Evening Star Newspaper, January 22, 1930, Page 8

THE EVE THE EVENING STAR |vith small chance, undér the present| the land for the municipal center. Ex- ‘With Sunday Morning ldll,‘l. WASHINGTON, D. C. ‘WEDNESDAY. . .January 22, 1930 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star N per Company 110 East i2nd ice: Lake Michizan Bulldiny uropean Officer 4 Regent (.. London. Rate by Carrier Within the City. Evenine Star.......... 45¢Lermonth Svening aud Sinday tnnm ok when 4 Sundays . 60c per mon The cvening und Sundiy Siar (when 5 Aundays) €5¢ osr month A -5¢ per copy €nd of each month, Orders may be sent in by mall or 'elephoLe National 5000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Vlrllnlml FH’ and Sundas. inday’"only ily and Sunday..} yr..$12.00: iy only -.. 1yr, 3800 unday only 1yrll $5.00; Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associated Press is exclusively entitied the use for republication of au ncws dis- atches credited to it Or not Jtheiwise cred- ted in this paper and uiso the ‘ocal news published hereia. All rights of vublication of special dispatches hereln are also reserved. 1 mo. The Lump Sum Bill. ‘The Cramton lump sum bill has been again introduced in the House as it has | been for the past several years and the Citizens’ Advisory Council, intelligently alert to the dangers inherent in this viclously unfair measure, has voiced its opposition. The purpose of the Cramton bill is to amend substantive law, substituting for the principle of a fixed ratio between the District and the Feder:l Govern- ment in appropriating for the Capital the lump sum of $9,000,000 as the con- tribution of the United States. The bill would enable Congress law- fully and indefinitely to continue the practice, inaugurated six years ago and consistently followed since by means of riders on appropriation bills, of shov= ing the mounting load of Capital main- tenance and development to the shoul- ders of the Washington tax-paying com- munity, thus releasing the United States from its rightful share of this growing responsibility. The bill would solemnly place Con- gress on record as adopting the inequi- table and economically fallacious point of view that no matter what it costs to build and maintain the Federal city, the allotment of the United States will be only $9,000,000. ‘The bill would withdraw the last ves- tige of protection now left the members of this community- by the Congress of 1878, which in lieu of the American principle of taxation with representa- tion, pledged the Nation to match, dol- lar for dollar, the amount in taxation arrangements, to prevent repetition or to assure correction or punishment. Good taste suffices to restrain obnox- ious utterances in the main. The busi- ness sense of advertising broadcasters holds in check the performers who, un- der their hire, might otherwise engage in unpleasant frecdom of speech. Even so, there is a good deal in the air now- adays that might far better be left on the silent side of the microphone. And yet there is no positive way of restraint or discipline. ‘The country balks at the idea of a censorship. Still, there must be some sort of supervision lest, even momenta- | rily, foul-mouthed orators or smart-aleck singers pollute the air for millions of helpless listeners. One can of course always tune off when the broadcaster “gets rough.” But it should not be necessary thus to cut the current mere- ly to prevent the spoiling of a pro- gram by incidental and unférgivable grossness of speech. . ——r———— The Turn of the Tide. President Hoover yesterday announced at the White House that “there has been a distinct increase of employment all over the country within the last ten days; the tide of employment has changed in the right direction.” This announcement was based upon a report from the Department of Labor to the ,cflcct that for the first time since the speculative market crisis employment has increased substantially throughout the country. While this statement was being made at the White House more than one hundred representatives of key industries in the construction, build- ing equipment and supply fields, in con- ference with the Secretary of Com- merce, were giving assurances that the real period of emergency has passed for them, with application of President Hoover’s prescription of “work” as the only formula neccessary to assure con- tinued prosperity. This is a tangible evidence of the turn of the tide, which was ebbing in the Autumn at a rate that despite all expressions of confidence seriously men- aced the country with disaster. When President Hoover called certain groups into conference in this city representing transportation, labor, manufacturing and finance, for the purpose of stimu- lating a Nation-wide co-operation in industry to check the unfavorable drift of conditions, it was recognized that only through actual operations on a large scale in construction of all kinds, in re-equipment, in replacement, giving employment to & normal number of millions of workers of all grades, could the country be spared from a costly stretch of “hard times,” business de- pression, idleness and suffering. It is now evident that the programs of construction and employment agreed upon in the course of those conferences demanded from the voteless residents of the District. In 1924, the.last year that the law- ful system of fixed ratio was carried into effect, the United States con- tributed 39.4 per cent to District ex- penses, according to one system of figuring, and 35.21 per cent according to another system. In 1930, six years later, the United States contributed 25.26 per cent to the District, according o one officially adopted system of figur- ing, and 28.1 per cent, according to an- other. Each year the ratio of participation by the United States in the expenses of the District tends to decrease. Each year there is a corresponding increase in the proportionate load hoisted on the politically impotent taxpayers of the District. The Cramton bill, naming $9,- 000,000 as the fixed sum to be paid by the United States, regardless of what the total bill for Capital maintenance may be, would indefinitely continue this steady reduction in the proportionate contribution by the United States. ‘The unrepresented citizens of Wash- ington rest their faith that this measure will be confined to deserved desuetude in the able and thinking members of the House and Senate, who will always bear in mind the fact that their exclu- sive power to legislate for the people of ‘Washington carries with it the great moral responsibility of legislating fairly, Justly and wisely. DA RN ERs Ty Good-looking American stenographers attracted much attention in London. A really high-class presentation does mot neglect a proper consideration of the éupernumeraries as well as the cast of principsls. e Polluting the Air by Radio. Much agitation has been caused by ihe antics of an independent radio broadcaster in a Southern city who, defying the authorities, State and Pederal, has persisted in conducting a series of personal talks on the air couched in informal if not actually pro- fane language. He operates his own station. He avers his right to use it as he wishes, and to employ any lan- guage he prefers so long as he does not become positively obscene. Finally, as & concession to public opinion, but not in obedience to any authority, he has mgreed to modify his “parts of speech” and cut out some of the obnoxious words which have heretofore strongly tinctured his discourse. At the same time he has declared that if he is press- ed by any authority in regulation of his broadcasting he will remove his plant over the border into Mexico, where there is no official radio restriction, and operate on a wildcat wave length that ‘will cut through the American atmos- phere and mess up all other broad- casting. This case is not especially important in itself, for the offenses of the inde- pendent broadcaster—who is using the air to propagate his peculiar personal views on matters in general and on cer- tain trade conditions in particular—are not grave ones. The language to which objection has been filed is not as offen- sive as much that may be heard any time, anywhere in the course of ordi- nary conversation. But it is important that under the present method or ex- are being instituted. The railroads are ordering supplies for new lines of tracks, new rolling stock, mew power, and terminal improvements. The mills are responding to these orders. Commer- cial business necessarily feels the effect of continued, if not increased, employ- ment. ‘The country is not poorer in resources or in actual wealth now than it was in September before the stock market col- lapsed. There has been a heavy over- turn of cash holdings, of credit balances, a great shifting of ownerships. But the actual, tangible, real wealth is not de- pleted. The will to work is not lessened. Now it would appear that the oppor- tunity to work, which for a time was diminished, is restored. If that condi- tion continues for three months longer the country will be “out of the woods.” The Cheney Award. For sheer bravery and self-sacrifice congratulations are in order for Lieut. William Mathemy of the Army Air Service. This fiyer's act of heroism has just been recognized by the Cheney Board of Award for the most outstand- ing and meritorious feat performed by an Army aviator in 1929. Last Sum- mer Lieut. Mathemy with two com- panions was flying over Nicaragua in & big bomber. Suddenly the left motor caught on fire. The sftuation was des- perate because beneath them lay an impenetrable jungle. Full throttle was given the remaining motor by Mathemy, who was piloting. Under the extra strain this engine “froze,” leaving the three men without motive power. With a “dead stick,” skillful landing was made despite the obstacles. Mathemy and one of his companions were thrown clear, but the third memter of ihe party, stunned from the impact, was jammed in the cabin of the burning plane. Regardless of his own injuries and of the fact that his clothes were saturated with gasoline, Mathemy suc- ceeded in pulling his friend clear of himself afire. That night the officer who had been rescued died from his burns, while Mathemy was confined to the hospital for three weeks recuperat- ing from the awful experience. Lieut. Mathemy richly deserves the award that has come to him. He takes his place in the ranks of those who in times of crisis have utterly forgotten self, and whose one thought has been to aid the Dglpless regardless of danger. It is of smely @fuff that heroes are made. — e Statesmen who insist that prohibition is not working have faith in a liberal pay roll as a stimulus to industry. ——— Turn-Over in Army Officers. Maj. Layson E. Atkins, Assistant Engineer Commissioner in charge of purchase of municipal real estate and chairman of the special committee now engaged in acquiring the site for the municipal center, has received orders that will transfer him to Alaska in the is a distinct loss to the District. It serves to call attention again to the handicaps to the municipality often in- curred through the regular turn-over tent of official supervision the air is free for all who have the means to set up powerful sending stations and to use them for anything they may wish to say, regardless of public morals or safety. This matter brings up & question of moment. How far can the law go in restricting this most public form of speech? Great injury may be done by = single sentence broadcast on a|during a period when school site and | has made powerful wave, reaching millions of ears. | playground purchase has been plrficn-,m absolutely Slander on & netion-wide scale, almost larly active, and in addition has done dr.whu;kull\;( all fuel ,\ internationz], may be comm&lefl. and most of the work involved in buying fom in the Engineer Commissioner’s office. As soon as an Army officer assigned to the municipal government learns the ropes and becomes familiar with the peculiarly complex duties of his posi- tion, he s transferred and some succes- sor, without previous experience, comes to take up and carry on the unfinished ‘work. & Maj. Atkins has served the District the wreck, but by this time he was | Spring. He has been an efficient and' hard working officer and his transfer [ perience has given him an intimate knowledge of the problems’that lie in municipal land purchase and through diligent and willing association with the citizens’ bodies of Washington he has come to know their likes and dis- likes pretty well. It is unfortunate that the District has to lose the benefits of this knowledge and tact and soon must begin “training” another officer in the ways of Washington. Maj. Donald A. Davison, the senior Assistant Engineer Commissioner, has completcd only half his term with the District, and Capt. Hugh Oram, the third assistant, is a comparatively new arrival. Fortunately for Washington, these two officers will remain on duty here for several years. ‘While there are occasions when there is compensation in the thought that some of the Army officers who have served the District in the past were not permanent fixtures, such is not the case with the present personnel. The arrangement that brings about a con- stant change in important adminis- trative offices of the District, with the tour of duty sharply defined by Army regulations, is not altogether satis- factory. ———— et Gangsters shot a New York writer on economics and finance. It is difficult to believe that so violent an attack could be due to a critical resentment of style or opinion. So many now write that such a style of expressing a literary resentment would leave scarcely any- body safe. e London is inclined to rate the Amer- ican stenographers as the prettiest at the conference. Even the fine details have evidently been considered on an occasion when it is so desirable to make a favorable impression. ——— King George started the conference in & manner which will mean success if the finish can be made to maintain the initial spirit of courtesy and good will, ————— Statesmanship may require caution to prevent the highly interesting question of “wet or dry” from interfering with proper attention to matters bearing upon world relationships. —— b New Jersey has developed reports of a2 phantom dirigible. The Atlantic Coast once sighted sea serpents, but at- tention has moved inland in quest of bigger and more modern phenomena. - A glider is managed by Lindbergh with eminent success. Usefulness of the ma- chine will be delayed if it is always necessary for a Lindbergh to be on hand to manage it. - D The War Department calls renewcd attention of the men in uniform to the old battle song, “I am a soldier and rum is my foe.” ——— e Nebraska admires Senator Norris, but is inclined to raise the question whether THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL, ‘The Community Chest, like most good things, has a good name. i When the magic word “Washington” is combined with it, to make the Wash- ington Community Chest, there is little wonder that it grips the imagination of the people of the National Capital. nsider those three words for a mo- ment, so that when the Chest proposi- tion is placed before you, you will have something to go on, as the saying is. Just as Washington comes first in this name, it comes first in the minds and hearts of all who live here, and, what some folks never realize, it also comes first in the minds and hearts of thou- sands- of men, women and children throughout the country. The name of Washington, D. C., is & magic one to these people, representing, as it does, not only the seat of Govern- ment of their country, but also the ac- tual ground George Washington and other illustrious great men trod. Sometimes it would seem that this conception is one which can come only to an “outsider"—that is, one born and bred somewhere else. Residents of the National Capital have some advantages (and also some disadvantages), but there is one feeling they can never have, and that is to look forward to a Vvisit to the heart of the Nation. No, we who live here cannot know how the people in the States long to visit Washington. We already live here! One hes to reside elsewhere, and to have heard about Washington all one's life, to be able to realize just what “Washing- !ton. D. C.” means, * ok ok ok One may smile when reading about attempts to change the seat of national Government. It will never be done, one may say confidently,” except in the event of such an emergency as would make a withdrawal necessary. Too much history has clustered around this part of the Potomac, too many mighty shades watch over us, to permit any- thing less to change the seat of Gov- ernment. This is Washington—the first word in the proud title of Washington Com- munity Chest. It means all that Wash- ington means to one. And to all of us Wwho live here, whether for a brief time, or permanently, as we say, Washington must mean & great deal. It means what any man's city means to him, but, above that, it means America. This is not “flag waving” in the least, but a piain statement of fact. This city is, to Americans, what London is to Eng- land, what Paris is to France, what Rome is to Italy. Sometimes it would seem that we Americans tend to forget this simple truth. ~ We have listened too long to the bright boys of Broadway, who, for some obscure reason, have attempted to make us think that one should never believe devotedly in anything. In our hearts, however, we do believe in America and in this Capital City, which it mhust never be forgotten, is as dif- ferent from New York as New York is from Washington. New York is going to have a build- ing on the site of the old Waldorf- Astoria 1,100 feet high, with a dirigi- ble mooring mast 300 feet long on top of that, making a total height of 1,400 feet. Bully for New York! But Wash- ington still has its Washington Monu- ment, and Lincoln Memorial, and be- hind them still stand firm the spirits of those two mighty men. Let us never forget that great buildings, after all, mean little or nothing without great men behind them! It is this invisible Washington, be- hind the visible city, which ever makes in political affiliations he is not too versatile. —_—aere It will not require an international discussion to go on with plans to reduce the equipment of the rum boats, SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Enforcing Altruism. We must be good—we must be kind And leave resentments far behind. Think of the pleasure that is missed By one who's not an altruist! We must be sober men and true, And do just what we ought to do. ‘Though provocation may unfold, ‘We must not fight or even scold. For, if perfection we evade, ‘Well armed policemen will persuade, If ruthless wrath we would not find, We must be good—we must be kind. Saving His Energies. “Are you an expert in tariff sched- ules?” “No,” answered Senator Sorghum, “If 1 gave attention ‘to all the figures, I shouldn't have time left for any speeches on the subject.” Jud Tunkins says by this time that New Year's resolution doesn't mean much except that your heart was in the right place. 5 AM. Over Here. King George stood forth and made a speech. ‘To us it was surprising. 'Mongst other things it served to teach The joys of early rising. Art and Literature, “Are you interested in art and literature?” “Not at present,” answered Miss Cayenne, “Just now too much of the art is devoted to fancy labels and too much of the literature to describing fictitious contents.” “A politician,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “who makes promises he cannot keep, dooms himself to perpetual indebtedness.” The Peacemaker. T always champloned the right As peaceful as could be, Until contenders joined to smite ‘The good old referee. “Old Satan is & smart advertiser,” sald Uncle Eben. “He makes it look like de sinners was havin' most of de fun an’ excitement.” ‘What's a Bandwagon? Prom the Louisville Time: Politicians are becoming smarter and smarter, and maybe in time they will succeed in developing & combination bandwagon, steamroller and water- wagon. But Why Bother? From the Danbury Evening News. It's still a small town if the neigh- bors can remember when the Blanks first began to dress for dinner. From Bad to Worse. From the Charlotte News. ‘The State patrol announces a cam- E‘n against the slow driver and, we ke it, the patrol has abandoned hope of overtaking the fast ones. ———— Fiddler Must Be Paid. From the Hamilton Spectator. it the piace it is. The tendency is to forget this in the hurly-burly of every- day life, but when each one of us stops to think about it we easily remember the lives of great men which flowed through the city, an ever-ascending stream toward mighty America of the present and future. Let us never for- get that this is our Washington! “Community” ‘s the next word in our good combination. Sometimes those of us who live here show a tend- ency to forget about the community part of our everyday life. There are those who say that Washington is an unfriendly city. They charge that friends seldom call on friends, unless bridge is to be played, or something is offered to eat. Members of Congress have been known to exclaim that the citizens of this District of Columbia seem to have a difficult time agreeing amohg themselves as to just what they do_want from Congress. These charges have been made and answered elsewhere; what remains to be said, in our present connection, 1is that there not only is a wholescme community spirit existing in Washing- ton, but that it is growing stronger every year. When the long toll of wne decades is told, in some far aistant time, let no one be surprised if the organi- zation known as tne Washington Com- munity Chest, and what it stands for, shall not be given a great deal of credit for strengthening and solidifying this wholesome sentument of community spirit. Sometimes the “organization” end of any orgamzatin tends to linger too long in the mind, creating douot, sus- picion. But some of us know of men who have given hours of their tume sitting in wnat would be stuily meet- ings, if it were not for the genuine spinit of service which animatea them. We have seen ccnsecrated men and women doing Christ'’s work in the world of today, and doing it in our com- munity, not in some iar place, but right here where we live. That is wnat “Community” means. Wik i “‘Chest,” -it seems to us, is the word which contains the active allure. There must be, in all things, an active kind of allurement, no matter how good, how noble, an object may be. Girls have their hope chests, in which womanly hopes are set iorth years in advance. The word chest usually includes the idea of some sort of treasure, whether monetary, physical, mental or spiritual. A chest which is built on the Wash- ington community, which springs from it, and goes back to it again, is a real treasure chest, a real hope chest. It is a treasure chest because it permits every one of us, no matter how un- social we may be, as persons, to become actively social through the agency of others. To much stress, we believe, has been placed on the fact that social workers, of all types, must eat and live, and have homes of their own. Cer- tainly they must! Surely the laborer is worthy of his hire. Unity of purgou. addressed to neces- sary social work, in order to help make Washington a fit city for us all to live in, is what is secured by the gathering of the Community Chest. One has only to stop and think a moment of a man sitting at home, listening to his radio, or reading a book, to realize that there is nothing social about that. That is individualism, right enough in its way. Social thinking and acting, toward worthy ends, is not the aim of many of us, nor have most of us the oppor- tunity. About our sole opportunity is this Washington Community Chest,_ Here we may step out of our little celves, for once, and become a part of something which addresses itself helping others in a city-wide way. No, social work 1is not perfect, buts few things are, in this world; it is perfect enough, and its intent is high enough, to merit our active nug.pon. Let us forget about a bit of “high pressure,” which, after all, is blood pressure f; the heart, in the interest of the T, the downtrodden and the helpless. Don’t be offended if some one tries to argue with you about the Community Chest. It is worth arguing for, and giving to. Put yourself in it, and see how good it makes you feel. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS Preston 8. Arkwright, president of the Georgia Power Co., according to all re- ports, gave & good account of himself, in his three-day appearance on the Wwitness stand at the Federal Trade Commission last week, testifying in de- fense of the Proplglndn activities of the public utility companies. His c: dor was no less than his courage and force. The utilities defense its larger aspects did not fare so well, in the face of Chairman McCulloch's re- fusals to permit their counsel to tell their side of the story in his own fashion, culminating in the chairman’s exclusion of a host of exhibits offered to show that the utilities had been the target of insidious attack and as base for the argument that in their propa- ganda work they were fighting fire with fire. The chairman took the position that facts, not motives, were all that the commission was interested in, and only facts which directly pertained to the conduct of the power companies them- selves. In consequence, the hearings came to an abrupt halt, and finis was written to the propaganda phase of the commission’s investigation. When public hearings are resumed next month, the taking of testimony on the financial set-up of the utilities will start, two years after the Senate ordered the investigation. * K ok K In a recent bulletin from the office of vy Lee, New York publicist, figures are cited to show the astounding growth of the idea of international con- ference as a_ measure for preserving peace, as reflected in the number of such conferences which have assembled in recent years, “Prior to 80 years ago there had been no such conferences ex- cept {0 settle wars,” says Mr. Lee. ‘“The number which have met since then is indicated by the following table: 1840~ 49, 9 conferences; 1850-59, 20; 1860-69, 143; 1907, 70; 1917, 140, and 1927, 367.” If Mr. Lee's figures mean what they ap- ar to mean, then in the year 1927 an ternational 'conference of some kind or other, looking to some aspect or other of preserving peace, was held ‘at the rate of one for each day in the year, Sundays included. In the face of this showing quite evidently Mr. Hoover has no patent on the idea of settling trou- blesome questions via the conference and commission route, * ok ok K In Wisconsin Progressive Republicans are urging Philip La Follette to run ‘or governor. In 1928, a stalwart, for the first time in many years, broke into the governorship. It is argued that there is still magic enough in the name La Follette to win. Philip has much more of the fire and vim of his father than young Bob, who succeeded his father in the Senate, though Bob, Lr., is proving himself an able citizen in his own right. At present Philp is prosecuting attor- ney of Dane County, the first elective gosmnn his father held when he began is memorable public career. If the son should go into the governorship race, the Badger State will have another one of its exciting contests, in which the La Follette family will be the central figure. * ok ok % Not_the least of the troubles of the Navy Department is the business of de- ciding on the names for new cruisers— the fewer the cruisers, the greater the scramble. Since Congress authorized 15 new cruisers a year ago, petitions backed by congressional letters of more or less weight, from nearly a thot d thriving municipalities craving tile honor of seeing the name of their city borne one of the new ships, have poured in upon the Secretary of the avy and on the White House. Mr. Hoover's famous pronouncement to suspend cruiser construction, if it ac- complished nothing else, at least halted the assigning of names for the blue- It is sald of oil coke, a new fuel that its appearance in Toronto, no ash remains after But it the annoying must be paid print ps. 8o of the first batch of five, only one has been named. That honor, announced recently, went to Indianapolis. One more is to be named soon. The other three will remain nameless until the President lifts the o ‘Without awalting the outcome of tariff legislation, with which the fate of the present Tariff Commission is bound up, the President has moved to change the anship, the only move within his power as yet. Dr. Edgar B. Brossard of Utah succeeds Thomas O. Marvin of Massachusetts, who has been chairman since 1922 Present mémbers hold tenure for 12- year terms, and e):fllntlons are spaced at 2-year intervals, beginning = with Frank Clark of Florida in September of this year and ending with Sherman J. Lowell of New York in 1940. Dr. Brossard's term expires in 1932 and Mr. Marvin's in 1934. So, unless Congress legislates, Mr. Hoover will not get far in changing the commission's personnel. * Kok % +Harvard College has in preparation a new edition of its quinquennial cata- logue, which will list her degree hoid- ers, Mving and dead, from the year indeed” The satoior commanble, it e citor General and the Assistant _Secretaries of State and Treasury Departments will be heart- ened to learn that since 1900 the Harvard cataloguers have ranked these posts of sufficient importance to permit Harvard graduates who have been thus honored to note the fact against thetr names in the listing. With these ex- ceptions, nothing in the executive branch of the Federal Government be- low a full-fledged cabinet officer rates mention. Military titles don't count, either, unless one was at least a major general or a rear admiral. Four—but only four—American societies are deemed of sufficlent distinction to entitle Har- vard graduates who may be members thereof to have this fact listed in the catalogue—the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philo- sophical Society and last, but not least, the Massachusetts Historical Society. * k% % Senator Clarence C. Dill of Washing- ton led the procession of early risers at the Capital Tuesday morning on the occasion of the internatiortal broadeast of King George's speech at the open- ing of the London Naval Conference. Senator Dill, above all others, could not afford to oversleep, for it was he who made the address which preceded the broadcast of the London ceremonies over the Columbia Broadcasting Sys- tem’s coast-to-coast network. Senator Dill went on the air at 5:30 a.m., East- ern standard time. - He said he hadn't been up so early since he rang up fares on a trolley car in his college days. (Copyright, 1030.) o Stolen Goods Problem Faces Crime Probers Prom the Paterson Press-Guardian. If there is any point at which Fed- eral aid is required in the protection of the community against crime, it is in the problem of the disposal of stolen goods. It is the belief of com- petent police authorities that organized crime is increasing at a rate which re- duces the individual offendings to minor significance. The intervention of Fed- eral legislation is uired because or- ganized crime generally is an interstate enterprise, Already we have an act of Congress making the transportation of a stolen automobile across State lines a Fed- eral offense, inviting a severe penalty, and it is believed that it hds been an effective check on the organized theft of motor cars, which was growing to ‘The interstate l-llmlnf proportions. system for the disposal of other stolen e ar - enlvgtfllm is in order. —_— e And Equally Safe. From the St. Louls Globe-Democrat. With the new low air rates in effect, it is now cheaper to fly across the con- tinent than to Politics at Large By G. Gould Lincoln. Despite the antagonism of those who do not wish to see prohibition enforced, and some of those who do, the pre of legislation to strengthen enforce- ment recently transmitied to the Con- gress by the President shows signs of being given consideration at an early date. Mr. Hoover, backed by the Law Enforcement Commission’s recommen- dations and those of the Attorney Gen- eral and the Secretary of the Treasury, has proposed certain changes in the law, saying, in effect, that if these changes are made it will make for more efficient administration and enforce- ment of the dry laws. If his program is turned down, in whole or in large part, it will be because of certain dry opposition in Congress rather than be- cause of the antagonism of the “wets.” Both branches of Congress are over- whelmingly dry, when it comes to vot- ing in support of prohibition, and the wets could not block legislation except, perhaps, through fiilibustering tactics in the Senate, * kK % President Hoover, it appears, has effectually passed the problem of better enforcement of the dry laws to Con- gress. His recommendations came at a time when some of the drys, partic- ularly in the Senate, had been denounc- ing the administration for failure to enforce prohibition. Senator Borah of Idaho was one of those whose criticism was most severe. There have been intimations that some of the members of the Senate judiciary committee are not satisfied with the proposal that United States commissioners shall hear cases of minor violations of the prohi- bition laws, brought on information or complaint by United States attorneys instead of by the grand jury process. It has been charged that this proposal denies the right of jury trial and vio- lates the spirit, if not the letter, of the Constitution. But the proposal is backed by some of the best legal minds in the country, members of the Law Enforcement Commission, by which it was worked out. Nor does it deny a Jjury trial to defendants in these minor cases, since they are given three days in which to demand a jury trial after the findings of the United States com- missioners are made known to them. * Kk ok ¥ Already bills have been introduced in the House to carry out this proposal of the Law Enforcement Commission, which it says will go far to relieve the ongestion of cases in the Federal courts, and members of the House judiciary committee who have looked into the matter say that the proposal is con- stitutional. Hearings on the proposal are to be held soon before the House judiciary committee, and the Senate Judiciary committee has appointed a subcommittee to deal with the proposal also. There has been more criticism directed against this particular proposal than against the other recommenda- tions of the President. In certain quar- ters it is held that the President’s pro- gram for better law enforcement will be practically disregarded. The politics of the situation does not sit that way, however. Congress has this problem before it, and it will have to give some fM reason for not dealing with it, if it ails to do so. It is rather difficult to be an ardent advocate of law enforce- ment and at the same time attack pro- posals for strengthening the hands of the Government to enforce the laws, to | when the proposals have behind them the principal officials of the Govern- ment and a commission with the dis- tinguished personnel of the Law En- forcement Commission. This question of law enforcement is coming more and more to be a real issue that cannot be kept out of politics. * K ok K Up in Massachusetts there is a ter- rible stew over the Republican sena- torial candidacy. Why not Charles Francis Adams, Secretary of the Navy, the Bay State's representative in the P;!sldent'al (;:blnet'.‘d 1t is true that Mr. Adams might need some persuading, and also he was at one time a Demo- cratic mayor of Quincy, but that was )"v:y back in 1897, and he appears to ve been enough of a Republican for the President to place him in the cabi~ net. He comes of a distinguished family, which has been represented in the White House itself. He was treas- urer of Harvard and has been active in business. They may be many reasons from the point of view of the politician why Mr. Adams should not be the choice of the Republicans for the Senate in Massachusetts, but to the lay mind he would make a good Senator of the United States. At present he is one of the delegates of the United States at the London Conference on Naval Limitation. He may not return to this country for a couple of months. But the Massachusetts primaries for the nomination of senatorial candi- dates is not to take place until next September and there is plenty of time for his friends to put him in the race, it he does not oppose it. * Kk x Perhaps it would be as well to ask former Gov. Fuller what he thinks about Mr. Adams, however, before any- thing is done. Every time a candidate for the Republican senatorial nomina- tion is put forward, Mr. Fuller takes a large swat at him. It has been sup- posed that Mr. Fuller wanted the nomi~ nation himself, but he has so far made 2: roT;l announcement of his candi- cy. few days ago a report was pub- lished to the effect that Mr. .haller would take himself out of the sena- torial race, if he has been in it, in favor of William M. Butler, at one time Senator and chairman of the Republi- can national committee. Mr_ Fuller de- nounced the report, saying he had not decided not to be a candidate for the Senate. Mr. Butler took the matter philosophically. It has been generally understood that Mr. Butler would be willing to make the race for the Senate again, provided he could be assured of the united support of the Republicans of his State. He was defeated by Sena- tor David I. Walsh, Democrat. But “Dave” Walsh has a popular followin; in Massachusetts that might defeat al- most any candidate. Senator Walsh is not running this year, however, and the Republicans should be able to elect their candidate, provided they don't uabble too much among themselves. They have a large majority of the House delegation and a governor and control of the State Legislature. So far the Democrats have not put forward a senatorial candidate who can be said to be anything like as strong as Sena- tor Walsh. The suggestion crops out now and again that Massachusetts Re- publicans nominate Mrs, Edith Nourse Rogers, representative of the fifth Massachusetts district in the House. Mrs is one of the ablest mem- bers of the Massachusetts delegation in the House. She works hard for the in- terests of Massachusetts. She is the first New England woman to serve in the National Congress. And she would make a strong run if she were nomi- nated for the Senate. She may, how- ever, desire to retain her present posi- tion rather than to seek a seat in the Upper House. * ok ok x ‘The situation in Ohio seems to be crystallizing for the nomination of Sen- ator Roscoe C. McCulloch, Republican, to succeed himself. He was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Theodore Burton last Fall. Carmi Thompson and “Jim” Begg, for- mer member of the House, are men- tioned as possible candidates for the senatorial nomination against McCul- loch. But the bellef is growing that neither of them will offer in the end. Thompson has long been ambitious to | IS come to the Senate, however, and if either of the two men mentioned goes into the primary, it is likely to be he, it is said. McCulloch is rated a winner, however, in any event. A Republican fight in rimary, however, would not be of assistance in the general elec~ tion, even though is strongly Republican. T stranger things have happened than the al;i:lnn of a Demmlllzl 'B.ex;lwr in 3 was a cand! or gov- ggor male”l. bu_}'l'nut in mflyflmry !4: v. Cooper. ompson is & nundnloov.cwp-rmdul_-lm ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ‘What do you need to know? Is there some point about your business or - sonal life that puzzles you? Is there something you want to know without delay? Submit your question to Fred- eric J. Haskin, director of our Wash- ington Information Bureau. He is em- ployed to help you. Address your in- quiry to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, ‘Washington, D. C., and inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Who is the president of the In- of Radio Engineers?—E. R. Dr. Lee De Forest, inventor of the three-element vacuum tube, was elected recently as the new president of this organization. Q. How deep are the canals of Ven- ice?—R. M. A. The average depth of the Grand Canal in Venice is 17 feet. Some of the lesser canals are shallower, Q. Who gave the name to the Gult Stream?—R. R. A. Benjamin Franklin gave it the name. He published a chart in 1770 representing his theories as to the course of this ocean current. Q. What figures represent normal vision?—A. J. W. A. Normal vision is 20-20. Q. Please give a biography of Erich Maria Remarque—H. 8. A. Remarque was born in Onasbruck, Westphalia, the son of a family of French emigres who settled in the Rhineland during the French Revolu- tion, He is a Roman Catholic, is 31 years old; left school at 18, went into the army, straight to the Western front. The book “All Quiet on the Western Front” was written to get rid of the depression of his own thoughts. It has been translated into 20 languages an more than 2,000,000 coples sold. Q. Why are lions called man- eaters?—J. M. B, A. Some lions form the habit of coming into native villages and carry- ing off people. This gives them the name of man-eating lions. However, this is true of few lions. Q. What is the difference between Briggs and natural logarithms?—C. D. R. A. If the base is 10, the logarithms are called common or Briggsian. These are universally used in computation, If the base equals e (the fundamental transcendent), the logarithms are nat- ural. These are used in theoretic in- vestigations. Q. Why is 6 cents a sum fixed upon aa gm;nml damages in a legal suit?— A. Six cents or threepence was a minimum damage in English common law. A 3-penny piece is the smallest silver English coin made. Q. Where is the statue of Cardinal glbbom‘, i to be placed in Washington?— A. The site for the portrait statue of Cardinal Gibbons is the small park immediately in front of the Shrine of %e Sacred Klgxré. on Sixteenth street, n, D. C. Q stitute A. . What of the anim sw?etbruda?zg' 8. = ey pancreas of an animal, especially a calf, used for food. The thymus is the throat or neck sweetbread, while the pancreas is the stomach sweetbread, Q. Is it cold enough on a desert to use a blanket at night?—G. G. A. Blankets are frequently necessary at night in the desert. There is a great range of temperature in desert regions. In the Sahara there is some- times as much as 40 degrees between day and night. The dryness of the air permits easy absorption of heat by g!&'h;nd as easy radiation of heat by Q. What does the brokers’ term “cleared” mean’—E. M. A. As used by brokers it means a stock which is paid for—that is, free from any debt such as brokers’ fees, handling charges, ete. Q. In what countries are finches found?—M. A. A. They are members of the spar- row family and are found all over the world. Q. What is meant by proj 2 & M. )y propaganda’ A. It is variously defined. A thought- ful definition given by A. J. Montgom- ery of the A. A. A, is that “as now generally applied, the word ‘propaganda’ implies an attempt to use the press in order to create public sentiment in favor of a cause, while at the same time seeking to conceal some relevant facts that would be necessary to form & sound and fair judgment.” Q. Expressed in years, how long did the following ages last: Silurfan, Car- boniferous, Reptilian, Mammalian and Age of Man to the present?—R. D, G, A. The pcriods of the geological time as adopted by the International Geological Congress are as follows: Cenozoic, the age of mammals, began approximately 40,000,000. years ago and extends to the present time. Mesozoie, the age of reptiles, about 140,000,000 years ago. Paleozoic, which includes the Silurlan and Carboniferous periods, began about 360,000,000 years ago, Scientists generally believe ~that man existed at the end of the Glacial riod, The earliest appearance of actual man, the genus Homo, occurred probably 250,000 years ago, this estimate bes based on the antiquity of tho Heidel: berg man, the oldest known type, . Who intre laned LIIQEuere'?,—L gsueed hydroatrp! A. Hugh Robinson, % gow much do ralroad rails welgh§ A. Two-thirds of the rails Proe gaed weigh gs p:‘undl or on:': one-quarter of the ralls weigh pounds or over a yard. : natives of Q. Are Indians and .V?dGMhB naturally right-handed A" American Indy righte handed principally, bu:n:rs :1:0 in some \‘.ril:u with the left hand. f are right-handed, as atics, many being ambie y Q. From what language is word “shampoo” taken?—J, T, P A. It is derived from the Hindustani A. Sweetbreads are the thymus or word “champna,” which means to press or squeeze. i N » Differing Views Are Voiced On Menace Excitement on two continents over cases of illness which have been diag- nosed as_parrot feve .tn. widely differing conclusions. Those who believe that meaures should be taken advise great care to avold contact with may be infected, while others that the matter. has been rated because of & succession of deaths which might or might not be laid to parrots. ) Switzerland, Germany, Mexico and other countries have turned their at- tention to coping with the disease,” ob- birds th: are con exagge: good | serves the Indianapolis Star, with the further comment: “Europe apparen enjoys viewing or listening to %-rr;z more than the people of the United States, as the parrot trade of Berlin alone is said to reach 30,000 birds an- nually. Any attempt to place a gen- eral embargo on the parrot thus imposes & severe blow on a flourishing business.” The Wheeling Intelligencer feels that the several deaths “illustrate again the reason for using extreme caution in bringing pets into the home, and keep- ing them there. Every precaution o\ugz to be taken to have new pets free of disease germs.” L Quoting some investigators as holding “that victims of psittacosis ‘really have pneumonia,’ to which they have been rendered more susceptible through weakened resistance, from coming in touch with a sick bird,” the Atlanta Journal advises that ‘“unless one is given to hobnobbing with sick parrots, one is in no peril, so the authorities say, of contracting psittacosis. The Albany Evening News suggests that “it may be that contagion depends on such over- friendly dealings with the parrots that @ somewhat more reserved manner of. petting may be harmless.” “The most effective precaution,” ac- cording to the South Bend Tribune, “is to avold parrots. This can be done by the vast majority of Americans without overtaxing their ingenuity, as com- glnuve!y few households harbor the irds.” The Springfield Union and the St. Paul Pioneer Press indorse the ver- dict that the danger is not great, but that there should be precautions. The Dayton Daily News, finding “welcome reassurance” in the announcement from the Public Health Service that an epi- certain quarters that he hoped to be appointed Senator at the time of Sena- tor Burton's death. xRk K Senator Phipps of Colorado, Repub- lican, so far has not yet announ his candidacy to succeed himself. He was unoj ed for the Republican sena- torial nomination the last time he ran and the probabilities are he would not be opposed if he runs this year, and that he would be elected. The Demo- crats have not any outstanding candi- date to offer in this senatorial race. The most popular Democrat in the State is Gov. “Billy" Adams, and he seems bent on seeking another term as governor. In a measure this would keep his brother, former Senator Adams, from seeking to run for the Senate, it is said. * ok ok X Representative Cordell Hull is still the only announced candidate for the Democratic senatorial nomination in Tennessee, ~Senator Brock, l':? was appointed by the governbr! He Iy’ H. Horton, to fill the vacancy oaused by the death of Senator Tyson, has made no statement as to his plans for the future. Washington, however, has i appeal to men who sit in the House «nd Senate and, once “in,” they are quite likely to seek to remain, If Sena- tor Brock goes into the race he is likely to be a formidable contestant, par- ticularly if he has the support of the governor for the nomination. Democratic organization in Tennessee trong one. Mr. Hull has a Nation- wide reputation, made as member of the House and as chairman of the Democratic national committee. In chol ‘Tennessee tic presidential nomi- ht for the momination is an off year and |bers its | fatal, ajlments? of Parrot Fever 9emlc need not be feared, adds that owners of domesticated birds will be 3lad to learn that their pets are not dan- gerous and need not be abandoned.” * k% % Ciimate.or in the”homan or body,” says'the New York Herald Trib~ une. “Yet ft 1§ worth remembering that a sick parrot'is an object of dan- ger, be coddied proached closer than may be neces- 4 sary.” The St. Louis Globe-Democrat thinks that “If present knowledge of y this disease and its transmission is ac~ curate, control of the situation should be a simple matter, but it is more in the hands of parrot owners than in the hands of health authorities.” The Louisville Courier-Journal believes that “when the mystery of the parrot dis- ease has been solved, the mystery of that worse disease, influenza, may be solved.” concludes: news have glven the news of parrot fever and the people have decided they will not im= port parrots for a while. There ap- { ars to be no danger of anybod; try- ng to ‘run’ parrots as other peo) rerun rum into the country. The demand gfl"fi not make the game worth the can- “The manifestation,” avers the San Francisco Chronicle, “is a phase of & certain recurring phenomenon. It may have had something to do with Salem ¥ Witcheraft. Twenty years ago it was ‘the kissing bug’ that bobbed mysterie ously into the news, biting young wom= en on the lip and endangering their lives. The ‘parrot fever is a real aile ment. But it is not new, or mysterious, and it has never been epidemic.” The Altoona Mirror advises readers “not to become unduly excited over the matter and not to sacrifice their pet parrots prematurely.” “In the circumstances,” advises the alo Evening News, “it would be Wise to place a quarantine on importa= tions, but not to proceed to a whole~ sale slaughter of the more or less en- tertaining birds. Owners of parrots should be careful not to let suspicion show, lest they break the spirit of their pets.” Post “The home in this it The Charleston Evening comments: It's an evil day for parrots. Pretty Polly is much more likely to get a crack than a cracker, * * * The par- rots will have to bear the blame and be martyred to make a physical fad. Fortunately that will entail no gre: afflictibn on the human race. We can well afford to part with Polly. And we must have a pet plague now and then.” Probably hysteria has much to do with the outbreak observed in Euro) and several American States,” nmlrfi the Newark Evening News. “There is a surprising lack of information re- garding this strange malady, known to medical sclence as psittacosis, yet diag- nosis in several cases seems unques- Inevitable reminder is ex- perlenced of the prevalence, several years ago, of anthrax, an dis- ease 1 to humans in many instances ced to bristles in shaving brush- PP & e may be, 50 far as the public knows, a serious epl- demic, and may be only & ground scare. Nevertheless, it 1is wise to keep at a distance from parrots newly arrived from abroad.” * ok ok % + YWhat would happen” asks M;mrh{e Commercial Appeal, “if should found that the petied Pom ‘or* the’ pampered Persian cat carries Or suppose that any one of dozens of pets should be discov~ ered as unconscious but none the less dangerous enemies of their masters, Think of the consternation that would be caused! And since Polly can talk, maybe she will turn state’s evidence on the other family pe The Salt Lake Deseret News states: “Only recently we have been warned of a dreadful disease Wwhich humans contract from as harm- less appearing a creature as the rabbit. Now comes the note of alarm about ither _their the 1t from we ‘wh nex a crocodil penr Polly! _Polly wants a doetor!” r . exclaims the -Richmond News Leader, “Poor Polly! It remains only for some sclentist to isolate the germs of fish-grippe and canary-pox for is to get into the race he must move before lxu f do= mestic menageries to be fearfully al disbanded.” o '!