Evening Star Newspaper, July 16, 1929, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. O, TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1929. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. TUESDAY.........July 16, 1929 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company - Business Office: 11th Bt. end Pennsyivanis Ave. New York Office; 110 East 42nd ¢, fMice: Lake Michigan Bullding. 14 Regent 5. London. England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. The Evening 8 45¢ per month Tne l\'tn}ng and Siir —_— (when 4 Sundays) 60c per month Sun 68¢ per month The Sunday Star Collection made at’the end of each month. may be sent in by mall or {elephone a1 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Sunda: an only . Sunday only All Other States and Canada. Dally and Sunday..l yr., $12.00; 1 mo., $1, Daily only . yr., $8.00; 1 mo. wuncay only yr., $5.00; 1 mo. Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associated Press is exclusively er.titled the use for republication of all i ews dis- atches credited to it or not otherwise cre« ted in this paper and also the iocal news published herein. All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. e The Smoldering East. ‘The dogs of war have not yet broken loose in the Far East, but within an- other twenty-four hours, when Soviet Russia’s three-day ultimatum to China will have expired, events should march fast to a decision. No one who knows Oriental diplomacy, especially its pas- sion and capacity to “save face,” can doubt that the 72-hour interval has been feverishly employed by both sides in the hope of composing bloodlessly the railway dispute that gave rise to the ruction between Moscow and Nan- king. Meantime, it would be as premature to dismiss all possibility of a Russo- Chinese war in Manchuria as it would be to foreshadow its inevitability. All that the remote world outside can do amid a situation which already gives sign of being heavily censored is to canvass alike the factors that make, on the one hand, for peace and, on the other, nourish the prospect of hostili- lies. Here in Washington, on the very threshold of the formalities which will make the Kellogg pact the law of the world, we naturally think of the multi- lateral treaty’s efficacy in the Aslan crisis. Both Soviet Russia and Nation- alist China have adhered to the Gen- eral Pact for Renunciation of War. Their signatures commit them to es- chew force as “an instrument of na- tional policy.” There is the League of Nations, of which China is a member and in which Russia, on occasion at least (like America), is a co-operating power. The League's machinery can be invoked for peace-preserving purposes, even if all of the quarreling states are not League members, such as Russia in the present instance. Japan, with burning interest in the menacing state of affairs in Manchuria, happens to hold at the mo. ment the presidency of the League Council, in the person of M. Adachi, Japanese Ambassador to France. Ge- neva could move, with full consistency, in the Russian-Chinese imbroglio if it pleased to do so. There is yet another peace-compel- ling factor, common to both ‘would-be belligerents, Russia is suffering from food shortage in Russia. Dispatches today stress it as a condition which is giving,the Soviet military authorities serious pause. Russian armies could not fight very long on half rations. China’s famine remains chronic in many prov- inces. The Nanking authorities would think twice and thrice before sending their legions into battle against Russia with the food plight as desperate as it is among immense sections of the civilian population. Yet, despite all these peace imponder- ables, there is a fundamental basis for 2 Russo-Chinese clash and a fight (o a finish. Should it break out in this fifteenth anniversary Summer of Zurcpe’s Armageddon, the Chinese East- arn Railway affair would be the pre- text, but not the cause, any more than 3arajevo was the cause that produced the World War. Farther-reaching mo- sives are at work in Eastern Asia. They are pathological and fundamental. They derive from deeply embedded roots, One finds #ts source in the new China’s determined program to be indisputable master in its own vast territorial house, particuiarly including Manchuria. The other root traces to the plans of the new Russia—imperialized Soviet Russia —to follow in the footsteps of the Crarist regime it once affected to de- spise, and be an “Asiatic power.” This railway row may be settled, but the ingredients of a Russo-Chinese war will be perpetuated. e ——re———————— A ycung man steals a large sum of ‘money. The price he pays is a heavy one merely for the privilege of having his picture printed as the hero of an underworld sensation. o Seize These Days! The days are fleeting—never to re- ‘urn—and there is much in them that if not seized now cannot be recalled. ‘The public building program will wipe out many historic spots, pictures of which would be treasured in later years —not only in the triangle south of Pennsylvania avenue to the Mall, but in the area being acquired for the new municipal center, the site for the new Supreme Court Building and for the House Office Building annex. These buildings must give way to the advance of modern civilization and City Beau- tiful buflding, but the visual record should be preserved. Boys and girls, out from school and wondering day after day what to do next, might well spend their vacation days in seeing Washington of the older days, visiting the spots where great deeds were performed—thus they can learn history first hand. hed In nearby Maryland and Virginia his- tory was written with virile hand and many landmarks still stand, some of which, at least, will in a few years be effaced. The youth of todey can get a clearer picture of some of the most stirring events of American history by making pilgrimage to these haunts of Washington, Jefferson, Pocahontas, Jack Jewett, Patrick Henry and others too numerous to mention. The Post Office Department in spzcial issuss of stamps is memorializing many historical events and their anniversaries. The youth of today by making & collec- tion of these stamps now can compile & pictorial history in miniature of some of the most outstanding events in our Nation’s life. Those of advanced years who have seen many of the commonplace articles of thelr youth become obsolete can ap- preciate how much it would delight the boys and girls of today in their more mature years to pave reminders of these days. : Just think it over—you will find so much that can be.done today that can- not be done tomorrow. Learn as you live, appreciate the ob- ligations you owe to the past as you look forward to achievements in the fu- | ture. ‘Today is yours—seize its opportuni- ties! Rerouting Without Merger. The economies and the conveniences of unified operation of the street car 00 | lines have always been held out as the chief benefits to be expected from a congressionally authorized merger. Under a merger there would be a plan of rerouting involving, the joint use of tracks by what are now the twe separate street railway lines, together with possible construction of new routes, extensions and switches. But even dur- ing the consideration of a merger, and when the plan showed promise of ma- terializing, no complete plan of rerout- ing was ever approved by the Public Utilities Commission. The commission’s statement yesterday indicates that it plans to study a re- routing plan as separate and distinct from formal merger of the companies to find what economies of operation and conveniences to the public can be ex- pected, and, if there is no merger, to use the power of the commission to put changes of routes and joint use of trackage into effect. The commission possesses, under the authority of the Public Utilitles Com- mission act, the right to order the joint use of public utility equipment in the District for a reasonable compensation “whenever public convenience and ne- cessity require such use and such use will not result in irrgparable injury to the owners or other users of such equip- ment,” and there are several instances where the joint use of tracks by the two car lines have been ordered for the sake of convenience and necessity, such as at Union Station, on Delaware ave- nue, around the Capitol and in Poto- mac Park. In some of these cases the tracks are maintained on a 50-50 basis between the lines. It seems reasonable to believe that there are other cases where the joint use of tracks could be ordered on the grounds of convenience and necessity to the car-riding public and that rerouting could be effected in a manner that would bring economies of operation. How far the Public Utilities Commis- sion can go in this direction is prob- lematical. The plans for rerouting street cars that have been drawn up by ex- perts and considered from time to time involve the abandonment of some track and the construction of new track. The street railway companies, in case of ob- Jjection to the commission’s orders, have recourse to the courts and if any plan of rerouting were ordered by the com- mission that involved a loss of revenue or expenditure for new trackage objec- tion on the part of the corporations could be anticipated. The commission has not stated that it- will propose a rerouting as an al- ternative to a fare increase. But the tone of its statement indicates that it will be ready to consider the advantages of rerouting along with the petitions for fare increase, and that the amount of increase proposed by the companies is not the only one that will be con- sidered. The commission evidently plans to show that economies to be ef- fected under a rerouting plan that does not require sanction of formal merger, plus a possible revision of rates, may be a more logical and equitable solu- tion of the car companies’ problem than the mere grant of a blanket fare in- crease with no ignprovement in service and no sharing-of benefits on the part of the public. ‘The commission is giving renewed evidence of its determination to con- sider the rights of the public as much as it considers the rights of the corpo- rations. In the end that policy will solve the most intricate of the local public utility problems. —————— After Clarence Darrow concludes his end of a joint debate, the audience walks out; possibly in so thorough ac- cord with opposing ideas that further cerebration is deemed needless. —_—rlee————— China has enormous natural re- sources and a.very determined national spirit. It may yet decide on giving a few practical lessons in government to the sovietisty. B ] Air men relinquish their lives. Avia- tion is the new influence that threat- ens to restore the spirit of human sac- rifice. Composers who submit new music cause critical embarrassment. The tunes in many instances are not old enough to claim respect as archaic discoveries. —— et ‘War Fiction. One of the strangest of phenomena of the World War was the ten-year period following the conflict during which no outstanding work of fiction dealing with it was presented to the reading world. Iv was as if people of all nations were tired of battle and all that went with it. They wanted to forget. They had no desire to remember, because memory was too keen. They were yet too close. In ten years, however, & new genera- tion has grown up, composed of young men and women who did not actively take part in the awful confiict. In ad- dition, the older men and women have had time to forget, in some degree, at least. ‘Time, which heals all things, has done something to heal the great gash which the World War made in the heart of the nations. Sd war fiction is coming to the front at-last. ‘The latest of these books is “All Quiet on the Western Front,” by Erich Maria Remarque, 2 German. The publisher announces. its sale to far exceed that of any other plece of war fiction by many thousands of coples. . News 'dispatches from Chicago this week announced the seizure of a con- signment of English printed copies con- tained many phrases not found in the American edition. The worth of the book, however,-is- not dependent upon its - “language,” but rather upon the. depicting of the human heart as engaged in s conflict of such magnitude. . ‘The fact of its success, in America, Germany, England, s secondary to knowledge which .brings that resulting heal to where are eager to read about it. World War has taken its place ‘history. Gen. Lejeune’s Retirement. Men may come and men may go and the Marines will go on forever, but so closely has the name of Lejeune been identified with that of the Marines thet it is hard to think of one without the other. The retirement of “Old Indian” after a brilliant record of 45 years, all but six of them spent in the uniform of & Marine, leaves a vacancy in the ranks that time alone can fill. Gen. Lejeune's military career has been full of action. He commanded the Marine detachment aboard the Cin- cinnati during. the Spanish-American ‘War. He saw service in the Philippines, in Panama and he led the first Marines ashore at Vera Cruz in 1914. In France he made the Marine Brigade of the Sec- ond Division the best known American unit overseas, and ‘he led the Second Division through the battles in the Champagne, at St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne that gave it & never-to- be-forgotten record. His chest was covered with medals when he came back to Washington and received the appointment from Presi- dent Wilson as major general comman- dant of the Marine Corps. And in peace he demonstrated the fine qual- ities of leadership and administrative ability that had carried him far as & combat leader. The high efficiency and rorale of the Marine Corps merely re- flected the enthusiasm and vigor of their chieftain. . Gen, Lejeune has retired, but not from the service of his country. His selection as superintendent of the Vir- ginia Military Institute furnishes him with a great opportunity to lead and inspire for many years to come the young men at V. M. I and to turn them out into the world with something of that cocky assurance and self-re- liance that shapes the square shoulders of a blue-coated Marine, — v The Pope of Rome has a splendid automobile and it will require some nerve for Mussolini to give him a ticket for speeding. et Soviets who make a specialty of look- ing for trouble may find & supply in China beyond their expectation. —eorie. A “hop-off” should be better safety- supervised to prevent it from ending only in a tragical splash. —i ey It is plain that while Trotsky may feel compelled to relinquish politics, he will never give up literature. R SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Summer Day. A Summer Day ‘That fades away Into a twilight soft and cool - Brings & reward For our accord ‘With the inexorable rule Of Time, whose change ‘Will shift and range In method that remains secure ‘Through every mood, Benign or rude, Of the uncertain temperature. And yet the bee, ‘The blossoming tree, That brings the darting humming bird, ‘The gentle song So sweet and long That from each feathered friend is heard, ‘The perfume soft That breathes albft Amid the firefly's bright display, Combine to show That Here Below Life's Best is just a Summer Day. Morals and Politics. “What is your moral position in this great question?” “If you will permit & personal con- fidence,” said Senator Sorghum,” my moral position can carry no practical influence, unless I can go on holding my political job.” Jud Tunkins says he wishes he were back in the happy childhood days when he could enjoy & real fairy story instead of a-political promise. The Real Pleasure. Vacation is a period small ‘When we attempt to shirk And find Life's Pleasure, after all, Is getting back to work. Love and Money. “Did he tell you he loved you?" “Yes,” answered Miss Cayenne. “Did it make you happy?” «“Very. He keeps in touch with the market and his desire to get into the family showed me that father's affairs are improving.” ' “He who says nothing,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is entitled to respect unless you learn that his silence is due to the fact that he thinks noth- ing” L New Responsibilities. This world is rathey funny As legacles redouble. ‘With every bunch of money You get a bunch of trouble./ hands wif poli- ticians,” sald Uncle Eben. assertiol mmmgm(ohlm-mt encréach! handshake don't seem to me like a fair bargain.” | e Bootleg Gas Vs. Bootleg Rum. From the Montana Standard. In Illinois they are gaso- line. “1f bootleg gas is as bad as some bootleg whisky it probably cause autointoxication. 3 Another Cause for Wonder. ‘Telesraph. kool what the ex ‘wonders merger ex- will do for & lving. after all, the fave been merged. 5 What of the Consumegs? From the Racine Journal-News. -xuuma. inaumy- l:t how THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL, To some -people the year 1776 mot only means the American Revolution, but the date of- the birth of Jane Austen, . ‘To these same booklovers the year 1814 not alone marks the real end of the career of Napoleon, but also the date .9! the publication of “Mansfield Thus & simple Englishwoman takes her g:we along with fate, destiny and greatness and all the stay-at-homes of mex'h':flhdn oy gfi:: is that they will e be glad o¥ever. for Jane Au’flen‘l novels will be in print as long as there is t; and they will appeal always to the ting. ‘The discriminating included Macaulay, Oouflfle. Tennyson, Disraell. The lat- ter sald that he had yead “Pride and Prejudice” 17 times. Sir Walter Scott said of Miss Austen: “That young lady had a talent for describing the involvements, feelings and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I have ever ‘met with. The big bow-wow I can do myself like any one going, but the exquisite touch which renders commonplace things and characters in- teresting from truth of the de- scriptions and the sentiment is denied me.” This constitutes such a just judg- ment .that it is alwaPs quoted in a consideration of Miss Austen, there is no getting away from it. Sir Walter puts her five novels in a literary nut- shell for all time. * ok k x The novels which today are gener- ally regarded as “a necessity of cul- ture,” as one writer has called them, have an analogous history in the life of an individual reader to that which they hold in the history of books. Published anonymously, Miss Aus- ten's storles never had one-tenth the vogue in her lifetime and for many years afterward which was enjoyed by the works of such writers as Miss Bur- ney, Miss Edgeworth and Mrs. Rad- cliffe. Yet today the name of Jane Austen is better known by far, principally be- cause her work was better by far than that of those estimable ladies. ‘The average reader of today neglects Jane. Austen’s novels in his youth only to come to them at last when he reaches the age of literary discretion. Then he knows what the great Wal- ter t.?ecnu knew long ago, that in a certain.way her books surpass anything of their kind. Some critics go so far as to say that Miss Austen has never been approached in her own domain. They point to her exquisite irony, the dramatic pro- gression of her storles and her lucid style. No other writer has ever dared at- tempt to write so steadily on the trivial dally comedy which makes up life. The technical handling of her chief works never fails to surprise a reader who is leciuunwd with the great nov- elists jof all lands. Here was a minister's daughter, who never allowed her writing to interfere with her sewing, keeping house, letter writing, yet who managed storfes which have in tnem so much human neture that the world will not let them die. . One charm of Miss Austen today is that her work is limited. There have been so many authors who wrote so raany novels that it is almost impossible for the average lover of fiction to keep up with them. Who is there who has read all the books written by H. G. Wells? one suspects that them all! ition of Miss Sometimes even Wells hasn’t read ‘The nice of them, and four of them we say five, of course, we mean true fi “Pride and Prejudice, . " “Mansfield Park,” “Persua- sion” and “Sense and Sensibility.” ‘The first four are of equal rank, with “Pride and Prejudice” generally bear- ing off the palm of being the most - ular, chiefly because.it has one single love story, that of D'Arcy and Elizabeth Bennet. “Emma” and “Mansfield"Park,” how- ever, are of even greater merit, with more complex character handling. The physical of these bocks is in- Teresting. Miss Austen wrote “Pride and Prejudice” between October, 1797, and August, 1798, but could find no pub- lisher until 1813, two years after “Sense and Sensibility,” the least attractive of the five, had been published. “Northanger Abbey” was publi 1708, ansfield Park” in 1814, and “Emma” in 1816, and “Persuasion” in 1818, a year after her death. * oK K X . ‘There is one rather feminine adjec- tive which exactly fits Jane Austen’s books. It is “delicious.” A connoisseur of reading will apply it to her stories every time. . Such a reader will come to the same judgment upon these books as that of the best known critics, although he may never have read much about their author. He will discern, without needing to be told, that both “Emma” and ‘“Mans- field” are greater books than “Pride and Prejudice,” even because they are more complex with the complexities which go to make up life, and especislly the commonplace life of everyday. The world owes a debt of gratitude to Miss Austen for exalting the every- day life upon five such tripods. Most men, and probably mqgt readers, profess to believe that life and books must be exciting to be great. Jane Austen punctured that fallacy once and for all with her sparkling books, Perhaps some readers may find them dull, but we do not see how any real reader can. And by real reader we mean one who has enough cathclic- ity of taste to secure the rewards of an open mind. Dealing with small events and ordi- nary people, Jane Austen nevertheless wrote with astounding technical power and ability which was able to make their little nothings as interesting as other writers can make stirring events and scenes. Despite the slight artificiality of some of her people and conversations (at least they seem 80 to the modern read- er), there is never at any time an in- clination on the part of the reader to refuse to accept them as real. He feels that beneath such slight faults are real men and women, living as the great mass of men and women do live, acting as they do act, and talk- ing as they more or less do talk. Yet this life-like quality is so glossed over with humor and keen insight that a sheen is put upon the commonplace, a gloss is given to the everyday, a halo is placed where even the author least suspected that she had placed it. BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. There is an irony of fate in the ition of the date appointed by ent Hoover for the international ation and celebration of the peace pact abolishing war as & ndtional policy, agreed to by the signers of the pact, and the apparent imminence of a new war between the two most populous nations of the world. July 24, all ambassadors and ministers of the nations signing the Kellogg pact are invited by the Presi- dent to unite in a ceremony at the White- House in honor of the great eement to abolish war. There will :Eo be present former Secretary of State Mr. Frank B. Kellogg, after whom, the pact is named, and Senator Borah, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, and Senator Swan- son, g Democratic member of that committee. The Prench Ambas- M. Claudel, will represent not only France, but also Russia, the latter country having no diplomatic relations with the United States, but hina will be represented by its own ter. . After the formal ceremonies of the occasion, all will sit down to luncheon as the guests of President Hoover, the bear and the W at one feast. ‘Wil that significant day pass with- out the distant booming of guns in the new war mlkl;ll ‘mockery of all the opes of peace: : B o e Not & word of discussion of the critical situation in the Far East is heard amongst the officials of the De- E:.nmem of State. When asked about e latest developments, the answer is phrased in words of op! m, indi- cating—how sincerely?—a _confidence that war will pass and somehow peace- ful negotiations between China and Soviet Russia will supplant armaments and the threatening marches of armies. The excuse for the lack of official in- formation, by which to check news- paper I is that since we have no diplomatic relations with Russia, we have no consuls in Siberia, nor any- where-near the seat of trouble, hence no official reports. But the hope is that, somehow, will succeed the present acute , for it is unthinkable that tomorrow, in the presence of the League of Nations and the Kellogg pact, a na- tion of 400,000,000 will be at war with an outlaw nation of 200,000,000, for al- though Russia is' not & member of the League of Nations, both belligerents have signed the Kellogg pact, pledging the world that never again will they resort to war as a national means of settling any disputes. PR Compared with the event at Serejevo, which started the greatest war in his- tory . through _the assassination of two victims, what does it mean to civiliza- tion that Russia gives China an ulti- matum expiring tonight, and threaten- w intimates that unless China re- e {mtm all :lt.l polm;u, relm :l!l its Soviet prisoners, replaces a) in full control of the Eastern Rallroad, bullt with Russian . capital across Chinese sManchuria, Rt will “take other steps to maintain her rights.” Does that mean another world war to- ? How significant is it that China as- ugerts that she is determined to get rid of Soviet Communistic' propaganda and maintain her own_ sovereignty. within national boundaries? It is not a that is the bone of contention, a great principle of Chinese self- n and sovereignty, against Soviet ments and intrigue to under- mine the Chinese government, as Soviet ‘Russia “threatens: attempts to under- mine all organized governments. i * k% x “lg the mu.l‘::‘v.hl'l:, dwbn is L}:: 'I:uue a o about pre- o e very raison d'etre of the possibly foresee. It is as easy as it is dreadful to forecast a new World War in the making, with millions of fighting men and rivers of gore. But, next week, the diplomats will dine at the White House to celebrate the “ending of war.” And the govern- ments are reproached because they have not yet scrapped all means of defense. * % % % The members of the League of Nations have all pledged themselves to the five principles of that organization, planned to meet just this sort of crisis as exists in the Orient. “1st, Binding themselves to peaccful methods for dealing with disputes arising among them. “2nd. (a) All disputes arising out of questions of international law or the interpretation of treaties shall be re- ferred to The Hague Court of Arbitra- tion, or some other judicial tribunal, whose decisions shall be final and shall be carried into effect by the parties concerned.” ‘That covers all “Justiciable questions” —i. e., disputes over matters of contract, which can be definitely decided by & judge or other kind of court, accord- ing to fixed laws or treaties. Whether the present dispute over the control of the Eastern Railway is “justi- ciable” under definite contracts may not yet be clearly known to the observers half-way around the world. There are also “non-justiciable” ques- tions, not reached by any definite law, yet very important to the parties; these may include questions of honor, or sovereignty within the national juris- diction. If, for example, Europe were to undertake to dictate to the United States what tariff rate would be .per- mitted on importations of competitive manufacturers, that would constitute a “non-justiciable” dispute, for that's our business and not Europe's. * ok K K use all The League of Nations’ covenant even undertakes to handle non-justiciable questions for its memmber nations, for in the same clause above quoted appears: (b) “All other disputes shall be re- ferred to, and investigated and reported upon by, a council of inquiry and con- ciliation, the council to be representa- tive of the states which form' the League.” ‘ Has such a council intervened in Manchuria? * ok ok K From a pamphlet printed by the League itself is quoted the following explanation of the League's functions and obligations in connection with non- Jjusticiable questions, identical with the dispute now_threatening war between China and Russia: “Two states may be hostile through some rivalry or prejudice of race, through conflicting ambitions as to trade, finance, concessions of territory, or any other matters as to which there is no actual right depending on treaty or international law; or, again, a dis- pute may arise through one of them d siring that some treaty or some ri should be varied. In such case, guus of a very serious and possibly able character may result, and no decision by a tribunal Jjudicial rmunble. because even when the acts are ascertained, no treaty or law exists to decide the matter. Each, therefore, is unwilling to give way; to do so is represented as pusillanimity, a sacrifice of honor, an donment of the vital interests of the state, and of its claim to be a great nation. “In such case, the best hope of a peaceful settlement lies in conciliation, and in allowing time for passions to cool down. Clause 2(b) of the ‘objects,’ therefore, suggests that all ‘non-justici- able’ questions should be referred to and inve ted and reported on by & it | give way to tenderness. 15| fore. And they NEW. BOOKS AT RANDOM LG M BETWEEN HEAVEN AND CHARING CROSS. Martin Burrell. The Mac- millan Co. Quite a stretch of country Mr. Bur- rell allows himself here for a Summer among writers and ble folks. Familiar , such wl?fm land of literature most deeply desired. g Cross' 3 rell moves easily about, selecting here and there as the mood calls. This is not the critic in the technician’s sense of scrutiny and analysis, of set ap- Dt:\ld nfi;gtbl ; ication, of ultimate ul e udsmenn. ‘This is not the schoolman, rigid in respect to the sequences of ‘“pe: " and “schools” and the other dreary whatnot of cssi- fled learning. Just an intelligent and interesting man of wide reading who sits down to“talk awhile on the subject that he knows and loves. He talks about John Milton, quite as if the man tribute to his genius, a genius that holds gifts for the x‘rmnl. as well as for the past. Then a long step forward he reaches another English poet, Thomas Hardy, more poet than novelist accord- ing to Hardy’s self-appraisal, accordis to the judgment of his time as wel;f Then John Masefleld comes into the friendly accounting of Mr. Burrell, who Ppays fair homage to the Masefield muse. Most interesting is the analysis of Emil Ludwig’s “Napoleon.” Upon the whole this estimate is unfavorable, rea- sonably and plausibly unfavorable. The basic flaw in the study rests, according to this writer, on the German author’s inability to shed the influence of his own nativity, to efface his own blood urgencies, for the sake of taking on the state of pure dispassion that must stand as the prime equipment of the truly useful historian and biographer. You will be deeply interested in t| icu- lar discussion for the reason t the superficial splendor of Ludwig's bio- graphic method and manner has had a tendency to shut off any criticism what- ever, has had the effect of unquestion- ing acceptance on the part of the public generally. You may not agree with Mr, Burrell in this respect, but his estimate will nevertheless stir your thinking— and that's one of the good things that now and then does happen to us. Throughout this waywise and compan- lonable book you will have the enjoy- ment of seasoned opinions on many matters, opinions rooted largely in active experience, rooted partly in fa- miliar inte; iy reourse with books and their * ok x x TALES OF THE PAMPAS. son. Alfred A. Knopf. W ang Another one of “Borzol Pocket. Books” which slips into the hand or into the pocket—a plece of real literature, recog- nized and accldimed as such. Too much cannot be said, really, in praise of the enterprise which is making available to every onme, in both price and hand readiness, the best of all literature. The work of W. H. Hudson clearly belongs in such good company. No one surpasses this writer in a seizure of nature, its beauty and its manifold Ppenetrations into the spirit of him who truly loves it. This particular Hudson volume is made up of tales of the South American plans. Tales of the particu- lar brand of humans trying to make a 80 of life in that region. Here are the cowboy and the rancher, the outlaw and the “bad man"—pretty much like the rest of us, save for the outer skin of another climate and daily habit and far strain of blood. It is, however, with the wide lands themselves that W. H. Hudson works his own magic of pic- ture making with words. One of ugese tales has had the distinction of high praise by no less a judge of literature than Theodore Roosevelt himself. You may agree that “El Ombu” is the fin- est story in the English language. You may not. But you'll wish to read fit. Having done this, you will move on to the reading of six other surpassing stories of the Pampas by W. H. Hudson. * ok ok X SKIPPY. Percy Crosby. nam'’s Sons. Skippy is & boy. So is Percy Crosby. That B the whoje story. If one boy doesn’t know the other one—why, who does know him? And if along with such knowledge there runs the knack of lassoing words into companies of endless activity, of making pictures out of just about nothing at all—why, then, the rest of us can join in with these two who seem to be having about all Ll;ne fun th%‘e l.;win t.hlrs nuy old world of ours. e story of Skippy jum) right into thé middle of things, as n‘m’; proper story should. The Gang's the thing. The pusiness begins with it, and ends with it. Not the same gang, to be sure, for time is merciless with boys as well as with the rest of us. But the new gang is instantaneously -a going concern as we leave Skippy, the oracle, proclaiming, “Well, we’ll have to get & new bunch together an’ well call it ‘The Gas House Gapg’' and I'll be the captain.” Of course! Who else! A boy—and why say more? Nothin’ like 'em—and Skippy is all of them. You recall him, how he first came out as a ‘“comic strip,” growing steadily frqm such post of honor into the laughing approval of everybody. Two hands, that Mr. Crosby has—with one ! he makes the pictures of Skippy and with the other sets down the legends. And legends they are, fairy tales, myths and wonders, besides. For this is the most versatile, the most inspired, the most surprising, the most adorable of creations—The Boy! Lord love him! * ok ok ok THE MASEED MAN. Gaston Leroux. The Macaulay Co. By’ way of a good husbandry the mystery tale ripens just in time for the Summer idler. At the moment the mar- ket is flooded with this particular | produce. Good business, evidently, for the porch dwellers and hammock rid- ers appear to have in hand nothing but some hectic record of mystery rising out of crime of one degree or another. Even the press blackens its front page with such errancies as the Summer- time is assumed to breed in the hot blood of the human. In a dark corner of the mountainous Southeast of France stood a gloomy inn, “Red Riding Hood Inn” Here it is, and in the twilight country roundabout, that the dark do- ings of this adventure took place. The innkeeper was a dour and forbidding man, His little daughter was the only creature for whom his bitterness would ‘The hamlet folks whispered among_themselves that he was a_smuggler, adroit and daring as none of his breed had ever been be- said, too—very low and looking over their shoulders as if he might hear—that there were crimes deeper than cheating the government standing t the account of the dark “Tue-la-Mort.” Upon such foun- dation of suspicion and a few shreds of more substantial stuff to go upon, “The | Masked Man” pursues its puzzling way through a maze of incident and adven- ture that serves chiefly to rouse Lh': i f the reader in_ respect f'fim :( t;c ‘mask. For he does not G. P. Put- Good Intentiens Doubted. . | Prom the Bluefleld Daily Telegraph. the Kell peace than to any possible l;\"fl'\ltnfl now of the somnolent f Nations. Chicago news réport says that, be- 1t or mot, a cat in that city has five baby rats. But maybe A lieve were of the company, paying high|p, ‘What do you need to know? Is there some point about your business or per- sonal life that puzzles you? Is thing you want to know without delsy? Submit your question to Frederic J. Haskin, director of cur Washin, 10 0 you, - Adare ing p you. ress_your inquiry to The Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C., and inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Q. How many airplane carriers has the United States?—S. B. A. The United States Navy has three airplane carriers st the present time. A new one is being constructed. The largest carriers, which are the Lexing- ton and Saratoga, each have a capacity ot 80 planes. Q. How much money for stakes is handled by the Jockey Club of Eng- land?—A. 8. 8. A, The secretaries of the Jockey Club handle yearly nearly a million pounds’ worth of stakes. Qfi ‘Where is the King of Saxony.— A. The King of Saxony—now de- posed—continues to live in Saxony. He ‘was one of the guests at Doorne on the occasion of the celebration of the for- mer Kaiser's birthday. i Q. What is agar-agar?—H. V. R. A. Agsr-agar is a vegetable gelatin derived from a number of East Indian seaweeds. It is sent to the United States in thin transparent sheets, shreds or sticks, from China and Japan, Q. How long has Fujiyama been ex- tinct?—A. K. A. Fujiyama, the famous volcano of Japan, has been extinct since the erup- tion of 1707-1708. Q. How many acres of land were deeded to the University of Texas by the State of Texas?—M. B. A. The University of Texas says that the Republic of Texas gave 50 leagues of land to the University of Texas in 1839. The constitution of the State of Texas in 1876 gave one million acres of land to the university and its branches. In 1883 the Eighteenth Legislature gave another one million acres of land to the university and its branches. The site for the campus in Austin was also given to the university by the State. g. Alu Gutzon Borglum a foreigner? A He is an American. He was born in Idaho, March 25, 1867. Q. When did Alexandria County, Virginia, cease to exist?—M. S. A. The name of Alexandria County was changed to that of Arlington Coun- iy by an act of the Legislature of the State of Virginia which was approved March 16, 1920, | Q. When is Dominion day in Canada? | —W. A. D. A. July 1 is so called, because it was upon this day in 1867 that Canada came into being as a self-governing do- minion within the British Empire, its| constitution resting upon the British North America Act of 1867. Q. Was Cuba ever considered a part | of the United States?—G. T. { A. Cuba was not considered a part of the United States. The Treaty of Paris, 10th of December, 1898, provided for the temporary occupation of Cuba by the United States. This occupation He is employed | M. lasted from the 18th of July, 1898, to d'.h.:‘ 20:!!1 ’of Ilyhlllfl!. quthn latter ) al noon, the Republic of Cul was established. ;3 Qb What is the Old Colony Club?— A. This is an international organiza- tion of business men. The Old Colony Magazine says that the club was created to render to the leaders of commerce and the executives of the modern busi~ ness world those special services, either at home or abroad, that would enable them most efficiently to perform their s:::{;e and _%\;omgutum cause of better ess. e first club was f in New York City. e Q. When was th - —_— e mid-Victorian A. Queen Victoria ascended the throns in 1837 and died in 1901. The lem: mid-Victorian is applied to the era mid- way between her accession and death. Articles belonging to that period are not considered antique. Unless they have historic value they usually are not of great interest to collectors, since on the whole it was an era when beauti- ful furniture was not manufactured. Q. What is the real street for which Archey road is named in Dunne's stories of “Mr. Dooley”?—W. A. M. A. It is in reality Archer avenue, Chicago. Of it Robert Shackleton said that it was laid out on the line of an Indian trail. Q. When was the Shenandoah Na- tional Park formed?—L. G. H. A. As yet this park is not a reality. Former Secretary of the Interior Work appointed the Southern Appalachian National Park Commission, whose task it is to arrange for the donation and ceding of the land. Q. When did the number of auto- mobiles in the United States reach a million?>—C. C. A. It was not until 1912 that the mil- lion mark was reached, and not until 1916 that the production of a million cars in one year was accomplished. Q. What is a burnoose?—S. C. A. It is a cloaklike garment and hood all in one piece, worn by the Arab, Q. How long does it take sound to travel over telephone wires from San Francisco to New York?—C. J. A. It takes 0.02 to 0.07 second for unloaded and loaded open wire line, respectively. Q. What is used in microscopic en- graving?—K. P. A. It is done with a reducing appa- ratus whose diamond point does not vary a millionth fraction of an inch. - QS How are eggs graded for weight?— A. Usually eggs weighing 24 ounces and over a dozen are considered highest grade. [Eggs weighing from 21 to 24 ounces are second grade and below 21 ounces are third grade. Q. What is the term of office of the geaisurer of the United States?—K. "A. The treasurer is appointed by the President of the Uniudm;’tfl'es nnyd no length of term of office is specified. Q How high can a d s G it oy i A. Dogs can usually clear a fence 4: feet high. However, when they jum) up to 7 or 8 feet they usually catch at merwp of the fence and pull themselves over. John D. Rockefeller at Ninety Has Monument Felicitations to John D. Rockefeller on his ninetieth birthday anniversary in the press emphasize the public’s ap- preciation of the former oil king as a master of the art of living as well 2s one of the greatest philanthropists the world has seen. “At 60 Mr. Rockefeller was berated as a ruthless c er of the small competitor. At 90 he is rated as a great philanthropist.” Thus the Louisville Times expresses the change in senti- ment among his countrymen in the past 30 years. “It probably would be stretching it to say that Mr. Rocke- feller is loved by the American people,” observes the Scranton Times, but “it can with full truth be said that he is greatly admired, which in itself is a big step from the feeling entertained toward him and the great corporation which he headed only a few years back. Time is a great wonder worker.” ‘The Worcester Daily Telegram notes that “the years have changed not only Mr. Rockefeller. the world,” the Telegram continues. “Much that was once rated as ‘smart- ness’ is now recognized as ‘meanness.’ Much that was once accepted as ' business’ is now identified as ‘shameful.’ Neither Mr. Rockefeller nor the world is as rapaclous and relentless and ruth- less as once were both.” “Today, when we think of Mr. Rocke- feller, we think chiefly of his bene- factions and we rather hope he may have his wish to live to be a_hundred,” says the Youngstown Daily Vindicator, “but we intend that the buccaneering business practices which he once exem- plified shall not be repeated.” “The fact that Mr. Rockefeller has achieved 4 score and 10 years in spite of his great wealth,” the Altoona Mirror considers “a very fine testimonial to his common sense and strength of character. The majority of men yield to all sorts of weaknesses, unle strained by poverty.” “Regularity has been the keynote of his career,” the Nashville Banner records, and the Hamilton, Ontario, Spectator thinks “He is active at 90, not because of the things his money has bought, but because of the things he has denied himself, we have no doubt th{l"e_l and his physicians would 3 . 90 is younger in mind and body than many Glien ‘contendad, tat age 15 largely '8 ntended, that age ely a state of mind.” -~ i In the field of the art of living the Chattanooga es feels that Mr. Rockefeller has made “an important contribution,” and asks if what he is contributing “to the knowledge of how to live will not eventually have as much influence as his ideas of business or- ganization %nd systematic philanthropy are having. of “the great national and international business combination now coming into full fruit,” an empire build- ing “which Rockefeller started,” the Dayton Daily News says it “may take a century to see” the result, and con- siders that “how great Mr. Rockefeller is to remain depends on the ultimate outcome of it all.” The Duluth Herald, too, credits Mr. Rockefeller with having “pioneered the way for the most re- ‘markable feature of industrial history,” ted the Standard Oil A great combinations,” and notes that “to.do it he used meth- thal be this withhold-| ¢} 0.0 They have changed | less re- | ol = tomatically from in Benefactions | for remembrance even more than the vast enterprises of different sort which history will record as fruit of his genius.” Calling him the “greatest philan- thropist in history, his gifts approxi- mating $750,000,000,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch declares: “It may be truly said that in making his money he set a fashion for many of the in- dustrial evils that afflict the country even today, while in spending it he set a fashion for beneficence and well- being that has become the finest at- tribute of American wealth. The work of the Rockefeller Foundation alone is enough to make the name of its founder illustrious in the history of human progress.” That Mr. Rockefeller is unique in his benefactions is empha- sized by the Cincinnati Times-Star, as it says: “Many have been willing to learn the acquisition of wealth from Mr. Rockefeller who have not been will- ing to learn the far greater second ies- son of how generously and wisely to distribute wealth.” ‘The Rockefeller Foundation, the Gen- eral Education Board, the Laura Spel- '800d | man Rockefeller Memorial and the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Re- search are mentioned as the principal instruments of the oil king's philan- thropy. “Amassing wealth is one thing,” remarks the Willlamsport Sun, “proper use and distribution of it is another; Rockefeller seems to be a master mind in each field.” The Annis- ton Star calls attention to the fact that Mr. Rockefeller is the “only man who has ever given away half a_billion dollars,” while the Flint Daily Journal, speaking of the foundation’s contribi tions to “eradicate and control disease, concludes: “No one can estimate how many lives have been preserved through the research that these gifts have made possible.” o Periscope Is Designed To Guard Locked Vault BY E. E. FREE, PH. D. A periscope through which a bank president seated in his office, a watch- man making his rounds or even a po- liceman passing on the street outside can inspect at any moment what is go- ing on inside the locked, burglar-proof vault of a bank has been perfected by two Berlin safe experts, C. Ade and S. J. Arnheim. A small steel pipe, too narrow even for a mouse to use for passage, runs through the wall of the vault.. On its inner end are arrangements of lenses and prisms which catch and reflect into the tube a complete image of every part of the vault, like the lenses and prisms at the top of a submarine’s periscope. At the outer end of the periscope tube other lenses permit the view in all di- rections inside the vault to be seen by any one who looks. Electric lights in= side the vault are left burning for il- lumination. 1If the image of the vault is to be vis. ible in a distant office or even on an- other floor of the building, telescope lenses are used. Prisms bend the light rays forming the vault imiage around necessary corners. The outer end cof the periscope can be connected, the in- ventors suggest, to the time clock that controls the vault or to any kind of alarm signal or watchman'’s record, so that unless the watchman does look through the instrument at regular in- tervals a record will be made of his mission or help will be summoned au- outside. Actions Louder Than Words. Prom the Newark Evening News. President Hoover is said to be indif- ferent to “talkies.” With him actions .| speak louder than words. Here’s a New Simile. Prom the Providence Journal. New simile: As temporary as an en- durance-flight record. Stamps Not Affected. From the Toledo Blade. ¥ Everything’s sticky on a humid July |day except the postage stamps.