Evening Star Newspaper, November 19, 1929, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR e With Sunday Merniag Bditien. WASFINGTON, D. C TUESDAY....November 19, 1920 THEODOR® W. NOYES. ...Editor The lnlh..fuln N iper Company ness 3 11t} 8t and Penntyivania Ave, Shicsso Office: Lake Michigan Building. ean Office: 14 Regent St.. London. Rate by Carrier Within-the City. e Evening Star. .. . 45c per month Evening and per cop! each month. Orders may be sent in by mail or (elephone NAtional 5000. » All Other States and Canada, n,z 00: 1 m Member of the Associated Press. ssociated Press Is exclusively ublication of all 0 it or not others d. aper ‘and also the local 1ews q herein. Al rights of publication dispatches herein are also reserves —_—— Great Plans in Jeopardy. T adverse sentiment carried any weight, an oil company's scheme to erect wharfage and storage tank facil- ities on the Virginia shore of the Potomac, just above Key Bridge, would long since have been frustrated and abandoned. The Board of Supervisors of Arlington County and the petitioning oil company seem to be the only pro- ponents of the plan. Opposing it are the organized citizens of Arlington County, the county’s zoning commission, the Natlonal Capital Park and Planning Commission, officials of the Virginia Park and Planning Commission and, according to action taken yesterday, the Commission of Fine Arts. But sentiment, in this case, is i) Tews dis- ereq a | That was to be expected. possible. They have disapproved of the epithets which certain of the Repub- lican “old guard” have used toward the Progressive Republicans of the West. This in itself is high crime in the view of the Democrats, whose only hope in the elections for Congress next year, and perhaps in the mational election in 1932, is a serious division among the Republicans. ‘The suggestion has come from the “young guard” that the tariff bill be put through with the present indus- trial rates, under existing law, remain- ing practically unchanged, granting s few increases where industries, such as the textile industry, have actually been meeting killing foreign competition, and allowing all the proposed agricultural increases. This, in large measure, con- forms to the recommendations. to Con- gress by President Hoover. But this suggestion apparently has met with the disapproval of the Progressive Repub- licans, who have joined in the “coali- tion” with the Democrats. The pathway of the “young guard” | seemingly today is strewn with thorns. ‘Twenty-four Senators banded together with a single- ness of purpose is a bloc that must be reckoned with seriously in the long run. They have taken a stand, which will be approved by the country, for the passage of the tariff bill in some form before the close of the special session of Congress. The Republican Progres- sives are willing, apparently, to drive ahead as fast as possible with the bill. If the Democrats will' exhibit the same kind of co-operation, much may yet be done with the tariff bill before the session closes. If the Senate debate could be freed from extraneous and “funny” speeches for the next ten days the country might see the final disposi- tion of the tariff bill by the Senate and its transference to the conference stage. —_———— James W. Good. Rarely has a man become a member evidently powerless to change or defeat the plan. If its realization depended alone upon the granting of the permit by the Board of County Supervisors, construction might now be under way, for the permit has been granted. But construction of the proposed wharf in- volves another element. The United States claims jurisdiction extending to the high-water mark of the Potomac on the Virginia side of the river, and the wharf, regardless of its possible tres- pass on Federal property, cannot be constructed without permission of the United States district engineer. Maj. Brehon Somervell, the United States Engineer for this district, now has the oil company’s proposal under consideration and a decision in the matter is to be expected within a short time. If the Federal Government's claim of title to land on the other side of the river extending to the high-wa- ter mark is upheld, it would be strong enough to constitute grounds for veto of the proposal, involving, as it does, the use of Federal property. But if the claim is not strong—a matter now be- ing considered by the Department of Justice—Maj. Somervell may have to base his decision upon the effects on navigation involved in construction of the wharf. If these were found not to be deleterious or to constitute a men- ace, it is conceivable that the United States District Engineer might find no good reason to refuse the oll company the permission it seeks. In the case of the Key Bridge devel- opment, just as in the case of the pro- posed Great Falls development, oppo- sition to commercial enterprises is based solely on the plans of the Fed- eral Government. At some future day the Federal Government proposes to de- velop or to assist in the development Virginia shore above Key Bridge, justas it plans, at some future day, to develop, for park purposes, the gorge of the Potomac, including Great Falls. How long can these plans, as intangible as they are, be expected to stand in the way of commercial development? Public sym- pathy is correctly on the side of the Government and its plans. There is general realization that carrying them out is altogether desirable. But they should not be allowed indefinitely to continue as paper plans alone. The Government’s intention should be in- terpreted by definite action. If this is not done the paper plans may have to be consigned to the waste basket and opportunities that exist today irretriev- ably lost. ———ee Success is predicted for the London Naval Conference. There are, of course, discussions of obstacles to be overcome. But every great conference that puts men on thel: mettle is likely to be dis- tinguished by a little preliminary stage fright. “The Young Guard.” The efforts of the “young guard” of the Republicans in the Senate to bring a certain amount of order out of the chaos which has developed in that body in recent months, during the con- sideration of the tariff bill, are quite naturally meeting with opposition. Suc- cess on the part of the young guards- men would be distressing to the Demo- crats, whose political planning looks to continued division among the Repub- Jicans. It was to be expected, therefore, that Senator Pat Harrison) of Missis- - sippi, or another, would rise on the floor, as Senator Harrison did yesterday, of the cabinet of the Chief Executive who was so well known in Washington us James W. Good, retary of War, who died yesterday after a brief iliness. Rarely has one been named to high executive office who has by legislative experience been so well qualified for administrative duties. Mr. Good had twelve years, six full terms, as & mem- ber of the House of Representatives. During that period he was active in committee work and at the close of his final term, when he relinquished office to resume the practice of law, he was serving as chairman of the com- mittee on appropriations. In that capacity he demonstrated a thorough acquaintance with the details of Gov- ernment. He strove always for con- ctive development of the Federal dministration. During the Great War he labored indefatigably for the main- tenance of the highest efficiency on the part of the defensive forces of the country. It was in that period that he gained his knowledge of military mat- ters which qualified him especially to be Secretary of War under President Hoover. ‘To Washingtonians who have known Mr. Good since his entry into Congress twenty years ago his death is a sad- dening blow., His exceplional character, his kindly personal quality endeared him to all who ever knew him. To the Government his death is a severe loss, ‘When his fellow Iowan, Herbert Hoover, was nominated for the presidency he tendered his services for the campaign, and they were accepted and proved of the highest value in accomplishing Mr. Hoover's election. He had since his renewal of active law work, in Chicago, gained « lucrative practice that insured his fortunes. He was happy in his occupation and relinquished it for cam- paign duty in a sense of sacrifice for the sake of, his party and, according to his lights, of the Nation. When victory had been won at the polls Mr. Good was one of the first to whom the President-elect turned for aid in the formation of his agministration and he again sacrified his personal welfare for the sake of public service. In the few months that have passed since he took office as Secretary of War, Mr. Good proved that the qualities which distinguished him in Congress, his sound judgment, and the power of strict concentration upon his task and thorough examination of every subject brought to his attention had not lessened, but had rather increased. He had familiarized himself with the or- ganization of the Army to somg extent while he was in the House of Repre- sentatives, As Secretary he was not content with less than a complete knowledge of every matter that was brought to him for action. Such a capacity for hard work and thorough Study as he possessed and applied to his official duty insures success even though there may be no occasion for spectacular demonstration. It is un- doubtedly the case that Mr. Good's strict, unswerving dedication to his duty sapped his strength and affected his health. His death may thus be re- garded as “in line of duty.” For this high-charactered, sincere, valuable public servant, who in effect | gave his life for his country, there is the deepest mourning as “taps” are sounded for him. ——————— For variety's sake, men with the Na- tion's interest at heart are expected to discuss business relief as well as farm relief. e - The Earth Readjusts. and ridicule the young guard move- ment, A The “young guard” has been accused of seeking to dethrone the present leader of ‘the Senate, Mr. Watson, who is away because of ill health. Some of #*s members are being charged with great personal ambition. As a matter of fact, the young guardsmen insist there has been no movement whatever to dis- lodge Senator Watson. But they must face the charge, however, because fore- sdoth they declined to accede to the request, which came more strongly from the Democratic side of the chamber taan from the Republican, for an ad- journment of the special session of ~cngress, leaving the tariff bill suspend- ed in the air. Their sinning lay in sign- ing a round robin pledging themselves to be present at all night sessions of the Senate, in order to promote action on the tariff bill. The “young guard” has also come to the conclusion that the differences be- tween Westérn Republicans and those from the East, between the progressive ‘This mobile earth of ours, as it has been styled, is settling down and read- justing and, to use the most familiar term, quaking all the time. It is really never quite perfectly still. Somewhere, to some degree, there is almost incessantly some movement as the crust heaves and slips and slides, to accommodate the strains and stresses caused by the un- rather more free of “faults” than are some other parts of the world, Yet there are several of these lines of cleav- age, or zones of slipping in readjust- thent. One of these lies along the Pacific Coast of the United States, and has caused much trouble, in recent years has led to disaster. There are some along the Atlantic Coast. One of them about thirty years ago gave birth, as 1t wer¥) to the Charleston c:rthquake, One of the well defined faults roughly paraliels the Atlantic Coast, extending in a southwesterly direction from the neighborhood of Labrador. It is called the Fundian Fault. It has given a good deal of trouble in the past, through earthquakes. New England has suffered some 200 shocks in a little less than 300 years, of which twelve were severe, though none has ever been disastrous in effects. November 18, 1775, the heaviest of all in recorded history occurred, bringing down some 1,400 chimneys and causing paqic in several communities but taking no lives. Yesterday, by a strange coincidence, exactly 154 years from that record shock, another occurred in the zone of the Fundian Fault, throughout New England and in Eastern Canada and New Brunswick. It lasted for more than an hour. No particular damage was done. It was just another of the long series of “temblors” that this area has felt from the beginhing of history on this continent. ‘There is no occasion for alarm on the score of the instability of the earth in this region. Of course no one can foretell happenings of this kind. The earth may, after many centuries of com- parative quietude, suddenly develop a streak of severe uneasiness along the line of the heaviest population. That would be disastrous in the highest de- gree. But just because of yesterday's settlement along the Fundian Fault, the latest of a series of uncounted hundreds and perhaps thousands, no one should {feel the least anxiety, It avails nothing to be frightened of a force that cannot be measured or “forecast. e—e— Treasures From Fairways. In the illuminating “Answcrs to Questions” column conducted by Fred- eric J. Haskin, which is a daily feature of The Evening Star, the information was recently given that in 1926 it was estimated that more than 570,000 acres, valued at an average price of $1,000 an acre, is given over in this country to golf courses. Disregarding the consid- erable costs of clubhouses and other equipment, this indicates an investment of nearly six millions of dollars in land alone four years ago, a sum doubtless netably greater tod: Since the royal and ancient game got its first foothold in this, these United States, there have probably been sprung as many jokes at its expense as there are acres today devoted thereto. These ‘wheezes and their variations persist and will naturally continue to do so, for the field is a fertile one. Furthermore, certain undiscerning economists might, at first glance, be inclined to “view with alarm” these rather staggering sta- tistics. At first glance, indeed, the acreage and dollars invested seem exceedingly large. However, let the reader pause for a little and consider all the crops raised on all the lands, rich and poor alike, of this country and ask himself in all seriousness if in beneficial effects to the owners and users thereof any product be more valuable than the in- tangible one annually harvested from these broad, pleasant and usually high- ly appraised parcels of ground. Viewed from this angle thcy are gold mines rather than golf courses. ——————————— Students in European universities who insist on rioting should introduce foot ball, which gratifies the inclination for = struggle, but does not necessitate any serlous hard feelings. Harry Sinclair leaves jail jyst in time to make preparations for a good old- fashioned Thanksgiving. ——rates. SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON, . Overwhelming Tople. ‘The gossips all are silent now; ‘The night club tune is done, And orators who raised a row New methods have begun. In vain our varous artists bring ‘To our respect a claim— Nobody talks about a thing Except the foot ball game! In vain the modern Romeo ‘To Jullet speaks fair. ‘The girl turns on the radio And scarcely knows he's there! November always has its fling At big athletic fame— Nobody talks about a thing Except the foot ball game! Ready for Novelty. “Are you one of the old guard?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum. “Of course, I have had long experience, but I am as muoh interested as any- body in new ideas that seem practical.” Jud Tunkins says there is no use wishing you could live your life over. ‘You might not make the same mistakes, but you'd make others just as bad. New Political Emblem. The “laughing jackass” is a bird Of which the naturalists have heard. Each creature needs his chance to chaff— So why should not a jackass laugh? The “laughing jackass” claims anew Mirth for himself and children, too. The world he deems too grim, by half— So why should not a jackass laugh? Business in the Home, “I try to take an interest in my hus- equal shrinkages of the solidified matter that forms the shell of the sphere. These movements occur more fre- quently in some parts than In others, owing to the fact that in the cooling process the once molten matter has solidified unevenly, has formed differing shapes, has “settled” unequally, New it is the presence of an immense body of water that puts an exceptional strain upon the crust. Again it is the fact that & congenital cleft, as it were, has been formed in the crust, in some particular zone along which readjustments are more often necessary than at other places. These are called “faults.” Geologists have discovered and located them, through study of the earth move- wing and the conservative wing of the ments. &@arly, should be obliterated as Mr as This North American continent is hisself to safety.” band’s business.” “Don’t try too hard,” said Miss Cay- enne, “unless you are sure you won't be asked to invest your own money in a heavily margined account.” “Our ancestors,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “were little different from ourselves. Just as we do, they spoke wisely and often acted foolishly.” Taxpayer's Permanent Privilege. . I'm truly happy in the guess Thet soon my taxes will be less. And yet I warn you, men of fame, I shall keep kicking just the same, *“When I quits work to go huntin’” sald Uncle Eben, “I know why a rab- bit's foot is called lucky. De rabbit kin ‘most always use it handy in gittid® 1 % BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL, Can you bear your own company? This is the question which “the most noble stoic Epictetus” asks us of today from a time distance of 2,000 years. By tting the question he an- swers i by all means, he says, & hu. man being with the faculty of reason Icu‘fiht to be able to bear being by him- self. We considered here recently the neces- sity on the part of many people to be alone with themselves for some time each day. We instanced a certain prominent European financier who has a “silence room” into which no one else can enter. Epictetus shows us that every man may make his own “silence room” in his own heart, if he believes firmly enough in the necessity for it, and is willing to study a little. Will Durant, our modern popularizer of philosophy, has collected the thoughts of the world's great philosophers into one readable book. It is a question, however, whether the average reader will get as much from his compilation, drained as those great thoughts are through another, as he will “from reading the untrammeled ideas of any one of the philosophers themselves. Consider this question of solitude, and the need for it. Epictetus must have dwelt on it many times, as he sat before his puplls, because there 1is something in the mental composition of the average person which makes him slightly afraid of being alone by himself. * ok K K The great Stoic philospher put his finger unerringly on the primal physi- cal basis of this fear. People are afraid to be alone, he said, because they know that solitude is the state of a helpless person. It must be remembered that men who lived 2,000 years ago were closer to the primitive facts of life than are we who live in the great modern citles. 1t is difficult for any one to convince us that the Romans, for instance, even though they knew the “Roman peace”— which was a real thing, mind you, not a phrase only—really experienced as much tranquillity as the average citizen in our present civilization. Solitude with them meant, first of all, being physically alone, and in that state it was possible for robbers or others to assault one. Only secondarily did it mean mental aloofness to the “man in the Roman street.” But the essence of the Stoic philoso- phy, which, of all the pagan ways of thought, has held up best to our day, was that “nothing is either good or bad but thinking makes it s0.” Epictetus would have agreed to that more modern phrasing, although he would not have liked the slightly namby-pamby tinge which it possesses. “Not he who is alone is therefore solitary,” he once told his Suplu, “any more than one in a crowd; the con- trary.” In other words, as every one has ex- mflmud' one may be more lonesome a theater packed with unknown per- good book before sons than reading & going to bed. “When, therefore, we lose a son, or & brother, or a friend, on whom we have been used to repose, we often say, we ;‘1: left solitary, even in the midst of me.” Every one knows this feeling. It was the warm humanity of Epictetus, dgih his severity of expression, which called it to his mind. It must ever be remem- bered that this great man, “a slave, and maimed in body, & beggar, and dear to the immortals,” had never heard Christ’s doctrine of love. The power of suffer- ing to make men better and nobler had not been revealed to the world. Prof. Desire of U. S. T. W. Rolleston justly says: “Of this teaching Epictetus knew nothing. One can im: his hearing it with wonder and ultimately with delight in its pro- fundity and truth, but he never heard it and he never divined it. It is not essentially inconsistent with his doc- trine. T’glt doctrine needed but a lit- tle enlargement, a final touch of spirit- ual wisdom, to hgve taken it in and thereby to have made Thought glow into Religion. But that touch was be- yond him, as it was beyond all an- tiquity; it had to be given, not from any philosophic chair, but Ir‘om & cross.” * K Eplctetus continued (in this particu- lar discourse, as taken down by his pupll Arrian) by declaring that we call ourselves solitary especially while Lrlv:!lnf‘ when we fall among thieves, “for it is not the sight of a man that removes our solitude, but of an honest man, & man of honor, and a helpful companion.” ‘Thus he brought out very well the essential idea—not new then or now, but ever needing restatement—that the presence or non-presence of other hu- man beings is not what makes one alone. ‘Those who, b ous “streak in being alone is simply being by one's self do not altogether realize that there are many persons for whom a period of solitude is & necessity. Epictetus puts it, “We ought to be prepared in some manner to be self- sufficlent, and able to bear our own company. As God, he says, evidently is em- plo; “in thoughts worthy of Hi self,” s0 should we, too0, be able to talk with ourselves, “and not to need the conversation of others, nor to be at a loss for employment.” ‘What should one do while in his “silence room”? Epictetus put forth the following mental chores: “To at- tend to the divine administration, to consider our relation to other belng, how we have formerly been affected by events, how we are affected now, what are the things that still press upon us, how these may be cured, how removed, if anything wants completing to com- plete it according to reason.” All this, it be realized in a sec- ond, is only what every one does when he is by himself, with the reservation that perhaps not enough of us spend enough time considering “the divine administrations.” Epictetus goes on to say that Caesar has procured a profound e, “but can ar secure us peace §rom & fever, too, from & shipwreck, from a fire, from an earthquake, from a thun- derstorm, even from love?” No, this sort of peace, he says, comes but from God. The amazing thing is that this man, without knowledge of Christianity, 50 nearly approximated so many of its divine sayings. “The peace which passeth all understanding” was known to Epictetus through sucl ing as he had; he asserted that it can be known to any one who will give himself up to meditation on_ the eternal plans of the Maker of all things. “What solitude is there then left?” he asks, today as 2,000 years ago. “What destitution? Why do we make our- selves worse than children? What do mehda when they are left alone? “They take “&lhl“s and dust; they builld houses; then pull them down; then bulld something else; and thus never want amusement. “Suppose you were all to sail away; am I to sit, and cry, because I am left alone, and solitary? “Am I so unprovided with shells and dust? But idren do this from folly; and we are wretched from wisdom.” to Aid China reason of the gregari- Emphasized in Naming Johnson BY WILLIAM RUFUS SCOTT. Diplomatic_circles in the Far East will see in the appointment of Nelson 'T. Johnson, Assistant Secre! of State, to the post of Minister of the United States to China a continuation under Secretary Stimson of the American pol- icy in that area of the Pacific which has been described as one of “tradi- tional friendship.” Since Mr. Jol is known to have been influential under Secretary Kellogg in the critical days of 1927 in shaping the specific application of this policy, his assignment now to Peiping empha- sizes the desire of Washington to help China to complete sovereignty as rap- idly as this can be achieved with rea- sonable regard to the rights of Ameri- can citizens and interests in China as defined by treatv. Secretary Kellogg showed his appre- ciation of Mr. Johnson's work in 1927 when the latter was chief of the divi- sion of Far Eastern affairs in the De- partment of State by elevating him to an assistant secretaryship. A long pe- riod of service in China had prepared Mr. Johnson for his task then and now. ‘The recently resigned Minister, John V. A. MacMurray, is rated as one of the ablest men in the diplomatic service in his knowledge of China, but it has been ; no secret that at times Mr. MacMurray and the department have been in dis- agreement over the degree of sternness with which the American policy toward China should be applied. Mr. Mac- Murray resigned during a new crisis in China. However, the history of that nation since the monarchy was over- thrown in 1912 has been marked by many crises, and more may be in pros- pect. So that, while Mr. Johnson will take charge of our legation in Peiping with grave problems to solve, he knows his task well enougl. to understand that such a situation may be expected by any one sent to China. ‘The fact that President Hoover in naming Mr. Johnson departed from the general rule he has established of ap- pointing business men to the higher diplomatic™ posts is considered due to the fact that as a young engineer Presi- dent Hoover lived in China, and so understands the country better than did any previous President. In no other country in the world is an expert knowledge of the character- istics and mental process of the people 80 essential to an envoy as in China. However able a husiness man might be in promoting the commercial interests of the two countries, he easily could make blunders in China that would far outweigh such gains. The present civil war in China makes this peculiarly a time when expert handling of the diplo~ matic relations of the United States in China is vital. That the existing Nationalist regime in China would welcome Mr. Johnson's appointment was a foregone conclusion. During 1927, when the regime was bat- tling its way to success, the American policy of standing aside and giving China a chance to work out its own salvation when some other powers fa- vored vigorous intervention, or at least a more emphatic protective policy for foreigners and their property in China, it was well known to the leaders of the Nationalist cause that Mr. Johnson's counsel for restraint was heeded in Washington. No_one can say with assurance that the Nstionalist regime as at present directed and controlled will remain in power in China. But that will not affect Mr. Johnson's status as envoy. If the rebels ultimately obtain control, the, problems might change or become more acute, but here again the need of expert handling is all the more impera- tive. . Outstanding among the issues Mr. Johnson must handle is the one of extraterritoriality. The latest note of the United States to China repeats a willingness to reach a satisfactory solu- tion, while expecting safeguards for American citizens who in the course of time will be tried in Chinese-created courts instead of, as at present, in a:\‘:flnln ‘ T )mml ‘Whatever agreement, or of may mark the negotiations, . John- son will have the advan of intimate contact with the Wi viewpoint. The Nationalist government has re- iterated its intention to abolish the consular courts on January 1, regard- less of treaty rights, if an agreement has not been reached before then. England and other interested powers have given the same general reply to China that the United States gave, and London dispatches recently stated that negotiations to end extraterritoriality would begin between British and Chi- nese representatives shortly. There is manifestly no desire among the powers to retain special privileges in China one moment beyond the time that China has such a grid upon the civil functions as will assure foreigners safety of life and property. UJapan went through the same period and won full sovereignty by providing police, courts, sanitation and other facilities for for- eigneérs satisfactory as substitutes for the facilities wiich foreigners had pro- vided for themselves under extraterri- torial treaties. Americans attending the Institute of Pacific Relations, just adjourned in Kioto, Japan, were active. unofficially, in advancing a scheme whereby China would regain virtual sovereignty in this respect while holding out for foreigners in China a hope of equitable judicial processes. While this transitional plan has not been -pgroved by China, it is one way out of the dispute, and it ‘was noted «hat the Chinese delegates, though insistent upon China's claims, were moderate in their debates. The good will at the conference was such that it was voted to hold the next ses- sion in China in 1931. . Mr. Johnson may be raised to the rank of Ambassador while in China. The desire of China to be rated of ambassadorial rank is known, but so far only Soviet Russia has given that rec- ognition, and sirice relations between the Soviet and China now are ruptured over the Manchurian railroad dispute there is no Ambassador in China. Rep- resentative Dyer of Missouri has intro- duced a bill in Congress to raise the legation to an embassy. Mr. Johnson also may see the lega- tion moved from Peiping to Nankin ‘The Nationalist government finds it w satisfactory for the powers to retain their chief envoys in Pelping. If the rebels win in the civil war, there have been intimations that they will move the capital back to Peiping, so that this question is not a pressing one for the moment. The United States has extensive grounds and buildings in the legation quarter at Peiping. Removal to Nan- king would necessitate & considerable outlay for a new ministerial or ambas- sadorial establishment. This is not likely to be done, therefore, until there is fair assurance of the permanence of Nanking as the capital. In one re t Nanking is preferable. It is on a river navigable by large ships, and Americans endangered there could be more readily rescued than from Peiping, which is about 80 miles inland from the port of Tientsin. Although the United States is not directly involved in the Manchurian railrond dispute, anything of a major importance that affects Manchuria con- cerns the United States in fts tra interests and affects the political bal- ance of power in the Pacific. For this reason Mr. Johnson will have serious problems to handle in safeguarding the American viewpoint in the pending clash between Soviet Russia and China. Both nations signed the Kellogg pact renouncing war as an instrument of national policy, but guerrilla warfare has been going on along the Manchu- rian border. 2 ‘There is not a diplomatic post within the gift of Washington which places upon an envoy so many critical issues as does the post at Pelping, and Mr. Johnson is e: by his friends to rise to the demands there, as he has at other stages in his career. It is recalled that when Mr, Johnson was promoted to Assistant Secretary of State he accepted a smaller salary than he had been receiving as chief of the division of Far Eastern affairs. Now ment, | he is rewarded by a promotion tha %m:li? theu.hn;yol ‘:. Minister onh: tates, ere long salary of an Lov? 'Dl b .4 humanity, believe that | Pas! NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM 1 G M. HAWTHORNE. Newton Arvin, Little, Brown & Co. ‘This electric era is impatient of both the present and the Today, in its accounting, is little more than a mere springboard for the leaping off into some astounding tomorrow. The already dim, are well-nigh forgotten things. A look back: ward whatever direction provides evidence, abundant and- often discon- certing, that the achlevements of any past century could stand easily, and with room to spare, in a single ohe of sweeping by under its burden of megic and marvel, Change, that dread demon of but a few years is today the arbiter of human de , the . master of every man’s fate. Old standards are passing. Former respected guides are fast be- coming impotent totems of forgotten significances. Vital aspects of ancient growth and development are often now- adays but a part of the motley of cu- rious museum collections, pointing vaguely backward upon lost centuries or waiting the expert hand of science to take a turn at recreating an. old ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Stop a minute and think about this fact. You can ask our information bureau any question of fact and get the answer back in a personal letter. It is & great educational idea introdu into the lives of the most intelligent people in the world—American news- paper readers. It is a part of that best purpose of a newspaper—service. There is no charge except 2 cents in coin or stamps . for return postage. Get the habit of asking questions. Address your letter to The Evening Star Infor- mation Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Q. How many people_travel by air in the United States?—B. D. A. Pigures indicate that more than 85,000 persons will have purchased air passage in 1929, Q. What was the name of the Villanova. College foot ball player who died last year?—M. M. A. Leo Goodreau, brilliant quarter- back of Villanova, was injured so seri- ously in f::% ball jractice last year that he died ac a - Q. Is “All Quiet on the Western Front” popular in Italy?—G. A. N. world from these scraps of a vanished t. A part of this period of swift and gigantic change, ing it in innu- merable ways, the people also as a body are gaining a new outlook and attitude, new ideals and activities, new sources of inspiration and vigorously fresh re- sponses to these. This reinvigorating of the people, this new fronting upon the stupendous problem of current ex- istence, is manifest in every line of ac- tivity, whether material or spiritual Great ‘enterprises and the common run of every man's day are alike ready with the quick shift of accommodation to new conditions. A new world, indeed, that now and then seems plainly law- less toward old reverences and fealties. EIE I Hardly anywhere is the great change more clear than in the matter of books and their writers. To go back but a little way. Less than a hundred years have gone by since that Attic band of t New England poets and philosophers established American literature. To be sure, this American literature was pure- ly European in its classic tradition and in the accepted conventions of its pro- jection. Yet, it was a glorious estab- iishment, one that honored its day with genius and power. Who reads it today? Who reads Emerson and Longfellow, Bryant and Holmes and the rest? Who, even, reads Hawthorne, the clearest ro- mantic_inspiration of them all? Why, certainly, these today still sustain one of academic mind or profession. But who else? No, no, this is not a con- tention! Let it pass. It is meant only to indicate that along with everything else literature itself has changed in purpose and in its means of realizing understand- | such purpose. Incidentally, its center | At the im of production has moved from the At lantic Coast to the banks of the Missis- sippl. Not vital, but significant to a degree. However, here is a study of the great- est of the New England novelists. Here is a study of Hawthorne that fllu- minates both the man and the author by way of Newton Arvin's seizure of the two or three essentials that con- stituted the man, Hawthorne. Every writer, certainly every novel- ist, writes about himself. No matter how many different characters may take possession of his story, each of these in the implication of 'various attitudes and behaviors is some part, some fragment, some shadow of his creator. This is true of Hawthorne as it is true—say, of Sinclair Lewis, who out of the gall of .his own blood creates ‘| his “Main Street,” and “Babbitt,” and “Arrowsmith,” and “Gantry,” in_the ironic flow of that life stream. It is true of all writers. To get back to Mr, Arvin and his study of Hawthorne. Frustration is the keynote of Haw- thorne’s life. So it is the keynote of his literary output. Hawthorne, through the indulgence of his passion for soli- tude, became entirely separated from the activities around him. The ac- cepted work of the novelist is to pic- ture, in Fnfl- at Jeast, certain chosen aspects of human behavior. This very purpose implies acquaintance, associa- tion, actions and states of mind drawn from individuals themselves for the sake of weaving these into plausible and interesting literary characters. But Hawthorne had no such knowledge of men_and affairs, and would not have it. Instead he shut himself apart, wel- coming even illness provided it yielded the solitude that his soul was set upon. A strange story, an infinitely pathetic one. Oh, yes, not quite new, yet en- tirely new in the rigid adherence of Mr. Arvin to this dominating and in- fluential fact in the career of Haw- thorne! The study is a wonder of wise suppressions, of omitting irrelevancies for the sake of stressing this New Eng- land novelist in the making. Even the blood of Hawthorne was derived from the lonely ones, from a mother who held to her house, to her room even, for all the years following the death of her husband at sea. e, if you can, children in a home where each one ate his meals by himself, in her room, in his room. Unthinkable! Picture & lad who welcomed a lamed foot since it kept him most of the time outstretched upon a bed, and therefore able to read and be by himself. A little better at college, but no great display of the collective spirit even there. And the belated courtship of Nathaniel Hawthorne, whereby he final- A. Mussolin! has_ forbidden the ap- pearance in Italy of this novel. Q. Why is Donn Byrne characterized as an Irishman when he was born in Brooklyn?—H. N. - A le the late Donn Byrne was born in Brooklyn and attained his first literary 1 ftion in America, his ents took back to their home in uth Armagh, Ireland, when he was but a few months old. There he spent his’ boyhood days, later attending Dublin University. Q. What Spanish-speaking countries are mnmgeu of the League of Nations? —A. 8. P. A. The following are members: Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Per Salvador, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela. Q. In what city is there a suburb called Shaker Vilage?—C. C. A. Cleveland, Ohio, has & suburb of his name which occuples the site of an early Shaker settlement. Q. What money is legal tender in our detached territories?—M. G. . American money is the only legal tender in Alaska, Hawali, Porto Rico, Canal Zone, American Samoa, Guam and in Wake and the Midway Islands. The Philippine Islands have their own currency, the unit being the peso. On the Virgin Islands of the United States, in addition to United States currency, Danish currency is legal tender until 1934, Q. Is Canada a free oounb??—?. A. A. Canada is not an independent nation in the same sense as is the Unit- ed States, Canada is a self-governing dominion within the British Empire. rial conference of 1926 the position of Canada and other self-gov- erning dominions was defined as fol- lows: “They are autonomous com- munities within the British Empire, equal In status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to crown, and freely associated as mem- bexfi of the British commonwealth of nations.” Q. Who was Mme. Tussaud?—N. L. G. A. She was the founder of Mme. Tussaud's exhibition of Wax figures in ced | modeled many London. Born _in Bern in 1760, she was taken to Paris while & chid by her uncle, who practiced wax mdn!'.n: as a fine art. She became adept an of the great people of France. She married & Frenchman named Tussaud, from whom she soon separated. Removing to London, she took with her part of her collection in the Palais Royal, and the ides of her Chamber of Horrors. Her wax were successfully shown and her exhi- bition became permanent. - - Q. Who were Gen. Pershing's aides during the World War, and who were chiefs of staff?—S. 8. A. Gen. Pershing's aides during the World War were Col. Carl Boyd, Col. John G. Quekemeyer, Col. Edward Bowditch, jr. The chiefs of staff during the war were Peyton C. March, Hugn L. Scott, Tasker H. Bliss. Q. Do persons look three times their normal size to animals?—C B. A. The Biological Survey says that the crystalline lens varies somewhat in the eyes of different mammals. Mag- nification of the object may sometimes result, but it ‘is impossible to tell the comparative impression on the retina and the optic nerve. Should man ap- pear three times his normal size animals, all other objects would also be magnified three times. Q. What is meant by a presidential T o 5 e, sy 3 n of Congress a residential election is often so led. t is due to the fact that all members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senators will be elected when the new President is. Q. How many miles of coast line have the Great Lakes in the United States? In Canada?>—R. K. A. Lake Superior has a shcre line in the United States of 1,192 miles; -in Canada, 910 miles; Lake Michigan, en- tirely within the United States, shore line, 1,304 miles; Lake Huron, within the United States, 581 miles; in Can- ada, 1445 miles; Lake Erle, United States, 404 miles; Canads, 327 miles; Lake Ontario, United States, 303 miles; Canada, 453 miles. Q. How are the different flavors and colors- of apples produced?—S. F. A. The flavors of apples are natural to different varieties, but can be influ- enced by water and excessive tree growth. Much wet weather and heavy wth shading the fruit will cause the lmrnnmmm nly be changed b; :}dm%rm only changt y sl to let in more light. Q. What was the origin of the bride’s shower?—L, H. A. It is said to have had its origin 4n Holland. A Dutch father. refused to give his daughter a dowry if she mar- ried & poor miller whom she loved. The friends of the young couple, poor them- selves, led to make them gifts with which they could go to h vor to become Colors are natural In this way the young people were pro- vided for, and the 'cuget:m of hlml showers was inaugurated. Q. When were the flasks made which bear the inscription, “Success to the Railroad”?—A. M. G. A. These bottles were made between 1832 and 1838, Q. What is white coal?>—J. B. P. A. Water power is often referred to as white coal. Selection ' of Switzerland For World Bank Applauded Americans find cause for congratula ing the experts’ committee on selection of Basel, in Switzerland, for the home of the International Bank, although they express sympathy for Belgium, which hoped to win the prize. Success is predicted for the institution, whose statutes and charter are now reported the committee, subject to approval of a conference at The Hague. No diffi- culties are found in connection witix the non-participation of the United States. ‘The Louisville Courier-Journal points out that Basel, an “important railroad center,” was selected “to avoid any pos- sible political re on the institu- tion,” while “for that reason Brusseis was rejected.” That paper records that “when Brussels was rejected, the Bel- gian delegation walked out of the meet- ing and would not vote, and at the next Hague conference may continue to insist on its claims for the institution.” The Courier-Journal recognizes “as finally evolved, the clearing house fcr reparations remains little more than that,” and that “its secondary and auxiliary functions of stabilizing the finences of Europe and becoming a pivotal institution in the financial world are left to future developments.” * K X K “Being essentially a European insti- tution, dominated by the strongest gov- ernments of Europe,” says the Provi- dence Journal, “it ought to be established in the most neutral location available. Switzerland comes as near fulfilling this requirement as any country on the con- tinent, and she has; moreover, the addi- tional advantages of being centrally located. While ordinarily one would like ly became & husband to Sophia Pea- body—that is the most diaphanous, unreal, touch-me-not love dream that could possibly be encountered, even in sleep. When, finally, Hawthorne, under material pressure, took this position or that one in a Government office, “a part of him lived but the most of him died,” as he went about, not inefficient- 1y, through the mechanical processes of “keeping records and accounts.” The lonesomest man living, when he was not alone. The most contented when he had the solitude that he loved. “And Hawthorne lay dead in a hotel room in Plymouth, N. H. Hé had been haunted by the dread of dying at the Wayside in the heart of his family"— and so, still alone, he set out. A tragic and poignant personal story which Newton Irvin follows in a rather grim fidelity to its true spirit. This course he pursues in a definite purpose, that of identifying the man with his work, that of projecting the close-woven fab- ric of Hawthorne and Hawthorne's literary work. There is no other way, or so it seems to me, of coming at the novels of any writer of any day or age. The effect of this study in its way of approach and in its method of treat- ment is that of the inseparable identity of the works of Hawihorne with the temperament and soul of the man him- self. Into this strange life, so plainly and yet so dramatically portrayed, New- ton Arvin pours back the novels, the tales, the sketches, created by this New | England recluse, to let us see that they were sourced in the imaginings of one who had no actual contacts with llk‘,i with which to guide them, to inform them, to bring them to other issue than the common one of frustration, where they one and all fulfill themselves. Beautiful as these tales are, or as some of them are, they are nevertheless of fantastic shades and movements, curi- shadowy blend! of Puritan with- holdings, of witcl t, of other sorceries, of an austere land and a sterner communal spirit—in a word, these tales are made out of the whole cloth of Nathaniel Hawthorne's solitude and the conjurings of his own fanciful dreams of men and spirits and demons and whatever gods there be. The critical value of Mrs Arvin's study is high, sourced in a deep and intimate knowledge of the subject itself, in an petency with the essence of to see a world bank in close proximity 20 the world’s financial center, or at least in one of the world’s great financial citles, the fact remains that the present circumstances are extraordinary and the path of wisdom and of logic is that selected by the international delegates after three weeks of steady and ap- parently sometimes acrimonious debate.” “The choice of & Swiss city empha- sizes the impartial nature of the insti- tution,” concludes the Charleston, S, C., Evening Post, with the feeling that “it is better that it should be placed in a country which was not a participant in the wer and is not ccncerned in the ad- ministration of the fund for the han- dling of which it was created.”” The Rochester Times-Union sees recognition that “Switzerland’s neutrality is not only protected by hard and fast inter- national agreements, but, is easier io maintain in a crisis than that of Bel- glum or even Holland. Banking ex- perts,” continues the Times-Union, “at first reported against a site so far in- land, for an institution which is in- tended to play an important part in foreign exchange transactions, but the political reasons overcame these techni- cal objections. Girt by mountain peaks and easier to go around than to force a way through, Switzerland is becoming more and more a cenfer for interna- tional institutions seeking a strictiy neutral jite.” * ok ok Wisdom of the choice of Basel is at- tested also by the Flint Daily Journal, which adds: “Its politics, war neu- trality and lack of speculative markets make it an ideal place. There will he a great deal less of prejudice in a country like Switzerland than if the bank had gone to London, for example.” ‘The New Orleans Item adds: “Most Americans will not complain over the selection. Switzerland makes a religion of neutrality. It is too small for its neu- trality to be questioned. It is thus a catching up with any novelist of today, or tomorrow. It is not possible to state, without a hint of overenthusiasm, the persistence with which this work stand: fitting seat for the bank, as it is for the League of Nations.” ‘The decision is declared by the Hart- ford Courant to “represent a compro=- mise between the claims of the British delegates, who desired the bank to be established in London, and those of the dege‘lm of the f:mlldment‘h! "e‘f:. who were opposed ding = tories which Mr. Snowden had already wrested from them at The Hague.” The Courant also considers another phase of the report with the statement: “The attitude of the United States is em- phasized by the circumstance that, in the same week that the charter of the bank has been completed, conversa- tions heve been begun between the United States and Germany with re- gard to a treaty covering the payment of the costs of the armies of occupa- | tion. Although the new reparations i settlement contemplated that this debt of Germany, like reparations, should be paid through the new bank, the admin~ istration ngpnrently is determined that the United States shall remain com- pletely dissoclated from it, even as a creditor.” * ok x X ., “Basel, which counts 138,000 inhab- .hnu,"‘ expll!r‘lx! the San Antonio Ex- press, “is second only to Zurich (207,000 population) in Swi d, lrfid is & little larger than Geneva— 120 miles southwest, The Swiss government' is expected to accord the Bank of Inter- national Settlements a practically inde- pendent status, such as the League of Nations secretariat occuples at Geneva.” The Jersey City Journal finds as to the status of the bank: “The carrying out of the Young plan business wiil be but part of its work. It announces as one of its cardinal purposes, in addition to ?amxnmurmg the reparations plan, the ‘promotion of co-operation of the cen= tral banks (of the signatory nations) and providing of additional facilities for international financial operations.’ That purpose holds promise. Much good may come of a banking institution that has & world perspective, a bank whose board of directors is made up of rep- resentatives of the central banking in- stitutions of seven great nations.” If the political problems still re- maining in connection with certain phases of the bank’s trust agreement are satisfactorily worked out at the ap- proaching conference at The Hague,” according to the New York Evening Post, “the world bank will thus be def- initely incorpo: in the as it is submitted to the nations con- cerned for the ratification of their re- spective parliaments. A start will have been made to do_for international 2 ce what the League of Nations” oes for international politics and the World Court for international law.” Oregon Declared Ideal Bread and Butter State From the Portland Oregon Daily Journal. Granting Oregon's need of industrial pay rolls, factories for the fabrication of the State's many raw materials, a Tecent Oregon State Chamber of Com- merce bulletin emphasizes the impor- tance of the great pay roll that can be developed in dairying—a checks can be made to eniilngoslrenm. n Oregon last year 216,000 dai; :21.7\&):.121‘03"20: :25,391,080 in n‘ervyv , alrea e - cultural umomye in e Beate ) tin declares. than the whes Frenter by st y far than the But it is only a btflnnln}"r“w lion cows in the State year ornia, at 's - mands an increasing t:nmn of b dt:r in y roll whese ow in an un- around and stays by long after it been put aside. All, too, in sheer fiance of the fact that this is yester day's book, to be set aside in out- | reach for tomorrow's prin rich equal com) valld critical standards, and with the proper inconstancy of these standards uj occasion. Another point, the study of Hawthorne is not onl interesting as such, but it b e and his work u: man traight up to it moment as an inspiring way theme and its thoroughly inating treatment combine to make the im- mediate past, rogreunud by Nathaniel is work, come square~ ly into the present, despite the Jmnuonu that counts, Ty | soutl thé onrushing future iw:%” Caitfornia is but an instance, Mar- kets everywhere will absorh quality s e e b st wheat domains emn of the State, mdmwmx ideal 5 s