Evening Star Newspaper, April 17, 1930, Page 8

A—S8 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTO N, D. €, THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1930. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. THE EVENING STAR ‘With Sunday Morning Edition. WABHINGTON, D. C. coming, if, indeed, it has not already become, the most important and the most valuable literary collection in the world. A bill is pending in Congress au- MHURSDAY......April 17, 1880 thorizing the appropriation of $1,500,000 THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor Ne Com The Evening Star m:e:p- pany 4o Bundine. St.. London, Rate by Carrier Within the City. e Evenine Star. .. "iir““" month hdays) i 80c per month .65¢ per month o o per Sopy it ~ach morth. by mall or telephone [Ational 5000. Rate by Mall—Payable in Advance. nd and Virginia. REbe i A 30001 All Other States nnd, Can: Member of the Assoclated Press. The Assoclatec Press 1s exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dia- atches credited to it Or not otherw! - ere ted this r and also the lueal rew iblished herein. | All rights of publication é special dispatches herein are also reserve The Capper Loan Proposal. The point immediately to be raised in eonnection with Senator Capper’s Munic- ipal Center financing proposal is this: ‘Why should the District be charged in- terest at three and one-half per cent on money advanced for this particular semi-national project when, in the case of two other semi-national projects, the Cramton park bill and the Bingham air- port bill, no interest is to be charged and the interest-free loan is construed as representing & part of the Federal contribution? What justification exists for such discrimination in this most impres- sive of the great undertakings that con- front the local community in its task of maintaining and developing the Federal City, the Nation's Capital? 1f the Federal Government, as in the Cramton bill, feels obligated to partici- pate to the extent of advancing, interest free, money for the purchase of parks in the Capital; if the Federal Government feels obligated, as in the Bingham bill, to participate by an interest-free loan, plus the donation of land, in the acqui- sition and development of a National Capital airport, what semblance of rea- son remains for foisting a great debt upon the District in connection with the Municipal Center without even these evidences of joint responsibility on the part of the Federal Government? Interest at three and one-half per cent on the $15,000,000 loan proposed in the Capper bill, with reduction of principal at the rate of $1,000,000 a year, will amount to $4,200,000, or an for the purchase of the collection of incunabula, or “cradle books” of Dr. Otto F. H. Vollbehr, a celebrated Ger- man gatherer of historic literary ma- terial. This collection was brought to the United States some time ago for its possible acquisition by a great church library. This purpose failed, and now it is offered to the Government of the United States for one-half of its original price, its owner preferring that it should be finally housed in the Library of Congress than in any other institution. ‘There are, however, other aspirants for its possession. Viewed quantitatively $1,500,000 seems & large price to pay for 3,000 articles. Viewed qualitatively, however, those 3,000 articles comprising the Vollbehr collection are priceless. If added to the Library of Congress they will not appeal to or assist the average user of that great storehouse of literature. But they will be of interest and aid to students of the history of printing and to those engaged in other lines of research. The presence of that collection in the Library of Congress will bring Wash- ington appreciably closer to the point of being the literary cultural center of the world. ‘The Library of Congress was originally created as a reference col- lection for the use and assistance of members of Congress. Its first material accession was the library of Thomas Jefferson, and then from time to time donations were made and collections were purchased. But for a long period the Library grew mainly from the deposit with it of coples of copyright books as a requirement of the law. Not until a separate and permanent home was provided for it, however, did the Library progress and develop as a na- tional collection. Now it has outgrown its quarters and a large addition to the structure is planned, while close at hand is soon to rise s monumental home for the Folger collection of Shake- speareana, the largest assemblage of works of and about the “bard of Avon.” India's Fermenting Salt. Gandhi’s grain of salt is producing the threatened ferment in India. From coast to coast the civil disobedience campaign is raging with constantly spreading virulence. Yesterday, in regions as widely separated as Karachi, Calcutta and Poona, clashes with the authorities netted a casualty list of one civilian killed and some fifty others more or less injured. Dispatches say that arrests are mounting hourly. The Gandhi Nationalists are in fight- ing mood. They are apparently in no humor to maintain the purely “non- average annual interest payment of $280,000. 1t the Federal Government’s contri- bution to the District'’s general fund Temains $9,000,000, and this lump sum is generously construed as representing twenty-five per cent—which it does not —the District will be paying more in| magistrates and police superintendents |scientific interest. interest on this loan than it receives from the Federal Government in the proportionate parts of the annual al- lotment that go into reducing the prin- cipal. If a part of the Federal Govern- ment’s allotment to the general fund is to apply to payment of interest as well as reduction of principal, the net an- nual cost te the District, to be taken wholly out of local taxpayers’ money, will amount to an approximate $960,000 a year. As in the case of all these proposals for Treasury advances or Treasury loans to finance the semi-national undertak- ings of the Federal City, the evil does not rest in the proposals themselves, for it is often necessary as well as good economy to go into debt. And there is no particular reason why the District should not go into debt to finance large projects. The evil rests in the existing system of sharing expenses between the Dis- triet and the Federal Government, with the resulting destruction of the con- cept of fair partnership between them. Substantive law, enacted and never re- pealed by Congress, fixes the Federal appropriation of forty per cent. Depar- ture from this lawful system by means of legislative evasion has reduced the Federal contribution to something less than twenty-five per cent a year, and if this policy, if it can be dignified by calling it & policy, is continued, the reduction in the amount of Federal participation will be steady and continuous, for since 1024 the expenses of the Federal City have been growing by leaps and bounds. Thus the proposals for Treasury ad- vances or loans, sound if undertaken on the basis of equitable partnership in Capital financing, become grave dangers to and unwarranted burdens upon the taxpayers of this community. The curb upon the tendency to unjust exactions by Congress from the unrepresented taxpayers of this community, so wisely placed in the organic law and continued in substantive law by guaranteeing that the Federal Government would pay a proportionate part of the appropria- tions, has been lifted. Congress gives annual exhibitions of having seized the bit in its teeth. The Cramton bill will put the District $16,000,000 in debt. The airport bill will put the District $2,500,000 in debt. The Capper bill will put the District $15,000,000 in debt, with added interest amounting to $4,200,000. It is time to stop. It is time to stop piling up these obligations without giv- ing scientific study and attention to the supporting foundations. It is time to begin at the bottom and arrive again at a just determination of the respective responsibilities of the District and the Federal Government in their joint task of Capital building and development, Then the matter of loans and advances can be discussed in proper perspective, with due regard to the consequences. e i 1t is the duty of the Prince of Wales to remain popular. One way to keep out of politics is to go hunting in South Africa. ——— The Vollbehr Collection. violent resistance” counseled by the Mahatma. Both at Karachi and Poona they protested forcibly against the con- viction of Pandit Jawarhalal Nehru, president of the All-India Nationalist Congress, and other outstanding Nation- alist leaders. Jalls were stormed, and were victims of the week's political riots. Probably the strong arm of British authority will promptly and effectually suppress these excesses. But it is just as certain that unrest will continue, and altogether probable that it will become cumulatively more aggressive. Gandhi’s latest public fulmination against Britain goes far beyond “civil disobedience.” At Nausari on Tuesday, he told his followers that, although they had defended their salt against attacks by the authorities, he wants them to g0 “many steps further.” The Mahatma urged his volunteers to resist the police, even if they have .to lay down their lives. ‘The line of demarcation between such resistance and armed offense is thin. To date the “oppressor” has not re- sorted to any demonstration in force against the rising tide of Nationalist disaffection. The British in particular seem determined not to martyrize Gandhi. Equally determined do they appear not to repeat the blunder of Amritsar. How long the lion will, or can afford to, crouch, and more or less passively observe, is now a grave question, That India is aflame with revolt on & scale hitherto unwitnessed seems open to little doubt. The hour of stern repressive methods may not be far off. ——— It may be doubted whether Judge John J. Parker, as & member of the United States Supreme Court, would ever have a more difficult question to consider than that relating to his own appointment. ———— et Another Amateur Ruling. In the past few years much criticism has been leveled at the governing bodies of amateur golf and tennis for what have generally been considered far- fetched and illogical rulings on the am- ateur status of prominent players. Bill Tilden, with his news articles and the vacillating policy of the tennis authori- ties, and Mary K. Browne, barred from golf because she played professional tennis, are two cases in point. But for sheer inconsistency the palm must be handed to the United States Golf Asso- ciation for its sudden enforcement of a rule on John Dawson of Chicago, one of the six best amateurs in this country, which barred him from the 1929 na- tional amateur championship and more recently from the North and South at Pinehurst after he had tied for medal- ist honors. ‘This sterling golfer works and has worked for many years for a firm sell- ing athletic goods. A rule of the United States Golf Association states plainly that a linksman is capitalizing his skill if he is connected with such an estab- lishment and therefore is ineligible to play as an amateur. There is no doubt whatever that the rule is plainly on the books, but the amazing part of the Dawson case is that the golf authorities did not seem to realize it was there un- til the sterling Chicago player began to build his game to championship heights. As long as Dawson was simply an also It is inconceivable that a library should ever stop growing. No matter ‘what its size or character or scope or purpose, & library should increase con- tinuously. Otherwise it is a static thing, inert, of only special usefulness, and that usefulness diminishing with the years, The Library of Congress is & growing institution, constgntly adding to its numbers of volumes and to its that ran nothing was made of the fact that he worked for a sporting goods house and as recently as 1928 he was unchal- lenged in the national amateur contest, but when he showed the first signs of golf greatness down came the heavy hand of authority. Another inconsistency in this latest example of the U. 8. G. A. policy is | golf players are permitted unques-" us all awake foh de ‘:uqn * pange of special collections, 36 i5 be~ Sioned fo Write nawepaper ox magaNne- sribution plate . articles. In fact, one great amateur whose status cannot be questioned, even by the golf suthorities, has written highly illuminating and interesting stories on the game for which he has received adequate compensation. It would seem apparent that if an ama- teur were capitalizing his skill by selling golf balls, it would logically follow that an amateur was doing the same thing to a far greater degree by writing golf stories which no one would care to read and which would have no market value unless he were an outstanding player. Public opinion to the contrary not- withstanding, the U. 8. G. A. and the U. 8. L. T. A. will probably proceed to make these rulings. Amateurism and professionalism should be sharply sep- ated, but in their zeal to protect the “simon-pures” the governing bodies have gone to such extremes that logic has been left by the wayside. To the average person the line of demarcation between an amateur and a professional is pretty clear, but to the powers that be it apparently is traced in invisible ink. Amateur sports must be kept free from taint. It would seem quite obvi- ous, however, that reasonable regula- tions and reasonable enforcement are all that is necessary to accomplish the purpose. e Parking Penalties. City officials of New York are con- sidering abandonment of the present method of penalizing overtime parkers and substituting the “ticket method” used in other cities. Since it was in- troduced more than & year ago by Com- missioner Whalen, New York has been towing to a police pound all improperly parked automobiles. In this period more than eleven thousand cars have been seized. In order to repossess them the owners were required to pay ten dollars each, Soon after its inception, however, this system developed injustices and hun- dreds of complaints were made. In some ‘cases motorists claimed that their cars were taken while they were on official business, such as serving as at- torney in court or on jury duty, and in many instances genuine and un- Jjustified hardship followed this viola- tion of one of the trivial regulations. The most serious indictment of all was that more than one hundred automo- biles were never called for, and it is thought that many of the owners col- lected insurance believing that their vehicles had been stolen. The system now used in New York was once suggested for Washington, but was opposed and was never put into effect. Washington uses the “ticket method,” and it accomplishes every- thing that is necessary in penalizing THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. “There is a great deal of unnecessary worry among amateur gardeners as to the number of garden tools needed to grow flowers. The list of essential tools is very short, including not over 10 numbers, several of which may be omitted if necessary. Nor need all be secured at one tim No one ought to refrain from grow- ing flowers and keeping a beautiful home grounds in general simply be- cause he cannot afford to purchase every gadget on the market. While many of them are very con- venient to have around, they scarcely belong to the list of necessary garden tools, which may be lined up as follows: Spade. . Fork. . Trowel. . Grubber. . Rake. Lawn mower, . Hose. Sprayer. . Clippers. 10. Pruning shears. It is scarcely possible to dig flower the overtime parker. Traffic regulation is becoming more reasonable as offictals Tealize the difference between major and minor violations, and New York is embracing the theory that there can be no justice in punishing the overtime parker and the reckless driver with al- most the same severity. R —— Discovery of a new planet arouses ‘The distance it travels around the sun is measured, but no financier is as yet sufficiently astute to zone the orbit for the purpose of col- lecting fares. ——— Diplomats in London are all in favor of peace. There are influences among the people of various nations which indicate that old Vox Populi has an in- fluential word in all negotiations. ———— A slight advantage is enjoyed by J. Hamilton Lewis in Illinois. A straight- away wet argument, whatever its merits, is easier to understand than a World Court dissertation. —— Enormous wealth of the U. 8. A. is authenticated by the best statisticians. Farmers still insist that the supply of wealth is not equal to the demand. ——ee—. The wicked no longer pursue furtive methods. The robber prefers broad day- light and the murderer favors a crowded \morou(hh.re. | Two conditions are dreaded by de- | tectives: one that shows no clues at all and another that develops too many. o SHOOTING STARBS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. As the Game Grows Bigger. I dreamt I was a millionaire. A wish at last came true. To wealth, said I, quite debonair, “Pll play the game with you! “I'll meet the raise. I'll call the bluff. I'll draw to flush or straight; For I at last possess the stuff ‘With which to cope with fate.” To get into the game I try. The dealer says: “Pray skip Small change. A million now will buy No more than one white chip!” 0ld Friends. “You said nothing original in your last speech,” remarked the friend. “Why be original?” rejoined Senator Sorghum. “The oldest argument is al- ways sure of applause just the same as the oldest joke is sure of a laugh.” Jud Tunkins says he knows his son is goin’ to smoke and all he asks is that the boy will not try to look like one of the tobacco ads in a magazine. A Word Only. “I am a Communist,” said he. “Oh, what is that?” said I «1t hasn't been explained to me,” He answered with a sigh. Competition for Fame. “You once had the reputation of being & bad man.” “That was long ago,” sighed Cactus Joe. “Since the gunmen and the po- lice got into continuous battle the com- petition for fame has got to be some- thing terrible.” “An enemy forgiven,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “becomes more dan- gerous because he feels powerful enough to go unpunished.” Votes Unceasing. ‘The primaries are going strong. Election plans are in their prime. Then the “straw ballot” comes along And keeps us voting all the time. “De last part of a sermon is allus de loudest,” sald Uncle,Eben, “so's to git of de con- beds without some form of instrument to turn up the soil, chief of which are the spade and fork. Each of these tools has its cham- pions, one gardener preferring the old- fashioned spade, another the digging fork of three or more tines, in each case mostly for the good and simple reason, as Penrod sald, that he was brought up on the instrument of his choice, The fork is, perhaps, easier to use in sod, when one wants to break it up, but the spade does cleaner cut work and is to be preferred for stralght dirt digging. ‘There is & real knack to handling the spade, a trick which scores of home gardeners never learn, hence they are inclined to sneer at this worthy imple- ment. One should never place the edge straight along the ground, but should insert one corner in the earth, pressing in vigorously and turning the spade as the corner sinks, until the edge is in the flatwise position desired. This method takes much of the effort out of spading and is invariably used by men who earn their living by digg! * % ok X ‘The trowel is one of the most neeces- sary tools for the home garden. It al- most may be regarded as the corner stone, as it were, of the whole edifice of bloom which the home owner aspires to rear by July. One may purchase a good trowel for as little as 35 cents, so the cost has nothing to do with its prime place in the flower garden. It is necessary be- cause no other device of steel or steel and wood quite takes its place. The corner of a spade is too clumsy and is not' the right shape. ‘The trowel, whether of the ordinary shape or the “Slim Jim" affair for put- ting in bulbs, is indispensable for the average amateur who does not call h’LMI';]f an expert in the handling of plants. Let it be admitted that some per- sons possess a peculiar knack with plants. They are not afrald of touch- ing them, as many a person just out of an apartment seems to be, but seize them with authority, and transplant them boldly, making them do -their bidding. Most of us need all the help which & good trowel can,give us in order to secure anything approaching this masterful handling of growin, lants. Somehow the feel of a trowe the hand sets up the average amateur as nothing else can; he puts his seedlings in place without a qualm, firm in the faith that they will grow and do well. It must be confessed that some woman gardeners secure {un as results with an ordinary kitchen fork, but this is a gift, or sometimes the re- sult of long training. The city gardener will do better to stick to the tradition- al trowel. If the handle is of pressed steel, with a circular hole in the end, one must be careful not to press too hard or too long at a time, else he will find a neat biscuit of skin cut from the palm of the hand before he knows it. This is no unusual happening, and the abrasion is very difficult to heal. * kK ok Some sort of grubber, to stir up the earth, is a necessity for the flower garden. A hoe is easier on the back, but if the garden is small a hand claw of some description will do even better. Here agalp the kitchen fork may do in the hands of the expert. A rake is a garden tool without which no home is complete, no matter how little it is used There is a mis- taken bellef on the part of some grass enthusiasts that the very life must be raked out of a yard every Spring and Autumn. Nothing could be further from the truth. Much harm is done by the indiscriminate clawing which some people give their lawns. Tender new grass is uprooted and about the only things that benefit from the process are the muscles of the gardener. And vet we would say, “Keep a rake When one needs it, nothing else will take its place. As for the lawn mower, it is, indeed, the king of home garden tools. It must be included in the list because the lawn is an integral part of the garden—the background, or frame, of it. Nothing but good quality machines should be chased. These, with a little ann care in the way of clean- ing and oiling, will last for many, many years. We personally know two lawn mowers in their thirtieth year which are still going strong. The latest types are being made of pressed steel and, therefore, are not as heavy as those of past years. As an ordinary thing, one should not attempt to handle a wider mower than is necessary. They are too heavy, and the few additional inches are little, if any, gain, since the careful homeowner makes his paths lap over one another. * K ok X We have put the hose among the last to be considered because we be- lieve that, while essential, it is the most overused garden tool. The fun of “sprinkling” ruins more good lawns than any other one procedure. T amateur who will learn to let his gra: take care of itself, except in emergencies, has learned one of the greatest garden lessons, and one which experience alone ordinarily teaches him. We do not ex- pect any one to pay any attention to this warning here, but we hope they will, and we know that if they do they will have a better, greener lJawn than if they insist on “watering” it three or four times a week. ‘The hose is invaluable, of course, dur- ing those long dry spells when the grass begins to turn brown in spots. Then a Elent ul watering, not less than two ours at a stretch, will save the grass from harm. At all other times it is better to let the lawn take care of itself. Ordinarily, especially in the Spring, rain will take care of it. 1If artificlally applied water is withheld, the grass roots will be forced to extend themselves and thus go down to underlying water. During warm weather persistent use should be made of the hose for flower beds, shrubs and evergreens, but it is best to keep the water off the grass. Among our essential garden tools are the insecticide sprayer and the clippers. Edging the lawn is a nuisance, but it has to be done some way, and the simple clippers are by far the cheapest, and as satisfactory as any, although a bit tough on the back. As for the sprayer, it is as essential as any of the foregoing. One cannot have a good garden in these days of ever-in- creasing insect hordes without spraying. This lure, 0o, is something of a nuisance, and often the results are not what one hoped they would be, but spraying must be done, just the same, if one is to have good flowers. With it there is much hope of success, but with- out it very little. ‘We have given the foregoing list of garden tools because we feel that too many amateur gardeners, especially the beginners, are inclined to think that they must have a regular “tool house"” in order to garden at all. The pruning shears, No. 10 in our list, will be neces- sary if one grows roses. Pruning is more essential in rose growing than many amateurs realize, Highlights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands E _MATIN, Paris—Two dairles have been selling milkk to a foundlings’ hospital in the Montrouge district, which, when drunk by the infants, made them the victims of severe disorders. Analysis of this milk showed it to be impure, not so much from adultera- tion as from careless and unclean handling. Accordingly the authorities of the municipal health department prose- cuted the heads of the two dairies, with the result that each manager was fined the sum of 100 francs. Imagine 80 severe a penalty! A fine of 100 francs for the offense of putting in jeopardy the lives of hundreds of chil- dren in a country like France, where the cry is continually to avert the dread peril of depopulation. In a country confronted by such a possibility the care of the children should be our chief duty and our first interest. Take care of the children and the country will always be able to protect itself. Children are no longer incumbrances—they are sacred wealth—and national assets. There is nothing more valuable within our boundaries, and, instead of exploiting them for gain or neglecting or abus- ing them, we should give them our very best of love and watchfulness. All those who endanger the life of a child, either by abuse, abandonment or h;rd;hip. cannot be too severely pun- ed. We take this occasion to thank the lady who sent us the big box of toys for the poor children. * ok ok K Class Battles In U. S. Frowned Upon. El Nuevo Diaro, Caracas—We are informed that every year the entering classes at all the schools and colleges in North America have battles with the classes of the second year. This is a universal and ancient custom, and takes place early after the reopening of the institutions every Fall. Some- times these combats are very severe and result in injuries to the students. Oftener they are intended to place members of the other class in a ridicu- lous or subservient position. The new students at these colleges generally have to submit to indignities and sub- ordinations that put them almost in the category of servants. This dom- ineering on the part of the second year class is intended for the benefit of the new students, to pre them becoming too independent or -con= ceited upon leaving the restraint of home and parents for the first time, We are glad that education is a matter of more discipline and decorum in this country. % i Intellectual Men Poor Lovers. Imparcial, Montevideo—It s a strange fact, but men of superior or distinguished intellectual ability prove the poorest lovers. Of course, men of these classifications form a small per- centage of the generality, but in pro- portion statistics show that they have far more dissensions with their wives than men of mediocre attainments. Perhaps this is because they are too much wedded to their profession or their art. * ¥ ¥ ¥ Smith Uses Discretion in.Memolrs. El Tiempo, Bogota—Mr. Alfredo E. Smith, one of the most popular men in the United States, Governor of New York for many years, and Democratic election, has just published a book of autobiographical memoirs entitled “Hasta Aqui” (“Up Till Now"). This book is an index to a discreet, thought- ful and observing soul, but the eager reader cannot hope to find in it any astonishing revelations of any sort, nor any penetration into the reasons why Mr. Smith considered himself qualified to lead the destinies of the country. No Jetter, no document, no anecdote casts any light upon the campaign which elevated his rival, Mr. Hoover, to the presidency, in consequence of the desertion of the States of the South. In this, the book proves itself to be the work of an astute politician, and its very title confirms the probablility that Mr. Smith intends to enter the public arena again and without any handicaps hanging over from the animosities of the late campaign. ‘Would it be discreet to make revela- tions and disclose doctrines and thus possibly inflame some minds anew, in advance of any necessity? Time enough for such statements and explanations later when he knows the questions which are to arise, PR Chinese Firemen Lack Government Support. North China Herald, Shanghai—A disastroiis fire broke out recently in the offices of the Commercial Press, Ltd., in the Chapei suburb. The buildings were very inflammable, and there were no fire escapes, which made the condi- tion worse. Fortunately few were in the bullding at the time. hen the fire- brigade of the establishment was unable to cope with the flames, the alarm was sent to the Chapei Brigades, and the third brigade was on the scene in less than two minutes, but the other at first declined to respond because the salaried employes had not received their pay from the government authorities, who also refused to permit them to col- lect a tax for this purpose, as they had done in the past. In fact, the govern- ment has failed to pay the mechanics, drivers, etc,, and hasn't even paid for the gasoline necessary to get the vehicles to and from fires. The firemen have not only done the work without pay, but have paid their own expenses. The third division, first to respond as stated above, even partially defrayed the cost of their own engine. Firemen throughout the city threaten to strike entirely, and close their sta- tlons, if the government does not take immediate action to relieve the injustice. This statement refers, of course, to the paid mechanics, etc, and not to the volunteer firemen, of whom there are :'I;vlyl plenty to respond to a conflagra- n. Had # not been for the timely assistance of three Shanghai municipal fire brigades the Commercial Press Building would have been entirely de- stroyed. The municipal “escapes” were quickly sent up, ang ured tons of water on the blaze which had become a raging furnace. ot Minor Ailment to Him. From the Saginaw News. \ er was annoyed ‘ever the Gen. Weyls anxiety of relatfves because he was ri ported very ill. “I had only pneumonia, he said. \ Quite a Question, Prom the Utica Observer-Dispatch. Six hundred automobiles stolen \‘ \ Butte, MonHw year were all recow- ered by the Like stories happened to ce—except, one. S “uvolvlnp; fund.” ‘Wn thisves, or thiefp The Political Mill By G. Gould Lincoln. Political history is full of similarities. For example, the row over the appoint- ment of Judge John J. Parker of North Carolina to be an assoclate justice of the Supreme Court is the duplicate, a measure, to the row over the last appointment’ to the Supreme Court from North Carolina. Seventy-seven years ago President Fillmore, a Whig, appointed George E. Badger, then a Senator from North Carolina, to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court. Immediately there arose opposition to the appointment, Badger was a distinguished Senator and popular with his colleagues. The Dem- ocrats held him .to be a conservative. They determined to stave off his con- firmation in the Senate until the Presi- dent-elect, Franklin Pierce, should come into the White House and have the opportunity of placing & Democrat on the bench. S The nomination of Senator Badger to the Supreme Court was considered in several sessions of the Senate. Fi- nally, on February 11, 1853, the Senate voted to postpone further considera- tion until March 4 of that year. Presi- nt Fillmore considered this postpone- ent as tantamount to a rejection, and on Pebruary 24 he sent to the Senate the nomination of McCou. But the Senate did not take up the nomina- tion. On March 21 the new President, Mr. Plerce, appointed John A. Campbeli of Alabama and the nomination was confirmed. Judge Campbell served on the Supreme Court until his State se- ceded at the time of the Civil War, He resigned and became assistant sec- retary of war of the Confederate States. Although his Democratic colleagues had prevented confirmation of Senator Badger's appointment to the Supreme Court, because he was a Whig and considered a conservative, they put through a resolution at the close of his term on March 3, 1853, expressing the appreciation of the Senate for “his uniform courtesy, ability, liberality and valuable service during his long and distinguished career” in the Senate. Such a resolution was unique in the annals of the Senate. It seems beyond dispute that his colleagues wished to make amends to him for their opposi- tion to his appointment to the Supreme Court. In those days, as today, there was strong division between the con- servatives and liberals, with the Demo- clrdau ranged strongly on the liberal side. e In the case of Judge Parker, his opponents cannot hold up his nomina- tion until the close of a presidential term of office, as the Democrats did in 1853 when Senator Badger's nomination was submifted to the Senate. Presi- dent Hoover has three more years of his present term to serve. Sooner or later there must be a showdown in the Parker case. Politics is entering into the case to an extraordinary degree, even more so than in the consideration of the appointment of Chief Justice Hughes, not long ago. What is agitating some of the regular Republican mem- bers of the Senate, who might be ex- pected to vote confirmation for any appointee whose name is sent to the Senate by President Hoover, is the re- action the confirmation of Judge Parker may have on the Negro vote in many of the Northern States. A determined drive against the confirmation of Judge Parker has been made by the Assocla- tion for the Advancement of the Col- ored People. The representatives of the association have attacked Judge Parker because of, a speech attributed to him during his campaign for Governor of North Carolina on the Republican ticket in 1920. In this speech, Judge Parker is quoted as saying: “The pa: ticipation of the Negro in politics is source of evil and danger to both races and is not desired by the wise men in either race or by the Republican party of North Carolina.” * ok kX It is this line of attack which is les- sening the strength of Judge Parker among the Republican regulars in the Senate. But the opposition of Senators Borah and Norris is because of a deci- slon rendered by Judge Parker in a coal mine case involving the so-called “yellow dog” contracts. Union labor is hot on the trail of Judge Parker because of this opinion. 8o he is attacked from two di- rections. President Hoover so far has stood firm behind the appointment. In support of Judge Parker a decision in a case which came before him, favorable to the colored people, is advanced and also the fact that many of the colored people of his State have spoken for him. A }amponl has eome from some quar- ters in the Senate that when the Parker nomination is taken up for considera- tion the discussion be behind closed doors. But with the new rule providing for the consideration of nominations in open executive session of the Senate, unless otherwise ordered by a vote of the Senate, it does not appear possible that such a course will be followed. Furthermore, the nomination ought to be considered in open session. If for political reasons any Senator desires to conceal his vote in this case, his desire should not be gratified. ok ‘The Pennsylvania Federation of Labor has indorsed the candidacy of Secretary James J. Davis of the Department of Labor in the race for the Republican senatorial nomination in the Keystone State. Senator Grundy, his principal opponent, is not popular with labor. Indeed, the federation went on record as denouncing Grundy. The federation, meeting in Harrisburg yesterday, took s shot at Frank Feeney, international president of the Elevator Constructors’ Union, who in Philadelphia gave his in- dorsement to Grundy. The federation is suggesting that President Willlam Green of the American Federation of Labor investigate the motive behind Feeney's indorsement of Grundy, re- garded as a foe‘or‘ organized labor., * % ‘Whether President Green acts on this suggestion or not, the Senate campaign investigating committee, headed by Sen- ator Nye of North Dakota, may look into this matter. Pennsylvania is to be one of the first States where the sena- torial inquisitors will go to work this year. Mr. Grundy has been outspoken in his demand for an inquiry there by the Senate committee. The Vice Presi- dent has had a terrible time getting the slush fund committee appointments to stick. Four of the Senators he has named have asked to be excused. It is a mean job at best, with a lot of work attached. Furthermore, the Senate cut down the list of availables by providing that no Senator should serve on the committee who comes from a State in which a senatorial campaign is being held this year. ‘The wets are putting forward quite a full ticket in the Republican primaries in Pennsylvania. For governor they are running former Representative Thomas W, Phillips; for Senator, Francis H. Bohlen, a member of the University of Pennsylvania faculty, and for lieutenant governor, Charles A. Dorrance. Just what effect this ticket will have on the outcome of the primary is still prob- lematical. The tide of feeling is run- ning strongly in the race between Grundy and Davis for the Senate, how- ever, and it is believed that the wets will not be averse to voting for Davis when it comes to a showdown. ‘There is a fourth candidate for the Republican senatorial nomination in Pennsylvania. He is Webster Drew, city treasurer of Bradford, Pa., in the oll region of the State, where the in- habitants of Bradford have an oll or gas well in the back yard. Drew is running on a platform against heavy expenditures in senatorial campaigns. He has the distinction of being the weightiest candidate in the field for any senatorial nomination. He tips the scales at 346 pounds and stands 6 feet tall. He is only 38 years old. While he is widely known in his own section of the State, he is not known through- out the State. He proposes to spend less money than any of the other candi- dates. That is _a doubtful ‘advantage, however, in a State where heavy ex- penditures have become the standard in CAmPAEDA- SRR ORI i although Senator | to: ‘This is & special department devoted solely to the handling of queries. This paper puts at your the services of an extensive organization in Wash- in | ington to serve you in any capacity that relates to information. This service is free. Failure to make use of it deprives you of benefits to which you are en- titled. Your obligation is only 2 cents in coln or stamps inclosed with your in- quiry for direct reply. Address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, Washing- n, D. C. Q. How many cities have schoolboy safety patrols?—T. N. M. A.In 800 cities, towns and villages these patrols. Q. How many movies are now wired for sound?—A. L. L. A. The Department of Commerce says that there are now about 10,000 theaters | wired for sound pictures put of a total of 22,624 theaters. It has been esti- mated that 70 per cent of the total rev- enue received has been from motion picture theaters that have been wired. Q. Are there cafeterias in England? —C. P. A. Self - service restaurants, cafeterias in this country, are cally unknown in Great Britain. Q. How badly was the White House damaged when it was burned by the British in 1814?—K. W. C. A. Fire gutted the interior of the building and badly damaged the ex- terior walls. All preparatory work and repairs to masonry were done in 1815 and early in 1816. Contracts were let for the cutting and delivery of timbers from nearby Virginia and Maryland, and the erection of the roof was com- menced in October, 1816, and com- pleted in December of the same year. By September, 1817, the work had pro- gressed sufficlently to permit President Monroe to spend a few days in the building, and in December of that year he took up his residence there. Q. What is Gresham's Law?—J. P. A. Gresham's Law is a principle in finance and political economy, formu- lated about the middle of the sixteenth century by 8Sir Thomas Gresham, founder of the London Royal Exchange. The principle is: “Bad money drives out good money from circulation. The good coin (full weight and standard in purity) will be hoarded and the worn and thin, or light, coins will be used. Good money will also be used for ex- port to other countries, where it will obtaln more in exchange, while the ealled light coins will be used at home, thus s depreciating the national currency.” Q. Does the time spent as a pas- senger count in a pilot'’s flying hours? —R. E. K. A. It is not counted. Q. Did the consumption of milk in- crease or decrease in 1929°—H. F. A. For seven associations reporting total sales of milk for fluid consumption there was an increase. In 1928, 2,570 million pounds were used, and in 1929, 2,718 million pounds. Q. What_organization is offering a prize for & humane animal trap?—T. G. A. The National Association of th $10,000 for the perfect humane animal trap. This contest, instituted by the American Humane Association, will Close on April 30. Details may be ob- tained from the American Humane As- sociation, 80 Howard street, Albany, N. Y. Q. Please trace the English alphabet to its origin—I. N. H. A. The English alphabet came directly from the Latin. The Romans borrowed it from the Greeks; the Greeks from the Phoenicians. It is not known whence the Phoenicians obtained their alphabet. It has been suggested that the 22 characters were adopted from the heiroglyphics of Egypt, the cuneiform approximately 175,000 boys serve ‘on | characters of Babylon, or the symbols used by the Hittites or Cretans. A theory w\dtlyyu:cepv.ed today is that the Phoe- nicians being great traders and there- fore familia’ with the various systems of writing, used by the nations dwelling around the Mediterranean, chose from them such symbols as they needed and thus compiled their own alphabet. . How many people have been killed an!he enforcement of the prohibition laws?—A. 5. W. A. The Treasury Department on April 5, 1929, gave out an official report which showed that since the eighteenth amendment became effective in 1920, 190 persons have been killed in the en- forcement of the prohibition laws. Of these, 135 were citizens killed by pro- hibition agents and 55 were prohibition sgents who met death in the line of duty. Q. When was Trinity Church, New York City, built>—R. B. A. Trinity Church was organized un- der the provisions of an act passed by the Colonial Assembly in 1693. The orig- inal building existed from 1696-1697. The present building dates from 1839. Q. Please tell something about the author of “David Harum’—L. L. A. Edward Noyes Westcott was born | september 27, 1847, in Syracuse, N. Y., | and spent most of his life there. He was a banker and broker until ill-health caused his retirement. He wrote a num-= ber of songs, both words and music. He is known as the author of “David Harum,” a story of American life. He spent the Winter of 1895-96 in Italy and in the latter year completed the novel. He died March 31, 1898, and “David Harum"” was published six months later. Although it had been rejected by several publishers, 400,000 copies were sold in about one year, a record which has been equaled in the United States only twice before. Q. Is it true that the population of Japan is half that of the whole United tates?—C. B. A. Japan has about 60,000,000 in- habitants and the United States about | 120,000,000. Q. What are ‘“camel” plants?— H G. W. ‘A, Plants that can exist for months without water are sometimes called camel plants. Q. What were the names of the ves- sels which brought the first colonists to Jamestown, Va.?—W. B. A. They were the Sarah Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery. They came to anchor off the island where Jamestown was established on May 13, National Attent A great variety of opinion is evident in the comment on the outcome of the Republican primary in Ilinois, in which Mrs. Ruth Hanna McCormick was vic- torious over Senator Charles S. Deneen. It is generally agreed that Mrs. McCor- mick has demonstrated her ability as a campaigner and achieved a new mark for women in public life. It is also held that in the coming election con- test with the Democratic nominee, for- mer Senator James Hamilton Lewis, there will be a vigorous contest of na- tional interest. Some deny that the World Court issue was really ‘fought out, and there are suggestions that the real contest was between two political machines. “The news of her nomination will bring her forward more than ever as one of the representative women of Nation, whose career in public life is bound to be a center of interest,” de- clares the Rock Island Argus, while the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette states that “jt is generally conceded that, if elected, she will prove not only a valuable addi- tion to the Senate but a forceful influ- ence there” The Fort Wayne News- Sentinel holds that “it is plain that the people of Illinois want her in the Senate,” and the Morgantown Dominion-News gives the explanation of her success: “Illinois in general and 0 in particular at the moment are in the throes of raising themselves by their own bootstraps from the slime of crime and gang politics that have prevailing for a decade. Deneen was the victim and Mrs. McCormick the bene- ficlary of this trend.” * ok kX “There is clearly to be no sidestepping or pussyfooting on prohibition in the struggle about to begin,” according to the Providence Journal, while the Little Rock Arkansas Democrat calls it “a merry battle,” which is awaited “with high glee,” and the Sioux Falls Argus- Leader ts that it “may provide an interesting” test of national sentiment.” The Newark Evening News expects the contest to enable Mr, Lewis “to shine with new effulgence.” The Birmingham News concludes: “When the voters go to the polls in November they will un- derstand that the race is between two vivid personalities. In case either of them is elected, the Senate's color scheme will be tremendously improved.” “No natfonal or international issues were decided in the Illinois Republican primary,” rts the San Francisco Chronicle. “The result of the election merely means that the Republicans of that State are to have a shrewd, ener- getic and attractive woman for their senatorial candidate and that the rival machines can begin all over again to scramble for the scraps. There is no reason to believe that Mrs. McCormick ‘would not have been named by as wide & margin if the World Court had never been mentioned.” * & xk “Mrs. McCormick profited by the passions aroused, tacitly allled herself with the most undesirable element in Chicago, held out a friendly hand to the Thompson machine, helped the political gangsters of the great Illinois city to entrench themselves still more firmly in the seats of the mighty,” in the judgment of the Houston Chronicle. The Indianapolis Star advises that “much was uttered in appeal to preju- dice and lack of und Mi sees “not much promise of sweetness and light in Illinois politics,” although it welcomes &he “bout staged between the wets and rys” g “The campaign Mrs. McCormick has waged,” asserts the Roanoke World- News, “has not been of the kind calcu- lated to advance the position of women in public life. She makes no pretense to being a reformer or as to the purify- ing influence of women in politics. In- stead she boasts of being a ‘practical’ politiclan and of her alliances with notoriously corrupt elements in Chicago and in Tllinois.” Denial that the World Court was a real factor is made by the Cincinnati ‘Times-Star and the Louisville Times. On the other hand, the New York Sun argues: “Whoever enticed Senator De- neen to run for renomination as the | champion of American adherence to the Fur Industry offers a grand prize of 1607. ion Assured In McCormick-Lewis Battle paign that might otherwise have been one for personal vengeance or for the glorification of one set of politicians or another. The vote in Ccok County and downstate shows what Illinols Repub- licans think of American adherence to the World Court.” * kin Similar conclusions are drawn by the Chic: Daily Tribune, with the state- ment: “Ruth McCormick’s victory has a bearing wider than the court issue. It is a significant comment upon the discussion at London of a consultative pact in which our delegation seems to have taken part. We think it can also be taken as a plain guide for any diplo- matic or any official body, at home or abroad, charged with the formulation of American policy or the conduct of American relations. The American peo- ple propose to maintain their heritage of political independence.” In harmony with this position is the stand of the Akron Beacon-Journal, while the significance of the fact that on the court she is opposing the ad- ministration is emphasized by the Omaha World-Herald and the Schenec- tady Gazette. The Buffalo Eveni News thinks “Mrs. McCormick shouls not be vindicating the right of women to enter the Senate by the employment of any such unprogressive issue.” The Chicago Daily News avers that “it is safe to say that neither Mr. Hoover nor the other leaders of force and stability who approve this Government's act in signing_the World Court protocol will revise their views.” Tributes to Mrs. McCormick’s genius as a campaigner and a woman of force are paid by many papers. Suggestions of her future White House possibilities are made by the Fort Worth Star- Telegram and Dallas Journal. Others who recognize her ability as a vote- getter are the Salt Lake Deseret News, the Oklahoma City Times, the Anniston Star and the Lincoln State Journal. ‘That her success bore no relation to her position as a feminist is the con- viction of the Danbury Evening News and the Helena (Mont.) Record-Herald. That the women were potent factors in the result is stated by the Savannah Press and the St. Louls Times. The latter welcomes the coming battle over prohibition. The Rochester Times- Union interprets her nomination in the light of the conclusion that “thousands of voters alded her cause, not because they loved her but because they hated her rival.” e Preserving the Potomac Falls Prom the New York Herald Tribune. ‘The proposal to safeguard in every way the Great Falls of the Potomac and to develop a national parkway on both sides of the beautiful river gorge has country-wide approval. The scenic value of the Falls and palisades is their high- est utility. The whole rare setting should be kept unspoiled as a natural gift to the Nation's Capital. The words of the late James Bryce have often been quoted, “No European city has so noble a cataract in its vicinity as the Great Falls of the Potomac; a magnifi- cent piece of scenery, which you will, of course, always preserve.” It is the purpose of the Capper- Cramton bill to acquire and preserve for the people that superb stretch of the Potomac. It is an_opportunity which it would be folly to let slip. The bill passed the House in February, but it has been stoutly fought before the Senate committee on the District of Columbia by hydroelectric interests which desire the water power for prie vate development. Incisive is the com- ment by the American Institute of Architects on that obstructive attitude, “The Potomac be dammed.” There is no present necessity of sacrificing the beauty of the Great Falls area to a power plant. Such a use may never be required, but if it should be the bill leaves the way open to Congress ulti- mately to authorize the harnessing of the river for purposes of power, navi= gation or flood control.- The public benefit of the park program surely out= weighs the claim for economic exploi- tation. It would need a vast sum of World Court was the ablest strategist in the McCormick camp or the feeblest | in his own. Mrs. McCormick adroitly broughty the World o a camn almighty dollars to compensate for per- manent damage to such a possession as the Great Falls of the Potomac, at S very doot of Washingion,