Evening Star Newspaper, February 12, 1930, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1930, %w— THE EVENING STAR .. With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY. .February 12, 1030 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star 11th 8t. wew Yook B iee “nr Company nsylvania Ave. Michisan Bauain 14 Regent St.. Lond England. L e Eren e ... 48¢ 2 Sunday Siar °"r " = Suny o ay Star ... may e sent 1n b3 RAtional Soone . Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. and Virginia. " To0c per montn 52 wv"!l;‘:n"‘ : 0 SF sach manth: ail of (eiephone ted Associated Pr;fl- 1is exclusivel: use for republication of ail | tches credited to it or not otherwise crcd- ’m in_this Bnnl!r and also }he bl]({l!flne': The Community Chest. ‘With more than $1,500,000 raised dur- ing the intensive campaign that closed last night and with additional funds in eight expected to bring this total to at least 81,617,513, the Community Chest ‘cannot be said to have failed. The optimistic side of the picture is that the Chest contains about $83,000 more in pledges this year than last, and that the money was obtained in spite of several distinct handicaps that did Dot exist last year. “The pessimistic view is that Washing- ton has failed by about $160,000 to reach its quota, necessary adequately to main- tain and to extend the charitable and welfare work of seventy-five organiza- tions, and that hopes of making up the deficit are at best merely hopes. First thought in the minds of the loyal Washingtonians who contributed to the fund concerns the effect of the the Chest. It will be recalled that at the beginning of -the campaign the is & good deed and one worthy of emu- lation. Blind persons who read that wonder- ful invention, Braille, are offered a variety of solemn ‘and instructive thought, and also a variety of fictional entertainment. But this, so far as inquiry at the Library of Congress dis- closes, appears to be the first attempt to cater solely to their risibilities. One of the peculiarities of Punch is that it runs less to pictures and more to read- ing matter than the average American jcomic weekly. And those little para- "r!ph.!. entitled “Charivaria”: those short sketches and satires, brief poems and reprinted advertisements, are well worth perusing; do not let any Anglo- phobe tell you differently. Some of the wheezes are not easily understandable by those on this side of the Atlantic, but the average of clean and subtle humor is far higher for an American than most of them would suspect. We have no comic publication precisely comparable to the boyhood and manhood friend of every subject of King George; there is apparent, how- ever, through this ‘announcement, a chance for some one of ours firmly to ' jintrench itself in the affections of | thousands of eager potential subscribers | who can enjoy a printed joke with the best and who can, at the same !im'.‘.‘l ithrough the sensitiveness of trained ' finger-tips, enjoy to a limited extent certain sorts of simple illustrations. ————— Merger and the Car Fare. In" approving the form of merger agreement looking to the unification of ‘Washington's street railway systems, the Senate District committee yesterday acquiesced in an cbjection of the com- panies and removed the section dealing with appeals to the courts from de- cisions and orders of the Public Utilities Commission. The committee decided to report this section in a separate bill, and have the Senate pass on it before acting on the merger plan. The companies had insisted that the section should be divorced from the form of.merger agreement and should be considered, if at all, as a separate measure. They even went so far as to say that the inclusion of the section with the agreement would make the fund sought was pictured as represent- ing the pared budgets of the seventy- five member organizations. The burden of the shortage, therefore, must be dis- tributed as equally as possible among the Chest members. It will mean in some cases the curtailment of work. In others it will represent inability to ex- pand. In general it will mean that ‘Washington's work for the unfortunate will remain stationary, if not actually curtailed. The cuts will be made where merger of the street railways impossible, It is difficult to understand this atti- tude. It would make no difference whatever to the new company or to the separate street railway companies whether the section is passed with the form of agreement or as a separate act of Congress, since the changes proposed in the law can be considered just as well at one time as another. Further- more, it would be simpler and easier for Congress to enact them into law with the form of agreement than to follow the course advocated by the com- panies. But the committee, undoubtedly and without any expectation of glory, are carrying on the battle against these invaders whom they cannot see and whose behavior they cannot predict. They have no defensive weapons. They have mounted guard along the narrow borders of known creation against vast invading hosts from the infinite dark- ness beyond. If the popular imagination can appre- clate the mystery and terror of the invisible and transform them into vis- ible color, there is no reason why the work of these bacteriologists should not form the basis of one of the most in- spiring hero legends in American his- tory. When it is looked at in its true light, few battle incidents will stand | in comparison to it. Certainly it should | have a place in text books of history equal to that of picturesque skirmishes of minor wars to which, until recently, so much attention was devoted. e Mr. Hughes’ Critics. That the Senate will confirm the nomination of Charles Evans Hughes as Chief Justice of the United States is accepted as assured. That his appoint- ment should have been opposed in the | Senate on the grounds argued yesterday and the day before when the nomina- tion was under consideration is deplor- able. ‘There was never an appointment to high public office that commanded more general approval by the people of the country than that of Mr. Hughes. The immediate reaction to the announce- ment that his name had been submitted was that the most highly qualified man in the United States had been chosen by the President for the highest ju- dicial office. Mr. Hughes’ critics, however, have seen fit to challenge his fitness, his in- tegrity, his honesty of purpose. They do not question his ability. They grant that. And they aver that that very ability unfits him for the role of Chief Justice, His experience in the law, his practice, his association with important cases, they contend, render him un- suitable for the post of fair, impartial, unprejudiced, disinterested judge. ‘The man of law, to do his duty by his clients, must be an advocate as well as counselor. He is not judge of the merits, but a pleader for the rights of those he represents. The fact that Mr. Hughes has been, since his re- tirement from public office, associated with and counsel for litigants of wealth and large corporations is a tribute to his ability, a proof of his commanding stature as legal practitioner. To contend that such associations and such a prac- tice during these past few years unfit him to preside over the Supreme Court is to challenge his honesty and his ju- dicial righteousness. It is unworthy of Senators and it will evoke general con- as a compromise, gave way to the wishes ot the companies on this point. 1t is gratifying, indeed, that the com- mittee ignored the other major protest of the companies against the provision in the merger agreement requiring present street railway fares to remain in effect for two years after the merger is concluded. The companies olaim to hope confidently that the court, before the work of canvassing the city. This year the Government departments were to Chest solicitors, although cards were distributed. Cutting Off .this source to active solicitation must have had a deterrent effect, as Government employes and their families make up more than a third of the city's which this question is now pending, will grant them an increased fare at an early date. They contend that if the court does not give them the ten cents cash fare with four tokens for thirty cents, it would be impossible for them to obtain the approval of a majority of their stockholders to abandon this in- creased fare, and, for the sake of a Ppopulation, and it is impossible, in any Bouse-to-house canvass, to reach more than a fraction of the potential con- tributors. Last year the Government department solicitation netted about $60,000. This year the same source has contributed about $8,000, although the figure is not set down as anywhere near complete or final. ‘What John Poole described last night as “the stock market blues” revealed itself to solicitors on every hand. In many cases losses suffered in the stock market actually debarred contributions 15 the Chest, but doubtless there were other potential contributors swayed by '!he psychology of the thing into bsliev- ing that conditions did not permit them to contribute. This is, of course, cited as fact and not criticism. What any- body contributed or failed to contribute | is a personal affair and beyond rarping’ criticism or complaint. Added to the “stock market blues”. is the fact that unemployment has placed additional burdens on some would-be contributors. ‘Their money has been needed to meet expenses that are closer to‘homs even than the Community Chest. But, whatever the causes for failure to meet the quota set, the Community Chest itself has not failed. It has jus- tified itself in the face of adverse con- ditions. The ‘spirit behind it has not diminished. As one of the city's newest institutions it will receive the support that its vital functions demand. The defeat suffered this year will be turned to victory next y Huge reflectors are expected to reveal every star in the universe. The astrono- mer will revive the spirit of Alexander the Great and look beyond into space for new universes to conquer. ———eee— Science has been making it un- comfortable for the parrot. It may be that the bird has been maladroit in attracting attention to himself by talk- ing too much. r———— Another Boon for the Blind. “Punch,” that stand-by of all British- ers living at home or stationed in far- flung possessions, popular today as it was with their grandfathers and great- grandfathers, has announced a new and praiseworthy departure. “Mr. Punch is pleased to announce,” states & printed box in the latest edition to reach these shores, “that, with the ap- merger, to revert to the present rate of fare, of eight cents cash and six tokens for forty cents. ‘Without a merger, Washington will suffer, as it is suffering now, the incon- venience and the cost of the continued existence of the two separate street railway companies with their wasteful duplication of overheads and facilities. On the other hand, no one doubts or denies that street railway transporta- tion facilities would be greatly improved if all the lines were operated under a single management which would bring about the betterments which have for so long been essential to the proper con- duct of street railway operation in the Nation's Capital. Seemingly, therefore, much will de- pend upon the decision handed down | by the court. R Limitations on the glider are such that Lindbergh is probably glad that when he thought of his trip to Paris the motor-driven machine was avail- able. The “glider” impresses the imagination as a luxurious after- thought. o Only one chance for sympathy re- mains for persons who would rob a Community Chest. Their need must be dire indeed. R War With the Invisible. If the United States were invaded by | a foreign army there would be deeds of individual heroism which, however | insignificant might be their actual | contribution to national security, would remain for generations as shrines along the high road of history. Heroic exploits of soldiers and sailors have always a picturesque setting. They are impressed upon the’imagination with all the stage paraphernalia of colorful uniforms, martial music, smoke clouds rolling over battlefields and skies afire with bursting shells. All the ele- ments of the situation combine to create a, tangible picture. It is somewhat more difficult to set forth the dramatic quality of a battle now' in progress under our eyes in which a small group of men and women are trying to block, with their lives if need be, the progress of an invisible invad- ing army advancing with weapons more deadly than any with which another nation couid arm its troops. There are no uniforms, ne martial music, no flaming skies in the fight against an . proval of its proprietors, an edition in ) Braille is about to be issued. Each number will contain selections from the | text of the previous month's issues, and indications will be given of the way in : Which the legends of pictures have been llustrated: It is hoped by Mr. Punch that this will give pleasure to the Eng-|ble for parrot fever still is unknown. Chinatown, “may command, but a lish-speaking blind all over the world.” It will. ' Good for “Mr. Punch,” who personifies all the clever, kinciy people who draw and write for this classic of humorous publications. The sense of ‘humor of the blind can in no possible ‘way except by lack of experience be in- ferior, and, in fact, ought be catered to because of Their other deprivations. Especially is this true of those blinded in adult life, such as war vet: @ive these cause for a hearty epidemic. The battlefield is as quiet as a graveyard. We cannot see the in- vading hosts, They are too small for the human eye to see, even with the demnation in the country. ——— Only one man succeeded in securing the slightest genuine popularity for the submarine and that was Jules Verne. The story “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” was a delight- ful work of fancy that assumed no re- sponsibility for the war threats now conveyed by the undersea boat, ———— Persons undertaking to spy on Senator Wheeler encounter a difficulty in the fact that anybody who becomes interested in Senator Wheeler's Ifllh’s{ is automatically lifted into the spot- light, . —— e So much has been disapproved by Senator Borah that his unfavorable in- clination toward Hughes need not be regarded as a personal antipathy so much as a habit of thought. e e Occasionally a European statesman is discovered who seems willing to stag: a combat if he can persuade Uncle Sam to guarantee the expenses, S S T SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Big Book. The Dictionary brings a share of com- _ fort to my eye; For it is large and fine And handsome in design. Of words it offers us an almost limit- less supply— And words are what we need, To listen to or read, When for the world’s improvement statesmen gather ‘round and try. To Shakespeare and the Bible scholars | all admit a debt. ‘The Dictionary, too, Demands respect anew, And a sense of obligation recognized | as greater yet. 4 There are words bcth great and small; Some are scarcely used at all— Somehow this world will line them up to silence each regret! Relinquishing the Spotlight. “We should learn always to look on the bright side’ of life.” “Not in politics,” answered Senator Sorghum. “It would leave us folks without anything to investigate.” Jud Tunkins says some new machines | may make it harder to find work, but it has never been anything like lhat‘ with his old flivver.. True Humility. One evening by chance I strayed Into a merry masquerade, ~ And there it puzzled me to find A very humble state of mind That prompted efforts by each elf To look like something not himself. “Are you fond of travel?” “Not to the extent that I used to be,” answered Miss Cayenne, “Hotels and gas stations have become so stgnd- ardized that all places begin to look pretty much alike. Shifting Relationships. In politics we often see Strange cause for woe. The friends of yesterday may be Tomorrow’s foe. {ald of the highest powered microscopes. The nature of the organism responsi- There is some reason to believe that it is one of the filterable viruses—a mys- terious living thing which is very close to the borderline between the organic and the inorganic. It may even be ris- ing out of the world of the non-living, as all life arose in the beginning. The fight against parrot fever al- ready has cost the life of one labora- tory worker here. Another is seriously Others, without any word of command “Merit,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of modest epitaph. He who amasses wealth may be sure of a splendid monument.” Fact and Fiction, Human ambition could not wish For any further glories ‘With great men who can catch the fish And friends to write the stories. “It’s wrong to gamble,” said Uncle | disparity of large dimensions. Two “colored” men are honored guests in Heaven knows how many million American hames every night except Sunday. Their names are Amos 'n’ Andy, and they come in on a wave of music. lib- erally plastered with toothpaste, and they go out on the same, During the 10 minutes that they per- form each night they demonstrate the reasons for their overwhelming popu- larity with all classes of the gigantic radio audience. No two listeners, however, seem agreed upon the precise point which accounts for the fact that these two very human beings, as represcnted by | their creators, are the undoubted rage | of the hour. “I's regusted” is heard everywhere, in home, street, office, living room, bar- ber shop. “Oh, oh!" is no less popu- | lar. “Check and double more 0. The American language has been en- riched to this triple extent—that is, the power of expression of the average per- son has been given added ammunition, because every one else knows the exact shades of meaning attached to these almost mystic syllables. * x % x Ask any Amos 'n’ Andy fan what is the one quality, above all, which makes them so popular, and he will have a ready and instant solution. “They are so human,” one says. Surely they are. Check and double check! “They are humorous.” Yes, but far below the set wise-cracking of the esti- mable Two Black Crows, or even of | Gallagher and Shean. “They have enough sense to tell a continued story, and the American populace, bred up on serial stories, loves a continued story above all things.” Grant that, too. These fellows ‘are | large, they contain multitudes. Every reason for their popularity undoubtedly is a real reason. “They get $150,000 a year, or what- ever fabulous sum it is,” says another, with a tinge of envy. Yes, even that helps to make them popular. In a land where entertainers of all sorts, from Babe Ruth to Aliee ‘White, draw down monstrous sums— at least in comparison with the aver- age run—a big salary helps a lot. Subconsciously every listener says to himself, “Those shrewd business men who®are sponsoring them wouldn't pay them so much if they weren't’ worth | it—they must be good.” And that phrase, “They must be good,” undoubtedly helps Amos 'n’ Andy | be good. It works both ways. It helps | the listener (drawing down his two or | three or four thousand doilars a year) | boost the boys in his own mind, and perhaps it helps the boys put buoyancy, pep, verve and snap into their stuff. Yes, one may rather suspect it does. * X x k Yet all of these reasons, and as many more, cannot account for the really gigantic vogue which these Americans | have taken in the hearts of the peopic of the Nation. What is the underly- | ing fundamental reason? Men who work in stores at night plan to go get their supper at 7 o'clock, not, indeed, to eat supper, but rather | to stand in front of a radio shop in | order to listen to the latest adventure of Amos 'n’ Andy. | They stand shivering in the cold | while ‘Amos discovers his little_dog. or | Flossie White intrigues the Kingfish | with the old, old intriguing; they smile ' with delight every time Andy solemnly declares, “Check and double check;"” they writhe with interest when Pat Pending majestically attempts to - in- sert his sly hand in Amos' close-held roll. People who “eat out” are deferring Senator Watson of Indiana, Republi-| can leader, is now confident that the tariff bill will go through the Senate on its final reading. A month ago even this was surrounded with uncertainty, but the latest careful count of noses in the Senate seems to assure the adoption of the bill in whatever form it is pre- sented for final passage, prior to going to the conference committee. There Senator Watson's responsibility ends and his prophecies stop. There is no mistaking the strong undercurrent of opinion in both branches of Congress that Mr. Hoover may never be called upon to either sign or veto the bill— that it may never emerge from the con- ference committee. The House, view- ing what the Senate has done in slash- ing industrial rates, in shearing the President of his power over “flexible tariff rate making, and in loading the | debenture plan onto the bill, is in rather | belligerent mond. In tariff making, as | in naval agreements, there are limits | beyond which no compromise seems possible. | * k k% The Senate appears to have thrown overboard, so far as this session goes, all thought of legislation for conxn]lda-‘ tion of railroads, motor bus control, Filipino independence, the Couzens’ communication bill, and in fact all con- | troversial questions' of size, save the | Norris Muscle Shoals bill, which is ten- | tatively slated to have the right of way when the tariff bill goes to conference. Only one out of the six legislative pro- posals of President Hoover and Wickersham commission relating to | prohibition seems destined to be trans- lated into law at this session; that is the bill passed by the House last week trans- | ferring the Prohibition Bureau from | the Treasury to the Department of | Justice. i | The importation of parrots has re-| cently been forbidden by executive or- der as a preventive measure looking to the prompt suppression of psittacosis, the so-called parrot disease. It is now discovered that the Department of Agriculture ‘has* Banned the importa tion of hares, though for entirely unre- lated reasons. Hares, according to Paul | Reddington of the ' Biological Survey, breed with incredible rapidity, and are | a menace to -orchardists, destroying ! young trees by gnawing the bark. A | prominent hunt club of New Jersey sportsmen finds itself with 300 Polish | hares on the docks at Bremen, Ger- | many, for which it paid $12.50 each, but the importation of which is now re- fused. e i, At this juncture when naval disarma- ment is of paramount interest, and naval parity between this country and Great Britain is of first concern, a tab- ulation just issued by Llo 's Register of Shipping, dealing with merchant ships' tonnages, is of peculiar perti- nence. In the United States in 1929 merchant vessels launched totaled 126, 063 gross tons according to Lloyd's | figures. This compares with a total of | 1,522,623 gross tons of merchant ships launched in Great Britain and Ireland during the year, and a world total of 2,193,210 Great Britain's total was the Jargest of any year since 1921. The United States total was smallest with two exceptions of any year since 1921. The 1929 world total was the largest of any post-war year todate. GreatBritain's merchant shipbuilding during the past eight years has averaged well over a jon tons a year. e United States in the same period has launched only a little more than a million tons for the entire eight years. Here is revealed a * ok X K y ‘The Constitution gives to the Chief Executive of our Nation the title “Presi- dent of the United Stal " and to his understudy the title “Vice President of the United States,” but when that im- mortal document comes to the highest Eben, * 'specially when you can't afford To ill. A Baltimore bacteriologist has died. to lose. An' if you kin afford to lose, you's got enoush wifout nid risks.” judicial officer it confers the impres- sively short title “Chief Justice.” Tt is hief Justice of the United States” not nor check” is even | po Chief Justice of the Supreme|Jut of office in THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. their meal until after 7:15 o'clock, so that lunch-room prop: ietors find them- selves facing the probiem of late meals. Some even have gone io the expense of installing radios, in order to lure, the Amos 'n’ Andy fans. Sophisticated radio fans, “fed up” with all the pretty “hours,” terribly tired of speeches, and so on, and so on, find their jaded appetites rejuvenated by a couple of boys in blackface, All the reasons we have given, yes, and another—the fact that they put their characters over perfectly—but the main reason has not yet been given. ‘What is it? * k% As far as we know, it has never been given before. We have read columns about Amos 'n’ Andy, but, so far, no one has put his finger on the reason for the overwhelming popularity of the ys. It is, we believe, simply this: ‘That Amos 'n’ Andy is built around the theme of money. And money, as almost every one is ready to admit, is the one thing dearest to the American heart and mind. ‘The plot of Amos ’'n’ Andy, if the nightly 10 minutes can be said to have suck a thing, is the perennial fight of some one to keep his money from get- ting into the hands of soge oné else who is trying to get it away from him. This is the drama in which we all are engaged. In this universal plot there are no villains, in the ordinary sense, nor heroes or heroines, either. Their places are taken by the sturdy men and women of the everyday life we all know, who are intrigued, as we all are, by the desire to own some- thing which they do not possess. We cannot go down the street with- out seeing something we would like to buy. We cannot pick up a newspaper or magazine without desiring something | or other. And every wish means moncy ‘We cannot answer the front door bell without finding & suave young gentle- man standing there with but one desire in life, to argue us into purchasing something which we either need or do not need. All of us are after every one else’s y, in the strange, sometimes mad, s exciting and often glorious ad- \'?nture of modern American business life. * R, The young men who are Amos 'n’ Andy—and their real names make little difference, because they have become these other young men—are busy every night getting money and keeping money. Each evening money is in the back- ground. The Kingfish is trying to get Amos’ hundred dollars, in order to give some of it to the Battleax, and Amos, with his honest simplicity, yet inher- ently shrewd mind, is just as deter- rnh;:d that the Battleax shall have none America is interested in that con- flict. Primeval forces wage war to the tune of “I's regusted” and “Check and double check,” to say nothing of “Oh, oh!” The sympathies of this gigantic au- dience are enlisted, because each and every member of the wide-flung whol: identifies himself with Amos, and lives with him and the other characters. Money, then, not-only is the root of all evil, but is the Telicitous root of that wholly delightful bit of Americana, Amos 'n’ Andy. The boys are philosophers in the making, showing us to ourselves, and making us laugh and cry over them and us. ‘We love them, not only because they are good, but because they touch that dear old nerve—the pocketbook. Oh, oh! WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS Court.” Yet common usage drops ‘“of the United States” when mentioning the President and adds “of the Supreme | Court” Justice, when mentioning the Chief * X k% No ancient mariner scudding along in his little bark attempting to negotiate the passage between Scylla and Charybdis runs more peril than does a member of Congress who today makes a carefully prepared speech on prohibi- tion. The latest case in point is _the speech of Representative Fort of New Jersey, conscientious dry, and the reply from his New Jersey colleague, Repre- sentative Lehlbach, an avowed wet, in a wet district. Mr. Fort's advocacy of home fermented wines and home brewed beer caught the headlines, and gave! rise to the notion that he was deserting prohibition and turning wet. Mr. Lehl~ bach in his reply, and in a spirit of irony, taunted the drys and demanded they ' legislate to brand all drinkers criminals. This, too, went into the headlines, and now he finds that his constituents are up in arms under the impression that whoreas the “liberal” Mr. Fort would permit home drinking. the “fanatical” Mr. send ‘every home drinker to jail. * ¥ % % ‘The holiday of the President and Mrs. Hoover in Florida waters happily coin- cides with their thirty-first wedding an- niversary. The Salina, Calif, news- paper which reported the wedding in its issue of February 11, 1899, started its account of the ceremony with a refer- cnce to “the solemn words which united for life the destinies of Herbert C. Hoo- ver and Miss Lou C. Henry” and con- cluded its account with a reference to the many friends of the bride who “united in wishing the newly wedded pair the best that this life affords in the way of happiness and prosperity.” Neither the editor nor the bride’s many friends then dreamed what destiny had | in store for the happily wedded pair. (Copyright, 1930.) g P Hoover and Macdonald Have Common Interest | Prom the Charleston Evening Post. Up to a certain point President Hoover and Prime Minister Macdonald have a common interest in the success of the naval parley in London outside of the broza objectives both are seeking | in the cause of peace and international amity, and, paradoxically, this common interest irnvolves a certain sense of antagonism within itself and also to' the high purpose of the conference as well, Success of the conference per se means much to the political prestige of Hoover and may mean the political life of the Macdonald government. Presi- dent Hoover has not been fortunate thus far on the political side of his administration and in Washington it is said (hat upon a successful outcome of the London conference will depend much in the future of Mr. Hoover's career, even to the point of a second n 1 office. Mr. Macdonald, it is needless to say, is in constant jeopardy of being cverthrown as the head of the British government. And when it is said that success at London is a political element of im- portance to these two statesmen, there arises speculation as to what might be regarded as_constituting success, and | herein is to be seen the possibility of a conflict of interest. Not only is it de- sirable that the conference shall be a success in its larger aspects of inter- national good will and security to peace, but the individ: ticipating will each strive for some pa: ticular advantage of position. The general result might be highly bene- ficial, and yet if the American people felt that this country had made too great concessions or that the British had got the better of us; Mr. Ioover would meet political lions in his path, By the sume token, if the British get the idea that Mr. Macdonald has sacri- ficed an; policy of the em) he will be cast order, Lehlbach would | essential of the traditional | Politics at Large By G. Gould Lincoln. ‘The Democrats, even the Southern dry Democrats, are cheering today over the victory of the Democratic candidate for Congress In the second Massa- chusetts district. Willlam J. Gran- field, the Democratic victor in the race to fill the vacancy caused by the recent tragic death of Representative Kaynor, is a wringing wet. He won over his Republican opponent by between 7,000 and 8,000 votes. Fred D. Griggs, the Republican candidate, straddled the prohibition issue, declaring himself personally dry, but announcing he would vote for the repeal of the dry laws if he had to vote in Congress because of the result of the referendum on the liquor question in 1928, which showed the second district “we He undoubtedly incurred the enmity of many of the drys in the district, and two “bone dry” Republicans ran as in- dependents, evidencing the split in the party, although they polled only a little more than 1,000 votes. * K K K From a Republican point of view the election yesterday in the Massachusetts { second district is decidedly discourag- ing. It has shown to some of the Re- publican leaders that the old\Bay State is on fire over the liquor question. Some ot _the most astute of the Repub- lican politicians insist that if the wet and dry question had not been in- volved and if the people of the State had not been so aroused over the issue, there would have been the usual Re- publican victory. In the past, Massa- chusetts has demonstrated in State- wide referendums that it is wet. In the referendum in 1928, the ts won by about .283,000. But Republicans, many of them rated as drys, have con- tinued to be elected to Congress, and in 1928 the Republicans won 13 out of the 16 seats in the Hol as usual, But apparently the wet e has be- come {00 strong, at least for the pres- ent, to continue such a condition, * ok ok ok Industrial conditions have been none too good in Massachusetts, oo, and doubtless that had some effect on the voting in the special election yesterday. Massachusetts is faced with the election of a Senator this Fall, as well as all the members of the House delegation. If the Republican candidates for the Sen- ate and House are declared to be dry, in a majority of cases, what is going to be the result? That is a question which Republican leaders in Massachusetts have been pondering for some months, including Louis K. Liggett, the Republi- can national commijtteeman, who re- cently declared that prohibition would be a dominant issue in Massachusetts in the coming campaign. Should the Republicans put up an out-and-out dry for the Senate, and the Democrats nominate a wet, as they undoubtedly will, will the Republicans be able to turn the election on other issues? If | the election in the second district yes- terday, where the Republicans have held control since the Civil War, is any cri- | terion, the situation looks pretty gloomy from a Republican point of view. WA The_election yésterday brought out ore than 50,000 votes. This is con- idered a very large vote in a special election, when no office except that of m>mber of the House was ballotted for. In 1925 when former Representative Bowles, Republican, was elected to the House in a special election, only 21,769 votes were cast. Some indication of the dif- ference in the feeling running in Massachusetts today. In the presiden- tial election in 1928, when the State was carried by Al Smith, the biggest vote in the history of the second district was cast, about 96,000, with the Re- publicans electing a Congressman from the second district. Some of the Republicans are seeking to encourage themselves by arguing that the Demacrats were able to get their voters to the polls yesterday, while the Republicans in large numbers re- mained at home. This may be true to some extent. But the result was a wef victory and a Democratic victory, put it any way you like. It is possible that a good many of the Republican drys were so disgusted with the announce- ment of the Republican nominee that he would vote for repeal they decided to cut him. One result of the Democratic victory !in"the second Massachusetts district | yesterday will be a tremendous drive by the Republicans to build up their political fences there again. ®©n the other hand, it will greatly encourage the Democrats. W NG Senator “Tom” Heflin, the Alabama anti-Smith Democrat, who has been barred from participating in the Demo- cratic senatorial primary as a candidate for renomination this year by action of the Democratie te executive commit- tee, addressing audience in Mont-] gomery, Monday night, made a further request that the State committee rescind its action. He issued a warning that if it did not do so, he probably would jseek to run in the primary anyway, having his name stamned on the bailots by his supporters. This is the second demand he has made on the Stats com- mittee to rescind its action barring him from the primary as a candidate. The first time was during an_address in Birmingham on January 3. At that time he gave the committee until February 1 to turn over a new leaf. But the committee has done nothing of the kind. In his Montgomery speech. Senator Heflin did not set any time limi¢ for compliance with his demand. o b ‘The Alabama primary this vear does not come off for many months. but it is likely that Senator Heflin will have to- make a decision soon whether he will run “inside” the party for the Sen- ate or “outsid>” es an independent candidate. There is one factor, how- ever, that may make such a deecision not really necessary. Horace Wilkin- son, an anti-Smith Democratic leader, has filed suit to determine the authority of the State committee to issue such a ruling as it has. barring Heflin and others from participating in the party rrimary as candidates for offi al- though permitting them to vote in the | primary. If the court should decide ogainst the committee, then Heflin's name would have to be placed on the | ballot, it is believed, despite the com- | mittee. Senator Hefln, in his Montgomery spoech, trained his guns on the State committee, declaring that “Alabama's Democracy needs a heuse He characterized members of the committee as “political upstarts.” And before he got through he went back to his old cry that “Tammany and the Catholic Church eannot con- trol the Democratic party in this Stat ‘When Senator Heflin left Washington last Saturday, it was generally expected he would make a definite announce- ment of his course in Montgomery. It is possible he has decided to wait and s2e what the court decision in the Wil- kinson case is. * ok k% Senator Fletcher of Florida, one of the Southern Statss which were carried by the Republicans in the presidential election in 1928, has put out a state- ment urging that no effort be made to penalize Democrats for not supporting the presidential ticket in that year. The Florida State committee has been re- ported as taking much the same stand as that taken by the Alabama commit- tee. Senator Fletcher believes that the Democratic party should hold out the olive branch to all Democrats, rather than seek to penalize those who voted against Al Smith. The Florida execu- tive committee is expected to meet Fri- day. Senator Fletcher said, in part, in his statement: “There were many good men and women who felt that they could not— for one reason or another—vote for the Democratic presidential electors,” bu who did vote for all other nom. inses of the These men and women re and are Demo- crats at heart, and will continue Demo. crats unless assalled or penalized and,! thereby, compelled to seek strange as- sociates,” ‘Take advantage of this free service. If you are one of the thousands who have patronized the bureau, write us again. If you have never used the serv- ice, begin now. It is maintained for your benefit. Be sure to send your name and address with your question and inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Address The Lve- ning Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. QE. Is either Amos or Andy & Jew?— "A.Neither of them is a Jew. Q. How niuch money is spent in Ha- waii by tourists?>—W. T. A. It is estimated that they spent over $11,000,000 in the islands last year. About 20,000 tourists stopped off for a day in Honolulu while en route to other ports and 22,190 spent longer periods of ime, Q. What is worsted?—A. V. A. Worsted is the wool twisted when spun of long staple wool which has been combed to lay the fibers parallel. | Cloth spun from this yarn 1s also called worsted. Q. What is the difference between dry snow and wet snow?—P. T. A. When snowfalls emanate wholly from high cirro-stratus clouds in ex- treme cold, minute subcrystalline va- rieties or dry snow predominates. Wet snow is an accretion deposited by mist or by clouds laden with minute rain- drops upon the crystalline varieties or dry snow while they are passing through the air on their way earthward. | Q. Are there library training schools? —J.R. P, A. The Association of American Li- brary Schools, consisting of -a number of library training schols, has estab- lished the following minimum standavds for library training: Entrance re- quirements must cover a four-year high school course or its equivalent: the school must offer at least one full academic year, not less than 34 weeks, of tech- nical and professional library courses, and must prepars for general work in the profession rather than for positions in any specific library. Some of these library schools are departments of uni- versities, others have been established in connection with libraries. Many libraries conduct classes for the prac- tical training of their own clerical workers. Desirable preliminary train- ing for professional library work in- cludes work in literature, history, eco- nomics, sclence, psychology, sociology { and at least one foreign language. Q. How long does a rabbit usually | live2—A. M. H. A. The average is from four to five years, Q. What is the origin of the quo- tation, “Gibble, gobble, gabble, git"?— J. D. 8. A. The expression »was coined by Oliver Wendell Holmes in describing an afternoon tea. Q. Who were the first shoemakers in this country?—S. G. H. A. The first shoemakers were Thomas in Salem, Mass.,, May 28, 1629. Philip Kertland began the manufacturing of shoes in Lynn, Mass,, in 1635. Q. Where are the pistols with which qur Presidents have been assassinated?— ‘A" The pistol used when Lincoln was shot is in the War Department. It is (our understanding that the gun with Beard and Isaac Rickman, who settled | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. which President Garfield was assas- sinated is in the hands of the Police Force of Washington, D. C. The gun with which President McKinley was assassinated is in_the hands of the Police Force of Buffalo, where the President was killed. [ Q. Please explain the durability of | the Appian Way—L. D. H. A. The Appian Way is the oldest and most _celebrated of all Roman roads. It was begun by Appius Claudius Caecus while he was censor in 313 B.C. It has an admirable substructure or foun- dation from which all loose sofl h been carefully removed. Above this are various strata cemented with lime, and lastly comes the pavement, consisting of large hexagonal blocks of stone com- | posed principally of basaltic lava and | joined together with such precision as 0 appear one smooth mass. This road surpasses modern roads in durability and is still in use.. | Q. When do the Japanese cherry Hree‘s’ gloum in Washington, D. C.2— A. The single cherry blossoms usuals 1y bloom between April 1 and April 15 and last about 10 days. The double blossoms usually bloom between the 15th and the 30th and last about two weeks. The double blossoms usually come out two weeks after the single blossoms. Q. Does the Chiet Justice of the United States Supreme Court have a vote in decisions?—W, 8. T, A. The Chief Justice votes. All mem- bers vote, beginning with the one who is youngest in point of service. This rule, however, does not apply to the Chief Justice, who is the last to cast his vote in decisions. Q. Are cockfights held in this coun- try?—M. E. M. . They are not held openly. It is beileved that many gamecocks are |owned in certain parts of the country and fights do take place. Q. Is the engagement ring worn over or under the wedding ring?—M. A. G, A. The wedding ring is placed on the finger first and the engagement ring is worn above it. Q. At what sessions of the Senate was k{ars. Felton present as a Senator? A. The late Rebecca Latimer Felton was appointed by Gov. Hardwick of Georgia to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Thomas E. Watson and at. tended two sessions of the Senate, No- vember 21 and 22, 1922, when her suc- cessor was elected. Mrs. Felton is the | :l:ely woman to have served in the Sen- How many lenses has a bee in its eyes?—L. T. A. The worker has 3,000 to 4,000 lenses in its eyes; the drone, 7,000 to 8,000; a queen, about 5,000. Q. How much money is Pittsburgh 1o $pend on its new public auditorium?— | *"A." Expenditure of $6.000,000 has been ;;nlrlmrlufl for the bullding of the Town all, Q. What use can be made of the aoloAredN paper linings of envelopes?— A. This paper can be cut in odd shapes, pasted on the top of a card table, in a pattern after the style of a “crazy quilt,” then covered with shellac. Decorative fire screens made of this paper are popular, 'Hughes as New, Parallels between the careers of Wil- liam H. Taft and Charles E. Hughes are \discovered as one is suddenly named to succeed the other in th» post of Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. \ It is also a matter for comment that both are credited with qualities suited to carry on the traditions of the | highest court. |, “No two men in the United States,” ]m the opinion of the Madison Wiscon- |sin State Journal, “have had their lives more entwined with the Government of the United States during the past 25 years than Charles Evans Hughes and William Howard Taft. The retiring Chief Justice holds the distinction of being the only citizen of this Nation who has held both the office of President of the United States and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Judge Hughes is one of the few men who have ever Tesigned after an appointment to the Supreme Court bench.” The naming of Mr. Hughes, in the judgment of the San Antonio Express, points to “a fitting climax of a distin- guished public career.” The Express also says: “Many parallels are seen in the careers of these two citize) Each grown old in public service: each is an ardent worker for world peace. Mr. i Taft antedated Woodrow Wilson in ad- vocacy of a League of Nations. Mr. Hughes' service to the cause, as Secre- tary of State, chairman of the Five- Power Conference at Washington in 1921-22, and on the Permanent Court of International Justice, is well known. * ok ok % “The public considers the Nation for- tunate,” according the San Fran- | cisco Chronicle, “that President Hoover | had ready for the vacant post so im- pressively able a jurist as Charles E. . * * * 'He will carry on the great jurists who have fiiled the post.” ‘The Tulsa -World says of both men that “they are cognizant of and alert to the duty of observing the spirit as well as the letter of the law,” an that “both have many times spoken their minds freely upon great questions before the public, and they have at all times been candid and fearless.” That paper holds that “it would be hard to find two men whose opinions on a large variety of subjects are so largely ac- c The Helena Montana Record- Herald states that “in our generation | these two names will stand foremost for s rvice, high integrity and t ability.’ "At _home and abroad,” avers e Fort Worth Record-Telegram, "Chlrtll:s E. Hughes has come to be recognized as being almost—if not quite—the foremost living American. The nearest approach to criticism would be that he might have been more valuable to America and Americans as the inter- national influence he certainly would have been as a justice of the World Court. The elevation of Justice Har- lan Stone to the chief justiceship and the appointment of an associate Jus- tice would have been much easier of satisfactory accomplishment than the probability of having ‘another Charles E. Hugli>s in Geneva.'” The Apple- tns Post-Crescent feels that “his name will add to the prestige of that re- markable court, and he will be a con- tribution to the liberal spirit that is slowly but surely gaining ground in its personnel The Lowell Evening Leader declares that “by the most ex- acting standards that could be appiied, Mr. Hughes qualifies for the post.” * ok ok ok “Quite truthfully ong commentator has said he ranks with Clay and Web~ ster among Americans who have won undying distinction in statecraft, with- out being elevated to the presidency,” states the Oklahoma City Times, while the St. Louls Times pays the tribute that he “blazed the trail for the present session of the Five-Power Naval Con- ference,” and was “an intrepid governor, during two terms, of the great State of New York, pliant to no influences that were solely political.” “President Hoover has selected a statesman who is one of the greatest of living Americans,” the Houston Chron- icle says, and t! ansas City Journal- t _comments: “The full powers of Mr, Hughes were most widely recog Chief Justice Ranked With Taft in Ability pation in efforts at rehabilitation of war-torn Europe and in the special peace machinery than favored by American electors, he was faithful to their mandate. He also showed a large- ness of vision and a breadth of sym- | pathy impossible to many foreign lead~ jers. In dealing with affairs on this hemisphere, he showed admirable tact, combined with firmness. One of his last official acts, at the Pan-American Conference in Havana, was the clear- ing of the atmosphere with an ad dress worthy of a Blaine, a Hay or a Root. * * * It is only reasonable to in- fer that President Hoover plans to | utilize his counsel in filling approach- ing vacancies. He could not have found a man better fitted for that work.” Looking forward to his assuming the duties of the office, the Detroit News draws the picture: “No crowds will assemble, there will be no flare of so- cial plumage, neither will there be bands and marching and a great furore as a new Chief Justice takes his robes and his office. Yet that event is as im- portant as the inauguration of a Presi dent.” The New York World adds “There have been 31 Presidents of the United States. Ten men have held the office of Chief Justice for an average period of 14 years, leaving upon the history of their country a deep and lasting impression ” The Miami Daily News states: “To be recorded with Marshall, Taney, Chase, Fuller and White should be sufficient unto any Elnl': $ ’n:nbldt‘len. Evidently ~ Mr. ughes intends to round out his life in _this judicial task.” Viewing him as “a commanding figure in American life,” the Atlanta Journal declares that “among all who might have been considered for that great office, Mr. Hughes, by virtue of his talents and attainments, his place in the Republican party and his pres- tige in national and international af- fairs, was one whose appointment ap- peared predestined. Considering a d | “hint that the confirmation may meet | With some opposition,” the Dallas Jour- }nnl proclaims “the opinion of the American people that President Hoover has made a happy choice.” This view is indorsed by the New Castle News, the Lexington Leader, the Champaign News-Gazette and the Muncie Star, The Little Rock Arkansas Gazette, noting that “one conservative is be. ing replaced by another conservativi speaks for greater representation for | progressives, ~The Birmingham News ‘cnmml’nu “It is perhaps unfruitful now to speculate upon what might have been, yet the country could hardly have failed to react admiringly in case, for example, Mr. Hoover had appointed | some eminent Democrat like Mr, John W. Davis. All this is, of course, in no disparagement of Mr, Hughes.” The Schenectady Gazette records that “to | many it will appear that it might have | been a fine tribute on the part of the | President to an asseciate justice to name one of them to the chief jus- iceship " ) Lull Before the Storm? From the Rutland Daily Herald, Observers of previous conferences on reduction of armament will read with considerable uneasiness the statement that the “atmosphere (at present) is one of confidence and cordiality,” . So Loud They Echo. hnll;l the Columbia 8. C. State, 's no new thing to learn v can “hear” color, There hnvau::vn‘y: been loud neckti collegiate suits. sobioniidi oL ———————— And the Safest. Prom the Helena Montana Record-Herald. There are many gasoline saving devices on the market. A pair - fortable shoes is the best. S ———————— Surfeit, From the South Beud Tribune, nized when Was Secref Naturally 'heluw:l’ to P S Down in Southern Indis running water too .nn:n':“m where it is not - — & “conven.