block to an early adjournment has been the pros- pect of long consideration of the tarift bill before the Senate finance commit- tee. There have been suggestions of & month, or even for two months, while the Senate committee works over the measure, first with hearings of inter- ested parties, and second in executive recess of the Senate and House for a| THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1929. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL, 0 conclusion of the session not until Pall of the year. An argument which may be advanced against the proposal of immediate hear- ings on the tariff bill by the Senate finance committee lies in the fact that the bill, as it will reach the Senate, has not been given final approval by the House. It may be argued that until the rates and administrative features have received such approval, it is not possible for persons desiring to be heard to submit their statements intelligently to the Senate committee. But as a counter to this argument is the knowl- edge that little chance exists that the ways and means committee’s recom- mendations and the expected action of the Republican caucus of the House will be turned down by the House it- self. It is true that many of the Re- publicans appear to be dissatisfied with the bill as introduced. Some of the rates are declared to be too low, others too high. But in the end it is likely the House committee and party caucus will prevail. No good reason exists for delaying the work of the present special session of Congress. Certalnly the Senate finance committee is in a position to advance the business of the session by taking up the bill without further de- lay. It has before it the voluminous hearings granted by the House commit- tee. There is every reason why the Senate committee hearings should not be prolonged indefinitely. ) Advancement in New York politics is regarded as likely to come to Commis- sloner Whalen, whose supervision of traffic indicates entire indifference as to whether he can control the taxicab vote. ) After seizing a workman by the heels and saving his life when the machinery entangled him, young Wales is entitled to be rated “A Prince” in popular par- lance, as well as in official catalogues. —————— In referring to the ancient glories of Rome, Mussolini begins to look like the modern publicity expert who seeks to capitalize a good, old reputation which he had no share in creating. —_————— Grand opera in New York will pro- gress architecturally and will place a listening world under enduring obliga- tion if it can hold a corresponding pace in going forward artistically. ——e—s International experts have not quite succeeded in preventing & peace confer- ence from assuming, in slight degree, the aspect of a meeting of a Credit Men's Association. .—oe o Many literary prizes have been award- ed without much augmentation of any- thing highly valuable in literature. Even in letters the element of luck is to be figured. R Deforesting brings to attention the fact that “Woodman, Spare That Tree” was not only & sweet, old song, but one conveying an important economic moral. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Serenade, There's & sad romance to music set. ‘Two Serenaders never met. The Maytime finds them faithful still, As the Bull Frog sings to the Whip- poorwill, The songs are old. Love songs we know Are always songs of the long ago. ‘The bird replies with a plaintive skill, When the Bull Frog sings to the Whip- ‘poorwill, ‘There’s many & sigh that will rise anew, Because of a dream that cannot come true, Yet Hope keeps bringing the old-time Mthz’liullmmflhmwhlp- poorwill. Safety Valve. “What is your idea of social pre- cedence?” “A means of mental relief,” said Sen- ator Sorghum. “It gives us something harmless to worry about when we might be tempted to trifie with really serious affairs of state.” Jud Tunkins says he's willing to part with the friend who plays the market himself and then side-steps his own tips and tells you not to gamble. Grand Operatics. On Opera we're still intent, ‘While Statesmen stir the Nation. A large amount of Sentiment Is just Vociferation. Household Diplomacy. “May I ask your father for your hand in marriage?” “Certainly not,” said Miss Cayenne. “It would simply encourage him in an assumption of authority to which mother and I are both opposed.” “To pay what you owe,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is enough to bring you into esteem as an Honest man. It requires a far more delicate sense of obligation to give you rating as an honorable man.” Turn About. There was a gentle country boy, Whom haughty folks deprived of joy. He orders them to go or stop— He got & job as traffic cop. “We could all be happy,” sald Uncle Eben, “if dar was some way of makin’ two hours of reg'lar work as interestin’ as a five-hour crap game.” o e—e— Went West, or Wet? From the Ann Arbor Datly News. Shuffieboard was dealt another se- y'grat blow when the Leviathan went est. Indians Show Wisdom. From the Bangor Daily Commercial. Most of our Western Indians have settled down and are getting rich in oll, leaving the scalping to promoters. ———— China Makes Big Promises. From the Buffalo Evening News. ! The new Chinese government prom- ises justice for aliens, but there is no reason to belleve the allens will stand for it. o session, whipping the bill into shape. Such & recess will result in bringing Congress back into active session July Ships Must Watch Step. From the Memphis Commercial Appeal. ‘essel Lim e, I it had “staggered in,” thelfolfl In his dedication of his “Life of Samuel Johnson” to Sir Joshua Reyn- olds, James Boswell gives the following anecdote: “It is related of the great Dr. Clarke that when in one of his leisure hours he was unbending himself with a few friends in the most playful and frolick- some manner he observed Beau Nash approaching; upon which he suddenly stopped! ‘My boys,’ said he, ‘let us be grave; here comes & fool.’ " ‘There are all sorts of people with whom one cannot be honest. To tell them the truth is to place one’s self at their ercy. These fine fellows (and fine ladies) are always looking for something to make fun of some one else about and the joke is especially enjoyable to them a‘hen the victim furnishes the ammuni- lon. Living themselves in secrecy, never daring to utter their utmost thoughts about anything, they simply do not understand how any one else can be any other way. Are they not the models for all hu- manity, and as they do, act and say must not every one else do, act and say? By no means will you ever catch one of them telling & joke on himself. And since they do not, they immediately jump to the conclusion that he who does has “let the cat out of the bag.” He has given himself away! So they think, and, so thinking, proceed to act. They occupy a place among mankind similar to that of the cat at the mouse hole, only they arrogate to their own cleverness what the honest cat knows is slmply fate, or the working out of natural laws. ‘When a cat finally catches its mouse, after having patiently waited all day long, no doubt it grabs the rodent with a grateful heart, but surely it does not think to itself, “Ah, ha, you rascal, I have caught you at last!” No, if Tabby thinks anything at all, she is congratulating herself on having discovered such a fine dinner. She is too busy with her find to bother about what other cats may think of her work. * ok K Ok Her human_counterpart fondly im- agines that he has maneuvered his victim into an admission against him- self, not being able to realize for a second how any human being could be so frank as to tell storles directed against himself. Let us analyze our so-called “victim.” First and above all, he is honest. What is, is; that is his way of looking at life. He neither schemes to make others think as he wants them to think nor does he set traps to catch others. He minds his own business, and ex- l)ects others to mind theirs. In the atter half of this program he often is disappointed, it is true, but, again, life is so, and he cannot change it. In the second place, he has a sense of humor. This universally admired trait stands such a man in particularly good stead, for it not only permits him to tell jokes on himself, but it enables him to laugh at the other fellow when he misuses the information which has been given him. In the third place, our everyday hero has reached that place in the rogress of himself—surely we may put t that way—when he is able to be above suspicion. He knows when he tells jokes on himself that some one will surely be around to seize upon the recital for private ends. Knowing this, however, still he is unafraid. He goes right ahead, unless, indeed, he closes up at the approach of the trouble maker, and says, with Dr. Clarke, “My boys, let us be grave; here comes & fool.” * ok K X A practical line of conduct will make this gravity a necessity in certain cases. There are all grades of fools—good fools, poor fools, vindicative fools—so many, indeed, that the wise man will use dis- crimination. He will not treat a vindicative fool the same way he does a poor fool, nor reserve for the former the manner which he holds in reserve for the good fool. The handling of fools in the every- day life is a science which has not re- ceived, we fear, the attention which it deserves. It is no new subject, how- ever. The fool is often mentioned in the Bible, especially in the Old Testa- ment. There must have been plenty of them then. Nor has the supply much diminished over the years. The world is full of fools, and the curious thing about it all is that no fool recognizes himself, but always thinks every one else is one. There ought to be a commission or something to put labels on the fools, so that there could be no doubt in the minds of any one as to their status. A fool, according to a popular defi- nition, is some one you don’t like! Making use of this, let us get back to the gentleman nobody likes, the man who makes use of what you tell him to poke fun at you. ‘There is something essentially un- sportsmanlike in such conduct, although he will be the first to speak about being a sport. “Aw, go on, be a sport!” is his favorite rejoinder when the victim pro- tests against this unethical use of a story which he has told. “Be a good sport!” You must always be a good sport, but he can do as he pleases. Such is the double standard which protects him, but not you. Suppose you relate a story in which you are the innocent butt of & harm- jess joke. The point of the story is one to bring laughter to every one, but not to him. He immediately selects some slight minor point, perhaps the lines contain- ing some slighting reference, and plays them up afterward with great gusto, To hear his subsequent narration, these lines were the entire story. Deft- 1y he leaves the remainder out. You were not forced to put those portions in, of course, but you did be- cause they were true, and, to you, essentially comical. There was another major point, how- ever, to which they led. Your fool friend omits it, because he is telling the story now, and his object. alas, is not to tell a good story, but to display you in as absurd a light as pos- sible! Every one knows how easy it is to give an entirely different twist to a story by leaving something out, or by changing a word here and there. Well, this prize fool knows all these tricks; his version of the story is de- voted entirely to making a grand fool out of the original teller. He puts the worst and silliest con- structions on what he sees and hears, Honors for Living Benefactress Asked To the Editor of The Star: A few days ago there were commemo- rative exercises for a young woman who lived 500 years ago and whose statue graces Meridian Hill Park—the wing beauty spot of our city. Distinguished people from far and near, “just folks” and Boy and Girl Scouts gathered to honor the Maid of Orleans. Why? Because she served her country. She I-m‘}1 tl vision and fought to make it a reality. Half a block away from this statue of the Orleans mald lives a woman who for years has served her country- i men and others, not by leading them into battle and to death, but by build- ing houses for homes, beautifying streets and doing much to make possi- ble this park on the hill. ‘The years are not many since this now beautiful section was an open lot, bounded by a row of nondescript houses on the Fifteenth street side and on the other side the avenue that runs directly to the White House—rough- and treeless. ‘Within this space householders near and far made trash deposits and cows were tethered here and there ant weeds were everywhere. - This lady, whose beautiful house overlooked much of this unpleasant en- vironment, evidently began to have visions, though of a different sort than those of the French maid. Hers inspired to making beauty out of ugliness; they banished old houses and built new; “the powers that be” were urged and encouraged to look upon this part of the city with the artistic eye and gen- erous appropriation; with the result that Meridian Hill Park has become a crown of beauty to the hilltop. Fresh air and sunshine are found there, charm of view and flower; where babies sleep, spoon. Why- not honor this lady who has j done so much to bring pleasure to so many? “The pioneer woman” is appearing in various places in stone and roadways have names reminding the passer-by of man or deed. Why not change Chapin street to Henderson parkway, inasmuch as that street is a direct and often-used approach to the park? It is only a block in length and, though in ‘the alphabetical order of street nomenclature, Clifton street is next parallel and of two blocks, so the order may be preserved satisfactorily. MARCIADDIE P. FARRINGTON. ——oe— Gives Data About Continental Flag To the Editor of The Star: Thousands of visitors to the Cor- coran Art Gallery viewed the exhibit “loaned by the United States Navy” visualizing the evolution of the United States flag. Although _this exhibit apparentl, bears official or semi-official approval, 1t errs in at least one particuiar. That is in the statement that the “Great Union flag,” the parent prede- cessor of the Stars and Stripes, was first flown on the Continental ship Alfred, in the Delaware River, Decem- ber 3, 1775, being hoisted by Lieut,, John Paul Jones, and that its first use by the Army.was on January 1, 1776, at Gen. Washington’s headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. Such has been the contention of a children play, mothers rest and lovers ‘What do you need to know? Is there some point about your business or pers sonal life that puzzles you? Is there something you want to know without delay? Submit your question to Fred- eric J. Haskin, director of our Washing- ton Information Bureau. He is em- ployed to help you. Address your in- quiry to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C., and inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Q. When is Poppy day?—M. H. A. The poppy is the official memorial flower of the American ‘Legion. It is worn on Memorial day, which is the 30th of May. An annual poppy sale is conducted by the American Legion Auxiliary just before Memorial day. The })onpies sold by the auxiliary are, as ar as possible, made by disabled vet- erans. The proceeds of the sale are uset}( for rehabilitation and child welfare work, Q. Is there an elm tree in the United States larger than the Kingsford elm? -A. B. C. A. We are in receipt of a statement that Wethersfield, Conn., claims a larger one. Its height is 102 feet; spread of branches, 146 feet; circumference one foot above the ground, 40.9 feet; cir- ;:ur?!ercnce four feet above ground, 29.1 eet. Q. Which city is now the capital of China? —H. 8. A. Nanking is the new capital. Q. How much alcohol was there in beer?>—W. R. D. A. Pre-prohibition beer contained from 4 to 8 per cent of alcohol by volume. ! Q. Why are there holes in Swiss cheese?—K, E. | _A. Gases are produced by the action of certain bacteria in the curds, and the holes result from the liberation of the gases. Some authorities have ad- vanced the theory that the air and grass of Switzerland have something to do with this quality of producing eyes in the cheese. Q. When were fifty-cent gold pieces first struck?—H. F. M. A. Pifty-cent gold pleces were coined p;%ltely. ‘They were first struck in 1830. Q. How many men accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition?—A. G. A. The Lewis and Clark "expedition included the 2 officers, 9 young men from Kentucky, 14 soldlers of the United States Army who had volun- teered their services, 2 French water- men, an interpreter and hunter and a black servant belonging to Capt. Clark. Q. Will wars of the future be fought by_scattering terrible disease germs? —E. F. A. Such a method is not acceptable | ¢ to the civilized nations as a whole, even though it be effected. The tendency is to restrict the methods of warfare, elim- inating as far as possible such agencies as asphyxiating gases and similar weapons. The use of disease germs would be regarded as inhuman, because él?o would involve the civillan popula- n. Q. What is the other name for an “opera hat"?—J. A. A. Tt is known as a “gibus hat"—so so that finally his friends end up by | number of naval officers, who have called after its original maker in Paris. saying to one another, when they sec him coming: “Boys, let us shut up; here comes a fool.” BACKGROUND OF EVENTS . BY PAUL V. COLLINS. is no ips Into Port,” says hnd-' Why 1s it that most people hate the sight of a snake? The subject becomes timely in view of the tragedy of this week which cost the life of one of the most capable experts in the handling of reptiles ever connected with the New York Zoological Garden, Carl Snyder, through the bite of a mate to a snake he had just captured. He knew that this is the mating time of snakes, when they are usually found in pairs, yet he took no precautions, when he picked up his captive, to guard against the vengeance of its mate. The immediate application of the proper serum would have saved his life, but his companion had the only supply of the antidote, and that companion was far from the victim, beyond the sound of his frantic calls, 'when the expert suddenly felt the hot sting upon his thumb and realized its deadly character. An inexperienced person about to at- tack a viper or other dangerous reptile would provide against all contingencies, and carry the approved serum, but ac- cording to Dr. Leonhard Stejneger, curator, Department of Reptiles, United States National Museum, the expert not likely to take the precaution, for, being an expert, he does not expect to be struck. Possibly the fate of Mr. Snyder in making his one mistake, after years of handling all kinds of reptiles, will serve as a caution to other “experts” and induce them to adopt the motto, “Safety first.” * K koK How deadly is a rattlesnake? Is it true that it can leap many yards after its prey or spit its poison like a pole- cat? No; neither statement is true. But other facts are just as astonishing and uncanny. For example, the myth of our boyhood days, that if a snake be killed it will continue to writhe until the sun goes down, may not be a fact, but what is still more amazing is that though a snake’s head be cut off, it can still strike and hit its target—the hand of its killer—even with the stump of its beheaded neck. Here is a snake story by Prof. Brewer of Yale, which has the sanction of Curator Stejneger, who copies it into an article written by the curator more than a score of years ago: Prof. Brewer was in California, equip- d with his triped and other survey- Ihg thstruments, in the field. Stepping along in the bushes, he felt a move- ment under his feet and found that he was standing on a 4Y>-foot rattlesnake —a large, vicious and fighting fellow. But the snake was so pinioned that he could not strike the thick boot that held him fast Prof. Brewer held the snake’s head down with his tripod and cut it off. Then he cut off the rattles. Step- ping aside, he saw the body of the de- capitated snake lying very still, Taking out his rule to measure its length, the professor took hold of the snake to straighten it out. . “Quick as an electric shock,” said Prof. Brewer, “that headless snake brought the bloody stump over and struck a hard blow upon the back of my hand. I knew that his head was off and that he could not poison me, but that quick and hard blow of the rattler made my hair stand on end.” If a headless snake can strike so ac- curately, it is no wonder that a live one, unseen and unexpected, hits its target with deadly certainty. * K ok ok Why does a rattlesnake give warning before it strikes? It is not explained by its magnanimous desire to give its enemy time to escape. Science has been un- able to advance any satisfactory theory of that mystery, except that in the evo- lution of the centuries of geological ages, before man came upon earth, the rattler must have ®eveloped that signal to summon aid against its enemy or to entrap insectivorous birds. Later years have left a vestige of that prehistoric signal. The warning rattle saves few victims, for the strike follows so in- stantly that there is no chance to es-|rig cape, and the rattle really serves only to inspire such terror in the victim's mind that he cannot defend himself. It has been held by some that the rattle which resembles the sound of a locust, or of certain insects on which birds feed, is used to decoy such birds within striking distance of the snake. * ok ok % The old notion that whisky 5 & prime antidote for snake bites longer held by scientific men, that in cases where the shock of the patient is the chief feature. Then whisky may be helpful, as its first ef- fects are stimulating, but, essentially, whisky—or any alcoholic drink—is the reverse of stimulating; it is a de- gressant. As the poison effect of snake ites is to depress heart action, then alcohol merely aggravates the condi- tions and adds to the depression of the heart. Even 30 years ago the eminent sci- entist, Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, who be- came’ an authority on snake Dbites, having made a special study of the poison, in 1889 wrote in the Century Magazine: “The first effect of venom is to les- sen suddenly the pressure under which the blood is kept while in the vessels. Any alcoholic stimulus would at this riod be useful, but, despite the popu- ar creed, it is now pretty sure that many men have been killed by the alcohol given them to relleve them from the effects “of snake bite, and it is a matter of record that men dead except is | drunk with whisky when bitten have died of the bite. For the consequences to the blood and to the nerve centers which follow an injection of venom, there is, so far as I am aware, no antidote.” That was written just about a year before the antidote—serum from the coagulated blood of a horse—was dis- covered in 1890. * ok ok ok ‘The expert, Mr. Snyder, who died after 20 hours following the bite, added to his serious condition by running and walking five miles to seek his com- panion with the serum; that further added to the strain of his heart and contributed to its fatal termination. In olden days, the theory was that a snake-bitten victim must have plenty of whisky—as a stimulant”—and must be kept walking, lest he go to sleep and die in the sleep. ‘The patient does have a tendency to “go to sleep” or go into a coma. which ends in death, but walking him only hastens the collapse into the final coma. On the authority of Curator Stejne- ger, it is stated that different snakes require different serums for antidotes, although usually all the snake serums come from the blood of horses. Great advance has been made in the last quarter century in serum therapy, and in no line a more radical change than in the treatment of snake bites. * ok kX All history agrees in denouncing the snake as the most cursed of creatures. It became the personification of the Devil in the Garden of Eden; it became the curse of the Israelites in the Wil- derness; it is the symbol of sneaking trickery in all social and business rela- tions. "Men and women loathe it and fear it. it when daring to do so. It never be- comes a friend of humanity, as nearly all other creatures may be tamed into becoming. Yet the snake is beautiful in design, rhythmic in motion, adorned with deco- ration as varied and ornate as Oriental tapestry. Why is it an outcast of creation? ‘Why is human slander and backbiting compared to snakes? Do snakes take the aggressive against man? Rather they flee from his murderous attacks. Self-defense is honored in every crea- ture except in the rattlesnake, which warns before it strikes, and in other snakes, which so seldom_ strike unless themselves in danger, Why is there none to chnmgaion the cause of the op- pressed and downtrodden snake or to give it due credit for its self-defense? Only poltroons are so cowardly as not to strike back when unprovokedly at- tacked. Shall not a snake have thal ht? ‘With Byron let's note— Y “Man spurns the worm, but pauses ere he wake ‘The slumbering venom of the folded The first may turn, but not avenge the The lastexpires, but leaves no living (Copyrisht, ”’.'hfl V. Collias) written in recent years on the history of the flag. But their claim, however, although based on certain contempo- rary evidence, does not seem to have been proven. That a “Continental flag” appeared at Philadelphia on December 3, 1775, is based solely on the testimony of a British spy, and John Paul Jones him- self asserts his claim to being the first to hoist it. But Jones also wrote of his wonderment that “a venomous serpent” “should have been ‘chosen for this emblem—evidence that seems to be overlooked. And so it was the ser- pent flag, not the Great Union flag with the 13 .stripes and the British Union for a canton. If there is any real evidence in sup- port of the Navy's claim to being the first to use the Great Union flag on r 3, 1775, or any other date, it should be given publicity. A claim of such importance, in the absence of con- temporary Frool. should be qualified with an explanation thereof rather than “jumping at conclusions.” B ‘There is ample contemporary evidence to prove that the first raising of the Great Union flag by the Continental Army was on January 1, 1776, at Pros- pect Hill, Charlestown, now Somerville, Mass. (not in Cambridge, as stated in the exhibit). But whether the Army or the Navy was the first to originate or display this first truly American flag has yet to be determined. ‘THOS. E. KISSLING. Use of District Funds In Road Project Urged To the Editor of The Star: What good will accrue to the small home owners from the widening of Benning road northeast? Those living on or close to that thoroughfare wil only be inconvenienced by the noise, dirt and gasoline fumes caused by the increased traffic as a result of such widening. It will be a detriment rather thtul & benefit to all residential prop- erty. And there is still less reason for as- sessing property owners living at a greater distance from this street, since all those property owners within a ra- dius of five or six city blocks are to be assessed by this unfair ruling. The ben- efit, if any at all. would seem to go to people living in Maryland and on the outskirts of the District of Columbia. If they cannot be reached to be assessed, then the fair thing to do is to take the money out of the general funds of the District of Columbia, There is the sit- uation. N. H. REEVER. “Feed and Seed” Lawn Urged for Beauty To the Editor of The Star: Q. Is the word “Progress” on the Kentucky automobile license the name of a town?—R. H. A. The American Automobile Associ- ation says that Kentucky has a Prog- ress Commission, with the governor as chairman. The idea of this commission is to boost the State end it is believed ! that this is the reason for the word “Progress” appearing on the automobile Heenses. . Please give a biography of the author of “Beautiful Jo."—S. P. A. Margaret Marshall Saunders, au- thor of “Beautiful Jo” and many other delightful animal and bird stories, was born in Milton, Nova Scotia, April 13, 1861. She was educated in private schools of Nova Scotia, Scotland and after graduation. “Beautiful Jo” was ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS France and began to write immediately | I. 'q BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. written in 1894. Miss Saunders féckived honorable mention in all quarters of the world and many valuable medals and testimonials. She is not married. Her home is 62 Glengowan avenue, To- ronto, Canada. Q. What is the name of an “eleven- SMA Dl‘a’n!d"?-c, PA'EC. . i . “Undecagon” is the e given to an “eleven-sided plane.” pame ot Q. How far into the Ohio River has the State of Kentucky jurisdiction?— ; W. M. A. The north bank of the Ohio River is the northern boundary of the State of Kentucky, the exact boundary line being fixed by the low-water mark of the river. The jurisdiction of the State of Kentucky extends to the low-water mark on the Indiana side. The United | States Government has jurisdiction over | the whole river, as far as commerce is concerned. According to the Constitu- tion the Federal Government has a right to regulate commerce, and the Ohio River is the commercial highway. Q. Please give the date of first cre- mation in the United States—W. N. A. The first crematory in the United States was established at Washington, Pa., by Dr. F. Julius Le Moyne in 1876. The first cremation was that of the body of Baron de Palin, in December of that year. Q. Who :pem the first public dance A. It was open hall?—M. A. T. B 88 an > lishman named %mn. h%'he ‘fl.';-t shelter soon proved inadequate. and z built a large hall known as the “Gran Chaumiere.” Q. When was the first teachers’ in- stitute held in this country?—E. 8. A. In 1839 Henry Barnard, then sec- retary of the State Board of Education of Connecticut, organized a teachers’ class or institute at Hartford, Conn. Q. When was gas first used in war- fare?—F. M. A. The Chinese have known and used gas bombs for many centuries, and i Sombs” againgt pirates siong i “igtin] " a the ninth and tenth centuries. The English used similar bombs in the Boer War and they were also used in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. In spite of the fact that it was gene: stood at the peace conference at Geneva in 1899 that their use would be aba: doned, they were again used ‘World War. Q. What use is found for the blood of the millions of animals that are slaugh- tered for food?—S. B. A.. For the most part it has ,one into tankage to be worked up as fertilizer. In the past few years many other uses have been found for it. It is separated into a clear-colored serum and & red liquid. Both are then M:::d to widei: finishing leather, as a binder for sawdust, and to a ited ‘extent it is introduced into the feed for animals. The blood albumen is used in the tan- ning, textile, paper and wood- Industries. Q. When is the world's fair in Stock- holm to be held?—L. A. R. A. The Swedish legation says that there is to be a large world’s falr in Stockholm in 1930. Q. ‘Should an automobile tire carry the same pressure in Summer as Winter?—S. G. o A. Automobile tires, generally speak- ing, carry the same in A me a3 in Winter, particulatly if in condition. Sometimes, if the tires old and weak, it is not advisable to as much pressure in Summnier, as are apt to blow out. Q. Who discovered netic nature of sun.spots?—8. A. George Hale is given the Q. How large 1§ the ilrish ¥Free State?—T. A. ‘ A. It covers an area of square |miles. In 1926 'the tion . was 2,972,802, Q What 1s Hugh Gibson's post?— "A. He is our Ambassador to Belglum. form. At the recent meeting of the Ameri- can Institute of Architects in Washing- ton much of the discussion centered about the plan of the Federal Govern- ment to foster, efforts “to bring to a glorious realization the dream of L'En- fant and Washington” for the develop- ment of the National Capital. Approv- in g echoes now have come from every part of the country, revealing again how warm a place the Capital occuples in the hearts of the people. “In spite of various defects that have | appeared in the development of the | past half century, Washington has for many years been generally regarded as America’s most beautiful city,” says the Providence Journal, which considers the city “would never have attained that distinction had it not been for L'En- fant’s original plans and the degree in which adherence to those plans has been practiced.” This paper agrees with President Hoover on the ugliness of the State, War and Navy Building, saying: “The erection of the State, War and Navy Building was one instance of a serious departure from the classic beauty and simplicity of the original idea, and Mr. Hoover hardly exagger- ated when he described this structure as the product of ‘an architectural orgy. How for a time the plan of L'Enfant was forgotten or ignored in the build- ing up of the city is touched upon by the New York Evening World, which recalls how “Jefferson never for a mo- ment last sight of the L'Enfant plan during_his presidency, but things were naturally crude_and the country’s re- The heel of man treads upon | geeq, The general public respects a lawn | sources slight. But from his time down that is well kept, but begins to abuse a | until the time of Grant.” the Evening lawn surface as soon as it shows signs | World continues, “the town was per- of wear. I mitted just to grow up like Topsy: then, ‘This follows the “nothing !ucoeedsl when the first steps were taken to give like success” reaction, and the “hit him | to the Capital something of the beauty agaln, he's got no friends” complex. and dignity intended, the cost was such The handling of golf .greens has|that Empeny owners suffered severely shown us that the only way to keep a|and there was a great turmoil. * W lawn prosperous under conditions of | Within another generation Washington use is to feed from the top with & suit- | will be what James Bryce predicted it able, finely divided material and to seed | would become—the most beautiful and frequently. imposing Capital in the world's history. Put in slogan form it is “Feed and | The present regime is to be congratu- ¥ H. C. GAUSS. lated on taking the bit in its mouth and - going ahead.” * Kk X X Auto Builders Watch I “Wishing the Capital to be more beautiful will not necessarily make it s0,” warns the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, t | small car. Efforts of Scientists From the Scranton Times. Motor car builders are watching the scientists. They are alert for new methods, new kinds of cars. The front- wheel drive is under experiment for regular passenger cars. Other inno- val are in the offing. Nobody is sorry to hear this, but people would be more glad to hear about more speed in road improvement, road widening and road building. Despite so much activity in the past few years, a small r cent of country roads are paved. 'w are wide enough. Many are not half wide enough. The truck and bus traffic is making the average road un- safe for the man who drives his own Road building in America ought to be one of the major con- cerns of the United States iment as it suggests that “the problem of pre- serving beauty, to say nothing of creat- ing it, grows more difficult as the ele- ments of wealth and magnitude increase beyond a certain point, The adminis- tration can do a great deal to promote beauty in further projected building by demanding grace and harmony design and by insisting that adequate ideals in form and character be main- tained,” the Eagle declares. As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette states, ‘Washington is “one place in particular in which the people of the Nation have a right to expect architectural correct- riess, consistency of design and well ma- tured plan, all working toward fine con- ceptions of beauty with utility.” This Plan for Beautifying Capital Warmly -Approved by Country Nation’s Capital but the symbol of America, the Elkhart Truth in@ll;ls his a mony with the early ideas of classic beauty,” at the same time pointing with pride to the beauties that already exist in the city, and saying: “Many who have visited other national capitals de- a patriotic American can go to W ton and feel a glow of pride in that it not only does not suffer in Jom- parison with them but is suj in many ways,” proudly exclaims this paper. In this praise the Youngstown Daily Vindicator concurs, saying: “Even to- day Washington is a glorious city, one of the most beautiful in the world. Everywhere the hard lines. of buildings are broken up by little parks, beauti- fully planted with trees and shrubbery and flowers, whose sweet fragrance per- fumes the air wherever one goes. Th colonial grace of some of the older buildings leaves little to be desired. It would be difficult to find a home for the President more satisfying than the White House, and many of the monu= mental structures are so noble in con- ception that merely to see is to be uplifted.” * * * ‘The Terre Haute Star thinks ington will be more than ever a for tourists from all parts of try” when proposed plans are carried to completion, while the Dallas Journal says, “American citizens will join in the commitment” of the President to the plan for making Washington Amer- ica’s most beautiful city, a sentiment echoed by the Portsmouth Daily Times, which recommends immediate removal of the “shacks” from Pennsylvania avenue. The Rochester Times-Union remarks: “The Capital City has a tradition of beauty. It might easily degenerate with further growth into a huge Federal racks, imposing, well constructed, and depressingly ugly.” In the opinion of the New Orleans Morning Tribune, “the architecture of Washington is important beyond ordinary understanding and be- yond that of any other city in America.” Agreeing. the Charleston Daily Mall notes that ‘“fortunately the City of Washington was so_platted that the {ro\lnd basis for the full development of his idea of beautification has already been provided for. Here the United States has exhibited the best example of that foresight, that vision that looked 80 far into the future—an’example so conspicuous by its rarity.” —————————— A Tip for Certain States. From the Long Beach Press-Telegram. A tip for the orators who nominate candidates for Governor in Oklahomsa and Louisiana—say. “The man whom I am about to nominate is of unimpeach- able character.” ——— All's Fair in Banditry. * “Wash- mecca coun- the paper analyzes the “benefits to be ed” by an intelligent building pro- on the part of the Government, and of every State governme the next few years. ————————— Celery Is Overlooked. From the Pittsbursh Post-Gasette. Anti-nolse crusaders for scme rea- son have never attacked the celery ‘problem. such as “better housing for Government employes, improved efficiency through wiser grouping of activities, economy by use of owned quarters instead of rented space, and more modern sanitary ar- rangements.” * ok k Quoting President Hoover as having that Washington was not only the | bandit ma From the Canton Dafly News. The insinuation that s Denver have been a man o a woman is a reflection on the fair sex. Abreast? From the Indianapolis Star. There are intimations that the Lon- :l::er who wishes g abreast of an’ Maria” . B i F,