Evening Star Newspaper, February 27, 1930, Page 8

A THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTO D. C, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1930. e e e A e e e e e oo e e et THE EVENING STAR [hsd taken part in the excavations in | declaration of ultimate hostilities against WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY. . .February 27, 1930 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company 11th St. Pennsylvania_Ave. kS City. ver month s B st tn o3 el o8 eiesbans ‘mall of teienhor Rt Soos: = Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Vlr:lnh.l iy and Sunday. ily only . day only All Other States and Canada. } 3 312.00; 1 mo., 81, fly and Sunday. ily oniy 1 .00: 1 mo.. 4 ay only 1yr. $5.00: 1mo.. B50c Member of the Associated Press. Associated Press is exclusively entitied o the use for republication of all news cis- atches credited to it or not otherwise cred- siediin,Sbls vaper and slso the iccal news erein. ALl rights of publication of wpecial dispatches herein 1so veserved. Picketing the Gamblers. ‘The public printet charges that po- Jice work in the suppression of gambling enterprises operating near the Gov- emment Printing Office is inefficient and that the present process of picket- ing places where it is suspected and be- lieved that gambling is carried on is only a tipping off of the operators, for their protection. The chief of police rejoins that the police are following up the complaints of the public printer by doing all that tHey can do without the possession of warrants. The public printer poirts to cases in which specific 7 | dled in the course of six years, but it 00 | Se evidence of gambling is furnished by members of his staff only to be ignored by the grand jury after protracted pre- liminaries. The chief of police holds that his department is not responsible for the failure of the courts to con- wict. It is well known that the conviction of the proprietors and operators of gambling establishments in this city is difficult. It is indeed rare. Notorious places have been raided again and again, with evidence that should result fu sentences. The cases are stalled in Police Court and are then dragged through the intermediate process of grand jury inquiry, and when indict- ments are found, in only a fraction of the cases instituted, the trials are post- poned until the evidence is weakened or lost. Meanwhile the same estab- lishments are reopened and continue to do business. There is no occasion for an acute controversy between the public printer and the chief of police. They are seek- ing the same end, the suppression of gambling establishments. The public printer feels the demoralizing effect upon his staff of the pernicious betting habit, which distracts thought from daily work and causes losses, productive of an un- wholesome state of mind. The chief of police wants the places cleaned out 8s breeders of crime. ‘There may be some question as to the ‘wisdom of the picketing procedure. Maj. Pratt believes that by stationing mem- bers of the force in front of estab- Jishments where it is suspected and practically known that gambling is car- ried on, habitues are deterred from en- tering and the conductors of the es- tablishments are frightened away from active operations. It is inconceivable that the picketing is a deliberate “tip- off” of police attention. If the picket- ing is effective in one place, it might be carried on elsewhere. But no one should expect the police to cover the whole ground of the District in this way. ‘There are not enough men on the en- tire force to picket all the establish- ments that are suspected of being operated for illegal purposes. ‘What is needed is some speedier proc- ess of law that will carry these cases through the courts expeditiously and effectively. Prompt comviction and punishment are far more effective than picketing. —r————————— Chautemps proved himself possessor of the discretion with which he was originally credited by demonstrating promptly that he knew when he h19 enough. Prance is showing how much political discussion may arise even in a nation that has no prohibition problems, —— et —————— Several statesmen are annoyed by the idea that they are being watched, when all they ask is to be listened to. — re———— The Curse of Pharaoh. “Death shall come on swift wings to him that toucheth the tomb of a Pha- rach.” So runs the legendary warning in Egypt that was revived when six years age Howard Carter opened the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen in the Valley of the Kings. This sinister portent is revived by the death of Lord Westbury, seventy-eight-year-old peer of England, who, last week, plunged to his death by a leap from a high window. Lord ‘Westbury's connection with the open- ing of Tut-ankh-Amen's tomb was re- mote. His son, Richard Bethell, who was secretary of Howard Carter during the excavation, was found dead in a London club last year in mysterious eircumstances. His death brought the *curse” back to memory. Lord West- bury had- evidently been brooding over the loss of his son, for he left a note which read, in part: “I cannot stand any more horrors.” ‘There have now been at least nine and by one reckoning twelve deaths fairly closely associated with the open- ing of the tomb. FPirst, the Earl of Carnarvon, who financed the expedi- tion, died, a few weeks after the tomb ‘was opened, from the effects of the bite of a poisonous insect. Then Sir Archi- bald Douglass Reid, who X-rayed the mummy, passed. Col. Aubrey Herbert, Carnarvon’s half-brother, who was pres- ent at the opening of the tomb, next died. Jay Gould, American millionaire, died of pneumonia after visiting the tomb. Mrs. Evelyn Greely, American tourist, killed herself in Chicago after @ visit to the Valley of the Kings. Prof. Laffieur of Montreal died after inspect- ing the sarcophagus. H. G. Evelyn- ‘White killed himself because he thought the curse had reached him. Prince Ali Fahmy Bey of Egypt was mysteriously shot soon after a visit to the valley. Dr. Jonathan W. Carver was killed in an automobile crash after assisting Howard Carter in his work. In addi- tion, two Prench archeologists, MM. Mummmmqrwm was considered as tantamount to a piosion of rookie the valley, died suddenly in 1926. { Howard Carter, who conducted the exploration, found the tomb, opened it and supervised the removal of its con- tents, is of all persons the one who if the curse is effective should long since have succumbed. But on the contrary he is alive and flourishing. He ridicules the superstition of the vengeance of the Pharaoh, which he says all sane people should dismiss with contempt. “There is,” he declares, “no place more free of risk than a tomb.” It is altogether in the course of nature that a number of persoms involved in the exploration in Egypt should have is somewhat significant that so many should have met violent deaths so soon after the exhumation of Tut-ankh- Amen. The psychological effect of the tradition, repeated and stressed when- ever any member of the Carnarvon party passed away, has undoubtedly been malevolent. It is easy to see how Lord Westbury, who had no association with the enterprise but was interested in it because of his son's participation, might brood himself into a noxious melancholy. He had surrounded him- self with souvenirs of Egyptian enter- prises. He had long prior to the ex- pedition named one of his daughters Nefertiti, after Tut-ankh-Amen’s queen. Thus saturated in Egyptian lore, the “curse” marked him as a victim. e ——— Inadequate Inspection Services. Following a report made some time 8go by the Bureau of Efficiency con- cerning needed changes in the building inspector’s office, conditions in that office were studied by Maj. Donald A. Davison, senior Assistant Engineer Commissioner, and requests for addi- tional personnel were included in the estimates sent to the Budget Bureau. The Budget Bureau cut down the num- ber of additional inspectors sought by the munjicipal authorities, but the ap- propriation bill now under considera- tion will probably authorize additions to the force. In a second report, made public yes- terday, the Bureau of Efficiency pro- poses a complete reorganization of the inspection services at the District Building. It recommends that these be lumped under the supervision of a new official, whose title will be superin- tendent of inspections, and that there be installed 8 more adequate system of inspection, a readjustment of fees that will make the service self-supporting and steps to assure closer scrutiny of the qualifications of electricians and plumbers.licensed to operate in the Dis- triet. ‘The Bureau of Efficiency is altogether Jjustified in taking a whack at the sys- tem which now permits a builder to em- ploy and pay an inspector of his own choice to do the necessary work of in- specting his project. It favors the aboli- tion of this practice, substituting in- spectors from the District Building who are paid by and responsible only to the municipality. The additional expense would be met by the creation of new fees. The statement by the bureau that “less than one-half of the periodic in- spections required have been made in the past” of elevators in the District, and that although the law requires semi-annual. inspection of freight ele- vators some of them have not been in- spected in years, indicates an amazing lack of insistence on somebody’s part that this necessary service be made to function. This failure to function is perhaps readily explained by lack of personnel and shortage of appropri- ations, but comnnttees of Congress are not apt to let such things stand in the way if anybody insists that the proper remedies be made, and shows cause why they should be made. ‘The entire report by the Bureau of Efficiency leaves onme wondering why the District officials themselves have not taken the situation in hand before and demanded that those obviously nec- essary steps recommended by the bureau be taken. ——— e Haiti has always felt the lack of fa- cility for participating in a peace con- ference that would produce permanent results. ———rt— Chiang Buying Bombers. A dispatch from Shanghai states that the Chinese Nationalist government has given an order for twelve bombing air- | planes for use against various elements which, the Nanking administration be- lieves, are planning a Spring drive. This is the first large order for aviation equipment for military purposes in China. It is an evidence of real pro- gression toward the modernization of the one-time Celestial Empire. Incidentally, the dispatch throws light upon a declension of the value of the Chinese monetary unit, the “Mex” dol- lar. These planes are to cost 725,000 dollars Mexican, which is translated into $240,000 gold. This is at the rate of slightly more than thirty-three cents to the American dollar. A few months ago forty cents was the average reckoning at anghai. In this dispatch is evidence that the Nationalist leaders still suspect Yen Hai-Shan, the so-called model gov-/ ernor of Shansi Province, of anti-Nan- king intentions. A short time ago Yen Hai-Shan sent a message to Chiang! Kai-Shek, Nationalist president, sug-| gesting his resignation. Chiang replied | in peremptory refusal and immediately began preparations for a campaign against a possible combination of “tuchuns,” or warlords—literally pro- vincial military leaders with more or less definite followings of armed men. Then Yen rejoined in a disclaimer of any hostile intentions. But Yen, who is the great friend and ally of Feng, the Christian general, now in retirement, has always persisted in refusal to go to Nanking for conference. He holds aloof and nobody really knows just where he stands. Early last Summer he and Chiang met in Peiping, where Chiang went to prevent the departure of Feng from China. Yen dodged Chtang for several days and finally on plea of illness took refuge in a hos- pital where the persistent Nationalist leader had difficulty in finding him. They eventually got together and ‘ar- rangement was effected that kept Feng in the country and prevented a military crisis. Everything works more or less by contraries in China. Asseverations of fealty are usually interpreted as warn- ings of eventual betrayal. Feng's pro- posed departure from China last Spring the Nanking government. The sup- posed purchase of peace by heavy pay- ments to provincial military command- ers is actually the replenishment of their war-making resources. It is a strange land, with strange ways. ———————— Taxing Fictitious Value. It is necessary that proper steps be taken through adequate legislation to prevent the sale of worthless or fraudu- lent securities in the District. The people of this city are virtually unpro- tected now. Thousands of dollars are lost annually, it has been estimated, because of the unrestrained operations of those who, under proper laws, could not do business in this city. But tke point brought out in an ar- ticle in vesterday's Star, describing one of the features of the Blaine blue sky bill, must be borne in mind in the consideration of the principles embodied in this and other proposed laws—that is. that it is altogether beside the point. to place an exorbitant tax on certain types of property, which must be paid by the innocent purchaser, in the hope of preventing or discouraging the evil practice of excessive appraisals. Ex- cessive appraisals are unjustified. They create fictitious and inflated values, tend to destroy the good name of first mort- gage paper as a sound investment, and somebody always gets left holding the bag when the final time of accounting comes. The Blaine bill, however, takes the position that if a promoter obtains an excessive appraisal on a bullding he should be made to pay taxes on that uppraisal. Well and good as far as it soes. But the promoter would not pay the taxes. The man who buys the property in good faith will pay the taxes or else the load will be borne by the bondholders who have bought on the strength of the bullding’s alleged value. Making the assessment automatically equal the appraisal merely gives to that appraisal the implied approval of the tax assessor. Aside from the discrimi- nation involved, for the building next door might be appraised and assessed at a much lower figure, the practice would convey a substantial “O.K.” from the Government that the promoter’s ap- praisal represents substantial value. There are better ways of preventing fictitious and inflated appraisals than by involving the assessment figures. They will no doubt be found when hearings are begun on the Blaine bill. ———ee— The Mediterranean fruit fly, now fur- nishing a pretext for sealing liquor cars, calls renewed attention to an insect whose versatility in rendering itself odi- ous is practically unlimited. ———— A few discreet words of reminder seem necessary just now in order to prevent announcements of money-spending pro- grams from causing delusions of gran- deur, ————. It has not yet been possible to create a Russian political organization that will work as smoothly and accurately as a Russian ballet. Gangsters shoot one another, but not fast enough to prevent the police from having a constantly increasing amount of work to perform. ——— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Disappointment. February stood in line For a little while, Sent Miss Spring a Valentine— She answered with a smile, Then the storm came hurrying by As the snowdrift, swirled. Said Miss Spring—she breathed a sigh— “It's a fickle world!” Quest of Knowledge. “Even so great a man as a United States Senator should refrain from as- suming that he knows all about cvery- thing.” “That’s the way I feel about it” answered Senator Sorghum. “You can see for yourself why I am always de- manding an investigation of something or other.” Jud Tunkins says the way those old story-tellers brag about Aladdin’s lamp would tempt you to think he had some- thing as convenient and profitable as an electric light. Terms of Finality. Long words we know will come and go From thought's eternal fount. In that vast flow plain “Yes” and “No” Are those that really count. Unsophistication of a Sage. “That college professor knows about all that books can teach.” ““Yes,” answered Miss Cayenne. “And yet after he happened to attend a rather wild party he admitted that there is still an awful lot for him to learn.” Changing the Cast. Politics has made us fret As this rule it teaches: Other orators we get To make the same old speeches. “Ornamentation does not make us beautiful,” said Hi Ho, the" sage of Chinatown. “Gilding a dragon serves only to make him more conspicuously terrible.” Practical Demonstration. Machinery is what we prize. It's not much use to theorize. In stories mistakes will lurk. Machinery has Got to Work. “A man dat never changes his mind,” said Unvle Eben, “goes broke by allus bettin' on de same hoss.” r——e— Edison’s Sleep Ratio. From the Adrian Daily Telegram. Mr. Eidson is 83 years old' In case you are interested, he has had 151,475 hours of sleep out of a possible 627,080. e One Radio Blessing. From the Butte Daily Post. We're indebted to radio for at least one blessing. It has demonstrated that it is possible to get a hearing in Amer- ica without yelling, “Say, listen!" ——— Spring Bangs, Prom the Muncie Star. Mingled with the popping of the THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “The Testament of Beauty,” by Rob- ert Bridges, England’s, poet laureate, is a true poem in the legendary manner. It will be read and admired by those Who like such poetry. As for the remainder of humanity, they had better let it alone, as no doubt they will. The love of poetry is not a natural taste with many of this age, nor is it an acquired one with thou- sands. Here is a long poem (some 4,000 lines) in the manner of Wordsworth’s “Excursion,” a didactic effort in four books devoted to & philosophic, reasoned outlook upon life with particular refer- ence to beauty. | ‘What will strike the lay reader par- | ticularly, even before he opens the book, | published by the Oxford University | Press, New York, is the glorious temer- | ity of a man 85 years old in writing | such a poem. A far, far younger man might well hesitate before offering such a work to the world. Not before in this century has a man of any age dared to do it. Yet it is fitting that it should be done. Most of us imagine that had we lived in Wordsworth's day we would have been among the first to recognize the beauty of his best lines. We like to think that Tennyson would have re- ceived his first plaudits from our appre- ciative hands. ‘The average reader will be slow to pass & judgment on “The Testament of Beauty,” showing as it does such a strange mixture of the old and new, such splendid daring in adoption of the “simplified spelling,” such courageous use of old words, such fearlessness in the expression of truth. Yet he will do well to suspend judg- ment until he has read this k many times, for the impression which it leaves with a poetical inclined reader at first is that here is a work for which one reading is entirely inadequate. * K x x The first book, called simply the “In- troduction,” is typical of the entire work. The first seven lines are in- dicative of the whole. We believe that an average reader, by sampling them, may be able to judge whether he would care to read the remainder. It should be noted that Dr. Bridges has not used capital letters at the beginning of lines except when a sentence begins. This the modern reader will like. “Mortal Prudence, handmaid of divine Providence, hath inscrutable reckoning with Fate and Fortune: ‘We sail a changeful sea through haleyon day and storm, and when the shap laboureth, our sted- fast purpose trembles like as the compass in a bin- nacle. Our stability is but balance, and wisdom es. in masterful administration of the un- foreseen.” There the reader has the beginning of what may prove to be the greatest poem written in our day and genera- tion. Surely it is the finest ever done by this scholar and gentleman, whose work as poet laurcate has hitherto brought him little fame, A writep in England’s Manchester Guardian said, in this connection, “If, by chance, ‘The Testament of Beauty’ should be a great poet laureate’s vale- dictory volume, it will worthily repre- sent the age of which he is one of the leaders.” The learned J. C. Squire has declared, “The most veracious and thrilling, as well as the most learned poem about man, time and eternity since Words- worth'’s “Prelude’.” “Our stability is but balance, and wis- dom lles in masterful administration of the un- foreseen.” One has but to think back over the World War, that tragedy of mankind, to realize the truth of those lines. And the poetically inclined reader may in- sist that there s a certain unforgettable quality about them which brings them within the realm of the world’s greatest w:l';nthe next few lines the poet de- clares that * 'Twas late in my journey, when I had clomb to where the path was narrowing and the company few, that a glow of childlike wonder en- thralled him, and his sense had come to a new birth. He sees life now, so he believes, as a whole, and not so much in part as formerly. He likens his posi- tion, in his old age, with the compan- jons of his youth mostly gone from him, as one who climbs a hi and looks down upon his own home “where far it lieth, small as a faded thought.” ‘There again is something memorable. “Small as a faded thought” is an ulti- mate comparison. as any one knows who works with thoughts and has had one get away from him. It is gone completely, as if it had never be=n. o “Man’s Reason is in such deep in- solvency to sense, that tho' she guide his highest flight heav'nward, and teach him dignity morals manners and human comfort, she can delicatly and dangerously dizen the riotng joys that fringe the sad pathways of Hell.” Our average reader (of whom we speak both with joy and sadness) will find these astounding lines for a very old man to produce. Yet this is surprisingly modern old man. His photographs show him heavily bearded, with a leonine thatch of hair, deep-set eyes, a true poet in the olden manner, Birds, which he declares to be “of all animals the nearest to man,” recall to him airplanes. Yet this bit of de- seription is far outdone by his picture of radio broadcasting. Here is & mod- em boet, speaking in the language of old: “Science comforting man's animal poverty and lesuring his toil, hath humanized manners and social temper, and now above her globe-spredd net of speeded intercourse hath outrun all magic, and disclosing the secrecy of the reticent air hath woven a seamless web of invisible strands spiriting the dumb inane with the quick matter of life: Now music’s prisoned raptur and the drown'd voice of truth mantled in light's velocity, over land and sea are omnipresent, every ear, into every heart and home their un- hinder'd message, the body and soul of Universal Brother- speaking aloud to hood; whereby war faln from savagery to fratricide, from a trumpeting vainglory to a cry- ing shame, stalketh now with blasting curse brand- ed on its bro 9% %% Well, folks, as the radio announcers sometimes say, now that you have had a few samples, how do you like it? * ‘Whatever one may think of it, there is validity in such lines as the fol- lowing: “I wil tell thee a secret, my son, con- straining thee lest thou dare impart it to any man while I liv. My writing is at end. I hav seen such things reveal'd that what I hav written and taught seemeth to me of small worth.” And these striking lines: “Yet from those three long centuries of rapin and blood, inhumanity of heart and wanton cruelty of hand, ther is little left, save the broken relic of one good bishop, and the record of one noble king.” The lines beginning “Time eateth away at many an old delusion” show an amazing young-mindedness for a man in his eighty-sixth year. We end this briefest consideration of Book I of a noble poem with these lines: “*T is mightily to the reproach of ason that she cannot, save nor guide the herd: that minds wiio else wer fit to rule must win to power by flattery and pre- tence, and so by spiritual dishonesty in their flurried reign confirm the disrepute of all authority— but only in sackcloth can the Muse speak of such things.” Disputes Over Boul;ler Dam Go On With No End in Sight While it is felt that some settlement must be reached in the dispute over the benefits to be derived by the several States along the route of the Colorado River, from the Boulder Dam project, public comment indicates general be- lief that the end of the conflicts is not yet in sight. Certain phases such as flood control and water supply are mentioned as requiring prompt action. “Concessions and counter-concessions may bring peace between California and Arizona,” says the Long Beach Press-Telegram, feeling that “both States realize the folly of continued fighting when no one will benefit ex- cept through united action.” An “en- couraging factor” to that paper is “the patience manifested by national repre- sentatives in attendance at the meet- ings” which have been held, and it con- cludes, “Varied opinions are expressed regarding -the ultimate outcoms, but notwithstanding this diversity of view- point, the very force of circumstances would seem to dictate final success for the negotiations.” %% x & “The West can wait, if it has to, in- definitely for the power which is to be generated at the Boulder Dam project, concedes the Salt Lake Deseret News, but it adds: “When it comes to the matter of flood control, there is a cur- able menace which ought not to be en- dured a day longer than it has to, a deadly danger whose removal all should be concerned in hastening. ~Responsi- bility for the continuance of this dan- ger is semething which none of the conflicting interests seem to appraise at its full value, yet it is great and im- pressive. * * * Unused as it is now, the great river is of little value. Its worth will be in its being regulated, and no stream has more peculiar and more urgent need of it. Though started to save the Imperial Valley, the eight years during which it has been under discussion have witnessed a marvelous growth of the coast counties of Cali- fornia, which include such cities as Los Angeles, San Diego and a score of oth- ers, and this has created a demand for water beyond that obtainable from tl own foothills.” he particular merit of the Cali- fornia proposal.” in the opinion of the Los Angeles Express, “is that it does away with fixed allotments and leaves j if it for the two lower-basin States to draw what water they want up to o half by each of the river's flow, leaving no unclaimed surplus to cross the bor- der into Mexico and there be lost for- ever to the Americans. By such ar- rangement, all the water that had passed Lees Ferry, excepting Nevada's share and any to which Mexico already had perfected title, would be available to be put to beneficial use in Arizona and California. The river's flow from its source to its mouth was arbitrarily divided by the Colorado River compact among the four upper-basin States, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, and the three = lower-basin States, Nevada, Arizona and California, giving 7,500,000 acre feet to each group. ‘That does not, however, represent the full flow, nor is-it likely that the up- per-basin States for many years to come, if ever, will be able to make use of their entire allotment, any more pussy-willow buds will soon be the ex- than Arizona can make beneficial use base ball reputations. of the portion claimed for that State. In fact, the Colorado River, year upon year, carries more water than man can now or may ever be able to use.” * ok K X “Fresh obstacles” are pointed out by the Syracuse Herald as arising from “bitter sectional rivalry in California in the demapds for allocations of the Waters and Ihat pAper argues: “when the Boulder Dam bill was under consid- eration by Congress, California, as a whole, insisted upon 4,600,000 acre feet of water as her legitimate share. Ari- zona sought to reduce the California allowance to 4,200,000 acre feet. The Senate offered a compromise of 4,400~ 000 acre feet. But now, ridiculous as it may seem, three sections of Southern California—the Imperial Valley, the Coachella Valley and the Palo Verde Valley—are demanding for themselves exactly 4,400,000 acre feet, as much as the Senate was then willing to assign to all California. In addition, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District sets its own ultimate requirements at 1,000,000 acre feet. The result is an acrimonious intrastate conflict, with the Los Angeles press charging that the valley regions are grossly exaggerating their irrigation needs. Los Angeles has the better of the argument, inasmuch as it shows that the Imperial Valley, instead of being eager and ready to put additional arid land under cultiva- tion. ‘Is not even irrigating all the land which has been prepared for the purpose.’ “California proposes,” according to the Oakland Tribune, “that it and Arizona share equally in the water, con- tributing equally to the irrigation needs of other States. . Under that plan Cali- fornia would be able to use its entire allotment by the time the full yield is attained; Arizona could not use even one-half of that which the main stream alone would yield. Arizona and Nevada each demand a third of all profits from power, and the former also asks spe- cial privileges in exercising options on power developed, a demand which the South calls a ‘rake-off, no more or less.’ So many and so complicated are the many demands and arguments that no one dares say Arizona is ail wrong and California all right. But it does appear that Arizona is asking more of the early water yield than California would get afd is withholding its consent for the highest possible price.” In the matter of contracts for power, the Flint Daily Journal remarks that position,” recording that the total cost of the contract is to be approximately $165,000,000, and that “before construc- tion Secretary Wilbur must apportion the power among the bidders." ‘The Milwaukee Journal sees further difficulties in the proposal to award 50 per cent of the power to the Metro- politan Water District of Southern California- (a group of municipalities), 25 per cent to the City of Los Angeles and 25 per cent to the Southern Cali- fornia Edison Co. The Journal con- tends: “How Secretary Wilbur can allot’ power to a private company so long as States and municipalities are willing to take that power, we do not see. Nevada wants 33 per cent as against the possible 18 per cent. that is to be given her. Even though the 33 per cent be more than her natur; allotment, it would seem that if sl is willing to handle it as a State project, her request should have prefer- ence over & private request from an- other State.” t “does not envy Secretary Wilbur's, The Political Mill By G. Gould Lincoln. Is the ‘‘coalitiol ‘?nfl:he sfinl"e' com- posed of insurgent publicans from the West and Democrats, likely to bring so serfous a split in Republican ranks that it will give the Democrats victory at the polls in 1930 and, more important. in 1932? It is a consumma- tion that is devoutly hoped by the Democrats. What the insurgents hope is more nebulous. Doubtless they wish the Republican party as a whole to ac- cept the ideas advanced by them. There are two sides to the question whether the Democrats are showing political acumen in playing the Repub- lican insurgents' game. In the first place, the Democrats must consider the effect in the more populous States of the East and North. Massachusetts and Rhode Island were two of the very few States which the Democrats carried in the national election two years ago. New York, with its huge electoral vote, was close although it went for Presi- dent Hoover. There is danger that the Democrats may lose the advantage which they have gained in these in- dustrial States if they flop over to the leadership of r{:e ‘Weskm Republicans. o On the other hand, a serious revolt among the Republicans of the West and Northwest might have a disastrous effect on Republican success, particular- ly as the Democratic “solid South” gives every impression of becoming once more solid. The Democratic leaders, with their eyes on the Western Republican progressives, are harking back to the days of the Bull Moose, when Theodore Roosevelt split the G. O. P. asunder and made possible the victory of ‘Woodrow Wilson. But those who are warning the Democrats of the futility of joining the Republican insurgents in their efforts to hamstring the administration on legislation are looking to a more recent event, the formation of a third presi- dential ticket headed by the late Senator Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin. In that instance history failed to repeat itself, Despite the defection of the La Follette Republicans, including the Senators from North Dakota and Sena- tor Brookhart of Iowa, the Republican national ticket swept everything before it; Coolidge was elected President, and John W. Davis, the Democratic nominee was hopelessly ‘beaten, along with La Follette, * K Ok ok 1t is true that in 1924 the Democrats had @ serious split in their party align- ment, following the uproarious national But is there any assurance today that the factions which warred in the famous old garden in 1924 will not be at grips again in the Democratic convention in 19322 John W. Davis was a compromise candidate after a bitter battle, Four years later in Houston, Tex., the Demo- crats with more outward signs of amity, yielded to the Northern and Eastern faction of the party, the faction which opposes prohibition, and nominated Alfred E. Smith. The result, however, was more disastrous than ever. Four of the regularly Democratic States of the South broke away from their tradi- tional allegiance. The troubles of the Republicans are in the spotlight right now. It would be foolish to minimize them. On the other hand, the troubles of the Democrats have shown no signs of vanishing. The Democratic party, nationally, is far worse divided than the Republicans at the present writing over the prohibi- tion question. And that question is one that the party will have to reckon with when it comes to selecting a can- 'didlte for President. * k% x ‘The greatest danger that confronts the Republicans is the possibility of hard times, or even of a depression. ‘The Democrats at the outset of the congressional campaign of 1930 are em- phasizing the fact that there is unem- ployment_in sections of the country; that stock prices and grain prices are down. Politically, as well as economi- cally, a tremendous amount depends upon the turn of business in America during the next few months. If condi- tions grow better the Democrats, while they may gain seats in the House and several in the Senate, are not likely to gain control of either house of Con- gress. On the other hand, if condi- tions grow worse there might be a real upheaval which would result in plac~ ing control of the House, if not the Senate, in the hands of the Democrats. Voters, when the pinch of the pocket- book comes, hit out at the party in power. It has happened before when both the Republicans and Democrats were in control in Washington, * x ox Discussion of the accomplishments of the administration of President Hoover during his first year in the White House has already begun. Republicans insist that much has been done in a compara- tively brief period and before another year is out much more will have been accomplished. The Democrats, on the other hand, say the Hoover accom- plishments have been nil. Chairman Jouett Shouse of the executive com- mittee of the Democratic national committee has undertaken to compare the first year of the Wilson adminis- tration with the first year of Hoover control in the White House. He was careful to list the Federal Reserve act and other measures put through Con- gress and signed by President Wilson as “accomplishments” of the Wilson ad- ministration. Tennessee, attacking the Hoover record in the Senate, declined to allow Mr. Hoover credit for the tax reduction bill taking $160,000,000 off the shoulders of the Federal income tax payers this year on the ground that the measure was passed by both houses of Congress, practically without opposition, Either an act of Congress, put through at the suggestion of a President, is an accom- plishment for that President’s adminis- tration or it is not. atter which Mr. Shouse and Senator McKellar will have to straighten out for them- selves, * K ok % Word was received here today that Mr. Shouse has stated in Mernphls. Tenn, that Democrats who supported President Hoover in the last election should not be barred from Democratic primaries this year. He is for welcom- ing back into the party all Democratic voters who declined to follow the Demo- cratic national ticket in 1928. This means sound political sense. To do otherwise is merely to intensify divisions in the party which sprang up in States that usually have been Democratic. Texas, Alabama and Arkansas have un- dertaken to debar Hoover Democrats and opponents of Smith from becoming candidates in the Democratic primaries. Local conditions have influenced this action, it is true. A certain section of the Democratic party in Alabama, for example, is doing its best to eliminate Senator “Tom" Heflin, and in Texas the regular Democratic organization is do- ing its best to down Thomas B. Love, | who wants to be governor and who at one time was Democratic national com- | mitteeman. The Republicans, after their big row in 1912 and their lesser row in 1924, never sought to prevent any of the insurging Republican vot- ers from taking any part in primary elections that they desired to take. The senatorial race in Alabama is growing in candidates as well as in in- terest, Frederick 1. Thompson, pub- lisher of a string of newspapers in the State and formerly a member of the United States Shipping Board, has thrown his hat in the ring and today it is announced that John W. O'Neil, an “Underwood Democrat,” will also be a candidate. John H. Bankhead an- nounced his candidacy several months ago. The State committee has stood firm in its refusal to have Heflin run in the primary. But that matter is still before the courts for decision. Senator Heflin, if the courts decide in his favor, should have a walkaway in a field of four candidates. Even if he runs in a “sticker” clmpl-lfn, he may win against such a fleld. If the State committee should decline to count the Heflin bal- lots, there would be an uproar, with Mr. Heflin probably seeking some interven tion on the part of the Senate itself. ‘The Senate, by the way, is to ha in all probability & committee to in- convention in Madison Square Garden. | But Senator McKellar of | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN, This newspaper puts at your disposal & corps of tnlx;::d pr:u;ruhen in Wash- ington_who will answer questions for you. They have access to the Gov- associal maintain headquarters in the Nation's Capital. If they can be of assistance to you, write your question plainly, and send with 2 cents in coin or stamps to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Pr!dell;h:él Haskin, director, Washing- Q. Who is the hardest hitter in the National League?—G. D. C. A. Most ball players consider Babe Herman, the Brooklyn outfielder, the hardest hitter, Q. Do the Chinese have more furni- ture in their houses than the Japanese do?—S. H. A. Unlike the Japanese, the Chinese house interior is profusely decorated and furnished with tables, chairs, beds, cab- inets, screens and similar articles of household use, The Japanese use very little furniture, and that is usually re- moved from sight when not in use. Q. Who was the man who forged Shakespearean manuscripts to the point of decelving his own father?—L. D. A. Willlam Henry Ireland, 1777-1835, was the son of Samuel Ireland, who was an author, engraver and dealer in rare books and curios. Young Ireland first forged manuscrips to tease his father. Upon finding how credulous he was these forgeries were foisted upon the public. Many scholars were deceived for a time, but exposure followed. The disgrace was said to have hastened his father's death, Q. What is the soapberry plant?— C.T. A. It is a shrub or tree of the genus Sapindus—native of tropical America. ‘The pulp of the fruit contains saponin and is used in washing textile fabrics. Q. If a steel Instrument is placed in coal ofl, will rust be prevented with- out injuring the sharp edge?—A. J. 8. A. The Bureau of Standards says that steel instruments placed in coal oil will not rust, nor will the sharp edge on steel instruments be injured. Q. In an open fight between a full- grown grizzly and a full-grown lion, which would be the victor?—I. L. W. | A. It would depend somewha’ upon circumstances. As a general rule, the lion, in addition to strength and vigor, has'a degree of cunning not found in a grizzly bear. Consequently, he would have the advantage over the bear and, X£ most cases, would come out the vic- T, Q. Is Jacob's Well still in existence? —G. R. A. It is supposed to be. It is 12 miles east of Nablus, at the foot of Mount Gerizim. In 1838 it was found to be 105 feet deep, but it is now shal- lower and is often dry. Q. What keeps a glider in the air?— E. H. S A. The modern glider is a soaring plane. It is, for all practical purposes, an extremely light airplane without an engine. while the construction is greatly simplified, all parts being made as light as consistent with strength and the lifting surface so designed and set as to give high lift at low speeds. e fact remains that the craft is sustained in the air by means of the lift on its L COMERCIO, Lima.— Recent discoveries by the German ar- cheologist Lehmann evidence a high degree of civilization in-the states of tiago del Estero and Buenos Aire in Argentina, and particularly in the region known as El Chaco Santiagueno, existing as remotely as 5000 years ago, Excavations re- vealed vast native cemeteries, from which petrif bodies were removed. Skull measurements and other investi- gations showed a high type of intelli: gence, as did also all sorts of agricul tural tools, hunting weapons, musical instruments, statuary and ceramics. Dr. Lehmann has proved that a great and established people 50 centuries ago were living in the luxuriant plateaus of Eastern South America. His findings show them to have been a people of scientific knowledge and cultural at- tainments. With all the advantages of a mild and temperate climate, they ap- parently remained for generations in the same localities, tending their flocks, cultivating their crops, building their cities and villas. They were not a no- madic people; they occupied greater areas little by little, only as the in- creases in population or the require- ments for grazing and water demandéd. From sculptures and engravings they have left they seem to have been a monotheistic people, their god being a triad of bird-and-man-shaped divin- ities, usually represented with a jaguar, an eagle, a serpent or a fish to indicate, no doubt, their possession of all the qualities characteristic of these crea- ures. Dr. Lehmann worked under the auspices of the Wagner expedition, and the result of his exploration is so vast that it will be some time before detailed reports and deductions are available. * ok ok ¥ Scores English Landlords. Dally Mail, London—Having seen the conditions under whiech the poor live in the slums of London, the Rev. Desmond Morse-Boycott declares that “no landlord who is an Englishman could possibly sleep with ease in a comfortable bed if he knew what his tenants were suffering.” Here Is a pen-picture by Mr. Morse- Slumdom : “At the command: Now you—ahtside, while we gets the room ready! Six or seven youngsters in scanty attire skip out into the cold and paper-littered street. They huddle on the doorstep while the nightly move takes place. There are two rooms—three, if the folks are fortunate. If they are top rooms, & descent must be made every time a bucketful of water is needed. And then a laborious, back-breaking ascent. If on the ground floor, then there is the con- stant maddening tread of footsteps overhead. And often worse noises. know a sick woman who has to lie and listen to the almost constant sawing of wood.” Mr, Morse-Boycott goes on to say that the beds are made while the children shiver. Heavy pieces of furniture are —————————— quire into senatorial primary campaigns and elections just as it had in 1926. Senator Norrls' resolution calling for | the appointment of a special committee of five Senators to carry on this work, with a fund of $100,000, is now before the Senate privileges and elections com- mittee, and Senator Norris is confident that it will receive favorable action by the committee and by the Senate. Cam- paign managers will have to wawh their step. 85 well as the candidates, with such |8 committee in existence. Up in Penn- sylvania there are signs of a bitter con- test, with Senator Grundy and Willlam S Vare already declared candidates for the Republican senatorial nomination and the possibility of others getting into the race, too. It looked like plain sail- ing for Mr. Grundy when he was first appointed to the Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the rejection of | vare. But the political clouds are gath- ering. Mr. Grundy will have strong op- position from labor. He never run for political office himself, although he has backed many successful candidates in the past. The suggestion is being around that if he is successful and gains control of the State he may throw the Pennsylvania delegation against the renomination of President Hoover in 1932, when the Republican party meets in national convention, \ Z High]iglits on the Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands Boycott of the “twice-daily shift” in| surface, caused by its motion relative to the airship. Q. What is the largest edible fish? —R. P, A. One of the hmhum.eflkdhmmm is the largest known edible fish. ;I reaches a weight of 3,000 pounds. Q. Is the crescent and three stars an emblem of Turkey?—C, McC. A. It is an emblem of Egypt. The emblem of Turkey is a crescent and a Q. At what temperature does sea water freeze?—G. E. L. A. The freezing point for sea water ::] “lvm: ‘lndllnlty—ml is, 35 T le—is 28.6 degrees F. The tung‘ point becomes lower as the salinity in- creases. ‘On the Past and Present,” says: “If the language were to be subdl a hundred parts, forty-five of these might be Anglo-Saxon, or Old English; forty- five Latin (ncluding Latin that has come through the French). Five; per haps most of our sclentific nomencla- ture, are from the Greek, such as the names of new instruments and proc- :a'ze]s ,(lithography, telephone, telegraph, . How old is E. % helds, FIOW 0ld s E Phillips Oppen A. He is 64. He was born in 1866, iy 12w o """.:m‘.ml noul ? ollowed or plural verbw B o ® ’ as in “date” . The first “a” is long, Tlhe s ‘ng z. is :‘hw{ Data is the plural of atum and takes plural form of a verb, g Q. Are relics of early Rome found?—W. M. v B A. The City of Rome still ylelds many ancient works of art. Excava- tions are still proceeding and rare and beautiful relics are often found. Q. Can a red neon light be seen farther in a fog than incandescent n;«‘)‘m—c, B. o‘fl ity . . The Naval Research Laboratory uys‘thlt mi ";"m of a neon lamp has no fog-penetrating capacity not_pos- sessed by other lights of '.hey same eolor and initial candlepower, Q. Who was the first whil born in Kentucky?—N. F. E. Ry A. The first white male ehild born in Kentucky was Daniel Boone's son. . How is & tomato made Qg mato cocktall ? A. Bring one-quart can of tomatoes to a boil. Rub through a colander and chill. Season with salt and for children. For adults, season with salt, red pepper and add a little Worcester- ssmre and horl:;endhh, k‘{. you choose. erve very cold in cocktail glasses at the beginning of the meal. X Q. When was glass first made in this co:nt%’_‘—¥4 :a' H. 5 e first industrial enterprise in the United States was lass bottle factory erected in the Vll"afll Colony soon after 1607. It was located in the woods about a mile distant from James- town. Window glass was manufactured in what is believed to be the first glass factory in New Jersey. It was %um about 1739, ‘a mile east of Alloways- town, Salem County, by Caspar Wistar Wide World % | moved about, chair-beds are spread, mattresses laid upon every inch of available floor space, and then they are ready for the night, and cannot move without waking somebody or walking on his face. The first thing that a slum-child will say on being taken into a properly furnished room is, “Where's the bed?” No room, in his eyes, is fur- nished without a bed. “Griddlers,” as hymn singers are called, can make 4 or 5 shillings a day. A “timber merchant" rarely makes more than 3. He sells atches. The “smoke-seller” collects ag-ends” and cigar stubs. The to- bacco so obtained is sorted, blended hnd | p;gl‘(,!d .tlzfllltl.l‘es hl(p, which are sold to “down-and-outs” for a penny ok the half | ok ok % Jewelers Celebrate Guild Founding, * Danish Commercial Review, Copen- hagen.—In 1429 the Danish goldsmiths were granted permission by King Erik of Pomerania to form their own guild, and this association has now existed Wwithout break for 500 years. To cele- Copenhagen of exquisite, but not too large, collections of old and modern work, comprising both useful and orna- mental articles, from table cutlery to costliest necklaces of diamonds and pearls; from the most imposing center- pleces, weighing some hundreds of pounds per set—gold and silver wedding gifts to King Christian IX and King Frederick VIII—to the smallest rings and pins, cheap enough for the ordi- nary man on the street. The value of the exhibits may be judged from the fact that they were insured for 8,000,000 kroner. It wag evident that the collections here brought together gave a remark- ably fine impression of Danish gold and silver smiths and jewelers’ art— which is highly cultivated and fully executed. * X ok ok Russia Initiates Campaign Against Alcohol. El Telegrafo, Guayaquil.—The whole world seems to be in league against liquor. Even in Russia they have in- itiated a vigorous campaign against al- cohol, under the auspices of Anti-Alcoholic_ Society. In a phote graph from Russia there a) group of children who paraded through the principal streets of Moscow recently ‘The inscription on one with banners. standard reads, “Parents who drink Jjeopardize the lives of their children.” i Another shows a bottle f vodka labeled with a skull and cross-bones and sur- rounded with the word “Death! * Ok K ‘ | Heat Berlin 1 Greenhouses by Electricity. Cologne Gazette—Heat from the Ber- ‘l!n municipal power plant at Klingen- ! berg, generated by the dynamos pro | ducing electric current for the capita! |power and light, is being used to heat igreenhouses to which this excess | warmth can conveniently be conveyed. All sorts of vegetables are now being successfully propagated in nearly a score of neighboring greenhouses which otherwise would have to be imported at this season of the year. | Austrian Ladies Unaware of Long Skirt. Vienna Herald—As for the contro- versy between admirers and detractors | of the long evening frock, there are still ymany ladies who are not familiar with the modern long style. This is not sur- prising, as the new vogue rather sud- denly succeeded the short skirts, While | the latter are still in fashion for clothes | for daily wear, it must be admitted that the only fashion for an evening gown is the long ine. * | H ———— ! Too Short. | Prom the Rock Island Argus. Greatly distressed about Chi ' A e st ey the' advice, “Don't sell Chicago short.” But, dog-gone it, Chicago is short! ———— | No Use Merely Swapping. ! From the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. Burying the hatchet won't do you much good unless you're willing to hang up the hammer, : S