Evening Star Newspaper, February 14, 1930, Page 8

THu THE EVENING STAR |peculiarly fitted for the defense of the | past ten years great improvements have ___ With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY......February 14, 1930 THEODORE W. NOYES....Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Bustness Office. 11th St. and Pennsylv: New York Cifice: 110 E; Chicago Office: Lake Michigan Building. European Olflce"“l R!Jem St.. London, ngland. Rate by Carrier Within the City. 45c per month 65¢ per month L. 8¢ ver copy e of vach montn. Orders may be sent in by mail or telephone RAtional 5000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland ln’d Virginia, Daily and Sunday. Daily only Sunday only All Other States and Canada. and Sunday..l yr.. $12.00: 1 mo.. $1.00 only ~......0'1yr. $3.00:1mo. 15 1 $5.00: 1mo. 80 Member of the Associated Press. The Associated Press is exclusiveiy entitied to the use for republication of all news c atches credited to it or not otherwise crc ted in_this so the 1ocal sier . All rights of publication of herein ar reserved. Daily Dail; Sunday only After a Welter of Words. Now that the shouting and the tumult, suddenly sounding over the nomination of Charles Evans Hughes to be Chief Justice, has died, the record stands two to one in the Senate for the confirmation of that able American, whose selection was hailed by the country with the warmest approval. While the debate was in progress—a brief debate in senatorial proportions, though too long for public patience—the wonder grew tb.t “one small head” could hold su many iniquitous views and conccp.s of the economics of American life. Speech by speech, day by day, the accusation mounted. This man, often honored by the people, and only by & political fluke | and by the narrowest of margins dented | the presidency, was held forth before | the country In open executive session as an enemy of the people. And the Supreme Court itself, long considered in the common judgment of Americans as the final safeguard of their liberties, ‘was portrayed as & moloch of predatory selfishness. There were hours during the ocourse of this discussion when it actually seemed as though the Senate might in bilious mood reject the nomination. There was a progressive tendency of opposition as far as the record of speeches went. Analysis of these utter- ances, however, now shows that they were jointly provocative. The debate became a melee, a battle royal. Every- body with a grievance took a hand. All the iniquities of American history were dragged forth, all the grievances and the grouches of disappointed sections and fractions of the people were voiced in protest, and in the end the Seaate voted two to one to confirm the nomina- tion of the most highly qualified Amer-, ican for that eminent, commanding position. H An attempt has been made already to construe this hubble-bubble in the Sen- ate over the nomination of Mr. Hughes as a portent of grave unrest, a sinister sign of trouble to come—a “hurricane warning” it has been called within twelve hours after the confirmation. But the public reaction to the vo# is one of relief, and the reaction to the opposition to Mr. Hughes and criticism of the court as an institution is one of strong disapproval. The Supreme Court has passed' through many storms of public criticism in the hundred and fifty years and more of its existence. It has be>n denounced for its decisions, especially those of the five- to-four category, by those whose inter- ests have been injured or whose theories have been disapproved. The minorities of the court have been again and again held up to the public view by the court’s critics as the only true and righteous exponents of the law and interpreters of the Constitution. By a strange perver- sity of judgment the majorities of the court have been more often denounced than applauded by the more vocal and perhaps more volatile representatives of the people, themselves a minority. With the vote in the Senate last eve- | ning, the episode is ended. Fifty years from now, or less perhaps, it will be & forgotten incident, and the court will stand s high in the confidence of the people as it stands today and it will have | had the benefit of the presence at its head, for, it is hoped, a considerable span of years, of a man who at the time of his sclection stood foremost in quali- fications among his fellow Americans for that high responsibility. A story to the effect that the Prince | of Wales has invented & new dance is | no doubt as unauthentic as it is frive olous. Proceedings in the London Con- ference are necessarily marked by de- liberation, but this fact does not imply 80 much leisure that special diversiens are needed. B Preliminary Figures. ‘The powers assembled in London are entering another stage of the Naval Limitation Conference. They are stat- ing their demands in actual tonnage figures. Both France and Japan yester- day, through their delegations at the conference, submitted memoranda set- ting forth their views of naval require- ments. The Japanese were less specific than the French. In some quarters the proposals advanced by these nations are regarded as auguring a gloomy and stormy future for the conference. But both rtztements contain asser- tions that France and Japan are anxious to meet the other nations in effective manner to bring abcut real limitation of naval armaments. Fur- thermore, preliminary statements of tonnage figures may be subject to com- promise when they are taken up at the conference table. A suggestion from Japan, although 4t was contained not in its formal state- ment made public yesterday, but in a memorandum submitted through the Japanese Ambassador in London to Benator Reed of the American delega- tion, goes more into detail regarding tonnage of the various classes of naval cratt. In this memorandum the Japa- nese made the proposal that the United States shall be content with fifteen 10,000-ton cruisers carrying eight-inch guns instead of the eighteen proposed in the statement recently issued by Secre- tary Stimson, head of the American delegation, and agreed to by the British. It is not likely that this suggestion of Japan will find favor in At eir- The larger cruisers are regarded as was suffered on these boats. During the to | their support of curtailment. United States and its outlying posses- sions and of American commerce. The Japanese have an alternative proposi- tion, however, allowing the United States to have the eighteen larger cruisers, It is noticeable that in the state- ment issued by the Japanese delegation there is no reference to an insistence by Japan on seventy per cent of the tonnage allotted America in 10,000-ton cruisers. This omission is regarded as 1indicating a probable advance in the consideration of the cruiser problem be- tween the delegations representing the two countries. ‘The Japanese clearly indicate in their statement that they &re anxious to| bring about a real curtallment of naval building. In this they are voicing not alone their own desires and aspira- tions, but also those of the other pow- ers. The economic burdens placed upon their peoples by the construction and maintenance of big flects are a potent influence at the conference table. The French, too, while they have exceeded the figures which may be expected finally to be allotted them in their pres- ent tonnage demands, are strong in In the end the ratio question will be the im- portant one to be solved at the confer- | ence. The nations are willing and ready | to cut, but they wish to maintain a ratio | of naval strength which will be re-| garded at home as caring for their de- fensive needs when compared to the navies of the world. .- A Pistol at Court. The finding of & gun in a Police Court cell room yesterday is not a sur prising discovery. Condilions at the| Police Court are bad at best but do| not reflect upon those in charge, Judg«n\! or attendants. The building occupied | by the court is inadequate in size and| in appointments. The ccll rooms are altogether too small for the decent ac- commodation of prisoners awaiting | trial, or, after trial, awaiting transport | | naturally been made, but the two tragedies coming so close together brought realization of the necessity for concentration on safety devices. And with the work progressing so satisfac- torily there would appear no reason to doubt that at some future time much, if not all, of the natural hazard will be removed from the submarine scrvice. e — Incinerators, | The construction of two public in- cincrators for the District’s use has been authorized and the National Cap- ital Park and Planning Commission is soon to decide upon the sites for these | necessary adjuncts. Some protests may be expected in any case. Neighbor- hoods which feel that they are menaced by an unpleasant presence will object But the incinerators must go some- | where, and the question is where they will be the least disfiguring and obnox- ious. If properly designed and con- structed and operated, indeed, they need not be either disfiguring or obnox- ious. The disposal of combustible trash and t refuse is a serious problem in any city. | In Washington it has never been solved in full. Processes for garbage treat ment have been adopted and this portion of the waste has ceased to be | a nuisance. But other refuse has been | carted out to public “dumps” and there | spread about and picked over by scavengers and burned and thus re- duced to the least proportions. These dumps have been far more disfiguring than a compact, well designed incin-| erator, and infinitely more offensive to the senses. ‘The suburban approaches to Wash- ington are now serfously marred by | these places for the final disposal of | trash. Acres are spread thick with refuse of all kinds. Fires smolder day | and night and emit sickening odors | that carry far and wide, as the winds ! prevail. In wet weather these fires are positively pestilent in their stenches. When complaint is made against these to jail. The number ‘of attendants is| too small for the proper examination | and handling of those in cusmd_v.: There are no suitable conference rooms where prisoners may consult their coun- sel before trial or sce their relatives i when that is permitted. The cell room | is not the “black hole of Calcutta,” m“ which it has in the past been likened. | bu‘ it is well nigh that bad in its; lack of decent accommodations. | This discovery of a loaded pistol which | had been hidden in a hole in the wall— | and holes in the walls are easily made in the fabric of the old building—leads | to the suspicion that an attempt was to | be made for a “jail break.” It prob- ably, if attempted, would not have car- ried far, but somebody would doubt- less have been badly hurt, perhaps killed, in the meles. Prisoners some- | times attempt most preposterous things that would be ludicrous but for their| pathetic futility. They should always, of course, be searched and they should not be permitted to have contact with others in a way to permit their arma- ment. To that end there should be a better lay-out of cells and safeguards against criminal collusion. Relief of these conditions at the Po- lice Court is in sight, but not at close rangs. A new court is to be built in the municipal center group, and, ac- cording to the plans that are now in process of development, it will be a model building with all conceivable facilities for the prompt and effective dispatch of justice in this preliminary proceeding of the law. The hops of the community is that, it will be one of the earliest installments of the group planned for the municipal center, as it is the most urgently needed for the sake of public decency and security. B — ‘When information is demanded by Senator Wheeler, he has the moral sup- port of a memory that he did not shrink from the investigation ordeal as a personal experience. —_— William Howard Taft is reported to | have recovered his famous smile. This much of a recovery is in itself a tri- umph. ———— ‘The high court of public opinion ap- proves without a dissenting voice Mr. Taft's determination to recover. e Submarine Safety Devices. Ever since the frightful submarine tragedies of a few years ago, in which many brave officers and men lost their lives, strenuous efforts have been made to remove some of the hazards from this branch of the naval service. And that | these efforts are being definitely crowned with success is perhaps attributable to the determination of the'| workers that the men of the S-4 and the §-51 shall not have died in vain and that the agonles undergone on the ocean floor by those brave sailors shall not be repeated if it lies within the power of human ingenuity to prevent it. Washington was the scene a few months ago of experiments with a new type of life-saving mask. So successful were these tests that the expedition was moved to Chesapeake Bay, where greater depth could be found. Actual escapes from a submarine lying more | than one hundred feet below the sur-| face were made possible by the mask, which is fitted over the face of the wearer. No discomfort was suffered in the ascent and it is likely that the new device will become part of the equip- ment of every craft that plies under | the surface of the water. | Yesterday, off Key West, another suc- cessful experiment with life-saving apparatus was carried out, this time with a “diving bell” capable of bringing twenty marooned men to the surface at the same time. Needing no divers to affix it to the side of the sunken sub- marine and rising through its natural buoyancy, the bell performed capably from a depth of seventy feet. Only two men came up in the bell yesterday, but tests will continue and a full load will probably be tried at & hundred feet or more to ascertain its capabilities. Officials of the company claim that with no one in it the device has acted normally at a depth of three hundred feet. It is gratifying to the public, and especially to submarine service men themselves, that the Government in- tends to persist until the undersea places the answer is that they are only temporary means of waste handling, that some day they will be brought to grade and their use for trash disposal will be abandoned. Which is no com- fort whatever, and a confession of in- competent municipal housekeeping. ‘The public incinerators have been long coming. They should have been installed many years ago. Now at last they are to come into being and use, and the hope is that they will work without offense and that they will be tolerated by those in whose proximity they are placed. When they are in service Washington will at last have been given a proper municipal equip- ment. " moe o Policemen who arrest one another for trivial parking offenses appear to proceed on the gladsome assumption that the general public has become so well disciplined that it no longer de- mands all the vigilance officers are prepared to exert. " Prohibition has been compared to whist, which at the outset seems the simplest of all games and yet one whose complications may prove entire- ly baffling. e A versatile and adaptable statesman, Mr. Hughes may decide to remain silent for a time without being tritely referred to by political observers as a sphinx. ——— By contributing a few pages to the Congressional Record, Mr. Liggett may expect to create an increasing demand for his anti-Volstead articles. e It is more merciful in some cases for a statesman to debate about “The Star Spangled Banner” than it would be for him to attempt to sing it. S SER EET As one who runs true to form, Mr. Hughes is not expected to regard a contest as anything other than a usual incident of the game. —_————— Polar explorers manage to remain admirably cheerful, despite the tempta- tion to talk by radio about the weather. —ee SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Certainties. Though many a melancholy rhyme Finds utterance anew, I know the sun will rise and shine Just as it used to do. Though oft the hours go hurrying by With many a tollsome test, I know a splendid twilight sky Again will bring me rest. While doubt inexorable clings ‘To problems here below, I'm thankful for some little things I'm really sure I know. Supply and Demand. “There is not as much genuine elo- quence as there used to be.” “There's just ds much eloquence,” answered Senator Sorghum, “but there isn’t so much audience for it.” Jud Tunkins says workin’ hours simply have got to be shortened if folks jattend all the meetin's and see all the motion pictures. Peaceful Flivver. The farmer has his share of fun, ‘Though wealth has been denied; No gangster goes and gets a gun And takes him for a ride. Old-Fashioned Remedy. “Have you tried aviation?” “Only once,” sald Miss Cayenne. “I had hiccups and nothing else would scare me.” “The lady who has all that wealth can bestow,” sald Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is fortunate indeed if she can go on being as lovely as her jewels.” Questions and No Answers. One Senator will know a lot, Another you will find Who's kept from being quite forgot By his inquiring mind. “I specks one reason a great man likes to go fishin',” said Uncle Eben, “is dat he kin meet any number of”fish without bein’ expected to shake hands.” . hazard has been lessened. Life on a submarine is not a thing of unadulter- ated joy. Quarters are restricted and the duties of every one aboard are arduous. In war time untold hardship A Pessimist. From the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. ‘We know a bird who's so pessimistic he worries over all the t! he didn't { although get to buy with the mongy he would have lost if he'd had money enough play the stock market last Fall THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. The emotional quality of the human voice, as used upon the stage, is the distinguishing quality of the drama. Often this usage makes the spec- tator think that the actor is ranting. when all th2 time the man simply is using the voice for all it is worth. In ordinary life, as lived daily by most | people, we fail miserably to make full | use of the human voice, Full use? Most men and women seldom make quarter use of its powers In the first place, they are not trained | to do so. Then they re held back by certain | traditions of politeness. Repressions, of various types, have gotten in their work, so that most of us speak in monotone. (Perhaps we think in it, too, oh, pitiful Heaven!) The sly instinct of the animal, too, makes humanity adopt the all-on-a- level voice to conceal thought and emo- tion, We are well aware of the fact that| the stage and life are not the same, | the former is supposed to | mirror the latter, | On the boards the creatures of the | dramatist have their little speeches | s they are supposed to display, ¢ have had time—actually—to think them over in| advance. i * K ok % | In real life, we seldom, if ever, pos- sess this advantage. Events smack us in the face before | we have time to gasp, let alone think. We feel we must speak right out, but somehow the tenderness of the occasion overcomes us. Instead of speaking as the actors do, | with a deep, rich voice, filled with the | emotion we feel, we are amazed to hear | ourselves—may heaven and the world forgive us!—uttermg some inane senti- ment. In a time of anger, trying to live up | to our .waditions, we discover our mouths pouring forth mild words, when our heart and brain are seething. Sorrow seals our lips, as it numbs our hearts, so that the best we can do Is a | platitude. We become dumb, which is | perhaps the best, after all, for we know | from experience that the words of con- solation, were they to come, would be spoken in much the same tone with which we order a new suit or fire the cook. e i How much better off those happy | stage creatures are, who speak right | out” their full hearts, in tones soulful | for the soulful occasion, accents pitiful for the time of terror, words bubbling with laughter when smiles are due! They never have any trouble at all in_thinking just the right thing to say, for the playwright spent many weary hours in seeing that they should not. He labored far into the night to | make sure that every speech should be right, pat, appropriate, one to call forth | applause, smiles, laughs, as the case might demand. Not a character is at loss. This, it would seem, is one of the fundamerital defects of the drama, especially in re- gard to tho traditional boast that the stage mirrors life. We are not actors in a play, but poor, dumb, driven cattle, driven not by events or masters of any degree or kind, but simply by our own inability to think fast enough, or our lack of train- ing in the use of the human voice, or WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS The clean-cut Democratic victory in the congressional election this week in the second district of Massachusetts was a bad jolt to the Republicans, both in the Bay State and at the Capital, and a sweet surprise for the Democrats, with much justifiable gloating. By common consent prohibition figured largely in the outcome, though in Dem- ocratic quarters it was labeled as a “rebuke” to the administration and a “protest” over hard times and unem- ployment. This was Mr. Coolidge’s own district, long represented in the House by Senator Gillett and Republican for @ century. The canny Calvin, however, who proposes at all costs to keep him- self entirely detached for the present from politics, State and national, and who furthermore, in the present in- stance, perhaps perceived more clearly than others the impending Democratic landslide, calmly hied himself to Lake Dora, in the center of Florida, before the special primaries in the district and remained there during the short but hectic campaign which was waged be- tween primaries and election. No state- ment before or since election day has been forthcoming from the State's most distinguished citizen and leading Republican, who now is pulling up stakes in Florida and, with Mrs. Cool- idge, moving on to California. * K K K The nearest parallel in American his- tory to the senatorial fight on con- firmation of the nomination of Charles Evans Hughes to be Chief Justice, S0 far as can be recalled, was the contests which accompanied the nomi- nation of Roger Brooke Taney of Mary- land, in Jackson's administration, a century ago. Taney was Attorney Gen- eral in Jackson's cabinet, later trans- ferred to the post of Secretary of the Treasury, an appointment which the Senate refused to confirm. That dead- lock lasted nearly two years; then Jack- son nominated Taney to be assoclate Justice of the Supreme Court. Again the Senate refused confirmation. On the death of Chlef Justice Marshall Jackson returned Taney’s name to the Senate to succeed Marshall as Chief Justice. A three-month contest en- sued, but Jackson men finally gained control of the Senate and Mr. Taney was confirmed. * K K % Republican party leaders acquainted with the views of Dwight W. Morrow, prospective candidate for the senatorial nomination in New Jersey, declare that the Ambassador will declare himself on prohibition when he returns to this country from the London Naval Parley. They are nearly unanimous that this year the Republican party in New Jer- sey must go either dry or wet; that it cannot go two ways at once, and that if it equivocates in the senatorial bat- tle it will invite the election of another Democrat. Curfously enough, however, no one professes to be sure whether Mr. Morrow is going to declare himself a dry or a wet. His loyalty to the Presi- dent would tend to incline him to come out dry. The political exigencies in New Jersey, plus, perhaps, his own pri- vate views, tend to incline him to come out wet. His prospective opponent in | the Republican primaries, former Sen- ator Frelinghuysen, though heretofore a dry, is soft-pedaling on prohibition until he can find out which side of the fence Mr. Morrow is on. Then, accord- ing to New Jersey local prognosticators, Frelinghuysen will take the other side. * oK K K Senator Thaddeus H. Caraway, drawling Southern Democratic dry from far-away Arkansas, and Representative George Holden Tinkham, big-game hunter and Republican wet from Bos- ton’s Back Bay, figuratively speaking, rode the same goat on occasion of their initiation this week into the Loyal Order of Moose. Just what prompted Caraway to become a Moose does not yet appear, but Mr. Tinkham had an obvious incentive in the fact that the hotel which has been his domicile ever since he came to Washington 15 years ago is to become a national headquar- ters and club rooms of the Moose. He did not wish to move, and could not be compelled to move, even had the new proprietors desired it, which they did not, for Mr. Tinkham had the foresight to secure a most remarkable contract with the owners of the property, which does not bind him to continue as a tenant any longer than he wishes, but binds them to permit him to remain so long as he remains in Congress. Rents in Washington for almost every one else have doubled and trebled in the past by something in us which makes us ashamed to throw emotion into what | we say when emotion is due. We have so trained ourselves to be men that we cannot be actors. Yet it | would be good for us and for others if all of us did have some thespian training and could upon need make a malicious use of the arts and tricks of the stage. Thus we might at times get | credit for a deep sentiment which we | really have, but are unable to express. | We wouild not feel one thing and | speak another, but would at all times | appear ourselves, verbally living up to the best in us, Whereas in the living state of affairs we appear but pcor, washed-out characters living in a Babbittian world of solemn buffoonery. x ok x % Perhaps it would be well if the com- monality of men could be induced to take voice culture to remedy this con- dition. First of all, we would have to get | over the feeling that there is anything “stagy” or artificial in giving vent to one’s Teal emotions. We would be forced to give up man: of our pet repressions and to think and | speak honestly, candidly with ourselves | betore we could be candid with men. This attitude would be necessary on the part of others, beforc all, for with- | out their decent reception of what we | had to say and of the way we said it there could only be laughter to greet our honesty of thought and expression. What is this but equivalent to saying that it is & state of affairs which can never prevail? The old immobility of face will continue because it is human to be deceitful. It is natural for men and women to conceal their thoughts by adopting one tone of voice when time, fate and events all call for an- otier. v * K ok % Yet we should not despair. It is possible for any one, with & bit of determination, to make cautious ex- periments in bringing the best quality of_the drama into everyday life. ‘The human voice! How beautiful it can be when men- tal cowardice is exorcised, and in its place a brave acceptance of life is put with all its implications! Then the common life may be glori- fied, to the point, perhaps, that no man need attend the drama to get vicarious experiences in which he plays no real part. The living voice is as powerful as that! Under its vibrant sway we might exceed the deeds of those brave gentle- men in magazine ads who read a book or “course” and become vice president of the firm before the year is up. Surely the board of directors might listen with bated breath to us, too, if we could cut the apron strings of re- pression, and sing our piece with the genuine octaves, from the lowest note to the highest. Then might the indifferent ears of a cruel world be unlocked, and our dreams come true. As it is, the ears are stuffed with cotton, and the audi- ence withholds its applause, and we have the sneaking suspicion that this sad state of affairs prevails because we | haven't enough sense to make our gladness glad, our sadness sad, our | wants real wants, our satisfactions | genuine satisfactions; we mumble In- stead of speak out, we lower the pre- clous gift of our voice when we ought to raise it, and vallantly raise it when, alas, it ought to be lowered still more! 15 years, but not the rent of the richest bachelor in Congress. Henceforth he is a life member of the Moose and most likely a life occupant of a spacious first floor suite in their new club house. * ok kX Not long ago a distinguished delega- tion from Maine called at the White ! House to urge Mr. Hoover to spend a part of his next Summer holiday in the glorious fishing preserves of the Pine Tree State. Senator Gould of Maine, who recently sang his swan song pre- paratory to retirement a year hence, | | was a member of the delegation which | walted on the President with this invi- tation, According to evewitness ac- count, Gould, when the others had fin- ished their little speechmaking, climaxed | the call with the remark, “Yes, do come up, Mr. President, and we will go across the border into Canada and catch some salmon.” 1In these prohibition days| many excuses are offered for crossing | the border, but Senator Gould's refer- ence to salmon fishing horrified his Maine colleagues since Maine has long boasted of its own fine salmon. * k ok ok The Federal Farm Board has started | its expenditure of $10,000,000 to “'stabi- | lize” wheat. Through the medium of a stabilization corporation it will buy some of the surplus from the growers and thus attempt to save the farmers from heavy losses due to the declining market. The whole problem is a deli- cate one and contrary to the customary policy of Uncle Sam in keeping hands off commodity markets. It will be in- teresting to see how it works out. It has only been in time of war hitherto that 'he has gone into the market to steady or control it. Now it is in “the piping times of peace” that the experi- ment is to be tried. Farm Board critics in and out of Congress have set up a new clamor. * ok ow ok Senator Jesse H. Metcalf, millionaire textile manufacturer of Rhode Island, deftly dodged the question of how he would finally vote on the tariff bill by telling a story. “You know I am some- thing of an agriculturist myself. I have just bought another thousand blue rib- bon chickens, and I learned a long time ago not to count my chickens before they are hatched. Furthermore, I re- cently acquired another expensive and pedigreed bull, and have some knowl- edge of that animal, both the actual and the rhetorical.” (Copyright, 1930.) Kin;l Words for a District Traffic Cop To the Editor of The Star: ‘The past year or so seems to have been open season on cops. Mot often these days does one read eulogies of them in the papers. To many, espe- cially motorists, the trafic cop ap- parently is a pain in the popular neck. In my case, however, I have not (yet) made official contact with any cop since I came to Washington a number of years ago. I am not a motorist. My observation of them is the worm's-eye view I get as I hop, skip and jump at precarious crossings. I may therefore be_regarded as “in neutral.’ But to irate motorists and fellow pe- destrians I would reg)ectluuy direct at- tention to traffic officer No. 1354, Mr. E. S. Guptill, who does his bit along about 6 o'clock p.m. at Dupont Circle. If an answer is desired to the query, “What is the id traffic cop, or does any such exist?” watch this young man as he goes about his duty in his inimi- table way. He loves his work. He is considerate of the public. He is a suc- cess. Can perfection claim more? ARCH. D. MONTEATH. ———— Add: Embarrassing Moments. From the Detroit News. A purse snatcher in New York round- A Plea for Justice to | Elder U. S. Workers | To the Editor of The Star: | The matter of retirement with a monetary allowance for Government employes will never be arranged so it will suit everybody, which includes all of the citizens of the United States, be- cause if we are not affected as a bene- ficlary we are interested as a benefac- tor. 1t is the public money that is provid- ing for the benefits, whether it is taken directly from the Treasury or paid to | the employes as wages and then a per- centage deducted from their salary for the purpose of establishing a capital to pay to the ones entitled to the same. The folks getting the large salaries supply the largest amount to the fund, but it seems that they are better able to do that because afier the “kitty has| been fed” they have a larger stake on hand. In other words, they are winners both ways, because they have more sa! ary while employed and a larger allow- ance when retired. ‘This is a fact, and it is to be hoped that no class war will be started by mentioning it, because we cannot all be first-class passengers in the Ship of State; some have to accept and fill lower berths, while others have to do hard manual labor so it will be a har- monious crew and so that our captain in the White House may steer us safely through his administration. The rank and file of the Government employes were not elected to office, and have to depend upon their friends un- der the big white dome to look out for | them. I believe that legislators are ap- preciative of the work that is being done by us and will provide more lib- erally until at least half are satisfied. As this is a country of majority rule, it will have to go at that. But do not wait too long, for the majority will grow greater every day. Those who are so fortunate as to have a Government job have fulfilled certain requirements befora they enter the serv- ice. There are legal residence allotments according to States. Then some merits are justly granted individuals who have served the country In other ways. Then there are the physical and the mental tests. Then you have to meet some petty chief and make a hit with him before you can get anywhere, provided, of course, all the preliminaries of the civil service examination have been suc- cessfuily passed. Now there are lots of folks who have tried, and are trying each day, to secure a public job. A few succeed, but a greater number fail. It is to be hoped that, those who fail will secure a good ! job elsewhere, and that they are still our friends and will help us to better our condition. There was a time, it is sald, when Government jobs went begging for ap- plicants to fill them. Can you imagine that? Then there was some talk of let- ting clerical positions out by contract; to be awarded to the lowest bidders per annum in real money. None that I know got anywhere on account of their good looks, although there are some handsome specimens, both male and female, on the Govern- ment rolls. Some leave the service for better things, they have our best wishes, It is well known that when a struc- ture begins to weaken on account of de- teriorating material it is time to do something. If the wornout Government employe cannot compete with the newer and perhaps more capable help, do not retire the inefficient worker with an in- adequate allowance. Whether they were paid $1,000 or $3,000 & year was not always their own fault, bug the fault of a system, and it now seems the time to correct one of the bad features of the system by lib- eralizing the retirement law. Lawmakers have our sincere thanks for what has already been done, and will earn the gratitude of many persons if they will succeed in improving some deplorable and many pitiful cases now ‘:l:pmdmg upon a pittance to support em. Now give us a law so that we can all be thankful upon how human and Just we are to our retired Government servants. It would take the wisdom of Solomon and the wit and eloquence of Shake- speare to submit a proper brief in this case. But let us depend upon the fair sense of justice of our Senators and Representatives in Congress and the sanction of our President for a fair deal for the Government employe, for salary while employed and aliowance to live upon when retired from work. A very few could not properly pro- vide for themselves if they had many times their present salary and worked for 50 years. So Uncle Sam steps in to provide for them as he will eventually look out for all. He is slow sometimes, but always sure to secure justice for his people. Nobody seems to object seriously to the proposition for better conditions. Please let us have speedy action. CHARLES J. SIMPSON. e T No Housing Provisions For Government Workers To the Editor of The Star: In the report of the House committee on appropriations no appropriation is made for the temporary Government Hotels in which some of the women em- ployes of the Government now live. The Commission of Fine Arts, in its report of 1919, mentions among’ the problems that confront Congress and the District of Columbia: “The establishment of garden suburbs about the city of Washington, either within or without the District of Colum- bia, as residence places for Government workers, both men and women. These garden cities should have controlled rentals, garden spaces for each house, and community features, to the end that the amenities of life may be promoted. Preferably they shculd be co-operative Joint stock enterprises.” President Hoover, when Secretary of Commerce, announced through the pa- Pe" the proposal of an unnamed phi- anthropist to build apartments in Washington for Government workers at $12.50 a room. There was an over- Whelming response from Government workers. Through a letter to The Star I asked to have two rooms, kitchen and :‘l:h. b‘l’:ut‘h}:m exp:;\lre‘ reserved tor , e apartmen il P ts have never| n_ 1929 Representative Ha: ! Senator Blaine introduced bul‘s‘d{n ':‘r‘x‘: House of Representatives and the Sen- r.ol:w‘g;:l?: (:(:l;’lsh‘lfll:'-‘ll)‘l’;l of dormitories 'mployes of the Unii mlm:hmsmfi]t of Columbia, G oroughly approve of the millions of dollars that have b:el:n.lny propriated for Government-owned build: ings to house Government activities, but I think the Government workers. should have comfortable living quarters, I am deeply interested in the $23.- 000,000 Cramton bill for the urchase of park lands in the District orCOlum- bia and its environs for posterity to en- Joy, but I am also interested in com- fortable housing for employes of the gm:mm.gm! w)l:g exmhon earth now, or those who pre v exist here in the future. B ‘This matter of housing for Govern- ment employes has been suggested for a number of years. The workers would appreciate more action, Sincerely yours, BLANCHE C. HOWLETT. wloraing And He Did It! From the Hamuton Spectator. ‘That boy who flew in a tiny airplane, powered by & motor-cycle engine, prob- ;blye d'e‘::ldked th::l something had to be lon eep insurance agents pestering him. et b . ed a corner into the arms of 150 patrol- men leaving a police station. Nothing like it had occurred since Tony Uansa started around left end at the Tour- nament of Roses. . Exercises Woman’s Prerogative. From the Butte Dally Post. Here's a Newark woman who shoots | her husband and then tried to save his | iife by blood transfusion—switching, so to speak, from the "Sanguinary to the sanguine. Yes; Course of Events, From the Calgary Herald. The chief objection to the school of experience is that it thinks up a new course every time you graduate. oo That Would Be Worth While. | formation Bureau, Washington, D. C. Did you ever write a letter to Frederic J. Haskin? You can ask him any question of fact and get the answer in "a personal letter. Here is a great educational idea introduced into th(" lives of the most intelligent people in the world—American newspaper readers. | It is part of that best purpose of a | newspaper—service. There is no charge | except 2 cents in coin or stamps for | return postage. _Address Frederic J. Haskin, director, The Evening Star In- | | Q. Is the musical signature of the | Amos 'n’ Andy program a phonograph | record or regular music?>—G. K. A. It is not a record. It is played by an orchestra. i Q When and where was the flrst: United States naval flag hoisted?— C. M. C. L A. The first commander in chief of the American Navy, Comdr. Esek Hopkins, used for his standard a yellow silk flag with a reproduction of a| rattlesnake in the act of striking. | Underneath it were the words “Do not tread on me.” One description of this flag says the rattlesnake was at the foot of & pine tree. It used in 1 The exact place it was first hoisted 1s not recorded. Q. Which is chocolate?—S. J. A. Chocolate and cocoa are both made from the cocoa bean, the main difference being that cocoa has had a certain percentage of fat removed Consequently it 15 less rich and nutr However, in the making of the beverage it 1s a little easier to mix. If cocoa is substituted for chocolate in cake or candy recipes, additional but- ter or fat may be add richer, cocoa or Q. Has there ever been a photoplay called “'Sally” other than the new one starring Marilyn Miller?>—M. W. A. A photoplay by this name was made a number of years ago starring Colleen Moore. Q. How long will a fingerprint last? —A. M. 8. A. 1If a fingerprint is untouched and is not exposed to outside influence, it will remain indefinitel. Q. Why is tannin used in tanning leather?—C, P. A. It is this extract which makes leather durable and pliable. Q. How many visitors are received daily by the Pope?—L. M. A. Robert Davis in “Bob Davis Abroad” says an average of 3,000 people is daily received by the Pope at the Vatican. Aside from this, there are numerous private audiences. Q. How is curling done on the ice?— M. D. M. 'A. The game is played on a rink marked out on the ice with large, smooth stones to which handles -are fixed. The stones weigh from 30 to 45 pounds. There dre usually four play- ers on a side or team. Each player uses two stones, which he slides along the ice toward a mark 42 yards distant. The object is for a player to lay his stones closer to the mark than those of is opponents. After all players have curled” or played, the side having stones nearest the mark scores a point ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN, and the United States iron curlers are sometimes used in place of stones. Q. How old was Willard Metcalf be- fore he “arrived” as a landscape painter?—T. C. T. A. The American landscapist, Met- calf, was 47 before he really attained succes: Q. Why are fish found dead in forest streams after forest fires?>—P. C. A. After the fire is over and the em- bers have cooled, rains wash tons of the alkall ashes into the streams and lakes. This fundamental change in the water content kills thousands of fish, Q. What is the plural of the word “menu”?—M. K, A. The plural form is menus. Q. Will parrots that have been in this country a number of years contract parrot_disease?—J. P. A. Parrots are subject to parrot dis- ease regardless of how long they have been in the country. However, this dis- ease is not common. Like anything else, it seems to sweep the country by | waves. Parrot fanciers have known |about it for many years and have | guarded their own birds against it, since it usually proves fatal to birds. Q. Do mountainous States have more area than States which are flat?.— A. D. 8. | A The Geological Survey states that | when ‘land is surveyed for division it 1§ |treated as a plane surface. Therefore a quarter of a section of level land con- tains the same amount as a quarter of a section of rolling land, but there may be actually more surface or earth in the rolling section than in the level section. Q. Who has succeeded Dwight Mor= row as Ambassador to Mexico?—D, M. A. As vet an appointment has mnot been made. Q. How far Is it from Constantinople "to Paris by rail>—T. M. H. A. It is about 1900 miles. This Is approximately the distance from Wash- ington, D. C,, to Denver, Q. Which is the proper side of the mortar board on which to wear the tas sel while a senfor?—J., C, B, A. The tassel s worn on the right side until the day of graduation. After the degree is conferred the tassel is changed to the left side. Q. When and for what purpose was the Federal Council of Churches or- ganized?—W. C, A. The Federal Council of Churches held its first meeting at Philadelphia, 1908, when it was organized. irty denominations were united by this act for the purpose of enabling churches to do together what they could not hope to do alone; to express the fel- lowship and unity of the Christian church; to unite the Christian bodles of America into service for Christ in the world; to encourage devotional fel- lowship and mutual counsel, and to se- cure a larger combined interest for the churches of Christ in all matters af« fecting the moral and social condition of the people and the world at large. Q. When were clinical thermomem introduced in hospitals in the Unf States>—F. M. D. They were introduced into a few for each stone so placed. In Canada itals in 1867. A. hospi From Invest Selection of a commission to investi~ cate conditions in Haiti once more stirs debate on that mooted question concerning American military forces in foreign lands. Meanwhile the personnel of the commission appears to meet with approval and its verdict is awaited with interest. “Not since Elihu Root made his ex- 1 pedition to ‘the other Americans’ have we had so hefty a commission as that which Mr. Hoover proposes for the investigation,” says the New York Evening Post. * * * “The artillery may seem a bit too heavy for little Haiti, but it isn't. That strange, dark country raises an essentially American issue, and | nothing that we can do to settle it is too much. Incidentally, we are glad to see the President getting back into the W. Cameron Forbes, former governor general of the Philippines, and Henry P. Fletcher, former Ambassador.” ‘The Houston Chronicle also praises Mr. Fletcher, saying that his knowl- edge of the problems of Central Amer- ica and the Caribbeans probably is not exceeded by that of any man in public iife.” The Houston paper warns against “the advice which some demagogic persons give the Government that ‘the way to get out is to get out,” and adds “Naturally we cannot do that. We can- not get out unconditionally—and that quite aside from any view about how we came to be there. We can get out only when we can leave a stable government behind us, and doing that in such a country as Haiti calls for the hard labor of statesmen, not at all for the phrase making of uninformed extrem- ists back home.” In view of the controversy over the prover size of the commission, the Springficld Republican holds that “it makes precious little difference whether the commission has one member or seven members, if its work is competent or satisfactory,” and that paper argues: “The history of American commissions that have studied highly controverted questions with large political possibili- ties indicates that a multiheaded com- mission is preferable, politically consid- ered, if it submits a unanimous report. If it disagrees, it may cause more trouble than it is worth. * ok ok ok | | existing difficulty which is pointed | ou‘?nby the Siew York Herald Tribune | is that “our efforts toward fostetng practical education in Haiti have been bitterly resented by the = educated Haltians. They see in them,” continues the Herald Tribune, “an effort at the destruction of the classic French cul- ture which they themselves have pur- sued and an implied slur on the Haitian people. It is not enough to argue that our attempts to establish & practical education system for the country peo- ple have been well intentioned or that the upper-class Haitians represent only a small fraction of the populace. They cannot be disregarded because they are the only vocal force in the community. And an inquiry undertaken to ascertain how soon Wwe can evacuate cannot an- tagonize the class which must neces- sarily take over authority from us when we relinquish it. The educational problem is complex, and Dr. Moton will have to exercise great tact in approach+ ing it. He will need to make the fact abundantly clear that he goes to Haiti with no thought of interfering with the established culture of the educated few. but solely to grapple with the unsolved problem of the ignorant many.” “A commission of disinterested per- sons, acting wholly outside of politics and composed of men of affairs, anx- lous to do a public service, capable of making an unbiased inquiry into Haitian affairs, ought to give us the right light on our position now and our policy in the future,” declares the Waterloo Tribune. ‘The Charleston Daily Mail feels that “it would be & happy thing for this country if the report should re- sult in a program which would restore a stable self-government to Haitians and relieve this country of an unwel- come responsibility.” * K kK “Even as the inquiry is being made,” says the Oakland Tribune, “the public From the Lowell Evening Leader, Beggars are reported to have a union in China. But it occurs te us that they must have some difficuity in o) ganizing anything in the nature of an efective strike, may expect to hear demands that the Marines be recalled and the Haitians allowed to care for themselves. It is the easiest thing to say on the subject, but not n rily true or just”” The South Bent ibune offers the verdict: public service trained ‘pro-consuls’ like | Definite Results Expected igation in Haiti the Marines are withdrawn must be | the broad goal. Whatever is done must represent co-operative effort, with the Haitians taking full part.” The Cincin- nati Times-Star is convinced that “th bulk of American opinion favors our leav- ing as soon as possible,” and adds that “the President’s statement leaves no doubt that he shares this opinion.” The Santa Barbara Daily News thinks “the | Hoover commission ought to result in presenting a clear and plain statement of the true conditions in Haiti.” The Utica Observer-Dispatch finds that there is “wonder whether, before the lapse of a long time, it will be pos- sible for Haitians to govern themselves without falling into violence, disordered finances, bloodshed and anarchy.” The Petersburg Progress-Index _concludes: “Every sign points to the early with- drawal of American armed forces. It is well assured that little time will elapse following American withdrawal before conditions in the country will approximate thcse existing when Presi- dent Wilson was moved to order Ma- rines to land and assume control.” “With the background of Haiti what it was for some centuries, with the widespread suspicion at home that American occupation has put its full stress upon keeping the lid on rather than development, and with just six more years of the protectorate left be- fore a new crisis must be faced,” con- tends the Baltimore Sun, “it is essential | that America know minutely and ac- curately all that can be known about | what errors have been made, and what steps to correct them can be taken.” s Mexican Order Recalls Noted ‘““Laredo Incident” From the Port Worth Record-Telegram, “As you were!” appears to be the command issued to the participants in the somewhat famous “Laredo incident.” The Mexican consulate is to be re= established and the Laredo Chamber of Commerce will be permitted again to Issue passes across the border for visitors who are particularly anxious to visit Mexico. All's quiet along the Rio Grande—except in the far reaches where anybody crosses willy nilly— pu s and baggage immaterial, The incident resembled nothing quite S0 much as the boy next door who found an air gun in his Santa Claus assortment. The weapon is not remark- able for its accuracy in sending the missile where it is aimed, but at nearly every shot the neighborhood may hear the tinkle of broken glass. Laredo probably has a number of very serious problems. Being a border city on the Mexican line—particularly if the line is a river—must be somewhat trying on the nerves. Naturally, the proposition of attempting to be a dis- trict attorney in an inevitable mecca of revolutionists who are sometimes revolt- ing against a revolt which was a revolu- tion against the revolutionary Mexican government of the moment, would have & tendency to cause a local official to become fretful and impetuous. But it should be possible to remain somewhere between the consistencies. The p; bilities are that a couple of hundred similar “conspiracies” to the one al- leged are awaiting the arrest and trial of the participants. One George Wash- ington was a revolutionist, a rebel and & conspirator at one period of his existence. It is possible that a grand Jury indictment might have landed against him during the time of his active participation, if the geography could have been made to fit the case. The best President Mexico ever had and the man most directly responsible for the progress of Mexico is a very dif- ferent personage from the participant in an alleged “murder cons) - Webb County, Tex., elght years ago. In fact, he has become a figure of such e e, Qut B el o0 e of the Unj only when he crosses the border. 4 All that seems to have been the matter with the event was the inabllity of the leading character to assess rela- tive values accurately, Having been treated somewhat similarly to the boy With the air gun in the neighborhood, le that there will be “Protection of life and property after £l it is highl e no more “| e of broken glass” in the ty of Laredo. te vicini