Evening Star Newspaper, March 15, 1930, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR o Vit Sundsy Merning Sdttien, WABHINGTON, D. C SATURDAY......March 15, THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor ‘The Evening Star N¢ per Company jvan: o, fin L T, AR a&%& O States and Canada. Egy"-l-la g Trom 1 ;rr: lgi.n me. nzg s only "0 1 T 38.00: 1 mos Member of the Amehlhld'“rre-u P Ry o e e g e Saches credited | ?’ X lia the iooat news u; ‘publicatien of also reserved. Brighter Skies in London. The prospects for a naval agreement at London brightened perceptibly when an agreement was reported between the United States and Japan. The demand of the Japanese for seventy per centof the 10,000-ton cruiser tonnage of the United States was a stumbling block. It has been a question that required ironihg out, ever since the demand was origi- nally put forward several months ago, when the Japanese delegation began its long pilgrimage to London. According to the dispatches, a compromise has been reached under which the Japanese are to have sixty per cent of this big cruiser tonnage of the United States and seventy per cent-of other auxiliary tonnage. The Y | lic speaking, were inclined to regard it orators. the majority of the Senate has in fact wanted for 1980| Lincoln's speech did not require six |a long time. Senator Pat Harrison of minutes for delivery, or five or four, or | Mississippl, & leader of the old low- even three. It was finished within two minutes after the long form of the | President had been straightened out in arising on the platform at Gettys- burg. It could have been delivered four times in succession within the new contest limit. It left its hearers agasp with astonishment that so great an ut- terance could have been made in so short a space of time, Some of them, indeed, unaccustomed to brevity in pub- as a total fallure as an oration. Pos- terity has accepted it as a masterpiece. So the aspirants for oratory contest honors may be encouraged. They may realize that verbal filigree and syllabic extension and syntactic involvements are handicaps rather than aids, that simplicity of expression is the winning form, in competition as in practical use. — e The Airport Bill. The Bingham airport bill, introduced yesterday in the Senate, sets down in black and white the method of dividing the cost of this important project be- tween the municipality and the Federal Government. A study of its provisions should serve to clarify as fact some of the provisions thus far regarded as con- Jecture. The District is to buy the land now known as Hoover Field and Washington Afrport and flll in a portion of the channel between Columbia Island and the mainland. In addition, it is to de- velop these lands as an airport and pro- vide the facilities for service, fuel and other supplies to make the airport meet standards prescribed by the Secretary of Commerce. The United States is to donate so much of the agricultural experimental farm and Columbia Island “as the Com- agreement between the two nations also 18 sald to be satisfactory to the British. It remains now for the acceptance of the compromise by the Tokio and Wash- ington Governments, if it has not al- ready been had. ‘The willingness of the United States, @reat Britain and Japan to come to an agreement and to the negotiation of a naval limitation treaty has been evident from the inception of the conference. ‘When the British government formally declared for parity in naval strength with the United States, a long step had been taken toward an agreement. * The reduction of naval armament has Been a major consideration at the Lon- don conference, s well as an agreement providing specifically for limitation of auxiliary naval craft. If there is to be & considerable reduction of tonnage, it 18 evident that France and Italy must become parties to the treaty. France hes been insistent for further security pledges. Indeed, it is understood that Prance has demanded what amounted t0 a pledge of assistance in the event of a threat of war against her. The other powers have not been willing to go to that length. The United States has taken the position that it must abide by its traditional policy of re- fraining from entanglements in Euro- pean politics. Great Britain has point- #d to the fact that France already has the League of Nations covenant and other security pacts as a matter of pro- tection in the event of war threats, and Britain has not yet been convinced that 1t should go further in this matter. The hope continues that France will in the end become a party to the pro- posed naval treaty and that she will lower the demands for a total tonnage of 725,000 tons put forward by her. It France comes into the treaty, then it is a foregone conclusion that Italy will also become a party to it. The delega- tions in London have by no means abandoned hope for a five-power naval limitation treaty. And the same hope exists here in Washington. It seems clear, however, that if France cannot find a way to agree with the other PpOwers in London, & three-power treaty will emanate from the conference. Such & treaty, while not as satisfactory as a five-power pact, will have the effect of stabllizing the situation so far as this country is concerned. There will be a decided benefit in the knowledge itaelf of the tonnage figures applied to the three most powerful navies in the world. ————— One of the advantages of being a delegate to the London Conference is the assurance that a ringside seat will be avallable for a view of any cabinet erisis. Six-Minute Oratory. Announcement is made that in the Seventh National Oratorical Contest, the preliminaries of which are under way, the speeches of contestants will be lim- ited to six instead of ten minutes, as heretofore. This curtailment of forty per cent in the time of the delivery will necessarily entail a material change of style in both preparation and deliv- ery. Students will be compelled to adapt their discourses to the new meas- ure. Director Leigh tells them that they must not only cut their sentences, but even their words, making fewer words serve and shorter words as well. ‘This change of limit should work out beneficially to all. It will certainly add to the pleasure of the listeners at the various “finals,” school, urban, regional and national. But the contest is not designed for the benefit of the listeners, however much they may be edified and inspired by what they hear at these bouts ¢* oratory. The real beneficiaries are the young people who take part, the contestants. They reap an advan- tage from their preparatory studies, from their writing of the speeches, missioners of the District of Columbia may designate as necessary for the pur- poses of this act.” It is also to throw in Military road and construct another highway—if the latter step is necessary. The purchase or condemnation of the land ir question will be done through machinery already existing in the Na- tional Capital Park and Planning Com- mission. The title will rest in the name of the United States. Jurisdiction and control of the airport will be transferred to the Commissioners of the District. All departments and agencies of the Federal Government will have free and unrestricted use of the airport. The bill would appropriate $2,500,000 for purchase of land and development of the airport, to be repaid by the Dis- trict without interest. Phraseology of this portion of the act has been in- terpreted to mean that repayment to the Treasury does not begin until money has actually been spent: in other words, the amount to be repaid in any one year will depend upon the amount actually expended during the preceding year. Opposition has been expressed to the Bingham measure from responsible groups, and this opposition has been expressed as sincerely as the indorse- ment of the measure that has come from other sources. When hearings on the bill begin, an opportunity will be presented for full discussion and airing of pros and cons. In advance of the hearings, however, little is to be gained by opponents of the Bingham bill who seek to reject it now as altogether unworthy. Dissent is to be expected upon a matter that is 50 important, not only as to the technical features of the project as an airport, but in the division of cost. Such dissent Is healthy and connotes a wide-awake interest. It will doubtless be so in- terpreted by Senator Bingham and his colleagues who, after giving much time and thought to the matter, have decided upon the proposition as outlined in the pending bill as being the most practical thing that can be undertaken at this time and representing a fair share of participation by the Federal Govern- ment. But the hearings on this measure | their apparent inconsistencies. tariff coalition, rising in his wrath, has denounced ‘those Senators who shifted overnight from the low to the high tariff on sugar, for example. He has declared that never before in the his- tory of the Senate has there been such open shifting of votes. And probably he is right. He went further and de- clared that these changes in votes would be remembered by the people and | that the result would be a great num- ber of “political corpses.” He may be right. It is possible that some of the Senators will have difficulty defending Mr. Harrison scored particularly his Demo- cratic colleagues who failed to remain true to the low-tariff coalition. Once more the Democrats are fighting among. themselves, which, though unfortunate, is still not without precedent. The Senate could have done a better Job if it had stuck to its original rates and passed the low-tarift coalition bill and sent it to conference. The great difficulty has been that the low-tariff coalition would not be satisfied with its success, but set out to accomplish still more. It played for delay, believing that support from the States would work in its favor. But the contrary seems to have been the case. By delay the coalition has played into the hands of those seeking higher duties. Without & doubt two months ago the coalition- ists could have put their bill through. o Justice Wheat's Decision. ‘The Public Utilitles Commission has won a preliminary skirmish in the street car rate battle, but too much importance must not be attached to the victory, as welcome as it is to the people of the District. Justice Wheat's denial of the companies’ motion for a preliminary injunction to compel the commission to order & ten-cent fare until the court terminates considera- tion of the rate case was based on the grounds that a preliminary injunction is usually justified in preserving the status quo, not to change it, and that the arguments of the companies in sup- port of their motion have not been “so free from doubt” as to require a deci- sfon in their favor. The court also de- nied the Public Utilities Commission’s formal and routine motion to dismiss the bills. The real battle in the street car case must be fought on the merits of the companies’ claims for higher fare. These claims are not so free from doubt as to have persuaded Justice Wheat, after lengthy consideration, that they are not to be answered. They will be answered and the Public Utilities Com- mission has already demonstrated to ‘Washington that it is capable of refute ing them. —tee. Governments in all climes and at all periods are confronted with temptation to appear generous toward the people with one hand while collecting taxes from them with the other. ———— Big towns are no longer headquarters for sensational crime news. Every community large enough to be men- tioned on the map appears to have the makings of a hold-up gang of its own. —————— Economists who interest themselves in the tariff find it difcult to restrain statesmen who seek to gild the topic THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON Lincoln. 'That supreme example of [ whole for lower duties. It indicates brief yet iring expression should be- [ & lack of leadership, a failure to get ean"mmmodsl of the six-minute|to a realisation of what with oratory regardless of the axiom “Time is money.” ————— A thiul 1 under a green laurel I l{:‘l‘. mre.f‘:{r and colder than white snows Veil'd from the sun for many and many & year; And her sweet face, and hair, and way of speaking, So pleased me that I have her now be- fore me, And shall ever, whether on hill or lea. —Petrarch. The real charm of womanhood is a soft voice. Are there not voices, coming to us over the telephone, which soothe like soft music? Their “way of speaking,” as the an- clent poet put it, is almost childish. Something in their voice quality takes the listener back to those innocent days before he knew that pretty faces may be_deceptive. The “sweet face, and hair,” of which Petrarch sang may be deceivers ever, but the soft voice is the best indication of the woman. It would take a poet, now, to hold up three such charms for the proper edi- fication of mankind. He wrote in a day when it was fash- ionable for ladies to be both white and cold, before sunshine and suntan had come into their own, when veils were worn. Today he would have to be reconciled to a sunburnt Laura, rosy and warmer than the noonday sun itself, happy and healthy in the sunlight for many and many a year. He still, however, might have what seemed to please him most, her sweet face, and hair, and way of speaking. o It must be a terrible thing to have to sit across a breakfast table for life from a harsh-voiced woman. Every once and a while, when one is getting into an elevator, or off a public conveyance, or even while passing along the street, he hears a voice which would tear telephone poles up by the roots. Oft in the stilly night, before slum- ber’s chains have bound one, he is likely to hear a grand soprano screaming for the moon to hear: “Good-by, Jennie! Good-by! Good- by! ~Bee you tomorrow. Good-by! Don't forget to call me up. Good-by! Good-by!” Or in a theater, the admirer of soft voices is forced to listen to the fat Wwoman in the seat behind recount the intimate details of her recent opera- tion, with post-operative reflections upon the miserfes of mankind, with especial reference to the most charm- ing ills of all, as summed up in her sturdy person. * * ok ok Getting back to the telephone again, it is astonishing what an effect this stm?le instrument may have upon the feminine voice, either in bringing out to the full the beauty of it, or making it prettier, or even causing it to become harsh and ugly. We have never heard any explanation of this curiously different effect, but have no doubt it is caused by the pe- cullar result of vibrations upon the component parts of the telephone ap- paratus. The telephone, in other words, does not make an average voice harsh, but only makes it souad so. Nor does it take in a sweet voice at one end and send it out sweeter at the other. Nor yet can it make a full grown woman's voice sound like that of a little girl. What happens is that people take on a telephone attitude, which subtly changes the voice quality, so that the chenges which the hearer perceives are achieved by the speakers themselves. * ok ok X% There was a beautful lady of 30 Summer who, over the telephone, sud- THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. denly became transformed into a child of 8 years, Such a girly-girly volce was never heard on land or sea. Its effect upon one who so heard it over the wire for the first time was amusing. A look of astonishment would be seen to over- spread his countenance. Scarcely could he credit his ears. It was only later, when he had oppor- tunity to “stand by” while the lady tel- ;nhonefl. that he realized how it was one. Perhaps 25 per cent of the trans- formation was due to the apparatus, but the remainder was caused by a_change made in her voice by the lovely lady. No doubt she was totally unconscious of her lowered .soprano, its increased softness, its utter good nature (this last | at considerable variance with her true character, per se). An average good voice, changed dur- ing telephoning to a harsh tone almost unrecognizable, was demonstrated by an_elderly woman. She was afraid of the instrument. She had never used a telephone until late in life, and the whole proceeding rather flabbergasted her. ‘The result was that when she got on the wire her voice and manner changed to an amazing degree, not for the bet- ter, as in the other case, but very much for the worse. A stranger speaking to her would have imagined her the most quarrelsome woman in the world. Here was a case in which a telephone played a volce a sorry trick. o To those who really like women (and it must be remembered that not every one does, either man or woman) there is no more interesting study than their voices. Sometimes one hears it propounded s a puzzle that so many ugly women seem to catch such fine husbands. But there is no particular mystery here. Investigation will prove that in 99 out of 100 cases the lady has a beautiful voice. Men are susceptible to this charm. It will do more to land a husband than the most beautiful face, and the fine part of it is that the gentleman is sel- dom aware of what hooked him. He will say, if pressed for a reason, that the lady is good, beautiful, charm- ing, entertaining, or whatnot, and never once hit on the real reason, which ‘was simply the power of a sweet volce. One would not say that the power of the human voice is unique with women. No, it is a sexless thing, yet mysteriously enough associated with the distinction into sexes. The other day we received a note from one who did not agree with our rather elaborate analysis of why Amos 'n’ Andy are so popular, Our correspondent suggested the real reason is their voice quality, and we haven't any doubt that she is right. Since words are things, rather than meré sounds, the medium of thelr communication to others must be some- thing more than a mere passageway. ‘The voice is an essential part of one. Someway it takes on hidden qualities which often reveal the inner man or woman better than all the facial char- acteristics in the world. It is almost possible to tell a | voice, and surely it i8 equally possible to tell a pleasant woman from a quar- relsome one by the way she talks. Here instinct, or intuition, is better than all the shrewd observation in the world. No man can pick a wife to or- der, but if he will consider carefully the effect his ladylove's voice has upon him, he may be reasonably sure whether he will find it charming across & break- fast table 20 years from now. That is the big test. Her sweet face, and hair, may change a bit, but her “way of speaking” is the woman. Ruling on Freedom of Press Lauded as Public Safeguard The safeguards of liberty were re- inforced when the Ohio appellate court overruled a lower court which held two newspaper editors in Cleveland in con- All the ills known to humanity are | tempt. This is the conclusion of editors discussed at a congressional hearing. While a means of enlightenment, it is no place for an optimist. ———— When people censured “profiteers” | licity.” say the Ohio appe they did not know what worse things | g, were in store. The term ‘racketeer” had not yet been invented. —————— Ofl trials must go on despite the fact that in the figurings of modern finance will provide the proper time and place for expression of this dissent. If the opponents outweigh, by logical presenta- tion of facts, the contentions of the bill's proponents, there is little danger that the District will be forced to swal- low something it does not relish. Polemical discourse, however, should be replaced by dignified argument on the merits of the case when hearings begin. There is much merit in the Bingham bill. —e—. Prophets intimate that the Prince ot Wales may be the last monarch and the first President of Great Britain. Nothing at present indicates that the young prince is greedy for power and a President is usually called into being through the need of some one who has more power than a King. . The New Coalition. The Senate appears to have recovered from its attack of low-tariff “coalition- But the disease has broken out in a new form, thls time evidencing iteelf through a high-tariff coalition The transition is marked, as such transitions are frequently marked, by bitter remarks on the part of the over- thrown coalition leaders. Coalitions in the Senate, involving members of op- posing political parties, are not new. They have been found in operation many times during the consideration of tariff bills in the past. And usually they have been coalitions to boost the tariff duties on certain items in the bill in which individual Senators have been interested. The novelty during the consideration of the present bill has been found in the fact that a coalition was found to beat down rates. from the memorizing of them and from their delivery. Even those who fail of any measure of success in the competi- tions are benefited by their participa- tion. ‘The shortening of the time limit from ten to six minutes means that a new standard of expression must be adopted. Elaborate sentences must be eschewed, and polysyllabic words scrapped. Short ‘words and compact syntax must be the rule. Work to this end will be helpful. ‘The research for Anglo-Saxon words to replace the more elaborate usages will aid in vocabulary growth. Oratory does not call for the use of involved, rolling sentences and grace- fully syllabled words. It calls for the most effective expression of a given thought. An instance springs at once In some quarters there is an jnclina- tion to give to Senator Joseph R. Grundy of Pennsylvania, formerly a leading lobbyist for high tariffs and now serving as Senator under appoint- ment, the credit for the upset which has occurred. But that is largely for the purpose of painting the lily. The truth of the matter is that the Senators who comment on the case, which arose over criticism of an injunction against & sheriff's interference with a race track where gambling was alleged. “We live in an age of leesu pub- late judges; an age when freedom of speech and a ree bress are paramount issues. People should be allowed to say what they please and newspapers to print what they please, always making themselves liable under the laws of slander or the laws of libel.” “If it has seemed,” according to the $100,000 seems a comparatively small | St. Louis Globe-Democrat, “that judges matter to keep talking about. —————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. A Small Philosopher. A little baby laughed one day; I paused and wondered why. None of the wealth could it display For which the grown folk sigh. Its wardrobe seemed exceeding slim. No jewelry it wore. Its home was up a side street dim, Behind a dusty store. It hadn’t even teeth or hair. Its hands were frail and small, And yet it sat goo-gooing there, As if it had them all. It seemed to say that happiness Rests not with pomp or pelf; It comes not from what you possess, But from your real self. Daring Profect. “What we want is the Golden Rule embodied in legislation,” sald the idealist. “Yes,” replied Senator Sorghum. “But I doubt if you'd find a lobby on earth that could put that through.” Jud Tunkins says a friend indeed is a man who cannot only give good ad- vice, but lend a hand in helping to work it out. Inequality of Things. Full oft some dog of stunning style And pedigree without a fault Is worth a thousand dollars, while Its owner isn’'t worth his salt. Obscurity. “You say that woman is soclally obscure?” “Fearfully so, “She obtained a divorce without having her picture published in a single paper as a prominent society belle.” Fast Work. “Is your boy familiar with the classics?” who have joined the new high tariff coalition are acting in the interest of industries in their own States. The tariff is again—as it has been fre- quently in the past—a local issue when it comes to voting on specific items in the bill. Mr. Grundy merely happens to have been In the picture. It is not a situation that he has created. “I reckon he is by this time” said Parmer Corntossel. “Josh’s specialty is gettin’ familiar on short notice.” Merry Sunshine. The merry sunshine cheers us all ‘With inspiration for the soul. We're thankful, too, for favors small. Its warmth curtails the need of coal. The amazing thing is that Senators who are now voting for the higher “Allus tell de truth, son,” said Uncle to mind as an fliustration, in the duties on sugar, cement and other items Eben, “but don't git so anxious ‘bout classic Gettysburg speech of Abraham should have voted in committee of the it dat you can't mind yoh own business.” The upper court's suggestion that & | 4 |t have of late been increasingly inclined to make an improper use of their authority in such cases, doubtless this appellate decision will serve wholesome purposes. There is a well defined offense constituting contempt of court, for which fitting remedies are available. To extend its scope to include acts not only authorized but encouraged by law is to invite a prevalence of great abuses. That, for sound reasons, the press is reluctant to criticize the bench is well known to newspaper readers, and when it does offer criticism it is seldom harsh and almost always expresses deep public conviction. Should it be unfair or based on distortion of fact, judges have their remedy in the libel laws, as well as other citizens.” * o % x “The courts are entitled,” declares the Richmond News Leader, “to the respect and sympathetic co-operation of the press in the performance of their difficult duties, but when judges step beyond the limits of powers conferred and use their official positions to bring men to book because of criticism, it is only fair that persons who are the ob- jects of the judges’ anger should be given a trial before an impartial tri- bunal. Not to permit this is to ignore the demands of justice and to display a lamentable lack of sportsmanship.” “Judges are men, subject to the same prejudices as other humans,” says the Hartford Dally = Courant. “Because they are, they can scarcely be expected to render impartial verdicts in cases which they themselves have initiated and in which their own interests are at stake.” “Thus ends another attempt on the part of constituted authority,” remarks the Roanoke World-News, “to misuse personal dignity against criticism before the public. Either the judge's armor was not very thick or he was not alto- gether sure that his granting of the in- Junction was fully justified to begin with. His attempt to abridge the free- dom of the press, guaranteed in the Constitution, has met with a well de- served rebuke.” The Birmingham News holds that “here is what may be char- acterized a landmark in the struggle to insure the freedom of the press,” and that “the decision handed down by the replied Miss Cayenne. l appellate court deserves praise beyond words.” T Welcoming the decision as “a good court precedent,” the Grand Rapids Press states that “any other precedent merely places a muzzie of legal intimi- dation on the telling of what newspa= pers regard as the truth about judicial officers.” That paper asks, “Why should the elective ‘judiciary be exempt from the power of publicity which protects and enlightens the public in the case of every other public servant they choose? The Yakima Daily -Republic, assertin| that the case “involves a principle ol free nroech which newspapers ha jealously guarded in their function spokesmen of the people,” points out that “the appellate division stressed the fact that the editorial could not be con- strued as an attempt to subvert or ob- struct justice, since it sppeared after the judgment h.ld‘bt:n.lllnw down, hat power for the sake of upholding | judge is a person of temv~rament, and that there would be uanger in his “setting himself above the rest of mankind,” inspires the comment from the Milwaukee Journal: “It is tre- mendously significant that a court, sit- ting in judgment on another court, lays down as its own opinion the very g‘hlrorm on which the press has stood.” he Boston Transcript feels that “the least the offended judge should have done would have been to ask to be relieved of conducting the trial of his own complaint.” The Asheville Times contends, “It is time that the sound rule for ordinary litigants should be nrplled to members of the judiciary, in all cases where alleged contempt does not consist of an overt act committed in the presence of the court and tend- ing to obstruct the administration of fustice.” The Charleston Daily Mail concludes: “The press, as well as the court, has duties and obligations to law, public order and the public good. When there is a conflict with respect to the two an impartial tribunal should decide.” “Former Secretary of War Newton D. Baker,” recalls the Anniston Star, “rep- resented the press in this case, and his argument constitutes one of the ablest pleas ever made for a free press in & free country.” The 8t. Louls Post- Dispatch offers the judgment as to Mr. Baker's position, that “no more ef- fective answer to those who would gag the press and shut the mouth of the people, and no more penetrating fore- cast of what would happen to soclety, could suppression have its way, has been composed since John Milton’s ‘Areopagitica’ " That paper also con- demns the Minnesota law, “which gives the courts tyrannical powers over the press,” and ‘which “has gone to the United States Supreme Court.” Oontrasting also_with the Minnesota law, the South Bend Tribune' says of the Ohio decision that it is ex- ceptionally valuable contribution to the welfare of press and public.” The Minnesota case is reviewed by the Chicago Daily Tribune with the thought that “what the State has needed and needs is, not a bludgeon to be seized by either of the contending forces, but the development of an in- telligent public opirfon and a citizen- ship of character, now ineffective for its own defense in the duel between the plutocrats and the cranks.” ) Meeting in Iceland Attracts Opposites From the Baitimore Sun. Delegates are now heing named for attendance at the millennial celebration in Iceland next Summer. At least six Americans will go—the five appointed by President Hoover and also P. J. H, Farrell of Chicago, who will represent the Civil Legion. If opposites attract, there will be many more, for Iceland is what the United States is not. No railroads, no factories, no auto- mobiles, no criminals, no wars—that is a swift summary of Iceland. There are a few criminals, but they always are punished. There are a few factories, but they do not intrude. If there is an automebile, it has almost nowhere to Iceland’s neutrality is guaranteed Denmark, and it has neither army, navy n;zr n‘l;' debtl i America's interest the Icelan: millennium is not merely that o:“f gun‘mr respectful to its elders. Leif icsson will be honored by a statue d one trusts that the American dele- gales on thelr return will explain his allure to develop colonies in the Vine- land which he ‘said he discovered in 1000 A, D. This oversight is taken to mean that he never actually saw Amer- fea; but in view of Iceland’s sane, peaceful, happy existence, it is a reason. able guess that he not oniy saw America but alsa foresaw it and preferred assume any e 4 D. C, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 193 man from a bad one by the sound of his | fin THE LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover The theories of literary ethics have literary creation. Perhaps the most powerful instrument of change has been copyright laws. The story of changing standards regarding literary property is told, with many interesting illustrations and anecdotes, by H. M. Paull in his “Literary Ethics”” He gives instances of thoroughgoing stealing ' of whole books, far worse than mere plagiarism, trated by otherwise quite repu- gb e persons, often ministers. Literary forgeries always have been common. “The common custom of writing under the name of some dead saint was finally condemned in its turn by Pope Innocent 1.” There have been forgeries of the novels of sdcotz and n;l :eh-.le; speare's plays, and as man TS0N! have beell: led astray by them as by faked paintings by great masters. Plagiarism, usually the stealing of parts of ks, has been practiced by some of the best writers. Moliere, Charles Lamb, Disraeli, Jeremy Taylor and Benjamin Franklin are all accused of it by Mr. Paull. He says that the old Victorian favorite, Owen Meredith's “Luclle,” was stolen from George Sand’s “Lavinia.” While Owen Meredith was looting, it is aurg:mn; that he did not take something call cases of the stealing of popular characters of fiction and their use in books by authors other than their cre- ators. In the eighteenth century Field- ing was such a plagiarist. He ironically continued the history of Richardson's virtuous servant girl, Pamela, and cre- ated an equally virtuous brother for her, Joseph Andrews. Trollope Was 80 afraid that some one would steal his famous Mrs. Proudie of “Barchester Towers” that he killed her prematurely. Additon had done the same much | undergone change during the history of | 5 tter. We can all re- | F. F. personal letter. Here is & grea cationa] idea introduced into the lives of the most intelligent people in the world—American newspaper readers. It is a part of that best of a newspaper—service. There is no charge except 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Address Frederic J. Haskin, director, The Evening Star In- formation Bureau, Washington, D. C. . Does a rubber of contract take Ionqger to play than a rubber of auc- tion?—M. A. Bome rubbers in either game are very short, others may last a compara- tively long time. Milton C. Work esti- mates the length of the average rub- ber of auction at 20 minutes and con- |tract at 24 minutes. . Is the key to the Bastille that was nven to (!eoy Washington still in existence?—K. 8. J. A. This key which was given to ‘Washington by Lafayette is on exhibi- tion at Mount Vernon. Q. What are the Baumes laws?— "A. 'The Baumes laws are a series of criminal laws enacted in New York State in 1926. One of the many laws prohibited sawed-off guns equally with pistols. Another provided that in cases where a felon was convicted of a first offense and was armed with a pistol while committing the crime, 5 to 10 years should be added to the sentence. For lthu lucam! oflenu‘ lgr ww}aia y:.nl'l addtional imprisonment were , for the fourth conviction life imprison- ment was the sentence. earlier with his Sir Roger de Coverley. e e The best poetry of a period, beauti- fully published, is glvel'lpe “Poetry of the English Renaissance,” edited by J. William Hebel (professor at Cornell) and Hoyt H. Hudson (professor at Princeton). The editors have used early manuseripts for part of their collection, which contains many rarely found poems: Of the 1,068 pages, nearly 200 are notes of great critical and historical v:lue .n:“fl& interpretation of the poetry of on e most spontaneous in English verse, i e * ok k% ould the sum total of human hap- piness have been greater, the suflem':z less, if machines had never crowded out handicrafts? Most artists and many other people would probably say “Yes.” Perhaps the majority of those whose lives are passed amid “practical affairs” would dismiss such a question as abso- lutely foolish. What would life be worth without skyscrapers, steel bridges, factorles, automobiles, vacuum cleaners, electric refrigerators, to say nothing of mass-produced silk stockings, silk un- derwear, shoes and furniture? Stuart Chase in his “Men and Machines” states the case for and against ma- chinery. Mr. Chase first gives a history of machines, from the potter's wheel to the most complicated developments of today. He then gives a classification of machines. With facts disposed of, he applies reasoning to their results. He ds that from the machine worker’s standpoint health and well-being have been improved since the days of more individualistic labor. “It still has to be proved that it is a more evil thing to be at the mercy of a weekly pay cheek, than at the mercy of the tides, the storms, the seasons, the black death, the lord of the manor, the pigsty and the gods.” And “Under the modern canons of production, particularly in big business, it is gradually becoming a matter of scientific demonstration that it pays, in cold cash terms, to safe~ guard the health of the worker.”” Yet Mr. Chase inclines to the negative side of the debate, for in summing up he says: “I incline to the belief that ma. chinery has so far brought more misery than happiness into the world. It has, however, brought the fresh winds of Change; &nd, with them, vitality and invigoration. We are not in the lock- step of the middle ages or of the later days of Egypt.” In his chapter “The Two-Hour War.” he warns that, hor- ribly. all the advantages of machinery, all theorizing about its value, might be instantly swept away by a supergas rald. Machinery would then become ite own destroyer and the murderer of all humanity, s ol The great radical figures of the French Revolution were not men of lethargic or peaceful habit of mind; not men who loved quiet study and hated action. Danton, Robespierre, Marat and Mirabeau were all fighters. A recent life of Mirabeau shows him in his true character of man of turbulence and conflict—“The Stormy Life of Mira- beau,” by Henry de Jouvenel, translated from the French. Mirabeau, the fiery orator of the Franch Revolution, brought all his tremendous brain power and eloquence to the attack on autocratic | monarchy and the defense of the oppressed common people. he dominated France because his was the best mind of the Revolution and because he could always convert a hostile mob into enthustastic supporters, * ok ok k English comedy n early as the comic elements in the mystery and morality plays, continued through satirical interludes, until the time of the first genuine comedies of “Gammer Gurton’s Needle” and “Ralph Roister Dolster.” Some of Shakespeare's best plays are comedies and after him Ben Jonson devoted himself almost entirely to comedy. A decline period in ail drama followed, in which great extrava- gance and coarseness degraded the drama, and it was not until the eighteenth century, with Goldsmith and Sheridan, that comedy again reached something of the level of Shakespeare. A survey of English comedy from its earliest beginnings to George Bernard Shaw is to be found in “English Comedy,” by Ashley H. Thorndike. Biographies of dramatists and plots of many plays are given as well as dra- matic criticism of periods and indi- vidual work. Dr. Thorndike classifies comedy as romantic, realistic and fan- tastic. He might well have added another division—satiric. Shakespeare used all three of Dr. Thorndike's forms. His “Midsummer Night's Dream” is both Tomantic and fantastic; “As You Like It” is romantic; “A Comedy of Errors” and “Merry Wives of Windsor” are realistic, and “The Taming of a Shrew” at least seems to us today to be thor- oughly fantastic. it As a writer of light and clever fiction, E. F. Benson, after many years of au- thorship and something like 30 novels on his list of accomplishment, is still not a bad choice as companion for 8 train journey or a deck chair. His novel, “Paying Guests,” is a comedy of character, with the scene at a famous watering place pof“l“ with persons of gouty or rheumatic tendencles. Mrs. Oxney, unfortunate woman, keeps & “high-class” boarding house, which is always well filled with persons of re- finement _and icular tastes who come to Bolton Spa for the baths and drinking the waters. There are Col. Chase, retired officer of the Indian Army; Miss Alice Howard, who plays 8olf, sketches in water colors and plays the piano; hypochondriac Mr. Kemp and imposed-upon daughter, Mrs. Bliss, who belleves in mental science, but is taking the cure because her hus- band thinks she has arthritis; and Mrs. Holders, who thinks she knows some- thing about bridge. Of course there is & romance, but it is humorous and un- 2 * ok %k An enlargement of part of the “Ox- ford Book of Verse” appears as “The Oxford Book of Regency Verse,” chosen by H. 8. Milford. It is one of a series of Oxford pcrl‘od eouec%i;m :n'z ugi?;:; ing t! reface an attem) g o b Bk s it bt t the 9 d ‘The p Century verse' and Thi Among Book of the 8¢ poets represented, Bryant Q. Pl James II style of furnitu: L K. A. There is none so classified. James 11‘did not reign long enough for a style to develop. Q. Is there & monument to the man who started the World War? If so, who erected it?>—G. T. R. s A. Probably you refer to a memorial tablét to Gabriel Princip, which has been placed on a private house at Sera- jevo, where on June 28, 1814, he sassinated the Archduke Francis Ferdi- nand and his wife. The tablet was erected by the family and gflmala“.ho assassin and bears the following in. tion: “At this historic spot Gabriel oD berty on June 28, Prineip proclaimed 1i) 1914.” Q. Where did the Mayas come from?—N. A. L. ancient TR ope of ‘manuscrip wh‘::e visited Am:t‘.“ :: t,!.:e time of the Spanish u hoped that these m-mpron 8 key to the Mayan hieroglyphies which have been found. At the time of the conquest the Mayas had a vast literature preserved on scrolls of mnu. These were gath- ered and ed by the Spanish in- vaders. Despite the fact that the Mayas had evolved a complex civiliza- mathematics to a stage not surpassed by the ancient Bgyptians, the source of this civilization is unknown. Q. Please give some facts about fier:lg Macfadden's early youth— 'A. Mr. Macfadden, an exponent of iture, was born near Mills ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. > | cent. the characteristios of | lease name il hies, his was t 5 povert, T father being an_habitual ard and his mother a sickly woman of an impoverished family. .His father died when he was a mere child. Thereafter the boy worked in a cheap hotel, as a farm hand, a bill collector, helper in a coal mine, etc. His mother's death soon followed and relatives predicted that Bernarr was not long for this world. He purchased a membership in a gym- nasium, becoming a marvel of physical perfection. Later he acquired his edu- king his way as an in- astics in private and public schools. Deciding to East, he arrived th New York with $50. He tried various fents beforé his success ‘was assured. %How long has the present crown of land been in existence?—P. M. W. A. he King of England has three crowns, Ki Edward the Confessor’s crown, the perial state crown and the imperial crown of India. The first crown was made for the coronation of Charles II in 1662. The imperial state crown was made for Queen Victoria in 1838. ‘The imperial crown of India owes its origin to the law which forbids the crown of lwllnd being taken out of England. en George V was crowned in Delhi a new crown had to be made. Q. Where is the Painted Desert?— B. M. A. It lies along the Colorado River in . It remarkable for the ht red, brown, blue, purple, yellow and white of the sandstones, shales and It is the famous petrified forest fll‘:. d | of Mesogoic time. Q. What is the official language of Palestine?—B. W. A. There are three official languages in Palestine — English, Hebrew and Arabic—and all public documents are transiated into these three languages. Q. What has become of the U. S. 8. Arizona and-the U. 8. S. Pennsylvania? —V. M. A. The U. 8. S, Arizona is in the Norfolk Navy Yard for repair. The U. Dhia Navy ard for repais, Both shipe vy Yard for repair. s will be in dry dock for about one year. Q. Please give a biography of Maurice Chevelier, the French screen star.—M. P, A. He was born near Paris, France, about 37 years ago. He is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 1656 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes. married. His stage career began at the age of 12. He became the idol of the French theatergoers. He fought in the World War and recelved a decoration for bravery. Since coming to America his talking pictures have been received with enthusiasm. . What is the difference between a ficate and a diploma?—M. J. C. A. A certificate is merely a written testimony to the truth of any fact, such as the completion of a certain course of study, whereas a diploma confers some , honor or power and bears rec- ord of a degree conferred. Q. What is the Canton water clock? tion and had developed astronomy and [ —C. K. A. The water float or clepsydra in Canton dates back some 500 years and has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. It is composed of three copper vessels placed one above the other on steplike platforms. In the bottom vessel is a float with an indicator scale g through it, which, as the water the lower vessel, rises and shows the ghylflul cult pring, Mo., in 1868. According to re- L_UNIVERSAL, Mexico City.— ‘The city of Mexico has inaugu- Wy of trensgostasion ToF the way o 5 ion for the poor people of the federal dis- trict. A magnificent automobile omni- bus has been acquired on order of Dr. Jose Casauranc, governor of the federal district, for the use of the mourners, who used to proceed on foot to the i cemeteries. Dr. Casaurané has also arranged for an auto truck for the transportation of cemeteries. This been discarded by a commercial in- lmt of the city, has been recondi- tioned and m&-mufl‘ 8o that it af- fords _digni and suitable convey- ance for the remains of indigen ple. Heretofore bodies of deceased im- poverished people were either carried to the tomb or transported in street cars. These benefactions will be en- tirely free, when so desired. x ok ox % Germany Has Interest in Chile. El Mercuria, Santiago.—Germany, from the very first, has had a sym- pathetic and " affectionate interest in Chile. German institutions and cus- toms early gained root here, from the influx of many German immigrants who came to the new continent in the hope of improving their fortunes. benefits of this old German immigra- tion mulfikd to develop us in a way that has built up a close us and other Spanish-American geo- ples with the present German Republic. The German types that came to South America were robust, intelligent, in- dustrious men that added needed traits to our Spanish tem; ent. Ger- many, under both the old government and the new, has always shown a dis- position u; stand tl’t{: g in our dt‘gr; culties, and now, wi & CO-Operal jof his excellency Senor Luis de Porto Seguro, Chilean Minister to Germany, there is talk of further German im. migration—whole colonies in fact, to improve our industries and benefit the newcomers. & Too Many Shops In England and Wales. London Chronicle, London.—In Eng- land and Wales there are, it is esti- mated, 500,000 retail shops, not in- cluding street stalls, a total which giv an average for the country of only 77 customers, of ages and sexes, per shop. If the average family in land and Wales spends £5 per week these oh? the average ki cannot realise a profit greater than six or seven pounds per week at most, and there are no doubt thousands of lit- tle shopkeepers here who would be de. lighted to make as much! We opine that shopkeeping is frequently a very precarious business. x ok ok % Savings Banks Report Record Business. Glasgow Weekly Herald, Glasgow.—TIt is one of the puzzles of these hard times, when everybody is suj to be feeling the pinch, that sav banks all over the country are g rec- ord business and record balances. 15 have the usual story to tell. of the Glasgow Savings Bank—which is one of the largest in the world, and much larger than the next two in the British Isles combined—is particularly notable, because w:h; industrial hell!ulxn which it opera as been especially hard hit. But, thanks to Scotch thrift, instead of feeling the pinch, it added Highlights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen all | i time. o ges of French citisens cot in 8§ ntracted L flf coauldenfim may ':‘llo come to : oactive as regards e marriage French nationals previously solemnized in Spain. Such a tendency on the part of the French government is signifi- cantly typical of the different view- point from which this vital relation s estimated in the two countries. In France the sentially a ‘minor importance, and frequently omitted. In Spain, the lous is the essential pu‘t.mclvfl mmmulrmfi are complied with, but they are s formal incident, not the solemn, bind~ ing part of the contract. That is why Spanish marriages endure better than French ones, and also why French offi- cmdola dfu no:d‘ cor:;}der S ‘oo.; clesiastical reco; e ivalent their civil data. i * ok k k Transfer School Work to Woods and Fields. Imparcial, Montevideo.—] Winter months some of memwx has been transferred to the woods and flelds. Under the guidance of teach- ers of biology and entomology, as well s of botany, clastes of children study- ing subjects comprised in the sciences mentioned are taken out to the rural districts to study bugs and plants and certain smaller animals—in fact, a whole cross-section of Uruguayan fauna and flora—in their native habitat. What was formerly a dull and tedious study has now become for these chil- dren a delightful pastime, an inter- esting occupation. Y8 and girls that were formerly afraid of all inserts in- discriminately, now instructed as to their lives, habits and varieties, see in thel:: only creatures of beauty and service. For the study of birds and animals not found close to the city and also for the study of marine plants, animals ;21‘ w:, g:e nmc'e"u Central ay (Uruguay ntral Rail- road) is to be commended for - tng the children to points where thege subjects could be seen. The Oriental Brewery is also entitled to the grati- tude of the children for supplying naranja (orange) crush, on repeated occasions, and Chiarinoy Persico and the Cafe Uruguaya for sandwiches. The firm of Serratosa & Castella also fur- nished radio apparatus and connections for use on these excursions, and other concerns almost too many to enumerate have given useful little souvenirs to the children to interest and benefit them. One store, that of Irastorza & Cia, pre- sen:d them all with tubes of tooth- paste. At Piriapolis swimming classes were organized of children of all different ages, and after strenuous exercise on shore, to start a perspiration, the little ones were all taken into the water, and taught either the rudiments or the fine arts of swimming as their ages per- mitted. * % Xk X Soft Drink Makers Must Mark Bottles, El Nuevo Diario, Caracas.—Hereafter, accordance with new health laws, ali or manufacturers of soft us, carbonated, cap the Bottles In Which thels héverene C] eraj is contained with the trade name of xg: beverage, and the name of the manu- facturer or importer. The bottles con- taining the beverage do not need to £338,000 to its fun the last year, and its total of savings de- posits is now £24,102,000, the t in its history. .This bank has 313,000 depositors and 366,000 sccounts, Its transactions during the year num- bered 1,899,012 and its turnover was £16,000,000. Sl panish Marriages :nhulnmue. El Sol, Madrid.—It is reported that — e contain these names, but no bottles used by manufacturers o fots We Hope He Did. From the Cleveland News. and Poe are included. In addition to ursnum‘olmmwhw en' .gmmmm longer y e S Gunman who robbed the Columbus & permanent wave as well H have had professional rea- !