Evening Star Newspaper, October 9, 1929, Page 8

g 2 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. ‘WEDNESDAY. ...October 9, 1920 THEODORF W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Office: 11tn 8. ana Pennsylvas i 3 New York Office: 110 East 42nd 8t. Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. European Ofice; 14 Rerent St.. London. 18] Rate by Carrier Within the City. The Evening Star...... 45¢ per month The Evening und Surnda (when 4 Sundays) . 60c per month The Evening and Sunday Star (when 5 Sund 65¢ per month The Sunday Stas 5c_per copy Collection mad month. ach Orders may be sent in by mail or telephone | NAtional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia, Daily and Sunday. yr., $10.00; 1 mo., '“J only . $6.00: 1 mo., unday only . All Other States Dally and 8i 1y Dail. 1 Bun » 85¢ d in this published herein. special dispatches herein Britain's Naval Invitation. Publication today of Great Britain's fnvitation to the five-power conference to be held at London in January, 1930, brings “the question of naval disarma- ment,” as the correspondence describes it, back to the level of practical con- sideration. Naturally, during such stimulating days as Washington has passed since Mr. Macdonald’s arrival, there is an ungovernable tendency to overlook iron facts and figures and to concentrate on more abstract things and thoughts. Diplomacy, which knows the value of atmosphere, might almost have been expected to postpone such realities until after the undoubted spell of the prime minister's charm and sincerity ‘was no longer upon us. Yet the British note which accom- panies the formal conference invitation contains no surprises. It conveys to neither the American nor the British people, nor to France, Italy or Japan, any pertinent knowledge of which they were 1ot already aware. The corre- spondense now categorically places on record thLse cardinal points: 1. There is no point outstanding “of such serious importance as to prevent an agreemeni” between Britain and America, 2. The Kellogg pact is the “starting point” of their accord. 3. It is agreed that naval parity in all categories of ships shall be reached by the end of 1936. 4. Britain and America are ready, provided other powers assent, to recon- sider battleship replacement, with a view to gradual elimination of that type of vessel. 5. Both governments reafirm their publicly proclaimed desire totally to abolish submarines. 6. Fullest and frankest discussion of all controversial naval questions is in- vited between now and the time of the January conference. 7. No “new machinery” has been pro- Jected for dealing with naval limita- tion. The business of the five-power conference is to “elaborate a text which will facilitate the task of the League of Nations preparatory commission and of the subsequent general disarmament conference.” It requires no student of diplomatic niceties or international relations to read between these lines the possibili- ties of protracted discussion and of potential complications. Put briefly, here is a case of Britain and America proposing and of France, Italy and Japan clothed with the power of dis- posing, perhaps by opposing. The world first must wait to see whether France and Italy will go to London in January, 1930. They refused to go to Geneva, on the same mission, in June, 1927. Then the world will be anxious to know how insistent Japan is on the question of a 10-10-7 cruiser ratio, vis- a-vis Great Britain and the United States. Finally, and there perhaps is the rub of rubs, to what extent are France, Italy and Japan prepared to joiri the English-speaking powers in banning the submarine? At Wash- ington, in 1922, the French utterly re- Jected Britain’s plan to outlaw U-boats and demanded a minimum of 90,000 tons of “submersibles.” In Mr. Macdonald’s first public utter- ance at Washington last week, he point- ed out that were it merely a question of Anglo-American agreement on all these matters, “they could be settled in five minutes.” But it is not a two- sided question. It is a pentagonal prob- lem. Irreconcilable as it may now seem or later become, events in Washington this week are at least a guarantee that the prodigious power and prestige of Great Britain and America, and their passionate persistence in the path of peace, will be exerted at every stage in the direction toward which man- kind longs to march. That goal is not merely a ton-and-gun treaty. The ob- Jective Is a world made safer against war. ‘Those who seek to block the way will assume a responsibility ill-designed to give them an honorable place in his- tory. oo The idea of national hostilities was! long based on the idea that the Eng- lish Channel constituted an impassable geographic barrier. Now almost any- body can swim it. —e—t—————. Honor to Whom Honor Is Due. In Washington this week, quietly per- forming his newspaper man’s task, is a modest American journalist who prob- ably is more responsible than any other person for Mr. Ramsay Macdonald’s presence on American soil. He is Ed- ward Price Bell of the Chicago Dally News. For a quarter of a century the London representative of the late Vie- tor F. Lawson’s great paper, Mr. Bell for the past six or seven years has been its special foreign correspondent. His "n-' signment” has been the world. In the columns of his paper Bell has Just outlined in detail the story of how the British prime minister came to em- bark upon his present historic mission. It is a dramatic story and Bell treats it literally in dramatic style. It begins with “the prelude”—a conversation the correspondent had with the then Pres- ident-tlect Hoover aboard the U. S. 8. Utah off Hatteras in January last. In chapter and verse fashion the news- paper mah narrates how Mr. Hoover and he canvassed “the British-Ameri- can situation” and how their confab wound up with a suggestion from the :: oclock in the afternoon of June 4 a v man about to become President that Bell should carry out & projected “mis- sion of inquiry” in Great Britain. He ¢'1 so, and then, in a succeeding section of his engrossing narrative en- titled “The Play Opens in London,” Bell describes his interviews with J. L. Garvin, editor of the Observer, “the Edmund Burke of our time, a great pro- Briton, a great pro-American,” who pledged his powerful.support of Bell's desire to clear up British public opin- ion as to the safety and sanity of Her- bert Hoover’s world outlook. ‘Thereupon follow in fascinating se- quence sectors of Bell's Odyssey cap- tloned: “Enter Hoover as Actor,” his earliest pronouncements on peace and naval limitation. alogue With Cham- berlain,” “Macdonald Takes the Stage,” “And Then the Climax,” and finally, “Epllogue.” \ ‘Threading through the story in its concluding stages is the account of what led up to the concrete suggestion to Mr. Macdonald, now re-established at No. 10 Downing street as prime minister, that the new leader of Britain should “go to Washington for a con- ference with President Hoover.” At five telephone call to Bell in his London hotel room brought the news that he was authorized to say “that if Presi- dent Hoover invites Mr. Macdonald to visit Washington there will be an ac- ceptance of the invitation within twen- ty-four hours.” The momentous tid- ings were cabled to President Hoover the same evening. ‘The rest is history—the history in the making before our eyes, here on the Rapidan and the Potomac, this week. It is yet another, and one of the most portentous, of the examples, of which our times occasionally are witness, of the role that journalists of vision play in the major affairs of the human family. No matter how the Hoover-Macdon- ald conversations turn out, there is im- perishable glory in them for the Ameri- can newspaper man who discreetly and definitely paved the way. The Star be- lieves it is & typical case of paying honor where honor is due. oo Justice and Politics. Almost immediately after the nomi- nation of candidates in the New York municipal campaign an attack was made upon the Tammany organization on the score of the failure of the district attorney to prosecute what has come to be known as the Rothstein case. One man had been indicted for the murder of the late gambler, but trial was post- poned on the ground that a fellow de- fendant has fled and has never been recaptured. The Republican fusion candidate for mayor, Representative La Guardia, and the Republican candi- date for district attorney, Mr. Coudert, made the Rothstein case a lively issuc, charging that scandalous relations be- tween Tammany officials and the under- world of New York were being hidden in the failure to prosecute. So sharp and incessant was the clamor of criticism that finally the dis- trict attorney announced that he wouid bring McManus, the defendant, to trial immediately to prove that his office and Tammany had nothing to fear from the proceedings and disclosures. The case was assigned to the court of Judge Charles C. Nott, who is one of the three Republican jurists of the general ses- sions. Yesterday Judge Nott set the case for trial on the 12th of November and announced that he would in no eir- cumstances consent to having the case heard prior to the election. He would not permit a murder trial with a man’s life at stake to be utilized as a factor in a political campaign. This refusal to rush the trial of & man accused of murder is a commend- able action. There is altogether too much politics now in such proceed- ings in States and ‘municipalities where judges and trial officers and prosecutors are elected. District attor- neys sometimes pitch their campaigns for re-election in terms of the number of their convictions, without regard to the merits of the cases that have been tried. Often in other places, as in New York now, the inactivity of prosecuting offi- cials, perhaps fully justified by the condition of court calendars and by the state of the cases themselves, has been made subject of attack. ‘There should never be any mixture of politics and justice. This man Mec- Manus, accused of killing another, has a right to a trial in a state of public calm. Similarly, for ‘the sake of the public welfare, the trial should be held without any regard for political impli- cations or effects. At the same time it is decidedly unfortunate that there should have been in this particular case a delay which furnished ground for criticism in & political campalgn. If|. the court calendars were kept more nearly current there would never be ground for such scandalous charges as those that have been current in New York in this campaign. e So many financial opportunities have been made available to Al Smith that some admirers of his political energy fear he may permit himself to be en- rolled as one of the idle rich. ————rat— Ehmke's Great Performance. Every world series of base ball games contributes its thrills and additions to the “record.” Yesterday's opener of the 1929 championship contest between the leaders of the American and Na- tional Leagues was “one for the book,” as base ball parlance goes. In the first place, it was a close, hard-fought game from start to finish. At any moment a single hit would have settled it differently. Furthermorc. the pitch- ing assignment of the Athlc 'cs was a surprise. The name of Ehmke, veteran right-hander, had not been included in the possibilities for the opening role. Yet he turned in one of the finest games ever pitched in a world series, and he hung up a new all-time record by striking out thirteen Cub batsmen in the course of the nine innings, climaxing by “fanning” a pinch hitter in the ninth, with two on base, to end the game. So tense was the situation that a Chicago loyal rooter, listening in at home to the broadcast account of the contest, dropped dead on hearing the news of this third strike. But what is tragedy for some is joy for others, and Philadelphia now is cheered greatly by this initial victory. But base ball is an uncertain quantity. Today’s game may be quite different, and the world championship is not always de- | sald cided by the opening contest. & ‘Washington takes a particular inter- est in yesterday's game, inasmuch as Ehmke, the hero of the pccasion, might once have been & member of the local team. Fourteen years ago he was acquired from Los Angeles by Wash- ington, but he became temperamental and went into the outlaw Federal League instead of coming to the Cap- ital. When the peace pact was signed to end the base ball war Washington failed to put in a claim for the pitcher and he reverted to Los Angeles, frora which team he was drawn by Detroit in 1916, serving there for six seasons, then going to Boston and finally to Philadelphia. Always rated as an ec- centric performer, Ehmke has now proved his mettle in a way to justify any peculiarities that he may hereafter manifest. B Research by Plane. Raised by successive developments to the point of becoming a practical ineans of transportation, the airplane, which THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Many people labor under a mistaken ided as to what a home library ought| to %o _contain. ‘They divide books into two classes— those which they will “want to keep” and those which they will not “want to keep.” Unfortunately, they often make utility the sole criterian. The natural result of this is that they are willing to purchase volumes which they believe to be classification, but are seldom seen buy- ing books which they lump off into the second. ‘Too often they draw a sharp line be- tween utilitarian books and the other sort, preferring books of reference to those artistic, cultural or whatnot. This is a very easy idea to get, and one as easy to lose, once one stops to|tact think the matter over a bit. If one is to judge literature by the same yard- stick which he applies to automobiles, there may be much injustice done & very few years ago was a scientific | book toy, is today a highly practical factor in research. It is being employed by Comdr. Byrd in his exploration of the South Polar section. It is being used by & group of archeologists in the survey of a region in Central America in search of relics of anclent civiliza- tion. Yesterday & dispatch came floating through the air from far down on the Central American coast, a radio mes- sage from a plane piloted by Charles Lindbergh. It told of the discovery of Mayan ruins never before known by white men. The message was of a naivete worthy of record: “Flash—We have discovered regular ruins now; circling them; sclentists all het up.” Later came some details, an account of frightened natives, fleeing in terror from the strange creature of the air;, of massive relics of anclent art, of ! souvenirs of a civilization awaiting de- tailed study. Researches have been conducted in that region heretofore. One of the pas- sengers on Lindbergh's plane yesterday has been working in the field. But the flight over the area of possible dis- covery has effected the first contact with these particular ruins, and it makes much easier the work of develop- ment that is to follow. ‘This exploit of scientific field survey- ing opens important possibilities for archeologists and explorers. There still remain many places in the world where secrets of the past are to be disclosed. They are difficult of access, far from base, in some cases hidden by forests or isolated by forbidding mountains. Science has blazed many of these trails with the result of a great ehrichment of modern knqwledge concerning ancient man. Yet there are still oases of in- formation, as it were, that can be reached only by means of aircraft, and now it would seem that by this means these final mysteries will be unvetled. ———————— Macdonald and Hoover go fishing and revert to nature in disapproval of such swimming creations as battleships and submarines. They may even go duck shooting in significance of a fear- lessness of flying creations that are | represented as threatening the future. ———————— The police reporter, regardless of diplomacy and finance, makes the first page story that everybody reads. Ele- mental humanity remains supreme in interest and vindicates the poet's as- sertion, “The proper study of mankind is man —_— e Musiclans quarrel with the theaters because they have not been able to maintain their own higher artistic standards. Anybody Wwith a mouth organ or a ukulele is permitted to call himself a musician. ———t——————— Statesmen owe a strong gratitude to the magazines which provide Iliberal compensation for the privilege of revert- ing in a literary vein to boyhood's happy hours. — ——t—————— Paris is not sure whether it will like the “talkies” or not. In the meantime American producers will go ahead and meet local censure with the customary slogan, “Nobody cares!” — wt——————— 1t is now hinted that Montgomery County, Md., has a little more political responsibility than it can conveniently manage and might find it desirable to subdivide. — e ———— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The World's a Stage. “This world's & stage,” we're told In language of the poet old; And in this hurrying age We flurry and we fume and fret In contest as to who shall get The center of the stage. The airman rises in the sky, The financier comes drifting by ‘Where great contentions rage. Even at banquets we admire, We wait to see who shall acquire The center of the stage. Perquisites. “pidn’t you tell me you wanted to serve the public?” : «yes” answered Senator Sorghum. “And I am doing my best to hold out against some of these persuasive lobby- ists who tell me that service ought %0 |4, h g include tips and cover charges and everything.” Jud Tunkins says he can't see where real prosperity comes in for & man ‘who concentrates his hopes of wealth on a waste basket full of ticker tape. All in the Service. The plain policeman had his talk Regarding ways of crime, mmwmtm.mmumm:hflk A\ For parking overtime. Seeking Security. “Would you marry a man for money?” “perhaps,” answered Miss Cayenne. “Such transactions grow difficult. It seems a trifle cold-blooded to Tequest & man to pay alimony in advance.” “Quietude of an ancient temple,” sald mno.t.hencenfchhuwwn."u: happy reminder that we ought some- times to forget the present and remem- ber the past.” ‘Quarry. The reed bird we must now neglect "Mongst gunners growing tame. The prohib agents still direct An aim toward bootleg game. “DAr 1s so much religious argument,” Eben, “dat choosin' de way begins. to look to me like & L) Uncle to Heaven guessin® con! s, No doubt to some minds this pro- cedure seems eminently workable and satisfactory, and, if 5o, no one else has any right to make a-protest. Nine out of ten such persons, however, can be made to see the error of their thoughts in regard to what should included in_the home bookshelves. It is not difficult to convince them that the home library ought to be cul- tural rather than utilitarian. The use- ful book, so called, has its place, but no greater than the interesting book, . the beautiful book, the inspiring book. * K K A ‘The book & man wants to keep ought to be the book he likes. That is the corner stone of the home collection. If he likes a book, it makes no difference whether he will ever read it again or not. It gave him joy once; let it re- pose in peace as a silent testimonial to_inner happiness. ‘The book the home collector should want to get rid of is the book which has not held his interest, which does not suit his taste, which strikes him as immoral, or poorly told, or vicious in intent. In other words, the book he does not want. Why he does not want it is his private reason. Utility, as the measure of a book, would limit the home library to works of reference. Such books have their proper place. No one would say & word against them. They do not constitute the foundation of a home collection, as some think. They are part of it, that is all—a poor part, if their presence strikes the keynote of the remainder. In a busy age, such as the present, this is a real danger. Spectacular suc- cess holds the center of the stage and utility in various lines accounts for such success. The thing that works is the thing that succeeds; in every: walk of life the successful man is the prac- tical man. Even artists have to be practical enough to meet the wants of the people with their wares of the imagination. In the field of the home book col- lection the likes and dislikes of the builder take precedence over the use or lack of use of the books. The ques- tion is not whether one will read the book again, but whether he liked it when he did read it. Upon this foun- dation, and upon no other, will the home library amount to anything. The library built so, with love, not use, as its foundation, is the happy library, the one that endures. * kK Kk Only books that mean something to the owner should be kept, but this does not mean that they must be utilitarian. ‘What if one never opens their covers again? It makes no difference. What does make a difference is whether the owner got something out of them in the first place, in any one of the many ways of giving which books possess. Their gift often is spiritual, often one of smiles, often one of excitement, or tears perhaps. Ohee “themn aficruard . any. waY: m a wa; or form. Yonder story ;’;’lmu{ {Ig , t:o;ond with re}lamea of an l;l- or's style, gave uj magic at' its first refldyln .‘u'rhe 8 was ufe thing. The reader does not anticipate reading it again, at least not for many, many years, Perhaps, if time is gracious, life may bring one around to the reread- 8. It makes no difference. The bool stays at home, not because of what it may be, but because of what it has been, Its past is really its present. Un- like a human being who constantly. is fitlns older, and so worse, or better, as the case may be (there is never any telling), a book holds all of itself in- ict against the ravages of time. If it stirred a human mind once, there is every chance that it may do it again. ‘This slight utility of the future de- serves mention only as accenting the tremendous importance of the book’s present. Its present is always pres- ent—that is, it was here yesterday, it is her:‘ mcodnm"y, wtfi‘: here tomorrow, cont same worth all the time without diminution. Even this quality, however, is sec- ondary to the flavor of great things which it has left in the reader’s mind. And so we arrive at the real basis for the selection of the home library. A book must be a good book before it de- serves admission. If it is what we call book, it must be treasured for what it is, just as a faithful horse or dog is kept until the last breath. One no more discards a good book because it is useless, in the ordinary worldly sense of the word, than he does a good and faithful dog that no longer can run to hounds. The book and the dog deserve comfortable quarters, kind- ly care, nourishing food. * ok ok ok ‘The food of a good book, we must believe, is the loving glance of the eyes which the booklover casts upon it every now and then as it sits snugly in its honored position in the cases. It may be a large book or a small book, & leather-covered one or a paper= back—these are small considerations, as is the price—or the possibility of fu- ture use. The needful thing to keep in mind is that it interested one once upon & time. That is its accolade. ‘The sign of our bestowal of knight- hood has been placed upon it, hence- forth forever we cherish it, in the divine selfishness which makes every- thing we own precious. Yonder is the little pamphlet which we picked up for 10 cents on an old bookstall. There is just a single sentence in it which flashed fire, just a line which should have been printed in letters of gold. If you, dear reader, were to read it, you might not think much of it, but at the time we read it somehow it fitted into our soul's need. So we keep it there as a re- minder of past days. It belongs in the list of books we want to keep. ‘There stands a whole row, souvenirs of a lost enthusiasm. Time passes, and with it varions enthusiasms, but the books which it called forth stand sure— as sure as anything, that is. Nothing is really sure, as Swinburne mournfully reminded us. An observing visitor, going over those shelves, could see in it the progress of & life. He would see there good books well kept, as they deserve to be—books which have been retained because they interested, "because they stirred discussion, whether agreed with or not. They are not just books, but things-in-themselves. Surely those philosophers who have so long told mankind not to lay up treasures on this earth might well make an excep- tion of good ks. And in their col- lection let the criterion be love, not usage. sha in the first | in; WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Members of Congress, Representatives and Senators alike, were immensely in- terested in observing Ramsay Mac- donald’s parliamentary manner, espe- cially his oratorical style. His speeches in the House and Senate were of a kind that easily lends itself to spread-eagle flamboyancy. But that sort of thing is conspicuous by its absence in the Brit- ish House of Commons, with the best truditions of which Mr. Macdonald is always in tune. There is hardly ever any of the thunderous spellbinding Le- neath Big Ben in London, like that which frequently rocks the dome of the Capitol at Washington. Neither peers nor commoners are accustomed shake their fists or their manes, or grow red in the face, or wrap them- selves in the Union Jack, in order to | cq rouse the galleries and subject them- selves to apoplexy. The British prime minister relies upon his transparent earnestness for his speaking effects. Lord Arnold, Mr. Macdonald’s closest political comrade now with him in Washington, declares that the premier’s speech, on landing in New York last week, was the finest he ever heard the Labor statesman deliver in his lang public career. o ‘Within a few hours of the prime min- ister's arrival in the United States, & member of his official party received & cablegram from a great British coal operator. The message recorded that e broadcasting of Macdonald’s wel- come, especially his own remarks, had come over the Atlantic with such clear- ne:; that tears came into the eyes of the business man in question. When the cable was called to the prime minister’s attention, he smiled quizzically, and then remarked, “I didn’t know a South ‘Wales coal operator was capable of ex- pressing emotion.” K K K PFrank J. Hogan of the Washington bar, who is the leader of the brilliant legal array now conducting the defense of Albert B. Fall in the District of Co- lumbia Supreme Court, enjoys one un- fair advantage over the court, the pros- ecution, the jury, his own colleagues and evel ly else. He has a fabulous memory. From the day the late Sena- tor La Follette of Wisconsin first hinted at naval oil reserve scandals, some seven years ago, to this hour Hogan d at his tongue's tip every soli- u?mme-nddntewmhmuumm endless and tortuous affair. He can tell you the day each of the various Senate inquiries began, when it ended, who was who, what was what, when and where the various Federal court pro- ceedings took place, exactly how they turned out, the names of the judges— in short, every pertinent (and imperti- nent) fact connected with the whole seven-year-old petroliferous business. * ok kK One of the reasons Andrew W. Mellon is anxious to remain Secretary of the until the end of the present administration is his g‘llulomu inter- est in the Government building program now under way at Washington. His friends say that Mellon longs to have the Washington Beautiful regarded as his monument in the District of Co- lumbia. It is his favorite topic of con- versation, and he doesn’t mind letting people know that it's become a hobby 'with him. Now and ther in,those se- lect circles where imside gossip rel supreme you'll hear that Mr. Mel plans to “do .something handsome for Washington” as the souvenir of his un- precedentedly long stay at the Treas- ury. Whether this means his affection- ate supervision of the $100,000,000 build- Idaho and Walsh of Montana. Borah, any time he pleases, can command a fortune as a trial lawyer, while Walsh 1s acknowledged by friend and foe to be one of the keenest, if not the keenest, legal brains in Congress and the coun- try. Blaine of Wisconsin and Robinson of Indiana also are lawyers, though not of the age and experience of the other three subcommittee members. Blaine was attorney general of Wisconsin for two years and governor for three terms. Robinson was once a judge of the Superior Court in Indianapolis. If these lights of the Senate judiciary committee go at Mr. Grundy of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association and other superinfluencers hammer and tengs, the lobby industry is in for some rough 10 | going. * ok kK The California Joint. Immigration mmittee, which is given chief credit for the Oriental exclusion provisions of the present immigration laws, has now cleared for action st “Mexican In- dians” It takes issue with the Depart- ment of Labor, which recently notified Senator Johnson of California, chair- man of the Senate immigration com: mittee, that all citizens of Mexico, gardless of race, are eligible to Ameri- can citizenship. Incidentally, it was pointed out that the pure Indian stock in Mexico numbers between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000, the white stock between 1,500,000 and 3,000,000 and the mixed stock between 7,000,000 and 8,000,000. U. S. Webb, State attorney general of California, at the request of the Joint Immigration Committee, has prepared 2 memorandum showing in effect that the bulk of the population in Mexico, being of the Indian or red race, is not lex}x?lme for American citizenship. The ference is that this element of Mexi- co's population is subject to that re- striction of the immigration act which excludes as immi; ts all allens in- eligible to citize: 3 * k X X Overseas Writers, the W newspaper organization which was’ Prime Minister Macdonald’s luncheon host this noon, consists of professional Journalists who have had actual expe- rience abroad. They are a numerous company now, though they were fewer when Overseas Writers was founded immediately after the armament con- ference in 1922. Washington today is full of capable news writers who can describe and diagnose foreign affairs with a background of personal knowl- edge. The club specializes in entertain- ing at luncheons or dinners distinguished visitors from overseas. Its guests in the past have included men like the late:Lord Northcliffe, Mr. Lloyd George and Lord Robert Cecil, as well as Ameri- cans associated with our foreign rela- tions, like Herbert Hoover, Charles m Hughes and the late President " (Copyright, 1920.) —_—— e —————— A Mystery Author, - From the Worcester Evening Gazette. If L. . Loree had been an author in- stead of a raflroad president, he'd be bringing out a new work of fiction every six months. —_————— An Amendment. From the Birmingham News. ‘The increasing number of Iumber- under —_—————— Reached for Sweets. Prom the Indianapolis Star. ing_project or something that is ofi-| America’s candy bill for July indicates cially to bear the Mellon name nobody | that some apparently have cheat= seeme to know. . ing on thelr 1 diet. EEE Seldom has a senatorial committee of bi bat of m-uflwmlm mtflnw N no slouch of an inquisitor, is flanked by Borah of Banking and Farming. From the Rithmond News Leader. .Bum:glal thenrmwbeeona: buy & farm, 3 Politics at Large By G. Gould Lincoln. Former Gov. Alfred E. Smith in his book, “Up to Now,” just published, makes the suggestion that a defeated candidate for President receiving the second highest number of votes should become & United States Senator-at- large. The term of office of the pro- posed Senator-at-large would coincide with the term of office of the success- ful candidate for | novel as well as interesting. He holds that “there are millions of people in this country who belong to no party” and that many of these millions are with- out representation, really in the Senate and House. These independent voters, sometimes in very large numbers, sup- port the runner-up in the presidential contest. He would give them repre- sentation in the Senate by having their candidate for President made a Sena- tor at large. Mr. Smith also points out that the defeated candidate for Presi- dent could well become the minority leader, holding the position of Sena- tor-at-large, and prepare and offer bills and resolutions carrying out the platform ?rll!d‘u made by him and party during the national campaign. * ok kK It would require a constitutional amendment to put into effect the sug- gestion of Mr. Smith, for only States are today entitled to have representa- tion in the Senate. His proposal that the defeated candidate for President should become the leader of the mi- nority party in the Senate, and vir- tually in the entire Congress, is par- ticularly interesting. Why not? He is the man to whom his party turned for leadership in the national campaign. He is under present circumstances spoken of as the “titular head” of his party, and so continues until the next national convention picks him or an- other to be the standard bearer of the party in the ensuing campaign for the Ppresidency. Just what would happen to the Dem- ocratic party, however, if Mr. Smith himself were now Senator at large in ‘Washington, the official leader of the party, offering in the Senate bills or resolutions to amend or to repeal the dry laws in accordance with his an- nounced stand on the liquor question during the last campaign, rather stag- gers the imagination. Some of the.Dem- ocrats in the South have been eager to soft-pedal their support of Gov. Smith last year. They have been trying to convince the Democrats who fell away from the Democratic national ticket because of their opposition to the for- mer New York governor that the “is- sues of 1928,” among them the wet and dry issue, no longer exist among Dem- ocratd. In other words, that Al Smith no longer figures in the national political picture. This is true in Virginia, where the anti-Smith Democrats this year are trying, with the aid of the Republicans, to elect a governor over the candidate of the regular Democratic organization which last year supported Smith for President. It will be true in Texas, Florida and North Carolina, all of which gave their electoral votes to Presi- dent Hoover last year. - * ok ko But Gov. Smith maintains that when 15,000,000 voters in the United States cast their ballots, as in his case, for a candidate standing for certain prin- cip(eu of government, they are entitled be represented officially in the legislative branch of the Government. 1t is impossible for the candidate for President, under our form of govern- ment, to be at the same time a candi- date for Senator or Representative. On the other hand, had Gov. Smith been a member of the Senate, as was running mate, Senator Robinson of Arkansas, and his term had still several years to run, he would have continued on in the Senate after his defeat for the presidency last year. Indeed, that is just the itlon of the vice presi- dential candidate of the Democrats last year. Senator Robinson was not re-, quired to relinquish his seat in the Senate to enter the race for Vice President. Nor would he have given up his seat had he been candidate for President. At present the defeated nominee for Vice President is the Democratic leader of the Senate. * ok ok X The liquor question still continues to agitate the electorate and the politicians, notwithstanding the victory of the dry candidate for President and the defeat of the wet. It continues to cut across party lines viciously. For example, Sen- ator Morris Sheppard of Texas, the au- thor of the eighteenth amendment, is now proposing that the dry laws be amended s0 as to make a purchaser of liquor subject to punishment just as the “bootlegger” is subject to punishment. But his Democratic colleague from Mis- souri, Senator Harry B. Hawes, is imme- diately up in arms against the sugges- fon. “The eighteenth amendment,” Sena- tor Hawes reminds Senator Sheppard, “prohibits the manufacture, transporta- tion and sale of intoxicating liquors for | natorial election. beverage purposes. The matter of the ‘purchase’ was purposely omitted from the eighteenth amendment. If it is to be brought up now, the proper Mr. | Ev k | Smith’s reasons for this suggestion are | Pr his | the method would be by the submission of another constitutional amendment.” After calling attention to the fact that a commission appointed by President Hoover is studying the whole question of law enforcement, including the pro- hibition law, and that it would be well to wait for a report from that commis- sion, Senator Hawes adds: “If the scope of the eighteenth amendment is to be extended, it should be extended by another amendment to the Constitution. The submission of a constitutional amendment at this time might be a good thing; it might pro- vide a referendum desired by many.” LR R Bishop James Cannon, jr., leader of the anti-Smith Democrats last year in Virginia and the South generally, is out with a statement demanding that the supporters of Gov. Smith be de- feated in the Old Dominion guber- He may follow it up with some campaigning in the State himself for Dr. William Mosely Brown, the anti-Smith candidate. * K ok ok But in Massachusetts the Republi- cans are having their troubles over the liquor question, too. For example, the word is going the rounds that no out- and-out “dry” Republican can be elected to the Senate next year, so strongly is the party divided on the subject. When National Committeeman Louis K. Liggett a couple of months ago declared that a man was entitled to take a drink when he could get it, there was a furore among the Republicans of the State, with demands in some quarters that he resign. There is not the slightest doubt, however, that a very large body of Republicans in Massachusetts believes just as Mr. Lig- gett does, whether they consider him diplomatic in his language at this time or not. * koK K Alvin Moody, president of the Anti- Smith Democrats in Texas, has written a letter to D. W. Wilcox, chairman of | to the State Democratic committee, urging Mr. Wilcox and his committee to clarif; the situation regarding tthe part Democrats who voted the Republican national ticket may play in the cratic State aries in Texas next July. He wants to know from Mr. Wil- cox whether any imination is to be made against the Democrats who voted for Hoover last year; whether participate in primsry and whether the fact that a Democrat voted for Hoover is to prevent him from entering the as a candidate for office. answers to questions printed each day are specimens picked of inquiries handled our great Infofmation Bureau main- ined in Washington, D. C. is val- uable sel is for the free use of the public. tage and address The Information Bureau, J. Haskin, director, Washing- . C. Q. What was charged for carrying letters on the Graf Zeppelin on its around-the-world flight?—J. C. M. A. It carried 25,466 letters and 20,- 519 cards. The cost for carrying the letters was $3.50 each, and the cost for carrying the cards was $1.75 each. Q. How much money do Americans spend for patent medicine?—W. J. B. A. There were manufactured in 1921 patent and proprietary medicines val- ued at the factory at about $108,000,- 000. It may be conservatively estimat- ed that the people of the United States are spending $195,000,000 per year in purchase of drugs for self-treat- ment, and this amount does not -in- clude money spent for ethical phar- maceutical specialties, etc., valued at the factory at approximately $83,000,- 000. There has probably been little change since 1914 in the amount of patent medicines purchased. Q. How hot a fire do wood, charcoal and coal make?—E. 8. ’ A. The heat of the common wood fire is variously estimated at from 800° to 1,140° Fahrenheit, that of a charcoal fire about 2,200° Fahrenheit and that of a coal fire 2,400° Fahrenheit. Q. When did steel pens supersede quill pens?—G. M. 136‘3' Steel pens came into use about Q. What pay did George Washington receive while he was in the American Army?—W. E. A, A. Willlam R. Thayer in his book called “George Washington” says that ‘Washington refused to take any pay in the Revolutionary War, merely keep= ing a strict account of what he spent for the Government from 1775 to 1782. ‘This amounted to over 15,000 pounds and covered only sums distributed by him for the Army. Q. Can a sundial constructed for one latitude be used in another?—J. W. R. A. The Naval Observatory says if the sundial was constructed for the loca- tion at which it is to be set up, the face of the dial should be truly hori- zontal and the style set north and south. If, however, the dial was con- structed for some other latitude, the dial, set up as above, and keeping its east and west line truly horizontal, should be tlited ffom the horizontal po- sition through an angle equal to the difference between the latitude of the place at which the dial is being set up and the latitude for which the dial was constructed. the north point being de- pressed if the latitude of construction is larger than the local latitude, the north end being elevated if the latitude of construction is less than the local latitude. The latitude for which the dial was constructed, if not marked on it, should be ascertained from the man- ufacturer or by measuring the angle between the style and the face of the dial. Q. How old was Lilll Lehmann when she died?>—I. L. A. She was born in Wurzburg, Ger- many, in 1848, and died in Berlin in 1929. She was one of the great singers and great teachers of all time. Q. How long is navigation ocpen through the St. Lawrence River?—T. A. A. It is open from seven and one- half to eight months each year. Q. What is the cause of the varia- tion of the magnetic needle>—A. B. S. A. The Coast and Geodetic Survey ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. l ps | there is no adeq says that it is not possible in the pres- ent state of knowledge regarding the earth’s magnetism to give the reason for the declination of the magnetic needle—that is to say, the angle which its direction makes with the true merid- fan, or for the variations which this angle undergoes. These changes are facts of observation for which as yet « Q. When did William Waldorf Astor become & naturalized Englishman?— T. M. A. He was naturalized in England in 99 after a residence of about nine Jears. Q. What city is known as the Falls City?—B. S. A. Louisville, Ky., 1s so called. Q. What does the word mean?—L. E. F. A. It means committes. “soviet” Q. How many observation planes did thqg grmy Alr Corps buy last year? A." The United States Army Air Corps during the last year purchased 62 observation planes, costing $1,021,472. The planes averaged from $12,000 to $16,000 apiece. . What is meant when a gauge reads 18.5 feet?—W. D. A. It means that the surface of the water is 18}, feet above the mean high- water line, the average having been estimated over a period of years. river Q. Who was the first woman en- rolled in the Navy as a yeoman?—J. P, A. Miss Loretta P. Walsh was the first yeoman to be enrolled in the Navy. The enrollment took place at Philadel- phia March 21, 1917. Q. Please give width of Canal street, New ' Orleans; Pennsylvania avenue, Washington, D. C., and Filth avenue, New York City, and compare with wid- est street in Paris, France.—P. S, A. Canal street is the widest of the streets of New Orleans. It is 200 feet pwide from City Park avenuz to Robert Lee avenue. The widest street in the world is the Champs Elysees of Paris, France, 250 feet. Pennsylvania avenue, Washington, D. C., is 160 feet between building lines. Fifth avenue, New York, is 100 feet wide. Q. Does the National Broadcasting Co. broadcast news daily?—L. R. A. This company says many of its stations broadcast news in various forms and at different times of the day. The National Broadcasting Co., Lowever, makes no attempt to give listeners news coverage, with the single exccption of weather reports, which go on the air at noon and midnight, and base ball and other sport scores during the playing season. Q. What flower is leading in the con- t;sn for choosing & national flower?— . P, A. The Nature Magazine says: that the wild rose is now leading, having received more than twice as many votes as its nearest competitor, the columbine. The contest closes December 1. Q. What kind of provision should ve made for a place for a child to study at home?—C. T. A. A child should have all equip- ment necessary for his work, and a quiet place should be provided. A desk with a swifel chair, a proper reading light, with reference books at hand, will give the child a sense of his own importance and are conducive to good work quickly done. . What countries grow mate on a commercial scale?>—P. D. A. Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay are the only countries producing mate on a commercial scale. Argentina con- sumes most of its crop, only Brazil and Paraguay exporting the tea in impor- tant quantities. Growth of League Influence Is Attested in This Country Friendly comment on the influence of the League of Nations in Europe comes from Americans as that organization passes its tenth anniversary and con- cludes the regular sessions of the As- sembly. Chief among the things that are credited is the development of a feeling among various governments that when emergencies arise the League may be able to suggest an effective course of action. Declaring that the recent session “is widely regarded as the most fruitful ever held of this ‘lower house’ of the League,” the New York Times holds that “it is only the most embittered enemy of the League who can fail to be impressed by the swelling record of .its achievements in the cause of world peace,” and that “whether our many movements for peace have arisen n continuation_and enlargement of the work of the League, or by way of com= petition with the League, it is from Geneva that the original inspiration came”; that “it has galvanized into ac- tion its rivals as well as its friends.” Belleving that the Assembly “has ac- complished & great deal,” the San An- tonio Express points out that “it unani- mously ratified two protocols drawn up by the jurists’ international committee to facilitate the United States’ adher- ence to the Permanent Court of Inter- national Justice at The Hague,” and “took steps to check the manufacture of habit-forming drugs in member coun- les.” 'The Express concludes: “A friendly attitude toward Premier Briand's plan for a closer union of European states was shown in both Council and Assembly. The latter body has ad- journed, and the general feeling is that it advanced the cause of peace.” “The League unquestionably is doing much good, and is advancing effectively the cause of world peace,” agrees the Pasadena Star-News. “Wholly aside from the matter of whether or not the TUnited States should or should not join the League, now or hereafter, fairness impels all Americans who are conver- sant with what has been accomplished and attempted by the League to ac- knowledge the value of the League achievements.” ‘Coupled with its tribute to the League is a statement by the Boston Tran- script of the American attitude: “We are certainly no nearer than we were when the covenant so sharply failed of American approval, to joining our for- tunes with an organization which, after all, if it ever achieves the purpose avowed in its protocol, of regulating the relations between the nations of Eu- rope, is distinctly political. The Ameri- can 9eople are still strong in the pur- pose ‘to remain outside of active co- operation wit] willing to help toward peace of the world, but we come no to ‘interweaving our destiny’ We are the national differences arise, as more trouble ahead of the Democratic party in the Lone Star State. * kK Kk PFrom Philadelphia comes & report ‘William S, Vare, Republican boss -elect, enter the sena- tinually do, Geneva begins invariably to be suggested as the proper place for adjustment. Thus the League, even while wanting in the most important achievements, may be said to affect favorably the psychology of Europe.” “Criticism is dying down,” avers the Flint Daily Journal. “It cannot stand up in the face of the constructive work which is_being done by this organi- zation. During the ten years of its existence, it has by its celerity of ac- tion stopped what might have developed into wars. And when war starts, it cannot always be localized. It has gone ahead with the World Court, adjusted differences between nations and has brought about international agreements for the bettermant of mankind along social and humanitarian lines. The world today is much better because of the League of Nations.” “Though the United States may be absent from Geneva, in that growing international community it must inev- itably play a part,” thinks the Ithaca Journal-News, which also gives its es- timate of achievements, with the com- ment: “No Assembly since 1925 has registered greater gains than this one for the spirit of international concilia- tion. The most striking advance is in the acceptance by Great Britain, France and Italy of the principle of compulsory arbitration of the large class of disputes mentioned in article 36 of the World Court statute. One of these classes is ‘the interpretation of treaties,’ and un- der this heading come a very large number of international differences. In agreeing to submit all such questions to the Court of International Justice and to abide by the award, the great ppwers have gone a long way toward c li- dating the institutions and macignery of peace. Germany had taken a sfnilar action_some time ago. Many of the other European states, such as Holland, Bwitzerland and Czechoslovakia, have followed suit. The principle of jugicial settlement has never been so widely accepted as it is today.” “With both France and land ready to use the League to the limit,” says the Springfield Republican, agency for peace and friendly interna- tional relations, the way was open for real progress, and the session just closed is to be judged by the new ground broken rather than the garnered sheaves. So important a program, indeed, has been laid down for the coming year that it has been found necessary to increase the budget materially. * * * Some of he measures need not involve great de- lay, but most of them were too weighty to be put through at one session, even if opposition were not very strong. If next year's Assembly meets under as favorable auspices as the one just closed, there may be definite and im- portant progress to record, and observ- ers at Geneva are evidently inspired by new hopes.” “It is no stretching of the truth” in the judgment of the Great Falls Trib- une, “to say that these movements for the mbetb:r;’n‘ene of world conditions ‘would no ve made the progress they have had it not been for the League of Nations. The United States may continue its policy of not being a mem- ber of the organization, but the fact remains that our foreign affairs are efl‘:(;l'ucwd with the League always in mind.” A Test-Tube Affair. Prom the Cincinnat! Times-Star. According to Francis P. Garvan, our attitude toward war must hereafter be a chemical reaction. A Booming Business. From the New Castle News. d Cement makers use 14,000,000 pounds of dynamite a year. May we say their business is booming? -~