Evening Star Newspaper, December 20, 1929, Page 17

Washington News 1 @he Zoening Star | = -Society and General HEARING 1S CALLED ON PROPOSED CODF | ! FOR BILLBOARDS Regulation of Other Signs or Advertising Devices to Be Taken Up. DRAFT OF BILL PREPARED | BY D. C. COMMISSIONERS Public Invited to Meeting at Dis- trict Building Board Room January 8. ! A public hearing will be held in the | board room of the District Building at | 10 o'clock January 8 to consider a pro- H posed new code of regulations governing | the vexed question of billboards and | other signs or advertising devices of allied character in the District of Co- Jumbia. The District Commissioners have prepared the draft of a bill to be sent to Congress giving the city heads power to draw up and enforce regulations affecting the signs. Mean- time, a committee, under the chairman- . ship of Roland M. Brennan, chief clerk of the Engineer Department of the Dis~ trict government, has drawn up a pro- posed code of regulations to be enforced by the Commissioners should the en- abling act be passed. This code will be the subject of the hearing, to which the public generally is invited. The present regulations, except as they relate to real estate signs, are practically a dead letter, according to Brennan. One of the principal loop- holes relates to vacant stores. Through & _technicality, although no business whatever is carried on at a premises, its walls and windows may be plastered with_a chromatic nightmare of signs advertising everything under the sun, and nothing may be done about it. Under the new regulations the matter would come under section 3 of the proposed code, wWhich reads: “So sign of any character shall be erected, hung, placed, painted, repaint- ed, repaired or maintained upon any structure or upon any wall or upon * the roof of any building, or upon any E;emlaes, unless such sign advertises a na fide business conducted on the premises, and for which business a certificate of occupancy has been issued | by the inspector of buildings.” { Gradual Elimination Provided. The gradual elimination of signs now in districts zoned for residential uses is provided for in section 5, which limits such signs to name plates not exceed- ing one foot in dimension. Replace- ment signs will be authorized in the case of non-conforming use located in residential districts only provided the area of such signs do not exceed the area of existing signs. ‘The regulations strike at the prob- lem of billboards, which has given the District’s beauty lovers so much con- cern, by a section reading: “No bill- board may be erected or repaired in the District of Columbia, irrespective of location, and any ‘athorized billboard which, by reason of its structural con- dition shall be ordered removed by the inspector of buildings, shall not be replaced.” { No sign is to be allowed to be placed in any public space in the District of Columbia except under specific permis- sion from the District Commissioners for each such sign. No lettering is to be allowed on street clocks except the name of the manufacturer. Barber poles will be permitted only upon ap- plication to the inspector of buildings, provided the pole, with pedestal, does not exceed eight feet in height, and is d away from the traveled portion of the sidewalk. Public Safety Sought. Many of the regulations are directed toward the public safety. These call for secure iron bracketing of signs ex- | tending beyond the building line, strong | bracing and limits to the size of roof signs, and the taking down by the in- spector of buildings of any sign he deems dangerous. No_ permit.will be issued for illumi- nated signs unless the design has been | approved by the electrical en‘meer of the District. The proposed act of Congress com- 1s each person or corporation engaged K the business of painting or placing signs to register with the building in- spector and pay an annual registration fee of $100. In addition, each must keep on deposit with the collector of taxes the further sum of $100. In case any sign is hung contrary to the regu- lations, or remains in a building after the building has ceased to be used for the purpose which the sign ad- | wvertises, or becomes unsafe, the Com- missioners are required to serve notice fo: its removal. If it is not removed, then it shall be the duty of the build- ing inspector to remove it, the cost being taken out of the $100 deposit. HOLD UP APPROVAL OF MISS MATTHEWS Senators Reconsider Confirmation | of Tax Appeals Board Appointee, | The nomination of Miss Annabel Matthews to be a member of the Board of Tax Appeals, confirmed by the Sen- ate Wednesday, was reconsidered yes- terday and referred back to the finance committee for further consideration, after Senator Couzens of Michigan had called attention to a resolution passed by the Senate in 1926, disapproving of the selection of members of the appeals board from among the employes of the Internal Revenue Bureau. Miss Matthews has been employed in the Internal Revenue Bureau for ap- proximately fifteen years, and during the discussion in the Senate yesterday several Senators declared her o be weil qualified for service on the Tax Appe Board. Senator Norris, Republican, Nebraska pointed out that the 1 resolution was not a law, but an ex- pression of opinion by the Senate Senator Couzens sald he was not bringing up the question because of any complaint against the nominee, but be- cause of the resolution the Senate adopted four years ago he thought the nomination should be given further consideration by the committee. Senator George of Georgia told the Senate Miss Matthews is exceptionally qualified for service on the board of appeals, pointing out that she is a Jawyer in addition to her experience in income tax matters. Miss Matthews, a native of Georgla, came to Washington in 1914 and entcred the Government service. Chairman Smoot of the finance com- A group of the children at the Washington Present prospects indicate that Santa Claus’ toy bag may be slim when he arrives there. SANTA CLAUS BIG EVENT IN LIVES OF THESE CHILDREN WASHINGTON, D. C, 1 Home for Foundlings, who are enthusiastic over prospects of Santa Claus. | maintained in 49 places in Washington. —Star Staff Photo. | STREET CROSSING ELIMINATION ASKED Planning Commission Consid- ers Removing Traffic Men- ace in Rock Creek Park. Elimination of the Tilden street cross- ing in Rock Creek Park, near the old Pierce Mill, is proposed in a program adopted by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which today began its two-day December meeting. The question of the Arlington County, Va., water front industrial developmen particularly with reference to the a plication for a permit made by the Sun Ofl Co. of Philadelphia, to construct a wharf at Rosslyn, Va. just north of the Key Bridge, also was under discus- sion. Replies to a questionnaire sent interested Arlington County groups by Lieut. Col. U. S. Grant, 3d, vice chair- man and executive officer of the com- mission, formed the basis for the dis- cussion. Capt. E. N. Chisolm, jr, commis- sion engineer, explained that the change at Tilden street contemplates moving the roadway 300 feet from where it passes by Pierce Mill, thus eliminating the hazardous crossing. This afternoon the commission was scheduled to consider elimination of the railroad grade crossing at Michigan avenue and Monroe street in the vicinity of the Catholic University. Studies on the Mall and the Wash- ington Monument Grounds are to be taken up by the commisison, and plans by W. T. Partridge, its consulting arch- itect, will be taken under advisement. A study of the George Washington Me- morial, contemplated on the Mall, will be considered, in view of the fact that the foundations of this structure were laid some years ago, and later plans for the roadway to be constructed down the Mall were tentatively brought to the front, on the basis of the 1901 Mc- Millan Commission. ‘The National Negro Memorial Com- mission's program for a memorial to the colored race also will be considered. VETERAN BUDGET EMPLOYE RAISED James Mackey Is Promoted to Be Assistant to the Director. James H. Mackey, who has been in the Government service here for nearly 30 years, was promoted today to be an assistant to the director of the Bureau of the Budget, in charge of matters pertaining to the Department of Justice and State Department, Mr. Mackey, who resides at 1717 Varnum street, has been employed as investigator of the Bureau of the Budget since 1923, He was formerly with the Department of Justice, having served as disbursing officer of that de- partment under Attorneys General Wickersham, McReynolds, Gregory and Palmer, and later as special investiga- tor in civil and criminal cases involv- ing violations of the Federal statutes. In taking charge of matters pertgin- ing to the two departments, Mr. Mackey succeeds Capt. Carlos Van Leer, who as an assistant to the director of the Bureau of the Budget is now_ giving his full time to the Personnel Classifi- cation Board, of which he is chairman. Author Dies. MIAMI, Fla., December 20 (/).—Ken- neth Harris, magazine writer, dled here today of a heart attack. He came 1o Miami a week ago from his home in Chicago, to recuperate from illness. MAJ. . E. E. BOOTH, ‘Whose nomination was made by Presi- dent Hoover yesterday. Maj. Gen. Booth advances from brigadier and mittee sald he would call a meeting as £oon as possible to consider the nomina- lion again. Brig. Gen, Robert McCleave is advanced from a colonelcy. Quarter, Swallowed By Accident, Keeps | Youth From Party Instead,JosephCoatesWill | Stay in Hospital While Doctors Fish for Coin. Six-year-old Joseph Coates has a quarter he doesn’t want and he’s wish- ing somebody would come and take it away so he can go to school today for the Christmas party they're going to have for the first-grade children at the Thompson School. Instead Joseph has to lie in an “ole bed” in Georgetown Hospital until somebody comes to fish it out, and sub- mit to all sorts of indignities such as the application of bronchoscopes and X rays. Joseph, the son -of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Coates, 1227 N street northeast, started out gaily late yesterday after- noon to the corner store for a loaf of bread. His mother had given him the now-unwanted quarter to buy a loaf of bread. On the way to the store, Joseph met friends and there was a lively discus- sion of the new pup on the block and of other things that little boys discuss. Arrived at the store, Joseph had for- gotten what mother wanted, 50 he scur- ried home to find out. In his excitement he put the quarter in his mouth and when he started to ask his mother for orders again the quarter went down his throat and stuck there. Joseph gulped several times, but the quarter stayed in his throat, and he became jll. Mrs. Coates rushed Jo- seph to the hospital and Dr. P. Constan- tinople of the hospital staff, worked frantically to get the coin. He failed, and Joseph spent a miserable night. ‘This morning, however, something. Joseph didn’t know what, had happened to the quarter. He could breathe all right and he wasn’t sick any more. But the doctors are still fussing about him when he wants to be at school with his friends. X-rays are being taken today to find out where the quarter has gone, and to determine whether it will be necessary to operate. Anyway, the doctors tell Mrs. Coates that her son is not in danger now. COMMUNITY CHEST CAMPAIGN PLANNED Officials of Metropolitan Unit Meet to Prepare for Open- ing January 28. Meeting simultaneously at the Bur- lington Hotel and the Phyllls Wheatley Y. W. C. A. last night, regional and division chairmen and division secre- taries of the metropolitan unit of the Community Chest campaign organiza- tion made the first organization move in anticipation of the coming cam- palgn, which opens on January 28. More than 75 persons were present, the nucleus of & more than 3,000 army of volunteer workers who will be enlisted to serve in this city-wide unit of the campaign forces. Merritt O. Chance, chairman of the metropolitan unit, presided at the Bur- lington, where the officials of regions 1, 2, 3 and 4 held forth. Region 5, which is the colored division of the unit, covering the whole city, met at the Phyllls Wheatley Y. W. C. A., wi Maj. Campbell Johnson presiding in the absence of Dr. Kelly Miller, the chairman, who is ill. The 30 divisions into which the first four regions are divided will be subdi- vided into sectiens, for each of which a captain is to be secured. Each cap- tain must, in turn, get 10 workers. Ca tains must be enlisted by January 2, at which time an instruction meeting will be held. Wokers must be lined up by January 13, and during the following two weeks meetings for instruction of workers will be held in all divisions in preparation for the campaign, January 28-February 6. A The plan of procedure for region 5, Maj. Johnson said, will be the same. Elwood Street, director of the Ch addressed both meetings, stating that hard task lies ahead by reason of the need for more money than was ralsed in the last campalgn. He said, however, that hard work will enable the Chest to reach its goal. That goal will not be known for the present because the bud- get committee is still at work, but it will be larger because of the 75 appeals combined in the Chest for 1930, as compared to the 57 in 1929; growing needs of a growing city; exhaustion of cash balances with which some organi- zations entered the Chest last year; full | year operation of organizations previ- |ously on a part-time basis; new and larger buildings of a few organizations, and an Increasing need for improved id more extensive service to mect community needs. Colombian Consul Appointed. By Cable to The Star. BOGOTA, Colombia, December 20— Nicolas Garcia Samudio yesterday was nemed Colombian consul in New York to replace c_grm Agbelacs Urdangiae 2 SANTA CLAUS VSIT 10 ORPHANS' HOME Inmates of Foundling Institu- tion Eagerly Awaiting Yule- tide Gift Distribution. BY GRETCHEN SMITH. “Oh, look, there’s a real chimney for ‘Santy’ Claus!” A little boy had just arrived at the Washington Home for Foundlings to be given temporary care during the ab- sence of his mother, sick in the hos- pital. Three brothers, & trifle older, were being cared for to the best of his ability, by the father, who worked dur- ing the day. The first thing noticed in the home by the little newcomer was the big stone chimney at one end of the play room. Much comfort was derived from the knowledge that even if “mamma” were not there, Santa would not forget little boys and girls. He just couldn’t, with & real chimney inviting him into the play room. But after talking to Miss Elizabeth ‘Thomas, the kindly superintendent of the Foundling Home, one is forced to wonder if perhaps the sack which Santa carries down that stone chimney isn't going to be rather slim to provide enough playthings for all the children waiting for him so expectantly. Home Needs Furnishings. ‘The new home at Forty-second and Brandywine streets has needed many furnishings, Clothes and shoes musi also be provided for more than 40 little ones, The board of directors has gen- erously taken care that its charges will have plenty cof turkey, oranges and fruits, and a big tree will glisten in the dining room. But in tak- ing care of the necessities little has been left to fill that sack of Santa Claus. “I want a doll, with straight, curly hair and Santy's goin’ to bring it.” One hopes that Santa will bring au- burn-haired Virginia some sort of a dolly, even though it lacks the straight, curly hair, “And I want a boat—a great big boat!” A future sallor spoke this pranounce- ment with a confidence of fulfillment which Santa could never betray. Lad Asks for a Book. Within the group of children clus- tered about the-visitor, to whom they | eagerly confided hopes and expecta- tions, one little 4-year-old stood silently listening to the others. The serious ex- pression of the little boy’s face prompted the question from the visitor, “What do you want, Edward? Don't you want me to carry a message to Santa Claus?” Shortly and solemnly, the answer came, “a book.” “Books! that is what they all want,” Miss Thomas explained later. . So far few books have been included in the meager contribution of playthings sent to the children of the Washington Home for Foundlings. A few toys, bear- ing evidences of days of past grandeur; some little scrap books, cleverly made and kindly sent by children of a Wash- ington school, and & small box of new playthings, contributed by one or two friends, constitute about all that there is | to fill the long line of little stockings which will be hung before the great stone fireplace on Christmas eve. Few Toys in Gift List. ‘Whether it is the fine new home which makes the friends of little chil- dren pass them by, or whether it be that there are so many stockings to be filled this Christmas that the toys have “given out” before the Home on Forty- second street is reached, the fact re- mains that there are fewer toys for the children this year than there were when the children lived in the old home in the center of the city. “Heretofore, we have had enough toys to send some to brothers and | sisters of little ones we are caring for in the home,” Miss Thomas said. “But this year there will not be enough for the ‘children outside.” The eternal feminine makes {itself | apparent even among the fatherless and motherless little girls of the Foundling Home, as was evidenced in the requests of several small ladies for “real pocketbooks to carry pennies to Sunday school.” Four Walfs Given Homes, 8ince the formal opening of the new building last month four little girls have been offered homes by women whose hearts have craved the love of little children denied them. It is hoped that before the return of an- other Christmas a mother and daddy will also have been found for Harris, | a sturdy little boy of three years, who | since babyhood has been denied the love and care of his own parents and a fireplace over which he can hang his little stocking in a home truly his own. 16 COMMUNISTS GUILTY. Four Out of 20 on Trial for Sub- versive Action Acquitted. WARSAW, December 20 (#).—Six- teen out of 20 Communists on trial here on accusations of subversive action were convicted yesterday and sentenced to prison. The other four were Ac- quitted. One of the Communists was sentenced to eight years’ confinement and 15 others to terms ranging from 2 to 6 Jsars each, FRIDAY, FOUR JONES LAW | i DECEMBER INDIGTMENTS COVER NINE DEFENDANTS Grand Jury Reports Results of Newspaper Exposure of Speakeasies. FOUR OF ALLEGED OFFENDERS COLORED Varied Charges Against 18 Persons Presented by Police Are Dropped. Four indictments, charging nine per- sons, four of them colored, with viola- tions of the Jones-Stalker law, were reported today by the grand jury to Justice Peyton Gordon in Criminal Di vision 1, as the result of the expose the Washington Times, in which it w stated that speakeasies were being The list_was submitted to the grand | jury by Daniel E. O'Connell, city editor | of the Times, after he had been direct- | ed by the court to give the names of | the three reporters who had gathered | the information. | Gorman M. Hendricks, Jack E. Nevin, | jr, and Linton Burkitt, the reporters, | admitted they had made purchases of | liquor, but declined to give the names and addresses of the persons from whom they had made purchases, and were adjudged in contempt of court by Justice Gordon and sentenced to serve 45 days in jail, from which imprison- ment they were discharged last week. ‘The grand jury recently filed a report of its effort to obtain evidence of law violations at the other places named in the e: , but has not been suc- cessful although undercover men of the police and prohibition departments made strenuous eiforts. Bowers and Parker Named. One indictment charges Harry George Bowers and Robert Lee Parker of vio- lating the national prohibition act. Bowers is accused of transporting November 1 and Parker of possession November 2. Another indictment alleges that Allen Brown, colored, made two sales of in- toxicants November 1 and also had liquor in his possession on the same day. Daniel J. Noonan, Paul Lee Burrows, James B. Duffy and Warner Burns, the last named being colored, are charged jointly with sale and possession of liquor October 30. The fourth indictment charges Everett Smith and Daniel Byrd, both colored, with sale and possession of intoxicants November 29. A fifth indictment not connected with the expose was reported by the grand jury for violations of the national pro- hibition law against Mary Slater, Lucy Plummer and Aszlee Graham, all colored. The grand jurors declined to indict 18 persons against whom the police had preferred charges of different of- fenses. Included among the cases dropped are: Julius G. Brooks, joy-rid- ing; Julian S. Martin, Francis H. Young and Henry Lynch, robbery; Rob- ert E. West, alias Milton A. Sparrer, and James Davis, larceny after trust; Okey Risner, Jean Dunning, alias Jean Harris, and Fred Dunnin, alias Fred Harris, grand larceny; Joseph M. Cos- grove (two cases) and Forrest W. Har- rington, false pretenses; Samuel L. Walker, housebreaking; Joseph Smith, Edward Hines and William Battle, as- sault with dangerous weapon; Charles Lenoir, assault with intent to Kkill; Elithia Snyder, alias Elithia Kennedy, mayhem. Thirty Indictments in AlL A total of 30 indictments were re- ported to Justice Gordon, including the indictments charging liquor law viola- tions. Others indicted, and the charges against them, include: Johni Cavanaugh and Edmund Stew- art, non-support of wife; Edgar Jesse Tate, robbery; Richard Allen Crymes (alias Richard Crimes), Loule C. Moore Horace N. Ready, Joe Pollard, Alber! King, Albert Zaleskas, Charles Ma- honey, Emory Scott (two cases), Daniel Mackell (two cases), John Perry (two cases), joy-riding; Neil A. Yeager, em- bezzlement; William Dixon, receiving stolen property; Prudence Barnes, housebreaking: Charles Taylor, Thomas Crosby and Edward Green, grand lar- ceny; Val Johnson, Jesse Hayes and David Carter, carnal knowledge; Louis H. Solomon and Mary E. Jones, assault with dangerous weapon. R - Chilean Nitrate Commended. By Cable to The Star. SANTIAGO, Chile, December 20. Chilean nitrate can compete advanta- geously with synthetic nitrates on the world markets, Fertius Aikman, presi- dent of Alkman London, Ltd., declared on his arrival here today. Alkman is on the board of directors of several 20, nitrate companies. 1929. THIS “JOB” YIELDED $502 3 1 o, James Kostakes of the Presto Lunch, 517 Ninth street, looking over the damaged safe, which was robbed of $502, in the lunch room early today. YEGESBREAK SHF N LONCH ROON Remove Strong Box to Kitchen and Escape With Contents of $502. Forcing open a safe at the Presto Lunch, 517 Ninth street, at 5 o'clock | this morning, robbers stole $502° and escaped. ‘The strongbox had been moved from its customary place beneath a desk in the lunchroom proper and hauled into the kitchen where the hinges were forced. A large breadbox was used as a screen by the robbers to prevent pedestrains observing them. Entrance to the building was gained by knocking out a portion of a thin wallboard used to cover the back of the lunchroom opening on a small alleyway. ‘The burglars then jimmied a lock on a door to gain access to the kitchen, James Kostakes, a counterman, said he heard the men leave the scene when he opened the front door for business at 5 o'clock. He immediately discovered the robbery. George Smith, a customer, who went into the lunch room when Kostakes opened up for the day, said that he also heard the men. Dr. John V. Howard, Naval Hospital, asked police to make an effort to re- cover a watch and chain with nugget charm attached, valued at $150. The timepiece, he stated, was taken from a locker in’ the hospital yesterday -after- noon. Loss of a handbag containing more than $70 in bills, $1 worth of postage stamps and a laundry ticket was re- ported by Mary C. Adams, 2203 K street. She met with the loss while shopping in an F street store yesterday. ‘Theft of 6 shirts and 12 pairs ‘of gloves from the Kirby Hat Store, Inc., 927 Pennsylvania avenue, was reported 10 the police last night. The shirts and gloves, valued at $33, were taken from the store the past week. EDGAR A. HAWK, LINOTYPE MACHINIST, DIES AT HOME Edgar A. Hawk, 51 years old, lino- type machinist of the Herald and Times for 25 years, died yesterday at his resi- dence, 809 F street southwest. The funeral will be held tomorrow morn- ing at 9 o'clock at St. Dominic’s Church. Interment will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Hawk, a native of Tennessee, came to ‘Washington in 1905, He was a mem- ber of the Typographical Union of America. Besides his widow, Mrs. Marle T. Hawk, he is survived by three daugh- ters and four sons. They are: Marie, Etta Virginia and Helena Hawk, and Edgar A. jr.; Ramond, Lloyd and Fred Hawk, all of this city. CHRISTMAS PLAY AT ADDISON Students of the Addison School who will participate in a Christmas play this afternoon. DRYS BEGIN DRIVE 10 FORCE REPORT |Senators Seek to Force Hoo- ver Board to Announce Result of Hearings. | By the Associated Press. Senate drys began a drive today to force an early report on open hearings | by President Hoover's Law Enforce- ment Commisison. ‘Two Democratic drys—Senators Harris, Georgia, and Glass, Virginia—gave no- tice in the Senate that “not another dollar” will be appropriated to the com- mission unless it submits some part of report on its first eight months of work. Senator Glass, author of the $250,000 fund for the commission, charged that the commission had “shunted aside the original purpose—investigation of pro- hibition.” Senator Harris said that “every ene- my of the prohibition bill wants to keep the commission there” without any re- port. He said he would propose an amendment to the next bill appropriat- ing money for the commission requir- ing it to have .open hearings. However, it was another dry—Sena- tor Jones, Republican, Washington, who blocked action today on the resolution of Senator Harris, requesting President Hoover to have the commission submit a preliminary report to the Senate to be used in connection with dry law enforcement appropriations. “It is the most extraordinary exhibi- tion of indifference to the expressed wiil of Congress that I have ever known,” he added. ‘There has been no inkling from the commission as to when it will report. Senator Glass said that only last week, eight months after the organization of the commission, a member of it caine to his office to get a copy of the appro- priation bill in which were provided funds for its existence. “This commission was appointed principally, if not solely, for the purpose of inquiring into prohibition,” said Sen- ator Glass, “but until last week not a ! member of the commission had even read the provision in the appropriation bill authorizing its constitution.” Senator Harris also directed his fire at Chairman Wickersham of the com- mission. “I do not believe the prohibitionists are going get any report from this com- mission to the Congress if the chair- man of the commission and some others can prevent it,” he said. "It is the only star-chamber commission of which I know, and under our form of Govern- ment I don't think there should be a commission coming within that cate- gory.” Four Die in Blast. GRONINGEN, Holland, December 20 () —Four persons whre killed and sev- eral others seriously injured today when the boiler of a tugboat exploded. Some houses in the neighborhood collapsed from the force of the explosion and others were badly damaged. SCHOOL Left to right, front row: PAGE 17 CELESTIAL MISHAP 1S CREDITED WITH EARTH'S CREATION Dr. L. H. Adams Expounds Theory in Lecture Before Academy of Science. RAREST OF ACCIDENTS IS SEEN IN ‘COLLISION’ Explains Larger Star Tore Away Part of Sun by Attraction of Gravity. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. ‘The creation of the earth weas due to the rarest sort of celestial accident, Dr. L. H. Adams of the Carnegie In- stitution told the Washington Academy | of Sciences last night in the first of a series of public. lectures designed to cover the whole field of genesis and | evolution, { It was due, he said, to a larger star coming close enough to the sun to tear away some of its mass by the attrac- tion of gravity, but mathematical cal- culation shows that, despite -the fact that there were approximately 30,000 000,000 stars in the “local galaxy” of which the sun is a part and that all are moving in changing courses at enormous velocity, such an accident, by the laws of chance, could happen only dnce in 1,000,000,000,000 years. The age of the Milky Way galaxy, he said, is estimated at about 10,000,000,000,000 years. Thus it is reasonable to sup- pose that there are nine other stars among the 30,000,000,000 which have planets revolving around them some- what comparable to the earth. On these alone would life be possible. But, Dr Adams sald, there is no way of knowing that the other nine ac- cidents happened in just the same way so as to produce a planet which couid { foster life. So the earth, and possibly 'ns neighbor planet, Venus, may be the only spots in the whole galactic system upon which there are living things. Only Small Part of Universe. But_recent researches have shown, Dr. Adams said, that the 30,000,000,000~ star system, which up to a few years ago was thought to be all of creation, it itself only a small part of the total universe. The 100-inch telescope at Mount Wiison, Calif., has revealed at least 2,000,000 other galaxies, many of them comparable in size to that of the milky way, and there may be a great many others so distant in space that they are invisible 1In each of these, it is likely, there have been similar rare “accidents” which have produced planets capable of nurturing life The accident to which we owe our existence, he explained, happened about 2,000,000,000 years ago. The other sun, hurtling through space at a speed of about 3 miles a second, came so near the sun that it probably was within the limits of the present solar system, Great tides of white-hot gas were raised on both stars by their mutual gravitational pull, but the visitor was so much larger than the sun that it wrenched some of this tidal material loose altogether. Then this unknown “father” of the earth continued on his endless celestial Jjourney, and is now at least 5,000,000,- 000,000,000 miles away, leaving the de- serted mother star to care for her eight infant giants, composing the planets of z:: soldnr systql;rrli. I-llis trail is effectively ered up with time and distanc that he never can be traced. e Forced Planets to Revolve. At first the planets were at masses of white hot gas, he uld—g;:ns of the sun's body torn away from it. But it threw the protecting arm of gravi- tation around them and, while she could not pull them back, forced them to revolve in orbits around her. Due to the very immensity of such a body as the sun with its tremendous internal pressure and other forces, he explained, the elements remain always white-hot gas. But once fiee in space there is little to keep them hot and they cocl rapidly. It required only about 10,000 years, he said, for the earth to cool from a gas to a liquid. Then the liquid hard- ened into a solid form approximately that of the earth today, with an aver- Iage climate only a little above freez- ing, which has not changed materially through the millions of years. In the original gas torn from the sun, he said, there were approximately 90 ele- ments, but principally magnesium, iron, silicon and oxygen. When the liquid globe hardened the process was much like the freezing of sea water. Most of the salt is left out of the ice. So most of the minor elements were left out of the main body of the earth and re- mained at the surface. The final result was a globe with an inner core comprising approximately half its bulk of iron with a little nickel. This was surrounded with an internal zone composed almost entirely of mag- nesium, iron, silicon and oxygen. Then comes the thin outer crust with ap- proximately all the elements found in the sun. Internal Core “Molten.” The fron internal core, he said. is “molten,” but not in the popular con- ception.” It is very hard and rigid, but it is not crystallized, as is all other inorganic solid matter. The molten lava thrown up by volcanoes, he pointed out, does not represent the material of the earth’s interior, but is entirely from the surface zone, originating from 10 to 50 miles down. Once the origin of the earth is ex- the sun by gravity, he said, the steps in its evolution o the form of the rresent abode of life follow in logical order, while recent investigations make it more and more insignificant in a total creation the farthest visible galac- tic system of which is the group of starts N6C4860, recently discovered by the Mount Wilson telescope, which are at least 50,000,000 light years, or ap- proximately* 250.000,000,000,000.000,000 miles distance in space, while the sun's nearest neighbor, the star Alpha Centauri, is about 20,000,000,000,060 miles away. Prof. William J. Humphries of the United States Weather Bureau ex- plained that this series of free public lectures on evolution and genesis of things represents a major project of the Academy of Sciences to acquaint the general public with the facts now agreed upon in the different branches of science. KOBASHI ESCAPES TRIAL. ‘TOKIO, December 20 (#).—Judicial authorities today decided not to prose- cute Ichida Kobashl, minister of educa- tion, who resigned recently after charges of corruption had been made against him. After a close examination of the case, it was decided there was insuffi- clent evidence to convict. Kobashl was charged with having ac- cented funds in connection with gov- ernment purchase of a railway in 1927 when he was a member of the lower Dora Shapiro, Mildred Longerbeam, Betty Castar aufl Caslton Lowe. Back row: Rita Smith, Margaret Wilson, Doris | house and a me.aber of the now defunct . ; e - plained by the cooling of gas torn from -