Evening Star Newspaper, December 24, 1929, Page 5

o . RAILWAY MERGER BENEFT DOLBTE Congress Hoped to Make Small Lines More Useful and Save Shoppers Money. By the Associated Press. Altaough railroad consolidation has been before Congress and the Inter- state Commerce Commission for nine Years, opinion on the necessity for such & step remains widely at variance. Prcbably most important of the ben- efits Congress expected to result from lidations was that short lines, weak in many instances, would be changed from independent carriers into branch lines of trunk systems, thereby providing the necessary equipment, fa- cilities, and funds. . Consolidation of the weak with the strong also was ex- pected to assure continued life and use- fulness for the smaller lines, seriously imperiled financially after months of Government ownership. Finally, it was hoped that the increased efficiency and savings that might result from single management and long hauis by single systems instead of multiple hauls would result in lower rates to the public. Huddleston Fears Monopolies. ‘This result is doubted by Representa- tive Huddleston. Democratic member of the interstate commerce committee, who believes consolidations “often lead to dangerous monopolies” and should be “discouraged unless there is actual eco- nomic need for them.” Views opposed to hasty mergers were expressed by Commissioners Eastman and McManamy in separate reports ac~ companying the commission’s plan. Pointing out that after 26 months of Government control, many railroads ‘were bankrupt, or nearly so, with oper- ating expenses rising without a corre- sponding increase in rates, Commis- sioner McManamy said “there was a general apprehension that the trans- portation system of the country would not be able to function efficiently,” and “out of this came the consolidation pro- visions” of the act of 1921. “I doubt if any one will contend,” he added, “that under present conditions the consolidation provisions would have become a law.” Calls Sentiment “Artificial.” Commissioner Eastman said “such sentiment as appears to exist in favor of the consolidation of railroads in a few great systems is, I believe, largely artificial” with neither the shippers or railroad officers voicing sentiments in favor of it. The status of the roads has been steadily improving, he said, with the improvement extending to the so-called *“weak lines,” of which there are now “only a few left which are really dis- turbing factors in the railroad situa- ticn. “Under these circumstances,” he con- tinued, “I submit there is no wisdom in experimenting with a reasonably satis- factory situation by radical attempts to promote consolidations out of hand on & grandiose scale.” Fess Pushes Consolidations. Senator Fess, Republican, Ohio, has determined, however, to press for early consideration after the Christmas recess of his bill, which would give the com- mission semi-compulsory power to bring about consolidations, and he has the of other members of the Senate edl.lel that the program should PAPAL SECRETARY’S ' RESIGNATION HINTED Revived Report Has Gasparri, 77, Succeeded by Nuncio to Berlin. By the Assoclated Press. VATICAN CITY, December 24— Popolo di Roma today said the question of retirement of Cardinal Gasparri, papal secretary of state, had arisen again and that there was talk that Eugenio Pacelli, papal nuncio to Ber- lin and newly created Cardinal, would succeed him. The paper remarked that Cardinal Gasparri now is 77 years old. He was said recently to have begged the Pope to relieve him of an onerous charge. pontiff reluctantly consented and has bought him a small but well ap- pointed palace in Rome. Certain ecclesiastical circles here doubt the authenticity of the story, be- lieving Cardinal Gasparri will continue in office at least until the first anni- versary of the signing of the Lateran treaties, next February 11, with which his name will be linked in history. i S SRS NAMED AS GOVERNOR. Tapia to Succeed Rodriguez in Lower California. MEXICO CITY, December 24 (#).— Official announcement today said Gen. Jose Maria Tapia, chief of the presi- dential military staff, would be named governor of the northern district of Lower California, succeeding Gen. Abe- lardo Rodriguez, whose resignation was accepted last night. Gen. Rodriguez's resignation was un- derstood to become effective in January. The retiring governor was said to wish to abandon politics altogether and make s five-month European trip with his wife. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, CONSOLIDATION |Kurn of Fri Special Dispatch to The Star. ST. LOUIS, Mo., December 24— Following sre comments of railroad presidents in St. Louis regarding the I. C. C. consolidation: J. M. Kurn, president of the Frisco: The Frisco has for some time looked with favor upon a consolidation with the Rock Island. We have acquired considerable Rock Island stock and be- lieve such a consolidation is a most logical step. The two roads are not competing lines and, taken together, would create a system 14,000 miles, serving the Southeast, the Middle West, the Southwest and the North Central part of the country. The only compe- titlon which exists is in Kansas and Oklahgma and this is so insignificant that it doesn't amount to anything. believe the two roads would be in a much better position to serve their te ritories if they were consolidated along the lines suggested by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Columbus Haile, president of the Missouri - Kansas - Texas Lines: The commission has assigned the Katy to the Burlington system. We had never considered or contemplated such a con- solidation as that, and I am unprepared to say at this time just how the stock- holders would look upon it. The only consolidation plans in which the Katy has been involved was the proposed merger with the Kansas City Southern and St. Louis Southwestern. This was later withdrawn and the plans fell through. Before expressing any opinion on an alignment with the Burlington ‘we must take into consideration the new eonditions which would surround us and to which we would be compelled to adjust ourselves. Comment Is Reserved. Daniel Upthegrove, president of the St. Louls Southwestern: “I have no comment to make until I have read the full decision and studied its various angles.” J. E, Tussig, president of the Wabash, made public a telegram he received from William H. Willlams of New York, chairman of the board of the Wabash. The telegram stated in part: “The creation of more than four rail- way systems in the Eastern territory is in the public interest. In our opinion consolidation should be effected in such a manner as to create new routes, new gateways and a greter degree of healthy competition. The ccmmission has taken a constructive view of the problem. The proposed Wabash system will extend from the Atlantic seabcard to the Missouri River and it will serve some of the largest terminal areas in the United States, including New York, Newark, Baltimore, Norfolk, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pitts- burgh, Detroit, Toledo, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City, Des Moines and Omaha. It is strategically located. It gives New England an additional route to the West as compared with the so- called four-party plan. It makes possi- ble a substantial improvement in trans- portation service by offering a new com- petitive route from Toledo, Cleveland and Pittsburgh to New York; an interior Toute for Norfolk & Western coal to New England by passing New York and Philadelphia; it paves the way for a new single-Ii route from the East to Milwaukee; it provides for the first time a one-line route from the Norfolk & Western terri the Great Lakes; it gives Baltimore a third trunk line and offers the possibility of through passenger service from New York to Kansas City.” In Public Interest. ‘William H. Williams, chairman of the board and of the executive committee of the Wabash Railway, issued the fol- lowing statement: “The creation of more than four rail- way systems in Eastern territory is in the public interest. “The transportation act provides for competitive routes and for a more ade- quate transportation plant for the country. We have looked upon consoli- dation as something more than a mere allocation of existing tracks to existing railroad corporations. In our opinion consolidation should be effected in such & manner as to create new routes, new gateways and a greater degree of healthy competition. The commission has taken a constructive view of the pm"?fim‘pwpoud bash il “The ‘Wal system wi extend from the Atlantic seaboard to the Missouri River, and it will serve some of the largest terminal areas in the United States, including New York, Newark, Baltimore, Norfolk, Buffal Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pitt burgh, Detroit, Toledo, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City, Des Moines and Omaha. It is strategically located. “It connects the large industrial dis- tricts with important coal fields, the Atlantic seaboard and the important gateways to the West; it connects the iron and steel and the rubber producing territories with the automobile manu- facturing centers: it reaches the North- west through Chicago and the car ferry routes across Lake Michigan will serve the West and Southwest through the important gateways of St. Louls, Kansas City, Hannibal and Peoria, while the primary grain markets of Chicago, Kansas City and Des Moines will secure a one-line route to the Atlantic sea- board, and North Carolina, South Caro- lina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama will have a one-line route to New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit and other important markets for Southern prod- | ucts. Additional Route to West. “It gives New England an additional route to the West as compared with the so-called four-party plan. “It makes possible a substantial im- provement in transportation service by offering & new competitive route from BY RAILROAD PRESIDENTS sco and Taussig and Williams of Wabash Among Those Commenting onl C. C. PLAN LAUDED Proposal. Toledo, Cleveland and Pittsburgh to New York, an interior route for Norfolk & Western coal to New England, by- passing New York and Philadelphia; it | paves the way for & new single-line | route from the East to Milwaukee; it provides for thz first time a one-line route from Norfolk & Western territory to the Great Lakes; it gives Baltimore a third trunk line; it offers the pos-| sibility of through passenger service | from New York to Kansas City.” VALUE OF OCEAN'S BED IS REVEALED Importance of Nature of| Land Undersea Stressed by Repairs. “Eight cable repair ships tossing on the turbulent Winter Atlantic, spending weeks mending the strands of wire broken in a few seconds by an under- water earthquake, .emphasize the im- portance to mankind of the land that lies hidden beneath the world's most traveled ocean,” says a bulletin from the headquarters of the National Geo- graphic Society. “Almost nothing was known of the floor of the Atlantic before the work of laying the first cable was begun in 1857. Later, in the 1870s, came careful ocean- cgraphic surveys by British, German and American scientific expeditions, and gradually the world gained a knowledge of the unseen basins and valleys, the ridges and plateafs and mountain ranges that make up the floor of the Atlantic. The practical work of the cable ships in connection with the lay- ing of the 21 cables that now cross the North Atlantic has filled in many of the details. “When_the first effort was made to connect Europe and America by cable in 1857 the most favorable underwater route was chosen largely by accident be- cause it happened to lie under the nar- rowest portion of the North Atlantic. Depths Vary Sharply. “Later surveys disclosed the existence of an underwater plateau in this region between Newfoundland and Ireland. The depths over this upland range from a little over a quarter mile to 212 miles. This seems deep enough, perhaps, to the layman, but a short distance to the south and to the northeast are depres- sions between 3 and 4 miles deep. “The undersea upland that stretches across from Newfoundland to Ireland was recognized to be so valuable for cable-laying purposes that it was named ‘Telegraph Plateau.’ Not only is it an asset because of the relatively shallow water and the resulting comparatively low pressure to which submerged cables are subjected, but the very nature of the material of the bottom ‘is such as to help protect the cables, "It is a soft ooze formed from the rotted shells and skeletons of innumerable small sea crea- tures, which sefves as a cushion and a protective covering for the cables. “In the early days of the cable lay- ing, when the technique of manufactur- ing the cables had not been developed and when they were neither so strong nor so well insulated as they are now, the ‘Telegraph Plateau’ was invaluable. Now cable making has advanced to such a point that it is possible to make cables so sturdy and well insulated. that they can be laid in water 4 or 5 miles deep. There the pressure amounts to several tons per square inch instead of the 15 pounds per square inch that materials are subjected to above the surface of the sea. “When laying a cable at such depths the weight of the cable from ship to bottom causes a_tremendous pull. It is still markedly cheaper to make cables for moderate depths and to lay and maintain them there. “Telegraph Plateau” Invaluable. “Fourteen of the twenty-one cables that now cross the North Atlantic make use of the ‘Telegraph Plateau,’ but the other seven have been plunged boldly into the deeper waters of the North American Basin, where the bottom lies 3 miles and more below the surface. These depths are encountered by the four cables that extend from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to the Azores, by the two that extend directly from New York to the Azores and by the one which strikes across the Atlantic from Cape Cod to Brest, France. “Just how an underwater earthquake breaks a cable is not clear. Theoretical- ly a break either in the cable or its in- sulation might be caused by a sideslip, the opening of a crevasse, the dropping away of a portion of the bottom, the sudden rise of a section of the ocean bed, or by a landslide from some ocean peak or bluff. Probably only very severe earthquakes can break a cable. The average earth tremor of the land sur- face which rattles dishes and even @he Foening Htar B o FORT 15 RENANED INHONOR OF LAVE Haitian Shrine Atop Steep Peak Was Constructed 100 Years Ago. By the Associated Press. CAPE HAITIEN, December 24.—The mighty citadel of King Christophe, perched on a peak 3,000 feet above the sea, has become a shrine of Haiti. Known hitherto as the Citadel la Ferriere—after the Scottish engineer Ferrier, who built it with the aid of 20,000 impressed peasants—the fortress was renamed Citadel Christophe No- vember 18 by order of the President, Louis Borno. A huge Haitian flag, the first to float over its ramparts, was raised. Honors were paid the long dead ruler by a mil- itary band and gardes from the Cape Haitien command. Work was begun on_the citadel, 25 miles south of Cape Haitien, in' 1804. Christophe, once a slave and a waiter in a cape hotel, was hard pressed by his enemies and wanted a place where he would be safe in a last stand. He Feared Napoleon. There was always in his mind the be- lef that Napoleon wo~ld dispatch an- other veteran army to wipe out the de- feat of Le Clerc by the combined col- umns led by Touissant, Dessalines and hristophe. CAS s(fim as the walls of the citadel began to rear themselves above the jungle he posted sentries there to watch the horizon to the nm;ith for the top- of a French armada. S eantly It was established this iron- willed ruler had issued orders that, should the French land, the city was to be burned, and all plantations between it and the slopes of the citadel were to be_ruined. Napoleon's veterans were to have a touch of the Russian tactics at Moscow. In 1820, with the fortress approach- ing completion, Christophe shot himself with a silver bullet in the palace of Sans Souct, at the base of the trail that now leads to the citadel. Profiting by his illness; his troops had deserted to the colors of Gen. Boyer, the leader from the south. He was car- ried by night to the citadel and there buried in quicklime. Back of President Borno's selection of November 18 for the ceremonies this year is an interesting episode from his- tory. It was on November 18, 1803, that Capt. Gen. Rochambeau of the French army made a beau geste worthy of a Bayard. He was attacking at Vertieres, the only Haitian position between him ant a decisive victory. Gen. Capols la Mort and his small command fought with tigerish bravery. La Mort had his mount shot out from under him and was leading a desperate charge on foot. In tribute to his bravery Rochambeau ordered his troops to cease firing, and, under cover of a white flag, sent an aide with his own mount to be placed at the services of the Haitian leader. Will Repair Structure, ‘The battle continued after this amazing integlude, and on the following day Rochambeau withdrew his troops to Cape Haitien and there signed a treaty delivering the city to Dessalines, com- mander-in-chief of the Haitian forces. On the anniversary of the hour and day of Rochambeau’s chivalric act the Haitlen flag was raised on the eastern wall of the citadel, towering over the abyss of the Grand Boucan, with a sheer drop of 700 feet from the base of the flagpole. In view of the increasing interest in the citadel the Haitlan government has begun steps toward repair of the famous structure. ‘The earthquake of 1842 and the gen- eral ravages of time have made such action imperative, and steps, based on a recent inspection of the citadel have been initiated toward a government ap- propriation to that end. Maj. Joseph C. Fegan, United States Marine Corps, now commanding the military department of the north, with the rank of colonel, in the Garde d'Haiti, conceived the idea of a flag raising. When the project was presented to President Borno by Col. Frank E. Evans, commandant of the garde with the rank of major general, he greeted it with en- thusiasm. D . C. TI’ESDAS-’. DECEMBER 24, 1929. FORTRESS IS MEMORIAL TO EX-SLAVE A CARIBBEAN SE Twenty-five miles south of Cape Haitien (shown on map) is a great citadel, shown in close-up and with a view to the surrounding terrain. It was ordered built by King Christophe more than 100 years ago, and has been named for that fron ruler. SAYS BRITISH DOLES EVILS EXAGGERATED American Industrial Welfare Ex- pert Finds Unemployment Main Problem. GENEVA (#).—The evils of the British government’s “dole” to the workless have been greatly exaggerated, says Miss Mary Barnett Gilson, Ameri- can industrial welfare expert, who has spent a year in Europe studying unem- “English housewives complained to me bitterly that because of the ‘dole’ it was impossible to get or keep servants,” Miss Gilson told friends here. “But housewives in the United States—where there is no ‘dole’—make the same com- plaint, just as bitterly.” Unemployment itself, not the insur- ance against unemployment, is the great demorlllztnf force, she asserted. The percentage of real malingerers on the rolls is very small. A graduate of Wellesley, Miss Gilson has spent years in industrial personnel work in many cities of the United States. Her home is in New York. d | ployment._insurance. The Season’s Greetings to the friends whose support has meant so much during the past year. : GROCGAN'S 817-823 Scventh St.NW. Plan Anniversary Fete. BANGKOK, Slam (#).—This cit; already planning for celebration of its 150th anniversary as capital of the kingdom, although the event does not take place until 1932. lflhe King has agreed to donate a thi of the cost from his private purse, throws down chimneys would not dam- age & somewhat elastic cable lying along the ground. “Cables have a more or less definite life span, as have the rails of a railway. Even if they escape breakage by earth- quakes, ship anchors and the depreda- tions of creatures of the sea, weak spots will be worn as a result of movement by currents or the insulating material will disintegrate with age, permitting salt water to be forced to the copper, thus opening a door for the escape of elec- tricity. Then the cable ‘dies’. The use- ful life of a cable is estimated to be from 30 to 50 years.” ADVERTISEMENTS i RECEIVED HERE Day Pharmacy—14th & P Sts. N.W. Is a Star Branch Office You are usually in a hurry M Y this be your merriest Christmas and may 1930 be your happiest and most prosperous New Year. KINGs ALACE THE ABOVE SIGN 1s | DISPLAYED BY AUTHORIZED STAR BRANCH OFFICES to supply wants that arise in your home or in your business and the quickest way to ac- complish results to make use of the Classified Section of The Star. For your convenience Branch ~ Offices have been established in practically every neighborhood in and around Washington; where copy for the Classified Section may be left. There are no fees in connection with this service; only regular rates charged. The Star prints such an over- whelmingly greater volume of Classified Advertising every day than any other Washing- ton paper that there can be no question as to which will give you the best results, “Arourid the Corner” jg a Star Branch Office Couldn’t Pay His Bill. LONDON (#).—Two hundred years ago Oliver Goldsmith was held in jail until Dr. Johnson could sell the manu- seript of “The Vicar of Wakefield” for $100 and pay the poet's board bill. Within recent weeks five Goldsmith manuscripts have fetched $100,000 from American collectors. LTI SHAKESPEARE STAGE DOOMED BY STATION London's *“0ld Vie,” Surprise of Critics, Soon to Be Torn Down. LONDON (#).—London's “Old Vic,” famous as the theater that staged all of Shakespeare's plays without going bank- rupt, is soon to be torn down to make room for a railroad station. The Lon- don County Council needed the site in connection with the new Charing Cross Bridge and station. For years the old playhouse has been threatened from one quarter or another. Six years ago it was saved when the late Lord Oxford and the Archbishop of Canterbury interceded for it, and on another occasion Sir George Dance res- cued it by providing $150,000 for neces- sary repairs. . But for Miss Lillian Baylis the old house pmbnhl{ never would have been heard of outside of London. She took it over in 1898 and made it a home of Shakespearean drama. In 1914 she drew an incredulous laugh from the other theater managers of London by announcing her intention to produce Shakespeare the year round. But she confounded her critics by persevering in her production policy ail through the lean years of the war and thereafter. Every play of the Bard of Avon has had its opportunity to charm or bore a modern London audience and she has been honored by Oxford Uni- versity for this achievement. ITS’ STAMBOUL NOW. Turkish City No Longer Is Known as Constantinople. STAMBOUL (N.AN.A.)—We must get used to Stamboul, for we are warned that letters addressed to Con- stantinople will be returned to us. Istanbul it always has been to the Turks themselves, although Constantinople from the lips and the pens of foreign- ers has been tolerated ever since the Emperor Constantine established _his new capital on the shores of the Bos- porus Ml{ 11 in the year 330. Istanbul is of Greek origin. The Greeks of the Byzantine period would say, “Eis ten polin” (I am going to the town), and from this the Turks called the city “Is-tan-bol,” or Istanbul. ROP wThe ChrisStmas Store et The Season’s Greetings With Best Wishes for a Merry Chtistmas —is the sincere wish of WOODWARD & LOTHROP in express- ing its appreciation and thanks for the many courtesies and kindly consideration shown during the busy Christmas season. Wishes Everybody a Happy Holiday Season E, at Kann’s, have counted @it a privilege to serve you. Inspired by your generous patronage, it will be our urge to still greater efforts in this great store’s service to the Washington public.