Evening Star Newspaper, June 3, 1929, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. O, MONDAY, JUNE 3, 1929. L e ™ S ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. THE - EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY..........June 3, 10920 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 7 11th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd Chicago Office: Lake Michigi European Offic Regent e 14 England an Building. . London, Rate by Carrier Within the City. ;n- Evenlne St 45 per month he Evening an (when 4 Sund 60c per month The Evening (when 5 Sundays) ‘when The Sunday Star .. . % Collection made at’the end d Sunday Star BY8) e:co v and Sunday Star of Orders may be sent in by mall or telepnone Main 6000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Dally and Sunday....1 yr. $1000: 1 mo., 85¢ 1 yr, $6.00: 1 mo., §0c Daily only. ¥ H Sunday only 1. $4.00: 1 mo.. 40c All Other States and Canada. Datly and Sunday..l yr.,$1200: 1 mo., $1.00 E\T“J 1 1yr., $8.00; inda: 1 yr, $3.00; 1 mo. 50c Member of the Associated Press. The Associatod Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of cll rews dis- Fatehes cradited to It or not otherwise cred. ted in this paper and also the local new: published herein. All rights of pubiication of special dispatches herel e also reserved. = A Brightening Prospect. Events of the past few weeks, espe- clally on the air, have been outstand- ingly propitious from the standpoint of Voteless Washington. The cause of national representation for the District of Columbia has not only received a degree of Nation-wide publicity it never | Bas had before, but received it at hands | which count. | From Congress, disfranchised Wash- ington’s first line of approach in its demand for political justice, have come emphatic and impressive appeals for it. Those voices have reached the whole | country. They are audible evidence to the Nation thdt the District of Colum- bia's case is no purely local, parish- pump affair, but an issue of funda- mental national importance in which every citizen of the Republic is in- terested. To Senators Wesley L. Jonmes of Washington and Arthur @apper of | Kansas and to Representatives Fred- | erick N. Zihlman of Maryland and Leonidas C. Dyer of Missouri, Wash- ingtonians who would be Americanized owe a very deep debt of gratitude. Sea- soned legislators all, these four men, speaking for widely separated parts of the Union and as long-time official residents of Washington, have in turn ! broadcast stirring arguments over the radio in favor of giving the people of the National Capital the dignity—the elementary and inalienable dignity—of participation in the National Gov- ernment. Senator Jones, who has just re- introduced his resolution respecting the constitutional amendment which would empower Congress to grant cer- tain Federal political rights to the; District of Columbia, urges citizens of the States to write their spokesmen in Washington their views of Washing- ton's claims. The people of the Na- tional Capital hope that Senator Jones’ suggestion will be copiously and promptly followed. They do not fear the outcome of such an informal referendum. Every indication alréady at hand—and there are many—points to a readiness upon the part of 120,- 000,000 fully Americanized Americans | to abolish the de-Americanization of over half a million fellow Americans on the Potomac, once the necessary con- stitutional machinery to that end is set in motion, ——— Getting rid of the farm debenture plan should be comparatively easy in view of the fact that so many persons seemed unwilling to express a positive opinion as to what its logcal conse- quences would be. e The Pendulum Swings Back. The victory of the Democrats at the polls in the third Kentucky eongres- sional district has heartened the party leaders. A defeat there would have in- dicated that the tremendous rift in the party which brought disaster in the border States and even in the solid South last Fall continued to threaten the very existence of the Democratic party itself. But when John W. Moore, the Democratic nominee for Congress, won the election on Saturday in the Kentucky district by about a thousand majority, the spirits of the Democrats soared. Immediately statements were forthcoming from party leaders declar- ing that Mr. Moore's victory was a re- pudiation of the Hoover administration. It was nothing of the sort, except in the most partisan eyes. The third Kentucky district has been normally Democratic for years, with Demogratic majorities in the congres- sional election averaging three or four thousand. Mr. Moore, who was elected Saturday, served in the last Congress. He was defeated in November last year by the late Representative-elect Roark, a Republican, who won by 4,006 votes. It is no secret that the strong opposi- tion to the election of Alfred E. Smith, the Democratic nominee for President, was the cause of a political revolt in the Blue Grass State. Six congressional districts normally held by the Demo- crats were carried by Republican can- didates,’ who were swept along in the tide which gave Mr. Hoover the State by one hundred and seventy-eight thou- sand votes over his Democratic oppo- nent, Mr. Smith, The pendulum has swung back in the third Kentucky dis- trict. This was to be expected when the issue of Gov. Smith was removed. The fact that it has swung no farther— Mr. Moore was elected by a much lower majority than is usually accorded Dem- ocratic candidates in that district— points the fact that the resentment growing out of the Smith nomination last year has not entirely subsided. The Democratic victory in Kentucky is vastly more important to the party, however, than the mere winning of an- other seat in Congress. It has served to restore a morale which had been severely strained, if not wiped out en- tirely, It provides the party leaders with a talking point, which they have immediately seized upon. Already statements have been issued by Jouett Shouse, chairman of the Democratic national executive committee, and by Byrns of Tennessee, Representative chairman of the Democratic congres- sional campaign committee, in which they faresee the election of a Demo- cratic House next year. 1 mo., 178¢ | election of & Democrat to Congress in a normally Democratic district neces- sarily presage the election of a Demo- eratic majority in the National Legis- lature. The Democrats are insisting that the Republican administration has been re- pudiated in the Kentucky election be- cause it has failed to keep its pledge to put through farm relief legislation and because of the disapproval of the pend- ing tariff bill. The Democrats in the Senate have done more to prevent prompt action on a farm relief bill than any one else, with the possible excep- tion of a group of insurgent Repub- licans, who also gave their support to the so-called export debenture plan, the clause in the bill which has delayed final action on the measure and still holds it in conference. ‘The defeat of their candidate in the third Kentucky district was in a meas- ure expected by the Republican leaders, although they waged a strenuous cam- paign in his support. Notwithstanding the fact that both the Republicans and the Democrats were exceedingly active in this campaign, the vote cast was scarcely more than one-half of the vote cast in the national election last Fall in the same district. That in itself is illuminating. dropping off of interest, due to the elimination of the issue which tore the Democratic party into ribbons six months ago. D Will She Come Back Home? Alexandria’s victory over Arlington County in the recent annexation case | gave some life to the sentiment which has always existed in the county toward “coming back” to the District of Columbia. And now that Representa- tive Gibson has stated that he intends to have the legality of the act of retro- cession, by which the District lost Arlington, looked into, one feels confi- dent that an old question, never settled, is due for another airing. Mr. Gibson intends to do what others have tried to do before him. He would like to determine whether Congress had any right to pass the act of retrocession of 1846, and whether it was constitu- tional. But however universal may be, the opinion that Congress was short- sighted and President Polk was unim- aginative, the fact remains that Con- gress did what it did and Mr. Polk signed his name to it. The preamble to the agt itself stands today as irre- futable evidence of the lack of vislon on the part of the lawmakers of 1846. “Experience hath shown,” it sayeth, “that the portion of the District of Columbia ceded to the United States by the State of Virginia has not been, nor is ever likely to be, necessary for that purpose,” that purpose being a seat for the Federal Government. As soon as the territory was receded there was a protest from the citizens who voted against it, and they raised the question of constitutionality without result. In 1875 a taxpayer brought a suit to test the validity of the act, but failed to get very far with it as the court held that the question was be- tween the United States and the State of Virginia. 'In 1896 a resolution was introduced in the Senate by Senator McMillan, asking the Attorney General to give an opinion on the constitution- ality of the retrocession act, and while the Senate adopted the resolution the Attorney General dodged the issue, but suggested that the type of legislation necessary to get the territory back from Virginia was indicated in the Constitu- tion—cession by the State involved. In 1902 the Senate judiciary commit- tee declined to report favorably on & joint resolution directing the Attorney General to bring sult to test the validity of the retrocession act, Senator Hoar suggesting that the only way to get back the territory was to negotiate with Virginia. Chief Justice Taft, as Presi- dent, not only emphasized the im- portance to the Capital of recapturing its lost land in Virginia, but said that if Congress would give him permission he would direct the Attorney General to bring suit to test the act of retro- cession. His term as President ended before he obtained permission. Mr. Taft gave the District thirty years to reach the limits of its own boundaries. That was not quite twenty years ago. It was the denial of right to vote and participate as ecitizens in the political battles of the Nation that lost the Capital, this section of Virginia. Retro- cession was brought about by citizens who had become mere pseudo-citizens, and who did not relish it. And the right to vote and the considerations of polities—not questions of constitu- tionality—will stand in the way of an- other cession, by Virginia, of Arlington County to the voteless and politically impotent Capital, Washington needs Arlington. Wash- ington welcomes her. But are we attractive enough to tempt her? ————————— Among the perturbations of Cleve- land, Ohio, is the case of & housemaid who slew her mistress in a carving knife fight, The servant problem is recognized as growing in importance. This incident points to no solution. e o The Book War. ‘The rise of new economic factors in highly competitive businesses is always watched with fnterest by all concerned, but usually it is not until long after- ward that the general public becomes aware of the matter. During the past two years a small revolution has taken place in the book- selling business, with the result that the trade is at loggerheads over it. The rise of varlous book “clubs” and “guilds,” with committees of promi- nent authors selecting “the best books™” each month for subscribers to such services, has precipitated the book bat- tle of the century. Publishers evidently were glad enough to submit manuscripts in advance of publication, in the hope that their book would be chosen for the magnificent “first edition” which would so result. The two most prominent of these book-choosing organizations thrived so well that certain publishers have seen fit to protest their work. The American Booksellers’ Association, in convention at Boston, world-famous literary center, has protested in somewhat general terms the methods of these clubs. Book club officials, sitting tight, de- two of the fifty general publishers con- tinue to submit their books to them. It indicates clearly the| clare that, despite the protest, all but They say that it is clear that the book One swallow clubs are filling & genuine economic “loes ot make # EDTing, nor doss the meed of # Part Of the bookTeading pulle special- assion lic “which is not being filled in any other way.” Until the publishers bring more evi- dence to bear in their battle to do away with the book clubs, the public at large probably will continue to feel that it was simply another instance of some shrewd person or persons taking note of general American trends and hitting upon a corking good idea. Probably most book buyers, whether at stores or through clubs, feel that the | prices of books are too high. Along with the reprinting of standard books in good, cheap editions since the war, there has been a counter movement on the part of the trade which has special- ized in issuing slightly more elaborate volumes at five dollars and six dollars each. Especially are new blographies costly. The book war will be watched with keen interest by the American people, who will keep one eye on the books as they pour from the presses, and the other upon their pocketbooks. No one is forced to buy books, it is true, but in a country where universal education is so prevalent the desire to buy them is very widespread. Since books may well. claim, if any- thing may, to be the real bulwark of our country, upon the supposition that THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. One of the latest idioms to grace the | English language is “catwalk,” an avia- | tion term which has appeared with in- creasing frequency in the news recently. ‘The catwalk is any possible sort of path out alongside an engine, or from one gondola to another on a dirigible. 1t is one of those picturesque words, growing up no one knows exactly how, which need no explanation to the average reader, for they explain them- selves sufficiently. Every one has seen a cat, and every one knows that where a cat can walk need not be very wide. Hence ‘cat- walk” is as irresistible a word as “cat- whisker,” which sprung into universal popularity and understanding in the in- ception of popular radio broadcasting. ‘The originators of these rich, humor- ous words and phrases are never known, especially after the latter have gonc mm] neral circulation. Any one who woul Jaughed at for his pains. They simply are a part of the language! & & ok The word “cat” has been a prolific source of idiomatic words and phrases since it came into the English language. Cato, the great Roman, got his name because of his catlike shrewdness and craftiness. The word in zoology specifically indi- the pen is mightier than the sword, booklovers will continue to look with favor upon all agencies which help in- crease their circulation and keep their price within the reach of the people. ‘The gangman slays for motives of revenge and does not trouble about the ! small change he might have gathered from an insurance policy on his victim. Human life has come to be estimated rather low in cash value, [Rn———————— New York is represented as s wicked old town. Whatever a visitor may have to pay for cafe cover charge, he can still get by there with the plain old- fashioned nickel for car fare. ————————— German dye works get into assocla- tion with distinguished American capital. Laboratories and factories keep busy, while economic theorists go on guessing, -t The rates for call money in Wall Street are among a number of prices that do not submit to regulation on the simple old-fashioned theory of sup- ply and demand. ) ‘The “Dawes plan” has been super- seded by the “Young plan.” In com- mercial relationships there is still evidence of the courteous old assurance, “It is no trouble to show goods.” o Becrecy in legislative deliberations falls into disfavor. A man with courageous opinion must subscribe to the old motto, “It pays to advertise.” B ] New York refuses to regulate night clubs, so that the out-of-town buyer will have no place to go but his hotel room. ——rte— An appearance of calm is assumed by Al Smith, but his political enemies carry on with a great deal of worrying. ————————— A canoe is dangerous enough to share with an airplane the reguirement of a licensed pllot. e SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. ‘Tending to Biz. Junetime with the roses Comes along, once more. Blossoming discloses Beauty as of yore. ‘Though wild motors daily Here and yonder whizz, ©Old World keeps on gayly 'Tending to its Biz. For each changing season, Bringing warmth or cold, Earth will find a reason, Joyous, as of old. ‘We will still be ready; For the problem is To keep going steady, "Tending to our Biz. Vicissitudes. “Is anybody waiting to see me?” “Nobody,” answered the secretary. “We'll have to look into the situation,” commented Senator Sorghum. “There is evidently an impression abroad that T have lost my political influence and have no further favors to extend.” Jud Tunkins says he's glad he can’t understand the Einstein theory. So few people comprehend it that the abllity to do so would merely render him lone- some. Vocalism. An orator I would not be, ‘With vocalism strong. More profitable it would be To learn a ragtime song. Pertinent Elucldation. “We will now discuss the Coleoptera,” sald the agricultural professor. “Let's come to an understanding” said the co-ed. “Are you talking about bugs, or the Queen of Egypt?” “One who has no sorrows,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “must live so remote from the world that he can hope for no joys.” Copy Catbird. The Catbird warbles very fine, And as he carols through the list The other birds come into line, And say “He's just a plagiarist.” “Askin’ de Blessin’ on a chicken din- ner,” sald Uncle Eben, “sometimes takes mo’ nerve dan plety.” i Can't Blame Him. From the Omsha Evening World-Herald. Perhaps xlnr George, who has for- bidden the publication of his blography, doesn’t like the present fashion in this class of literature. v What a Mistake! From the Oakland Tribune. A Chicago woman who shot a bur- lar modestly disclaims any eredit for lvdery. She thought it was her hus- Singing Talkies Qualify. From the Rochester Democrat and Chronlele. The Chinese are sald to like eruelty in their motion pictures. Some of the slmr:zxnl talkies ought to go well over re. -t No Special Sessions. From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. One prediction just now seems safe: The next time Mr, Hoover runs for President he won't promise to call & o Qgee .. o cates Felis domestica, or house cat, which Webster defines as follows: “A carnivorous quadruped, which has long been kept by man, in a domestic state, for & pet and for catching rats and mice.” One may have a suspicion that the average cat catches rats more in dic- tionaries than in granaries. Mice are Tom's quarry. He is not overkeen to pick a quarrel with a rat, often as big as he is. “Cat” as a term for a spiteful woman is perhaps the next best known mean- ing. It probably comes through the word “spiteful,” or “spitful,” some un- known person having noted ‘a fancied resemblance betwcen a cat’s hissing or spitting and a mean woman’s tongue. There are several games in which the word is used, such as the old English [$ of “one old cat” or “two old cat,” played with bat and ball, a kind of forerunner of base ball. Children “wait to see the cat die” when their momentum dies down in swinging. There is a kind of sailing vessel called a “cat,” and there is, of course, the catfish, well known in American waters. It probably got its name from its feelers, or barbels, somewhat resembling a cat's “whiskers.” A sort of double tripod is called & “eal ‘The “cat-0’-nine-tails” is better known in legend than in actuality, & whip or lash with nine thongs once used on sailing vessels to manhandle recalcitrant mariners. ‘There is an old game called “cat and dog,” with the ball called the ‘“cat” and the club or bat the “dog.” In nautical parlance sailors cat an anchor,” or haul it up; they use the terms “cat back” and “cat block.” A “catboat” is a kind of vessel. Every one has seen the catbird, named from the meowing call slightly resembling that of a domestic cat. Certain varieties of smilax are called “eatbrier.” * k¥ X ‘The history of brick shows a certain WIY of making or putting them together called “cat and clay.” It is not gen- erally known in this country that the English have a slang verb, “cat.” mean- ing to vomit, perfectly explainable to| claim_ their authorship would be | oy, any one who has seen & cat eat grass, its natural medicine. Theatrical devotees are familtar with the “catcall,” or booing an ?oor play or actor. .On the base d such jeering is now called “the atic plants loved by ehil- dren a led “cat-tails” from their more than fancied resemblance to the caudal appendages of the cat family, “Catkin” (little cat) is a floral head, or inflorescence (an ament). A “catnap” is the shortest possible amount of sleep, maybe only a few min- utes or even seconds at a time. “Cat: gut,” used for violin strings, is not “c: s’u(.l" at all, but comes from other ani m: atnip,” or catmint, is the well known herb sometimes used in medicine, but more often as a tidbit for house cats, ul;l"llch usually but not always they a fle ragberry. Certal e : “Cat's meat” is understood in Europe o refer to horsemeat, and it is interest- ing to note that least one brand o canned dog and cat food has horse- meat in its composition. Quantities of horsemeat_are fed to the “cats” at the National Zoological Park. To “fight like Kilkenny cats” means to mutual destruction, as the fabled cats did when tied tail to tall over & clothesline. The expression “a cat may look at & king” points to the plain fact that see- “x" dlx & prerogative of all except the blind. Tapered short sticks are used in an English child's game called “tipcat.” Every child is familiar with “skinning the cat” on a horizontal bar. * ko K The expression “bell the cat” came into the news & few days ago when a fashionable Chicago suburb voted to place bells on all cats in order to “save the birds.” As a matter of fact, few cats catch birds, these original aviators mostly being able to save themselves without man-made laws and regulations. Nature has seen to it. “Not, room to swing the cat” refers to confined space and points back to a day when cruelty to cats was common. “To lead a cat-and-dog” life needs little explanation to a generation fa- millar with comic supplements. “Care killed the cat” was an earl exhortation to an optimistic outlool upon life. ’ “Curiosity killed the cat” is a gen- eral warning often given to children. “It is raining cats and dogs” means a real downpour, but just how the air got so full of animals is a mystery. “Cat's-cradle” is a child's gage with transfers of string between the fingers of two players. “Cat's-eye” is & preclous stone of Cey- lon and Malabar, but is more often used in this country to designate a kind of marble used in game of marbles. “Cat's-foot” is the ground-ivy. A t's-paw” is a person used as a tool by another. To “let the cat out of the bag” means to give away some secret, especially un- intentionally. From the cat we get the familiar expressions, “to rub the wrong way,” “to draw in one's claws” “to have as many lives as a cat” and “when the cat's away the mice will play. This list by no means exhausts eat words, phrases and sentences in our language, but one must never make the mistake of including such words as “category,” etc., which have no rela- tion to it. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. ‘The suggestions are heard in admin- istration quarters on Capitol Hill that President Hoover might at this juncture take a leaf out of Al Smith's political notebook. The suggestions refer to the President's desire that Congress shall not take an all-Summer recess until it has pledged itself to an early vote on the tariff bill when it reassembles. When Gov. Smith found himself blocked, as | he usually did, by the Republican New York Assembly at Albany, he was ac- customed to take the air and tell the people of the State by “raddio” exactly what was what. As the governor gen- erally had the public with him, and made it see that his programs were be- ing stalled by hostile politicians in most cases, Smith seldom failed to achieve the “reaction” he wanted. Members of the Assembly invariably heard copious- ly from the folks back home after one of Al's sledgehammer broadcasts. So the thought is that if the President got the Nation's ear on a country-wide hook- up and let the people know how Con- gress to date has played ducks and rakes with his farm and tariff pro- grams, Mr. Hoover might wake up next day to find that Capitol Hill had seen the light. * ok ok X Mabel Walker Willebrandt, now en route to Washington from. the South- west, 15 being deluged with offers from newspaper syndicates and magazines to narrate her experiences in the Depart- ment, of Justice. One or two Proposi- tions suggest that “Portia” can prac- tically write her own ticket, so far as remuneration is concerned. The “low down” on prohibition, of which she should know an earful, is the subject on which Mrs. Willebrandt is chiefly asked to spill the beans. She may de- cide to swallow some of the flattering financial insults which have been of- fered her, but how far she would feel herself at liberty to go in exposing state secrets is something else again. Mrs. Willebrandt, by the way, will not exclusively work for the Aviation Cor- poration. The latter is just her first client. She purposes hanging out her shingle in a Washington office building as & sign that other clients worthy of her steel will be thankfully received. A If tentative plans now maturing are carried out, one of the minor broad- casting stations in the District of Co- lumbia may shortly be haled into court on a libel action. It will be one of the first cases on record invalving al- leged slander by radio. The offense which will be the basis of the action, if any, consisted of repeating over the air as news a story which had been published in & newspaper. Counsel for the prospective complainant thinks the country would take unusual notice of the suit because it would establish a recedent respecting libel over the wave lengths. * ok ¥ X Volume IV of Indian Law and Trea- tles, complled by Charles J. Kappler, Washington attorney, under authority of Congress, 18 now on' the press at the Qovernment Printing Office. It brings up to date all laws passed by Congress and all executive orders and proclama- tions relating to Indian affairs from December, 1913, to date. The volume also contains several unratified Indian treaties upon which are based recent acts of Congress sending claims to the Court of Claims, and & list of Indian treaties adjudicated by the United States Supreme Court. Perhaps the most_important feature of the com- endium 1is Title 25—Indians—anno- ted, United States Code, together with :fl%‘.’é" to the four volumes now pub- * k% X ‘There's assembled in Washington to- | n: day a gathering of people interested in oblem be- W to pro- n_the highways. 1s held under the auspices of the Highway Education Board, of which Thomas H. MacDonald, chief of the United States Bureau of Public i and a pupil whose contributions to street and highway traffic have won in the education the best lesson, among 70,000 that were submitted, on “Objective and Method of Education in Street and Highway Safety.” To Brendan A. Finn, Somer- ville, Mass., schoolboy, will go the prize awarded the winning essay on “Why We Have and Practice Traffic Rules.” He topped 600,000 competitors. * ok * x “Charley” Dawes has not been one of arganized labor’s favorites in the Unit- ed States. It seems never to have for- given him for his identification with the “Minute Men of America,” who, for some reason never entirely clear, rub labor the wrong way. All of which will make it uncommonly interesting if Ambassador Dawes has to make his diplomatic debut at the Court of St. James under a Labor government. Dawes, by the way, has just done his fade-out in Chicago amid a blaze of financial glory. In two days he raised $10,000,000 for the Windy City’s 1933 World Fair. Gen. Dawes promises to devote his annual leave of two months to pushing the exposition project which is to celebrate his home city's centen- nial of existence. * k% Mrs. Hoover acquire at Swarthmore today her first honorary degree, but she has been entitled to wear the cap and gown of a Stanford A.B. for nearly 35 years. Swarthmore, aker college, appropriately bestows its LL. D., on America’s first Quaker First Lady. It represents the Hicksite branch of the Soclety of Friends, its great aca- demic and athletie rival, Haverford, being the college of the orthodox Quakers. President Hoover has so many LL. D. degrees that he probably can't reel them off without a list. They number no fewer than 28, including those bestowed by Brown, Pennsylvania, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, George Washington, Dartmouth, Boston, Rutgers, Alabama, Oberlin, Liege, Brussels, Wi w, Cra- cow, Oxford, Rensselaer, Tufts, Swarth- more, Willlams, Manchester, Virginia, Prague, Ghent, Lemberg and Levow. (Copyright, 1929.) Ceson— French to Do Away . With Rank of Marshal From the Des Moines Register. The French minister of war, Painleve, has announced that there are to be no more marshals of France for the pres- ent, the title lapsing, as is customary, after the crop of marshals produced by the World War is gone. There are five marshals of France now, Joffre and four others. The death of Foch removed one. The French attitude toward the title of marshal still 18 what up until now the American attitude has been toward the title of general. Recently we have grovided that our chief of staff, whoever he may be, and so long as he holds the office, shall have rank of general. Up until the World War the rank had been held only by Washington and Grant, as com- manders, and by Sherman and Sheridan for brief perlods. It has been a tradition of the French armies, more democratic in some ways than ours, that every soldier is a po- tential marshal of France—has his marshal's baton in his knapsack, is the more picturesque expression. It may not be literally true any more, but since Napoleon’s d:{nor longer it has been part of the dition. And even to Americans it has been made part of our concept of France by such marvelous, fictional characters as ' D'Artag- an. ‘The best wish any| could express for France, of course, is that, despite all the fine sound of the title and all the ’Ilumour of the tradition, ave another marshal take f | to make a marshal, and the product is not worth it. Nothing on Mosquitoes. From the Sants Rosa Press 'mocrat. Scientists have discovered that but- recognize each other at & dis- tance of 8 feet. We have had mos- toes recognise us st & distance of BT Al e t|d Elevator Regulation Decision Questioned To the Editor of The Star: Regarding your editorial, “No Ele- vator Regulation,” permit me to say that the decision of Police Court Judge Schuldt seems extraordinary from the viewpoint of commonsense. According to the papers he held the law invalid of | because the District of Columbia au- 11 | thorities neglected to publish in the papers regulations pursuant to the law, and because it was discriminatory in that it did not apply to the Federal Government. Is it not probable that the provision regarding publication was merely directory and not mandatory? And- as to the discrimination, surely Congress has the power to exempt ele- vators of the Federal Government from upervision and regulation by the local thorities without invalidating the law on the subject. The Government would naturally look after its own ele- vators, and could not suffer the dicta- tion and interference therewith of the local authorities. Furthermore, conceding the invalidity of this law, surely the District govern- ment has all the police powers usually granted to every city, and, if so, it is un- uestionably within its power and is its uty to at once pass an ordinance re- quiring elevators to conform to certain specified standards for the safety and protection of the public. ' It is & curious fact that the laws seem to be always found inadequate when they conflict with ‘corporate interests as against the safety, welfare and pro- tection of the people of this District. ALEXANDER SIDNEY LANIER. 'Lamp on Wrist Checks All Useless Motion BY E. E. FREE, PH. D. Tracking down the useless motions of housewife making a pie, by means of a glowing electric lamp fixed to a bracelet on her wrist, is the latest de- vice of the new German profession of “household engineer.” Sclentists who have applied to housework the methods of “motion study” used in factories to decrease fatigue and increase efficiency have long been certain that the average housewife is forced by habit and by un- suitable kitchen furniture to tire her- self unnecessarily by making many use- less motions. This conclusion, however, has not been easy to prove to house- wives trained in old-fashioned methods and convinced that these were all right. A German engineer, Dr. Max Mengeringhausen, has now devised the convincing electric lamp demonstration, an example of which he published re- cently in the German scientific review, Die Umschau, A small but bright elec- tric lamp is fastened to the housewife's wrist and connected with dry batteries carried in an apron pocket. A photo- graphic camera is set up so that its lens commands the kitchen. The lens open- ing and the lighting are then so ad- justed that the moving figure of the housewife makes no impression on the Rhnwtrlphlc plate. The electric lamp, owever, does make an exposed spot on the plate whenever the housewife's wrist is still and a line whenever the wrist moves. Thus the precise nature and number of the hand motions used in any household task can be recorded. Bandits Fear Little In Suburban Robberies From the New York Times. ‘The protection of banks from organ- ized bandits may not be difficult in large eities, where money is intelligently spent on devices to put thieves on the defensive. But in the suburbs and in country towns a raid by robbers who come in stolen motor cars may occur at any time. The East Orange Trust Co. hold-up on Friday was effected without danger to the bandits. In five minutes the bank’s employes, including the president and depositors who hap- pened to be present, had their hands up at the point of revolvers, bills amounting to $27,000 were swept into a bag and the raiders were in the street “stepping on the gas” with no one to stop them. ‘There are s great many banks in New _Jersey no better protected than the East Orange institution was, and it is high time that precautions were taken to make the profession of raiding both futile and dangerous. The Iowa plan may have to be tried if other methods of preparedness fail. Secre- Bankers' Association has told the story of reducing the “bank crime rate” in that State from the highest in the country to the lowest. States have followed the example of Jowa “with much the same success” and other States are considering it. “Organized surprise and regulated violence” is the Iowa plan, with the emphasis on “organized.” The day has gone by when bank robbers can say: “The town ahead is dead easy. Five years ago we hit this same bank for $30,000. We had a town to ourselves. We didn't fire a shot.” Describing & raid that failed a year ago, Mr. Warner said night raiders had hardly begun to work in an Iowa country bank when rifle barrels were pushed through un- detected vents or holes in steel shields in a balcony and two lookouts outside were in the hands of vigilantes. “I didn't reckon on these sharpshooters being about,” said the crestfallen leader of the raiders when he found himself in handcuffs. The vigilantes are, in most cases, veterans of the World War. ‘They readily volunteered for a cam- paign _against the bandits who were despoiling the Iowa small-town banks. It is worked out to give the vigilantes notice the moment raiders descend u a town and approach a bank. Wires ecannot be cut, for they are buried. ‘When the protectors reach the bank first the surprise for the robbers is complete. Fact-Finding System Is Industrial Gauge From the St. Louls Times. Vast plans having a national scope are on their way to maturity, with Washington as the focal point of their correlation. As an inspiring factor in this effort stands the President, who as far back as 1931 perceived the need of an accurately adjusted fact-finding sys- tem which would serve as a constant mge of industrial conditions, and who since his election to the presidency been a consistent promoter of the gen- eral idea. At the governor's conference in New Orleans in November last phases of these plans for economic stabilization were discussed, the more notably by for- mer Gov. Brewster of Maine, speaking on behalf of Herbert Hoover. Since then many public and private organiza« tions have conducted surveys which are the foundation of valuable data bearing upon the subject, * * * It is contended this information can be used in national, State and civic construction expenditure as an auto- matic regulator of the outflow of money for public improvements, curtailing it ‘when business is booming and increas- ing it when harder conditions are seen to be impending. In line with this sound idea are the recommendations recently made by the Senate committee on education and labor, which, after hearings inquiring into causes of unemployment, urged that legislation be adopted providing a system of planning public works so as to {:ovlde a reserve against unemployment times of depression. States and municipalities might greatly aid the ;:ne?l cause by promoting the same cles. Yeah, or the Prisoner’s Song. From the Terre Haute Star. Philadelphia will probab k¢ %l!’ht in ehnmlnlp. “Yolll’ 'i.n;w'rl;.l'. tary Frank M. Warner of the Iowa | pPOsts Neighboring | tem ‘This is & special department devoted to the handling of inquiries. You have at your disposal an extensive organiza- tion in Washington to serve you in any capacity that relates to information. Write your question, your name and your address clearly and inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for reply. Send to The Evening Star Information Bureau, gcdglccd. Haskin, director, Washing- Q. Why is & base ball field called a “dlAntOnd." when in reality it is square? A. 1t is referred to as a “damond” in- stead of a square because the bases are located at the a 3 Q. When forme resident Coolidge’s class at Amherst voted for “the man most likely to succeed in life,” who won?—D. D. A. Bruce Barton, in an article on for- mer President Coolidge, says that Dwight Morrow won. Coolidge himself received one vote—that cast for him by Morrow. Q. How long are money order records kept in the office of issue?—B. T. J. the office of issue for three years from date of issue. Q. Ts it correct to pronounce “lexury” as though the word contained “gs” in- stead of an “x"?—R. C. A. While many people give the word this peculiar pronunciation, dictionaries agree that the sound of “x” is “ks” and not “igs.” Q. When did the United States first have penny newspapers?—D. M. A. The History of American Journal- penny press was the Daily Evening Transcript, established in Boston July 24, 1830, by Lynde M. Walter. While this paper was not sold on the strects for 1 penny, it was quoted at the ex- tremely low rate of $4 per annum. Probably the first daily that was actu- ally sold for 1 cent was the Cent of Philadelphia, published in the same year as the Daily Evening Transcript in Bos- ton. In New York City the idea was first conceived by Dr. Horatio David Shepard. Q. What is the “life” of a magnet? —S. L. A. The life of a permanent magnet, magnetized in any manner whatever, has never been determined. A magnet made of the best quality of steel, properly heat-treated and aged and used under the best conditions of service would amount in the lifetime of a single ob- server. Q. How long did Ambassador Herrick survive his friend, Marshal Foch?—G. L.. A. But 11 days_elapsed. Foch dled on March 20 and Ambassa- dor Herrick on March 31, 1929. Q. How long after the adoptian of the dollar as our unit of exchange was English money still used in this coun- try?—C. F. A. The circulation of foreign money was so_general throughout the United States for 25 years approximately after this adoption that it was a vital ele- ment in the circulation. Congress rec- this great need by enacting a V! ating foreign coins and making them legal tender. Finally, Congress, on February 21, 1859, enacted a law repealing former acts which had ‘made foreign money a currency or legal tender. Q. Why do ssome mountain peaks have snow upon them the year around, while others of the same height and latitude do not?>—D. F. T. A. There are two main reasons for A. Applications must be preserved at| ism states that the precursor of the| Marshal | this: Temperature is not the same, for the same height, all around the earth along a given parallel of latitude. In temperate regions, for instance, the eastern portion of a continent is colder than the western: precipitation varies reatly alona’paraliel of latitude. The uration ogFnow on a mountain peak obviously \"rjeswith the average tem- perature and the amount of snowfall. These vary along & parallel of latitude; hence some mountain peaks may be snow-covered throughout the year, while :gcxs !o( the same height and latitude not. 2. v\ighy can an owl fly 5o noiselessly? A. The owl's feathers are specially constructed. The edges of the feathers are very soft, which allows the air to pass over without making the swish that it does when birds have stiff flight feathers. X Q. Please give the last paragraph of “Makers of the !‘lagflLM.p T. i A. On Flag day, 1914, before the em- ployes of the Department of the In- terior, Franklin K. Lane, then Secre- tary of the Interior, made an address which ended: “I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself, the pictured suggestion of that big thing which makes this Na- tion. My stars and my stripes are your dream and your labors. They are bright with cheer, brilliant with courage, firm with faith, because you have made them 50 out of your hearts. For you are the makers of the flag and it is well that you glory in the making.” Q. Has Carrara marble been used as long as Parian marble?—W. T. A. The Greeks were blessed with an almost inexhaustible supply of the finest and purest marble yet discovered on the Island of Paros in the Aegean Sea. This marble is called “Parian” and possesses a peculiar waxy attribute. The marble of Carrara was not generally put in use until later years. It is among the finest varieties in the world, but has gray streaks. Q. Is it true that high Confederate officials were paid in specie?—J. J. H. A. It is highly improbable that Con- federate officials were ever paid in specle, except when retreats were exe- cuted. At this time some small amounts of specle were paid in sglaries to save it from capture by Federal forces. Q. What is the red liquid used in the dash register om’ sutomoblles?— probably deteriorate only a negligible | gy A. The Bureau of Standards says that the liquid used in the dash regis- ter on automobiles is aleohol with an organic dye which is soluble in alcohol, such as magenta and eosine, both coal tar derivatives. Q. What kind of camera lens is the fastest?—R. Y. H. A. The festest camera lens known is £ 1.9 in motion-picture-size lens. Q. Describe the appearance of Al (Scarface) cn?one. . G. B. A. He is said to be about 30 years old, his figure is chunky, his face rotund and le, his manner easy and affable. A scar made by a knife in an early altercation runs athwart his face and gives him his sobriquet. Q. According to the last census, had the number of centenarians increased or decreased?—S. D. A. A. In 1910 there were 3,555 centenari- ans, whereas in 1920 the number re- ported was 4,387. More women than men reported. 1920 1561 of the centenarians 4men and 2,706 were women. Popular interest in the appointment of Col. Theodore Roosevelt as Governor of Porto Rico turns upon what his father’s son may do toward solving the problems of the dissatisfied islanders. There is some ulation, too, aboul the ble future political significance of colonel's return to public office. “This i one of the most important in the Government service,” says the Buffalo Evening News. “It requires administrative ability of high order and, with that, an understanding of the Latin perament and some familiarity with the political and the economic situation in the island. Recently many complaints of the colony are not satisfled with their status under American rule. The gov- ernors, therefore, have not had a happy time of it. The Porto Ricans seem to feel that Gov. Towner has not been suf- ficlently sympathetic toward their as- pirations, As his successor, Col. Roose- velt will not have any easy path to tread. However, he starts with this ad- vantage: The Porto Ricans hold the memory of his father in tender regard.” “Perhaps the island and its prob- lems need the publicity and the attend- ant. ular attention that young T. R. is 1 ery to bring to it” thinks the Lansing State Journal. “It is true that Porto Rico has not taken as much American attention as have the Philip- pines. The public mind is rather con- fused as to situation in Porto Rico. It is described as an island of wonder- matter of great satisfaction if it can *be so well administered as to bring the possibilities to their highest develop- ment.” * % k¥ “The problems there today,” accord- ing to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, “are human problems. Underpaid labor, pov- erty, depression unquestionably exist. There is precious little market for Amer- fcan shoes or any other shoes in that island. Under American control, it has not shared American prosperity. —Yet its natural resources are wonderful, and sugar, coffee and tobacco should be pro- duced in wealth-bringing volume under more modern methods of agriculture. Naturally, political problems spring out of economic problems. Porto Rico is demanding a governor who is a native. She is demanding full control of her own affairs. She is Americanized to that extent. And to conciliate the na- tives and make them prosperous and happy is & task worthy of the charac- teristic Rooseveltian energy.” “The doughty colonel is a son of his father in many particulars,” remarks the Morgantown New Dominion, “yet he finds this one of the things that he must live down. If he is to succeed in life on his own account, he must first teach people to recognize him for his own worth and ability, and not as the son of the illustrious President. * * * He has now been called out of political obscurity, not to run for office, but to accept an_appointment. The chances are that the post in Porto Rico marks the return of Col. Roosevelt to the ranks of political possibilitles or to the legion of diplomatic representatives.” * kK K “There is a great deal of sentiment attached to the name of Roosevelt in this country, and most persons will hope that the son of his father will be uccessful in his new position,” declares the New Castle News. “President Hoo- ver has shown tact, as well as wisdom. in making appointments thus far, and there is every reason to belleve that the Roosevelt selection will be as well re- celved as others have [ hope that “Mr. Roosevelt will rise to the demands of the position” is volced by the Rochester Times-Union, as it recognizes that “the le of Porto Rico have not been quite happy in the governors which sdministrations in the United States have imposed upon them,” and remarks that “per- haps they will never be happy under Both the Same Sis From the Springfield (Mo.) Lead: +__Capone now realizes he is bigger vernor, but it does seem as & selection might be made have come from Porto Rico. The people | fly ful possibilities, and it ought to be a) f Roosevelt as Island Governor Subject of Popular Interest the Detrolt Free Press, rumor in Washington that to Alice Roosevelt Longworth. A great father catapulted Col. Roosevelt into the public eye; a popular t | sister seems able to keep him there.” ‘The Charleston Post makes the suggestion that “if the President had appointed Princess Alice governor of Porto Rico he would have made & brilliant stroke and the little island would have loomed large.” * X % % “The insular Legislature is not al- ways tractable,” comments the Worces- ter Telegram. “It does not submit read- to gubernatorial mandate. And a governor lacking in the necessary qualities can lose much of the economic and social advance gained in the last decade, The retiring governor has mot been a notable success. His successor should be a man particularly suited_to the requirements of the position. We hope he is.” The Harrisburg Telegraph avers that “the Porto Rican -;l:lpolm- ment is no mean honor, and will offer opportunities for one who likes to dab- ble in statesmanship and politics, and who has no confining business interests of his own to embarrass him.” The Binghamton FPress remarks: “Incidentally, Col. Roosevelt drops out of the New York political situation as far as candidacy is concerned. At this, some of the New York Republican lead- ers will breathe easier. As long as he remained a potential candidate for of- ce, he was somewhat of a worry to them. His new position in Porto Rico will please him and his friends. In it he will have some opportunity to em- ploy the increasing facility of his pen.” A report on the island’s own recep- tion of the appointment comes from the Porto Rico Progress: ‘“Sentiment, both publicly and privately expressed, varies widely. Many of the indorse- ments of him are interpreted chiefly as & desire for a change. Similar indorse- ments would be offered any person sug- gested by the President, it is contended. Others believe Col. Roosevelt is the type of man needed for governor.” e California City Sets Good Voting Example From the Pasadena Star News. The little city of Ramona has dem- onstrated & type of good citizenship that is exemplary. Right worthily is the champlonship cup for the State be- stowed upon that city by the California Development Association. In the pres- idential election last Fall Ramona voted 98.64 per cent of its qualified voters. This is the third successive ¢ear that Ramona has taken this award. Now this is a distinction of which any city in the State well may be proud. If the whole State voted 98.64 per cent of its eligible voting population, then, indeed, would it be a wholesome example to the whole country. Then ‘would be no reason to scold and warn and urge. This is the kind of good citizen- ship that California and the country need. It is a good plan to encourage this quality of citizenship—to foster competition along this line. Good citizenship should be expressed at the ballot box. It is there that the individual citizen has the final and the soverelgn word. It is there that the {‘::’r%’...?.’m ot the en"xu"iw::u'd' e will of e, e: through the ballot, thlmlmd govern- ment, and honest men in government, mmopumet to be tulated. Its congratul . good citizens are setting an enviable example to the whole State. May there be more communities in the State do- ing likewise! r——oms At Least There Is Consolation. From the Trenton Evening Times. A New York judge has ruled that a which would be more acceptable than those of the past.” “The names of Col. Roosevelt's flotaesa have 1k been published,” in i mutflln. caught in the middle of 15 “-m has thch 'rlcht of way, 1It's tisfying thought even though you AT min ovesy