Evening Star Newspaper, December 10, 1929, Page 8

8 THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. QUESDAY.....Deeember 10, 1829 THEODORE W. NOYES.. E Star N C The vuu:;“" :me&:!pnper ‘ompany 3 . . Editor g 42nd B8t e: Lake Michigan Building. e 14 Regent 6t.. London. Rate by Carrier Within the City. R Frenioe star 2l 5¢ Ler month o Eveniny H ‘when - gia; 00 er month 8 ( The § 85¢ per month u Venin, When 5 Bundass) ‘The Sunday Bta Sc per copy Ee ection made at the end of each mon’h. may be sent in by mail or telepnone Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. Marylaad and Virginia. & Bl All Other States and Canada. 1y afl 8 191, 812.00: 1 nu ll ¥ $8.00° 1 mo:. lay only $5.00: 1 ™o., iber of the Associated Press. ‘The Assoclated Press is exclusiveiy entitled to the use for renu!}ilutlon of all news cis- \nd, also ohe gfrulflmwg‘ . All rights of publication o Bpecial dispatches nercin are also reservea: 0 ol " 53¢ s0c A Capital-Making Program. X¢ this present Congress will during #ts term do for Washington the things enumerated by Senator Arthur Capper, chairman of the Senate Dis- trict committee, in the course of his speech at the birthday dinner of the Association of Oldest Inhabitants the other night, it will, indeed, have served effectively and constructively as the District’s legislature in fulfillment of its functions as Capital-maker and Capital-keeper. Senator Capper's ad- dress touched upon many points, all of importance to the District and all work- ing into a program of improvements, some legal, some in terms of law, rome in terms of structures, some in terms of administrative reforms and better- ments. ‘This comprehensive survey of the District'’s needs and deserts by the| chairman of the Senate committee on District affairs was most heartening to the Washingtonians who heard it di- rectly and to those others who read it in newspaper text. It inspired with hope those—which means all Washing- tonians—who aspire to Americanization by national enfranchisement. Senator Capper has always been a stanch, vig- orous advocate of national representa- tion for the people of the District. He gave renewed assurance on Saturday night of his continued devotion to that cause. Better pay for policemen; more ef-' fective means of law enforcement; a rigidly efficient anti-weapons law; in- crease of judicial machinery—these are some of the measures distinctly pro- posed for the improvement of the Dis- trict’s moral condition. Protective meas- ures are advocated to safeguard against business frauds and impositions. Trans- portation needs are analyzed and traffic qQuestions discussed in the course of this address, which is a veritable compen- dium and could with beneficial effect be adopted as a code-to-be by the Dis- trict’s legislature. Washington is grateful for the serv- ices of Senator Capper. He has from the beginning of his career in Congress taken a deep and helpful interest in its @ffairs. As chairman of the District committee he has made its concerns his concern. His speech Saturday night so clearly ctating his views as to the Cap- Htal's needs, which are identical with the views of progressive Washington, should lead to a long advance toward the ideal of Capital development and maintenance. ——— Haiti has sometimes been regarded as ® joke among nations. Poets have often pointed out how easily what at first seems a joke may become a tragedy. oo Failure of the School Program. ‘The round-robin on who wrecked the five-year school building program is in one respect keenly disappointing. De- spite the clues offered by Dr. Carusi, Representative Simmons and Municipal Architect Harris, the identity of the culprit remains shrouded in darkest mystery. There is, apparently, no way ©f bringing him to book. Dr. Carusi suggests that if one ex- amined the authorship of certain reduc- tions in the school budgets, one would &t least be following a hot trail. In addition, he touches on the divided re- sponsibility between the Board of Edu- cation, the District Commissioners, the Bureau of the Budget and the commit- tees of Congress, each of whom has a finger in the pie and none of whom is averse to doing a little independent stirring. Mr. Simmons, however, is scandalized over the veiled accusations that cuts in appropriations have had anything to do with the failure of the five-year build- ing program. He suggests that the pro- gram, and not the attempts to carry it | out, is at fault. He upholds the wisdom of those reductions in budgets that have been made and levels a finger of accu- sation, if not of scorn, at the delays occurring between the time that Con- gress generously appropriates money and the time the money is spent. Mr. Harris, on the other hand, pre- sents the interesting fact that it takes more time to bulld a school bullding than it does to authorize an appropria- tion, and that school sites must be pur- chased, plans drawn, bids invited, con- tracts let and other detailed business transacted before a Congressman can point with pride to the finished work and enjoy the thrill that comes once in a lifetime by rising to his feet and declaring, “Oh, Mr. Speaker, look what we did for the people of Washington!” While the reason for the failure of the five-year school building program remains burled beneath the weighty| correspondence discussing that failure, ‘Washingtonians do know that in 1925 Congress, with a blare of trumpets, a beating of drums and a clash of cym- bals, enacted a bill, the purpose of which was: To provide a sufficient number of school buildings to make it possible: To abandon all portables, to eliminate the use of rented buildings, to abandon ,the use of undesirable rooms, to reduce ,elementary school classes to a standard ‘of not more than 40 pupils per class, to provide a five-hour day in instruc- 1 ton for elementary s-hcol puplls, there- i iminating part-ume classes; : all school buildings recom- ,mended for immediate or early aban- ;donment in 1908, to abandon other 18chool buildings which have become vide a full day of instruction for high school plimlls. thereby eliminating the “double 't” program in the high schools; to provide for the annual in- crease in the enrollment of pupils dur- ing said five-year period, and in general to provide in the District of Columbia a program of school house construction which shall exemplify the best in school house planning. school house construc- tion and educational accommodations. Yet on the opening day of school this year some 5,000 children were in part- time classes (Mr. Simmons gives the number now as 6972); the same old temporarily permanent portables, 72 in number, were in use, and the new class rooms promised by February 1 were to reduce the number of new class rooms needed by less than 50 per cent. Some® one has blundered. Perhaps the fault does lie, as Mr. Simmons says, in the erroneous calculations of school growth and wrong guesses as to the direction of this growth when the pro- gram was drawn, although the mistakes were only on paper. Perhaps the fault lies in lack of co-ordination between the various agencies that have a finger in the school pie, for the best results are never accomplished when there is a multitude of cooks. Perhaps the main fault, after all, is that the program should never have been known as a five-year program, for it will take more than five, perhaps more than ten, years to build up a school system that was al- lowed to fall 8o far behind the cemands of the city when the work of expansion was finally begun. But as Senator Capper stated when he started the round robin on the schools with his letter to the Board of Education, asking why it had failed, we are not so much inferested in fixing blame for the defects as we are in seeing them remedied. Mr. Simmons is optimistic, pointing to the good things that will have been accomplished when the 1931 budget money is spent. So were we all optimistic in 1825, when the program was adopted. Recriminations are interesting and make good reading. But Washington is less interested in them now than in seeing that those in whose hands lies the future of the school system rise to that great responsibility and carry out with all possible speed the fine objective | that Congress set for itself five years | ago—an objective that stubbornly re- mains out of reach. ——e—————— Tax Reduction Delay. Tax reduction, warranted by surpluses developing in the Treasury and recom- | mended by the administration, seem- ingly would have the support of the people and all members of Congress. The House by & vote that was almost unanimous, so small was the opposition, put through the tax reduction bill with the support of the Democrats as well as the Republicans. Doubtless the Senate yesterday would have taken similar action by a large majority. But the course of legislation—even tax re- duction—never does run smooth in the Senate. That body has its balkers almost invariably. The rule of the S2n- ate permitting unlimited debate makes their balking effective. It was a re- freshing thing, however, to see members of the minority party in the Senate yesterday demanding as prompt action on the tax reduction bill as was de- manded by the majority leaders. Tax reduction is one of the contributions of the Federal Government toward the stabilization of conditions of business in this country, whose equilibrium was temporarily shaken by the stock market crash. Most of the members of Con- gress are willing to have the country's business benefit by the psychological effect, as well as by the actual and material effect, of prompt action on the $160,000,000 reduction in the tax burden. The hopeful sign about the discussion of the tax bill in the Senate yesterday was the clear impression conveyed to the country that the bill will be passed when it is taken up. The perversity of those members of Congress who look upon the natural desire of the country and the great majority of members of the House and Senate to have the reliet of tax reduction as a lever to obtain action on measures in which they have a more selfish interest is not likely to be approved the country over. Senator Blaine of Wisconsin, a mem- ber of the Senate “coalition” which has been in control of the tariff bill in the Senate, is one of those now de- manding the tariff bill be finally passed by the Senate before that body turns its attention to the tax reduction bill. Even a majority of his fellow coall- tionists, however, do not follow him in this demand. It has remained for a few of these coalitionists to discover that by holding up the tax bill it may be possible to wring. further agree- ments from the “old guard” in tariff legislation and to accelerate the Sen- ate's action on this measure. ‘The plea to hold the tariff bill be- fore the Senate now to the exclusion of the tax reduction bill and all other necessary legislation seems a little idle, since it is well recognized that the tarift bill will not be voted on for weeks and perhaps not until February. Sen- ator Blaine, who so eloguently demands that the tariff bill be kept before the Senate in order to get early action on that measure for the benefit of the American people, was one of those Sen- ators who voted on November 20 for an adjournment of the special session of Congress when it might better have remained in Washington and continued with the tariff legislation. His demandi would have come with more grace had he been one of those Senators who voted, as many did, to remain in con- tinuous session to deal with the tarif| measure. Perhaps Mr. Blaine learned in the interval between the close of the special session and the beginning of the present session that the people in his own State really preferred to have the Senate act with a little more speed on the tariff bill. - Crown Prince Carol desires to return t Rumania. Having taken a fling at almost every cther game, he would like to go home and play politics in, Judge McCoy's Retirement, With the simplicity of demeanor that has characterized his active service on the bench of the District Supreme Court for fifteen years, Chief Justice Walter I. McCoy yesterday laid aside his judi- cial robe and retired to private life, upon the day following his seventieth anniversary. He has elected to seek to | the restfulness of retirement because of 'lht condition of his health, which for |some time has been unfavorable. This decision i3y deplored by the community THE EVENING S8 | retirement from Congress. For both ! as associate justice and as chief justice | he has demonstrated exceptional ability and at all times has conducted the courts to which he has been assigned with unfailing judicial fairness. The role of a member of the District Supreme Court is a difficult one to fill. This court deals with a wide range of cases, both Federal and local. It is at once the District's court and the Na- tion's. The local formulas of procedure and trial, despite comparatively recent codification, are unusual because of the mixture in this jurisdiction of several forms of law and practice. That is why the selection for these District judge~ ships of persons unfamiliar with the conditions 1s sometimes attended with unsatisfactory results. In the case of the now retiring jurist, however, there was no ground for criticism on this ! score. He was gifted with a sound la: sense, and he quickly mastered the in- tricacies of the local procedure, so that his advancement to the post of chief justice, upon its vacation through the resi;nation of Judge Covington in 1918, met with general approval. His friends, the Washingtonians with whom Judge McCoy has lived on happy terms of neighborliness and congenial association for a leng period, will wish for him now in his retirement an im- provement in health and a happy oc- cupation during the years of his free- dom from exacting responsibility and hard work. ——or—. Ancestor worship has been forgotten by Chinese who desecrate ancient graves in order to make highways. Many time-honored customs are forced to give way before the march of modern utility. ————— . Hip-flask investigations relating to financial banquets are regarded, in large degree, as in line with the slo- gan, “Anything to mak trouble for Wall Street!” ‘The stock ticker has had its day in financial agitation and the merchants are happy to report that the cash reg- ister is resuming its function as an in- dex of prosperity. —————— Reports indicate that his business is so satisfactory that Henry Ford can afford to give another party in honor of Thomas Edison whenever he feels like it. S A number of weddings have been prominently discussed which did not seem to call for the time-honored fin- ishing comment, “they lived happy ever after.” »aon—s. Hope is entertained that the demon- strations in Haiti were no more than a demonstration of passing impulse of the kind often experienced by small governments. oo Announcement that Mr. Vare will run again points to him as a man of sporting instinct who enjoys an elec- tion day for its own sake. ——————————— ‘The motto that holds influence at present is, “Pay attention to Santa Claus and forget the grand juries.” ——————— Assassins wsed to be content with poi- son candy. Now they broaden the lethal effect by placing a high explo- sive in the bonbon box. L It is Willlam 8. Vare's intention to see to it that pending another election he will be regarded as one who is gone, but not forgotten. s e ‘The World Court has already begun | to function by settling a few prelim- | inary arguments. —————————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNEON. The Beneficent Committee. We haven't & care in the troublesome world. There's nothing to blame or 5 pity. Some dutles, of course, have by Time been unfurled— ‘We have handed 'em to a committee. Of course, there are matters still com- ing to hand As we teach all the world “to play pritty.” But we haven't a doubt the result will be grand, Since we handed 'em to a committee. We know that the pigeonhole often awalts To silence great thoughts wise or witty. But perplexities fade, as we're facing the fates, Since we handed 'em to a committee! Unfinished Business, “You have a great deal of unfinished business on hand.” “Nothing strange in that” replied Senator Sorghum, “The progress of the world has always been, as it is now, & record of unfinished business.” Jud Tunkins says the only time his boy is willing to chop a little wood is when he is bringing in a Christmas tree. Doubt. The novel deals with reckless thought, And courtships bitter in their strife. Still young folks marry as they ought. ‘The novels are not true to life. Identified, “I always take my Junch at a soda fountain,” said the gentle youth. “I see,” sald Miss Cayenne. “You're one of the lads they call soda-water chowboys.” “He who seeks much authority,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “should remember that merely grasping the bridle is not always sufficient to control a runaway horse.” December Cares. December cares will not relax, We've got to sece them through. Once more we meet the income tax, And license tags are due. “De way to be happy,” said Uncle Eben, “is to keep yoh good nature an’ deserve to ‘'soclate wif happy people.” Pttty s Royal Regalia. From the Beloit Daily News. The Senate tariff quiz committee in- cidentally has taken testimony on_the v;:}t o:hfiue;n Marie to America. Pos- sibly as some bearin, e tariff on plug hats. Gl Evolution, From the Dayton Dally News. TAR, WASHINGTON, .. THIS AND THAT 13 BY CHARLES Uncut edges of books are a nuisance to some readers, but never to true booklovers. One almost may judge himself as an initiate in Bookdom by this test. If he gets keen enjoyment out of being forced to cut the pages of a new book, he may be pretty sure that he “belongs.” Just how to label this pleasure one may not be so sure. It has in it a certain amount of mental laziness, a ?m'tc of gloating before the expected east. He who hoggishly invades a book, as if it were so much pudding, never knows the extreme pleasure of the reader who stands expectantly on the threshold, waiting for the doors to open. * ok ok The man who likes to cut his pages finds cut pages a fault of library bcofs. Books in general circulation have their pages sundered before he gets them. thus depriving him of cne of his legitimate pleasures. Many publishers refuse to put forth uncut volumes, placing in readers’ hands smoothly edged books guaranteed to impede no impatient reader in his search for knowledge. The path of Knowledge, however, is but one of the many roads leading to the bookly paradise. There is the way of Interect, the road of Pleasure, the highway of Suffering, the last wider and longer than many realize. In a great love of books may be con- cealed a sorrowful heart. Wine was long advocated to drown sorrow, but a more temperate method i- to lose one's self in the misty paths of dreams, along the innumerable highways of Bookdom. Here one may ccme to an earthly Nirvana, a forgetting for the time being. Here wave the bright flowers of the lotus eaters, Roman legions march against the Allemani, and the Rose of Sharon blooms again by Galilean lakes. * ok ok * ‘The wise publisher leaves his books with uncut edges, for in this manner he catches 'em both coming and going. Such readers as do not appreciate the leisurely approach will cut them to get at the innards, while those who do will not be deprived of this genuine pleasure, What is finer than to take home a large volume with pages languishing for the approach of the knife? Some books have their pages joined at the outer edge, some at the top, and some at the bottom, according to the method of printing. The connoisseur rejoices when he finds at least two edges joined. A third must be open, of course, for the inser- tion of the knife. The latter instrument deserves a word. Those who think to cut book pages with an ordinary paper cutter, 55 called, make a very serious mistake. Usually these instruments are very dull, and a dull blade will not do. On the other hand, a very sharp edge is equally useless. The former tends to leave too deckle an effect behind it, the latter to siip sideways into the pages. * He who is fussy about his books soon learns to shun both paper cutter and sharp knife, since neither affords the correct edge for the job in hand. D. C, P E. TRACEWELL. It may come as a surprise to some that the best of all instruments for this rtant work is an ordinary table e. It is neither too dull nor too sharp, but usually just right, keen enough to cut properly, yet not so sharp that it R;:"An inclination to slide into the page The cutting must be done, of course, along the straight line of the folded es, leaving as near a perfect edge ind as possible. This perfect edge ne=d not necessarily be straight, as this would approach to mechanical machine | cutting, but a jagged appearance is | even more to be avoided. Side slips into the pages are a matter of sorrow to the booklover. The only way to avoid these is to refrain from using a sharp pocketknife, as even the| | most_ careful handling will not enable an operator to miss mutilating his pages every now and then. The trouble occurs because the groove of the fold must be followed; this requires the cutter to keep to the line, ;nd every one knows how difficult that is. Even the position of the book, as held in the left hand, has a great deal to do with whether the reader can hew to the line. * ok kK These details are necessary, we be- lieve, because we have seen many care- ful persons mutilate their books who would not have done so, we felt sure, if they had understood the technique of the matter. The paper cutter is the chief instru- ment to beware, for good cutting cannot bs done with it. Its fault lies in the jagged chunks which it tears out of & page, on account of its excessive dull- ness. We have never been able to see the reason for the existence of the aver- age paper cutter. In most instances its point is too dull to permit of insert- ing its point beneath the flap of en- velopes, its edge too dull to cut hot butter. We wonder what sort of paper such “cutters” were meant to cut. These instruments of deception, hon- ored though they are by time, will lit- erally tear out square inches of pages, even in the hands of the most experi- enced wielder, who loves this salutary amusement. The only remedy is to stick to the or- dinary silver table knife. - * kX K The calm cutting of pages is the best prelude to a good book, even better than the author’s introduction, or the pub- lisher’s foreword. The author may say nothing new, the publisher add nothing to the work of the author, but if a reader is forced to cut the pages himself he has made the best psychological approach, he has put something into the book himself and both shall be the better for it. Uncut edges have their sportive sides. | A bookish practical joke on a friend is to lend him a book with uncut pages, while praising the work lavishly. The praise prejudices him so that he returns the \vfllme unopened, unread. “How did you like it?” the loaner asks. “Fine, fine,” replies the liar. “It was great.” “You must have enjoyed it, if I may judge from your persistence in peering into every one of these uncut pages,” retorts the other, with a literary grin. Loyal Guards Cover Rome When Mussolini Is to Appear BY WILLIAM H. STONEMAN. ROME.—A dictatorship, while having its graver aspects, also has its thrills for those who watch frem the bleachers. An opposition, however weak, may sud- denly resolve itself into the form of one man and make a threat at the whole structure of government. If his plans are carefully laid and his fanaticism is strong enough to steady his hand, it will take the same one man only one sec- ond of action to do something ex- traordinarily serious in the way of gov- ernment wrecking. No one, it is safe to say, can know this better than do the dictators them- selves, who go boldly about their busi- ness with the knowledge that one min- ute's exposure of the body at the wrong moment will mean solemn music and lilies. * ok ok ok Mussolini, iron man of the new Italy, has had more than his share of dan- ger. On four occasions peoYle have tried to assassinate him in public, and once, in the case of Miss Gibson, he got & bullet through the nose. In Bologna a steel vest saved him from a revolver bul- let, and on another festival day an as- sassin tried to “take him” with a bomb at the Porta Pia in Rome. Perhaps the closest call of all came when the former deputy, Zaniboni, equipped with 8 telescopic sight and a fine Austrian rifle, which he had learn- ed to use with great precision, planned to shoot him down as he spoke from the balcony on Pilazzo Chigl. Fortu- nately for the Duce the secretary of the assassin turned out to be a Fascist secret agent and he was nabbed “with the goods” several minutes before Mus- solini appeared before the crowds, * ok ok K Mussolini, whatever may be thought of his politics or his personality, is a brave man. He was filled full of steel bits when a trench mortar blew up during the war, he has been through lane crashes, he drives a car like fighmmg (or rather he did), and dur- ing his younger days when hot political heads turned to the sword when Italian invective failed, he was never the man to back out of a duel. He is not afraid to die for personal reasons, but he real- izes that Fascism, even after seven years of development, needs his firm hand for some time to come. He is still the gov- ernment in Italy and if his schemes for the betterment of the country are to be carried on he must live on. It is largely for this latter reason that he wears a steel vest of the kina made popular by the Genna brothers during the days when they were fight- ing for the right to sell thelr bad liquor to thirsty Chicagoans. Al Capone him- self was never guarded as closely and 30 well as this man, whose reason for wanting to live is a far more un- selfish one than that which prompts the crafty M.' i sterday, when the Duce came into m;reblrk ;fll’d to dedicate the newly excavated Mercati Traianel, I had an excellent opportunity to observe the whole system by which he is protected. my own observations being supplement- ed by the explanations of a talkative secret police agent who stood by my side. The latter, who was eager not to be considered an intruder, showed me photographs of his three bambini and the signora and gave interesting reminiscences of his work. Long before the Duce arrived the surrounding towers, housetops and bal- conles which offered opportunities for sharpshooters were all ted with hard-faced gentry, each of whom car- ried an umbrella and had a bulge at . I counted 50 of them, casuul- ly sauntering back and forth, trying to be inconspicuous with as little suc- cess as a flat-foot standing guard over 8 batch of wedding presents. e whole district around the ex- cavations was shut off by lines of metropolitan police, carabinieri, black- shirts and army troops, Who stood with their faces to the crowd, in the pres- ent-day Itallan style, in order that they might spot any dlsturber. C binieri, the “marines” of the Italian soldlery, were posted directly around the “mercati,” reinforced by the “mus- keteers” of the Duce and several dozen icked members of the metropolitan orce. Several days before, everg one ul A doctor informs the world that 50 years from now there will be no bald- ed men, but by that time the talkies he unfit for further use since 1908, to pro- which he has so ably served since his will have eliminated the chorus girl, ~ living in any of the surrounding build- ings had been required to prove his good character by showing credentials 80 that by the time set for the actual arrival of Mussolinl no suspiclous characters were within rifie shot. * ok ok With no previous warning the Duce’s car rolled up to the barrier of troops in a spot which could not have been se- lected previously and the Duce, clad in the uniform of the militia and sur- rounded by & number of officers, strode down a short stretch of street to the excavations. The crowds clapped and those on the surrounding housetops raised their right arms in the Fascist salute. ‘The Duce stopped, raised his eyes and fmiled and then swung his right arm up in rczsonse. A faint cheer broke out and Mussolini, escorted by a dignified gentleman in a top hat and with his escort about him, moved rapidly about the newly uncovered arena. Fifteen minutes later there was a roar of motors from an adjacent street and the escorting party, which had made its way through a subterranean passage, moved conspicuously away. A moment later a car which was recog- nized as that of the Duce himself was seen going up another street. The Duce had exposed himself again and nothing had happened. The agent be- side him relaxed his attention and smilingly posed with three ladies of the party, while I took his picture. His job was good, at least until next time. * ok kK Somewhat like the ex-Kaiser of Ger- many, who ate his sauerkraut and wieners before attending public ban- quets and then only toyed with his food, Mussolini is not one to be poisoned by some treacherous cook. When he attends public dinners he has a special menu prepared by a trusty servant, con- sisting of puree, veal, potatoes and fruit. This may be largely due to the fact that he has suffered from gastric ulcers, which have threatened at times to do the work which no assassin has succeeded in achieving, but it is also due to caution against strychnine. Incidentally it is worth mentioning that no sane man TItaly, however bitter he may be against the regime, contemplates violence. The most de-. termined of the “antis” agree that his sudden death would throw Italy into turmoll, in which case they would be much worse off than they are now. e | Deplores Indifference To Victory in Sports From the Schenectady Gazette. An official of one of our leading rail- roads, a college graduate who a quar- ter century ago played foot ball, in a recent statement points to a situation that is gradually developing in many of our institutions of learning. Says he, “A spirit has crept into the play of some institutions where, in their efforts wo be “good sports,” they seem to have got- ten into the fallacy of accepting defeat too easily.” Often there has been comment on the supposed tendency in England to con- sider athletic contests more as matters of exercise than as conflicts between rival groups where each is vitally inter- ested in winning. The latter has been looked upon as indicating better the American attitude. It is true that we can go to an ex- treme and regard victory as of too great value. It is far better to lose than to make certain sacrifices in order to win. But true sportsmanship on the ath- letic fleld consists in doing the utmost possible, in all fairness, that can be done to achieve victory, and then in treating the recent foe as a friend. It should correspond to what many have noted in the courtroom. There we often see two attorneys e gaging in heated controversy in the en. deavor of each to gain his point; yet at the conclusion of the trial they are like- ly to walk arm in arm down the street, the best of friends. Any tendency to encourage our col- lege athletes to be indifferent to victory, to be perfectly satisfied with defeat, must have an unfortunate effect on the minds of the students. It will tend to make them feel that in their lifework failure and success are the same, so long as they can smile. The man who smiles in defeat is the d_sport”—but he is the better one if he has fought gamely and to the fin- ish. A willingness to let the other fellow triumph deserves no approbation, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1929. NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM 1. G. M. THE OTHER SIDE OF GOVERN- MENT. David Lawrence. Charles Scribner’s Sons. To & majority, knowledge of the Gov- | ernment is scanty, vague, immaterial. As a name the Government is known, somewhat dimly, to be the concrete ex- pression of the Constitution itself. And, to be sure, everybody knows the Con- stitution, much as he knows the Lord’s prayer. In early school days it was conned, often to a complete verbal per- fection and almost as often to an equally sweeping lack of inte]ligible | ideas concerning it. Then, in later years when political campaigns_rolled around, resounded with elo- quence over this “charter of our liber- ties.” this “bulwark of a free Govern ment.” Yet, nevertheless, to millions of men and women the Government as embodied mo}ecuun of the Constitu- tion into the common life is but dimly defined either in its broad or in the ways and means by which it be- comes effective in laws and in their ad- ministration. Year by year the Congress convenes. Its activities become news material for the daily press. It is here that readers get such schooling as they possess in the Fncucnl workings of the Govern- ment. They read of the meeting of the Congress, of the making of new laws, of political parties ranged on this side and on_thal imost as keen to be on the right side of the fence as on the right side of the measures in hand, or so it seems to the mere reader. They read of committees and blocs and lobbies and of a strange amorphous animal with- out head or tail, called “filibuster,” that mills round and round with no obvious business save that of blocking the wheels of the legislative machinery. They read of investigations many and long, where- in the accusers—usually of the minority —promptly become a palladium of po- litical righteousness for the inquisitorial pursuit of some malefactor of the ma- Jority. Sometimes both parties unite to run down an overactive executive. A most hospitable body, too, the Congress, inviting and welcoming thousands of measures—then enacting a scant hand- ful of these into law. Time for adjourn- ment. Time to go back home, “to fix up their fences” so the papers say. Farm- ers, all these Congressmen, one would take it from this. Impossible for the average reader to keep track of the various lines of legis- lative endeavor or to count, even, the multitudinous plans and projects that this body inaugurates for the common weal. Were it not for outside help, sim- plification and interpretation, the case would be a hopeless one for the readers of Government news. * ok KX Here it is—the book to meet our com- mon dilemma. The first count for “The Other Side of Government” is that it is simple. The next one is that it is practical, faces the general need. Mr. Lawrence holds to basic lines, lays these straight and free from side en- tanglements, explains them simply. These pertinent main lines of Govern- ment activity are then brought to- gether in a co-ordinated whole, show- ing their relations, much as a road map points out to the tourist not only the road along which he is motoring, but the neighborhood highways as well, for him to choose from or to reject. Topical in treatment, the book is, nevertheless, a broad unit of Govern- ment outlook and activity. The man- ner of the author accords with his at- titude before the subject. Easy and conversational in his word handling, he provides deeply interesting human stuff of general application in such themes as “Where OQur Money Goes,” “Studying the Tides of Business,” “Elimination of Waste,” “Food Inspection,” “Full Gal- lons,” “Uncle Sam as a Buyer,” “Se- lective Immigration™ and a dozen more equally vital points of interest wherein the public and the Government come together. What is the meaning, the philosophy, the underground of the enormous combinations now going on| g in csrect contrast to the trust dangers of a few years ago, giving rise to the political * buster"? How has it come about that that bogey of yester- y, that menace to the Republic itself, has become an inevitable of this expanding day—indeed, a benefactor and a promise for the general From the point of legislation and from the point of interesting drama as well Mr. Lawrence discusses our system of communication—railway, motor road, air transport, ocean highways, river de- velopment and control, radio and its necessary regulation. The place of the United States in the world as a whole and its clear obligation in this role come in for the same broad, practical, public-spirited consideration as every other item in this discussion so clearly does. a book, yet it rounds to a r{;)i: ul’m‘lfix‘ of useful substance, 5O simply and so interestingly projected as to make of it about equal parts of definite authentic information on_ the one hand and interest of the engrossing ther. kind on '.heo‘u* e way of radio, through his own unfl;’ue x!mpnper published here in Washington and by way of his news- paper correspondence, just about every- body knows David Lawrence, political journalist. Dealing with the contentions of the greatest legisiative body on earth, | gr Mr. Lawrence is himself never conten- tious. Facing daily heated differences of opinion, even deep-seated partisan- ship, Mr. Lawrence is in his writings invariably dispassionate, cool, unblased. Two sides of every question are the least with which he is willing to deal. Even his 8 s of ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. The answers to questions printed here each day are specimens picked from |can the mass of inquiries handled by our t Information Bureau maintained in ashington, D. C. This valuable serv- ice is for th:l rre:{ ;mt of the pumlcé Ask any question of fact you may wan to know :nd you will get an immediate reply. Write plainly, inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage, and address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, ‘Washington, D. C. Q. How much money is spent yearly for radios?—C. A. N, A. In this country about $600,000,000 is spent yearly for radios or radio parts. Over 10,000,000 homes are equipped with radio sets of some kind. Q. How many people attended the :hrysunmemnn; _s!éow of the Department . M. by 34,595 people. More than 800 varieties of the flower were on exhibition. Q. What was the Roman spectacle called in which ships fought for the amusement of the people?—S. E. L. A. This was a naumachy. The ves- sels were manned by gladiators, priscn- ers and criminals. Q. What is a renovationist?>—W, 8. A. He is one who looks for the im- provement of mankind through super- natural rather than natural influences, by spiritual renovation instead of nat- ural progress. Q. Who used Lawrence Langston as a pen name?—T, N. J. A. It was the pen name of Reverdy Johnson, American statesman. Q. Why are apples from the same tree larger some years than they are in other years?—E. D. T. A. Extremes in temperature, either hot or cold, tend to check growth, with consequent maturity at smaller sizes. In some yea:s *he length of season and amount of rainfall in Summer appar- ently have some infiuence upon size, but the effect of these factors is not as pronounced as that of temperature. Q. Do any of the Government fire- fighters in the forests lose their lives in the line of duty?—A. E. R. A. The Forest Service says that such sacrifice is inevitable occasionally. Thus far this year 14 employes have met death in battles with the flames. Q. How many patients are admitted to hospitals annually?—G. C. B. A. The 7,867 hospitals in this coun- try admit 12,324,764 patients annually. Q. What is the oldest town in Ger- many?—J. L. A. Trier, or Treves, is said to be the oldest town in Germany. It was known e Romans as Augusta Trevirorum, and the ancient S. P. Q. R. gate, the Porta Nigra, erected in 400 AD, still stands. Q. Is A. P. Giannini, the financial genius, a self-made man?«E. R. A. Born near San Jose, ., on May 6, 1870, Mr. Giannini, fatherless at the age of 7, was forced to begin work- ing at an early ge ‘While still in the grades he obtained a job on the wharves and was obliged to arise soon after mid- night to go to work. Despite this hhc Cal tion Museum in Philadel or French design?- A. This beautiful new museum was designed by Paul Cret of Philadelphia and Jacques Greber of Paris. It is u reproduction of the Rodin Musee at Meudon, France. The limestone of which it is bullt was brought from that country. Q. Has any State a law prohibiting grade crossings?—D. 8. M. A. g&"s‘uu hnm:,u‘nh & law, but many are mal good progress :::-m elimination of dnn;mulp cross- s. Q. What_is the present-day popu- lation of Bel.hlr_hengr in Palestine?— G. A. N. A. Bethlehem has about 6,000 in- habitants. of Ameri- C. C. Q. What does the word “Chesapeake” mean?—W. E. A. It is sup) that the word “Chesapeake” is derived from an Indian word—"Kitshishwapeak"—which mears great salty bay. Q. How long did Terence McSwiney fast?>—M. G. A. He died after 74 days of fasting. What causes twilight on the Why is_there no twilight on the moon?—M. D. A. The Naval Observatory says be- fore sunrise and after sunset on the earth, sunlight is reflected from that part of the upper atmosphere on which the sun is already shining or still shin- ing, thus causing twilight, but the moon has no atmosphere and therefore no twilight. Q. Please explain the Yebechal dance and its portrayal on dance rugs. 3 Smithsonian Institution says: “The Yebechai are nature gods of the Navajo whose chief function is heal- ing the sick. The so-called Yebechal ‘dance’ is a ceremony for this purpose. Up to some years ago representations of the gods were painted in colored sands at the ceremon; at the close. Later, the Navajo began to weave the Yebechai figures in rugs for sale. These rugs are usually made on a hand loom. This may easily be told if the designs are alike on both sides as to form and color. Such speci- mens were never common.” Q. How many members has the American Library Assoglation?—M. G. . P, A. There are now 12,105 members. Q. What does the name Woolaroc mean?—W. C. B. A. This name which has been be- stowed upon an airplane which entered a competitive flight is an American In- dian word meaning luck. Q. How often is the world agricul- tural census to be taken?—A. G. . The International Institute of Agriculture is now ready to take such a census and plans to take one every 10 years. greatest elegles in the English language. Q. What is vellum?—A. G. A. Vellum is a fine parchment, usu- is | ally calfskin, which is used for expen- indings for books and also for stood invariably at the head of class. Q. Is the Mastbaum Rodin Founda- Hoover’s Message Declared Constructive, Sound, Unexciting A statement by the New York Sun that “President Hoover's first constitu- ional message to Congress not ex- citing” is reflected in many of the com- ments on the document throughout the country. Its constructive character is recognized, and the se purpose of the Executive in lgyrou.hm ‘oblems is observed, but there are, of course, criticisms as well. But, in the opinion of the Chicago Daily News and similarly reflected by other papers, “It is appar- ent that Mr. Hoover regards the mes- sage as preliminary to a number of spe- cial communications to Congress on concrete problems of importance, such as adherence to the World Court, inter- nal waterway development, prohibition and reorganization of the mechanism of Federal administration.” “While the seriousness of the prob- lems discussed is not minimized, the message throughout is toned with op- timism,” says the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette, while the Akron Beacon Jour- nal, calling it “sound and sensible,” ex- s the view that “at no stage of e game will Hoover ever tell Congress Wi t should do,” and the Des Moines Tribune-Capital offers the comment, “He has presented ylm:ell yz:‘rked m'xlt rogram without sa anything need- fie:fyr to arouse hostility.” The Tribune- Capital advises further: “As our na- tional interests grow, and everything be- comes more complicated, we cannot per- nfit Congress to ignore or flaunt the President. It will be fortunate if Con- kes mmnp‘:c“%nyzmowy-mu it 1 takes the President's m as s outlined and works out the detalls with promptness.” * kK X ‘With a tribute to his “directness and clarity,” the Syracuse Herald adds that “he is characteristically cautious and re- this | served in his treatment of political sub- peaking voice partak: cool outlook. Maybe a shade colorless, perhaps devol‘: :! g:-mmn n““l'{lhe tions of s e has come, neverthe- less, to Lh‘l’:e:mly convincing power that rises from a straight-standing attitude in respect to the Government activities in which he is so deeply grounded. Not a single gesture fronted upon the desire for popularity of reception. Instead, a man, grounded in knowledge that is vital, striving to deliver it to the pub- lic in a vital way. The return for this is_wide and complete confidence in the offerings of Lawrence, recog-, nized publicist in matters of Govern- ment that engage the Capital. * K kK Let us hear David Lawrence talk a minute: “Twenty years of experience at the National Capital has convinced me that Republican and Democratic administrations are much the same un- der the skin—that they both strive to develop a formula which will in their judgment promote the progress an prosperity of the Nation.” * ¢ ¢ “Mem- bers of Congress are for the most part efficient servants of the people. 1If some are mediocre, it is the fault of the peo- ple who vote to send them to Washing- ton.” * * * “The Government of the United States is the biggest business in the world. It has been a natural and not a forced development.” * * * Because I believe that a better under- standing of our Government is essen- tial to its proper development, I have tried to show how the Government in Washington is working not only for business and the citizens, but also with business and the citizen, and where and how its arm is extended heipfully in the upbuilding of our country in both a_material and moral sense.” * * * “The book is an effort to express the smm of governmental activity rather than its functions or technical aspects —and this is exactly what the book does do, to the {llumination and advan- tage of every one who reads it. There is & last chapter—of course! But this very special “last chapter” whose is “The Call to Public Service. The “call” s, in effect, a rallying cry to the youth of this country, partieu- larly to the college men and women, urging them to face upon the opportu- nities for them, and for the country as well; urging that these two come to- gether, the one in high service, the other in nation-wide progress by virtue of sych service. No, this has nothing of oratorical effect. 'Rather this is the urge of a university man to his col- jects of a controversial nature.” Per- ps it is this characteristic which causes the St. Paul Pioneer Press, al- though admitting the “‘scope and detail with which he dealt with the admin- istrative phases of Government,” to de- clare that “the technique of political leadership is a presidential art by itself, and an art which President Hoover has not yet summoned to the assistance of his administrative abilities.” Taking up the President's statement that “there is no fundamental conflict between the interests of the farmer and the worker,” the Omaha World-Herald replies: “If there were a fair and |%|:nr-_ deal between the East on the one hand and the West and South on the other— between industry and agriculture—a stable and honest national prosperity, that no Wall Street breeze could shake, would be permanently assured. And until this is done, not all the pleas of President Hoover, or of all of his party’s leaders combined, will suffice to put d | down the unfortunate and highly dam- aging section conflict that menaces, not alone the solidarity of the party, but the solidarity and progress of the Republic.” it “The great opportunity was missed,” according to the St. Louis Post-Dis- patch, “by Mr. Hoover’s failure to point the Way toward sane tariff legislation and wring the hypocrisy and Fabian bition adventure.” thought, the Little Rock Arkansas Dem- ocrat criticizes “denouncing men as enemies of soclety,” in this connection, but admits that “he does arouse our interest when he talks of a great build- ing program in which all forces will co-operate It is in that part of the message that we see the real man, Hoover, and for him and his efforts we have nothing but the highest praise.” The Kansas City Times describes the message as “worthy of study by the —— leagues in learning that they shall give of their best to a country that invites service of good order, with hard work, with some material success, with possi- ble material losses—but, in any case, here is a great Nation that calls for the best trom its youth, fortunate beyond telling, in the country chosen by the! fathers. Odd to call a book on Govern- ment a beautiful book, as well as an au- thoritative and substantial one. Well, that is just what “The Other Side of sive bi written It is”clear white in color. public generally as a chart of govern- S o charac! is “lauded’ by the for structive Madison, Wis., State Journal, the Flint urnal and the Anniston, Ala., “an_admirable ent,” essage t and merely report on the state of the Union when opportu- nities for improving the state of the Union are all about him,” as viewed by the Grand Rapids Press, and reveals the idealist to the Topeka Daily Capital. * ok ok ‘The conviction that the message “will have a good effect on the state of the Nation,” is voiced by the Louisville Times, and that paper adds: “The President shows himself the led, sensible business man. He speaks with & force that will inspire the American spirit of confidence.” The New Or- leans Times-Picayune says: “So far as the Mississippi Valley is concerned, the message’s outstanding feature is its ur- gent plea for enlarged outlay upon and prompt ‘completion of the ‘Mississippl system’ of waterways and the flood- control .~ Congress should adopt these recommendations and the plea for income tax reduction without division and without delay.” “It is a good deal like Mr. Hoover,™ suggests the Baltimore Sun. “In big things he is sure-footed, where it is safe to be sure-footed; he is tentative where it is safer, or seems safer at the mo- ment, to be tentative. In smaller things he is as one with the mind of the upper middle class, neither reactionary nor radical, but anxious to do the right in a careful way.” “The message is sound enough,” avers the Charleston Evening Post, “presents few points for controversy and is busi- n and sensible in fc Congress and attempts no driving.” “President Hoover gave the Nation a message that is high in courage, faith and cheer,” says the Spokane Spokes- man-Review, which adds: “It is an able analysis of the state of the Union and world relations by a master in the art of analysis. Critics will find it difficult to discover a false note in this message of leadership and reassurance on the economic situation at a time when it is important that there be no boat rocking.” Declaring. that the President “fuifills expectations in de- voting major attention to matters of business,” the Tulsa World expresses the opinion that “he timates that Congress is too much engrossed in politics to give proper attention to the economic side of government.” Concluding that *he Executive “sounds an ominous warning” of the cost that would be involved if the London naval conference were to fail, Commercial Appeal brighter side of the picture is revealed in the conciliatory tone running through the message. He sincerely ;euxu to gut international relations on such a that the American people can with confidence scale down their axpendi- tures for war.” ———— s et Political Capacity Prom the Janesville Daily Gazette. Senator Wheeler says the Filipinod are as capable of voting as the people of Chicago or Philadelphia. Maybe as ( capable but not as often. —— e Noblesse Oblige. From the Cincinnati Times-Star. On these cold morni; thought of their exalted '&'Zm"“p‘imfl‘é keeps our best families from breakfast- ing in the kitchen. ———— Mitchell's Faith. Prom the Asheville Times. Attorney General Mitchell seems o believe that the anti-trust laws' teeth are not fal A Terrible Example. From the Port Wayne News-Sentinel. Bad news for women anxious to get Government” is in both its body its spirit. : i thin: The elephant lives on an ex- clusively vegetable diet. f J [4 9