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THE EVENING STAR WABHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY........March 10, 1930 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor ‘The Evening Star N t per Company L, o ite by Carrier Within the City. Star. . 48c per month r ade at the end of %fl é:&w sent in by mail 7 = Iau—P:ny:bh in Bl sat, oy only o Bl B E’In oaly 7 "‘nii yio 8 Member A l.l‘.l I.h:o f publi B ; erein ars 4130 Teserved: mo.. “.l‘ 1;- Associated Press. eIt e sntise William Howard Taft. Willism Howard Taft's place in the hearts of Americans was established long ago, when he began his service for the country. His qualities as a man and his ability as an official, ju- dicial and executive, won for him the highest esteem of the people. His @enuineness, his sincerity, his capacity for friendship, his greatness. of spirit, sll were recognized in his earlier as- signments to duty. When he first ecame to Washington, in 1889, to be solicitor general, an office then of less conspicuous importance than in after years, he was known as a man of prom- ise, because of those qualities and his ardent love of service. His promotion to the bench came in logical sequence. Had it not been for the War with Spain, with its consequence of assump- tion of authority over the Philippines by this country, Judge Taft would probably have remained upon the bench to the end of his life, without interruption, though with perhaps promotion to the highest court, from the head of which he so recently resigned. In all the history of the United Btates there has never been quite such & case as that of the transfer of Judge ‘Taft from strictly judicial to adminis- trative service and back to the judiciary. He went to the Philippines to ascertain the needs of the people of those islands and to organize the American adminis- tration there. He performed that duty sbly, with the strictest regard for the ‘welfare of the new charges of this Gov- ernment. It was in somewhat logical sequence that he should be called from that assignment to become Secretary of ‘War. It was in still logical sequence that he should be named for the presi- dency and elected to that office. And when, after his retirement from the White House, and after a period of private service in educstional lines, it was still in logical sequence, in recog- pition of his abilities and his eminent ations, that he should be named Chief Justice of the United States. lthn charge of the unlicensed distribu- tion of leaflets in the streets. That is the only charge on which they can be punished at all, and 1t is & sorry com- mentary upon the protective system in the United States, with all due respect to the guarantees of free speech and free thought, that this subterfuge is the only measure of defense. The brazen impudence of the Rus- sian-inspired Communists who thus at- tempt to circularize the people of this country is beyond tolerance. Suppose agents of the leagues of godlessness that are being officially promoted and pro- tected by the Soviet government at Mos- cow were to station themselves outside of the Christian churches or the Jewish synagogues and after services hand out the vile leaflets and cartoons that form the literature of the atheistic campaign? Such an offense would be no graver than that of yesterday following the meeting at Constitution Hall, which was in effect a church service. Such tactics are blind and futile. They are part of the illogical, unreason- ing folly of the bolshevists who are at- tempting to make Russia over into a ! Communist state of idealistic equality, of suppressed personality and of god- lessness. These deluded creatures do not seem to know that whatever may be ac- complished in economic reform or change or revolution, it is utterly im- possible to kill the spirit of the people, to quench forever their belief in Divin- ity. —_——.—.—————— A Strange Decision. For as strange a set of reasons as have probably ever been given in a de- cision on an important matter affecting the National Capital, the Commissioners have summarily disapproved the Mc- Leod bill, which seeks to correct the in- justice of permitting the deadly com- bination of reckless and insolvent motor- ists to menace the residents of this city. The McLeod measure is the safety- responsibility bill of the American Auto- mobile Association, drawn up after a study of two years by the outstanding traffic experts of the country. Since its introduction less than a year ago it has heen adopted completely or in part by twelve States, including New York and New Jersey, and Canada has only re- cently sent a commission to the United States to study it and other measures of a similar kind. The law is simple in the extreme and requires no elaborate machinery for its operation. It affects none but the reck- less and insolvent. The law-abiding careful driver is immune from its pro- visions. It provides merely that a motorist must show financial responsi- bility after he is convicted of a major traffic offense or lose his privilege to operate an automobile, and that any motorist who fails to satisfy a limited judgment rendered against him for a motor mishap involving personal in- juries or property damages will lose his permit to operate a car until he does satisfy it. Financial responsibility can be shown in three ways, an insurance policy, & liability bond or a cash deposit with the proper authorities. Thus by one law can the “judgment proof” motorist be effectually disposed of and the streets cleared of those who menace the lives of citizens with no possibility of redress on the part of their hapless Yet with all this logical progression, carrying the young man from Ohio through a succession of public services to the highest judicial post, there has never been a parallel in our history. Perhaps there has never been quite such a man, quite such a combination of qualities and aptitudes for public duty, with such a personality. It will remain for historical analysts to de- termine. Now he has passed, at an age which did not necessarily exact its final toll. He passed out of activity in the Chief Justiceship because of his failing health. He all but died in duty. When he re- signed, though evidently in desperately 11 health, there was a universal public hope that he would regain his strength sufficiently to enable him to survive for @ decade or more in the role of a re- tired senior officer, to give the country the benefit of his judgment upon ques- tions of great moment, effective though urmofficial, and to inspire his country- men with his sound philosophy and his hale and wholesome personal character. But it was not to be. He had drawn too heavily upon his physical nature i his devotion to his duty. He had scconiplished a great work as Chief Justice in bringing the calendar of the eourt virtually up to currency. To this he practically dedicated his life. It may perhaps be the judgment of posterity that Willlam Howard Taft ‘was not one of the “great” Presidents, in terms of achievements, and that he was possibly not one of the “great” Chief Justices in terms of profundity of judicial reasoning. But there will never be dissent from the present Judgment that he was one of the most valuable public servants America has ever known and one of the most be- Joved of Americans throughout his career. —— e It 15 fortunate for the fllms that the photographers remain highly com- petent, regardless of the occasionally foggy moments of the financiers. e Keeping business out of politics has often been advised. The idea is not so easy when a tariff bill is under con- sideration. ————— Agents of Godlessness. Yesterday afternoon several thousand Washingtonians attended a meeting at Constitution Hall held to express sympathy for the persecuted religionists ©f Russia and condemnation of the militant athelsm of the Communist government of that country. The meet- ing was held under interdenominational auspices, with Presbyterian and Metit odist clergymen, a Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest and an Episcopal bishop participating. The program and the addresses were broadcast to countless millions of American people. It was a mast impressive demonstration and un- doubtedly it voiced the feelings of all but a very few Americans. It is to be hoped that every word uttered yesterday st Constitution Hall will reach Russis, reach those who are now engaged in the wicked work of rendering that unhappy land godless. ‘When those in attendance left the meeting they were met by a group of young people ranging from seventeen to twenty-five years of age, all Americans by birth, who distributed leafiets of indorsement of the Soviet government ©f Russla, Communist propaganda of a particularly pernicious character. Some victims. Yet these are the reasons given by the Commissioners in a letter to Repre- sentative Zihiman for disapproving the measure: Under this proposed law failure to satisly a judgmen. based upon injuries to person Or property trom tne oper ton of an automobile, requifes the sus- pension of the permit oI the Jjuggment Qebtor to operate a motor vehicle, and, in addition, the suspension oI the regis- tration of all cars owned by him. Such a judgment does not necessarily result from any wrongful act or conduct on the part of the owner of the vehicle, but may result from the negiigence oI one for whose acts the owner is re- sponsible. The Commissioners do not believe that the penalties provided in the act should be imposed upon one for failure to pay & debt. Of course, it may be argued that one may protect himseil by obtaining insurance, but it frequently happens that one who has taken out insurance is unable to realize upon it due to the insolvency of the company or the unintentional breach of some condition set forth in the policy. By this unique method of reasoning the Commissioners leave the District with no possible manner :in which the innocent victim of an insolvent motorist's recklessness can be compen- sated. The victim may lie in agony in a hospital for months or the bread- winner of a family may be taken by death as the result of being hit by a machine, driven by a drunken driver. Yet nothing can be done about it, according to the Commissioners, and the reckless operator can proceed blithely on his way. Still, by the same reasoning, it is unfair to ask an owner of several cars to be responsible for their careful operation. Ot course, there are no laws on the statute books to compel the payment of debt and it is illogical to ask motorists to pay debts incurred through their own recklessness. And even if a motorist did take out insurance, post a bond, of put up cash, the insurance company mught be insolvent—the companies will undoubtedly delight in this naive spec- ulation—the bond might prove to be worthless or the cash might be taken by an absconding clerk. So there is no protection anywhere, it seems. Surely the Commissioners cannot have given the careful consideration that it merits either to the bill or to their reasons for disapproval. They should not be content to stand on their action in this matter. A recall of their Jetter and a reconsideration of the bili would seem to be immediately indicated. - et In the excitement of bootlegging & little thing like the law against car- rying concealed weapons appears to have been temporarily overlooked. ——or. Pennsylvania’s Political Pot. Gifford Pinchot, former governor and ally of the late Theodore Roosevelt in the Bull Moose days, has cast his hat ito the ring again. He has formally announced his entrance into the Penn- sylvania primary for the gubernatorial nomination. Mr. Pinchot necessarily believes that he has a chance to win. With the Vare organization in Philadel- phia backing Francis Shunk Brown and the Mellon-Grundy combination favor- ing Samuel §. Lewis, Mr. Pinchot fig- ures that he has a chance to rally the independents and, adding them to the large number of supporters he already has, win the nomination. It was much the same kind of a situation which en- abled him to win for governor in 1922, Apparently, it is his plan to stress the THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY. MARCH 10, 1930. THIS AND THAT machine and the Mellon machine. It is the kind of a fight Mr. Pinchot likes. ‘The Pennsylvania political pot is boil- ing faster and faster. Secretary James J. Davis of the Department of Labor in the Hoover, Coolidge and Harding cabi- nets, has let it be known that he will make an announcement of his candi- dacy for the senatorial nomination with- in a week. Speaking engagements en- tered into by him, when he is to be heard as a member of the cabinet, have caused him to postpone his formal state- ment of candidacy, it is satd. This would indicate that Mr. Davis will resign from the cabinet when he becomes a formal céndidate for the senatorial nomination. For him to do otherwise would in effect | link the Hoover administration to his candidacy. Some of his supporters have urged, however, that President Hoover did not resign from the cabinet when he v.-5 a candidate for the nomination for President in 1928. Nor is it likely that Senator Grundy will relinquish his pres- ent office because of his candidacy for the nomination. William S. Vare, the veteran Repub- lican boss of Philadelphia, whose en- trance into the senatorial race was announced some time ago, is now hourly expected to issue a statement withdraw- ing because of his physical condition. His medical adviser has already put forward a formal statement to the effect that Mr. Vare could not and should not undergo the strain of being a candidate for the senatorial nomina- tion. The supposition has been that if Mr. Vare \ithdraws he will back the candidacy of Mr. Brown for governor and of Mr. Davis for the Senate. If he does it will make one of the hottest political battles which the Republicans of the Keystone State have ever indulged in. It has been charged that political deals made at the eleventh hour gave Vare and Fisher victories in the 1926 sen- atorial and gubernatorial primaries, with former Senator Pepper and Beidle- man getting the short end of the deal. Mr. Grundy at that time was backing Gov. Fisher. Pinchot was in the race then for the senatorial nomination, but ran third, Not since the days of the late Senator Boise Penrose has there been a figure in Pennsylvania politics who dominated the entire State. Possibly out of the coming campaign such a figure will emerge. If Mr. Grundy should be nomi- nated and at the same time Lewis, his candidate for governor, should be vic- torious, Mr. Grundy doubtless would ob- tain an outstanding and dominating position in the Pennsylvania G. O. P. It is clear that a great deal depends upon the results of the primaries which will take place May 20. —— “Joe” Grundy is still mentioned off- hand in Pennsylvania print. No official in Washington, D. C., is in immediate danger so long as his constituents con- tinue to like him well enough to call him by his first name. o Colored bindings are. to be provided for Bibles. The best of all books should have the best talents in preparing it for circulation, but it is hoped that cubist | co! art will not be permitted to go too far in mystifying some of the already con- flicting interpretations. ——— e Padlocking garages will help to dis- courage Volstead law violators, but the system has not yet been developed highly enough to prevent private cars from being stolen. b ————— Sugar, the great source of ordinary sweetness, continues to be the cause of endless bitterness fn politics. S i SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Gentle Egoist. Oh, what's the use of telling things That you have really studied out? It is an enterprise that brings No lasting benefit about, Save to the oft-ungrateful throng; While if you'll merrily review The things on which you may be wrong, You're sure to learn a lot that's new. For critics love to lift a voice ‘To turn you from an erring way, And bid you cry, as you rejoice, “I'm wiser now than yesterday! My quest of knowledge naught shall balk; So, spite of cynics harsh or bland, T'll go my way. I love to talk Of things I do not understand!” An Assurance. “Don’t you know that no one listens to or reads your speeches?” “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghum: “in that way I avoid making enemies.” Jud Tunkins says when a man hasn't been a success at anything else he can always get up some kind of a reputation as a weather prophet. A Song of Statesmen. Life would be free from bitter thrills 1f all we had to learn ‘Was to put through our favorite bills And placidly adjourn. Satisfied Youth. “I'm kind o’ worried about that boy o' mine,” said Farmer Corntossel. “He's one of those young fellows that's too smart to take advice and not quite smart enough to think it up for themselves.” “The pictures that the world admires in golden frames we find,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown. “The proper view of life requires a happy frame of mind.” Uncertainty. ‘The ground hog has predicted, Yet we'll hold to cautious rule, For the climate is addicted To the game of April fool. “Everything seems harmonious.” said Uncle Eben. “A dollar bill is smaller an’ 5o is de market basket.” Make Room for More Rails. From the Saginaw News. Rhode Island wants another railroad. But realizes it will have to annex terri- tory from some other State to make room for it. —————— Compromise Is Possible. From the Little Rock Arkansas Democrat. Peace will come only when the moth- ers and fathers can agree on the days when both think that little Johnny deserves a licking. 4 R A Spacing Problem, Prom the Pittsburgh Post-Gazett There are eight c for each mile f road in the country, but the difi. public utility issue and the machine culty would be to get them to scatter 4 8 these young people were arrested on issue. He will attack both the Vare im that proportion. ~ BY CHARLES E. Queries a5 to the dates of appearance in this column of various book reviews and articles on books prompt the pub- lication of the following complete list printed during 1930 tordate, and in 1929. In looking over the list the reader should bear in mind that the writer| here regards a “review” as simply a| “look again” at a book. The date of | publication does not concern him, so| Jong as the book is good. | These articles are, then, the reflec-| tions of one booklover upon such books as interest him, for a variety of rea- | sons. He has no foolish pride in “keep- | up up with the new books,” nor, on the | other hand, any peculiar interest in a book just because it is old. He follows the bent of his own mind, firm in the belief that what interests one booklover always interests others. The list of these articles, in reverse | order—that is, running backward—is as | follows: i A Dl.scu!flozz c!lfgst‘;le Everyman’s Li- brary, March 4, 3 “The Testament of Beauty,” by Rob- ert Bridges, poet laureate; two articles, February 27 and 28, with quotations | from the first two books. “Thelma,” by Marie Corelli, February 19; with emphasis on her opinions of America and American authors. | “Little Fadette,” by George Sand, February 18; this story was a parlor | favorite in this country during the| now-famous “90s.” | George Sand, February 17; a brief| discussion of a Frenchwoman who wrote | 80 novels, the first one entitled “In-| " | diana. “The Devil's Pool,” by George Sand, | February 15. | “The Strange Interlude,” by Eugene | O'Neill, February 10; written after see- ing the famous play for the first time. Book Critics, February 1 and Jan ary 31: two articles on the super- abundant praise dished up by New York | critics. “Story of an African Farm,” by Olive | Schreiner, January 30; a grand old novel which every one should read. A Timely Book Wmlnummw 29; a noted figure in the k business | warns against too much interest in| “new books.” Back to Dickens, January 28; trend of the times back to the good humor of the master Victorian, “The Midnight Bell,” by Patrick Hamilton, January 25; a review of a novel upholding the above view. Winter Reading, January 23. Book Reviews, January 18: a con- sideration of what such should be. | “ Borrowing and Lending Books, Janu- 11. ‘qzm and His Time," January 16; a re-review, a year after the writer's| first review of Matthew Josephson’s ad- mirable biography. “The Fortune of the Rougons,” by Emile Zola, January 7. o e s Published during the year 1929: | Interest in Books, December 30, 1929. | Book and Thinking, December 20. | Borrowed Books, December 18. Book Censorship, December 16; a| few reflections on the art and practice | of telling the world what one should not read. | Reading While Cutting the Pages, December 11; something about a little discussed pleasure of books. Uncut Book Pages, December 10; | more about the same. | Book Characters, December 7; what character one would like to be,if he‘ d. “The Death of the Gods," December | 5; a réview of a timeless story by a foremost Russian novelist. | French Authors, December 4; de-| scription of a library built around | French fiction. | Ancient Authors, December 3; de-| scription of another library built around | the classic Latin and Greek writers. | Varlous articles on Epictetus, De- TRACEWELL. g;mhcr 2, November 30, 27, 26, 21 and “Love the Law of Life,” a review of a book by the foremost Japanese Christian, November 29. ‘Those New Blographies, November 20. A Bookman's Letter, November 14. Book Buying, November 13. “Old Patchwork Quilts,” November 1; a review of a book widely popular among women. The Aspiring Writer, October 29; tips to the industrious. “The Golden Wind,” October 19; a review of the first of the Paper Books, a notable recent literary movement. Biography and Detective Fiction, Oc- tober 15; a discussion of two ‘‘crazes” of the day. Basis of Home Book Collecting, Oc- tober 11. The Home Library, October 9; its joys and trials. Fiction Tastes, October 8; how to please yourself among books. Books vs. Films, October 7. Magazines, October 2. ‘The Biographies, September 24. Poetry, September 17. A Seaside Bookshop, September 12; an account of pleasant days spent in a bookshop. beLiielrary ‘Washington as of Septem- T 11, ‘The Old Booksellers, September 9; an account of a peculiar old party who tried to sell books. The Drug Store Library, September 6; a modern phenomenon. The Reading Spell, August 29. Happy Reading, August 28. “The World's' Delight,” by Fulton Oursler, September 2; a review of a book about the eternal Nana. The Difference in Novels, August 31. Why Biographies Succeed, August 17. | Reasons for Reading at All, August 6. Off-Book Times, July 29. Dr. Johnson on a 0*003 Book, July 25. * Good Books, July 22; what the term means. Jane Austen, July 16; all readers come to her at last. Critics, July 10. “Mansfield Park,” by Jane Austen, July 8; a review of a fine old novel. The Reader on His Porch, a Summer Idyl, June 28. “Little Caesar,” by W. S. Burnett, June 25. Keeping Up With Books, June 21; the futility of it. Men as Books Walking, June 19. Books of the Garden, June 16. A Book for Paradise, June 11; our favorite of all these. Dog Words, June 4. Cat Words, June 3. A Happy Book, June 15. Writers and Pedants, May 31. Smith on Prepositions, May 29. Good and Evil Grammar, May 21. Pencil and Paper, May 8; the Drudg- ery of Authorship, May 7; New Books, y 1; Books a Refuge, April 16; a d Dog Poem, April 11; the Great | Ccat Book, April 7. Garden Books, April 6; Lloyd George on Reading, March 21; In the Diction- ary, March 20: Books on Parade, March 8; Short Story Illustrations, March 7; Zola's Purpose, March 1; “L'Assem- moir,” February 26, a revie: novel; “The Fortune of the Rougol February 25, a review of a not-so-gri novel; Boswell's Johhson, February 23; Writers and Cats, February 24. Books in Sets, February 8; the Home ‘Town Paper, February 7; Book Housing Problems, February 6; Book Bindings, February 5; Book Boors, January 31; “The Birthday Book,” January 29: the “New Blography,” January 25; “Zola and His Time,” by Matthew Josephson, January 21; Good Dr. Dumas, January 17; Pink Shirts, a Dumas anecdote, January 14; Templeton Jones’ Lib s an intimate view, January 12; “M. de Chauvelin’s Will,” January 11; Unfin- ished Books, three papers, January 7 to 9; Small Type, an evil of the age, January 4; Seed Catalogues, January 2. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS Death has taken a heavy toll of the Seventy-first Congress, which came into office on March 4 last year and came into special session in April and has been hard at work cver since. Fourteen members of the House and three Sen- ators have died within the 12 months. The sudden death last week of Repre- sentative James P. Glynn of Connecti- cut while journeying back to the Capi- | tal from the funeral of his cong‘refislonnl' colleague, James A. Hughes of West Virginia, was the fifth member of the House to pass away since the start of the regular session last December. W. W. Griest of Pennsylvania, who died on December. 5; Will K. Kaynor of Massachusetts, killed in an airplane catastrophe on December 20, and Elmer O. Leatherwood of Utah, who died on December 24, and now so far this month Hughes and Glynn. All five, by coinci- dance, were Republicans, and all save Kaynor were veterans of Congress and three of the five were members of the same committee, military affairs. Be- sides the three Senators who have dled, —Burton of Ohio, Tyson of Tennessee, and Warren of Wyoming—two have re- signed—Edge of New Jersey and Sackett | of Kentucky—and one was excommuni- cated, Vare of Pennsylvania. %o ‘The first of the senatorial primaries, which occurs in Illinois on April 8, is now less than a month off. The last of the primaries is in Massachusetts on September 16. Forty-two of the 48 States now have direct primaries, and 35 senatorial seats are at stake, of which 22 are now held by Senators who label themselves Republican. Of the present incumbents, 5—Baird of New Jersey, Gould of Maine, Gillett of ‘Massachu- setts, Phipps of Colorado and Sullivan of Wyoming—are voluntarily out of the race for re-election. Some right merry political batties are in the offing, but it is still too soon to estimate the casual- ties. It is little wonder that, behind the scenes, members of Congress are im- patient to shut up shop and get back | home to the battle front. . | | Some new members of Congress who | have not yet enjoyed the pleasure and | the glory of attending a White House soiree are disconsolate when they con- template the possibility that the annual White House congressional reception may be omitted this year. This particu- lar social festivity seem: hoodoed. First the congressional reception was divided, with one date for the members of the Senate and another for the mem- bers of the House. Then the death of Secretary of War Good disrupted the schedule and required the postpone- ment and rearrangement of the dates, then the presidential Florida fishing ex- cursion came the very week that the reception to the House members had been planned, and when the further postponed date arrived the White House IIllh canceled the reception on account of the iliness of Chief Justice Taft. Now Lent is here, so at least the reception must now wait until after Easter, and no one can foretell what may happen after that. b “All You Do Is Just Follow Me Around” was the title of a popular song ballad of the pre-war days which aptly fits the following anecdote. Trouble aplenty has been the daily diet of Senator Watson of Indiana, Old Guardsman and accredited leader of that mythical organization known as the Senate Republican majority. Pes- tered hfi?rmmives. flouted by the young rks, bedeviled by the Demo- crats, his official pathway has been str..n with more thorns than roses. But one of the newn-gnthermr fraternity who rode in the Capitol elevator with the .‘,f'“" Hoosier for the third time within the space of an hour one day last week found that Watson's good nature and sense of humor were as good as be follow! ou Senator patted his shou!""r and replied, “I'm glad I've some following these days.” * ok ok ‘The fireworks in the Senate incident to the confirmation of Chief Justice Hughes was not a circumstance to the verbal pyrotechnics which were hurled into the air a century ago when for three months the opposition fought the appointment of Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney. Henry Clay was Taney's bitterest opponent and critic. Charles Warren in his history of the Supreme Court narrates the subsequent reconcili- ation between Clay and Taney. Years after Taney had taken his place on the bench, Clay had one day argued a case before him in the court and Taney had delivered the opinion. Clay waited on him in his chambers a bit embarrassed. Addressing the Chief Jus- tice, Clay said that no member of the Senate had opposed his confirmation more bitterly. “But,” said the W1 leader, taking Taney by the hand, “I have come to you to say, and I say it now in parting, perhaps for the last time, that no man could have been selected more abundantly able to wear the ermine which Chief Justice Mar- shall honored.” Who can say whether | history will one day record a similar passage between Borah and Hughes? WAL A Oregon for several years has led the procession as the State with the lowest infant death rate, the OreJ‘un figure be- ing 47, but no State in the Union has {!fl equaled the mark set by far-away lew Zealand, where the 1928 figure was 36. Infant death rate is measured by the number of deaths of children un- der 1 year of age to each 1,000 live births. Ten States and the District of Columbia reported a lower infant death rate in 1928 than ever before, accordin to the Census Bureau. The District of Columbia, with a rate of 48, was a close second to Oregon. Meantime, Congress is wrestling with the question of re- instating provision for Federal ma- ternity aid along the lines of the Shepherd-Towner act, which expired by limitation last year. LK No one has ever had honor paid him on any birthday quite like that which a grateful nation last week paid to its great statesman Thomas Garrigue Ma- saryk, President of the Czechoslovakian Republic. The National Assembly passed a law which reads, “T. G. Masaryk has deserved well of the State.” This is per- haps the shortest law ever framed by a Parliament, but it is more eloquent than longer edicts. It is a tribute to a states- man who is also a famous philosopher, distinguished during the years of re- action in Europe for his tolerance and his faith in mankind. (Copyright, 1930.) oot True Enough. From the Buffalo Evening News. And if the money spent for war could be spent to make people prosper- ous and Fny, there would be cars enough to eliminate the surplus popu- lation. Plenty of Officers. From the Roanoke Times. Monaco has an army of 80, most of whom are captains., What a life a buck private in the rear ranks must lead in that organization! . e Quieting Russian Fears. From the Aun Arbor Daily Nes ‘Though Russia is said to be -appre. hensive of an invasion by capitalistic nations, there is not much worry over an invasion by capital. -~ How Did It Happen? #rom the Philadelphis Inquirer. Someth! that apj news is that when “The Taming of the Shrew” was put in the movies it was called “The H‘nlnt of the Shrew.” 1 to us as real The Political Mill By G. Gould Lincoln. The Senate is soon to have another chance to talk about the Supreme Court. Scarcely had the dust settled after the fracas in the Upper House over the appointment.of Chief Justice Hughes when it became necessary for President Hoover to fill another vacancy in the highest court, caused by the death of associate Justice Sanford. The Senate dragged politics—both partisan and a new variety, economic—into the Hughes confirmation fight. The next appointment to the Supreme OCourt, which is expected to be made within a short time, may or may not bring an- other such row. Not in years had there been such an attack on an appointee to the Supreme Court nor upon the personnel of the court itself as that which took place when Chief Justice Hughes' nomination was submitted by President Hoover. The reasons assigned for opposition to Mr. Hughes were that his economic theories, as they related to government and to public utilities, were ‘“conservative.” The opposition, lead by Senators Borah and Norris. progressive Republicans, and Senator Carter Glass, Democrat, lined up 26 Republican progressives and Demo- crats to vote against Hughes when | the roll call was taken. He was con- ‘flrmed. however, by a vote of two to { one, | R If Mr. Hoover sends to the Senate the nomination of another man who has represented as attorney big cor- porations, particularly utility corpora- tions, and who may be assumed to have similar views as those attributed to Chief Justice Hughes and to the ma- jority of the present members of the Supreme Court, there may be another | battle. At the time of the Hughes con- firmation the attack on thé appoint- ment in the Senate was hailed as the beginning of a revolution—whatever that may mean. But there has been very little heard of the so-called revolt since Mr. Hughes took his seat on the bench. The fight was one of the nine- day wonders of America, and then erFDed out of sight. But the proba- bilities are the appointment of another man of the same supposed the Chief Justice will bring a second round of the “revolt.” The appoint- ment of a “progressive,” on the other hand, while it would be favored by the progressives who fought Mr. Hughes, would be claimed as a victory by them. They would very likely say they had scared the Chief Executive into ap- pointing the kind of 2 man they wished. o e In some quarters it has been sug- gested that the President may place another former candidate for the presi- dency omn the bench—John W. Davis, Democrat, of West Virginia and New York, who was his party’s standard bearer in 1924. Mr. Davis is eminently qualified for such appointment. He is learned in the law as few men are. He is of high character. He has been a member of the House, solicitor gen- eral of the United States and Am- bassador at the Ceurt of St. James. Justice Sanford was from Tennessee, which 15 not far from West Virginia. It is true he was a Republican and Mr. Davis is a Democrat. But Mr. Hoover has a Democrat as Attorney General, and it would be in keeping with prece- dent if he appointed a Democrat to the supreme bench. In the event Mr. Hoover should appoint Mr. Davis to the court, it will be interesting to ob- serve how many and which Democrats vote against his confirmation. Senator Glass doubtless would be among the first to oppose his appointment and Senator Thomas J. Walsh of Montana, both of whom voted against Hugh Senator Walsh not many years ago was the official spokesman of the Democratic party to notify Mr. Davis of his selec- tion as presidential candidate. PR If the progressives were consulted about a selection to fill the hew vacancy in the court, Judge Willlam Kenyon of the Circuit Court of Appeals, former Senator from'Iowa, might well be their choice. The progressives, however, usual- 1y have great difficulty in backing solid- ly any one. Judge Kenyon would be an admirable appointment from any point of view. He is at present a member of Mr. Hoover's Law Enforcement Com- mission, commonly known as the “Crime Commission.” He is rated an ardent dry, and certainly he is n.ronll}v‘ for law enforcement. The suggestion been put forward,.too, that the present At- torney General, Mr. Mitchell, might be placed on the Supreme Court. He was solicitor general, appointed by President Coolidge, and he had the backing of the members of the Supreme Court, headed by the late Chief Justice Taft, for ap- pointment as Attorney General. It is true that he hails from Minnesota, and there is a member of the court already from that State, Justice Plerce Butler. But that fact is not an insurmountable obstacle to his appointment. Yoo It has been suggested that Judge Kenyon was geographically misplaced for appointment to the Supreme Court in place of Justice Sanford, who came from Tennessee. But Tennessee has a second member of the court today, Justice McReynolds, which would seem to solve that problem in favor of Judge Kenyon. As the court stood before the death of Justice Sanford, New York had two members, Massachusetts had two, Tennessee two and Utah, Minne- sota and Wyoming each one member. There have been only two Democrats among the membets of the court, the other seven being Republicans, a fact which might incline Mr. Hoover to se- lect a member of that party when it comes to filling the vacancy. However, in the past it has been generally ‘the practice of Democratic Presidents to select Democrats and Republitan Presi- dents to appoint Republicans to the Supreme Court. * W In other quarters the suf;enlon is Fuc forward that former President Cogl idge might be willing to aceept a ment to the supreme bench, tho whether he would be willing to be as. sociate justice, when Mr. Hoover might have made him Chief Justice, is a ques- tion, it is said. Some of the politically minded believe, however, that Mr. Cool- idge has it in the back of his head that he may be called by his party to be a candidate for President again. If that were true, he might decline the appoint- ment to the bench. The last time a member of a President’s cabinet went from cabinet office to the White House he was to find his former chief his op- ponent for renomination and re-election as President. But Mr. Coolidge does not resemble in many respects the late Theodore Roosevelt, and if he is to be a !candidate for President against Mr. Hoover it will only be in the event of & Nation-wide demand by the Republican party that he do so, which is not likely to happen. The probabilities are that the G. O. P. will go to the bat in 1932 lined up behind President Hoover. * ok Kk ok - There are eminent lawyers in the Sen- ate to whom Mr. Hoover migh turn for appointment to the Supreme Court. Among them are Senator Borah of Idaho and Senator Walsh of Montana, one a progressive Republican and the other a Democrat. Both are up for re- election to the Senate this year. It is exceedingly doubtful, however, that Senator Borah would accept ppoint- ment to the bench. He has been for the last quarter of a century in the midst of political frays. He has become an institution in the Senate. Possibly he would feel at home only in the Senate. * ok ok X President Hoover has recommended to Congress the appropriation of an addi- tional $100,000,000 for the use of the Federal Farm Board, and his recom- mendation is taken as an indication of the determination of the administration to go forward firmly back of the board and the farm marketing law. It is likely to be a popular move in the Mid- west and the Northwest, although the grain trade is at odds with the board. Indeed, the struggle between the grain trade and the Farm Board threattns to become one of the greatest struggles I ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. What do you need to know? Is there some point about your business or per- sonal life that puzzles you? Is there something you want to know without delay? Submit your question to Fred. kin, director of our Wa: ington Information Bureau. He is el ployed to help you. Address your in- quiry to The Evening Star Information Bureau, Ferederic J. Haskin director, Washington, D. C., and inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Q. How many people in the United States play blunrdl W. R. A. It has been estimated that prob- ably 5,000,000 men in this country play billlards. Q. How are carnations dyed green?— C. T. “A. Placing the stems of white carna- | tions in a weak solution of iron sul-| phate or copper sulphate will turn the | blossoms green. An aniline dye which | is soluble in cold water may be used | instead. For different shades, try dif- ferent proportions. Q. How many islands are there in Casco Bay?—B. E. M. A. There are 365. Q. What kind of plant is “mari huana"?—J. T. A. The mari huana is a narcotic plant found in Mexico, reputed to cause insanity to persons drinking an infusion of its leaves or smoking them. Q. When was the first “Beefsteak Club” formed?—B. G. P. A. One founded in the reign of Queen Anne, early in the eighteenth century, is believed to have been the first. It was composed of the “chief wits and eat men of the nation,” and had for ts badge a gridiron. Q. Who was the author of “The Martydom of an Empress”?—S. L. A. The author was Marguerite Cun- liffe-Owen. The work was published anonymously, and its authorship was not revealed until the death of Countess Cunliffe-Owen, in August, 1927. It was a biography of the Empress of Austria, and purported to reveal the true story of the suicide of Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria in 1889, as told the writer the Empress. The countess was the wife. of Frederick Ounliffe-Owen, a writer, who died in 1926. Q. Where was James Branch Cabell educated?—M. I. C. A. James Branch Cabell attended William and Mary College and for & time was an instructor of French and Greek at that institution. Q. Is s much money spent for liquor in Russia as it was in the days of the empire?>—E. M. O. . The Soviet Union Information Bureau says: “In 1913 the czarist gov- ernment collected 511,300,000 rubles in excise duties on beer and other alcoholic drinks, or 62.9 per cent of the total revenue from excise duties. In 1927-28 the Soviet government collected 607,600,000 charvonetz rubles from the same source—that is, about 350,000,000 rubles, in terms of the pre-war ruble— which amounted to 50.3 cent of the total revenue from excise duties. As regards the production of vodka. 4,636, 000 hectoliters were produced in as against 1,804,000 hectoliters in 1826- 27. The consumption per 1927-28 was 40 per cent of w] in czarist days.” Q. When was the first nization of the National Association of Amateur Base Ball Players formed?—A. L. in March, 1872, in it it was . What disease claimed the most vic?lnu in our Army during the World War?—E. E. M. A. was the greatest cause . of death from disease in the World More_than 40,000 dled of this . Of these probably 25,000 deaths resulted from the influenza- pneumonia pandemic ~which swept through every camp and cantonment this country and caused thousands of deaths in the expeditionary forces. Q. Did Michelangelo sign his sculp- ture?—C. G. A. The only piece signed by the sculptor is his “Pleta.” Q. How fast do elevators ascend, pmlc;,lluly in the Woolworth Building? —8. A. The present maximum speed for an elevator is about 900 feet per minute. The two elevators rating from the ground to the fifty-fourth story of the ‘Woolworth Building ascend 700 feet per minute. Q. Was Abraham Lincoln the first child born to Thomas and Nancy Lin- coln?—A. J. G. A. Abraham Lincoln was the second child born to the Lincolns. He had an elder brother. Q. Why are the Balkan states so called?—L. F. A. They have been so named since early in the nineteenth century. It is the name given to three southern pro- longations of the European Continent. ‘The name is Turkish for mountain, and though in modern usage applies only to a part of a mountain belt lying south of the lower Danube, it was formerly regarded as a general name for a chain supposed to run from east to west across the peninsula. Q. What salary does a New York customs inspector receive?—R. F. H. A. The Civil Service Commission says the salary paid-customs inspectors in the port of New York is about $2,100 per annum. Q. Please give a bilography of Jane Addams—V. W. A. Jane Addams, the American phi- lanthropist, was born in Cedarville, I, September 6, 1860. She was graduated from Rockford College in 1881, follow- ing which she studied in Europe and in the United States. In Miss Addams established Hull House, a social settlement in Chicago. For a time she acted as inspector of street cleaning. Miss Addams is well known as a lecturer and an author. Q. Does the water in waves move across the surface of the ocean, or is it only the motion which travels?—E. 8. M. A. Wave motion in a liquid m sents a continuous handing on rmcla to particle of a disturbance in he medium without actual transfer of the medium itself. This may be dem- onstrated by throwing a stone into water. It will be seen that waves run out in circles from the point at which the stone submerged. These waves seem to be actually moving, but if a m&rh thrown on the surface of the water it will be found that its motion is up and down and not in an outward direction. Q. _How much air does a man take into his lungs?—O. M. K. A. The quantity taken in at each respiration is called tidal air, and is | normally about 300-550 cubic centi- meters. Of this about 150 cubic centi- meters mever goes -farth respiration 5. The becomes mixed with the air in the air A. It was organized with F. B. Wood of Jersey City, N. J., as president. cells (alveolar air). of which there is perhaps three liters in the lung. Oil Merger Turns Thoughts Of Public to Belief that the United States Govern- ment is likely to make new history in connection with anti-trust laws causes the ‘guhllc to study the proposed merger of the Standard Oil of New York and the Vacuum Oil Co. The chief question is whether this plan would be a viola- tion of the decree entered nearly 20 years ago ordering the various subsidi- aries of Standard Oil to separate from the parent company. A ml.bg: change in public sentiment toward large ra- tions is suggested d\lfln{'fiu debate, Dispatch that In the provosed merser pa e proposed merger “the corporation will rank third, or perhaps even second, among the world’s oil companies.” While the Standard Oil of New Jersey will retain first place, “the merger would create a com) with total assets rivaling those of Royal Dutch Shell, the only foreign concern comparable in size with the American oll giants.” The Utica paper believes that “public opinion is unquestionably against reintegration of the old Stand- Oil combine, although merger of ese two companies may not be con- ml;y to the public interest.” “It's the behavior of the corporation to which the public made objection in the old days, and would do so again under similar ‘conditions,” declares the Columbus (Ohio) State Journal, while at the same time recognizing that “legal advisers of the two corporations claim to have a merger method that would not run counter to the decision of the Su- pnam caurt,‘ll under present la pape: cludes: ‘““There was a rabid anti-trust thought in the Nation when the big case was decided years ago, but the r.\:_buc mind has been more tolerant of 'ge combinations since that time and has been rather encouraging to mergers during recent years.” The decision of nearly two decades ago, according to the St. Louis Globe- Democrat, “‘was most sweeping, and re- strained all the 33 parts, or any of them, from ever again uniting. e court seemed to foresee divers ways in which by subterfuge or evasion they might attempt to reunite, and, ifying them, forbade them all” The St. Louis paper continues: “This oil trust deci- sion, the similar one in the case of the tobacco trust and the Northern Securi- ties decision were decisions that gave along economic lines that has taken place in a long time in this country, The grain trade sees itself being wiped out if the Farm Board is successful in the organization of co-operatives to sell their grain direct and without all the middlemen who now have a share in the profits. In consequence, the ad- ministration, which was exceedingly pular at its start in Minneapolis and t. Paul, is denounced in certain quar- ters there. On the other hand, the stand taken by the Farm Board, backed by the President, has been the subject of favorable comment among the farmers of the grain States and the communities which deal directly with the farmers. * K K X Out in North Dakota the name of Alexander Legge, chairman of the Fed- eral Farm Board, was cheered not long ago by a gathering of farmers and their representatives. That the former head of the International Harvester Co, should have received such an ovation in North Dakota is significant indeed. The farmers of the West are watching with the keenest interest the struggle between the Farm Bo and the grain trade, to which may be added the grain exchanges. The farmers have demand. for years protection from the gam- blers in u:hlrlt :&d‘ mwfl adequate re- muneration for r products, claimin, z;m the mggdlex:::l aad“ tfi = sion men have n mi fortunes out of their labor, while uuy.hnn had no adequt return. Senator Nye of North Dakota has a resolution for an inquiry by the Senate into the opers- tions of the Farm Board. His purpose P 3 however, has not been an attack on tne Farm Board, but a desire to have showx Old Trust .Case the Sherman law about all the vitality it ever had. The jeering that for years followed the development of each dis- solved oil subsidiary into a concern which, in volume of business and mag- nitude of wealth the original wicked old Stane Oil Co. of New Jersey, has been somewhat modified in recent months. How, with the e of years, each has come under the con- trol of new men of new ideas and has invaded the territory of other sub- sidiaries, and how now is among them a competition alleged to be as !great as that with companies under entirely different ownership, has been repeatedly described.” “‘Attorneys for the concerns that now lan to merge,” says the Chicago Daily ews, “hold that the pre d my erger ¥ | would violate neither the Sherman anti- trust law nor the decree of 1912. They take the position that while the decree broke up the old combination, it does not prevent former constituents of the trust from creating new combinations. * * * Presumably, if any two of the separated constituents of the former trust may now consolidate, they all may be brought together again and the de- cree thus nullified. ther even that would be a business disaster may be doubted. Since the -old Standard Oil group was broken up, independent oil companies have developed tremendously. Under the Supreme Court’s ‘rule of reason.’ conduct and treatment of - petitors and the public, not mere size, should govern in determining the valid- ity of industrial combinations. And Standard Oil may have mended its ways; Further, in the Shell interests it faces powerful competition, both at home and abroad, and it is girding for a still greater struggle to come with its international competitor. In any event, the court’s ruling in this case must prove of deep interest to the pulhllc and to great commercial enter- rises.” » Advising that there should be “some way to deal with the oil companies on their merits, with reference to some |clear and consisten: public policy of anti-trust law enforcement,” the Balti- more Sun points out that these two, it is reported, “if merged, would control only about 9 per cent of the petrol products consumed in the United States, a very small percentage compared with the control exercised by merged com- panies in other lines of industry,” and that paper offers the judgment: ‘“When the Standard Oil Co. was dissolved, in 1812, the conduct of the oil business was regarded as almost exclusively a matter of domestic concern. Since then it has become a very important phase of foreign trade, enlisting the direct support of governments in an interna- tional competition contest of the first rhagnitude. It is this contest that is assigned as one of the major reasons for the proposed merger. When the packers' consent decree was entered, in 1920, chain distribution of food products was relatively in its infancy. Since great food distributing chains have be- come a commonplace of our economic system. ‘There have also been vital changes in the ;uditul interpretation of the meaning of the Federal anti-trus laws and in the governmental policy i» enforcing them.” “The new company,” as understoos by the Hartford Daily Courant, “will he called the General Petroleum corgort- tion. It is expected to defend itself on the grounds that the merger involves no restraint of trade and competition, since the Standard Oil Co. deals Jargely in gasoline and kerosene and the Vacuum Oil Co. in lubricating and fuel olls. Whether the prosecution is suc- cessful or not, the prompt action of the Department of Justice is wholly come , particularly because a oew lefil merger ought to b ed down. Since the it will un- btedly be carried to e Court, such a definition shouid - coming." If It Kills Him. From the New Castle News. up the efforts of the grain tr: Lo &w:r: the board in iln."loru .nz'uu Usually you can tell h;' 1 at a man that his idea o while achievement is passing other