Evening Star Newspaper, September 23, 1929, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sundsy Morning Edition. W.ASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY.....September 28, 1920 THEODORE W. NOYEE....Editor The Evening sm“r.uvu-n' Company n Carrl ithin the, 3 —rfi.‘&'?..fi uur‘" i 45 fic-’gumn The Evening und Bunday Star en 4 Sundays) - 60c per month when The Sunday Sta Collection mad Orders may be sent in by mal NAtional 5000. o Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. Daily and Bunday. Daily only .. Sunday only . .8c_per copy each month. 1) or telephone Dally and Sunday..1 Daily only 1 Sunday onby Member of the Associated Press. I, r d in this paper and al published herein. All Tights special dispatches herein a e School Opens. 1t is the parent who whines today as the schoolboy, with his satchel and shining morning face, creeps like a snail, willingly to school. , For this schoolboy is apt to be one of five thousand or so children who will attend part-time classes and from the schoolboy’'s point of view -there is nothing to whine about there. But if whining may be divorced from its connotation as a stats of suppliant mendicity, the Washington parent, like Shakespeare’s schoolboy, is whining aplenty over the opening of school. The money he spends in taxes to build bird and reptile houses at the Zoo and otherwise to maintain the American Capital does not stretch quite far enough to furnish seats in classrooms throughout the day for all the children who can fill them. It does not stretch far enough to abolish the ancient port- able schools, seventy-two in number, most of which were built in 1918 to meet a war-time emergency, some of which were purchased as far back as 1911 and 1912. All of these portables have been pronounced “safe” for oc- cupancy this year after two inspections, and that is comforting. But the ma- jority will remain in use this year as they have for the. past ten years, some of them with outside, unheated lava- tories; with cold floors, chilly rooms, poor lighting. The parent may whine, and with justification. His taxes have been in- creasing, his money, collected by & Government that denies him a right to a voice in spending it, piles up million- dollar surpluses in the Treasury. But he packs his children off to school to- day with the knowledge that no more classrooms are there to recelve them than there were last Spring. While seventy-six new classrooms, represent- ing completed buildings, will be avail- able by February 1, they will reduce by only thirty-four per cent the number of new rooms needed to eliminate the wretched portables, the part-time classes, the undesirable rooms, e rented quarters, and to bring Washing- ton's school facilities nearer to meeting the demand that exists for them. And there are 1,500 more children entering school this Fall than there were last year, provided the normal and expected increase is continued. The parent may' whine because the five-year program, decided upon to an- ticipate, the demands upon the school system, has not been carried out and & proposed new five-year program has been in the hands of the Commission- ers, awaiting their approval or com- ment, since the latter part of 1928. In the mean time, instead of being ahead of the demand, the school system is be- hind it. There are crowded classrooms, part-time classes, makeshift portables and a corps of teachers barely repre- senting the minimum numerical strength that should be provided. This year's enrollment is expected to set 8 new record, and last year's peak of 73,000 is expected to be in- creased to 76,000. Next month a new eight-room addition to the Burrville School for colored pupils will be opened and at about the same time the new Francis Junior High School will be ready for occupancy. Before the begin- hing of the next semester the authori- ties expect to complete construction of the Raymond School addition and the new Ben W. Murch, Powell, Langdon and Adams grade schools and the new Paul Junior High School. . But evidence of overcrowding, in ad- dition to that which exists in part-time classes, overfilled schoolrooms, portable schools, etc., is shown in the deeision to admit no new pupils to Western High School who live east of Connec- ticut avenue and Rock Creek Park. about to be invoked in Egypt and Iraq, , independene~ for local rulers and governmerits, duly safeguarded for the empire’s broad defensive needs. Bagdad, capital of Iraq, is jubilant over the news that the hated yoke of the mandate is to be lifted. Britain has gone even further. She will pro- pose Iraq for full-fle .od member: in the League of Nations in 1932. mandate was to have remained in Brit- ish hands until 1950, or until Iraq was admitted to -the League. Thus what once was the Turkish province of Meso- potamia will have something more than the shadow.of sovereignty, while the British, with garrisons at strategic points and control of the Mosul oil fields and naval and air stations on the Persian Gulf, will possess the substance of commercial and strategic domination. No wonder that Bagdad dispatches report that “the British government is almost popular in the Capital of the Caliphs.” London will see to it that her new reputation there is broadcast to every nook and corner of the Islamic lands. Once again in the realm of in- ternational ills John Bull has proved that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Committed as she is by the Balfour declaration to aid in the establishment of the Jewish national homeland, Brit- ain’s whole mandate policy may easily be affected by coming events in Iraq. If it is found feasible to propitiate the nationalistic longings of her Mesopo- tamiay Moslems, it may not be long be- fore Britain will canvass the wisdom 9f conciliating the kindred aspirations of the Arabs in Palestine. necessarily destroy the Zionist ideal, but it would complicate and shadow it. r——— “Common Knowledge” Charges. In the course of a speech on the tariff bill in the Senate Satdrday Senator Howell of Nebraska took occasion to point to a situation in the District of Columbia in respect to the enforcement of the prohibition law, which he charged showed laxity on the part of officials. He said: Enforcement can be accomplished. Enforcement in the city of Washington can be effective. The President can dismiss any official of the city of Wash- ington, because such officials are his appointees or the appointees of ap- pointees of the President. In my opin- ion, i the President called the Com- missioners of the District of Columbia before him and said, “Gentlemén, I have secret service officials at my com- mand, and if they discover anything in ‘Washington in connection with the vio- lation of the prohibition law before you discover it, you are out,” ther¢ is no question as to what the result would be. There would be one city in the country that would be cleaned up. There was more along the same line, the Senator pointing out specifically the importation of liquor for the diplomatic service—which is permitted under the law—and finally saying: “The reason why this sort of thing is not stopped is because there is not the will to stop it.” This was a virtual citation of Presi- dent Hoover to meet a charge of laxity of law enforcement. The President promptly rejoins in the following offi- cial statement: Senator Howell's statement that the prohibition law is not being enforced in the trict of Columbia seriously impugns the good faith and capacity of Commissioner Dougherty, in charge of police; Supt. of Police Pratt, District Attorney Rover and Prohibition Agent William Blandford. The President is glad the Senator has raised the:ques- tion. He is confident that the Senator would not make these charges unless they were based upon definite facts, with time and place, and if he wijl lay any such information before the De- rtment of Justice the President will ave the matters vigorously investigated, for it is the intention not only to secure ! the fullest enforcement in the District | possible under the erganization of en- forcement agencies as provided by law, but to make it a model in this country. Moreover, it is only fair to give to the District officials an opportunity to meet such charges. Next comes Senator Howell with a statement to the effect that he has no first-hand information concerning boot- legging in Washington, but that he believes it is common knowledge that liquor is being bought and sold in the That would not . HHT EVINING NTAR,. WANSHINGTLON, The bloc which believes in increases carried in the committee for many of the industries is composed mostly of Old Guard Republicans. - Blocs are not new in the considera- tion of tariff bills in the Senate and House, although they may be somewhat more numerous at present. The broad principle of the protective tariff looks to the protection and development of the industries of the gntire country. Byt in practice the industries in certain States and representatives of these States in Congress seek to get just a little bit more “gravy.” Thep are hard at it in the present bill. The representatives of farming States insist thag it is time the farmers got the better of the tariff in- creases. Their attitude is perhaps just as “selfish” as the attitude of the repre- sentatives of industrial States, although at present it appears to be more justi- fled, since the farmers have been given the little end 'of the stick for many years. With all these .diverse: and an- tagonistic interests fighting, it might | appear to the uninitiated that no tariff bill could possibly wend its tortuous way through the Senate to final passage. The answer, however, lies in the fact that all these various interests wish tariff increases and sooner or jJater a a compromise of some kind will be worked out, with each bloc getting all it can. When that time arrives, the bill will be put through the Senate. After that it must run the gantlet of the con- ference committee, with the House fighting for the provisions which it wrote into the measure before it was sent to the fSenate, and finally it must obtain the appraval of the Chief Execu- tive. Nearly all legislation is the result of compromise.. This is especially true of tariff bills. In the end, this par- ticular bill is likely to conform more nearly to the ideas of President Hoover when he urged Congress to put through a “lifnited revision” of the tariff. In certain quarters there has been criticism of the President because he has not declared himself for or against the Senate finance comfhittee tariff bill. But the President is under no obliga- tion to make such & declaration, par- ticularly in view of the fact that it is by no means certak that the bill will be passed by the Senate in the form it came from the committee. Doubt- less many amendments will be made during its consideration in the Senate— amendments which might make the bill far more to the liking of the President. The legislative mills on Capitol Hill grind slowly, especially in the Senate wing. Many times it appears that they have ceased to grind at all. Frequently there are threats of sabotage, and fre- quently it is attempted. In the end, however, legislative grist is ground. This is likely to be the case with the pending tariff bill. And after the shout- ing and the speaking and the voting is all done, the American people may wonder why it° could not have been accomplished in less time and with less noise. For two weeks now the Sen- ate has been debating the administrative features of the bill, so called. It has not yet touched a single “rate.” The Senate is deliberate as well as delibera- tive. v oo 1t is demanded by Senator Howell of Nebraska that President Hoover person- ally undertake the task of making ‘Washington, D. C, dry. It is one of the favorite occupations of statesman- ship to think up more work for an al- ready overburdened President. While admitting that flying is still more dangerous than it should be, Lind- bergh continues to fly. Part of the natural equipment of the true aviator is an indiffzrence to personal danger. ——— It takes so long to expurgate a the- atrical performance that audiences may reasonably fear that safeguarding of their morals will be limited to Saturday matinee and evening. o It is intimated that propaganda has its dignity. A propagandist may cease city, and reiterating the statement that the prohibition law could be enforced here if there was a will to do so. ‘Thus the matter resolves itself to the basis of the “common knowledge” accusation. It may bs common knowledge that the prohibition law is being violated ' here. It is common. knowledge that it is being violated in probably every city in the United | States. That is not the point, however, of fair criticism of the administrative authorities. Is there proof that the law is beigg violated with the knowledge of officials, and that if they were so disposed the officials charged with en- forcement could punish the violators and stop the practice? : ‘The President has met this challenge fairly and’squarely. It would be im- proper for him to.adopt the method suggested by the Senator from Nebraska, that of setting up & com-/ petitive enforcement agency in the personnel of the secret service force, to stimulate the regularly appointed Similarly, no new non-resident pupils will be admitted to Western until after ‘Washington children have been accom- modated. Before many years have passed school officials will have to con- tend with the problem of enlarging ‘Western or building a new high. school for Northwest Washington. Central, as huge a machine as that has come to be, has been working at peak production for several years. The new Roosevelt High School, planned for Thirteenth and Upshur, may solve the Northwest high school problem for a short time, but it is being built to replace old Busi- ness High. ———————— Faith in humanity is & beautiful thing. But it is carried too far when brokers intrusted more than a half mil- Hon dollars to a boy messenger. ————————— Preventive Political Medicine. While the ‘world is still shocked by recent tragic events in Palestine, Great Britain has moved, with characteristic acumen, to check the spread of tribal v vest in her Moslem domains. Iraq, - former]y Mesopotamia, was mandated to the British by the League of Nations along with the Holy Land. Now the London government has de- cided to relinquish the mandate and grant the country limited sovereignty. A draft treaty, which will regulate Anglo-Traq relations on' the lines pro- posed for the new Anglo-Egyptian re- lations, is immediately to be negotiated. Downing street, as -usual, here indi- cates a fine perception of the psycho- logical factors in Britain's always men- acing Eastern problem. India remains the crown jewel in the imperial diadem gh the setting is not as secure as #t-§night be—because of the principle l lm | officials of enforcement to®action under threat of loss of position. The proposal of such a method by the Senator from Nebraska i§ so extraordinary that it must be regarded as a figure of speech rather than a serious suggestion. Now it would appear that nothing is.to come of exchange of state- ments, for the senatorial critic has no definite charges or facts to present, and it is quite impossible to conduct an investigation on the basis of “common knowledge.” e 1t 15 explaihed by Charles E. Hughes that he will support La Guardia's candidacy, He made the announce- ment immediately on arriving, showing that his minute attention to world af- fairs has not prevented him from re- taining a close interest in local politics. e Men behaved disgracefully in the De- troit night club panic. A gigolo, how- ever good & dancer, is likely to prove a bad hand at-a fire. The Tariff Blocs. The tariff blocs in the Senate are multiplying. There is the bloc which stands for an increase in the farm and related schedules only, in which Senator of Idaho and a number of other ‘Western Republicans are foremost. An- other Western bloc is out for increases on particular items in which their States have interests, such as shingles. This may be dubbed the “shingle bloc” for want of a better .name.” There is the Democratio bloc, which wishes in- creased duties on a number of the products of their States, half a dozen in nimber, including Sénators from Louisi- ana, Florida and, § few other States. to be entitled to consideration as any- thing other than a mere grafter. A night club is not considered a suc- cess in circles of sensational journalism unless it keeps thé police and the fire department busy. R SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Birds. The present with the past is linked In terms of sorrowing fame. The Dodo now is quite extinct— ‘The reedbird is the same. That reedbird greatly we would prize Perched on a bit of toast! ‘The Dodo had its beat for size— ‘We loved the reedbird most! On the Move. “Where do you stand on the tariff?” “I wouldn't say} I'm exactly standing anywhere,” ans Senator Sorghum, “I have to shift my position so much that I feel almost as if I were on roller skates.” Jud Tunkins says people who talk about something no one should read are invariably those who have found pleasure in getting familiar with the da- tails, Financing the Alr, My Radio! My Radio! Your greetings fill the place, And every minute on the go Means advertising space. Wish Gratified. “My early wish avas that of the poet, who said he wanted to live in a house by the road and be a friend of man.” “Did realize this wish?” “Yes. I bought myself a gas filling station.” “Seeking, to harm an enemy,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is wast- ing time. bring it upon himself.’s Books, They told me books would make me wise; Perhaps this may be so— And yet, how much they advertise ‘That I don't care to know! ‘The birds were sitting in & row on of the llflg roof, waiting e cat to leave the yard, in order that they migitt descend again to their feast of grass seed. The grass was going to seed. Autumn Unexpeoted. blov. leaving SIRHE Drowh , lea own areas in the back yard, in which the sparrows came to look for food. Again the universal pc}unl called Fall had come around. Just a touch of it, true, but behind that touch loomed the -uu&v work of the under-| guner, easily read by the practical gar- en eve. Nothing was as it had been. l:(n the grass, sturdiest weed of them all, was get! brown, and how could the rest o ¢ growing things escape: ‘There no hope. Autumn had come, no&'xth tical melancholy but with a glad id whist through leafy trees, which soon would be put- ing on appropriate tints. * ok k% Several wecks before the ¢ool.snap, which followed the first real rains after the two months’ dry spell, ths althea bushes decided that they had done enough for one season. ‘The quitting of the altheas, known 150 as Rose of Sharon, a beautiful name, spells the end of the garden for other season even more surely than t grass or withered diolus leaves or rosebushes gone to pot. The husky, lovable althea bush has a way of drooping its topmost branches, as if tired of turning out pretty laven- der, pink or white blossoms for idle boys to snatch off to find bumblebees. ‘The althea bends down its branches, giving it the frayed look of an outcast, tired with all the dolor of Swinburne’s poems, but unable to say a word for itself. It stands mute by the gate; dropping its branches, almost ready to let go its leaves, . In a Maryland suburb recently we saw an entire hedge of altheas, each bush clipped back to about 3 feet, each doing its best to send out plenty of blooms. To cut this old favorite back so severely is ‘to treat it badly. The althea does best at about 6 feet high. Thus it gets a chance to grow up to its best. If permitted to get much higher it develops its bad habit of lopping over at the top. L - Is there a prettier combination of cut flowers than roses and gladioli? It was these two, seen in a vase in a store, which started the writer here on his gladiolus researches five years ago. Since that time he has permit- ted the gladiolus beds to grow smaller and smaller, owing to various circum- stances, but his enthusiasm for the regal flowery has not waned a bit. Especially” do the small varieties, called Primulinus, combine attractively with roses for table decoration. There is a certain hardiness, too, about the “prims” which gives them. a standard place in the enthusiast's garden. In our limited experience the Primu- linus varieties stand up better, year after year, than the large plain petaled or ruffied varietles. The latter are splendid beyond comparison, but with ordinary home garden cultivation the bulbs tend to * out.” There is a real satisfaction to the Primulinus “glads” which the big type misses. Particularly we recommend the pink ones, such as Maiden's Blush. ‘These combine well with that splen- did, common rose, the Radiance. Those who protest Radiance because of its short stem, which isn't short at all, often growing as long as 3 feet, which BY“FREDERIC Mildest-mannered of men is Senator “Sam” Shortridge of California, chair- man of the naval affairs subcommittee, now turning the searchlight on the propagandist activities of Willlam B. Shearer. Yet beneath the velvet glove with which the tall sycamore of the Golden Gate is conducting the inquiry, there is unmistakably a hand with a punch. The somewhat funereal and boring in with an uppercut that every now and then leaves a witness in obvi- ous barrassment. When Shearer’s crosS-examination is fully under way, Shortridge will have 'a real chance to do his stuff. The Senator is experi- enced in the law and it's not the first time he’s had a shifty witness on the The probe chairman has a f keen adjutants in Senators Robinson of Arkansas and Allen of Kansas. Robinson has a habit of shoot- ing a surprise interrogatory at a witness and insisting on‘a straight-from-the- shoulder answer, without quibbling or side-stepping. Allen has the news- fact-extracting. ; * Ok ok X Shearer is the type sometimes called Jand Monte: g If he deserves harm, he will e sardonic. He must play a good game of poker, He has at any rate the face that goes with it. He can screw it into a grimace and keep it there without conveying the slightest idea what's going on behind it. You get the im- Eresslon—or did get it in the early ours of proceedings in the committee room—that Shearer is hugely enjoying the whole business. If it perturbs him, no glimmer of such an emotion escapes him. He seems neither to agree nor dlugree with anything his late ship- builder employers say of him. Shearer could enact the role of & cunning diplo- mat in & medieval drama without a make-up. It remains to be proved that his_activities at Geneva broke up the 1927 cruiser ference. But you can- not look at him without believing that he was e‘plble‘ox‘min :n achievement. dent William Grahani Everson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Muncie, Ind., to be chief of the militia burcau at the War ent is wholly without parallel in history of the American, and of any other, Army. Though an act! has soldier. made him a brigadier general in com- mand of the 76th Infantry Brigade. His record in two ewars—World and B R eirit, Dalmaiia, Serbla ) , Austria, y b . This Hoosler Chris- completed the staff pan wlfl!e‘rum Fort Leavenworth cot the Army War College in Wi rfil:vnua to peace, no Jacifism corrodes Gen, Everson’s ideas of his country’s needs in the m}m of ‘national defense. old. He is 50 m‘ a a An appointment, probably as unique in its way as Rev. Mr. Everson’s eleva- tion to an executive post in the War Department, is the election of Dr. Cloyd Heck , t of George Wi nive , to nt'heeb;l.lrdbo( directors of & Jum| street railway corporation. College pro- fessors aren’t usually accused of know- it business. Marvin “When you thinks you's doin’ t0o | haj much work,” said Uncle Eben, “is de time to stop an see whether work seems to come hard because you has let yoh- se'f get out o' practice.” — ——ome Padded Poles. Prom the Loulsville Times. In Utopia all telephone and unctuous San Franciscan has a habit of. paper man's directness and talent for | > ia | York the kind of D. €, MONDAY, KEP BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. 1s much too long, ld see a blue vase filled with , between wi are placed a few spikes of Maiden's Blush. One does not have to be an artist with' long hair to like the effect. * ok Kk ¥ What do-the home gardeners think of this as a zinnia year? With us this favorite plant did remarkably poor. It is di t to account for the rapidity with which the bushes turned brown during'the drought. It is from Mexico and should be able to stand plenty of sun. Maybe it needs water to stand sun, Certainly this is the first year that we have not had zinnias doing well far into October, or even No- Ve o things fnay account for this state o may a of zinnia affairs—either our seed was poor to begin with, or we did not water the plants enough. We rather suspect that the second reason is the true one. Watering at the right time, during dry Summer, spells the. salvation of 'a g‘r:.cn. condition of the grass, however, more than makes up for the failure with zinnias. Surely the grass never looked better at this time, and this, despite the same dry spell which worked havoc with the Even after going to seed, the grass looks green and lush, despite the evi- dences of browning aforementioned. It can be stated with all the positiveness of the amateur gardener—and no pro- fessional is as positive, of course—that ass put on its own, as it were, sinks ft: roots down deep in order to get low-lying water, and, so doing, man- ages to keep living long and well. * % ¥ X Those who have been troubled with poor stands of grass should practice the non-watering method, as advocated in this column for the past two years. Forethree years we persisted in the error of sprinkling the very life out of our grass. The résult of our little back-yard sea was-that the roots, find- ing all the water on the surface, stayed up there to enjoy themselves in the moisture. . When cold weather strucs them, of course, they promptly curled up and died. The result was that we had re- seed every Spring. Since permitting the hose to remain idle most of the Summer, in so far as the grass is con- cerned, we have a nice stand of grass early in the Spring, and reseeding has n reduged to a minimum. Not only does grass so treated come up earlier and thicker in the Spring, but it looks better all Summer, and muu greener longer in the Fall. home gardener is likely to forget that l{nu is, after all, 8 meadow weed. Recall to memory the childhood pic- tures of great green meadows, rolling in the sunshine of bygone days. Yes, they were. just as green as ‘memory paints them. This is one thing recollection does not cheat you on. ‘The old swimming hole may be a disappointment, and the home town not_as wonderful as you remembered it, but the meadows there then, and there yet, are just as lushy and tasty to the cows of ‘29 as they were to the bovine creatures of two or three decades ago. Grass! It is the best plant in the garden, after all. A garden without grass is no garden at all, merely a collection of plants, but a yard filled with beau- tiful grass, al it have not so much as a lilac bush in it, still presents a beautiful, pleasing sight. We think that the Lord must have thought so, too, because He made so much of it. 1 WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS WILLIAM WILE. ing discussion of sea armament. A new book calied “America’s Naval Chal- lenge,” by Frederick Moore, interna- tional newspaper correspondent, is now being sent broadcast in Washington with a‘ facsimile letter from Mr. ‘Wickersham. “This is a narrative so clear and so informing” he writes, “that it should be read by allewho desire an understanding of the problems involved in our naval policy and its relation to peace on the Atlantic and the Pacific.” Mr. Moore's book depicts Uncle Sam as the villain of the inter- national naval piece because since the war we've led the world in new ship- building. He does not suggest that we'll ever use our fleet aggressively, but de- clares th ‘only the further develop- ment of navalism here, causing ultimate such a thing as war about.” * ok ok x A well known Washington lawyer recently had his life made miserable by a radio loud speaker in an adjoining aj nmenxt. the residence of an officer one o United States. Appeals to turn off the disturber late at night proved futile. ‘The lawyer decided upon other tactics. The officer in question has been trans- ferred to a post of duty on the other side of the world. . A * ok ok % A memento of the presidential acht Mayflower now finds lodgment the White House. It's a brass ship's clock, which for years was the boat's official timepiece. Mounted on ‘a chunk of sturdy oak, the clock now does duty in the little office just to the right of the main entrance to the White House, where “Ike” Hoover, veteran chief usher; secret service men and others make their headquarters. A legend lettered in gilt records that the clock once was on the U. S. S. May- flower. * x ok X luced at Tokio. “Tojin Okichi,” a celebrated girl who comforted the Ameri- can diplomat in the declining years of his life in Japan. Commodore ' mll!;lm.' which w Nippon to , also figure e 3 (Copyright, 1929.) i New Yorker Praises Tammany as Efficient To the Editor of The Star: ing & New Yorker anda Republican, I'm both interested and muugl at the editorial in The Star anent the city election for mayor-of New York. ‘The opposition to Tammany may be tersely described as “a chaotic collection of calamitized candidates bent uj "erystallizing the grievances of their fol- lowers into platforms of vituperation that will prove a magnet for mal- contents of New York City politics.” The defeat of Tammany would be a positive detriment to the welfare of New York City. Tammany is not im- ble; but Tammany "is efficient. any knows and understands the heterogeneous lation of New York and Tammany gives the people of New government th‘n an overwhelmin, ition Wan to that Wi ROBERT J. DIXON. New York City. Disappointing. Prom the Springfield (IlL) Staie Resister. ‘War profiteers are to sus- ¥ ol pect,that 1t Hoover -um"'»‘.'.‘:?a.um foreign alliances against us, can bring | egislal the | £2515 aiways fra t. | applied under mvp TEMBER 23, 1929. Left Turns and Barriers Make a Hectic Afternoon To_the Editor of The Star: I am writing to place before a rrative which, I believe, m'.lmuhe President’s and other agencies by mmbenm of e concerned with tracing the origin of crime in this country today. I suggest that {4 explains much, and that all murders are not due to strong drink nor suicides to economic depression or disappointments in love. other afternoon about 4 o'clock I left Pennsylvania avenue and Eleventh street on a mission of kindness, the same being te transport, in my auto- mobile, & y who wished me to take her to Eighth street just below D. The sun was shining, there was a nip of Fall in the air, the motor ran smooth and 1 was generously to my fellow man. At Eighth street and Pennsyl- vania avenue a large proportion of the automobile population of Washington had drawn up on the right-hand side of the street, in accordance with the advar.ced views on the left-hand turn held by our traffic director. The cars a | Were at least two abreast, so that the passageway straight down the Avenue was considerably restricted. I decided, upon my arrival, that the popular thing to do that afternoon was to make a left- hand turn into Eighth street, and so, being a man who is agreeably surprised to find himself in tune with mankind, mgumwaup l: Mt;r"t)o the right as and ‘awal e signal from the tgnflc officer in the center of the stree He witnessed my arrival and I thought I detected a gleam of welcome in his eye as if he wanted to sing “Hail, Hall, the Gang’s All Here,” or something to that effect. Several cars behind me, however, were out of step and wanted to pass on down the Avenue. They blew and tooted and finally moved round me and went on their way. The traffic officer, giving me a glance now and then, went on about his work and I waited patiently, realizing that & traffic officer has his little ways and hates to change anything, the progress of traffic up and down Pennsylvania avenue for instance. But suddenly I noticed that he was blowing his whistle. He was blowlag at me and pointing down the street in the direction of the Capitol. But—and I made suitable mo- tions to demonstrate my theory—I did not want to go to the Capitol. I wanted to go into Eighth street. I am a citi- zen and this was Constitution week. But the policeman was obdurate. He insisted with his whistle and his white- |gloved hand. I shook my head and | started to stand up for my rights to make that left-hand turn, in accord- i ance with the carefully -considered | views of the traffic director. But I re- membered the Whisky Rebellion and the Civil War and decided that I was in the minority, so moved on down the Avenue. T had to go beyond Seventh street before I could turn around. ‘When I came back to Eighth street I tried to turn right into that thorough- fare, but found my way blocked this time by the majority of Washington's automobiles which had decided to make a left-hand turn south on Eighth street and were drawn up on the right-hand side of the street in accordance with the expert views-of the traffic director. By this time I was ready and anxious to kill'somebody. My actions intimidated a small lady in a small coupe, who re- luctantly backed far efiough out of the way to let me get into Eighth street. I parted with my passenger and started home. Proceeding north on Tenth street, I had sbout convinced myself that my case was exceptional and that I was merely a pawn in the city'’s game of chess anyhow and had no right to com- plain, when I suddenly came upon a barrier on Tenth street at I. I street at this point is within speaking distance of New York avenue. There was noth- ing between me and New York avenue but broad and inviting concrete and the barrier. But north of New York avenue on Tenth there were workmen doing something to the street, I street is & one-way street for eastbound traf- fic. So I had to furn right info I street, along with & great crowd of fellow mo- torists, and by fits and starts, chiefly fits, -edge my way east through dense smoke. At Ninth street 2 left-hand turn was impossible. So I moved on down to my old friend Bighth and by good fortune managed to get into the traffic stream and go north m‘;&e :uhlil;yl.ik- brary, zigzag my way lew Yorl -vzan\e and finally, after waiting for long periods in order to goose-step my way past the signal lights, reached the relative quiet of Massachusetts avenue. All of this last maneuver was because some playful person, lacking brains and knowledge of the consequences, had placed a barrier on Tenth street a block away from where it was needed. and thus diverted’a huge stream of traffic, of which I was a mere bubble, into the narrow confines of a one-way street go- ing the wrong way. On my wey home, harassed and fa- tigued, I was scared half out of my re- maining wits by the incessant scream of an ambulance siren and moved over to the right in time to see the vehicle dash madly north, probably bound on the emergent mission of rescuing the United States from the League of Na- tions or something of that sort, for nothing else would justify such speed and noise. 3 1 see by the papers that the traffic di- rector wants $5,000 to conduct & traffic survey, which means the compilation of graphs and charts and possibly figures on the number of automobiles, driven by female drivers, that pass a given point in a given time, and what pro- portion of these drivers are going after their husbandsd!lnd what proportion have no husbands. But T maintain that this $5,000 would be more valuable if used to teach those who have to do with traffic the value of preventing crime by using common intelligence $n placing barrier signs across the streets and in adopting & left- hat works. hand turn rule tha S KELWAY. Writer Holds Law in Blackmer Case Invalid edi- esday, September 18, 1929. f you have t:;oc“k;s‘tl sight of lamental constitutiol consid- :"r‘:fi{l‘:\ns‘?mvolved? ‘With Mr. Blackmer and his punishment the writer he especial concern, but in the ‘constitu- tional principle’ sought to be estab- lished in his case, every American cit- izen® lawyer and layman alike, ought to_be vitally interested. Your editorial makes only a-passing reference u‘;h the pmvlis{‘om of the Walsh . You then conclude: “"'Hu counsel has attacked the Walsh law as unconstitutional. This Govern- ment is entitled to bring back essential witnesses to appear in court trials, even though they may be in foreign lands. It is a revolting thing that justice should be thwarted by the expedient adopted by the ofl man to prevent his being questioned in court.” “In the first place, the Walsh act, while framed in general terms, was passed f¢ the express purpose of “getting” Black- mer, and O' . As a practical matter eral 1 tion htés"n'l‘elet [3 mc’l:o its effects when erent cire I wonder i one can anticl] future cases. Secondly, in order to fit the d"mnmcuhrofl Congress may that the writs and processes courts of the United States shall operaf extraterritorially. No country even con. tends that it has a right to follow one of its citizens aecused of crime inf ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ‘The answers to questions printed here each day are specimens picked from the mass of inquiries hmqfid by our great information bureau main- tal in Washington, D. C. This valuable service is for the free use of the public. Ask any question of fact you may want to know and you- will get an immediate reply. Write plainly, inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return_postage, and address The Eve- ning Star Information Bureau, Fred- eric_J. Haskin, direcior, Washington, D. C. 7 . Q. What is the name of the song puyg'\: before'each of the “Collegians” n Iking pictures?—I. K. C. A. “Oh, How We Love Our College.” is the theme song of “the Collegians.” Q. What is the value of diamonds owned in the United States?—J. D. A. According to a survey completed by the Continental Insurance Co., four billion dollars is the value of diamonds owned in the United States. It is stated that most of the stones are of average size, few of the world's largest dia- monds being owned here. Q. In what way. do the Thugs of India differ from ordinary murderers or criminals?>—H. D. C. A. The Thugs were originally a re- ligious sect or caste honoring the god- dess Kall (wife of Siva) by bloodless sacrifice of victims. They are known to have existed as early as 1290, but be- came generally known about 1800. The method was strangulation by means of a knotted cloth and they preyed mostiy upon travelers. Certain castes were ex- empt, including evashermen, sweepers, oil venders, musicians, poets, lepers, bearers of the holy Ganges water and those who had with them a cow. Neither would a true Thug kill a woman. In 1831 the British government .adopted | drastic measures for their suppression. | Q. How deep is Lake Tanganylka in Central Africa?—K. C. A. Depths of 4,190 feet have been lo- in various parts of Lake Tangan- yika, which is believed to be formed in the craters of an extinct volcanic range. Q. What is the capacity of the esca- lators in the store of R. H. Macy & Co.? —E.H.F. A. It is estfmated that the present escalator systems in Macy's are capable of carrying 240,000 persons upstairs from the street floor. Q. Is Florence Trumbull’s engagement ring a solitaire?—G. D. A. Miss Florence Trumbull, who is to become Mrs, John Coolidge, has 13 stones in her engagement ring. There is a large central diamond, with three smaller ones on each side and six others relieving the platinum filigree setting. Q. Has the Transcontinental Air Transport Co. discontinued service?— C. 8. R. Service on the Transcontinental Alr Transport Co. was suspended only temporarily following the wreck. This| suspension was in order that all of the | planes belonging to the company could | be used in searching for the lost ship. | . Is it correct to refer to a calling as an avocation?—J. D. | A. A Dictionary of Modern !:nzllshl Usage says: “Avocation, originally a | calling away, an interruption, a dis- | traction, was for some time commonly used as a synonym for vocation, or call- | ing, with which it is properly in antith- | esis. This misuse is now less com- mon-and the wdrd is generally used in |/zoval purple. such is neither excluded from nor nec- . essarily included in his avocations.” Q. Did Paul Revere practice dentis- try along with his other trades?—H. F. A. In the Journal of the American Dental Association, Dr. Arthur Black quotes an advertisement taken from the Boston Gazette for August 29, .1768: “Whereas many Persons are s0 unfor- tunate as to lose their Forc Teeth by Accident and otherways, to their great Detriment, not only in Looks but speak- ing bothe in Public and Private; This is to inform all such that they may have them replaced with false Ones that look as well as the Natural and answet the end of speaking to all In- tents by Paul Revere, Goldsmith, near the Head of Dr. Clark's wharf, Boston.” Q Who wr the song _called “Sweetheart of Sigma Chi"?—E. G. A. The words of the song, “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” were writ- ten by Byron D. Stokes and the music by F. Dudleigh Vernon. Q. Please describe the Theatre Pi- galle in Paris—W. E. A. The Theatre Pigalle, built by Baron Henri de Rothschild at a cost of two million dollars, is said to be an exquisite example of modernism in architecture. The interior is built of solid mahogany, the chairs are covered with rose velvet, and there is a I glass dome in the ceiling lighted by thousands of electric bulbs. There are several foyers, one of which is built for dancing. The Theatre Pigalle will open in October with a spectacular play by Sascha Guitry. This production is said to call for 50 scenes. Q. Is dry air in a house destructive to rugs?>—L. O. A. One of the contributory causes of wear in rugs is air without moisture. Wool, in its natural state, holds 35 per cent water. Lack of sufficient humidity causes the rugs to “fuzz out,” thus los- ing p'ln of the wool woven into them. Q. What was the cost of the new eogrtll;oun at Santa Barbars, Calif.? A. This structure, of pure Castilian sdf'i;%’bolz “I‘td to h;ve cost more than ,360,000. was designed by Willlam Mooser of San Francisco and is a splen- did example of architecture that fits its environment. The site of the building is on the spot where the first governor, Gaspar de Portol men on their arri Q. What does household electricity cost the average family?>—B. 8. A. In 1928 the average bill for 19.00&000 wired homes was $2.50 per month. Q. How many Government Indian schools are there and how many teach- TC lll"e employed in these schools? A. There are 220 Government Indian schools and approximately 575 ele- mentary teachers. Q. Is_there & town named Broad- way?—R. Y. A, There is an old Norman town in England dating back to the seventh or eighth century by this name. Q. What color is the Thomas Edison dahlia?—N. M. . A. This spectacular new dahlia, named after the inventor, is a rich Q. Is there a woman railroad presi- dent?>—T. L. D. A. Mrs, Thomas ‘W. Bickett, widow of former Gov. Bickett of North Caro- the plural. a person's avocations being | the things he devotes time to, his pur- | suits or engagements in general, the | affairs he has to see to; his vocation as | lina, has been appointed president of the North Carolina Rafll’oldp. which was built by the State and is leased to the One outstanding phase of the selec- tion of Claudius H. Huston as head which calls for public comment, is his close contact with President Hoover. This is interpreted as evidence that the occupant of the White House has his eye on the party machinery. As Mr. Huston has been a resident of Ten- nessee, his interest in the South also is emphasized. His ability as a business m;:dnnd in politics is generally recog- Stating: that the new chairman was selected by the President, the Chat- tanooga Times (independent Demo- cratic) adds: “The situation is not al- ther different from that existing with reference to the chairmanship of the Democratic nal committee, which place Alfred E. Smith filled with Mr. Raskob,” and the Fargo Forum (Republican) considers that since “Mr. Huston is the personal choice of Mr. Hoover.” his selection “indicates the very strong grip Mr. Hoover has upen the party machinery.” The Forum be- lieves that “Mr. Huston has demon- strated the qualities of leadership, ana his past service gives assurance that he will make d.” ‘That it is “quite probable that Presi- dent Hoover made the selection because of personal regard and confidence in Mr. Huston’s managerial ability” is the conclusion of the Sioux City Tr-k.we (inderendent), while the Altoona Mir- ror (independent) states that he President’s friends and admirers are apparently of the opinion that the time has arrived when it becomes expedient for him to assume control of things.” The Tulsa World (independent Demo- cratic) sees “the Republican party as the Hoover party,” and describes the new chairman is not a stranger to the-policies of the President and it is assured that he will ‘give his undi- vided assistance to making the present administration a success,” says the Manchester Union (independent Repub- ll;ln)fiuwflh the furthe “by er comment that association with Mr. Hoover for two years as Assistant Secfetary of Commerce, and later in the presiden- tial campaign, he must have juired a knowledge of and sympathy with the President’s principles and methods that will add greatly to his efficiency.” It is.“obvious” to the Toledo Blade (independent * Republican) that ‘“the best interests of the Republican party and of President Hoover are at this time identical, and the election’ to the national chairmanship of a successful | Southern ‘business man—the first| Southerner who ever has been so hon- ored—means that the Republicans who carried Kentucky, Tennessee. Florida, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia at the last election are determined that there shall be no re-establishment of a Democratic solid South.” «The Roches- ter Times-Union (independent) also! emphasizes the chairman’s position as| another country and return _him to the trial. This result can be accomj in one way only, namely, in pursuance of a treaty of egngmon un e:hvhlch 1 coun! ivers up the per- % oolnthl‘: . For us to attempt to exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction T e e canmos o so With repect ‘we cal 80 accused of crime, is a mani- ous with the | the United States. observance of this na €3 it ling " aernations] B of the Republican national committee, | s Southern Railway Co. Hoover’s Influence in Party " Seen ‘in Huston’s Selection “a capable man, a keen manager, good aker and one who knows men and ituations,” and holds that “it is good politics at this time for the Republican party to nurse the successes which it gained throughout the South last Fall.” Testimony to his ability is given by the Saginaw Daily News (independent) and lhs erhill Gazette (independent). ‘Mr. Hoover's purpose to purify the Republican party in the South of the abuses from which it has suffered many years” is commended by the Seattle Daily Times (independent Republican), and the Los Angeles Express (Repub- lican) assumes that “that task will be for Mr. Huston to perform.” The South Bend Tribune (independent Republi- can) sa; ‘As one of the first Hoover- for-President advocates, Mr. Huston de- served the chairmanship on grounds of loyalty. As early as 1920, recalls’ that paper, “he was working in a_Republi- can national convention for . Hoo- ver's nomination. The President and the new chairman met first while the former was Food Administrator. As Secretary and Assistant Sacretary of Commerce in the Harding-Coolidge ad- ministrations, they worked together with happy results.” “The Republican national committee, under the Hoover-Huston regime,” in the judgment of the Philadelphia Eve- ning Bulletin (indeperident Republican). “‘may not capture the South. It may be expected, however, to consolidate and conserve the growing Republican strength in the Southern States. To this end it will dignify the Republican pa: in the South with significance other than the distributor of official pap when it is in power at Washington. Party organization in Southern States and their national committeemen who represent primarily the office-seeking crew are not likely to win much favor in competition with nization and committeemen representing substantial interests looking to the Republican party for tariff protection, sound finan- cial programs or other contributions to material welfare.” Denying that much influence can be exerted in the South, the Fort Worth Record-Telegram (Democratic) argues: “The ‘Southern’ influence of the new chairman is, to say the least. negligible. There are those who would have ad- vised President Hoover to declare for his selection merely because of personal friendship. * They are the ones who did not confuse the issues which brought about the break in the erstwhile ‘solid uth.’ The Republican party did not iave a thing to do with that disaffec- tion in Democracy. The Democrats who do not feel themselves bound by an, overwhelming majority of the party's delegates had the chbice of either go- ing Republican or going fishing. They chose the former. The selection of such a ‘Southerner’ as Chairman Huston will have no effect on the geography of the problem.” ! Referring to the “representations that Mr. Huston is ‘of’ the South” as “low comedy,” the Birmingham News places him in New York and advises: “There was raised for Mr. Hoover’s campaign last year. It is there that Republican - sinews of war are likely to be gathered in the al campaign of 1930 ;;1;!2 Jn the presidential campaign of Bus as Common Carrier Requires Regulation ‘To the Editor of The Star: Let me compliment you upon your splendid editorial on “The Bus Speed Menace.” I hope that it will be brought to the attention of members of Con- gress and State Legislatures. It is a very timely and valuable treatise. You say in your article that busses are in raises the question, tion g(u bus Wby Commerce ot Federal regula traffic the Inter Commission? Eventual-