Evening Star Newspaper, December 7, 1929, Page 6

6 THE EVENING STAR With Sundsy Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY....December 7, 1920 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor Evening Star Newspaper C e Business Offi ’” R and Pennsylvenia Ave, : 110 East 42nd Lake Michigan Bullding. ce; 14 Regent St. London, Englan Rate by Carrier Within the City. ine Stai 5¢ Ler month 'vening and Twhen 4 Bundaye) #0c per month The Evening and’Su i (w] 5 ays) 65¢ per month ‘The Sunday St 5c per copy Collection made at the end of each mon‘h. d!l‘o" 1lfll7 be sent In by mail or telephone Ral 5000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. & |y and Sunda; Bl i, All Other States and Canada. 4 8 ay. ; g! an 1: Eni.;’“fix,‘ 80 1 Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Assoclated Press is exclusively entitled the use for republication of all n itches credited to it or not in this paper and also ihe local rews Bublished herein. All rights of publication of &pecial dispatches herein are also reserved. ¥ .00: 1 m 13r. $4.00: 1 mo. A Salutary Lesson. William 8. Vare has been denied a seat in the Senate by a vote of that body. Stripped of all constitutional questions that may be involved, relat- ing to the rights of the States and of the Senate, the Upper House struck vig- orously at excessive expenditures in campaigns for senatorial nominations and elections, and at political corrup- tion, in its action yesterday in the case of Mr. Vare. The decision of the Sen- ate is final. Under the Constitution the Senate is the sole judge of the qual- ifications and elections of its members. ‘There is no appeal. For three years the struggle over Vare has continued. The country is familiar with the charges of excessive expendi- tures and corruption made against the veteran Republican boss of Philadelphia. The Senate committee which investi- gated the Pennsylvania primary in 1926, under the leadership of former Senator James A. Reed of Missouri, found that there had been expended for the Vare- Beidleman ticket more than $750,000 and for the Pepper-Fisher ticket en even larger sum of money. There have been reports to the effect that still larger sums were actually expended. But the report of the committee showed & condition which should not be per- mitted to exist. The Senate has served notice on the country and on men who may under- take to win nominations and elections to that body that it will not tolerate the excessive expenditure of money in elections, primary or general. It is a salutary thing. The argument has been made in the Senate by those who would have seated Vare that if the Senate should turn back the Senator-elect from Pennsylvania because of large ex- penditures of money the time might come when it would deny men the right to be seated because a majority of the Senate did not care for the cut of a man’s hair or the color of his eyes. The argument, carried to its last analysis, may be correct, but at the same time it is idle. No one believes that the Senate will ever exclude & man because of the color of his eyes. But the action now taken by the Senate indicates clearly that if an election or & nomina- tion to the Senate is secured in a way that is not in the best interests, either of the State in which the election is held or of the country at large, the Senate will not permit the beneficiary to take a seat in that body. ‘The votes that were cast for Mr. Vare in the Senate yesterday were cast be- cause those Senators insisted that the Senate should not undertake to refuse to seat a man who comes to it duly accred- ited by the chief executive of his State. ‘What one of those Senators who voted for Vare, however, would go on record as approving the course followed by ‘Vare and his opponents in the Pennsyl- vania primary of 19262 It is an irony of fate that the exclusion of Mr. Vare places in the hands of his opponents in that primary the appointment of & Senator to fill the vacancy caused by the action of the Senate in the Vare case. His opponents, it has been dem- onstrated, expended more money than did Vare and his friends. The Gover- nor of Pennsylvania has already been put on notice that some Senators will scrutinize keenly an appointment which he makes and that his appointee must be far removed from the primary of 1826. The huge vote against Vare, more than two to one, is a clear indication of the spirit of the Senate as it is now eomposed. ——— It is estimated that nineteen billions Wwill be spent in American industries next year. Many a Government worker will regard with hopeful welcome the suggestion that the greatness of a na- tion should, in some part, be measured | by the liberality of its pay roll. o Immunity and Justice. In all likelihood the cause of justice 18 not impeded by refusal of members of the Upper House of Congress to ap- pear before the grand jury of the Dis- trict for the purpose of giving evidence regarding a case now under considera- tion. For it is altogether probable that they have no evidence to give. They may have, as indeed has been indicated in one case, some “hearsay testimony” respecting the homicide that is being investigated. As persistent critics of District affairs, giving frequent expres- son to their views and concepts on the floor of the Senate, they have naturally been furnished with a great deal of gossip by people who wish to bring the Police Department, the courts and the District government itself into disrepute. But as witnesses before the grand jury they would have little to say that could be used as evidence, if anything at all. ‘Therefore, the invocation of clause 1 of seetion 6 of Article I of the Constitu- tion by them does not check the un- foldment of the mystery which the grand jury is now attempting to solve. Judge Gordon was well advised in his refusal to cite the two Senators for contempt of court upon presentation of their names by the grand jury as re- calcitrants. The fundamental law re- specting congressional immunity is clear and unmistakable. It says: “The Sena- tors and Representatives * * * shall in all cases, except treason, felcny and 1 going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either house they* shall not be questioned in any other place.” ‘This provision of the Constitution was adopted to insure against depletion of congressional ranks for political pur- poses by judicial interference. It did not grant members immunity from prosecution for felonies or breaches of the peace. No member of Congress— House or Senate—can violate the law with impunity on the score of his official position. But he cannot be taken from his place in Congress or from his pas- sage to or from that place by any process of arrest save for some actual breach of the peace or felony or act of treason. Undoubtedly ethical considerations should govern in the matter of congres- sional broadcasting of gossip, but it is painfully evident that in some cases they do not. The Congressional Record is full of instances of ill considered— indeed, slanderous—statements on the floor of House and Senate which can- not be effectively refuted and which cannot be challenged in law. Occa- sionally the legislative body itself has checked and reproved these exhibitions of *==unity-licensed spleen and vin- dictiveness, but in many cases grievous harm has been done by the unleashed tongues of legislators taking advantage of the freedom of debate and their constitutional immunity. c——— The United States in Haiti. Prompt action by the authorities in Haitl has probably prevented a grave development of the trouble that has been brewing in the island for some weeks. With the declaration of martial law in Port au Prince and Cape Haitien and the effective disposal of Marines the disorders, that were becoming seri- ous, were allayed, and now with a fresh contingent of troops on the way it would seem assured that a dis- astrous development has been averted. This unfortunate occurrence almost exactly coincides with the statement by President Hoover to Congress in his annual message that the situation in Haiti, where this Government has now about 700 Marines, is a much more difficult problem than that in Nica- ragua, and that the solution of it is still obscure. He said in this message that if Congress approves he will send & commission to Haiti to study the matter in an endeavor to arrive at some more definite policy than at present. A statement issued by Secretary Stimson outlines the nature and cause of the troubles in Haitl. The usual an- nual allotment of $10,000 for scholar- ships at the agricultural school had been curtailed by $2,000 to pay needy students for practical farm work on the school grounds. The students went on strike October 31 a&s a protest. Sympathetic strikes were declared in the medical and law schools. With a presidential election approaching, politi- cal elements fomented propaganda against the administration and sought to bring about strikes in other schools and among the government employes. By the 3d of December the strike move- ment had spread throughout the coun- try. The next day customhouse em- ployes at Port au Prince quit work after destroying property and mistreating American officials. The disorder had reached the point of gravity when last Wednesday the American' high commissioner issued a proclamation making effective the technical condi- tion of martial law existing for several years. ‘This is altogether a political situation in Haitl. Undoubtedly there is in- volved & certain degree of resentment at American participation in the ad- ministration of the republic. That participation is by virtue of a treaty entered into between the United States and Haiti in 1915. The presence of American advisory officials and of American Marines has prevented civil war in Haitl, has kept that country stable, has saved lives. ‘The President has in effect asked Congress for authority to send a com- mission to Haitl to ascertain whether the time has come for a revision or a cancellation of the treaty of 1915. While that treaty remains in effect, however, this Government is bound to keep the peace in the island, even though in doing so it may supersede the native government temporarily. ———— Everybody is a Christmas worker in co-operation to bring cheer. Old friend Banta Claus has organized the largest of mergers, on lines of human gen- erosity. —————————— In order to make Washington, D. C., a model city it will be necessary to find some way for gangsters who may be at- tracted by its beauty to locate else- ‘where, —————————— There are times when even the most accomplished senatorial speakers are not eager to talk. Oratory is a gift that requires congenial inspiration for its best display. ——re——————— Providing employment for the many is about as big business as the organ- izers of the Nation's resources could undertake. ———— e A Plea for'the Postman. ‘This is the season of all the year when the plodding postman particu- larly deplores—and with justice—the vast amount of not only unnecessary but absolutely useless “junk” which stuffs his leathern sack and often over- flows onto his weary arm. It is not a question as to either the propriety or the usefulness of “direct mail advertis- ing,” but of the sloppy work which seems to be an inevitable accompani- ment thereof. Week after week, and in some cass day after day, two and sometimes three identical pieces of mail are left at the same residence or the same office, and it is often a fact that the intended recipients of both, or of all, have either passed away from this life, removed from the city or changed their address. Extreme difficulty undoubtedly exists in keeping track of changes of local address or of removals from town. It has been thought that somewhere ex- ists a mailing list in charge of an alert person who reads obituary notices and news articles dealing with the demise of persons of some prominence, with consequent frequent and beneficial re- visions of said list. Apparently this is seldom, if ever the case. Once a name ‘breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective houses and in is placed on such a list—and it gets ‘there easily enough—it appears prac- tically impossible ever to get it off THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1_929. THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. again. Its persistence accomplishes not the slightest good, but does a three- fold harm: Annoyance to the improper recipient, added useless burden to al- ready hard-worked public servants, from the Postmaster General down to the substitute mail man, and, lastly, useless expense to the sender. Mid-November should be a time marked on the calen- dar in every store and every business house for a thorough trimming of the mailing list. If the proprietors desire to keep it the same size or enlarge it, let them add “live ones.” ———— Secretary of War Hurley. For the second time a World War veteran becomes Secretary of War. In naming Patrick J. Hurley of Oklahoma 1o succeed the late James W. Good of Jowa, President Hoover also gives the war portfolio to another representative of the Southwest, for it was held in the previous administration by a Mis- sourian, Dwight F. Davis, now governor- general of the Philippines. These are the politico-geographical implications of Col. Hurley's elevation to the cabi- net, considerations which are’ never absent from a President’s thought when he is building the mosaic of his official household. Apart from all this, Secretary Hurley fits ideally into the responsible post which has now come to him. In the first place, it is in line of promotion, for he is advanced directly from the As- sistant Secretaryship of War. Nine months of service in that office have demonstrated to the Army, to his ad- ministrative colleagues and, manifestly, to the President, that the Oklahoma lawyer-banker-soldier carries all the guns requisite for an effective super- vision of the military establishment, To it Col. Hurley brings youth, en- thusiasm, experience and a talent for dealing with men. He has been “sol- diering” for nearly thirty years, though next month will witness only his forty- seventh birthday. In 1902 Secretary Hurley was a captain of Cavalry in the old Indian Territory Volunteer Militia, Later he was a moving spirit in the Oklahoma National Guard. In France he saw fighting service up to the hour of the armistice, winning the Dis- tinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star Citation for gallantry at Louppy within a few hours of the “cease firing” signal on the 'western front. Seldom in our time has there come to the War Department a civilian chief with more soldierly background. To- gether with Col. Hurley's no less out- standing success in the fleld of busi- ness leadership, they form a combina- don of qualities which should assure the Hoover administration real effec~ tiveness in the war portfolio. Not the least of the assets its new occupant brings to the office is his rugged belief in national defense. Col. Hurley, knowing that “Sherman was right,” is an apostle of the theory that an Amer- ica adequately armed is an America safe from attack. ————.—— In the hurry of holiday shopping especial appreciation is due to those who make sales with neatness and dispatch and also with politeness. One ill-na- tured person behind a sales counter can spoll the day for hundreds of shoppers, —e—. It is stated in terms of popular science that the “superman” is in process of development. According to one of G. B. Shaw’s plays, he is already here. e In making an alcoholic gift a viola- tion of law, the Alabama Supreme Court dealt thé final blow to that old social menace, the treating habit. ——— e A Russian statesman, however reason- ably inclined, is never allowed to forget as he formulates remarks that he has a large and difficult audience to please. oo Bravery is instinctive in human char- acter. No airplane crash has ever de- terred a pilot from starting the next flight. ———— ‘This December’s income tax install- ment should be cheerfully paid, in the light of the happy New Year greeting in store from the Treasury Department. ————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Skeptic, Once I told a little boy There was no Santa Claus. It did not seem to chill his joy Or bid his laughter pause. In shops the good old Saint he found, Or met him in the street ‘Where mortals on the way were bound To joyousness complete, ‘That little boy just looked at me And softly sang a song. He spoke no word, but I could see He thought that I was wrong! Varied Impressions. “You have been coming to Washing- ton for many years.” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum. “Have your impressions of this great city changed?” “In certain respects. It has bigger and more beautiful buildings, but pretty much the same old line of talk.” Jud Tunkins says he's glad arrange- ments are being made to provide work for more people. Maybe some of the lazy folks he knows may want to go with the crowd and enjoy the new ex- perience. Unmanageable Minority. Just when some wise and careful chap Has most things going right, In some far corner of the map ‘The people start a fight! New Back Seat Driver. “8hopping?” asked the friend who noted the car full of bundles. “Yes,” answered Mr. Chuggins. “And I am having my parking troubles. My wife is bad enough when she drives from the back seat, but Santa Claus is worse.” “History,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “often reminds us that many may be compelled to suffer for the mistakes of & few.” No Honest Affection. Praternal love that rings quite true In gangland can't abide— Each Damon in a day or two ‘Takes Pythias “for a ride!” “If every man spoke right out wif what he thought,” said Uncle Eben, “a heap o' conversations wouldn' be more dan two minutes long.” In some moods one would rather be a character in a book than a real person. How much freer, better, happler a man would be, because characters say what they think. Because they are not afraid of things great, glad, sad. Because they always have fine words for fine thoughts. Life with them is a perpetual grace at table, spoken freely and rlessly, not said abjectly and with shame. A book character, especially if he live in a novel, is man meeting his situa- tions, whatever they may be, as they ought to be met. He invariably says appropriate things, whereas in real life the average fellow hangs his head for lack of words, or speaks haltingly because grana- father crops up in him. ‘The book character has an author and a foreordained plot behind him, 5o that, no matter how hard he tries, he cannot do other than the mind of the one and the exigencies of the other demand. A real human being has an Author and a Plot, too, but the approach to the one is difficult, and the understand- ing of the ether impossible, * ok ok X Some way we always have felt that characters know and understand their authors very well, And why should they not? They are part and parcel of the man. A man’s characters are no morc h's than he 1s his characters’ man. Does not every one of the gallery of Dickens' characters reflect the very life and substance of the master? From Florence Domby to Capt. Cut- tle, from Sidney Carton to Nicholas Nickleby, from Oliver Twist to Sairy Gamp, they are all Dickens in so many moods of his diverse character. ‘The many sides of most men, volce- less in the grand sense, go forth in the reckless wastes of air, and vanish for- ever, but the book characters of the great writers persist in their only place of being. Their makers made them immortal, in the first place; the whole tribe of men conspire to keep them so, * K ok X ‘There is & fellcity -about the speeches of characters which makes a reader envy them. Even their ordinary conversation has an_inevitable something that rings like a bell. Whether one goes to Zola, or Conrad, or Charles Reade makes little difference, the response of one mouth to another is immediately right. In real life the give-and-take of talk may come out right in the end, but it seldom has the fine felicity which leaves & satisfled taste in the mind. One is always thinking of the right thing to say an hour, or a day or a week too late. One never says what he would, but what tradition has told him to say, or he says what he does because he does not care to hurt an honest feel- ing, or he becomes angry through ob- scure workings of never-seen glands and flares into words he instantly regrets. Book characters e , in love, say wise and foolish things, but their wise and foolish sayings are not like ours. Every reader feels-this to be true. * ok ok % Another thing we always have ad- mired book men and women for is their ability to get involved in exciting hap- nings. . t the omniscience of the author, consider only the activities of his char- acters, which reflect him in everything they do or say. ‘There are few books in which one cannot discover the likes and dislikes of authors. He may reveal himself not by what his characters do or say so much as by their inner urges. However it may be, the author stands forth plainly enough in his creations, so that if we focus attention on them we may forget for the time the man (or woman) who put them together. ‘These mental robots, unlike mecha- nisms, impress one as life does. The world’s so-called mechanical men are but machines with human coverings. The heads and faces, hands and arms have nothing to do with the wheels, wires and cogs. Cover wheels, wires and cogs with as many humanlike coverings as one may please, in the end it is nothing but a mechanism. Book characters, wireless, cogless, nevertheless move, live and have their being because they are reflections of a power greater 2“" themselves, * kX Their happy fate is to be involved in 50 many and great actions that whether they be happy or sad, meritorious or ill, ‘as the majority of men understand those terms, they nevertheless seem to enjoy thelr literary life more than hap- less mortals (readers) bound down by the petty affairs of the every which thelr lack of capacity sentences em. The :1ddest thing in the world is to know that one has only one real life, that of the mind, and to find that this sume mind is not big enough, broad enough, deep enough, on the one hand, nor petty enough, shallow enough, ego- tistical ennufh. on the other. ‘To long for mighty deeds and not be able to Perform them, and to know that one will never be able to perform them; to be able to see a way into the mysteries of life and yet be unable to push the clouds back farther; to have one's tongue refuse to utter the grand words which should be uttered, but will not come forth; to see solutions gleam- ing bright, but to watch them vanish because a dead man's brain thousands of vears gone asserts itself adown a trackless path— ‘What is this but deep sadness, which & book character can never know, be- cause he is a reflection from this and carries just so much of the gleam with him, but no more? They indulge in mifimy deeds, exult in longings which, satisfled or unsatisfled, are destined to have a finality which real life seldom has for the average man (reader). Book characters are our brothers, be- cause often they are more ourselves than we can ever be. Being bone and sinew of real men, they are real men themselves and partake of the inex- plicable character of that relation. In times of action, material or mental, few .would want to be characters in 1| books, but at other times few there are who would not be willing to change places. Morrow Impresses Nation As Wise Choice for Senate Democrats and Republicans appear to approve the naming of Dwight W. Mor- row, present American Ambassador to Mexico, as Senator from New Jersey. He is expected to give attention to the tasks of the coming arms conference and take his seat in the Senate later, while a temporary appointment is made by the Governor of New Jersey. Mr. Morrow’s success in business and di- plomacy encourages a widespread feel- ing that he will be a valuable addition to_the Senate. “It strikes us,” remarks the Dayton Daily News (independent Democratic), “that Gov. Larson of New Jersey has done a remarkably wise and statesman- like thing in deciding to appoint Am- bassador Dwight Morrow to the United States Senate. There is more than one reason why this is so, the chief of which is that New Jersey and the East need men of the Morrow caliber in the Sen- ate. * * * The United States is going to be largely governed by the Senate. It is the part of wisdom for all interests —agricultural, industrial, labor—to see that their ranks are raked for the big- gest men to put at that great task.” “Senato: Morrow’s should become a name adding prestige and power to the United States Senate,” in the opinion of the Asheville Times (independent Democratic), which also comments: “The former partner of the Mflrflm Co. has manifested exceptional ability for public service in the difficult field of this country’s relationships with Mexico. If in the past two years Mex- ico has made definite progress toward stabilization of its troubled political affairs, domestic as well as foreign, a large portion of the credit must go to Mr. Morrow.” * K ok His appointment, in the judgment of the Cleveland News (independent Re- publican), “brings a distinguished statesman to the Senate at a time its own prestige is none too high; a worker when there is & mountain of accumu- lated work to be done.” The News holds that the New Jersey governor “has gone beyond the narrow confines of faction- alism to a national figure” and that “his action, besides being for the best interests of the State and Nation, should promote harmony among New Jersey Republicans.” Taking up & point of State politics, the Newark Evening News (independ- ent) declares: “The most widely known supporter of Joseph 8. Frelinghuysen, Jesse R. Salmon, charges Dwight W. Morrow was tricked into becoming a candidate for the Republican senatorial nomination against Mr. Frelinghuysen. 1f there were any trickery, parties to it must have been Gov. Larson, Senator Kean, Senator Baird and Daniel E, Pomeroy, national committeeman. Trickery also would require a mental density on the part of Mr. Morrow that hardly seems probable. Ordinarily it would not be necessary for the men mentioned to deny deceit in making arrangements that involve national and international positions, but the high standing of Mr. Salmon in the Freling- huysen councils requires that it be done. Mr. Frelinghuysen has announced he welcomes a contest with Mr. Morrow because of the high plane on which it would be conducted. The county chalr- man of Essex ought to help rather than embarrass Mr. Frelinghuysen in this endeavor.” e Testimony that Mr. Morrow “occuples & unique position in American public life” is given by the Schenectady Ga- zette (independent Democratic), with the statement that “he has the com- gleu confidence of our conservative and usiness interests, yet absorbs to an e?unl degree the admiration and respect of those with liberal political and in- dustrial views. Both are willing,” con- tinues the Gazette, “to trust to his Judgment without hesitation at all times—and this is a most unusual situ- ation, Regret at his loss to the diplo- matic service will be tempered with the knowlnflt:dho will be a force for good in our United States Senate.” Of the future appointee’s diplomatic success, the Columbus Ohio State Journal (Republican) _ states a Iand where Americans are not rded with enthusinatic liking, he made the people fond of him, and tempered their emotions toward the United States. He necomplished that in the face of the fact that he, himself, a remarkably rich 16, 1n & manner of to call commercial imperialism. That was no small achievement.” W e “The common opinion is that he is a good deal of & man. That alone should make him welcome in the Senate,” con- cludes the Milwaukee Journal (inde- pendent), and the South Bend Tribune (independent Republican) offers the es- timate of his standing to date: “His work as Ambassador to Mexico is a bright chapter in American diplomatic history. That all concerned believe that others can carry on successfully is the inference to be drawn from the sena- torial appointment.” “The prospect that Mr. Morrow will seek nomination for tii Senate in the primaries of next March,” says the Hartford Times (independent Demo- cratic), “is an agreeable one from the Republican partisan standpoint and of excellent promise nationally. If he is made a candidate, only a Democrat of finest type could hope to contest suc- cessfully the Morrow challenge at the polls. The administration has not yet spoken its word of approval for the New Jersey developments, but there seems little doubt they are to have Mr. Hoover's warm acquiescence.” The De- troit Free Press (independent) believes that "?'em&‘t“wnnr(. the Ulmua States will gain in strength at serious expense to the diplomatic service” and that "fie net resuit will be advantageous to the Nation.” ‘The Kansas City Star (independent) pays the tribute that “Mr. Morrow has demonstrated that he possesses the rare combination of practical ability ane interested devotion to enlightened triotism,” while the Duluth Herald (in- dependent Republican) and the Muncie Star (independent Republican) expect him to be an extremely able Senator. “Sope suggestion has been made that Mr. Morrow would be good presidential timber, after Mr. Hoover,” according to the Charleston Evening Post (Independ- ent Democratic). “It is not a fantastic idea that he may have given a hospi- table reception to the suggestion.” The Chattanooga News (independent Demo- cratic) also feels it is possible “his ac- ceptance of the senatorial post means that his ambitions aim higher than the upper branch of Congress.’ o Munchausen’s Tales Are Held Truly Great From the New York Sun. A hunter out of ammunition shot at a deer with cherry stones, but falled to bag the animal. When he encoun- tered the same deer some time later & cherry tree was growing from its head! The story is recorded among the fabu- lous tales told in a tavern over a bottle by that extraordinary adventurer and arch lair, Baron Munchausen. So long and so well has the world been enter- tained by the baron’s stories that a memorial is to be raised to the narrator in his native City of Bodenwerder on the Weser River. It will depict him astride his famous horse that, when cleft in twaln, continued to drink. The collection of extravagant tales published as “The Singular Travels, Campaigns, Voyages and Sporting Ad- ventures of Baron Munchausen” have amused grown-ups and children for nearly 150 years. The stories were originally attributed to Karl Friedrich Hieronymus Munchausen, a German sol- dler, born in 1720, who in his youth served in the Russian army. His repu- tation as a story-teller has been sup- rted by accounts of friends whom he ad entertained, quite unaware that his absurd creations would ever be more widely circulated. But he lived to 97 and saw his tales in print. Many are the aspersions cast upon his good name, but certainly no on‘e t:;.s ever denled ) eat imagination. huogntlhl; ‘t:]es themselves, it is known only that they were compiled about, 1785 by one Rudolf Erich Raspe, a literary man, who, under penalty for embezzle- ment, had fled from Cassel to London. But the original collection of Mun- chausen’s adventures was enlarged in successive editions with borrowings from Castiglione, Henry Bebel and Lucian. Even satiric tales brsed on the exploits of Montgolfier, the first balloonist, and of Bruce, the explorer of the Nile, some- how found their way into the company of the baron's enormous yarns. The memorial at Bodenwerder will be unique in its commemoration of one who has so long held the honor— dublous, if unexplained—of being known to posterity solely for his ability as a countries are wont liar, man, resentative of that force in lite which the Latin day to; | Vykings. THE LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover “If Hilaire Belloc is right in his opinion that ‘readable history is melo- drama,’ the true story of the 12 tragic years that followed the death of Lin- coln should be entertaining.” With this sentence, Claude G. Bowers begins his preface to his book, “The Tragic Era; the Revolution After Lincoln.” The book is, of course, a history of the reconstruction period, of the admin- istrations of Andrew Johnson and Ulysses 8. Grant. In the view of most modern historians, whatever their po- litical affiliations, this is not a period in our history to be proud of. Mr. Bowers treats it dramatically, with obvious sympathies and indignation, yet with a serious attempt at fairness. "It is doubtful if any historian can be com- pletely fair in interpreting a historical geriod in which so much bitterness and atred swayed all the participants in public affairs, all those who were creat- ing the documentary evidence from which history is made. Mr. Bowers, like Lloyd Paul Stryker in his “Andrew ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. department devoted fi;!l of :Il;fiel. 'x‘l:xel: r puts at your e servi g{. p:n z“mnnve organization in Wash- infum to serve you in any capacity that relates to information. This service is free. Fallure to make use of it de- prives you of benefits to which you are entitled. Your obligation is only 2 cents, in coin or stamps, inclosed with your inquiry for direct reply. Address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic_J. Haskin, director, Washing- ton, D. C. solely to Q. How many hours s day is the average radio set in use?—J. C. A. It is estimated that the avera radio set is used from two to eight hours a day, with four hours as a fair average. Q. How many bank chains are there in the United States?—E. K. A. Bank chains in the United States number 273, with 1,850 banks in 39 Johnson; a Study in Courage,” makes | States. considerable use of the published volumes of the diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy under both Lin- coln and Johnson. = He also quotes freely from the manuscript diary of George W. Julian, member of Congress from Indiana. . Bowers’ own con- clusion about this t-Civil War period is expressed in his preface. He says: “So appalling is the picture of these revolutionary years that even historians have Prelrrred to overlook many es- sential things. * * understanding of this period calls for & reappraisal of many public men. Some statesmen we have been L‘ughz to reverence will appear in these‘pages in sorry roles. * * * That the Southern people literally were put to the torture is vaguely understood, but even his- torians have shrunk from the unhappy task of showing us the torture cham- bers.” * ok ok K The chaos in public affairs during the tragic era” did not prevent gayety and extravagance in the soclety of the National Capital Mr. Bowers' chap- ter “Washington: the Social Back- grol;:m'b'. tells of theu{:moh\ln "!um‘?. rants, bar rooms, gambling houses, ho- tels, headquarters of statesmen and lobbyists, receptions, expensive dinners, soclety weddings, pretty women, ele- gant costumes and social scandals, which made of Washington a art town” by the early seventies. “Ugly as was the sprawling town, there was charm enough in its environs. * * * A fa- vorite drive was out to the park of the Soldiers’ Home, from which one could look down upon the town; another to|gh Rock Creek Park, ‘as wild as the Rocky Mountains,’ where ‘here and there a Negro log cabin alone disturbed the dogwood and the judas tree and the laurel’” The restaurant and gambling resort of John Chamberlin is describ- ed as the most exclusive of the numer- ous places of its type. It was at first located near the Willard, but was later transferred to the former British lega- tion, on Connecticut avenue, at Seven- teenth and I streets. “This, for sev- eral years, was the favorite lounging place of many statesmen high in the councils of the state. Chamberlin served meals which piqued the taste of the epicure, and after a_ satisfying dinner, and a smoke in the luxuriously furnished lounging room, the statesmen could go upstairs, where were mm{ small rooms, and sit down at the blacl walnut tables for play. At midnight, every night, the players paused, for ob- sequious and discreet waiters appeared with a lunch and the compliments of the master.” In official society, Kate Chase Sprague, daughter of Chief Jus- tice Chase and wife of Senator Sprague, was the almost undisputed dictator. “Wherever this enchantress went, she dominated the scene.” Almost a suc- cessful rival of Mrs. Sprague was Mrs. “Puss” Belknap, second wife of the Secretary of War. “Her wardrobe is opulent from the loosest negligee to the most elaborate ball gown, and it is said that when Worth received the order for her trousseau ‘he retired to a cave and fasted for seven days’” A few of the many scandals of the are narrat- ed in the chapter “A Season of Scan-. dals.” “It was a decade of none too much sensibility, when strong men with the instincts and daring of pirates and buccaneers were m%mune& by hook or crook, to the g applause of the multitude.” * Kk K ‘The English tourists Jan and Cora Gordon, who toured the Atlantic Coast of the United States in their motor car, secured more data for judgment about American customs than some English writers who spend two weeks in New York and Boston and go back to London to write a complete criticism of American life. Mr. and Mrs, Gordon mof as far North as Bar Harbor and as far South as Georgia and West to the Ohio River. Their vehicle was a second-hand car bought for $150 and dubbed “the respectable ruin” and “the happy hearse.” Then they wrote & book, “On Wandering Wheels,” which Mr. Gordon illustrated. They found New England suggestive of Old England in topography and in the names of places—Plymouth, Yarmouth, Manches- ter, Sudbury, Portland, Salisbury, Dart- mouth, Cambridge and dozens of other names. The South interested the Gor- dons very much. They found it deserv- ing of its reputation for hospitality and the primitive emotionalism and humor of the Negroes fascinated them. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon have previously pub- lished two books of similar tramp travel in Europe—"Two Vagabonds in Albania” and “On a Paris Roundabout.” * x ok % “Canada and the United States,” by Hugh L. Keenleyside, third secretary of the Canadian department of external affairs, shows that the interests of Canada and the United States can- not be separated. ‘“Canadians cannot escape the shadow of the United States. American influence can be discerned in almost every aspect of Canadian life. The result has been a comparative unanimity of opinion among Canadians regarding the United States and its activities, The situation also makes it quite possible for the American people seriously to offend Canadian opinion without ever being aware of the fact.” Dr. Keenleyside says that citizens of the United States have $3,000,000,000 worth of investments in Canadian in- dustries and own 8.5 per cent of the wealth of the Dominion of Cana Canadians have $722,000,000 invested in the United States. Many American industries have branch factories and offices in Canada. * x k¥ Tiberius Caesar appears in a new biography, “Tiberius Caesar,” by G. P. Baker, as & statesman not unworthy to be the political ancester of Mussolini. ‘Though Christ was crucified during the reign of Tiberius, the Emperor, ac- cord|n§ to Mr. Baker, knew nothin, about it. The responsibility for an ac whose significance was not realized at the time belonged to the procurator of Judea, who handed Jesus over to his enemies. Tiberius was a ad- ministrator and kept a grip on the huge Roman Empire in the decentraliz- ing years following the death of Augustus. He was wise enough to decree that Rome should not make further attempts to conquer Germany. Mr. Baker discredits the picturesque, horrible stories of Tiberius as a disso- lute, degenerate monster. him, “He was an aristocrat to the fingertips, full of fastidious likes and g:sblul:el. iron inhibitions and inexorable * ok ok ok The adventurous life of Trader Horn, the story of which is “Harold "the Webbed; or, the Being Volume Two of the Life and Works of Trader Horn,” in- cluded “hunting, prospecting for min- erals from Abyssinia to the storekeeping in Rhodesia; bricklaying in Kentucky—a euphemism for m ing mash-tubs for moonshiners; paint- ing rlcmm or inn signs indiscrim- inate! he tramps the States; catch- ing in_ his youth for collectors; and in his maturer years collecting mastoden bones for phos~ Cape; Q. Have 31 men been President of the United States?—P. T. A. Herbert Hoover is the thirty-first President, but only 30 men have been President. Grover Cleveland had two terms, which were not consecutive. He was the twenty-second President and also the twenty-fourth. . Where do hornets get the paj oue of which they build their nqu A complete |E. J. B, A. The paper out of which hornets build their nests is made of chewed-up bits of weathered wood gathered from old fences and buildings. As one au- thor describes it: “'Round the swampy edges of ponds or in wet ditches wasps and hornets may be seen gathering tough herbaceous fllaments, which they felt up into a texture stronger and better able to resist the wind and rain than a paper made of wood scrappings.” Q. Please tell me who starred in both the stage and screen production of Du Maurier’: ‘eter Tbbetson?” 1Is it to be an opera?—D. M. A. A. John Barrymore and Constance Collier played in the stage production of “Peter Ibbetson.” Wallace Reld and Elsle Ferguson were the immortal lov- ers when the play was produced on the screen. Now it has n_announced that Deems Taylor's next work is to be an opera founded on this English novel. Q. What is a cutty sark?—H. E. K A, Cutty is Scotch and North lish for our word “short” and sark is sagttch and English dialectical word for Q. Is there such a thing as a brick made of glass?>—G. D. A. Glass bricks made in France will be used in the construction of the seven top floors of the Palais de France, on Broadway. Q. When were fire alarm boxes first used in America?—D. F. A. Methods of transmitting news of fire are very old and until about the middle of the nineteenth century watch towers with alarm bells were maintained in American cities. After the develop- ment of the electric telegraph, reliable apparatus was installed. As early as 1845 Dr. W. F. Channing of Boston pub- lished an article in the Advertiser out- lining a fire-alarm telegraph system. In 1850 Charles Robinson used Morse ap- paratus for signaling fire alarms from police_stations and engine houses in New York City to watchmen at tower bells, who sounded the signal of the ap- propriate district. A telegraph signal plan was put into operation in Boston, April 29, 1862. New York installed a fire-alarin telegraph system in 1869 and ugh various systems are in use, that devised by Channing and Farmer and improved by Gamewell has been the one most generally employed in America. The keyless “door was gunw by Tooker in 1875 and the au tic key- less door by N. H. Suren in 1895, 13bets peen madetove W o mad ] e o S up| n A g‘hey held a prominent place in the lives of the people of anclent India, were used in the early Roman days ard by the Egyptians. Q. How much lumber does it take to crate automobiles each year?—E. M, L. A. The National Automobile Chamber of Commerce says, according to its latest estimate, the total amount of softwood lumber used in crating auto- mobiles for export for one year was 349,000,000 board feet. Q. Was Saturday made the school holiday in deference to the religion of the Jews?—G. R. A. An official of the New York City Department of Education says: “It is my understanding that the origin of Saturday never began In the cities, bu in the rural sections of our country. It is my understanding that it originated in the colonial days, when thers were very few Jews in the community. I be- lieve Saturday began as a holiday in schools, because the children on the farms had to help with the work, so that Sunday might be observed by the family, They had to bring in provisions for the Babbath and help in the home 80 that they might start out to the nearest church which was usually miles away.” Q. How many lakes s nesota and Wisconsin . M. A. There are about 6,000 lakes of mentionable size in Minnesota and about 2,000 in Wisconsin, Q. When was the ‘vestibuled railroad car patented?—S. 8, D. A. The fundamental patent for the American vestibuled railway car was 8- sued to H. H. Sessions, a Chicago in- ventor, in 1887. Q. When will the Ranger Fund pic- t_u;uvse on exhibition in Washington? A. They will be shown at the Na- tional Gallery of Art from December 11 ‘e there in Min- B . | cyclopedia of United States ?g 1875 it had reached to 75 cities. Al- |is 101 to January 31. There are now aintings in the collection, all by con- mporary American artists, Q. How long was Edward Everett's Gettysburg address?—H. W. A. The address that Edward Everett delivered at Gettysburg ired two hours for its deliverance and comprises the space of 18 es in 's En- tory. Q. When was the two-step first pop- ular?—A. L. H, A. It came into popularity in 1891 and 1892. Based upon a dance known in Hungary years ago, 1t is in its mod- ern form of American origin. Q. Which is older, the Fahrenheit or Centigrade thermometer?—E. K. A. Fahrenheit introduced his mer- cury thermometer in 1714, In 1742 Cel- slus proposed a Centigrade scale, the temperature of melting ice being 100 and that of bolling water being 0. Christen, working independently, pro- Bosed. in 1743, a Centigrade scale sim« ar to that of Celsius, but inverted, and this is the one now generally used. Q. Where is there a full medical and de_gnl college exclusively for Negroes? . 8. A. The only one in the United States is in Nashville, Q. Where is the Dismal Swamp and what game may be found there>—S. G. A. The Great Dismal Swa: is a morass in Southeastern Vir‘!n and Northeastern North Carolina, It extends from near Norfolk 30 to 40 miles south~ ward. It contains Lake Drummond and traversed thé Dismal Swamp Canal, which connects Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound. Part of the swamp has been reclaimed. The Blo- logical Survey says that the following animals are found in the Dismal Swamp of Virginia: Bears, wildcats, rabbits, deer, opossums, squirrels and raccoons. Foreign Troopsin Shanéhai Only |Protection From Looters in City BY REGINALD SWEETLAND. SHANGHAI, China.—Described as a “malignant danger spot” liable to sud- den outbursts, Shanghai is one of the few citles of the world whose foreign residents, Americans and others, have had to form themselves into volunteer defense units, The city is practically an autonomous gnmg‘ of foreign interests knit together y the common desire for trade and at times for self-preservation. Prac- ti g, it is unaffected by the instabilities of Chinese governments, by the fortunes of aspiring war lords, or ll;s;dthe pointed ambitions of Nationalist lers. In times of civil war—and such ex- every Chinese city is the fear of the looter. In times t Chinese troops, v]cu:flous rm-mfllelefi , have taken ad- vantage of eir prerogative to despoil their prizes in lieu of t‘v‘guhr pay. 8| hal, the commercial center of Asia, and with vested interests goin; up into the hundreds of millions of dollars, would be a rich prize for any war lord and his rabble armies were such a contingency not guarded against. The American tourist who sees Shanghai as a modern city of consider- able splendor does not realize these things. He has heard only that in 1927 the principal powers had something like 20,000 regular troops stationed in Shanghal to preserve order and to gm.en the lives of Americans, British, ench, Japanese and other foreigners;: that the water front, or bund, was lined with a few dozen warships, cruisers, destroyers and gunboats, and that hun- dreds of foreigners living in the interior of China were compelled to evacuate their homes a stations and seek refuge in Shanghai, which was sur- rounded by barricades and barbed wire entanglements, A knowledge of these things is es- sential to an understanding of the Shanghai problem and to an under- standing of why Shanghai is to come into prominence in the next few months in any discussion of China's foreign re- lations. A historical and even geo- graphical perspective is essential for I'.l‘:tlppl'echflan of Shanghai’s unique status. Shanghai came into existence through the terms of the treaty of Nlnklnfin 1842, by which “His Majesty the - peror of China agrees that British (this was later changed to include all foreign) subjects, with their families and estab- lishments, shall be allowed to reside for the purpose of carrying on their mercantile pursuits without molestation or restraint at the cities and towns ot Canton, Amoy, Foochowfoo, Ningpo and Shanghal.” The city was founded on the muddy flats of the Whangpoo, a twisting and dangerous stream, which today is made navigable for mm-filfl[ liners, * and ;ihv“ empties itself into the Yangtze er. Founded then in 1842, no provision was made as to what sort of local gov- ernment should prevail over the areas thus set aside for the foreign settle- ment. And as the population grew, for Chinese were not excluded from res.- dence within the foreign areas, so dia the need grow for some sort of mu- nlcl:fl administration. 4 ee y:;n .I:wx; ht::relm ‘were rawn up e 8 0 fl.\l‘l which were issiled by the forelgn powers, though not in all in- stances approved by the Chinese loca authorities, The land regulations of 1845 were phates in Florida, and finally tossing Off the story of his youth and ad- amples are plentiful—hanging over | 1If ventures and dashing into fiction about viking boys, Yh!}:l' again um" tg: rogue elephan! cau| g P L 3 marsh mnv;‘l&nmmm«wmnl umm%' revised in 1854 and, while disclosing & system of consul-j showed the necessity of determining &e 5 I8 :: ?1“ wr:ln wmunmg m& ti!u for- ation of a ly capable endl.n &nl nnc‘flon :o e}-‘n;.:““i' essential fop e security o ore cession and the &n{ of legal .'3»“3“ against public peace and order.” During this year thousands of Chinese refugees had flocked into the foreign areas because of civil war in the hinter~ land. It was from the land regulations of 1854 that the view grew up to the effect that the concession was outside of Chinese jurisdiction, even though it became the mecca of thousands of cl'mun'-w.l re!‘u.::ahe asylum of Chinese po- In 1869 the revised land regulation received the approval of the powers’ at Pel‘ltnl. and it is notabie that these regulations, which consti- tuted the municipal constitution of Shanghai, had not been submitted for approval of the Chinese governmeng, NOr was any provision made in them for participation by the Chinese in the government of the foreign settlement. It was not until after the famous Nanking road incident of May 30, 1920, in which nfluthn was directed at the foreign control of Shanghai, that Chi- admitted to representation on 1 council. As mmfi?m- now stand any by-laws or amendments to the land l’ey ly;uon- once approved at the annual ratepayers’ meeting must obtain the sanction of the diplomatic corps at Peiping before be- coming valid. In other words, the reins :;Gnvmmnttu&t in powers af ‘ashin, ) Pn_ln_‘: and ot?erh :'o;m umm. e recen Ty of Shanghal is one of ex -nslol% but expl‘glzun ot powers an o Chinese. The elemer:u o y the di of marauding armies, which Bloerddel; .'E‘: . lefensive neutrality,” far awa; past to never been even in recenc t seems, though the protestations have more voluble and pronounced. What is to hlrpen to Shanghai? Are the representatives of the powers or the world who have “extrality” rights and business interests in China always to govern the city? A city built on Chinese soll, even though granted in lm by the Emperor of China to for- e the questions which are today being asked, and their answers being suggested in the light of preseny- day Chinese national aspirations. It is upon these questions that the attention of the world is being centered. (Copyright, 1920.) ] Jobs for Grid Heroes. From the Knickerbocker Press (Albany). The season being over, those non-al- truistic foot ball players might be used as mentors to students in colleges of business and finance. This Is a Joke. From the Detroit News. Americana: Ordering the new cen- sus to begin on April llnda?ec the whhcmmw:rr the doorbell, e . Why Not Call a Cab? From the South Bend Tribune. Pedestrianism 18 showi & healthy increase as the distance between the parking place and the office lengthens & block each year. ) It Was Just Established. Prom the Asheville Times. The stock market made_ the mistake emmu Mr. Einstein 1aw of gravitation of int a8 that