Evening Star Newspaper, June 4, 1929, Page 8

s ® THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. TUESDAY..........June 4, 1920 THEODORE W. NOYES. . ..Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11th New ¥ -3 Chicago Europe: S e 3 f igan lfi-. 14 Mlfll' 8t., Londom, Englan s Wb o when ing The Sunday Star I0....be per cop: Collection made at ihe end of each month. Orders may be sent in by mall or telepnone Main 5000. Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. Maryland and \;l‘r{ln:ll. E:fly and Sunda; ung An Datly and Sunda: aily only .. day only Other States and Canada. .1 yr.,$12.00; 1 mo.. $1.00 VIR Member of the Associated Press. ociated Press is exclusively entitle to the use for republication of ell rews i atches credited to it or not otherwise cr ed in this paper and also the local news d h All rights blication tches herein ved. mo.. wo special dt The Tariff Bill. ‘Witnesses who appear before the Sen- ate finance committee to urge in- creases in tariff duties or lower dutles than those provided in the Hawley bill must do so in public. This is the de- cision of the Senate finance committee, forced by s combination of Republican progressives and Democrats. It was a foregone conclusion that if the matter were carried to the floor of the Senate, the committee would be compelled to make the hearings on the pending tariff bill public, One more step has been taken there to bring about publicity of public business, in which the people have a direct interest. It is well understood that many de- mands have been made already upon the Senate finance committee for in- creases in rates of duty over those pro- vided in the Hawley bill, notwithstand- ing the fact that the bill has been at- tacked in many quarters on the ground that it has inordinately increased some of the rates and that its enactment into law will be followed by an increase in the cost of living. The charge is made, also, that the increased duties in some instances are not needed to protect Ameriean industries against foreign competition; that these increases mere- ly serve the purpose of permitting an increase in prices in the domestic mar- kets. The President himself is re- ported to be scanning the bill carefully and to be ready to veto the measure if in his opinion it transcends the Re- publican platform and his campaign pledges. ‘The country could well do without a new tariff law rather than have one written that does an injustice to the people. The protective tariff system has been a boon to American indus- tries and to American labor. Under it both have thrived and standards of living in this country for the workers are higher than they have ever been in the history of the world. But that fact does not justify excessive rates of duty on articles that are used by the people, many of them necessities. There is reason to belleve that mistakes have been made in the House bill, with too great increases. Possibly the Senate will come to the aid of the administra- tion in this matter and force lower rates. The difficulty, however, lies in the log-rolling propensities of the leg- islative bodies when it comes to writing a tariff law. Combinations in support of two or more duties are ¢asily formed, with & result that maybe startlingly unfair to the people. Many interests are clamoring for tariff benefits today and they are not hesitating to demand ac- tion from the Senators and Representa- tives who represent their States and dis- tricts. President Hoover has consistently recommended a “limited revision” of the tariff, particularly in the interest of the farmers. The limits have been ignored very largely in the pending bill; articles have been taken from the free lst and many duties have been in- creased, in some instances too greatly. ‘The Senate has an opportunity to right these matters. If it does not and the bill ¥ made more objectionable, execu- tive disapproval would be applauded by the country. The disaster to the Repub- lican party which followed in the wake of a too grasping tariff bill a score of years ago has not yet been forgotten. ‘There is to be a congressional election mext year and there are members of Congress who would be glad to have the President rescue them from their own folly. e e Theatrical people refer to Mayor Jimmy Walker as “a good actor.” He is one of the fortunate few actors who can depend on good salary and perma- nent engagement. Historic Souvenirs, ‘The fund for the complete restora- tion of the U. 8. Oonstitution, the frigate that was once a whole navy in herself, grows steadily, but is not yet complete. In February, the total sub- scribed was $650,563. Today $695,000 is in hand, according to Rear Admiral Philip Andrews, chairman of the Na- tional “Save Old Ironsides” Committee, who announces that $190,000 more is needed immediately. As has been the case since the beginning of the move- ment, no Federal appropriation will be forthcoming. As is the case with most buflding and rebuilding projects, the original estimate of $750,000 has been necessarily revised upward. School children of the Nation have given no less than $154,666, those of the National Capital having partici- pated most generously in this worthy movement, while those attending insti- tutions of higher education here also gave handsomely. With the entire cost of the whole job about seven-ninths to visit all important ports and harbors she will have been rebuilt from keel to main- exactly as she was in the days she was the principal defense of “the 4nfant repubilo, when thete wig & magic in her name—a magic that still persists. ‘There is scarcely a State in the Union that cannot furnish some important reconstruction item. No less than 1,600 tons of live oak have come from Florida to brace the decks once trodden by heroes. White oak from West Virginia, Douglas fir from Oregon, wrought iron from Pennsylvania, hemp from Ken- tucky, canvas from Georgia, lumber from Maryland, is all being put in place by skilled craftsmen from the ports of. Maine. It is probable that every one of the thirteen original States was represented tangibly in the hull, rigging and equip- ment of the ship when she was first commissioned. It may be that not each single one of the present forty- eight is to be so distinguished, but every citizen of every State can, by reason of a modest contribution, be honorably represented in the completed work. To further encourage contribu- tors, a catalogue of souvenirs made from materials removed has been compiled by the national committee, these to be presented to donors in proportion to their gifts. For example, he who offers five dollars will receive a miniature anchor, facsimile of the ship'’s own, or | a copper ash tray. Ten-dollar gifts procure metal book-ends, formed as wheels or connon, while fifteen dollars obtains an oaken cigarette box dec- orated with copper sheathing. There are also anchor chain links, plaques, trays and walking sticks. So thorough- ly bad was the condition of the hun- dred-and-thirty-year-old vessel that the amount of discarded material is said to be ample for the rapid raising of the existing deficit by this means. The complete catalogue may be had by ad- dressing the national chairman, Boston Navy Yard. e MacDonald Takes Office. Mr. Baldwin has decided to remove the Conservatives from the front bench in the House of Commons by handing the government's resignation to King George, and the way is now automati- cally paved for & Labor cabinet. Mr. MacDonald will be requested to form a new government, of which he himself will be prime minister. Evidently no barrier from any quar- ter will be thrown across his path. Its clear plurality of nearly twoscore of seats over the next strongest (Con- servative) party in Parliament is to be recognized as Labor’s inslienable right to rule. Mr. Lioyd George's Liberals could foin the Tories in a vote of “no confidence” in the MacDonald ministry on a test division in the Commons; but this recourse, with inevitable chaos in its wake, is apparently mot to be in- voked. Liberals will merely abstain from voting at the outset of Labor's new lease of power, enabling it, on or about June 25, to embark for the sec- ond time on a career of office. How long the MacDonald regime will be able to maintain itself as a non- majority group in the House of Com- mons is a question. Labor in 1924 lasted only a meager ten months. It took and held control of the govern- ment under auspices similar to the present. It was a plurality but not a majority party. Britain’s gnawing need for economic tranquillity, undisturbed by political upheaval, may vouchsafe Premier MacDonald a longer tenure at No. 10 Downing street than he had five years ago. He has just said that con- ditions are such that the British peo- ple should not be required to survive the ordeal of another general election for at least two years. ‘The Labor government committed itself during its triumphant campaign this Spring to come conclusively to grips with the United States on armament questions. On the eve of election Mr. MacDonald declared that he would take the first opportunity to make an inter- national appeal for naval reduction. President Hoover has just anticipated him in that direction, but the way is now open for definite results. If they ensue, the American people will have cause to rejoice in the rearrival of Lebor in the seats of the mighty at London. Anglo-American naval rivalry abol- ished, peace among the English-speak- ing nations should be about as firmly Tooted as Magna Charta and the Amer- ican Constitution themselves. —_————,——— A new era of finance has dawned in Germany. The theory that paper marks of face value could be manufactured as fast as the printing presses could run has been entirely disposed of. o A Dangerous Intersection. Numerous complaints have reached the Traffic Bureau in regard to stop signs. The buresu is making a thorough investigation to see if some of the many signs, placed in all sec- tions of Washington, cannot be re- moved. The complaints state that it is getting so that a motorist cannot go any distance without having to come to & full stop. It is true that there are too many of these stop signs on the streets of Washington, many of them in places where they are really not needed. But on the other hand they are badly needed in many places and not all of these points have been safeguarded. One of the most dangerous inter- sections at the present time is at Gar- fleld street and Thirty-fourth street. Garfield street is one of the most widely used streets in the northwest section of the city. Motorists coming down Wisconsin avenue to Massachusetts avenue turn into Garfield street to get to Connecticut avenue and those on Connecticut avenue use Cleveland avenue and Garfleld street to get to ‘Wisconsin avenue. From Massachusetts avenue to Thirty-fourth street there is a good downgrade and the motorists take ad- vantage of it, crossing Thirty-fourth street at various speeds. Thirty-fourth street is paved from Massachusetts avenue through Cleveland Park and this street is also extensively used by motorists to and from Massachusetts avenue. ‘There have been several accidents at this crossing during the last few months and one machine recently was practically demolished, but fortunately 1o one was hurt. It is at this crossing that a stop sign is badly needed. The view of machines going east on Gar- fleld is prevented by the houses at the southwest corner and by trees on the northwest corner. Motorists traveling west on Garfield have thelr vision THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C; TUESDAY, JUNE obscured by houses on the northeast corner. Motorists using Thirty-fourth street are likewise handicapped by not being able to see approaching machines on Garfield except those traveling west, Automobiles traveling at more than 20 miles an hour apprcaching from dif- ferent directions are bound to collide at this corner unless the drivers use the utmost care. The stop signs are beginning to be a nuisance in a great many cases, but at this intersection one should be in- stalled before a fatality occurs. By placing a stop sign at this dangerous crossing at once a dangerous accident may be prevented. e e Aviation Boosting by Radio. The Washington Chamber of Com- merce s taking to the air to help the local afrport and the air mail, and over Station WMAL speeches are being broadcast under the chamber's aus- pices in behalf of both. The first broadcast on Friday evening was de- voted to a business man’s discussion of developing the Nation's air mail sys- tem by greater use and the second broadcast next Priday evening will be devoted to the importance to the Capi- tal and to the Nation of building an airport in Washington to stand as e model for the country. This is & sensible method of spread- ing propaganda in a good cause. The air mail is being established on a firm foundation and stands on its feet be- {cause it has been found commercially feasible. But its development, and with it the development of commercial | aviation, depends upon continued and growing use. Using the air mail in the transaction of business is a patri- otic gesture that carries sound benefits with it. The proposed Capital airport, de- manded in the beginning by the re- quirements of the air mail, must be able to accommodate not only the air mall, but the other and increasingly valuable forms of commercial aviation as well. The years of delay in build- ing this airport have broadened the original prospectus. Now it appears not as an interesting experiment to aid aviation, but as an actual necessity de- manded by the expanding uses of aviation. An air-minded Nation, in- terested in its Capital city, will.find the radio discussions of Washington's airport-to-be a live topic. —_— e ‘The bootleg motorist has a rival for lethal distinction in the hit-and-run driver who indulges speed mania re- gardless of liquor. ——— “Col.” Lindbergh sounds imposing. There have been many colonels. The title “Lindy” is & unique distinction. e sy New York politiclans might get further in managing national affairs if they could show the citizens of other large communities how to get by witha nickel car fare. R A censor of literature must yleld to traditional sentiment and make gen- erous allowance for some of the pas- sages in the writings of Bill Shake- speare. e ‘Times change. The farmer once asked no greater prosperity than that repre- sented by “dollar wheat.” Rl e e “Reapportionment” is commanding attention among citizens who suspect that they have been required to be con- tent with a legislative half portion. R SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Disillusion. As sunny seasons went their way, We loved the roving butterfly, With all her coloring so gay, ‘That deigned to loiter from on high. But now we know at every glance ‘When she for our attention begs, She’s only looking for the chance ‘To lay some more destructive eggs. The coal tar whence came perfume sweet. Has generated poison gas, And literary works so neat The ecruel censor fails to pass. The songs we hear seem to display The murmur of a moron glee, And life, the cynics sadly say, Is far from what it used to be. But nothing changes, after all. ‘The new discoveries are queer. Once we despised the germ so small, But now we know that it is here. And “ignorance” that once was “bliss” No longer we're compelled to prize. ‘The sorrow of the time is this; We're awtul busy getting wise. Questions and Answers. “You have shown a remarkable familiarity with public questions.” “I have heard every question that can be asked,” said Senator Sorghum. “What worries me is that I don't know any answers.” Jud Tunkins says a man who tries to run a political machine ought to be compelled to get some kind of a chauf- feur’s permit. Aviation Honeymoon. Into the twilight colors gay ‘They ride, without a fear, And resting on a cloud-bank, say, “Where do we go from here?” Danger of Smartness. “You have said a great many smart things. So clever a girl should easily find a husband.” “On the contrary,” said Miss Cay- enne, “np girl is likely to be in re- quest for marriage who displays her sarcasm in advance.” “One advantage of riches,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is to enable us to imagine we are entertain- ing, when we are only tiresome.” Relief. ‘The farmer boldly asks for aid— And there are various rumors ‘That similar requests are made By ultimate consumers. “A natchel born trouble maker,” said Uncle Eben, “works overtime an’ don’ ask no wages whatever.” Dead Cows Can’t Argue. From the Springfield, Ohlo, Sun. A British judge recently decided thaf & cow in the road has the right of way. That eonfirms the cow's on the matter, | swear word before it changes its aspect | | entirely. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “Love me, love my dog.” Idiomatic expressions involving the friend of man are many and varied. ‘We showed here yesterday some words and expressions d upon the cat, and today we will consider the dog. As might be expected, there are as many idioms of and from the dog as the cat. Tabby is more closely related to the home, but the dog goes into the fields and is the companion of man in many of his amusements. " ‘The original dictionary meaning of “dog” is, “Quadruped of many breeds, wild and domesticated.” The second- ary meaning is male of the species. From the animal's bark and general| demeanor comes the use of the word to_indicate a surly person. To call a man a “dog” is derogatory, and is so used (especially in fiction) by men of one race in speaking of their enemies of another. Perhaps more than any other such word, “dog” depends a great deal upon whether you smile when you say it Few men will resent being called “a | sly dog,” or “a lucky dog," or jolly | dog.” But to use the favorite English | % The dog star is Sirius (usually), and | there are constellations of the Greater | ys all, coming in July and August, being dated according to the heliacal and cosmical rising of Sirius. “Pire dogs” are not mascots of fire engine companies, as might be sup- posed, but metal supports for burning wood in a fireplace. The term has given way to “andirons.” Old sailors, especially captains, used to be spoken of as “sea dogs.” The term is also used to indicate a light near the horizon, indicating a storm. ‘The “sun dog” is the parhellon (spot on the solar halo at which light is in-| tensified). “To go to the dogs” meal lar speech, to be ruined. thing “to the dogs” means to sacrifice, or simply throw away: as Shakespeare said, “Throw physic to the dogs.” One of the most famous of these phrases is “Every dog has his day,” which is one of humanity's little jokes on itself, since many a person never gets a chance. * ok ox % Accept my friend as yours is the meaning of “Love me, love my dog,” a| phrase in universal use around the| world. It was some wag. indeed, who first invented the saying “It is raining cats and dogs.” By mixing these naturally antagonistic creatures he managed to create an imagined scene of turmoil and confusion which exactly fits a beat- ing rainstorm. “To die like a dog” or a “dog’s death” indicates a miserable ending, with some tinge of shame, a human being involved. “To use the hair of a dog that bites u” is an old superstition connected with manifestations of rabies, which in some countries has been given the twist of taking more drink to cure the effects of drink. The English have a saying, “To help a lame dog over a style,” meaning to be a friend in need. * K kX However much of a friend of man the dog may be, when his mode of life | - is applied to humanity it means some- | thing else again. “To lead & dog's life” or to lead some one else a “dog's life” speaks volumes for the way some people treat their dumb friends. | ing. “To give & dog an ill name” is in common usage to show the power of a nickname or of slander. The words “and hang him"” are sometimes used following. When we want to say “Let well enough alone” we make use of the idio- matic expression “Let sleeping dogs lie.” Don't stir them up. ‘The “dog in the manger” comes down from ancient Aesop's famous fable, meaning one who prevents others from using what is useless to him. * ok ok ¥ “Dog in a blanket” is a picturesque phrase used by our cousins across the sea to indicate a rolled currant dumpling or jam pudding. One of these was ad- vertised in a popular American maga- zine recently. Dob biscuit is the common name of the hard, concentrated ration used for feeding members of the canine family. A dog cart is a two-wheeled cart with cross seats back to back. To speak of an article as “dog cheap” means that it is very cheap, and prob- ably comes from the low price for which an ordinary mongrel may be purchased. If you call a man “dog-faced he is likely to be insulted, no matter how much he loves dogs, for what is hand- some in a dog Is mot so in a man. There is a dog-faced baboon, by the way. * ok ok ok Dog fennel is the “stinking camo- mile.” A “dogfish” is a sort of shark, often called along the Atlantic Coast “dog shark.” “Dog Latin” means incorrect, mon- grel Latin. The “dog rose” is the wild hedge rose, and is widely used as root stock upon’ which to graft finer roses. To “dog-ear” a book means to turn down the corners of pages while read- It is particularly objectionable to many book owners and ruins their book for them. Dog’s tail is a kind of grass. Dog sleep means light and fitful sleep. The word “dog” is never used with “nap.” There are dog-toothed violets and other flowers. . To say that one is “dog tired” means that he is utterly worn out, probably in reference to a dog which has been run- ning after a carriage. With the advent of automobiles, dogs have ceased to be tired, perhaps. * ¥ x % ‘The dog watch aboard ship is the short watch of two hours. In civilian employments it usually means the “late trick” in the wee small hours. ‘To “let loose the dogs of war” is a picturesque way of saying that the bat- tle begins, or any other sort of con- flict. It an idiomatic expression, coming to us from soldier speech, and may refer to the time when certain nations actually used dogs with spiked collars in battle. Prof. Smith in his “Words and Idi- oms” gives many expressions coming from the chase, and from hounds and horses in particular. A few of the canine idioms, he points out, come from dog fighting. From his list we pick the following: “To dog the footsteps of,” which points to the faithfulness of the friend of man; “Not to have a dog's chance,” meaning having no chance at all; “To have a bone to pick with”; “To teach old dogs new tricks”; “A bone of con- “To bristle up”; f ‘op dog”: “Under dog”; worse than his bite,” and “A hangdog look.” ‘The commonest phrase of all is “dog- gone,” especially as used as an ex- pletive with “it” following. Widespread Feeling Against Limiting Diplomatc Immunity A very general feeling that foreign diplomats should be free from annoy- ance and criticism in the immunity of their Washington homes from domestic laws is disclosed by recent newspaper discussion of the embassy liquor prob- lem. The informal suggestion of Sir Esme Howard that he gladly would con- form to any practice proposed by the American Government is viewed by many observers as merely a fine piece of courtesy characteristic of the British Ambassador. “Unless an ambassador’s residence is considered the territory of the country he represents,” says the Springfield, ©Ohio, Sun, “maintenance of diplomatic relations would be endangered. The im- munity which diplomacy carries is not nearly so much of a courtesy to the stranger within a nation’s gates as it is & necessity. For ages the laws and cus- toms of various countries have differed 50 widely that a diplomat was likely to run afoul of some local law without the slightest intention. If he did not enjoy immunity he might be called upon to make personal sacrifice, change his hab- its or adapt himself to such an extent to foreign customs as to make life in- tolerable in a foreign country.” In opposition to this point of view is the statement of the Raleigh News and Observer: “The comity between nations should have caused the diplomats to ac- cept the law when passed, but the fine spirit of Sir Esme Howard shows that there is willingness to live under the same regulations as govern Americans. The spectacle of trucks hauling liquor to embassies when it is a crime to have it elsewhere is one which cannot come to an end too soon.” * % ok % ‘The Hamilton, Ontario, Spectator, however, viewing the suggestion of Sir Esme Howard as, “of course, only a per- sonal offer, in which the British gov- Tnment is not involved, declares that the incident proves 'at least one thing—the anxiety of the British Am- bassador to conform in every particular with the desires of the United States authorities.” The Charleston Daily Mail also points out that Sir Esme ‘can forego serving liquor if he chooses, but he cannot thereby change the right of the members of the British legation to serve liquors in the future, provided his successor chose to do it. He would simply be foregoing the exercise of an international right, not abrogating it.” “He sets a good example, by the Spokane Spokesman-Review, some Congressmen and legislators, to say nothing of social clubs and other “We feel sorry,” remarks the Balti- more Sun, “for those envoys who will be torn between the necessities of re- maining polite to the land and its laws and of protecting an important princi- ple of international significance. It is the height of bad taste thus to put distinguished guests into & place where whaever they say or do will be open to somebody’s criticism. Moreover, it has the host feeling quite as decidedly uncomfortable as the guests.” “To attempt to make them conform to our ways in unessential things” in the judgment of the Newark Evening News, “is bad manners and destructive of the spirit of comity and hospitality upon which diplomatic representation rests. * * * President Hoover has called prohibition an experiment. To set up a practice that is experimental as a standard of social conduct to which official guests of the country should conform is not only boorish, but also sets a precedent which might easily plague us.” The Ann Arbor Daily News voices the suggestion that “the diplomats might help to solve one of the problems of prohibition if they would co-operate voluntarily with Uncle Sam, but the co-operation should not be asked.’ * Kk K K “The prohibition situation must puzzle members of foreign legations, who re- !}:;d wine much as we regard coffee, Columbus Ohio State Journal ob- serves. “This question of their right to have their wine is raised and agitated, then some American friend invites them to a party and serves hard liquor. have & sense of humor. Insisting that foreign diplomats should give up their immunity in this respect is somewhat like insisting that Canada should turn in and help enforce our liquor laws.” “Dry Americans should let wet diplo- mats drink in moderation in return for the privilege under which temperate Europeans permit_dry _Americans to drink to excess while abroad,” advises the Cincinnati Times-Star, Hartford Times, agreeing that “the de- cision whether or not to conform to those laws as a matter of expedient courtesy should rest with the Ambas- sadors themselves,” continues: “What American opinion is regarding their de- cisions in such respect should not be spoken freely. It is reasonable to be- lleve that these decisions would be guided largely by the visible conduct of other personages in Washington toward observance of the eighteenth amend- ment and the Volstead law.” “If we Americans propose to teach the nations to love prohibition, we should do it by the persuasive example of the law upheld and obeyed by our own people,” contends the Asheville ‘Times, while the Utica Observer-Dis- patch argues, “The whole matter might be cured diplomatically if Americans themselves would cease patting the fos eign diplomats upon the back, compli- menting them upon their privelege and drinking their wines and cordials.” The Manchester Leader concludes: “According to veracious reports, all the grief over the passing of another old and hallowed custom would not be con- fined to the foreign diplomats and their attaches. It might be hard on some of the ambassadorial staffs, but it would be no less retributive justice for some of their American guests.” o Gardening Is Classed Among Greatest Sports From the Richmond News Leader. This is the exciting season of the out- door sport in which more people are actively engaged than in any other. It is not base ball, for only a small number of persons in any community are partic- ipants in the great American game. Neither is it golf, nor tennis, nor swim- ming, though all of these have their devotees. These sports .are exciting enough, to be sure. Some of them are minjature battles, appealing to the mar- tial spirit of man, and others involve a return to man's primitive habitat in the waters and that close contact with the springy turf over which our an- cestors bounded. But none of these is the great outdoor sport of May and June. Man's main outdoor diversion now, as it has ever been since the decline of the hunter era of the human race, is that great mingling of combat, nature and the appeal of material necessities, sum- med up in the one word—gardening. When extended to the larger scale of & farm, gardening loses its characteristic as & sport, as is the case with anything which consumes all of one’s time and stirs all of one’s impulses to make money. _ Agriculture restricted to space of 50 by 20 feet or less is garden- ing, and as such it is a truc sport, call- ing for every ounce of grit, perseverance and activity which a man possesses, and also demanding from him pru- dence, judgment, caution and foresight. Fertile soil is a desideratum, but a fer- tile mind is a sine qua non in the gentle art of gardening. . Yes, Decidedly So. From the Terre Haute Star. ‘This is the season when most of us are secretly thankful the graduating class never entirely equals the model gucrlbed in ‘the commencement ad- ress. Expensive Kisses. From the Hamilton Spectator. ‘That fellow who, suing for divorce, told the court his wife only kissed him when she wanted m probably just grew weary of 80 L NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM L G M. Grant Overton. D. Appleton & Co. Evidence is open and abundant that the writing of books and the market- ing of these stand together s an im- pressive enterprise even in this period { of great industrial undertakings. Book shops and book clubs, libraries and loan agencies combine as purveyors to the public of the enormous output of author and publisher. Thousands of periodicals in parti-colored coats compete daily at open shop fronts with soda and sundae, with chewing gum and clgarette, in triumphant avowal that this is truly a literate age wherein everybody reads. Not quite true as matter of figured fact, but so clear an approach to truth as to prolong indefi- nitely the life-lease of that old wisdom, “Of the making of books there is no end,” since the body of readers is so steadily and so markedly on the in- crease. Nowadays, practically everybody reads. That is, everybody reads fiction—the story fro which the children young and old, all over the world have cried since the beginning for easement from the | hurts and_bruises of actual existence Yet, in effect, almost no one actually reads, not even in the field of fiction toward which so brave a show is being made. Despite the general zest of man- ner in this direction, despite the busy skimming of the latest novels and the airy gestures of analysis and appraisal, despite the childish boast, “Oh ,yes, I've read that” the tangible sum of novel reading is hardly more than the addict’s feverish reach for still another story, or another smoke, or another drink. Dissipation is as possible in the first of these as in the others. And, certainly, waste of mind is not behind waste of stomach and nerves. In great public enterprises todav reg- ulation from some source of authority appears, so far, to be the best safe- guard against the abuses that rise as matter of course from the unbridled freedom of the individuals constituting the separate elements of the combina- tion, or, indeed, from the organization itself acting without restraint. Why not make use of similar authority in the case of books also? Why do we not, we readers, stop philandering with the novel? Why not choose a wayside guide through the magic land of fiction for the sake of its finest and most en- | during satisfactions? S Here he is. Grant Overton. man we need. “The Philosophy of Fic- tion.” the book we want. “philosophy” is a pesky word, discon- certing in its many meanings on the one hand, in its no meaning at all on the other. Here, however, it seems simpler, more open, less secretive. This writer appears to be that kind of man. Given to a wide spread of example and illus- tration that, gradually, brings to the surface in an easy emergence the na- ture and quality of the roots of the matter and the growths to which these particular roots give form and function and effect. Fiction, it turns out, is embedded in life itself, as the plant is set in its own soil and place, deriving from these the purpose of its being as well as its readi- ness to meet that purpose. Fiction— romance, the story—has drawn itself from the far soils of human existence. Fiction is old. Older than truth. Sigh! sound, scent, touch are its true progen. itors. Through one or another of these, or through all of them together, there came to that new man a strange stir, a feeling, a thrill of emotion—wonder, delight, fear maybe—and with thi: came the need, the imperative, to pass the emotion on, to share it, to com- municate it. Blue heaven, shining rest- less water, crash of storm, beast smell, flower fragrance, warmth of shelter and |8 thousand other externals into that new man by way of his’ senses, stirring him to emotions that demand- ed, above all else, the blessing of com- munication, of telling it to another. All this was well on its way before truth itself had even a hearing. And so fiction at that far day set out, as have the other arts since—music, painting, sculpture, poetry, drama—to communi- cate the emotions, great and small, that had, and still have, their rise in the mind and heart of man. * ok ok X Upon this foundation—very scantily sketched here—Grant Overton takes his stand for a survey of the field of fic- tion. Roughly named, this fleld in- cludes three great divisions. Two of these are already under scrutiny. The third one lies in the future, within the uncertainties of conjecture. The two periods already capable of examination and conclusion conform, like any other organism in pliant adap- tation to the general life of which each is a part. By virtue of this law of life there comes to view here the god fiction and the finite fiction. The first is a part of that golden youth of feeling and belief when man’s daily life was waited upon by innumerable gods—advising, offering portents of warning or encour- agement, intervening here and there to make life not only endurable but, at points, quite beautiful as well. form from the field of pagan story passed on into the verities of Scripture itself wherein Jehovah many a time be- came the immediate defense of the righteous or, on the other hand, the destruction of the wicked. Persistent this form has proved to be, has very rightly proved to be. And many a mod- ern tale still bears the imprint of ease- ments and assuagements and succors from sources above mere man's feeble powers. ‘The story of “Cinderella” is, clearly, a derivative from the older day of invention. There are thousands of them. Happily, thousands of them. ‘Then came the great day—our day. Science took the fleld with its orders for exact knowledge. No such thing to be found, of course, but the aim is definitely hitherward. This is the day of examinations, measurings, count- ings, recordings. This is the day of fact, the day of plain designs upon truth itself. And, of course, along with every other part of human intent and activity, the novel is doing its best to keep step. Fiction today aims to be not only “finfte” but literally exact. And it calls itself realism, or is so called by its proud producers. And at about thig point Mr. Overton takes into ac- count certain signs of a reaction against such clear unfealty toward the spirit of fiction as art. In the works of a few modern fictioners he discovers to the reader a release from the drab patterns of life that make their way into novels under the gospel that fiction's business is to mirror the facts of human exist- ence from time to time. So if the be- haviors of man are unworthy and unin- spiring it is the duty of the novel to make this an out-and-out matter in his stories. There are signs that a few nov- elists possess the saving belief that the world has still much of loveliness in it; that man is not an altogether lost be- ing; that there is yet nobility of life to portray, high purpose to record, inspir- ing emotions to communicate by way of fiction as art. ~ Against this background—most in- adequately sketched here —the real helpfulness, even the genius of guidance possessed by Grant Overton, is made manifest. The man has read almost ravenously, one might say. With the reading so wide in extent, so varied in content, has gone clear , sound appraisal, sympathy and insight, a keen sense of the novel as art. 0o this intellectual grasp is joined the manner of a most winning and entertaining man. He might have acted like a pro- fessional. But he didn't. He just talked aiong instead rather casually in | "% immediate contact. But in effect upon the reader, the listener, he was of another order. “I'll read every book that he has here discussed and The | To be sure, ! ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ‘This is a special department devoted solely to the handling of queries. This THE PHILOSOPHY OF FICTION. | paper puts at your disposal the serv- ices of an extensive organization in Washington to serve you in any ca- pacity that relates to information. This service is free. Faflure to make use of it deprives you of benefits to which you are entitled. Your obligation is only 2 cents in coin or stamps inclosed with your inquiry for direct reply. Address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washing- ton, D. C. Q. What is the longest distance that Babe Ruth has batted a ball>—J. M. F. A. There are no records kept of the longest hits made in a ball game. Three hits which Babe Ruth made in the world series were estimated to be 450 feet, 500 feet and 550 feet. These arc perhaps the longest hits made. Babe Ruth made a long hit in June, 1921, which was estimated to have traveled over 500 feet. Q. How many decisions and advisory opinions has the World Court of In- ternational Justice rendered?—C. M. A. It has given 13 judgments and 16 advisory opinions. There are four cases pending and undecided. Q. Was Leonard Wood ever Governor of Cuba?—W. F. A. Leonard Wood was Military Gov- ernor of Cuba from 1899 to 1902. 1902 the government of Cuba was trans- ferred to the Cuban republic, so that after that date the United States had no governor general there. Q. Has Russia many newspapers’— A. Soviet Russia is said to have 556 newspapers, with a total circulation of 7,684,000. Moscow has 48 papers, with a circulation of more than 4,000,000. Q. Why is Rigi famous>—H. E. R A. From the Swiss mountain so named a view of 300 miles in_every direction is seen from the top. Rigi is about 8 miles from Lucerne. Q_What is the area of Paris>— M. C. A. ‘Measuring to its system of forti- fication, the area of Paris is 400 square miles. Q. Is there as much silver in a Ca- nadian quarter as there is in one of the United States?>—C. N. A. The Canadian quarter contains 83.25 grains of fine silver. The United States quarter contains 86.805 grains of fine silver. The silver in Canadian coins is a little finer than that in our coins; therefore, the value of silver in each is about the same. Canadian bul- In| lion is 925 fine and United States bul- lion is 900 fine. Q. How much postage would the people in a town of 20,000 use during a year’—E. M. A. The population frequently is not a good index of the postal receipts of |a town. For example, there are a num- ber of small towns that have prosperous mail order industries which have very small population, but have postal re- ceipts equal to cities of 40,000 popu- lation. Q. How many times was Lincoln’s burial place changed?—A. B. S. A. The custodian of the Lincoln Memorial Tomb says, in part: “Lin- |coln's body was butied three times | that s, it was deposited in three places | where it was expected to remain perma- ! nently. They were (1) in the sarcoph- {agus at the north entrance of the monument; there it rested for two years until the attempt to steal the body, { November 7, 1876; (2) on the twenty- | second anniversary of his assassination his body and that of his wife were {buried in 4 feet of concrete under the | sarcophagus; (3) on September 26, 1901, after the monument had been rebuilt {on account of insecure foundation, his | body alone was placed in $700 worth |of iron. stone and cement 10 feet in | the ground, with head to the west. Lin- | coln’s body was temporarily left in 14 other places after it came to Spring- field, such as: In the Oak Ridge Ceme- | tery receiving vault, just as any other body is placed there, but not buried. 1t occupied a temporary vault northeast of the tomb. Placed later in one of the tomb crypts for three years. After the attempt to steal the body from the sar- cophagus, November 7, 1876, it was hid around some six places under the mon- umen$ until plans for permanent burial | were completed. ~ While rebuilding the monument all the Lincoln bodies were placed in a temporary vault just north- east of the tomb. It was in February, | 1901, brought back into the monument, |and 'on September 26, 1901, was placed |in its present position, as described in | burial No. 3, quoted above. This makes | 17 removals and 3 burials.” | @ Is there & book any one can get to study in preparation for get'!:‘ citizenship papers?—W. W. A. Such books are available. One is | titled “American ®uestionnaire, Con- taining the Questions Usually Asked of Allens Applying for Citizenship Pa- | pers.” |, Q Is the English bulldog considered | ferocious?—E. A. M. | _A. It is not generally considered fe- rocious, but is noted for “courage, te- nacity and determination.” BACKGROUND .OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. ‘The Kaiser used to demand “a place in the sun.” His Bocheness one better, for it is the sole possessor of some of the sun in its own place. No region on earth, or in the heavens above or in the waters underneath the earth, possesses any supply of hellum except the sun and the United States. And now a new deposit of helium is discovered in Utah, and the firm, “Old Sol & Uncle Sam,” is in the way of doing a thriving bus ness, in its monopoly. How we and the sun do shine! * X k% The one limit to the business is self- imposed, since it consists in a monopo- listic law forbidding the sale of a single cask of the precious gas for export. Europe cannot obtain even a sample of the stuff for a basis for making “syn- thetic” helium—if such a compound is conceivable. Talking of “farm re- lief” in the way of debentures on the exportable surplus of wheat, etc., sug- gests the possibility of Uncle getting rich by exporting ail heltum not needed for home consumption, and charging in accordance with the usual monopo- listic custom—*all the traffic will bear.” But, for once, our statesmen have let thrift go, while remembering “‘safety first.” So long as this is the only Na- tion which can produce the non-inflam- mable gas, invaluable for inflating diri- gible lighter-than-air ships, we hold the world in the hollow of our hands in case of war, and we intend to stand pat_in self-defense. All other airships than those of the United States must use hydrogen gas for inflation, which a single spark from a cigarette will explode. We'll “walk a mile” for helium, which can't burn. A shot fired into a Graf Zeppellin wil bring it down a mass of flames, while our helium-filled gas bags must each be punctured to cause the slightest dis- turbance in the stability of the ship. The famous dying command of the admiral, “Don't give up the ship!” is therefore magnified in modern lan- guage, “Don’t give up the helium!” and all the airships will take care of them- selves. ‘There is rivalry between the two kinds of vehicles for traveling in the air—the airplane, heavier than air, which rises by reason of its propulsion against the atmosphere, due to its pro- peller and its “wings,” has one mission both in peace and war. Its rapid fiight spans the continent in a day, and in battle it darts about like a stinging wasp. The airship soars like & great condor or hovers in bal- ance upon the air, yet it can travel at will with the speed of a locomotive, and its partisans assert that it can be used profitably for conveying freight and mail. Both airplane and airship are finding their proper lines of useful- ness, and within the next decade will become commonplace in commerce and pleasure-riding. Experts predict that automobiles will fly within the next ree years. t-h'l'he&slrpllne owes its invention to Americans; the airship originated in Europe, but fortuitously owes its great- est development now to the peculiar helium gas found only in the United States. Europe has outdistanced Ameri in commercializing the air- plane; will America get even by monop- olizing the one safe gas for the dirigible airship? * koK ¥ The Navy Department is now build- ing two airships which are the larg- est in the world—nearly three "times as large, in gas capacity, as the great Los Angeles, and with a range of flight without refueling two and a half times as far as that of the Los Angeles. The Los Angeles has a “useful lift” of 60,000 pounds; the new ZR-S4 will lift 182,000 pounds of cargo. The Los Angeles has 2,000 horsepower in its five engines; the new ships will each rate 4,480 horsepower. The Los Angeles takes 2,470,000 cubic feet of gas to fill; the new ships each require 6,500,000 feet of gas—hellum gas. The Los Angeles’ speed is 635 knots per hour; the new ships rate 728 knots, and while the Los Angeles can barely cross the continent without refueling, the new ships can travel about three times as far, and could go from Washing- ton across the Atlantic and across Europe to Central Asia, without new supplies—or to Russia or Greece and back sgain. Within the great ships is storing six or seven air- planes which can be launched, at will, above the clouds. * ok ok % It was the very thrilling experience of the present writer to voyage on the Los Angeles from her Lakehurst g~ ar to Washington (via Philadelphia, Baltimore, Annapolis and Mount Ver- “keep up with the novels” I'd abandon that plan and instead I'd start out so convincingly where it belongs” is the | with Grant Overton by way of this first return from the reading of “The | book, to which I'd add “Cargoes for Philosophy of Fiction.” exactly that will be the first move out from this book. However, if T were of the band of women who in every cf d d intelligent approach, at least, upon | yet. $ows 5pend Winter months i teslog 1o e o supjegk of Souo 2 Probably not | Crusoes” and “American Nights Enter- tainment” by the same writer. In that case I'd be sure to make an informed The United States goes | when that great ship was de-{ | livered in 1924 as part of the war settlement to the United States by its | German makers. When the ship reached the landing field in the Washington Navy Yard, she refused to perch on | soltd ground, or even to bow low enough | for the scores of men on the earth to | seize her ropes and tie her down, until | throttles were opened and & vast lamount of the precious helium was dumped back to the sun, whence it may have come. For quite a while it looked as though we in the airship | were doomed to walk the ceiling of the | sky like flies; but, at the cost of oceans | of helium, we at last regained the earth. | With the new ships, such a predicament | will_be avoided, for they are so ar- ranged that all the engines are inside of the great envelope, and the shafts are capable of being turned to kick upward against the sky, when so needed to aid gravity; or the shafts may turn down to help kick the ship up against gravity, mechanically supplementing the lift of the gas. It will no longer be necessary to waste the helium in order to use it. ¥ &% & Helium is not the only gas that is re- quired in the operation of an airship; helium only lifts the ship; it does not propel it. Until recently the five en- gines on the Los Angeles were operated with gasoline, like the engines of air- planes or automobiles. Germany has substituted a “fuel gas,” instead of gasoline, and calls it “blaugas,” named after its originator, Dr. Blau. According to a pamphlet written by Comdr. Garland Fulton ef the United States Navy, the blaugas is far less explosive than hydrogen, and so is preferable on that account. Says Comdr. Fulton: “Several months ago, the Bureau of Economics was re- quested to locate in this country a gas haying the required characteristics in order to replenish the Graf Zeppelin's fuel on her arrival in America. (She was expected here this week but owing to disabling breakdown has been de- layed.) Our first efforts were abortive because we tried to locate a ‘blaugas’ duplicating that planned for use in Gere many. Several ‘blaugas’ samples were procured but they were unstable, uncer- tain and unsatisfactory. We turned then to the recently created and rapid- ly growing natural gas industry in the United States, and there found & satise factory and cheaper substitute gas—vire tually a vaporized gasoline. The methane-ethane-propane series is being extensively processed for industrial purs' poses at various points and offers ate tractive possibilities as & source of ‘fuel gas’ for airships in future. Ethane has a density of 1.03 and other character~ istics that are satisfactory. Commer= clally pure ethane would serve nicely but was found to be expensive. In one town in Oklahoma citizens are burning in their stoves, at a price of 50 cents & thousand, just the sort of gas that is required.” However, that Oklahoma gas, while cheap at its source, is not cheap when it has to be compressed and transported, but propane can be liquefied and carried as liquid, and burned as gas. So the experts are now considering for fuel & combination of propane liquefied, with helium as a lifting gas; and it all has the merit of being “made in America.” A Helium has its uses aside from that of floating airships, although such uses have not yet been developed to call for great quantities. The total consump- tion of helium outside of airships | amounts to only 200000 cubic feet per year—a trifing amount when it is re- called that it takes more than 6,000,000 feet to fill one of our new airships. Not long ago, & little blimp belonging |to our Navy accidentally ran into a weather vane, and ripped a gas bag, losing 25,000 cubic feet of helium, which 10 years ago would have cost $36,000,000. Now that amount of helium is worth | about $750. It is predicted that the market value will soon be reduced to about 2 cents a cubic foot, espectally if the new supply found in’ Utah proves to be as bounteous as reported. If, however, science keeps pace with dis- covery, by finding new uses for it, more rapidly than new supplies develop, the price may not continue its downward trend, any more than the Los Angeles did in 1924 with its full load of helium. Helium is insoluble in water, or even {in molten metals; it is useful therefore in metallurgy. It is used in radio tubes and in nautical instruments. It pre- vents the trouble called “caisson bends,” with which deep-sea divers are afflicted when they rise too rapidly from their dives. It is useful in drying operations— but yet is too expensive to be practi- cable for the laundry, though useful in chemical operations. It is the coldest substance known, for it liquefies at 450 degrees (Fahrenheit) below zero—with. in 2 degrees of “absolute zero. id Comdr. Byrd were to spill some liquid helium on an Antarctic iceberg, it would be so much colder than the ice that the ice would instantly boil. All of these and certain other qualities vet too novel to be applied, will open new uses for helium in the very near future. And America holds a monopoly of it— “Don’t give up the helium!” yright, 1920, by Celisns