Evening Star Newspaper, August 9, 1929, Page 8

8 THE EVENING STAR| With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY.........August 9, 1029 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company usiness Office: 11 t. and Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd g‘ icago Office: Lake Michigan Bullding. juropean Office: 14 Regent St., London, ‘England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. e Evening S 5c per month Evening an: en 4 Sundays) .60c per month per month (wh ‘The Sunday Star -3¢ per copy Collection made ai'ihe end of aach month. Orders may be sent in by mail or telephone NAtional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland ln’C Viry o;lll‘ Dally and Sunday. Daily only Sunday only \..00 mo., mo.. i 1 mo., 40c Dally and Sunday. Datly only . Sunday only Member of the Associated Press. ss 1s exclusively entitled TThe Assoclated Press is exclusively ent s otherwise cred- Firmly in the Saddle. “Testimony to the effect that President. Hoover's administration of affairs in ‘Washington is meeting with the ap- proval of the “people back home” is given by Senator Simcon D. Fess of Ohlo, who has spent the congressional recess in the Buckeye State. Pralse for Mr. Hoover comes not alone, however, from this stalwart Republican member of the Senate. Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana, & Democrat and also one of the progressive group in the Senate, holds no brief for Mr. Hoover, nor does he approve of everything that ‘Mr. Hoover does or recommends as President. But Senator Wheeler never- theless believes in giving praise whore he considers it due. For the attitude of | the President in meeting the new Brit- ish Labor government half way for the consideration of further naval limita- tion, the Montana Senator has only good words and in an interview frankly says as much, Mr. Hoover has been in the White ‘House a little more than five months. But those months’ have been signifi- | cantly full of incidents that indicate Mr. Hoover's grasp of public questions and his grip upon the administration of the Government. They have been full months, with no little accomplishment. Within another ten days, the congres- sional recess, so far as the Senate is concerned, comes to an end and that body will be in session again in Wash- ington. When Mr. Hoover called thc Congress into special session on April 15, little more than a month after he had been inaugurated as Chief Execu- tive, there were dire forebodings of evil. Nothing but trouble could be expected. Trouble, however, is nothing new to Mr. Hoover. Overcoming difficulties has kept him busy for the greater part of his life. And he has overcome them. The first of the problems on the list which confronted the new President was farm rellef legislation. It was a nut which his predecessor had striven in vain to crack. But the farm relief bill 18 now a law, and the Federal Farm Board is already at work. The farmers of the country seem perfectly willing to let the new President and the new law have a fair trial. The President’s ap- peal for the passage of this law was in effect a demand that a start be made at last to aid the farmer. He did ®ot close the door to further measures of afd if they become necessary. The em- phasis was laid on the need of getting under way in dealing with a problem that has hung over the Nation for a decade. And so it was in the matter of getting something done about further naval limitation. The President took it upon himself to suspend—temporarily— the construction of three cruisers authorized by Congress, after Premier Ramsay MacDonald of Great Britain | had announced the desire of his gov- ernment for naval limitation and also the suspension of construction on three naval vessels. Mr. Hoover has been criticized in some quarters on the ground that he did not have authority in law to suspend construction of the three cruisers. But here again Mr. Hoover has giv- en an indication of his desire to get things done, and done in a practical way. His interpretation of the law is that he has authority to halt the build- ing of these ships temporarily, if there is opportunity to bring about an agree- ment for naval limitation. He has not thrown overboard the idea of parity of naval strength with Great Britain. Far from it, for that is what Mr. Hoover belleves in. But he prefers to making a beginning of considering the question of naval limitation with Britaim, and the friendly gestures made by himself and Ramsay MacDonald have been of value. The American people, it may be predicted with assurance, will back up the President in this attitude. ‘The croakers still continue to visual- ize trouble for Mr. Hoover over the tariff bill. The passage of a tariff act means work and frequently trouble. Despite the croakers, the prospects of a tariff bill more nearly meeting the President’s recommendation for ‘lim- ited tariff revision” are growing brighter. ‘The country has as its Chief Execu- tive a constructive worker. If the vec- ord of accomplishment of the first few months of his administration are to be considered a forecast of what is to come, the record will be long befcre the close of this administration three and a half years hence. The presidential no- vitiate mey be said to be at an end. ————— ‘Too many persons demand the atten- tion of the authorities because of a been tolerated in the industrial North seemed like showers of gold to these inexperienced people. The neat mill cottages in the villages were palaces compared to the one-room log cabins in the mountain hollows. Incomes were doubled and tripled. But it was not long before the workers came to the in- evitable realization that life in indus- trial communities was far more com- plicated and expensive than life on the farms and in the mountain cabins, with their straggling corn patches. Consequently, as might have been ex- pected, labor troubles developed. They still are developing. Southern labor de- mands a new deal—a living wage and & wage comparable to that paid by in- dustry in the North for similar toil. This was the natural outcome. But the Southern Btates themselves saw in this situation a threat to their prized and e growing industrialization and were dis- gruntled. Without quite reailising it, some of the Charfibers of Commerce had offered for sale not alone natural 80c | resources, but men, women and chil- dren. b That the South has awakened to this situation is evident from the un- stinted denunciations of labor condi- tions voiced this week at the Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, while no voice has been raised in defense of the practice. Col. Leroy Hodges, secretary of the Virginia Cham- ber of Commerce, expressed the senti- ment of responsible Southern business leaders in reading the resolution adopt- ed by more than two thousand business men connected with that organization insisting on a living wage for labor. The South has plenty to offer indus- try. But its inducements cannot logic- ally include cheap labor. Labor itself has something to say about that. The Bouthern mountaineer, his wife and his children will work cheaper than the in- dustrial population of the North only until they get their bearings. The pres- ence of the labor organizers may hasten | the revolt, but they are far from being the cause of it. - Forest Fires. With news from the Far West, in- cluding Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon, indicating that upward of 50,000 acres of timber holdings, valued at millions of dollars, have been consumed in the past two weeks, the } annual menace of forest fires is brought home in forcible fashion to the public so largely responsible for this appalling economic waste. For despite all effort toward that education and enlightenment essential to forest fire control, human carelessness has been estimated as the cause of upward of 70 per cent of all such conflagrations, and smokers, rail- roads, brush burping, incendiaries, campers and lumbering stand in the order named as the chief malefactors. ‘When it is considered that upward of 10,000.000 acres of forest lands, directly valued at more than $20,000,000, are annually destroyed as a result of this in- credible carelessness, it becomes in- creasingly apparent that stern and vigorous action is essential to secure adequate protection of property no less essential to the economic well-being of the Nation as a whole than to the pri- vate interests of those who hold title to the tracts involved. A general formula for the cost of fire protection for privately owned forest lands, which is today widely accepted, sets forth that three-quarters of the expense of such protection should legit- imately be borne by the private interests involved and one-quarter by the public as represented by the Federal Govern- ment. Neither factor in the equation has as yet adequately met the justifiable call upon its responsibilities. For it is estimated that upward of $10,000,000 is annually necessary adequately to sup- ply permanent lookout stations, airplane patrol, ground policing, telephone com- munication, mobile forces of firefighters and other protective agencies. Yet, while the outlay of private interests involved is still below that which the above indicated basis of computation would indicate as their legitimate share, it is generally recognized that they come far closer than does Congress in meet- ing their obligations. That this should be true is, prob- ably, humanly natural, but there can be no doubt that with tomorrow rather than today in mind and in view of its obvious duty to future gen- erations the National Government should correct the situation and charge the public purse with its full legitimate share of the cost of insuring against losses which, in the long run, canmnot but cost every man, woman and child in the United States a vastly higher sum than the current cost of effective protection. The Star urges upon Con- gress sober consideration both of such legislation as may command the full co-operation of all private interests con- cerned and of appropriations com- mensurate with its own responsibilities in the premises. —_—————— The situation in which Dr. Snook finds himself is one of melodramatic interest and serious personal concern. Yet with so many great questions pend- ing, national and international, it may be doubted whether the Snook incident, in relation to public affairs, is not being unduly magnified. “Smart-Aleck” Aviators. Each new advance in the science of transportation has brought with its blessings, trials and tribulations to cer- tain groups of humans. When the first steam engines went tottering over the rails at the high speed of perhaps ten or fifteen miles an hour horses, cows and chickens were struck with terror and their owners felt that nothing but trouble could come from the new in- vention. And when automobiles first began to make their appearance on country “pikes” many a farmer whose tendency to regard the fact that “we need the money” as a sufficient excuse for holding somebody up, Industry in the South. During the past decade the Southern States have experienced an enormous industrial expansion. To Northern capital they have held out the inducements of great and un- tapped natural resources, low taxes and cheap labor. Ever since the Civil War the lot of the native whites in the mountain sections has been far from enviable. Dwelling in isolated school- less communities, they have suffered from an oppressive poverty, lack of sanitation, poor diet and housing and almost complete absence of opportunity. Then came the cotton and rayon mills. Wages which would not have. fractious mare attempted a runaway spoke loudly and convincingly against the “horseless buggy.” All of which brings us to the present day with air- plane landing flelds at strategic points and low-flying planes harassing golfers and householders by their nolse by the “smart aleckism” of some of aviators. . A few days ago the seventh airplane within a month plowed up more divots on the course of the Old Westbury Golf Club than the duffers had been able to do in many years. It was the last straw in the feud that has existed be- tween the club and Roosevelt Field immediately adjoining. The club mem- bers informed the occupants of the plane that they might depart un- molested, but the plane itself would be held for the damages to the course. The ayplane divot-digging and the THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY. AUGUST 9, 1929. feud started almost simultaneously. Low-flying aviators, according to ,club members, enjoyed the spectacle of a missed two-foot putt so much that they would deliberately bring about this golf: er's catastrophe by sooming close to th heads of the hapless linksmen. Some golfers cannot even putt if lé::‘d twit- ters in a tree nearby, The terna- tion caused by an airplane skimming close to the ground can therefore easily be imagined. It was not long before some of the playful fiyers were forced by engine trouble to land on the course and the wrath of the members rose as they came down. The holding of the plane for damages was the second attempt of the club to secure redress. It was at first proposed to erect a barrier of one-hundred-foot towers on the border of the flying field, but this plan was dropped when it was found that it would constitute a real menace to the aversge pilot in the take-off. Club members are reported busy at work thinking up other schemes in case their selsure of stranded ships is declared illegal. ‘There is much to be said for golfers and for householders in the vicinity of flying flelds. Certain youth- ful spirits imagine that as soon as they take the stick of a plane they are mon- archs of all they survey and that mere earth-bound humans are as so much dust. An airplane must necessarily gain altitude slowly. Both golfers and house- holders recognize this fact. But stunt flying and “smart-aleck” tactics in the air low over the heads of humans or homes should never be tolerated. Stricter regulation by fleld officials and by the Department of Commerce would seem to be necessary to curb what ap- pears to be a rapidly growing evil. — vt A Friendly Invitation. The invitation extended by Halvard Bachke, Norwegian Minister to Wash- ington, in a recent address delivered in the Middle West, to visit Norway on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the death of King Olav Haraldsson, which takes place next year, was nat- urally encugh primarily addressed to those Americans in whose veins flows Norwegian blood. But the Minister ad- equately expanded his remarks to the point where any citizen of this Nation may consider himself invited, and it is in view of this fact that a natural in- terest in Norway as a destination for next year's trip abroad has been gen- erally stimulated. The sheeplike tendencies of a vast proportion of American tourists who flock in hordes to the deservedly pop- ular resorts of Europe have left to an independent and exploratively inclined minority the discovery of the more re- mote, yet no less lovely and interesting, corners of the continent. For this smaller group the delight of travel off the wide and beaten highways where one sees almost more Americans than natives is a satisfaction superimposed upon the broader culture their *pio- neering” yields. For them Norway, the land of ancient heroes of saga and his- tory, of fjord and midnight sun, of rug- ged hills guarding the greenest and most peaceful of valleys, of skis and salmon rods and little sturdy coastwise boats, is one of the treasures discovered upon their wanderings. It was undoubtedly with a view to in- creasing the numbers of those who have found the delights of travel in Norway that the Minister from Oslo spoke in St. Paul. Those who accept his invitation and make the pligrimage to the shrine of King Olav in the lovely cathedral at Trondhjem will be grateful for the hospitality he has extended on behalf of the nation he represents. e o Fame is not always completely re- warding. Every new picture leaves Col. Lindbergh looking as if he were growing more and more tired of being | photographed. ———ro. The question remains open as to how Washington, D. C., is going to acquire an airport commensurate with its size and importance. ——ee SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JCMNSON. Mocking Bird Supplanted. There was a song which made a hit Whenever it, by chance, was heard; The interesting name of it Was “Listen to the Mocking Bird!” But now song which best we know Is “Listen To the Radio!” ‘The mocking bird would imitate The cry of humankind or less, New melodies with freedom great Send cares into forgetfulness. ‘That mocking bird seems dull and slow- Now every thought and thrill of song ‘Through spaces sensitized are sent., No cage can check the spirit strong Of melody so freely lent— The lay whose measures sweetest flow Is “Listen to the Radio.” Evening Up. “You heard long ago that republics are ungrateful.” “Well,” sald Senator Sorghum, “it all evens up. A whole lot of office-holders are the same way.” Jud Tunkins says he'd make more money if he could take as much inter- est in his business as he does in base ball, Well Supervised. The Tariff says what we shall pay For what we eat and wear. And even what we drink, they say, Needs Prohibition’s care. A Disappointment. “The young man you danced with says he is & member of & distinguished family.” “That makes him interesting,” said Miss Cayenne wearily, “but it does not make him a good dancer.” “A philosopher,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is too often a man who has learned to substitute talk for toil.” Destroying s Paradise. THIS AND THAT 'BY CHARLES E. ‘The modern tempo is never better shown than in the failure of many city people to eat breakfast at home. ¥ Thousands of men leave for K work without the solace of a good bredkfast, depending on a hasty fling at food when they ‘get downtown, ‘Women, too, go to work without forti- fying themselves with a warm break- fast, relying on the restaurant across the street. However good the downtown eating places may be, the fact remains that practically every one who patronizes them for the morning meal eats in too great a hurry. Above all, they miss the peace and quiet which a properly balanced home life gives. No doubt this is the solution of the matter: They do not lead real home lives. - Instead of getting up early enough to get a leisurely breakfast and to enjoy it with conversation, they arise at the last possible moment, with scarcely enough time to get down to work. Lack of breakfast goes back even farther. If they had gone to bed at a reasonable hour the evening before, they would have been able to get up early ;nough to enjoy a nice breakfast at ome. * ok ok x ’ No meal has the happiness possibili- ties of a breakfast if one puts a bit of intelligence into the matter and gets a really good one and allows one’s self plenty of time-to eat it. ‘To be hurried at home is even worse than being hustled downtown, for in the - crowded districts one expects it. Maybe that is the secret of the thing. Most people have too great a respect for the idea of home to eat in too great haste. They had rather shut the front door and eat breakfast downtown if they must-do & in a hurry. ‘There is no real reason, however, for missing the treat of a real home break- fast, served up lelsurely, with enough time to taste life naturally. Life, as well as food, must be tasted if one wants to secure its best benefits. One need not be an epicure to enjoy a good breakfast. It is not the amount of food eaten which counts, but the attitude toward what is eaten that brings the healthy glow of appreciation of the good things of life. All these thousands of men and women whom one sees in the restau- rants hastily gobbling coffee and break- fast food, looking anxiously at the clock, Jjumping out to make a run for the office and get there late—— ‘They might just as easily eat at home like gentlemen and gentlewomen if they would get up early enough and get into the habit. There is no escap- ing the force of habit, and when one has eaten downtown for several years it is difficult to get back into old-time ways of food consumption. Most of the hasty diners have back- grounds of true home ways, so that it would not be especially difficult for | them to get into the habit of eating a proper breakfast. And the benefits would be many. * ok ok In the first place, there is no place like home, as the old song says. No matter how good your restaurant, it is not home, nor does it have the aspects | of home. Time is the essence of most things, and in none more than the home break- fast. Perhaps the gobbled meal at home is but little better than the hastily swallowed breakfast downtown, | but there is no occasion for the former, | because one's home is often the one | place in the world where the average | person need not be hurried if he does | not want to be hurried. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS The Summer tariff session of Con-| gress has considerably disrupted the ranks of the American congressional group slated to attend the annual meet- ing of the Interparliamentary Union, | which convenes at Geneva on August | 23. Originally it was expected that the American delegation would number at least 20. This is now reduced to a| doubtful half dozen. Senator Tydings of Maryland is the only member of the Senate who has said he can be surely counted on to attend the Geneva meet- ing. House members who have sent qualified acceptances comprise Wiggles- worth of Massachusetts, Roy Fitzgerald of Ohio, Morton Hull and Fred Britten of Tllinois and Korell of Oregon. All these Congressmen are from the Repub- | lican side. Senator Burton of Ohio, president of the American group, who missed the annual meeting of the Inter- parliamentary Union last Summer for | the first time in a dozen years, has re- | luctantly decided that he must stay be- | hind this year also. Arthur Deering | Call, Washington representative of the | American Peace Society, is secretary of the American group and is already at Geneva. * X ok X i A new world record for speed in un- rolling red tape has just been estab- lished by ‘the Veterans' Bureau when it paid a death claim on a veteran's adjusted compensation certificate in less than two hours from the minute when the claim was first presented. In that brief space the papers passed through the filing department, were inspected by the claims division, audited by the ac- counting division, approved by the legal division, transmitted to the disbursing office, & check drawn and signed and countersigned and cleared through the mailing division. Eyen though the Vet- erans’ Bureau pride8 itself on prompt- ness in such cases, the inevitable and lure ordinarily consumes * k& Kk Representative George Holden Tink- ham of Boston, who has brought down on his head the combined wrath of Bishop Cannon, head of the Methodist Board of Temperance South, and Dr. Clarence True Wilson, head of the Methodist Board of Temperance North, by reason of his caustic criticisms of the alleged political ctivities of these two churchmen, receives with hearty good nature the verbal brickbats which have been heaved at him. But one bit of publicity in which he has recently figured has him considerably worried. A press association feature story which narrates his big gamg hunting exploits in far countries of the globe erroneously locates in Africa the tigers which he in fact shot in India. “Those who really know anything about tiger hunt- ing,” says Mr. Tinkham, “will spot that mistake at once and thereby may jump to the conclusion that the whole story | is a n Munchausen romance, I am very troubled about it.” e req several days. ‘ Receipts of the Panama Canal for the fiscal year just closed topped the $27,000,000 mark for the first time, a gain of about $200,000 over the high- water mark set last year. Canal ex- penditures run rather less than $9,- 000,000. Uncle Sam’s operating net on his big ditch is about $18,000,000 this year. ‘The canal might still be running at a loss had not President Wilson back in 1913 persuaded Congress to repeal the bill providing for free passage to American ships. . * kK ok Mr. Hoover has figured in more travel stories and stayed closer to the White House in these early days of his administraf than President There’s dancing and there’s music sweét | v, And flowers everywhere— Rumors of war we often meet ‘Which hint of dark despair— Yet loveliness is all supreme ‘With visions of delight— ©Oh why, from siich a happy dream, Should men wake up and fight? “When you looks foh trouble,” said Uncle Eben, “you can't miss it; de only trouble "bout trouble is dat you's never sble to pick/ds particlar kind turmned to a visit to Oalifornia which was for August or- 3 too, s00n vanished in thin air, tq be fol by hints that the President might take a shorter holiday on the famed North Shore of Massachusetts. As- matters now, stand, it looks as though Mr. would not move far or for long from 1600 vania avenue for an~ | Enforcement Commission, the name of . TRACEWELL, It he does not want to! Therein lles the secret. If he once gets into his head the desirability of a decent home breakfast, he will get up in time enough to prepare it properly and to allow him plenty of time to eat it. ‘The old-fashioned “heavy” breakfast has gone out. No longer does the table groan with meats, even pies and vege- tables. Lack of physical exercise and various other reasons operate to restrict the morning dietary. It is precisely because the average breakfast is so limited that every one ought to eat it at home in order to et the benefit of the home atmosphere. 'his includes a leisurely attention to the happiness of the occasion. ‘Time enough to talk as one eats not only alds digestion but also helps in the mere matter of everyday living. It always has seemed to us that mnot enough attention is given to the realiza- tion of the satisfactions of life as we €0 along. We do not mean in the way of a self-conscious attention to small detail, but simply in regard to an ap- preciation of happiness when present. ‘Too many men and women today, as always, spend time lamenting the past or looking forward to the future, when they would be better off it they lived more and solely in the present, appre- clating its good qualities as they come and minimizing as much as feasible its bad points. These latter arise in every life in varying degree, sometimes unex- pectedly, sometimes remorselessly. As well as one may, he should forget them 1a'l‘ld"l'l'l.sp such happiness as presents elf, * K ok ok ‘Whatever may be the trouble, a cozy breakfast at home may be within the lot of almost every one. At home the diner will find no strangers, but every one his own folk. He will not have to sit and smell some other person's cigarette smoke or listen to the heavy- handed son of servitory toil slam and bang plates and cups until it would seem every moment that the whole trayful were going to be smashed into smithereens. At home he will not have to put up with soiled cups, for instance, as he will in many another place, but he may have his china to his liking. Perhaps he has a favorite bowl. This he may use. Cream tastes better to him out of one pitcher than another. The sheen of flowers in the window box is a great deal. It should not be passed up lightly. And then there is informality. There is little question that the happiest meals are those of an informal nature, where those who know each other well, talk of topics outside the range of argu- ment. Some follow a pleasant practice of taking their coffee in the living room after breakfast is over. Here a small coffee table and an easy chair permit of luxurious comfort which not | even the “swellest” hotels can boast. Not the least of the benefits of eating breakfast at home is the honest, com- fortable, well fed feeling which one takes downtown to work. He is better | able to appreciate the sights along the route than if he were going the same way breakfastless, with only the pros- | pect of the strange grace of a strapger's | | table awaiting him. i After one gets downtown it may or | {may not be expedient for him to go| out to get another cup of coffee, as many do, not only for the solace of the | brew but also for the opportunity of | passing a few words with a_companion, | These little snacks lighten the labors of | the day. But the breakfast, small or heavy, should have been consumed miles away uptown. ‘The Mississippl flood control problem was discussed at the White House this week when Walter Parker of New Or- leans, president of the National Flood Control and River Regulation Commis- sion, and Dr. F. H. Newell of Washing- ton, president of the Research Service, laid before Mr. Hoover their ideas for dealing with this question in conse- quence of new surveys conducted by the Research Service. The present plan, the so-called Jadwin plan, is strongly opposed. In substitution Messrs, Parier and Newell advocate the creation of a National Flood Commission, which should be charged with both the formu- lation and the execution of flood control work. Mr. Hoover was told that it would require probably 15 years and at least a billion dollars to do the job. * ok ok X New York's latest telephone exchange is “Wickersham” and is located in what is sald to be the wettest spot in all Manhattan Island. So, regardless of the final outcome of the Hoover Law its able chairman will be on the tongues of countless thousands of his country- men for many years to come. Now if the telephone company will only chris- ten a “Volstead” exchange honors will be even. (Copyright, 1929.) * o Belle of Ancient Era Used Mirror, Lipstick BY E. E. FREE, Ph. D. Relics of an ancient Iron Age belle who loved her mirror and lipstick so much that some sympathetic friend buried them with her have been dis- covered on Lambay Island, off the coast of Ireland, near Dublin. First brought to light by accident in the course of harbor improvement work, the Iron Age graves were then investigated by rep- resentatives of the Dublin Museum, where the articles found have been stored. In one grave was found a flat plate of iron resembling a’ pot cover. ‘This cover seemed, however, to have once had an ornamental handle made of iron-decorated ivory; certainly a curious construction for & pot lid even now, and still more so in early times when fron was almost & precious metal. ‘What Jay directly underneath the iron plate provided, however, a truer clue to its use, for this object proved to be a stick of pink, waxy cosmetic, still recog- nizable after a burial of 25 ceaturies or more. Nearby were other feminine treasures; & pair of metal brooches, a finger ring hollowed out of stone and a bracelet of bronze. The iron hand mir- ror no longer shows a polish and prob- ably it never possessed one good enough for the former belle to see’to use her lipstick. In ancient times, before mod- ern glass and metal mirrors were in- vented, the approved method of seeing one’s own face was to take a flat plate of stone or metal, preferably ground very smooth, dip this in water and ad- mire—or readjust—one’s countenance in the reflecting film of water adhering to the plate. Connecticut Invalidates Flood of Useless Laws With a stroke of a pen the Con- necticut Supreme Court has invalidated 1,493 laws of the State. The Con- g _statutes, By this stroke of fortune Connetticut is left with ndt m:{:;h:;&nflsmmhn laws in its s 3 But it's the old story of not knowing 're well off. Connecticut is to have a special session of the Legis- lature to put back. ! such_knowledge as cured from observal Chauffeur’s Episode Explained by Minister To the Editor of The Star: I read with great interest the article in your estcemed paper regarding my chauffeur’s episode and want to you for the same, but as the interview over the telephone which took place be- tween your reporter partly with myself and partly with the different secretaries of my legation did not render the exact situation thoroughly clear, I therefore deem it my duty (o give you & clear statement of facts as it took place. It had been brought to my attention at sundry times that the chauffeur of ! this legation would take the car out without my permission for joy-rides, for which I reprimanded him severely and cautioned him that if at any time this offense would occur again to con- sider himself dismissed from my service, thereby losing all of his rights to the privilege accorded to the chief of a mis- sion’s suite, becoming immediately sub- ject to arrest by the local authorities for any infraction of the traffic laws and regulations. Just before my departure from town I cautioned him again that under no cir- cumstances was he to take my car out during my absence, and if he should that he was dismissed from the moment the car was taken out of the garage. Regardless of my warning, he took the car out and was arrested for speeding, though he was released after identifica- tion.” He did not return to the legation, as he remembered distinctly my warn- ings and instructions, and considered himself dismissed. Therefore he was not entitled to nor had the privileges usually accorded to the suite of the chief of a mission. ‘When I returned to town the chauf- feur cdme to see me to ask that he be forgiven for this offense and to be taken back and given another chance, as he has a wife and two children. I took pity en him on account of his family’s sake and gave him another chance by taking him back on conditions that un- der no circumstances was he to violate any of the traffic rules and regulations and that he was to stand trial at the Traffic Court and pay the fine that was imposed for his last offense. He agreed to my conditions and stood trial for his offense and paid the fine of $10 that was imposed on him, as he was not any longer a member of my staff at the time the offense was com- mitted. However, T do not approve that the members of this legation should break any of the traffic lJaws and regulations, and during the three years that I have been here I have never seen any need for the members of my legation to drive beyond the speed limit or violate any of the traffic regulations, 1 do not see any pleasure in driving fast, as there is always the possibility of endangering one’s own life and of placing in jeopardy the lives of others, besides endangering the dignity and honor of this legation. My government's instructions have been to do my utmost and to place all of my efforts toward developing and in- creasing the good will, cordial relations and friendly feelings between our two countries, and at no time to infringe on any traffic laws and cause damage 3:1;‘1 possible danger toward the lives of others. How can T, then, permit the members\| of my legation to break the traffic laws by going beyond the speed limit? 1 will always be grateful to be in- formed through the proper authorities. of any offense committed by any mem- ber of this legation and, if necessary, will report such facts to my government. D. MEFTAH, Persian Minister, D Expert Advice Urged In Caring for Pels To the Editor of The:Star: The intcnse suffering of a little “Spitz” puppy and its death after two days of agony, despite all that a vet- erinarian could do to relieve its suffer- ing, has prompted me to request some space in your paper in the interest of those animals that are the faithful friends of man. ‘This little dog, Phoebe by name, showed evidence of worms in the light | of experienced puppy owners in the | Accordingly, the owner | neighborhood. went to the drug store and purchased worm capsules, stating explicitly that they were intended for a Spitz puppy, having blind and traditional confidence that the pharmacist dispensed the cov- rect drugs. One of these tablets was administered in the morning and the incident was ,closed until the same evening when ‘an intestinal cramp de- veloped, the slege lasting until the little animal expired, suffering the most inconceivable agony. An autopsy show- ed that an overdose of this worm medicine was responsible for its agonized death. Instead of giving puppy worm capsules, the pharmacist gave the dose for the larger breeds. Since the puppy cannot be brought back to life, I believe that if the own- ers of these péts, upon reading these lines, will make it their business not to rely on neighborhood advice, nor op certain unscrupulous drug dispensers who have the sale of the article at heart and not the outcome, but to consult with a reliable veterinarian who will not dispense these ‘patent medicines, much heartache will be sav- ed, and_their innocent little pets will be saved from such a tragie ending. MAYER B. STONE. ——on—. Bremen’s Design May Cause Ship Rebuilding From the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Present {indications are that the marine design employed in building the liner Bremen of the North German Lioyd line will be successful. It is pat- terned to a degree on the sea sleds that have raised motor boating to a major sport, the big liner being built to glide over rather than through the waters. The Bremen's first trip has been & speed triumph, but it will not be safe to make too sure predictions until this and kindred vessels will have been called upon to meet the various difficulties of the ocean in torment. The weak spot in the skid-bottomed motor boat is its unseaworthiness in rough weather when, often without preliminary warnings, the speed machines “turn flip-flops with occa- sionally fatal results. While it is in the highest improbable that the German liner design is less able to withstand storms than ships of sf d type, still experience has shown that nothing equals the test of time and actual service. However, assuming as we must that the hull form adopted in the Bremen gives a strikingly incres speed efficiency, the advent of the new ship is sure to entail an enormous cost to the shlpplng nations of the world. A ship type that has so easily outfooted the fleet Mauretania cannot remain the exclusive property of Germany, and f over a series of voya, the new vessel proves her worth, and if no “bugs” are encountered in her mechanism to lessen her value, t?;x;y it w‘lill !;e up to England, France, and of course Un%le Sam to take their lessons and roduce s{)eed machines to equal and rl possible _surpass the Germanic champion. This will be costly, indeed, and costly in more ways than one. It will be costly first in junking, as it were, the palatial liners, some of them quite recently placed in commission, as passenger carriers of the first class. Perhaps we will yet see the Leviathan et al. rearranged as “one-cabin” tourist P wh:dnht.h&m mcnm;‘m“ ve turne e = ‘may be the need Butmoreeoml:lys p ction the m have expent attain speed may be the slow-pokes of the near future in the international naval race for supremacy. It is per- haps fortunate that the United States marine is yet somewhat hazy and uui there is time to make changes in cruiser hull pattern to incorporate may have tion: of-the. been se- German’_concl ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Many readers send in questions, signed only with initials, asking that the an- swers appear in the newspaper. space is limited and would not accom- modate a fraction of such requests. ‘The answers published are ones that may interest many readers rather than the one who asks the question only. All questions should be accompanied by the writer's name and address and 2 cents in coin or stamps for reply. Send your question to The Evening Star Informa- tion Bureau, Prederic J. Haskin director, ‘Washington, D. C. Q. How many people v#lt Mount Vernon during a year?=iv'N. A. Usually between 500,000 and 600,- 000 visitors see the home of George Washington during the year. October. this pilgrimage this Summer that the total for the year will probably be the highest ever reached. Braille system blind himself?——R. E. C. A. Louis Braille, the Frenchman who devised this system of reading and writ- ing for the blind, was blinded when but 3 years old. While playing in his father’s harness-making shop he took up a sharp instrument, which slipped and put out one of his eyes. sympathetic inflammation the sight of the other eye was lost. Q. In movie parlance, what is meant by the terms “dubbing up” and “dumb- ing up” pictures?—A. T. A. The sound pictures are developing a vocabulary of their own. It seems that scenario writers and photographers sometimes turn out scenes that “go over the heads” of average movie fans. So the picture is “dumbed up” by mak- ing the scenes and phraseology simple enough for any moron to understand. “Dubbing up” a picture is the addition of sound features to old pictures, Q. Where is_Poictesme, of which | country James Branch Cabell writes so engagingly?—W. W. being a fictitious place within a short distance of France. Q. How many buildings were de- stroved In the Baltimore fire of 10042— A. Buildings to the number of 1,300 were destroyed, entailing a financial loss of $125,000,000. Not a life was lost. Q. Is the Capitol connected by tun- nel with the Senate and House office buildings?>—D. H. A. There are tunnels to both office buildings. In the one leading to the Senate Office Building there is a mono- rail electric car system. ‘This con- venience has not been installed in the tunnel leading to the House Office Building.” A tunnel for transmission of books connects the Library of Congress with the Capitol. Q. Who compose the advisory board of the school of journalism of Columbia University?—H. A. H. A. Its members are President Butler; Julian Harris, the Enquirer-Sun, Colum- bus, G John L. Heaton, the World, New Y Alfred Holman, 769 Market street, San Francisco; Arthur M. Howe, Brooklyn Daily Eagle; Baltimore Sun; Robert Lincoln O'Brien Union_Club, Boston, Mass.; Rollo Og- den, New York Times, New York: Stuart H. Perry, Adrian Daily Tele- Ralph Pulitzer, the World, New York, and Kent Cooper, 383 Madison avenue, New York City. Most of | the sightseers come between Easter and | So many people have made Q. Was the man who invented the | Through | A. It has no geographical location, | gram, Adrian, Mich.; Joseph Pulitzer, | St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louts, Mo.: | Q. Have the 'pensions for Spanish- American War veterans been raised?— A. They are now as follows: ‘The rates under the general law range from $6 to $125, with double pension for dis- abllity due to aviation or submarine ac- cident. The service pension rates run from $20 to $50 per month for age or aggregate of disability not due to vicious habits, with $72 for the veteran so nearly helpless or blind as to need aid and attendance. Q. If a man is electrocuted by touch- ing a live wire, can his body be removed without shocking the person Wwho { touches it?>—J. McL. A. A human being, dead or alive, is a conductor of electricity. If a person is in contact with an electrical cireuit. The | M. G. those rescuing him should break hic | contact with the circuit by means o’ | some insulated tool, such as a long, dry | stick or long, dry rope. Where the voltage of the live wire is not greater than 6,600 volts a coat might be usec for a rope by throwing it around the | wire and pulling the wire with the loo) | thus made. It should be ncogn\w}. | however, that this will probably bring the rescuer in closer proximity to the | live wire than would be considered gafc if the emergency did not exist. . | Q. When was the first boat bullt in Maine?—R. H. A. The Virginia was the first. 8he was built by the Popham colony, 1607- | 08, and under command of Capt. Jamer | Davis sailed from Plymouth with the | Somers and Gates colony for James- town June 1, 1609. Q. Do any animals yawn?—8. W. A. Yawning occurs in certain ani- | | mals, as the cat, dog, lion and horse, | ,.Q. Is Patrick Conway still living?— | T.M. G. | A. Patrick Conway, bandmaster, 63 i‘l-ars old, died at Ithaca, N. Y., June |11, 1829, | Q. Which | ties?—A. T. A. Delaware. | . Q. How many carloads of perishable | foods are shipped in a year?—S. D, A. Railrogds in the United States transported ‘about 1,500,000 carloads of perishable commodities last year. For | this service 190,000 refrigerator ecars | were used. | @ How can poison be used to kill coyotes without killing fur-bearing ani- mais?—M. V. A. The Bureau of Biological Survey says that its men use traps in regio where fur-bearing animals abound. Dis- | cretion is used in the employment of poison, although in some areas where ! predatory animals abound this method 1s necessary. Few fur-bearers are lost. Q. In what year was Gatt{-Casazza made dirceior of the Metropolitans— ‘A Giulio Gatti-Casazza has been general director of the Metropolitan | Opera House in New York since 1908, Q. Does it matter what time of day | peas are picked>—M. A. H. |, A. It is best to pick them after sun- down or in the early morning before 9 " | o'clock. Q. How large an area do Pennsyl- vania State forests cover?—D. A. E. A. The State of Pennsylvania mow owns 1,131,611 acres of forest land. Q. How many telephones are now in use in the United States?—H. F. | _A. There are now 19,000,000 tele- ' phones in this count ‘While the public is warm in its felici- tations to young Wilbur Huston, Edison’s choice as the new Merlin of Menlo Park, it is not quite willing to concede, |if press comment may be taken as an indication, that one touch of the wand will make a wizard. The Kansas City Journal-Post says: “Here's hoping that, whether or not a regular fellow of good brains and instincts and a credit to himself and the great Edson, who wants to help American youth make the most of itself.” While recognizing that “young Huston recognized to be the wizard of electric magic,” the Philadelphia Evening Bulle- tin thinks that, “given health and years, it is pretty certain that he w find happiness and perform useful serv- ice in the field of chemistry, to which, electricity, civilization looks for the as- sured future of mankind.” made,” declares the Dayton Daily Ne of electricity in the future what Edison has done in the past and is doing in the present is perhaps as likely right now to be burning the midnight oil in the attic_of an obscure farmhouse or in tenement as in a college or laboratory.” * kX X ‘The New York Evening Post “feels quite sure that neither Mr. Edison nor Mr. Ford—nor, for that matter, Mr. Eastman or Col. Lindbergh—believes in his soul that a genius can infalliby be discovered by & system of competitive examination papers. Life would be toq simple if that were true,” declares this paper. “All honor to Mr. Edison’s offi- clal protege, but & doubt still persists in our minds,” exclaims the Kansas City Star, as it asks: ‘“How valuable is a questionnaire for picking out a future Edison?"” If the selection proves to have been correct, “the wizard of the laboratortes| can credit himself with another great invention in the solving of a problem that has baffled the great of earth through the ages, namely, how to choose | a fully qualified successor to carry on the progress as well as the tradition,”, declares the Manchester Union. “With 48 chances to go wrong and only one of going right, we beg to be excused if we feel a certain amount of skepticism regarding the wisdom of its choice,” remarks the Roanoke Times, 23 §& however, extends to young Huston b o) t wishes.” ‘That the test has been valuable is the opinion of the Wheeling Intelli- gancer, since “it gives a likely boy an ovgonunlty which he otherwise might not have and encourages 48 others to improve a distinction that they htw(’I already earned.” Those who took the| test were all “real boys, with well de-) veloped interests, with healthy hobbies, sound bodies and alert minds,” adds the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. * kK K None of the lads will go home “with a feeling of having wasted his time,” remarks the Spokane Spokesman-Re- view, for “after the Edison quiz any examination the boys may take the rest of their lives will seem like a quiet hour with & Henty book.” The Harris- burg Patriot finds it interesting that “the competitors immediately organized themselves for the futuré. Twenty or twenty-five years from now the real result of the examination will be re- " declares the Patriot. The Charlotte Observer suggests that it may turn out that the “new Edison” had “reached the height of his possi- bilitles. He may develop no new quali- fications. In short, he may have been ‘matured’ at the time of selection and get no further. On the other hand, there is a possibility that some one of the rejected boys might be just ‘in the m: ' and that with further experience and training he would de- velop a genius far in advance of any possible vl:h the successful contestant,” fon'the. winndr' in the' trol especially in its intimate relation to! “Edison’s successor will be born. not while the Salt Lake City Deseret News | suggests that “the young man who will | do for the development and utilization | riddles. the hall bedroom of a crowded city Press Hails Edison’s Clidice But Warns Hard Path Ahead |ing years ahead of him is widely ex- | pressed. ~ “Must we not pity a single lad overwhelmed by the potential great- ness thrust upon him?” asks the Spring- field Republican. ““Adulation is dangerous enough after achievement. As a precursor it is often- | times fatal” warns the Detroit Free | Press, as it says: “Young Huston, it ‘Wilbur proves to be a genius. he will be | he makes good in spite of this handicap, | will prove that he not only is bright |but has substance. The kindest thing the public can do is to forget ail about | Bim ‘until he is through school and has | done something to compel its admira- on and applause,” concludes this may ‘never become the recognized wizard | journal. of chemistry as his famous sponsor is | * x % x | “What the award confers upon this {lad is not distinction but opportunity,” |affirms the Dallas Journal, as it con- tends that “his opportunity to equip himself for important scientific service |should not be hampered by the intru~ sive attention of an admiring public.” | Commenting on some of the questions {in the examination. the New York ‘World characterizes them as “riddles.” and then philosophizes concerning them, saying: “All the major problems of life, |after all, are riddles—cruel, knotty The fact that few can solve |them is the reason that few are great. |Mr. Edison when he was most unfair |was probably fairest according to the |ways of human destiny.” The Chatta- |nooga Times advises that ‘“continued hard work and application to his chosen career will be just as necessary on his pari as on the part of any one of the 48 boys over whom he stands victor.” Reviewing the high standard of the entire list of candidates, the Syracuse Herald remarks as to the youth finally chosen: “If his name were plain Wil- liam, we should never venture to call him ‘Bill’ With his percentage of 92 to start with, he ought to make that major Edison scholarship fructify into frontpage eminence and glory. Yet in spite of his bespectacled visage, we are not surprised to find that he is a fairly husky athlete.” Foresees Homes Built In Factories, Like Autos From the Albany Evening News. Edward A. Filene of Boston in-a re- cent gaddress predicted homes for Americans produced much after the manner of manufacturing automokiles. He predicted that the time is coming when houses will be manufactured by machinery in central factories, all of standard sizes and shapes. He thinks there may be chain companies that will turn out these houses or “stamp” them out. ‘We cannot believe his vision is wholly true. Of course, houses now are made in sections and large companies pro- duce them. But they have different plans, and individuality can be exercised in their choice. But it is not concelv- able that America will ever take ur the “pattern” house plan, that it will buy standardized houses, all of the same pattern, as it buys automobiles now. = Will the time come when & man be known by the name of the manu- facturer of his house as he is known to= day by the brand of automobile he buys? Hardly that. At least it is to be hoped that this never can come to pass. America does not want rows and rows of houses that are &ll alike. "It does not even want these even in some sec- tions of its cities. The monotonous sameness would be depressing and, more than that, it would be utterly dise leasing. B Amzm' can become too much standardized. It is now enough. It should have individuality in some respects and particularly in its homes. True, concerns might em- ploy the best of architects and they might with variations produce attractive homes. Perhaps that is Mr. Filene's idea. But we do not want any rubber- stamp home building in America. A Belated Claim. i Prom the Cincinnati Times-Star. ‘Texas claims 45 square miles of Oklas