Evening Star Newspaper, October 22, 1929, Page 8

{THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Merning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. TUESDAY......October 22, 1920 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office: 11th 8t. and Pennsylvania Ave. Hl(" York Office: 110 East 42n nd St cago Office: Lake Michigan Buildirig. oLean Office; 14 Regent 8., London, lan Rate by Carrier Within the City. 45¢ per month 0c per month r +85¢ per month Sc per copy of each month, Orders may ke sent in by mall or telephone NAtional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Vl{nflnh‘. yr., $10. ily and Sunday. aily only lay only . All Other States and Canada. day..1 yr. $12.00; 1 mo., $1.00 1731, $8.00; 1 mc. i 8¢ $5.00; 1 mo. 50c mo., 85¢ 1 mo.; 500 i 1 mo.. 40c Member of the Associated 3 “The Associated Press is cxclusively entitied the use for republication of &ll rews dis atches credited to it or not otherwise cied. ted in this paper and also the local ney herein. All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. London and the Senate. ‘The appointments of Senator Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas and Senator David' A. Reed of Pennsylvania as members of the American delegation to the London naval limitation con- ference assure the services of two force- ful men, both members of the Sen- it had been started, set a new mark in passengef carrying for any type of plane or dirigible. Lasting for nearly an hour, this epic achievement ushers in 2 new era in the development of heavier-than-air craft. When the Do-X gracefully left the waters of Lake Constance she carried fuel enough for seven hundred and fifty miles. Some idea of the feat can be gained when it is realized that with her twelve five-hundred-horsepower mo=- tors she lifted a total weight of fifty- two long tons, including seventeen long tons of useful weight, in fifty seconds from the time the throttles were opened. More than forty trial trips have now been completed by the Do-X and cach trip of this revolutionary aircraft has added to the triumph of Dr. Claudius Dornier, the noted designer. Even aeronautical experts, when Dr. Dornfer | mentioned his desire to bufld a ship |of this size, were skeptical of ‘its suc- (cess, but have been forced to revise their opinions since the Do-X completed fiight after flight. It may well be that similar airplanes will be used by future Atlantic trav- elers, The Dornier is capable nor- mally of carrying one hundred passen- gers and if the Armstrong Seadrome project to scatter eight landing “flelds” and fueling stations across the ocean is carried through, it would easily be possible to run these ships .n regular schedule. Regardless of iuture develop- ments, however, the Germans in the ten years since the war have distinct- 1y led the way in aviation progress. ate foreign relations committee, both qualified to deal with international affairs and both bellevers in adequate national defense. Senator Robinson is the Democratic leader of the Senate. In selecting Senator Robinson to go to London, President Hoover has followed the precedent established by the late President Harding when he selected the late Senator Oscar W. Underwood of Alabama, then Democratic leader, to be & member of the American delegation to the Washington conference on naval limitation in 1921-22. Furthermore, Senator Robinson is a member of the naval affairs committee of the Senate Light and Progress. Fifty years ago a young man who thing.” True art in the theater—that is, on the stage—requites no fancy set- ting for its fullest expression and en- Joyment. Shakespeare’s own plays were produced in conditions antipodally dif- ferent from a yellow - pink - brown spectrum in the auditorium. And they were appreciated and loved by their original hearers as they have been through the centuries. But the jaded tastes of moderns seem to require fillips, like costume cocktails. If the London stage is in need of such extra added attractions as chromatic chairs in the stalls perhaps it, too, is in a bad way dramatically. ——rate— Constitution Hall. Another beautiful building will be added to Washington's equipment on Wednesday, when Bishop James E. Free- man will consecrate Constitution Hall, the auditorium of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revo- lution. The new structure takes its place with Memorial Continental Hall of the society, and with it will occupy a solid block facing the parkway south of the White House. Seating accommoda- tions are provided for 3,800 persons in the body of the auditorium and 200 on the speaker’s platform. Costing more than $1,000,000, Constitution Hall was promoted, financed and constructed by 170,000 organized American women. The chapters of the D. A. R, to the number of 2,400, participated in the undertaking that is to give the society an adequate place for its meetings and the National Capital a fine buil”ing thdt enhances the beauty of the city Filling a long-felt need of the so- clety, Constitution Hall not only con- tains the large auditorium, but a Ii- had been experimenting in a small laboratory in a persistent search far means of making an electric current produce illumination reached a success- ful conclusion. He touched a wire to a generator connection and caused a glass bulb to glow with a steady bright- ness. A revolutionary discovery had been made. A light had been devised that could be muitiplied indefinitely, that was safe, that was penetrating. Thomas A. Edison in his hour of achievement probably did not realize “ and has had to deal with legislation for the Navy. He is familiar with its needs. Senator Reed is beginning his second ferm in the Senate. A comparatively young member of the Senate, he has demonstrated his ability and his talent for leadership already. During the ‘World War he served in the Army overseas, and is now chairman of the committee on military affairs. A mem- ber of the American Legion, he is devoted to the cause of national de- fense. Both Senator Reed and Sen- ator Robinson supported the fifteen- cruiser program in the last Congress, and voted for the passage of the bill carrying that program into effect. Notwithstanding this fact, both these Senators feel that they can go to the naval limitation conference with open minds. It has been their contention, as it has been that of Americans generally, that the principle of parity in naval strength for the United States and Great Britain must be established if any agreement for naval limitation cov- ering all categories of ships is to be entered into. When Ramsay Macdonald, the British prime minister, standing in the Senate, pledged his government to the prineiple of parity in naval strength as between the two nations, Senator Robinson and Senator Reed both issued statements expressing their approval and thelr appreciation of the pronounce- ment of the British premier. President Hoover has been wise in de- termining to send as members of the American delegation to the London con- ference members of the United States Senate. The Senate will be called upon to ratify any treaty for naval limitation growing out of the conference. The Benate is entitled to first-hand informa- tion regarding the negotiation of such & treaty. The Senate will be in a posi- tion to obtain it from Senator Robinson and Senator Reed. The President has been wise, also, ‘in his selection of a Democratic leader as well as a strong Republican, Politics, according to the usually accepted pronouncement in the Senate, stops at the water's edge. In foreign affairs, American Senators are first of all Americans, and then Demo- crats and Republicans. That is as it should be, although there have been times in American history when politics has seemed at least to play its part in the consideration of international ques- tions. Railroad Electrification. ‘Washingtonians and no doubt all per- #ons who travel between the National Capital and New York City are probably much gratified at the announcement by the Pennsylvania Railroad that elec- trification of its lines will take place between the two cities in the near fu- ture. Work is now going forward on the New York-Wilmington electrifica- tion. Between five and six years, it is expected, will be consumed in this con- struction. During this period electrifi- cation of the lines near Baltimore will be begun. With the completion of the entire project the Pennsylvania Rail- road will have nearly three thousand miles of track electrically operated. For years Baltimore, because of the long tunnels leading in and out of the city, has been a spot of discomfort for all rallroad passengers. Smoke, thrown off by the puffing engines, fills the cars and the eyes and throats of travelers. “Windows down!” has always been a necessary rule, but even with this pre- caution the few minutes required to negotiate the tunnels are anything but | pleasant. Electrification, which is coming more and more into general use for both long and short hauls, will end the smoke nuisance, and will provide a comfortable Jerkless trip between Washington and New York. Itis a distinct step forward | and Washington eagerly awaits the completion of the project. —_— . Many a sincere pacifist finds it im- possible to be personally peaceful for long at a time. r—on—s An Epic Feat. With the highly successful round- the-world flight ‘of the Graf Zeppelin still vividly fresh in memory the Germans have caused another gasp of astonishment with their feat recently of | carrying one hundred and seventy fully the importance and value of his own invention. Last night at Dearborn, Mich., he reproduced the scene of his final accomplishment at a semi-centen- nial observance of that event, in a dis- tinguished company headed by the President of the United States. By means of & marvel as great as the harnessing of electricity to man's service in illumination the story of last night's celebration was told in words to countless millions of people through- out the United States and across the seas in distant lands. Instantaneously the voice of a broadcaster describing the scene move by move and word by word spread throughout the country and a vast multitude of listeners saw in their imagination the picture of that historic reproduction. Doubtless long before another half century has been completed a device now in its early stage of development will have been 80 perfected that a scene of this char- acter can be actually reproduced and viewed by the eye at great distances and by limitless numbers. When Edison completed the contact that made his newly found filament glow in 1879 he had no thought of radio or of television. He was after a means of universal illumination with safety by means of the electric current. No one will really know how far his dis- covery then stimulated other researches and inventions. Probably if he had not found the precise means of turning a current into a glowing, harmless light others would soon have done so. The period was quickened with ghe spirit of research and invention. The time had come for advance. Every scientific ac- complishment was making to the same end of using electricity and the then unclassified etheric tides and currents for communication. Will the next fifty years be as fruit- ful of accomplishments and advances as have been the past twoscore and ten? There are those who believe that the golden age of scientific achieve- ment has been passed. There are others who hold that greater marvels yet are to come and that what has been developed in the last half century is but & means to this end of a further and fuller harnessing of the forces of nature to the service of man. — . One of the remarkable enterprises assisted by the electric light was the facility afforded Einstein for working overtime on his complicated and fas- cinating theory. The tribute of the German sclentist to the American in- ventor was timely and appropriate. ot If health had permitted, the Tiger Clemenceau might have joined the veteran president of Germany in con- gratulations to their companion in long-lived greatness. Mr. Edison is one of the few men who have attained immutable fame without commanding any titles of political greatness. ) Stalls and Stage. While the legitimate theater in this country is sald by some of its stead- fast devotees and its thespian exponents to be going to the dogs—a complaint that is stoutly challenged—the London stage is looking up. That is to say, it is brightening up and adding to its attractiveness. Strictly speaking, it is the auditorium and not the stage that is getting more sprightly, and it is pos- sible that the new scheme of embellish- ment just announced by one of the leading London theaters is an attempt to stimulate patronage. This is the idea: The seats are to be draped in colors to match the frocks of woman patrons. Every seat in the house has been upholstered in individual tints, ranging from yellow through pinks and reds to golden browns. It would seem that these tints shade gradually from section to section, and it is stated that the box office plans will be tinted to show the exact color scheme of each seat. ‘That is perfectly all right as regards the feminine patrons of the theater provided they buy thelr own seats. But what about the color sense of the mere male who does the booking? Must he obtain from his wife—or other lady—a ‘sample” of the goods to be worn on the festive night, or a sample of the complementary color of seat decoration brary for the historical collection and genealogical reference used by the so- ciety and the public. In addition, there | ceive the like benefits. * K X - . THE E G _STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1929. e == ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL, Nature, in dramatic mood, now calls attention to the trees which line the streets and dot the parks of the Na- ! tional Caplal. Perhaps no other city in the world is 50 bullt in a bower as Washington. ‘We who live here are too likely to for- get_this. Almost it seems as if Nature is un- willing that we should overlook the pageant of the trees, and so sends Autumn to turn the leaves to splendid golds, browns and reds. The oaks and the maples and other majestic varieties, to be seen in splendid profusion everywhere, give the city an entire new dress. The discriminating need no Halloween to call their attention to the glory of Fall, for every stray wind which whirls around the corner bears on fits in- visible bosom fluttering reminders. “The trees were God's first temples.” So said the poet, in an elder day when life in America had not become such a thing of hurry and scurry, such a bustle of traffic and going somewhere. In those days, even the largest citles were largely overgrown villages, bearing in their precincts the everyday evidences of growth which become wiped out only when a people become self-con- scious. The startling thing is to realize that the mighty trees are almost the only living things which tie us of today to the peoples of those time: ‘There are here, as everywhere, scores of lordly monarchs of leaf and bough which gave shade to men and women of far past generations. ‘Though that time is long past. we of today, whatever our worth or fault, may walk beneath those same trees, not similar ones, but the same, and re- * It is easy enough to become senti- mental about trees. To many persons they are more interesting than s scrapers. Something of their cathedral- like inspiration still lingers in them for all such men and women, those who are numerous committee rooms and lounges. Projected in 1925, Constitu- tion Hall will forever stand as a monu- ment to organized womanhood. ‘Washington congratulates the so- ciety on its achievement. It is proud that twenty-four years ago it was se- lected as the headquarters of the soclety with the erection of Memorial Conti- nental Hall, and with each forward step of the Daughters this pride increases. Washington, therefore, awaits the con- secration of Constitution Hall as an event of notable importance. ———ree Another debt of gratitude due Thomas A. Edison arises from the manner in which he stepped out on the front page and crowded off the assaults and suicide theories. e ‘The police have produced an abun- dance of theories, some of them as hard to meet on terms of precise com- prehension as that announced by Dr. Einstein himself. —_————————— ‘The world does not seem as much better as it ought to be since getting rid of the lobbyists who were supposed to be strictly convivial. -t Mergers once called for public censure. Now they are expected to be made only by popular request. —-——— ‘Thanks to Henry Ford, all roads— those of both earth and air—yesterday led to Dearborn, Mich. oo SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOENSON. The Making of a Genius. I heard a man of genius tell His secret of success. He sald he was content to dwell In patient loneliness And toil at his appointed task ‘With honest hand and mind. Of life he sought no more to ask ‘Than just the daily grind! He made the world at last rejoice, ‘That once neglected him— WMen loved him as they heard his voice ‘Mongst lamps no longer dim. They asked him why the path he led To fame was thus inclined. “It was because,” he simply said, “I liked that daily grind.” 1In the Course of Nature. “What do you think of prohibition?” “You don't have to think about it,” answered Senator Sorghum. “It is one of those things that simply happen.” Jud Tunkins says & man who takes himself too seriously is liable to wake up and discover he is one of the people who worry about trifles. Overwhelming Greatness. True greatness bids the smaller fry Be satisfied to win A corner where they can “stand by” And humbly “listen in.” Demanding Deference. “My wife pays no attention to any- thing I say,” said Mr. Chuggins, ut I think maybe I can fix that.” “How?" “I'll secure a place as a traffic cop. Some day when she's driving her own car I'll get a chance to hand her a ticket.” “A man who regrets his past,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is not necessarily penitent. He may be only disappointed.” Sad Awakening. ‘The politician said, “I'll strike Whatever pace you seem to like, And then shed tears when Fate denies ‘The hope that I so truly prize.” “A man dat loves his enemies,” said Uncle Eben, “is one dat likes hosses so much dat he keeps goin’ to de track an’ losin’ his money.” - ore. Playwright for Short Plays. From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. A playwright states that he can see no reason why a play should have more than two acts. Probably he is making progress in the right direction. o Oklahoma Marks Time. From the Richmond News Leader. Ho, hum! Almost a year before Ok~ lahoma selects another man to im- peach. pin their faith to things hoped for, and try to wrest from materials the secret, of life everlasting. We have known men and women, re- garding themselves as crass material- ists, to display affection for trees, or to regret that they had not earlier in their lives given some time and thought to the planting of them. Recently in a Maryland suburb a man was attempting to sell his home. He found that the sale was hampered by the lack of trees on his estate, the result being a bareness which made many prospects reject @ bargain, although most of them could not have put into words what the trouble was. ‘The owner, however, understood. *“It I had planted but two trees five years ago,” he said. And he was right. Two good trees, giving the house a proper setting, as it is called, would have made all the difference in the world. It is a rather sad fact that tree planting, which should be the first thing to be done on a property without them, often is the last task. Too often it is put off from year to year, until one somehow forgets. No doubt some of this love for trees comes from the fact that so man; people were brought up in the smnfi towns of this country. These villages were hewed out of virgin forests. Streets are lined with noble forest speci- mens. Thus what is unique in many great cities is commonplace in most of the villages of the United States. The in- habitants took no special pride in re- taining trees, as ‘“developers” of new urban communities do, because a tree to them was a normal part of the land- scape. When they thought of home they thought of trees. Life and death are inextricably mixed in this world. as the Good Book tells us. It is significant that homes of living men are bullt naturally among trees, and that when loved ones are placed to rest, they. repose at last where trees throw their leafy benedictions. ‘Thus trees cannot be regarded merely as trees, but as living things interwoven with the life and faith of men. In so far as we shall remain true to our trees we remain true to the best in us. e ‘The practical side of tree planting comes in the simple determination to plant one. Most of us take our trees as matter, of course. The boy who beats or hacks a tree does not realize that he |1s injuring a living thing which is much | older than he is and which perhaps can | never be replaced in his lifetime. It is this comparative slowness of growth, linking them to man with more than ordinary horticultural chain which makes it necessary for more pe« ple to become aware of trees as things of immediate personal concern. ‘There are communities in this vicin- ity where a transformation has been wrought inside of five years by the proper planting of trees, and others where nothing has been done in this matter. Similarly in communities visitors may see one home where trees were planted a few years ago, as the years run, and another where nothing was done. The first today is a place of memories, the second a bare tract somehow lacking In both beauty and utility. The practical side of tree planting balances the estheitc phase. ‘Trees should never be planted too close to & house, especially to a chimney, as in the latter situation they tend to cut off the draft. 3 The selection of what trees to plant is not to be left to chance or snap jud ment, but should be a matter of thor- ough study. Many tree lovers are woe- fully ignorant of the good and bad points of the different varieties. Often they make the mistake, in their enthu- siasm, of planting trees which grow rapidly, but decline at the same speed, especiaily when they attempt to wrest a living in competition with dust, as- phalt and gasoline fumes. On the othar hand, there are many splendid varieties which ere of as quick growth as Nature has made feasible and vet contain in their sturdy con- stitutions the seeds of long and vig- orous life. One of the best of these trees is the Norway maple, particu- larly adapted to city planting because of its neat habits of growth. There are many other fine trees, in the -selection of ‘which the American Nature Assoclation will be glad to be of ald. Nurseries will advise on the problems of the amateur. Various home-making magazines, which consider the aspects of garden- ing, are willing and able to help the home owner who is ambitious, no: only to plant trees, but to plant them properly, with due regard for himself, his property, his community and the Nation. Department of Agricul- ture has many helpful bulletins. A tree is like any other plant—the better care it receives the more chance it has of becoming what its owner wants it to be. Newly planted trees may be aided by supports of various kinds which prevent the Winter winds from unsettling their roots. A tree, almost more than any other plant, is not just something to be stuck in the ground and forgotten, but a living thing, with peculiar methods “of growth which must be known and taken into consideration. A tree is tough, but modern conditions of life are difficult, and those who plant trees because they love them and appreclate their beauty must be willing :;)1 understand them and take care of em. General Disapproval Greets Filipino Freedom in Tariff While sentiment is divided as to the wisdom of now giving independence to the Philippine Islands, there is general disapproval of the attempt to deal with such a question in the pending tariff legislation, “For the sgke of beet sugar and beans and peanuts cast the Philippines outside our tariff walls!” exclaims the Detroit News. “That 45 Senators voted against the proposal should not have the em- phasis. The monstrous fact is that 36 Senators voted for it.” The Hartford Courant calls the bringing of the mat- ter into the tariff debate ““a shabby per- formance,” and charges 'he greed in- spiring the movement is manifest, but it is equally deplorable on other grounds. It reflects a cynicism in our dealings with our dependencies which must in- evitably be prejudicial to our prestige abroad. The Filipinos can scarcely be blamed if they fail to be impressed by rofessions of altruism on the part of e United States hereafter.” “The move for Philippine independ- ence in this instance,” declares the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, “was not based upon sympathy for the Filipinos, but was an effort to force ‘a tariff upon Philippine sugar. * * * The hypocrisy of all this will be made apparent in the exposition of the fact that independence would mean economic ruin for the Philippines.” The Muskegon Chronicle argues: “If we are to retain the islands despite their clamor to be permitted to 80 on their own, to treat them as part of the United States in government, but as aliens in commerce, would be to give them a wide-open opportunity to draw 8 ‘deadly parallel’ with the mother coun- try’s imposition of the tea tax that pre- cipitated our Revolutionary War."” ““Too bad,” thinks the Houston Chron- icle, “that some sections of our country had to feel the Philippines as an eco- nomic menace before we could give proper consideration to the principles involved in our control of them, but we should welcome a study of the problem of freeing them and action upon it, no matter how brought about. We are un- der solemn pledge, of course, to give the islands independence. That becomes not 80 easy now, unless we are to'do them a grave economic injustice. Industry there has been built up inside our tariff walls. Trade with the United States has been created and is maintained under free-trade conditions, while trade with other countries has been barred or re- stricted by the tariff schedules. * * It appears that the economic life of the islands would be entirely prostrated if full independence were suddenly grant- ed them.” A legal question is raised by the Wheeling Intelligencer, with the stato- ment: “Congress is without the con- stitutional right of surrendering sov- ereignty over the territory of the United States. The Supreme Court of the United States has decided that the Philippine Islands are territory of the United States. Congress has no moie right to cede American territory to an unformed foreign natlon to which it is proposed to yield sovereignty over the Philippine Islands than it has to sell or give vp Alaska or the District ot Co- lumbia to Great Britain or France.” The Rock Island Argus, however, differs strongly with this position, say- ing: “It may be that some Filipinos do not want independence. Nevertheless, the Philippines should be granted eco- ncmic independence, political indspend- ence to follow at a date to be fixed by Congress—say five or six years hence. S CT — Shoemaker Goes Wrong. From the Boston Evening Transcript. ‘The Russian cobbler who has gone to prison after performing for six years as a surgeon may now be of the opinion that the shoemaker should stick to his that must be selected unless the evening is to be a total loss? It is easy to see that theater-going under the new dis- passengers aloft in their superseaplane the Do-X. This gigantic craft, the very detalls of which evoked surprise when | pensation will have its complications. Of course, this is all far away from last. <o Dicters Poor Losers. From the Seattle Daily Times, In a manner of speaking, those who break the regimen of their reducing Announcement was made that work on the classic apothegm, “The play's the diets are poor Some think that our relationship to the Philippines should be the same as that between Great Britain and Canada. The islands could thus ‘enjoy practical sov- ereignty. At a stipulated time we would withdraw from the islands altogether. In the meantime the peo{fle could pra pare for their future political independ- ence.” “The whole question should be con- sidered from every standpoint and it should not be made the tall of any other legislation,” contends the Albany Evening News, while the Savannah Press comments: “Americans in Ma- nils, we are advised, regard the pro- ponents of independence as unfriendly to the Filipino. They regard those pro- ponents as primarily business men, pledged to deliver a mortal plow to Philippine industries in defznse of cap- italists of their own states. But busi- ness interests out there agree that inde- pendence is far from bring around the corner, despite the gestures in the United States Senate.” “Defeated by only a few votes,” ac- cording to the Pueblo Star-Journal, “it is-claimed that some Senators voted in opposition because they felt that the matter should be dealt’ with in a sep- arate resolution. * * ¢ Although the Filipinos were promised that they would be given their independence when fit for self-government, there are many Americans who object to giving up the islands. Sentiment along this line un- doubtedly will be heard vigoro when Congress begins a serfous discussion of the resolution providing for independ- ence.” “The Senate has done well not to be stampeded into ill-advised action that would lead them away from the main puTnsq of America's’ presence in the Philippines,” in the judgment of the Manchester Union, which offers the ex- planation: “It is true that America’s policy in the Philippines has been beset with difficulties and that it has not proved wholly satisfactry, but this is no reason for abandoning the islands. Much less does the imaginary menace of Philippine imports constitute a reason. America has set herself definitely to the task of bringing the Filipinos up to the level of self-determination. A com- mendable progress has been made in this direction, but the task is not finished. To abandon the task now would be a confession of failure to all the world.” “It must be evident,” suggests the Salt Lake Deseret News, “that the in- troduction of extraneous or slightly re- lated features into the discussion of the tariff bill is grievously delaying prog- ress. Those who are becoming impa- tient feel that the Filipinos can better afford to wait a few weeks or months for their independence than the United States can afiord to prolong its present tariff uncertainty.” Another Romantic Relic Threatened by Progress From the Newark Evening News. Slowly but ruthlessly the romance is being taken out of everything. Steam has made following the sea about as prosaic as going to the factory when the 7 oclock whistle blows. Travel, once an adventure, now is largely a progress from one Main street to an- other. So with aviation, rapidly be- coming a business of schedules and routine. Now Newark's police and fire surgeon wants to have the sliding poles taken out of fire houses. * * = Perhaps the poles have taken their places with other outdated things, as archaic and inefficient. Records of in- juries to firemen in American cities, sustained in sliding down those poles, are pointed to. Statistics showing the number of pole accidents, the total of enforced days of idleness and the re- sultant financial loss to cities are quoted. Very well, when statistics get in their deadly work, something has got to go. But a poleless fire house will lose much of its appeal to the imagination, and the small boy will find the prospect of some day becoming a fireman has shed much of its glamour, ) How Colonies Survive. From the Richmond News Leader. As to Palestine’s future, no colony endures unless it can lick the natives without outside help. r-ima Why Mexicans Kill. From the Terre Haute Star. Having only a few automobiles down there, the Mexicans must depend on ical enthysiasm for their killings. polit] NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM L G M. J. RAMSAY MACDONALD: Labor's Man of Destiny. H. Hessell Tilt- man. Frederick A. Stokes Co. New York, Washington, the Camp- in-the-Woods with President Hoover. Then, off to Canada. J. Ramsay Mac- | donald, England’s prime minister. How- ever, by way of radio and camera, | telegraph and press, this little minute of time and mile of journeying spread across the country in an effect of per- sonal contact between the people of England and those of the United States. The mission itself—no matter what in exact terms, since it was one of frierdship bent upon more certain understandings, more definite accom- modations, more far-reaching co-opera- tion in measures that concern vitaly the world as a whole. On every hand welcome came out to meet this man from England. His doings and goings and sayings were gleaned eagerly from every possible source. News items, pictures, his passage along the streets—these spreaa far and wide, all means of gratifying a_curiosity that was clear friendliness. Not the top hour of our beloved Mr. Edison’s heyday of triumph blurred for a second this other interest. Not even the absorbing ecstasies and agonies of the sport season took any- thing from the zest of welcome that waited upon the great English minis- ter. And now at exactly the right time there comes the record of s whole life to meet a very general de- sire to know more about him. e “Labor’s Man of Destiny” is the au- | thorized account of Ramsay Macdon- ald's career. It stands, therefore, as a record of fact with sich dePivatives and implications as the facts alone war- rant and provide. Such is the effect ot Mr. Tiltman's study. There is not to be found here ary of the famillar stresses of political partisanship. Nor does one meet the adulation that sue- cess can hardly escape. A plain story— that is, & plain story, if one covering high personal dchievement on the one hand and the rise of a new party m English politics could really be a plain and simple thing to recount. * K k% The United States has largely mo- nopolized the idea of ‘“equal oppor- tunity for all,” citing in proof thereof innumerable cases of eminent success for those of lowly circumstance who have seized vigorously upon “oppor- tunity” as it was passing by. To be sure, the slogan is in the main with- out even the color of truth—but that is not the point here. The point is that in_the person of Ramfsay Mae- donald, at least, England also offers to all alike the rich rewards of effort. Lossiemouth, a fishing village off the Scottish coast, was the birthplace of the boy. A hard place, wild seas on one hand, stubborn soil on the other. Every- body poor. Everybody in the bond of labor that had no holiday to it. All ac- cepted this lot as the natural order— that is, all accepted it but the “Lossie Loon,” as the village folks had come to call this long-legged youngster. He was a fighter, born. Instead of agreeing to the grind of poverty and work, he fought it, digging down under things to find out why in a big and open world there should be the very poor here, the unbelievably rich over there. That puzzle made the beginning fight of the “Lossie Loon.” It is the puzzle which the prime minister of England is trying to work out. That question facing the lad in the fishing hamlet became the theme, the life quest of the man. Not a rebellion ageinst poverty wholly as such. Rather, a battle against the in- equities that exist among men, spiritual inequalities as well as the more obvious material inequalities. Reading here, you will find that this is all there is to Ramsay Macdonald, all there ever has been. A fighting ma- chine of amazing capacity and power, advancing against intrenched ease and prlvfle?e behalf of the political man- hood of toil with its sequence of a larger sharing in the advantages of productive life. * ok k% ‘The early chapters of this book are vital ones, as well as fascinating ones. Here you discover the boy stuff of which the man is made. A worker in- defatigable. A student insatiable. As worker and as reader never letting go of the problem of life that he so early set for himself. In many ways, much like other boys, too. Of course. To look at, a “youpg Lochinvar” coming out of the West. Not a doubt of that. However, he didn't seem to know fit. Doesn't yet. Just an aside this, but a most interesting one as well. Page 4 of the book in hand is submitted in evi- dence of a fact that men, as a rule, repudiate. though secretly not dis- pleased with the “proof in hand.” However, to get along. It was a great day with the boy when he came upon Henry George's “Progress and Poverty,” a book whose hold is even yet strong upon Mr. Macdonald. Having later left his home for London, with hunger a steady companion for a while in that city, he found work of sorts, enough to keep him alive while he followed every sort of lead toward the problem of poverty—that was his exclusive en- grossment. The Fabians, that brilliant group, captivated him, captured him for a while. But argumentation was nof his notion of the best fighting equip- ment. So he made speeches; he stirred up the somewhat open-minded among workers. In a word, so energetic was he, so not-to-be-denied, that, as a mat- ter of course, in the measure to which he became noticeable at all, he became obnoxious, finally thoroughly hated. By this time labor in England was begin- ning to be a bit self-conscious, was get- ting together in a way. However, for long the “way” was not more than a ges- ture of independence, carrying nothing at all of either a working program or been one. And- in the meantime young Macdonald was edging toward the only avenue of approach to his particular battlefield. So he entered politics, be- coming more and more strongly the ad- vocate of labor in its claims to a meas- ure of independence and directive Em\'rr. And_here is the story of the irth of the Labor party. Here is record of Ramsay Macdonald's part in that event; the record also of his subse- quent relations to the two dominant parties in England, to his final triumph in the political field of England, to his notable stand in relation to the World War, to his later successes in behalf of English labor, by way of its partak- ing in the affairs of government—all this leading to his present political leadership in the empire. These achieve- ments are fairly well known. But for their clear restatement one cannot do better than to read'thiscarefully col- lected material, appraised for its rela tive values, projected as part of the his. tory of political England; a study, be- sides, of the life of a man who, seem- ingly born with & vision of human equality, was gifted by character and temperament to pursue that vision to its capture, to its embodiment as a po- tent means of human amelioration, as a measure of political justice, as an in- strument of general well-being among men. To this clear chapter of polit- ical history, a vital chapter in the af- fairs of England and the world itself, there are many other interesting mat- ters here bearing upon the life of Mr. Macdonald—his marriage and ideal home life, his capacity for enjoyment, his brilliant power in speaking and writing, his friends and companions. Going back, and then coming on for- ward again, the whole noble achieve- ment rises, primarily, from one source— the character of the man, of the boy. Every page gives simple proof of this, in the attitude of mind and spirit and body with which this man, from the beginning, has fronted each day's prob- lem and demand. Now is the mo- ment for us here to add “Labor’s Man BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. This s a special department de- voted to the handling of inquiries. You have at your disposal an extensive organization in Washington to serve | you in any capacity that relates to in- | formation. Write your question, your name and your address clearly and in- close 2 cents in _coin or stamps for reply. Send to The Evening Star Ip- formation Bufeau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. . Has Byrd's Antarctic Expedition (s many motion pictures?>—N. S. B. A. Up to date it has taken about | 100,000 feet, of film and expects to in- | crease production as the season of day- | light returns. . Is 1t ssible to take up home- stgd landpr';ur the site of Boulder Dam?—W. J. 8. A. The Land Office of the Depart- ment of the Interior has withdrawn from homestead entry all areas designated in the Swing-Johnson Boulder Dam bill. Most of this land lies in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys. Q. What are some of the indications of a good education?—N. T. 9 A. Five evidences of an education as enumerated by Nicholas Murray Butler are as follows: “First among the evi- dences of an education I name correct- ness and precision in the use of the mother tongue. As a second evidence I name those refined and gentle man- ners which are the expression of fixed habits of thought and action. As a third evidence I n the power and habit of reflection. * * * As a fourth evidence of an education I name the power of growth. There is a type of mind which when trained to a certain point crystallizes. as it were, and re- fuses to move onward. This type of mind fails to give one of the essential | evidences of an education. As a fifth evidence of an education I name effi- ciency, the power to do.” who was used in the search for l;gl;n;;“ air liner City of San Fran- cisco?—S. A. P. A. Flying Eagle, a sturdy Hopi run- ner, assisted in the quest for the City of San Francisco. . DId George Washington belleve thst a navy was n:cegsnry to_protect a nation’s commerce?—D. W. K. A. President Washington in his in- augural message in December, 1796, sald, in part: “To an active external commerce the protection of a naval force is indispensable—the most sin- cere neutrality is not a sufficient guard against_the’ depredations of nations at war. To secure respect for a neutral flag requires a naval force organized and ready to vindicate it from insult or ag- gression. This may even prevent the necessity of going to war, by discourag- ing belligerent powers from committing such violations of the rights of the neu- tral party as may, first or last, leave no other option.” Q. Does the fish known as the pelican come to the surface of the ocean?— G. A E. A. This eellike fish, with stupendous jaws similar to those of a pelican, is never found at the surface unless it is dead and floating. It lives in the depths and is found in both the Atlantic and Q. What was the name of the Indian | Q. Is snow counted in measuring & year's rainfall>—C. 8. A. The Weather Bureau says that snowfall that occurs at the Government observing staticns is reduced to its equiv- | alent in rainfall and included with the latter in determining the amount of precipitation during the year. Asa rule the ratio of unmelted to meited snow is 1 to 10—that is, 10 inches of snow wili ordinarily make about 1 inch of water. Q. What is meant by tontine insur- ance dividends?—E. McC. A. It refers to some forms of life in- surance under which, at some desig- nated time, usually 10, 15 or 20 years, the surviving and persisting policyhold- ers share in the accumulated surplus. Q. Who is considered the greatest .soz_}g writer that America has produced? . Stephen Collins Foster is usually given the honor. He wrote more than 100 songs, 4 of which are still known around world. Q. Please give some records for cross- ing the ocean, starting with Columbus and ending with the Bremen.—S, L. A. Columbus, 71 days, 1492; May- flower, 63 days, 1620; Savannah, 26 days, 1819; ' Sirius, 1815 'days, 1838; Great Western, 131> days, 1838; Britannia, 14 days 8 hours, 1840; Pacific, 9 days 19 hours, 1851; Persis, 9 days 1 hour, 1851; Scotia, 8 days 2 hours, 1866; City of Brussels, 7 days 22 hours, 1869; Bal- tic, 7 days 20 hours, 1873; City of Ber- lin, 7 days 15 hours, 1875; Arizona, 7 days 7 hours, 1880; Alaska, 6 days 18 hours, 1882; Etruria, 6 days 1 hour, 1888 Majestic, 5 days 18 hours, 1891: Lu. cania, 5 days 7 hours, 1894; Mauretania (Queenstown), 4 days 10 hours; Maure- tania (Cherbourg), 5 days 2 hours, 1928; Bremen, 4 days 17 hours, 1929. Q. Do any trolley cars operate with- out tracks?—C. L. T. A. Trolley busses have made their appearance. Rubber-tired busses able to operate 8 or 9 feet from the side of the overhead trolley are found to be more mobile in traffic and capable of keeping a faster schedule. Q. Do the Canadian people have the same moving picture favorites that we have in the United States?—J. T. 8. A. An authority on the subject says, “The lnvurfl:“lur; of Csunde ;‘n&;&}a players as_Alice Joyce, Mary Douglas Fairbanks, Norma Shearer, Janet Gaynor, Clive Brook, Percy Mar= mont, and that type of player.” Q. How long ago did the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty live?>—J. E. N. A. Frederic Bartholdi was born in 1834 and dled in 1904. Q. What can be used as a lacquer on ‘“‘A"s’h"'“‘“’n??‘ L. W. S . iver articles may U with white shellac and alcohol or & thin solution of dammar and aleohol. Q. Is Lord Byng living in England at present?>—M. P. 1 A. Lord Byng, former British general, is now commissioner of the metropolitan police at Scotland Yard, London’s police headquarters. Q. How many fishermen are there in the United States?—L. B. J. A. There are 126,910 who follow the - Pacific Oceans. “Dirt is just matter out of place.” That is a familiar definition, but how familiar is this one, “Noise is sound out of place”? Somehow, that seems to differentiate nofse from music—or does it, when music is so distinctively out of place as it is when persistent at mid- night, coming from too near one's rest- ing place? New York city is starting a campalgn against such nuisances as unnecessary noises. “Attention, Wash- ington!” Music is sometimes used with_ finan- cial profit in mechanics—aside entirely from aesthetics—for it speeds up the mechanic doing routine work—provided the rhythm of the music does not clash with the natural rhythm of the work. Even cows “give down” better to the tune of “Flow Gently, Sweet Afton,” but they would strike at the tune of “Nobody Knows How Dry I Am. John Muir, the naturalist, tells of Iying prone in the forest and singing to the little wildlings—birds and squir- rels—which seemed quite appreciative and would perch nearby, or even upon him. But the instant he pitched on “Old Hundred” every critter fled in disapproval. What would & canary do with jazz? Birds know better. It’s the “dirt” of sound. * % ok ok Sometimes “music” is so out of place that it is just noise. Noise—traffic or grinding machines or riveters or talk— is so disturbing to workers that it be- | comes the most expensive waste in a business establishment. Our traffic director, Mr. Harland, does not believe that: he came from New York. He avers that it all de- pends on getting used to noise, then one does not notice it. We Washing- tonians may be villagers, for we seem to listen in whenever a street car and a frog have an argument at a crossing, or a truck goes lumbering by. there is Sixth avenue and Thirty- fourth street, New York, which the new Encyclopaedia Britannica declares is the noisiest spot on earth. It has three surface car lines and two ele- vated tracks and millions of automobile trucks and other noise-makers. What a Heaven for Traffic Manager Harland, who is so used to noise that he.says he has rested in a boiler factory en- Jjoying watching two boiler-makers con- versing alongside the wildest hammer- ing, and speaking in that low, cultured means of carrying it through had there | voice of the refined drawing room. It's all in getting used to—lip reading. Soldiers got accustomed to bombard- ments, so that, when tired enough, they just lay down alongside of active can- weet restorer.” Vet if a new note were sounded—an air attack or a gas siren’s warning—the sleepers waked instantly. . Health Commissioner Wynne of New York announces the appointment of a commission to_investigate noises. The United States Senate is investigating all smells, so noise is all that he has left to look after. The Senate might have included noises, except for the habitual silences of lobbies and detectives. Previous New York investigations by noise experts have determined that its noise varies from 0.0001 dyne, per square centimeter, to 20 dynes. That is enough to “raise the roof” or raise —, whatever ought not be raised. A drne is the force which if applied to one gram for one second would give it a velocity of nne centimeter a second. And New York actually averages 5 of these units per centimeter! Of the total noise, the ratio of blame is attributed as follows: Forty per cent, auto trucks for commercial deliv- ery; twenty-five per cent, elevated railroads; twenty per cent, surface cars. (And Washington has two such systems of surface cars. He who will make one run where two go now will | offset the fellow who breeds two cars of corn where one grew before.) If two systems of surface cars make so many dynes (not dimes) how many dynes will one make? * ok %ok ‘The remaining 15 per cent of the | noise is credited to private automobiles —the horns mainly—horse vehicles, riveting and excavating machines and ambulance and fire alarms. Not much can be charged to private automobiles, except to drivers who are still so “young” that they like to holler just to attract glory to themselves. There is of Destiny” to the actual, passing con- tact of a few days ago with the man himself, Prime Minister of England Ramsay Macdonald. hardly any reason for honking, since Now | nons and were lulled to sleep—the | p! calling. BACKGROUND OF EVENTS BY PAUL V. COLLINS. according to the Traffic Bureau; pene alty, arrest and fine and imprisonment. Maybe we'll hang 'em later. Time will come when horses without rubber shoes and wagons without rub- ber tires will be barred from asphalt streets. Then we may sleep on. * X ¥ % In his book, “Psychology of Industrial Efficiency,” Dr. Harold E. Burtt says: “It would seem that noises might afford a sufficient distraction in many cases to detract from the efficiency of industrial work. In laboratory studies we do find that distraction, if sufficient- cases in which, with a rather constant distraction, we overcome it and do just as well. * * ¢ The effect of the noise is not to be confused with our aware- ness of it. It is possible to becoms adapted to it, so that we are not con- sclous of it. We do not hear the clock tick. We may even get accustomed to the passing trolley, so that it does not |enter our attention. The worker may cease to notice the riveting machine o&mde, or the conversation in the next office. “This does not mean necessarily that these things have no effect. We may overcome the unwillingness to work, after a long period, if sufficiently moti- vated. * * * In Europe a factory group of experienced workers assembling & lot of 80 ‘temperature machines,’ pro- duced some 60 imperfections. “It developed that they were working next to a boiler factory, with its pro- verbial noise. They were then moved t quiet place, and immediately there was an improvement. They did 110 machines in the same time required for t}’le former 80 and had only 7 imperfec- tions, “In ancther room the poor product in packing materials was suspected to be partially due to the noise of the fan, When the fan was stopped, production immediately jumped 12 per cent, in spite of the poorer ventilation.” There is Prof. Fred A. Moss, M. D, Ph. D, of the George Washington Uni- versity, who knows something worth while about noise. In his book, recent- ly published, is, in substance, the fol- lowing: “In a test of typewriting, the use of sound-absorbing ~ wall material in=- creased the output 4.3 per cent.” Sometimes, he explains, the noise stimulates and “drives” the worker, at | the direct expense of physical ener(g's. as measured in calories. Energy | what an employer hires—not just good | looks—and if he loses energy of his em= loyes, without increased product, he is wasting money, just as truly as if he | neglecied to oil his machinery. Here | is the result of such a test, which indi- | cates that while noise speeded up the | operators to an increase of output, 3 per cent, yet the increased calories used {up was the difference between 51 (and 71: ’ Per cent of increased calories per man when typing. Quiet. Roisy. Per cent of in- creased speed under quiet. » verage. 51 Does it pay, Mr. Employer, to push your workers with a stimulant of noise, whether syncopated or just bang, amounting to an expenditure of 19 or 20 per cent extra calories of energy, in order to get only 3 per cent increase of output? This is not a question of humaneness, but of economics. In fact, with 51 as the basis, the in- crease because of noise to 71 calories amounts to an increase of 42 per cent of energy required, while the output is raised only 3 per cent. What is dem- onstrated for typists applies with equal force to all mental workers, if not sll routine mechanical work. Dr. Moss adds that it is of special in= terest to note that the effect of noise was even more noticeable upon the skilled typists than upon the unskilled— which was possibly attributable to the ’ | higher development of nervous energy in the skilled. ‘Taking these laboratory tests as the pasis of computing the price of unneges~ sary noise inflicted upon a whole city or all cities, the cost can but run up to astounding figures. This is only con- J sidering the actual economic output of labor products. What then must be 1dded for the shortening of lives through honking is no excuse for running down pedestrians now, and the unnecessary use of the honk is a criminal offense, . the fraying of nerves and breaking down prematurely of physical and mental en- durance? . (Copyrisht. 1026, by Paul V. Collisay ’ ’ /|