Evening Star Newspaper, March 7, 1930, Page 8

Lok kVRENING DIAR, WASHINGLON, D. i, EruAY, MARCH 7, 1930, ' THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C FRIDAY..........March 7, 1930 THEODORE W. NOYES. | : Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company iy o P OB e New ce: 110 East 42nd gz cago Offce. Lake Michizan Bullding. it Office; 14 Regent t.. London. Rate by Carrier Within the City. ng St -4, . .45¢ per month nj ‘Btar undays) .80c per month 5¢ ner month The Evening and when 5 B dare) Collection mads fers may be Ational 8000, Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. i and Sunday 00; 1] only .. inday” only .;i nd of each month. nt in by mail or telephone dyri m " '1yr, $4.00; 1 mo.. 40c All Other States and Canada. Member of the Associated Press. ‘The Associated Press is exclusively lntl:‘ltl to the use for republication of il nows dis- patches credited to it or not otherwise cred- ited in this peper and aiso the local news published herein. Al rights of publication of epecial dispatches h also reserved. Amerfea Is Not Going Red. International unemployment day, March 6, 1930! It had been proclaim- ed from Moscow, planned by agents of the Russian Communist organization, financed by that organization. It was to appeal to the discontented, to the jobless, to the opponents of establish- ed governments, to the foes of “capi- talism"—whatever that may mean to the radical—for the purpose of arousing resentment to the pitch of militant protest and even active defiance of the laws. In this country it was to di- Tect public attention to the great num- bers of people out of work, as an evi- dence of the need of Communistic re- form in the organization of the state. This demonstration proved an utter failure. The numbers actually engag- ing in public meetings and disorder}y maneuvers were small. In every city where the program was undertaken there were probably at least a hundred spectators to one demonstrator. And the onlookers were by no means sym- pathetic with the agitators, marchers and placard bearers. ‘The happenings of yesterday, in the first place, proved that those persons in high places who denied that there was any “international program” in contemplation, who averred: that the talk about an “unemployment demon- stration” in this country was nonsense and that it? was all a camouflage for the actually acute economic situation here, were either completely mistaken or were deliberately misrepresenting the facts. It is fully evident that the program was arranged by & central organization. It certainly was not & spontaneous affair. It certainly was no coincidence that almost precisely similar disorders occurred in & score or more of American cities, with similar happenings abroad. Just what it had been expected by the Moscow organization to effect here or elsewhere by these arousals of & militant spirit on the part of the dis- contented is somewhat difficult to un- derstand, unless the < Third Interna- tionale, or Communist party executive body, is so lacking in common sense as to look for actual revolution. The Mos- cow Communist leaders have thelr rep- resentatives or agents here who should be keeping it informed of conditions and of public feeling in this country. Those agents, some of whom are well known, ware not altogether deluded. They must know that there is no real spirit of re- volt here, that even if there are three million jobless persons in the United Rtates their condition, which may be changed within a few months, does not make of them active advocates of & fun- damental change of government. ‘There are two general classes of Com- munists here as elsewhere, the profes- sional and the sentimental. The profes- slonal Communist is a shrewd worker for his own interests who has adopted radicalism as a husiness. The sentimen- _tal Communist is the theorist and dab- bler in political affairs as an excite- ment, a diversion, a pastime. Then there are some who are earnest “follow- ers,” who do not know precisely what it is all about, who think that perhaps there may be something in the theories of Communism in the way of salvation for evident and inescapable economic ills. These belong in the amateur class, though they sometimes become such Zealots as to be classed as professional. Altogether there are very few in propor- tion to the whole population. The fig- ures of elections, which show scores of thousands of votes cast for so-called Communist or other varieties of radical candidates for office, do not form an enumeration, for many of these votes are cast by people who have no affilia- tion whatever with the parties of the extreme “Left.” Yesterday's demonstrations proved that America is not going red, is not headed in that direction. ———— As a rule “Reds” do not need to be quelled. All that is really necessary is an occasional plain admonition not to start anything. ———————————— Pope Pius deplores the irreverence of youth. The relaxed reverence of par- ents may have something to do with the situation, ———— Germany's Lord High Admiral. The death of Alfred von Tirpitz, who was lord high admiral of the German navy during the war, will revive a con- troversy which raged for several years regarding the part this veteran of the sea took in the submarine warfare of 1914-18. Von Tirpitz, though he would have been eighty-one years of age in a few days, preserved his mental vigor in his retirement and until nearly the end of his life. He took keen interest in affairs and watched with concern the developments in Germany and in the international field. = He was in- clined to be pessimistic regarding the future of his country, but he had faith in the ability of von Hindenburg as President of Germany to prevent disas- trous reaction. It was indeed von Tir- pitz who as a deputy in the Reichs- tag in 1925 went to Hanover and per- suaded the field marshal to accept the presidency. Von Tirpitz became secretary of state for the imperial navy in 1897 and he Theld that office for nineteen years. In 1916 he broke with the Kalser on the score of submarine warfare. The epemies of von Tirpitz—he had many hearty {/ ones—contend that he desired an even more intensive submarine warfare than the Kaiser was willing to conduct. His friends—who are as numerous—assert that von Tirpits's influence was for moderation in undersea offensive on the score of possible involvement of the United States in the war. The name of von Tirpitz has always been assoclated with Germany's undeg- | He was a staunch be-| sea campaign. lever in submersible craft as well as in major surface ships. He was a “big navy” man and undoubtedly Ger- many's great strength at sea in 1914 was due chiefly to him. Whatever may be the facts regarding his position in 1916 on the score of the intensity of €OBY { submarine warfare, his name will al- ways bp associated with the policy of ruthlessness. The “Cossack Police.” “Cossack tactics” by the police was the end desired by the majority of the real Communist agitators who planned the demonstrations in American cities yesterday, swelling their ranks by re- cruits from the discontented and the unemployed, ready and willing to march under any man's banner. And wherever a policeman so muck | as raised his hand in waming, that action will be interpreted, in the fevered minds of the agitators, as symbolic of ruthless tyranny. So much the better, in the eyes of the agitators, when police used their blackjacks, threw tear gas bombs or seized rioting men and women and marched them off to jail. The experience of American cities vesterday in handling the demonstra- tions affords an interesting lesson in contrast. There were near riots and bruised heads in Washington, New York, Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, Seat- tle and other cities. In Baltimore, Chicago, Charlotte, N. C.; Oakland, San Francisco, Houston and St. Louis there were peaceful demonstrations, with po- lice on the alert, but protecting the marchers, In San Francisco the march of the demonstrators was sanctioned by the police and the chief of police met the leaders en route to the city hall, joined them in their procession, shook hands with them, posed for photographers and then left them to proceed alone. Ar- riving at the city hall, they were greet- ed by the mayor, who made them a speech from a flag-draped stand erect- ed for the purpose, heard their com- plaints and outlined the steps being taken by the eity council to lessen the hardships from unemployment. In Baltimore the demonstrators were per- mitted to march, the police protecting them along the line of the parade. ‘The city laughed off its demonstration and naturally it missed fire, Hearing of plans for a perade, the police de- partment immediately furnished a “leader” and gave him a permit. Hear- ing that the Communists would march on city hall, the mayor immediately made ready to welcome the protest- ants. The real agitators, beaten at their own game and unable to find any opposition, gave up in disgust. In New York the demonstrators were permitted to assemble and speak to their heart'scontent. Police Commissioner ‘Whalen offered the leaders the use of his car and his personal escort for a conference with the mayor. But in Union Square they looked for a fight and found it. Instead of accept- ing the offer to call peaceably on the mayor, they rushed a cordon of po- lice and tried to storm the city hall. ‘That touched off the fuse and New York worked all afternoon suppressing the worst riot in the city's recent his- tory. In Washington the small band of demonstrators were permitted, under police protection, to parade in front of the White House, and they were warned not to speak. But when one of them climbed the fence and tried to speak the trouble started. In about five min- utes it was over, with scars of battle borne by agitators, police and innocent bystanders and with the fumes of a tear gas bomb floating away on the breeze. In Boston, Detroit, other cities where arrests were made and nightsticks used, trouble was precip- itated when the demonstrators crossed the dividing line between order and dis- order. As long as they marched in peace they were undisturbed. When they de- liberately sought a fight they got it. American police yesterday were not fighting communism, atheism, or the demonstrations of the unemployed. They were fighting disorder and sup- pressing, where it showed itself, the spirit that may move a mob to crazed extremes. Baltimore was lucky and San Francisco was lucky. But they would have been no more fortunate than other cities had the leaders, in- sistent upon violence, tried to take the city hall by storm or mobbed the mayor as he stood upon his rostrum, ‘There must be tolerance in handling these demonstrations, but tolerance as well as intolerance may be carried to dangerous extremes. It is tolerant to allow a youngster to place a dynamite cap on the street car track and laugh with him as the car is jolted. But it is wiser to remove him and the dyna- mite cap before the explosion. The parading Communists should be given the privilege held by other Ameri- cans of peaceably assembling and talk- ing their heads off. It is only when they seek, with their fists, the privi- leges denied these other Americans that the “Cossack police” must step in with their tear gas bombs and their blackjacks. When the police step in under these circumstances, the Com- munists become martyrs in their own eyes. In the eyes of others they re- main stubborn and unruly disturbers of the peace. R A brother of Al Capone was arrested in Philadelphia for driving a car without a license. So slight an offense does not. indicate a disposition to uphold reckless family traditions. The fact that the car carried no cargo justified the leni- ency which the young man met, Col. Charles Lindbergh really ought to know better than to try such a dan- gerous means of transportation as a horse. Skilled as he is in riding the air, with and without motors, he should be wiser than to attempt to navigate a polo pony. Yet that is what he did the other day out in California, and he came to grief in consequence. Not seriously, but sufficiently to prove that as a horseman he is a wonderful aviator. “Lindy” is not the first to dearn that 8 horse is one of the hardest craft in the world to manage. An airplane has Cleveland and ; {of its driver. There may be air pockets and eddies and swirls and all sorts of eccentricities in the atmosphere through which the aviator is traveling, but the plane, short of breakage, is a disciplined factor. It does not think for itself. A horse does. The rider may believe that he has his mount under perfect con- trol and suddenly a whim comes and the animal cavorts, capers or balks or decides to go somewhere else. In short, he may rebel at any moment. Then, in case of an aviator rider, all the knowledge gained in the ether, all the skill in handling planes, fails utterly. Let the aviator stick to his plane and the horseman to his saddle. The aviator may make a good rider, with practice, but not because of any experience in the air. Just so the horseman may become an ace, though again not because of what he has learned with his feet in the stirrups. And the public hope is that “Lindy” will stay in the air. ————————— The Cherry Blossom Festival. In postponing Washington’s first cherry blossom festival from this year to next on account of the grave ill- ness of former President William How- ard Taft, who was responsible for the gift of the trees to the National Capital, and because of the shortness of time for the elaborate preparations for the spec- tacle, Gen. Anton Stephan, chairman of the general committee for the project, is making a wise move. The former President and Chief Justice of the United States was to be one of the honored guests at the ceremonies for bringing the trees to Washington, and most of the tentative plans hinged on his presence. Assuredly with this well loved personage lying at the point of death it is no time to continue prepa- rations for an event of this character. In so far as preparations for the first festival go, the National Capital with its characteristic energy could probably get ready in time, but it is no part of the committee’s plans that a haphazard or ill prepared spectacle shall be presented, and it is obvious that for the finished performance scheduled to feature the annual blossoming of the Japanese cherry trees in Potomac Park many months of planning and rehearsal will be required. It is for these reasons that Gen. Stephan has decided to postpone it from 1930 to 1931, and disappoint- ing as the postponement may be to those who wished this year to inaugu- rate in Washington a festival of national interest, it may be taken as an as- surance that next year's event will be & finished and complete product, at- tracting patriotic citizens from all sec- tions of the United States. ————— On the advice of physicians Albert Fall will refrain from coming to Wash- ington during the Doheny trial. Pro- fessional men sometimes hold different opinions, but in this case doctors are in agreement with lawyers, e One of the disadvantages of unem- ployment is the eagerness of the idle rad- ical to make common cause with the skilled workman temporarily not on the pay roll. ———— A Communist demonstration serves a useful purpose in showing how well equipped the authorities are to deal with | anything of the kind if it were really serious. —————————————— Pride is evidently felt by Tardieu in the fact that he can exercise his own judgment about taking an office or let- ting it alone. —————— Padlocking garages that violate pro- hibition laws is regarded as necessary, even though it increases the difficulty in securing parking space. —— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Locomotive. The old train coming ‘round the bend Called out in tones so low, “I'm bringing news about the end | Of storms, of frost and snow!” | For I have traveled many a mil I've seen the blossoming rare. | Tl bring you in a little while Car loads of Springtime fair, The old train’s coming 'round the bend! The whistle that we heard | We know a gentle charm would lend To wake the mocking bird. And so we listen day by day Forgetful of each care, We know that there are on the way Car loads of Springtime fair, Reticence. “Do you think you can explain to your constituents exactly what is going on in politics out your way?” “Most of it,” answered Senator Sor- ghum, “but I speak cautiously. I don't think 2 man is under obligation to make himself unpopular by bringing in the bad news.” Jud Tunkins says he has been read- ing the almanac for years and it hasn't taught him any more about farming than it has about astronomy. Oversupply. The Communist in accents clear Said, “Men have troubles always near. And I come knocking at the door To show you how to get some more.” Scientifically Designated. “Girls appear to put on a new make- up every day.” “True,” answered Miss Cayenne. “We have what psychologists refer to as the complexion complex.” “A show of sympathy,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “mocks distress 1f it comes not from the heart.” The Great Annual Puzzle. A citizen in dull dismay Remarked in language terse, “The income tax is tough, Il say. The mental tax is worse.” “Sometimes,” said Uncle Eben, “I think dar ought to be & big merger so's dar’ll be only a few parades besides circus parades.” e A Big Difference. From the Nashville Southern Lumberman. Mayor Jimmie Walker says there's no difference between the stock market and a horse race, But did he ever see all the horses in a race suddenly turn around and start running backward? o Plenty of Talent. From the Little Rock Arkansas Democrat, One advantage to a third house “ Congress_com| of “e; ad is that there will be miliie of candi- l no moods that are beyond the control dates. Thanks for a dull evening, my friend! 1If you had not taken me to a very dull | po show, I might have forgotten my old Joy in the audience. The ple, 'tis the people, who are the real show! Paces are flowers, to be examined not only for themselves, but especially by contrast with one another. Then the old lady's face is seen to have marks of distinction, in compari- son with the fresh firm cheeks of the young girl. The heavy, gray-haired men, with pink suffused skin a schoolgirl might envy, stands out very well in the lowered 1i hts of the auditorium. He need shrink from no comparison with the very young fellow two aisles away, whose mouth and eyes, and even his nose, speak loudly of life inexperi- ence. * ok * * This inexhaustible interest in faces is not common with every one. It is a dis- tinct portion of the artistic sense. There are, of course, scores of artists 1 in the world who do not paint, or write, or compose music, or do miniatures, model in wax, or indulge in any of the other artistic forms. Without this large audience of non- practicing artists, the real ones would be hard put to it to exist in this very material world of business. ‘The practitioners and the non-prac- titioners, however, meet upon & very common ground in their love for human faces. ‘Here the average man Is on a par with the greatest painter that ever lived, for the latter probably had no deeper ap- preciation than the former, and it is in the matter of appreciation that artist and audience are one. The skill reg- | uisite for execution in any art form is a thing distinct. * ok kK A theater auditorium offers an un- excelled medium for the leisurely ex- amination of faces. Perhaps the con- centration on faces needs a little expla- nation. Here one finds the whole man or woman summed up, o that it is to- tally unnecessary to look further. This preoccupation with faces is never believed in by those persons who are unable to understand it. With this class of sneerers the facial expert need have nothing to do, just as for them and their opinions he has no regard. The face is the thing, ani the audi- ence might come to the play clad in bearskins, for all he cares, just so long as they permitted their heads to poke out. From a strictly technical standpoint a box is the best vantage point, since it permits the gazer to command a larger number of cases, with such light as is avallable shining squarely on them, but the ordinary auditorium seat has one peculiar advantage, in that it demands concentration on the part of a beholder. This, after all, is something; it is im- possible for any one, no matter how much interested in faces, to carefully look over a thousand of them in the brief time of one poor play. The play, no matter how tiresome, | demands”some attention. The specta- tor is harassed by the play, just as the movie addict who, determined to shut his eyes for a time, finds himself gletp- ing now and then to see “where he is now.” ‘There are plenty of faces to be ex- amined in the brief confines of a half- dozen seats to right or left, several rows | forward, and perhaps a few to the rear. Inspection of the latter demands a flexible neck, a determined spirit and an indifference to glares. Glaring eyes, even though they be beautiful ones, are not to be borne with complete indiffer- Considerable unrest is manifest in administration circles over the cone tinuing silence of the regular Repub- licans in the Senate whenever Mr. Hoover is attacked. The party leaders alibi themselves with the explanation that the present objective is to get the tariff bill passed and that the debate will never end unless the speeches of ‘Lhe coalition are for the time being ignored. Friends of the President are said to believe, however, that a few 10- minute speeches now and then would have a beneficial effect, and at least would dissipate any impression that the Republican Senators do _not want to defend the President. However, this week has brought indications that a more militant ?‘ol\ty is at hand. Sena- tor Fess of Ohio, reliable Republican party wheelhorse, delivered a Hoover panegyric last Tuesday commemorative of Mr. Hoover's first 12 months in office, and the Republican national committee, for the first time in a long time, this week issued a bit of party publicity, being advanced copies of an address to be made by Chairman Claudius Huston before the Indiana Republican Editorial Association. * ok ok The Federal Oil Conservation Board, composed of Secretary of Interior Wil- bur, Secretary of War Hurley, Secre- tary of Navy Adams and Secretary of Commerce Lamont, after nearly a year of study, has reached the conclusion that “there is coming to be too much gasoline and its manufacture is pro- ceeding unchecked,” according to a press memorandum from the Depart- ment of the Interior this week. The board suggests, as & method of curtail- ment, that the petroleum refining in- dustry work six days a week instead of seven. The board has written to the governors of the three great oil-produc- ing States—Texas, Oklahoma and Cali- fornia—suggesting that they pass this suggestion along to all interested parties within their borders. * ok ok X Representative Mary T. Norton, Democrat, of New Jersey, announces that she wants to debate the prohibi- tion question with some wther member of her sex over a Nation-wide hook-up, but is encountering difficulties in find- ing a dry opponent who is ready and willing to cross swords with her on the air. Both Mrs. Mabel Walker Wille- brandt and Mrs. Ella Boole, the latter the national president of the Woman'’s Christian Temperance Union, were ten- dered formal invitations to meet her in liinbn‘;e, Mrs. Norton says, but they re- used. b i The advisory committee on education by radio, appointed by Secretary of Interior Wilbur, is undertaking to as- certain facts of vast importance, par- ticularly to appraise the listener reac- tion to educational programs. It has received a significant report of the re- sults of a radio questionnaire circulated by the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco in Pacific Coast territory. Of 7,000 replies received 36 per cent wanted “more of 1he spoken word,” 71 per cent wanted “ifore education talks,” 50 per cent wanted “more radio dramas,” 84 per cent wanted “more semi-classic mu- sic,” 57 per cent admitted they listened to radio book reviews, 71 per cent said they liked children’s hours, 90 per cent sald their children listened to the radio and, last but not least, 50 per cent nted censorship and 23 per cent ted Government control. * ok ok ok An appeal for funds to erect a statue of Albert Gallatin, treasurer of the United States from 1801 to 1814, has been launched by the Gallatin memorial committee. It is proposed to place it on the steps of the Treasury, alongside of the present statue there of Alexander Hamilton, and the sculptor will be J. E. Fraser, who did the milton statue. Congress has approved the project and appropriated $10,000 for the peggstal and other expenses incident to the un- dertaking other than th: statue itself. * k * Add to the roster of Indian tribes of which Calvin Coolidge is an honorary chieftain the Apache and the Pima clans of ‘The ex-President be- came “Chief White Father” of the :Fulul and “Chief Bringer of Waters” the Pimas, initiated with due cere- | | | | may get in a brief inspection at an op- rtune moment without being com- One always may drop * x ok X ‘The printed program is a great hel when the show is slow. The " to handling programs not always under- stood. Like a cigarette, it gives the hand something to do, and when the hand is in motion the human spirit is satisfled. That is how hand-minded we are, as a race. ‘When the hands and the eyes are united in action, as in looking over the theatrical program, the audience is sat- isfled; no doubt that is why astute managers since the old days have pro- vided programs, no matter how thin in bulk or sketchy in material, They give the individual members of the group present something to do ‘when the action is slow, the play tire- some, the lines dull. It always is possi- ble to thumb over the m and read the jokes and see what play is coming next week. The advertisements, too, are interesting, no matter how old or_well known. Not the least interesting thing in a theater is the preliminary hum of con- versation before the play begins and during the intermissions. There is no other noise exactly like it in the world. It is a cross between & quick-stép and & waltz, a rumble and & quacking, a deep red and a pale violet. At any given moment no word is dis- tinguishable, but he who listens feels as if he were perpetually on the threshold of discovery. Out of the weird conglomeration may come a real word at almost any mo- ment. He holds his ears eagerly to the ground, as it were, to catch what this gigantic noise is trying to say. There must be some meaning to the aggregate. Surely all these dozens of words, poured forth one to one or one to two, until the entire confined space is crammed with them, will eventuate at last into one clearly recognizable, easily under- stood word which shall spell the soul of the gathering. W * pletely withered. a program. * So close together all these people sit that an nmu.lpecun% visitor from an- other sphere might think they were all friends, but it is only the closeness of the street car, the outdoor stadium, the railroad station. It means nothing. The party of four which came in lafe has a man at one end and a woman at the other as buffers. These buffers pretend not to know that the spectators next to them exist. There was a cold, ordinarily well bred “I beg your pardon!” as the party came in, but no one demanded the too areful phrasing, and certainly no one expected any attention to be paid to it. Here we sit, side by side, yet miles apart, since none of us knows anything about anybody else, or very little. Yon- der is a well known member of Con- gress, there & dramatic critic. Both look bored. Down that way stretches a group of men and women, solemnly bent on be- ing entertained, backed by similar rows as far as the eye can see into the dusk of the overhanging balconies. Overhead are still other rows, to the perilous pitch of the once-called peanut galleries. By way of helping pass the dull evening enjoyably one may think back over the old days, when the price to the galleries was the best one could do. Well, he might have done worse! The best that he has learned since, in the ways of the theater, is to bring the old indifference to one's fellows down into the higher priced seats and to feel at home there, even when the play is ence, of course, but the determined man | dull. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS monies and drawing a few puffs from the pl'g of peace after he had broken a bottle of Gila River water over the fll‘npet of the Coolidge dam in Arizona t Tuesday. * ® x % More than 26 per cent of the yearly income of the people of the United States is expended for food products, either agricultural or manufactured, ac- cording to the publishers of the cyclopedia Americana, who point out that American ‘bread baskets” stow away $23,140,000,000 worth of food out of an estimated annual income of $89.- 000,000,000 These res are of perti- nent present interest in these days when the tariff framers are hotly disputing questions of how and how much tariff protection for the products of agricul- ture will boost the retail prices of food- stuffs. e Status of Retired Officers. From the Army and Navy Register. Curlosity persists regarding the source of information upon which Presi- dent Hoover relied to the extent of acceptance for official action that will result in the nomination of Maj. Gen. Crosby, present chief of the Cavalry of the Army, upon his retirement, as one of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia. It has been stated that President Hoover has decided, to his own satisfaction, that the Army officer would become, upon transfer to the retired list, a civilian and thus be eligible for appointment to a civil office. It has been made known from the White House that this view, expressed some weeks , was based on an opinion undm‘r the Attorney Gen- eral. The text of this document has never been revealed, and there has naturally been increasing desire to obtain it, especially since it has been considered, heretofore, as beyond any at a retired Army officer ‘clvill in the service and distinctly of the composition of the United States Army. It now transpires that disappointment must attend the desire to possess the Attorney General's opinion on this question, the nature of which, as quoted, is in direct conflict with the rulings of ts, the opinions from the former of the Department of Justice, e decisions of the cont:oller gen- eral. It has recently been vouchsafed that the Attorney General's communi- cation on the subject of Gen. Crosby's eligibility, so far as is influenced by his connection with the Army, has never been reduced to writing. It seems it was delivered “orally”; so there is noth- ing tangible with which to confront the A",wrney General with the error of his view. There is another angle to this situa- tion, and that is the jurisdiction of the controller general to officially determine, at least in so far as the administra- tive branch of the United States or the District of Columbia is concerned, whether Gen. Crosby is entitled to re- ceive the pay provided by law for a Commissioner of the District of Co- lumbia, specifically required by law to be from “civil life,” while he retains his status as an officer on the retired list of the Army. The fact of retirement does not alter Gen. Crosby’s status. He is no more a civilian by that operation than if he remained on tinued to perform his duties as chief of Cavalry. Indeed, if he were appointed as Commissioner of the District of Co- lumbia while on the active list, he would lose his commission in the Army automatically and be deprived of ail Army pay and allowances through per- manent separation—until restored by special act of Congress. s France Needs Joiners. From the Oakland Tribun ‘What France needs is some d old- fashioned cabinet makers who'ficr?nge style for durability, Everybody Does It. o Worceater m’u‘ Tolearam. You don't have to'te a British labo! mmhr to get into trouble 'mhhlheui Annuitants Ask for More Equitable Basis To the Editor of The Star: ‘We, the retired civil service employes, hear it said quite often that the Presi- dent is only interested in the highly paid employes. This I am sure is not true. The President has called Mr. Lehlbach and others in to let them know that he is interested in getting a re is an art] retirement Jaw fair to all; generous to the low-salaried employes, 8 minimum that will not be an insult, but a real help to them in their last days, what- ever the cost to the Government, and to those employes receiving higher sal- aries, an amount that the deductions from their basic salaries will pay for. No one should object to this. From 1913 to 1917 the cost of living had advanced so that Con had seen the necessity for a higher wagc. They did raise their own and all of the higher paid employes, and bills were constantly before Congress to pass a reclassification bill to raise the basic pay of the whole classified civil service. When in 1917 we entered the World ‘War, and because of the press for war lation, there was not time to prop- erly consider reclassification. Congress passed what is erroneously called bonus bill, authorizing the payment of $240 per annum to all of the classifiec employes of the Government in addi- tion to the basic pay provided by law. This act was repcated year after year for seven vears, and then the Welch reclassificatidn law was passed, increas- ing the pay of all clvil service employes from $300 to $3,000. In the meantime a bill had been assed called the retirement act. This law provided that retirement be calcu- lated on the basic salary of the employe and expressly excluded the $240 from the basic salary, placing the retirement of all employes back to the basic pay of more than 50 years ago, which at the time of its passage was thought to be 8 fair living wage. ‘What should have been done was to base the retirements on the long- delayed civil service reclassification law or present basic pay. This would have been the right thihg to do aithough ployes, as they had been living for 11 years on a rising market, which in 1917 reached a 100 per cent advance over prices of 1913 and continued at this level for seven years, when the pur- chasing value of the salaries received by the Government workers was re- duced 50 per cent. In all fairness, this amount should have been allowed as back pay. ‘What we, the retired employes, ask Is justice. We ask that our retirement allowances bz based on the present basic pay allowed for the same positions from which we were retired. What the already retired employe complains of is that in comput his retirement allowance an amount ef $240 per year, which for seven years was considered necessary &nd was pro- vided for his support, should have been disregarded and no subscquent effort made to increase his allowance to cor- respond to the allowance which will be provided to the employe of the samc class, the basic salary of which, through the experience and effort of the past few years, has in some cases been O ongsess In 1926 passed the poll ngress police and firemen's retirement bill for the District of Columbia, which rightly pro- vides for the widows and orphans of deceased police and firemen. This law further provides as “follows: “If the basic salary of the rank to which a r tirant belonged is increased after h: retircment, he is entitled to a corre- sponding increase in his pension.” This after the police and firemen's pay had been raised to the present basic pay. The same Congress in 1926 amended the retirement law for the civil service employes of the Government as follows: ‘““The term 'basic salary, pay or com- pensation,” whenever in this act, .| shall be so construed as to exclude from il the operation of this act all bonuses, allowances, overtime pay or salary, pay or compensation given in addition to not altogether fair to the retired em- | Progr ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS | . 3 i 3 BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. This is & special department devoted to the handling of You have at your disposal an extensive organiza- tion in Washington to serve you in any capacity that u‘l;ux to Inlurmmm:‘. your question, your name an address clearly and inclose 2 cents, coin or stamps, for reply. Send to The Evening Star Information Bureau, al’edlgh:cl. Haskin, director, Washing- n, D.C. * Q. What is the name of the game which has been shown in the movies which is played on the ice and the bail is struck with a broom?—H. S. T. A. It is a new game called broom ball. It is a form of hockey. Brooms re instead of hockey sticks and a foot ball instead of & puck. The players do not wear skates. Q. What is meant by the cold tur- key treatment for drug addicts?—s. A. It means literally “do nothis In applying this treatment addicts are "M;euled ) lx::.xrun taken away from m. No sedatives are given, - pathy offered. o o Q. What is a rooinek?—F. W. A, This is a South African term aof contempt applied to a Britisher. Liter- ally it means red neck. Q. What does the investment amount to for a good broadcasting radio sta- tion?—D. L. W. A. Very few people have any idea of he cost of operating a radio station. To install any kind of transmitting set with power up to 1,000 watts it would cost anywhere from $5,000 to $40,000. The science of the transmission of sound at the present time is developed so rap- idly that a sending set that would be up-to-date today in six months would be obsolete. The broadcaster must stand for studio and office rent of from $15,- 000 to $40,000 a year. The investment on a big station runs from $750,000 to $1,000,000. Pick-up equipment Ccosts from $10,000 to $15,000. Line charges— that is, for telephone wires to transmit ‘ams—cost _ approximately from $10,000 to $12,000 annually. Electricity amounts to about $15,000 a year and there are any number of incidental ex- penses that run to about $15,000. Meg- aphones cost at least $75. Q. How long has the weight and fineness of the gold coins of our coun- try remained the same?—S. W. O. A. The weight and fineness of the gold dollar unit has continuous :1:;3,: established by law of January 18, Q. What city is the center of the clothing industry?—L. E. N. A. New York City is the center of the clothing industry in the United States. At the time of the last census 4 dper cent of all the women'’s clothing and 35 per cent of all the men’s cloth- in New York. . Q Wi is a lice trol wagon called n'glu:k MabarM K. G, . A. During old colonial days Maria Lee, & N , kept a sailor's boarding house in . She was a woman of gigantic strength and helped the au- thorities to keep peace. Whenever a very troublesome person was to be taken to the station house, her services were often required. So frequently was she called that the expression “Send for ! Black Maria” came to mean “Take the disorderly person to jail.” Q. What is casinghead gasoline?— A. What was formerly usually called casinghead is now called natural gasoline and is obtained from natural gas by compression and refriger- ation or absorption. This gasoline is more volatile than commercial Qo ing was Q. When was the battleship Maine sunk, when raised and finally disposed of?—J. H. L. A. It was blown up in the harbor of Havana February 15, 1898; ‘m raised in 1910-11, examined, and sunk at sea March 16, 1912. .+ Has _ cauliffiower much food value?—B. 8. A. Caulifiower, while low fn fuel value, is rich in vitamins A, B and C. It contains, also, considerable ealcium and phosphorus, which are needed for healthy es and Its water content is 92 per cent. . Why was Connie Mack given the 19?9 Edward W. Bok award’—E. B. A. The award is presented annually to the man or woman who, during the preceding 12 months, “rendered the most outstanding service to Philadel- pnia.* Charles E. Fox, former district attorney, made the presentation speech and lauded the gray-haired manager for his years of effort devoted to the honesty, decency and efficiency of the “For this fine condi- man stands out -eminently mmher, inspired leader of his own players and players everywhere; 46 years a player, patient coach, inspirer of youth, clean sportsman and player of the game according to rules. He is Connie Mack. His intefest in boys and young men, his consideration of his players, his family life, his love and respect for the game—these lifted him in high estate, and with game.” The speaker revealed that Mn Bok himself had assisted in the selec- pvtiiation io ‘Mack-in Derion. atier gratification to Macl af the Athletics’ victory in the last world serles. S Q. Where is Stalinibad?—J. B. F. A. Stalinibad is the capital of Tadji- kistan, which is a newly federated re- public of the U. S. §. R. bordering on Afghanistan. It was formerly an su- tonomous repiblic within Uszbekistan, which is now a constituent republic. Q. Did President Wilson favor the prohibition enforcement act? A. President Wilson vetoed the Vol- stead act. It was passed over his veto. 3, Please give o short biography of Philander Johnson—K. C. B W. dialogues under the caption Stars.” Q. What was wampum made of?— A. Tt consisted of beads,. and strung together. It was. eral colors. One was dark black, the other white. The pum was the more valuable. : Q. How old is the custom of wearing " mumie e o g mummi g earthed adofned with wigs. Greclan men and women used wigs. They were mprohlbly introduced into Greece from . ted two gen~ e or wam- PQG.' When were X-rays discovered?— ‘A. They were discovered in the Fall of 1895 by Prof. Wilhelm Roentgen, professor of physics in the University of Wurzburg. ' . In what felative proportion a ca?e and bread eaten in this country?— fuels and is for mixing gasoline. straight run or cracked i walts S the base pay of the position as fixed by law or regulation.” In view of the fact that the cost of living has not decreased, the above pro- vision seems unjust in the extreme, especially when contrasted with the more_liberal vision as quoted above for the benefit of retired employes of the Police and Fire D:partments. A. M. PROCTOR. —_— e {Home of Tobias Lear 2o the Editor of The Star: With the time for the completion of the Mount Vernon Memorial Boulevard and the Washington commemoration exercises in 1932 rapidly approaching, it becomes more and more apparent that it is the desire of the country as a whole to make this celebration fitting and as completely worthy of him who is its inspiration as he is of the occa- ston in its perfection. Any spot connected or associated however remotely with Mount Vernon is holy ground. How much more so, then, is a home given by the Father of His_ Country to his secretary, Tobias Lear, who also was guide, counselor and friend! ‘This house, situated immedi- ately on the proposed boulevard, with a superb view, is between the boulevard and the Potomac, which is only a few hundred feet distant at this point; i in a remarkably well preserved state and is a good example of some of the early ‘colonial architecture. ~With its historical association with Mount Ver- the active list and con- | P® non, it should appeal particularly to the imagination of those who have rever- ence for the traditions of the past and believe in establishment of shrines. Would it not be proper and logical for the country to recover this valuable historic spot and restore it to its origi- nal state in time to make more com- plete the memorial commemoration in 19327 It is true that the Cramton bill contemplates embracing the area in which this house is located, but there is a possibility, due to the stipulation that Maryland and Virginia must join with the Federal Government, that the bill might not become effective in time to save this Tobias Lear house for the celebration in 1932, ‘The owner of the Tobias Lear house, a gentleman known as a public-spirited citizen, as shown by his zeal in connec- tion with the boulevard, fortunately ac- quired the property in very recent years. For this reason it is.believed he would not stand in the way of anything mak- ing to a perfect event in 1932. The thou’m appeals particularly to the writer, for there is a fanciful par- allel in the idea: Washington in the flesh, with his friend and secretary at his elbow in colonial days, and now Mount Vernon guarded at its out by the home of the secretary, Tobias Lear! . JOSEPH WARWICK KREUTTNER. PR N A St e Mathematics by Movies. From the Roanoke World-News. Mathematicians of Harvard, Prince- ton, Brown, Northwestern and the Uni- versities of Chicago and Wisconsin are busy with plans to dramatize the march of science during the last hundred years for exhibition at the Chicago World's “é:'hm 1933, according to a news dis- Among other things, there will be talking moving pictures of Einstein's l.heul'f of relativity, differential and in- tegral calculus, the theory of numbers. the theory of knots, why a circle is not and cannot be a square and the ever- falthful fourth dimcirsion. Whoever thought we would live to see the day when they would glorify mathe- matics? Not long ago they gave a show- ing of Einstein's theory on the screen and the mob almost wrecked a bullding in New York to see it. Looking back, however, we can stir up interest over the proposal for Chicago. We'd prefer gome of the lower forms of mathematics, such as a comprehensive screening o the whys and wherefores of compound intereat, why a nlnc'.x- ay note comes e Aouse i e erent gaine i - ve-dollar bill make great gains = ehumfvnmr. ‘They can turn that into ;nm interesting event in behalf of Should Be Preserved f | to show the producers that Announcement drew’trom the practice of purchasing | draw practice of and storing cash wheat at prices is declared to leave questions unsettled. At the same time it will continue to make loans to co-operatives against grain in their possession up to the time of the {new crop Comment on the policy ~wh1icel;‘ has now been dlamunu;d ;’vz | vari many newspapers _conten: that the law of supply and demand that when the new c?‘fi appears in July “a new loan basis be fixed more nearly in line with the market at the time. is measure,” continues the Tribune, “can be justified on the theory that the Farm Board cannot succeed in raising the income of farmers unless it can limit production, and it cannot con- trol production except as it may exert its influence through the co-operative associations. In effect, farmers are be- ing offered a cash inducement to join co-operatives. As an emergency meas- ure this policy has much to commend it, though it assumes, of course, that the solution of the farm problem lies in the organization of marketing associations, a theory that has yet to be tested and against’ which serious objections have been raised.” “The Farm Board's operations during past week,” according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, “served to lift.prices from abnormally depressed de) to higher levels, and Chairman Legge ap- parently feels well satisfled that an emergency situation was covered. Now he falls back on less spectacular proce- dure. Reserves on the farm are strengthened to hold with loans at the fixed price basis of $1.25, Minneapolis. If need arises, the board will enter the open market next time and buy more Fixed price ‘The board still clings to its of helping the farmer through orderly marketing and stabilized prices against manipulation.” The Pio- neer Press contends that “the redoubt able Chairman Legge gives no sign of surrender.” “It took the experience of but two weeks,” asserts the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “to _convince the Farm Board that its policy of buying wheat above the market price was unsound. Traders were buying wheat in the grain ex- changes at $1 & bushel and reselling it to the board at the pegged price. The result was not the price stability wifich Ithe board was seeking, but the worst kind of instability, to which was added a loss of 10 cents a bushel or more to the public Treasury on all the wheat the board bought. * * ‘What the board will decide to do now no one is willing even to guess. It announces its intentior. of making loans on wheat until July 1, presumably on the basis of actual market price, instead of its own ‘“fair price’ But no relief from over- production and declining prices can be | expected from that policy, as experi- |ence since the beginning of the year, buying laid aside. main purpose demonstrates.” “To most disinterested observers,” ac- cording to the Omaha World-Herald, “the Hoover plan in its incipiency looked like a rather innocuous and feeble de- vice for aiding agriculture. Now, with its dizzying momentum, with its bold- ness in the face of rebuffs and discou: agement, with the masterful Alexander Legge in command, it begins ta appear in its truer light, as one of the most normalcy ever undertaken by any gov- ernment in time of peace.” The Charlotte Observer charges that “the trade is doing its best to break down the stabilization corporation's pegged price.” The Flint Daily Journ: advocates a “farmer-to-farmer canvass’ making themselves poorer- b; nu.n': ‘wheat in such enormous q n{luu." News) which believe that the | before outright buying began. so weli b daring and momentous departures from | of Change ifl‘;‘;m Bom'&:i’okcy Still Leaves Big b‘ymhfluflhm or the present with- | no Problems i D St e for apprel nger effort, without accompl! any, real to the farmer, may the establi marketing organizations, leaving nothing to take their places.” the courageous Federal avers the Chicago Daily ! only if they co-operate to the ical limit, and, following the advice of the Department of Agriculture and the Farm Board, diversify their crops and reduce the acreage of those grains of which burdensome surpluses are now produced. Artificial price fixing is a dangerous business at best, as the seri- ous predicament of the Canadian wheat | pools shows clearly. On this side of the | border the present need of the farmers is wide extension of co-operative action and firm observance of the co-operative | prineiple.” Gives Harvard Millions To Finance House Plan From the Knickerbocker Press. It was known that Edward S. Hark- ness, Yale alumnus of 1897, enf plans for making additional ma; gifts to his alma mater as he an- nounced to the Yale corporation two years ago that he was prepared to finance the quadrangle student housing plan, but the university officials were unable to decide upon the essential details of the project within the time limit set by him. Since then Mr. Hark- ness has donated $13,000,000 to Har- vard for its house plan. President An- gell now discloses the interesting fact that at least that amount has now been made available by Mr. Harkness and that the quadrangle system is soon to get under way at Yale. By this monumental gift, Mr. Harkness helps his alma mater at a vital point, as the need for larger and better dor- mitory facilities has been a pressing one, exceeded only by the necessity for larger endowment to which Harkness contributions likewise followed in liberal measure. By organizing the student life on a compact unit basis of 200 to 250 per building, with all or most of the classes represented in each unit, university leaders feel that campus life wil be greatly enriched on its social side by the cultivation of a closer and many- sided fellowship. In this zhm of student life lie large possibilities, as any one who has spent four years on the campus knows. Dormitory life is the substitute for home during the acudemic months and more than that w offers, if rightly organized, oppor- wadties for the cultivation of friend- smips and cultural contacts which are a very important part of a college edu- cation. It is estimated that the Harkness family benefactions have with this reached ‘a total of $100,000,000. It is an impressive example of the public service which large capital may render when it falls to the hands of individuals whose hearts are filled with the desire to promote the public weal. Dedicated to educational enterprise out of which come the future leaders of the Nation In many walks of life, this ml'n Hark- icent is witness to the generosity of the donor. - Home Livers. Prom the Louisville Times. _ The good old days were those when young people lived at home even before they were married. ——— A Better Bout. l!:w om ';m'lh. demand uh." effec-. ve proposal Cleveland News, the St. Louls Tin‘l:‘l n'= the Chattanooga Lhe Duluth S Prom the Torcnto Daily Star. mwhmmmhfimymn been shorg, but, all, it longer than th rkey-Scott Sght.