Evening Star Newspaper, April 22, 1930, Page 8

I 'vlTHE EVENING STAR |occurred, it is stated. The chances are With Sunday Morning Edition. WASBHINGTON, D. C SUESDAY........April 22, 1830 THEODORE W. NOYES. ... Editor The Evening Star N per Comrany Business ') ll!‘ogl. and mmwll Ave. New York Office: 110 Qhicaso Office: Lake Michizan opean O 14" Repent Br.. London. Rate by Carrier Within the City. ‘Englan jvenine Star......... th i el e Evening and. Sunday Siar o o o0 (when § indays) . Der month The Surdey Siar er oy Collection made at the end of rach month. lers may be sent o by mail or telephone onaT 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. E’y and_Sunday.....} yr.. $10.00; only sy only Member ol‘d &ht Assoclated Press. The Associatec Press s exclusively entitiea 30 tho ‘toe Fot ‘repuSiication of sl news. ot hes crecited 1o it or not Otherwise cred. in this paper and also the loeal p Dublished herettr. All righs of publication of &Decial dispatches herein are also reserved. The Columbus Holocaust. In all the history of horrors by fire none is more shocking than that which has just occurred at Columbus, Ohio, where a prison was yesterday the scene of & holocaust which has taken 317 lives at least, and probably more, as inmates of the institution succumb to their in- Juries. This disaster is the more terrible because of the fact that the flames were undoubtedly set by the prisoners them- selves in a plot to escape. If that was thelr purpose, they failed, the only es- cape from custody being through death. This prison at Columbus is a type of an unfortunately large number of in- stitutions of public confinement in this country. It was established on its pres- ent site in 1830 and has been remodeled at various times, but was at best an old-style structure, far from fireproof and inadequate in almost all réspects. It was especially so in the matter of accommodation. It was built to hold Jess than 2,000 inmates, and the popula- tion yesterday was 4,300. Fires have visited the establishment on other oc- casions. In a report of the Natiorial Society of Penal Information, printed in the 1929 handbook of that organization, it is set forth that this “ancient plant” at Columbus “suffers from a condition of overcrowding worse than that of any other large prison.” The report goes on to say that even with the completion of & new building program undertaken by the State, the Columbus prison would be able to care for its present population *“only under conditions that fall far below accepted modern standards for ‘housing prisoners.” Warnings have been given again and again in this country, in practically every State, that the housing of prison- ers is, with very few exceptions, wholly inadequate. Buildings are too small, cell blocks are badly arranged, recreation space is insufficlent. In detail after de- tail the great caravansaries of crime are defective. Strength of wall and iron bars is apparently the first considera- tion. And even in that respect the prison structures are in some cases de- fclent. But there is & deeper significance to the Columbus horror than that of the disaster, This tragedy was due to an attempt to break jail. Perhaps in the course of the investigation some light ‘may be thrown upos that phase of the frightful affair, But in any case it is evident that this was another prison re- volt such as those that have occurred ‘within the last year or so in shocking numbers and with terrible results. What, is wrong with the prison system? Or should the question be put thus: What is wrong with the American soclety | that it breeds men who are so desperate in their defiance of law and resistance to punishment? ‘The parole system is in force in most ©f the States; suspended sentences are frequently pronounced; light sentences have for a considerable period marked the course of justice. Even so, the jails are crowded to the point of suffocation and inmates are imbued with a desperate spirit of revolt that is inconsistent with the advantages and comforts and leniencies that mark modern penal con- finement. Does the remedy for this lie in sterner justice, in more rigorous prison treatment, or in lighter penalties, fewer convictions and even kindlier and more “humane” treatment within walls? ————— Neither current pay nor pensions should be grudged police officers. Not only do they encounter great physical peril, but the destruction of their faith in human nature amounts to an irrep- arable loss. " —_————— Spring in China. Events in China march successively S0 crisis and settlement. The insta- bility of government in that land is gepeatedly demonstrated by outbreaks ®of civil war, marked by more or less gesturelike engagements between Na- tionalist and provincial armies, fol- Jowed by settlements, with considerable transactions in currency for the allay- ing of rebellious spirits. Thus far since the establishment of the present Na- tionalist government, first headquar- tered at Canton and later at Nanking, these settlements have been favorable #o that organization, but without any definite victory over the recalcitrants fn the fleld, and with a constant re- gnainder of revolutionary reaction in a Bnajority of the provinces. Another military demonstration Bgainst the Nanking government is now on the cards. It has been forecast for several months. In fact, the suspen- sion of the last preceding campaign was chiefly due to the season. It was marked, to be sure, by a material con- sideration—some reports placed the sum &t twenty million gold—but the chief factor in the abatement of the activi- ties in the field was the weather. The return of Spring, it has been frequently stated in the dispatches from China, would be the signal for renewed as- semblages of provincial armies and such fleld operations as the peculiar war code of the Chinese involves. Now there are signs of this Spring warfare. Operations are already re- ported in Honan province, which les immediately below Chill, in which Pe- king is located, and also south of Bhansi, the governor of which 1s the *model” Yen Hsi-shan. Fighting be- that the hostilities consist only in skir- mishes over control of certain rail lines. But meanwhile the troops compris- 'tu the army of Feng Yu-hsiang, the “Christian general,” are said to be massed in large numbers at Chengchow, which is in the southwest corner of Shansi. Feng, it is well known, is only waiting for a favorable opportunity to strike at Chiang Kai-shek, the head of the Nationalist government. The rivalry between these two is one of the chief causes of China's disturbance. Gov. Yen of Shansi has complicated matters by instituting a tobacco monopoly in that province, quite con- trary to treaty stipulations and in dis- regard of arrangements made with the Iloret;n tobacco companies by the Nan- 1 king government. respecting taxation. The legations are interested, but the situation is rendered somewhat difficult by the fact that Yen does not recognize fully the international obligations of China as determined by the government of Nanking. Yen's game has thus far appeared to be to play with both sides, but never with the Nanking government to the extent of acknowledging its au- thority over Shansi. A few weeks will determine whether the year 1930 will be one of conflict in China. The present indications point that way. There is said to be virtual anarchy in Kiangsi province, which lies between Canton and Shang- hal, only a short distance south of Nanking, the Nationalist capital. And in Shanghai itself there is a revival of the trouble on the score of taxes be- tween the municipal council, which is & foreign-controlled body governing the international settlement, and the na- tive business element, which demands a larger share of representation on the council. This latter situation, however, is perennial and is not likely to add to the seriousness of the conditions in China, already difficult enough with implacable rivalries and with widespread suffer- ing on the part of millions from lack of sufficient food. —_———— The Municipal Center Loan. The Senate District committee this afternoon will hear representatives of the Washington community state their views on the Capper bill for a loan of $15,000,000 at three and one-half per cent to finance the Municipal Center. The Chamber of Commerce has de- cided to oppose the measure. The Board of Trade withholds action pending further study. The Federation of Citi- zens’ Associations has voted to indorse the measure, with the interest pro- vision stricken out and with the amount of the principal increased. It would be & wise decision on the part of the Senate District committee to postpone its action on the bill until the Senate appropriations committee re- | ports the District appropriations bill. It is dangerous to commit the taxpayers of this community to a program of ex- pensive undertakings without knowing what the revenue availability is to be or without deciding in advance upon the policy for sharing the cost. These decisions rest with the appropriations committees of Congress, and the legisla- tive committees, in all fairness to the taxpayers, must be guided to a large extent by those decisions. During the hearings on the District appropriations bill Representative Sim- mons of Nebraska made two comments on two different subjects that, taken to- gether, strike squarely at the root of this Municipal Center project in its re- lation to District financing. Speaking on the subject of school buildings, Mr. Simmons said: I could live and have & lot of fun, mnxy. in a larger and more imposing than I have, more expensively furnished and with a larger number oi servants, paid higher wages, but I have not the income to do it. The City of Washington has just so much money as income, and we are squeezing every dollar we can into the school fund and spending :l‘r for the eg;:eut;_okl‘-ne o; n:i R conditioms %o, mect, and it i3 just as sensible for me to say 1 ought Fomad s 20 Wit a. ted bath for s one of ?\y‘ children and let the other sleep in an unfurnished room on a dirty ag 88 it is to say that you are going to build this type of school building for this child and send another one to school under the conditions that some of them have to go under., Speaking of the Municipal Center un- dertaking, Mr. Simmons said: * ¢ * I want to know, il‘lu:n;sure verybody now, :hl& we N‘l: I(E:)omn:‘?; h‘:/l; a building down there that will be comparable with the other buildings being erected by the Government here and .nat we are going to have a building that no one need apologize for from the municipal stand- point. * * * At the same time the Dis- trict will bably be putting a good n dollars into this proposi- tion "before it is finally completed, and it _ought not to have to apologize for it when it {8 done. Now is the time to make certain that 10 or 20 years from now no apology will be necessary. There is little reason to believe that the District will have to apologize for the Municipal Center. The amount of money to be spent on that project is almost a guarantee in itself. The ques- tion confronting the District, and which our wise legislators must answer, is whether, in not having to apologize for the Municipal Center, our community will continually have to apologize for its schools and for grade crossings and for sewers that run through a public park, not to mention the apologies for lack of sewers elsewhere. ‘The importance of the Municipal Center and the wisdom of expenditures thereon are, of course, relative. They depend altogether upon the obligations the Federal Government chooses to as- sume in connection with the Federal City. That is the question that must be answered first. ———————— “Come fly with me” is no longer a mere line for a sentimental ballad when Col. and Mrs, Lindbergh decide to cut down another air record. R The Parker Nomination. The Senate judiciary committee has reported adversely the nomination of Judge John J. Parker to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court. This was not unexpected, although the size of the vote, 10 to 6, was a surprise. A greater surprise, however, was the declination of the Senate committee to hear Judge Parker in reply to his at- tackers after he had expressed a will- ingness to appear before the committee. ‘Those members of the committee who voted against Senator Overman’s mo- tion to invite Judge Parker to appear and testify justify their course by point- !ing out that Judge Parker did not re- quest the committee to hear him, but merely expressed a willingness to come = THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 193 d : him to do so. The difference between Judge Parker's expressed willingness to appear and & request to the committee that he be permitted to appear is the difference between tweedledum and tweedledee. Probably it never occurred to Judge Parker that a committee which had before it the testimony of adverse witnesses would not care to hear him after he had declared his willingness to come to Washington and testify. Judge Parker has been attacked be- fore the committee, and apparently suc- cessfully, because he handed down a decision in which he followed the rul- ing of the Supreme Court itself. Be- cause this case involved the “yellow dog” contract, hated by the United Mine Workers of America and organized labor generally, it has been argued that Judge Parker is in sympathy with that form of contract which pledges a mine worker not to join a union. But the committee has no real knowledge of Judge Parker's position on this mat- ter. The Supreme Court had upheld the validity of such a contract in an- other case. With that determination of the law before him, Judge Parker, a member of the Federal judicial circuit, decided a case in accordance with the law. The Senate committee may have difficulty explaining why it was not willing, or even why it did not desire, to hear what Judge Parker had to say in regard to this case and his own view of the principle involved in the “yellow dog” contract. The nomination of Judge Parker has been laid before the Senate with the disapproval of the Senate committee. Under such circumstances, it would be surprising if the Senate reversed the decislon of its committee. However, the issue is now squarely up to the Senate itself. His friends, it is sald, propose to carry on the fight to have him con- firmed. President Hoover has shown no signs of withdrawing the nomination, nor has Judge Parker indicated that he would be pleased to have his name re- called. It is difficult at times to determine accurately whether Senators are hitting | pe at an appointee of the President or at the President, through his appointee. Members of the Senate committee have been leading “coalitionists.” They have sought, Republican Progressives and Democrats, to embarrass the admin- istration in the past. Here, apparently, was & case which has afforded them another opportunity to strike at the ad- ministration. It is true that several ot the so-called regular Republican mem- bers of the committee voted adversely to Judge Parker in the committee. But they have been credited with seeking to shelve issues that might be unpopular with some of the voters. They have been left in a position to do this more readily, perhaps, than if they had taken the testimony of Judge Parker himself. — o Very little pomp is demanded by Hin- denburg, who is apparently content with the homage extended from time to time in & birthday party. As a President he evidently realizes the desirability of pre= serving a democratic simplicity. o May day next calis for celebration either by music and rustic dancing or by soap box speechmaking. It is the most versatile of the days set apart by popular tradition. ————————— Question as to suitable beverages to be served in Vatican City is up for con- sideration. The intrusive audacity of old John Barleycorn continues to be in- calculable, ————— ‘The great supply of eggs available at present prices for Easter Monday on the White House lawn offered further proof of American prosperity. —_—————————— Such is the power of oratory that a condition of unemployment very seldom includes the professional agitator. ——————————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANUER JOHNSON The Cheering Chorus. Some sad predictions here and there ‘With fortitude are met; ‘We smile again as we declare, “It hasn't happened yet.” They say that the electric spark For big explosions set ‘Will leave this whole world in the dark— It hasn't happened yet. The oil supply will all be drained And leave us in regret. Still we remark, though pained, “It hasn't happened yet.” somewhat So merrily we roam along. The bad news we forget. This is the chorus of the song— “It hasn't happened yet.” Changing Taste. “You told your audience the simple truth,” said the admiring friend, “I tried to,” answered Senator Sor- ghum. “Tastes change, and there comes a time when even politics begins to tire of fascinating fiction.” Jud Tunkins says kind words cost nothing unless you happen to be getting them from a high-power salesman. Unlimited Supply. The stout policeman never rails Or says his heart is sore. He smiles and says, when one clue falls, ‘That there are plenty more. Compulsory Abstinence, “I have seen very little intoxication in this part of the country.” “There isn't much,” answered Uncle Bill Bottletop. “So many folks are en- gaged in bootleg manufacture or sale that most of the population has to stay sober and clear-headed in self-defense.” “Each generation,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “disregards the truths so painfully found out by previous generations and insists on learning for itself.” "Heroes on the Trail, Where heroes used to march the trafl, With reverence we stop. And still a hero now we hail— A well-armed motor cop. “Dar ain’ nuffin’' mo' valuable dan education,” said Uncle Eben, “unless it fools a young man in thinkin' he has found a ready-made way to be smarter dan everybody else.” ——————— Prisoner Qualifies to Trust. Prom the San Antonio Express. ‘That Illinois prisoner who loaned the sheriff money with which to take him to the penitentiary &mesn Nanking and Northern forces has Before it should the commitiee desire trusty. - should do for & gard THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. ‘Those who do not particularly care about being the first to read a book are going to be richly rewarded from now on, as four important New York pub- lishers enter the fleld of “‘dollar books.” Cheap editions of successful non-fic- tion titles will be issued by Harper & Bros., Dodd, Mead & Co., Little, Brown & Co. and Harcourt, Brace & Co. These editions will join the already successful books at low prices known as the Star Library, issued by Double- day, Doran; the Modern Library, the Everyman, the Nelson and Oxford classics, A. L. Burt’s “Home Library.” the Brozoi pocket classics, the Sundial Library, the Macmillan Readers’ Li- brary, Grosset & Dunlap's issues of fiction; Charles Boni's “Paper Books.” The average reader who has not kept vp with book trends will be amazed, when he looks into the mat- ter, to see how many hundreds of the best books ever written he can purchase for as little as & dollar—or less. Now this is a hopeful sign. The cry for cheap books—cheap in price—is a natural desire in a country where the mind and its products are held in esteem. The people of the United States, brought up on “book learning," !eel“thlt print should be almost as free s air. There has been no little resentment among many people, ranging from mem- bers of Congress to just plain folks over the fancy prices which many novels, :éug‘rlphies and other works have rne. Some of this feeling, no doubt, has not been entirely just, for the book trade is a business, too, the same as coal and hogs; publishing books ‘is something of a gamble, since no one yet has been able to gevise a method of issuing only “best sellers.” In the main, however, the demand for good cheap books is natural and en- couraging. It means that people every- where, especially young people, and those with litlle money to spend, want to read. * K K % Now, this is a healthy national tend- e ney. It insures a lack of snobbishness in & field where this may easily develop, owing to the “enfant terrible” combi- n-t.gn'o! high prices and the desire to st. Owning something that others do not possess intrigues many adults as well as children. In the latter it is heralded by the universal cry; “I got somethin you ain't got! I got somethin’ you ain't got!” Their elders, not so uncouth, content themselves with saying easily, “Oh, you haven't read it yet? You should, by all means. It is very fine.” ‘The demand for cheap books shows conclusively, we believe, that what the reader is after is the good work, whether it is old or new. Good writing is timeless. After all, every one living is 300 years behind time with Shakespeare, and what difference does it make? “Hamlet” is still a mighty good play, either to read or see. Owing to the accumulated traditions of the years, the plays of Shakespeare are in some senses katter plays now than when they were written. There can be little doubt that vastly more people appreciate them for their real worth than in the days when they first saw the boards. The difieulty of properly judging artistic works at the time of issuance is notorious. Who is the critic, how-, ever great, who dares definitely to say, “This novel is good for eternity,” or li’!’hh7 blography is poor and will not ve” e ‘The writer here takes credit for being something of a prophet himself in this matter of cheap books. He has always liked them, not only for| their price, but particularly for their “feel.” their general bookiness and the satisfaction of feeling that one is get- ting his money’s worth. Readers here may remember several articles printed in this column two or three years ago in praise of cheap books, With a consideration of some of the_individual volumes printed in sev. eral of the lists enumerated in the opening_paragraphs above. Our liking is based on the belief that the average man or woman has only a limited budget to spend on| books, and that necessarily he must adopt one of two attitudes, or modi~ fications of these attitudes. Either he must buy the best, in re- gard to price, and be satisfied with fewer books, or he must buy the cheap- er, and have more. If he is a true booklover, one whose tastes roam the centuries, he probably will prefer to have 100 cheaper books to 50 more lavish volumes. ‘The range of literature is almost limitless, he realizes: he cannot read them all, any more than he can house them all, if he could buy them all— but he wants as many of them as he can_get! The good cheap books permit him not only to own more titles he has always wanted, but they mostly are smaller in bulk, and thus help solve the book-keeping question in the home. The wise bookman will buy as many of the gorgeous editions as he can, from time to time, but he will not stress them, either for newness or rarity or any other matter, He knows that these things, for all their appeal, are but the froth on the eternal verities of good writing. One of Jane Austen’s immortal novels is just as good reading in the 50-cent Nelson edition as in the finest illus- trated copy ever issued. e But the booklover need not give up the artistic when he buys cheap books. ‘The old publisher-attitude of consider- ing these as schoolbooks has long passed. The cheap book at last has come into its own, and is appearing in neat designs, good type, good paper— books, in other words, which any book- lover might be glad to own. The publishers are seeing that these cheaper editions in no way harm the more expensive books, but that every good book circulated is a “come-on” for another one. Newspapers print hun- dreds of thousands of words each day, but find the fleld of reader-interest un- diminished the next. ‘This great country in which we live, and of which we all form a part, seems to be able to consume an unlimited quantity of any- thing. Words are thoughts, and this is a thinking country, despite the fact that much of the thinking may not be of the grand variety. The world can- not write everything it writes supremely well, any more than it can invariably speak like Webster, or always fly across the Atlantic as successfully as Lind- bergh. America is prodigal of words. We revel in them, bathe our eyes and minds in them, and consume them along with our breakfast, and perhaps even put ourselves to sleep with them. 1In this happy and beneficent process the cheap book, at a dollar or less, has its place. We repeat that the reader who has not made a special investigation of these books will be surprised at how many and how good books he can find at the price. He will find not only practically all of the admitted classics of all lan- guages, but scores of the worthy books, fiction and non-fiction, which were first published just a few years ago. The world still wags, even if one hasn't read Durant’s “Story of Philosophy.” But now one can buy it in any drug store for a dollar. Highlights on the Wide World Excerpts From Newspapers of Other Lands E SOIR, Brussells—With M. Car-, ton de Wiart presiding, there was made at the city hall re- cently the presentation of the “Rewards for the Best Families.” M. Wiart, honorary president of the Royal Charitable Commission, in a speech, much applauded, told how these prizes were first established by M. Jacques Bastin in 1912, to be paid to the heads qf families who have done most to promote the welfare of their children in every way, despite all the difficulties and deprivations that handi- capped them. M. Wiart distributed 38 prizes, amounting to 26,500 francs. Two were of 3,000 francs each. These were granted to poor families with the largest number of small children, one going to Jules Vanderlinden and his wife, who have raised nine fine children, only two of whom are now old enough to be em- ployed, on very slender means. The father is a cart-driver. The mother an economical housewife. The next family of restricted resources has eight chil- dren, the eldest 15, whom they have carefully trained and cherished for use- ful citizenship. A number of speeches were made in awarding the prizes, eulogizing the win- ners, in the Flemish language, and ex- horting others, better equipped with this world's goods, to do as well. A Soviet Officials Change School Program. Soviet Economic Review, Leningrad.— Originally the unified school in the Rus- sian Republic was a nine-year school, admitting children eight years of age and carrying them through high school. Previous to entering this school children could attend state kindergartens. The nine-year period, however, is ordinarily split into two parts kncwn as the first and second grades, one to four, and the other of five years' duration. The nine- year school originally provided a general education, leaving the question of trade or professional education to special schools. Later on, however, the Soviet educational authorities decided to give the last years of school more of a prac- tical character. At the present time, about one-third of the instruction in the last two years is devoted to voca- tional studies, such as teaching, library work, bookkeeping, etc. According to a report of the Soviet commissariats for education, the number of students who attended the four-year first grade schools during the past school session was 8,813,857, an increase of about 400,- 000 over the previous session. Three million more were studying in the “sec- ond-grade” schools, including the ninth year of instruction. e World Unity _ Central Figure of Pageant. China Weekly Review, Shanghai— The International Pageant was opened by the joint committee of Shanghai ‘Women’s Associations recently in the ‘Town Hall. The whole show has proved a great success, with World Unity as the central figure. The cast consists of al- most 600 people of the nationalities. In the last rehearsal, however, the Rus- sians withdrew because the Soviet flag is being used in the pageant. As White Russians they demanded the old Russian flag. Their demand was not accepted by the committee. P Sedate Germans Frown on Bobbed Hair. colom Gazette, Cologne.—] rd- less of anxiety of women for all that is new and fashionable, it must be ad- mitted that the short-hair for women has not been universally accepted in Germany, despite the otherwise univer- sal trend of this erstwhile masculine prerogative. many prefers the old traditions in re- to things, and long hair for ‘women is one of them. In Bavaria and Sedate and settled Ger-| Saxony, particularly, the prejudice against the bobbed hair continues, and though the antipathy is more general in the country district, even factories in some cities, nstead of requiring woman employes to wear their hair short, refuse to keep short-haired women on the pay roll. OId ideas are often long in passing out of our affections, ey Penal Code Absolves Letter Openers. El Dictamen, Vera Cruz.—Article No. 47 of the new penal code absolves of misdemeanor, or liability to criminal action, husbands, wives, parents and teachers who open and read the letters of their spouses, children or pupils. ok n Sir Tom Is Going To “Do My Darndest to Win.” Cork Weekly Examiner—Next Sep- tember 8ir Thomas Lipton will make his fifth attempt to win the America Cup with his yacht, the Shamrock V. He has spent some millions of money in this sporting ambition, but while he is fighting single-handed American inter- ests are syndicated against him. United States millionaires have co-operated in building yachts to compete in the elim- ination races, the winner of which will be pitted against Shamrock V. It is ex- pected that Mr. Adams, Secretary of the United States Navy, will again be skipper of the American craft. “I'm going to do my darndest to win this time.” Sir Thomas Lipton has de- clared. “The old mug has been in Amer- ica more than 50 years. A little trip to its own country would do it good. I would like to have it, if only for a month or two. I have the largest col- lection of yachting trophies in the world at my home in London, but I would gladly swap the whole lot of them for the mug.” The cup has been in America since 1851, when an American schooner yacht showed its heels to 18 other boats cir- cling round the Isle of Wight. Since then there have been 13 attempts to re- gain the trophy. The first took place in 1870, when the challenger Cambria raced the whole fleet of the New York Yacht Club and came in tenth. On Sir Thomas Lipton’s first attempt, in 1899, the Shamrock I was beaten by the Co- lumbia in three straight races. In 1901 and 1903 Shamrock II and Shamrock IIT were also decisively beaten. In 1914 the Shamrock IV started for America, but on arrival went into drydock until 1920, on account of the war. Against the Resolute in 1920 the Shamrock IV twice came breezing in a winner. “I have looked forward .to this moment for 21 years,” said Sir Thomas. But his hopes were dashed when the Resolute walked off with the next three races. Letterman Defended in Rum Seizure Case To the Editor of The Star: I feel that a great injustice has been done a conscientious and efficient officer of the law in the indictment of Sergt. Letterman for his recent alleged illegal selzure of liquor. It is hard to see what else he could have done under the cir- cumstances. 1t is stated on good authority that he and his men did not force their way into the apartment in question, but, go- ing there with & ant for the arrest of a certain man, a quantity of liquor was discovered and was promptly con- fiscated and arrest followed. Had the officers accidentally stum- bled across counterfeit notes or para- phernalia, or narcotics or smuggled ar- ticles, and had not seized them, they would at least have been reprimanded or possibly dismissed for flagrant neg- lect of duty. ‘The conviction of Sergt. Letterman would be a hard blow at enforcement of the Volstead act, and also would be a positive deterrent to conscientious of- ficers in the performance of their plain duty. C. H. BUTLER, Pastor, Columbia Heights Lutheran Church, NEW BOOKS AT RANDOM L G M. GIANTS OF THE FOREST: Hunting Adventures. W. wick. Bobbs-Merrill Co. A considerable question rising out of hunting big game is not that of its ex- termination by overcharged modern gunmen. Scant liklihood of such issue. ather does this question bear upon the izable bodies of false report brought home, by the nimrods of the day con- cerning wild life in remote continental interiors = The artificial conditions set around this brand of adventure, the hasty and excited period of its pursuit, the natu- ral instinct of the human toward per- sonal heroics—these combine, in effect, to deflect truth, to pervert it with half truth, to destroy it even by deliberate invention. Little Jackie Horner is as alive today as he was when Mother Goose redis- covered that original man-pattern. “See what a great boy am I!" has been the contact spark of most material achievement—not that alone of shooting up the animal world and then invent- ing legends in support of such prowess. No doubt this was the *very impulse which eons ago drove the man-beast to stand on his hind feet, freeing fore paws thereby to develop the gentle art of slaughter. “What a great boy am I!" gave rise to the mythic tales of mon- ster and dragon in glorification of the tribe of St. George, Hercules, Samson and other wonder-men of the strong arm and iron fist. In our own day the great fables have petered out to the tall talk known as “fish stories” and the apocryphal disclosures of many a modern sportsman. * Kk % But here is something different. “Glants of the Forest” is a gleaning from 25 years of personal experience as a hunter in South Africa. Business, not sport, founded the undertaking. Such good substance of actuality is the best bid of the book to general atten- tion. Now is a good time to say that here is a store of fact on the wild life African CI ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Did you ever write a letter to Frederic J. Haskin? You can ask him any ques- tion of fact and get the answer in a personal letter. Here is a great educa- tional idea introduced into the lives of the most intelligent people in the world —American newspaper readers. It is a part of that best purpose of & news- paper—service. There is no charge ex- cept 2 cents in coin or stamps for re- turn postage. Address Frederic J. Haskin, director, The Evening Star In- formation Bureau, Washington, D. C. Q. How much educational broadcast- ing is done?>—M. A. G. A. Of more than 600 licensed proad- casting stations, 77 are owned and op- erated by educational institutions. Nearly 300 commercial stations report & weekly average of -p%oxlmwely 60 hours of broadcasting, including about 13 per cent classed as educational. In addi- tion, several State Departments of Ed- ucation employ the radio to some ex- tent, Ohlo having a one-hour program for every school Lately the first | program of the American School of.the Air was faunched, the audience consist- ing of 1,500,000 school ghildren. Here- after instruction will be given twice a week in various subjects, supplementing the regular courses. Q. Can anybody vote more than once in ll;hi Ién.enry Digest prohibition poll? A. There is no way of preventing the casting of more than one vote if a per- son receives more than one ballot. The Digest states it has discovered some spo- radic instances of duplication in the general poll, but adds tat it believes there is less repeating than there is in the average national election. Q. Are there any figures on the wage loss to werkers as a result of present unemployment conditions?—W. R. F. A. Willlam Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, in a statement to the Senate commerce com- mittee, estimated that unemployed workers had lost approximately one billion doliars during the first’ three of this region that gives fresh informa- tion about the animals with which all are more or less familiar and which introduces, besides, many wholly new and strange. It is possible that a few readers have bowing acquaintance with wildebeest, puka, koodoo, sitatunga, bushbuck, and so on, in other odd namings. The most of us have no knowledge at all of them. The book, therefore, definitely extends the bor- ders of common information on the subject of animal life. Admirable pic- tures, going along with the print, are of the highest service. From points along the African coast back into the hinterland by way of ox-team and cart, Mr. Chadwick has trekked the veld, mostly by night, for all these years, gathering a host of interesting and exciting facts about the ways of wild life in the wilderness. Ad- ventures urgent and usually dangerous crowd into this book which is a by- product of the exacting business of com- mereial hunting. Immediate and vivid, they press into the reader's imagina- tion in an effect quite close to that of actual partaking. Between the two, hunter and hunted, there stands clear an amazing rivalry in the strategies of pursuit and escape, of pursuit and de- feat. Rather a breathless undegtaking to _join up here, even in print. These fine stories depend for much of their effect upon the author's good economy in producing them. The | theme invites to an_open and lavish | hand. Against such seduction Mr. Chadwick sets his own good sense and his own feeling for true drama. Straight tales follow, yet these are high and picturesque adventures. Hunters and those with the hunting instinct will eat them up. There is another class to which they will make strond avpeal. Many are deeply interested in the ingenuity of all living things— plants and animals—to fit themselves to their surroundings, through ng ages taking on this trait and that one, this power and the other one, thereby developing a complex economy of existence, one calculated to make the human a shade modest in his claims to superiority. “Giants of thé Forest” pays high tribute to this deep acumen of its various quarries. Many will linger around this point. Others will hurry away to be in at the killing, or the escape. A wonderful dog story —just plain dog—takes up a few stir- ring pages here. Relief from the utter | wildness of the most of the account. | And this is not so very tame, as you i will see. Upon the whole, here is one in a thousand of the current tales of hunting big game. * ok ok % I'M ALONE: Told to Meigs O. Frost by Capt. Jack Randall. The Bobbs- Merrill Co. I'm Alone is a ship. Capt. Jack Randall is its master. Randall is a British subject to whom the prohibition law of the United States makes no appeal except as a bit of Puritanical nonsense, There is big money in rum running. So Capt. Jack sets out to make his fortune. Down in the Gulf of Mexico the I'm Alone meets disaster at the hands of the law and Adventurer Jack goes home to Nova Scotia in de- feat. That's the end of the story, of this particular one. But there are bound to be other ones, for, turning away, we hear Jack muttering: “What next? Who knows? It will be some adventure or other.” Encouraged by his own promises to himself, he goes on. “Those men are liars who tell you the days of adventure are dead. What they really mean is that they are dead, though the undertaker hasn't found it out yet. Adventure is a living thing, so long as there are men and women, sea and land, and ships to sail that sea on this planet” Such is Capt. Jack's temporary farewell, which is nothing more or less than the will to break out again with the first chance. Right up to this last minute there are 315 pages of action without a second of pause for breath or any other of the commonly recognized neces- saries of life. Born to the sea, up Nova Scotia way, this youngster took to his native element early, sailing across and back again, times without number, up and down again, no end of times. Every part of the world—South America, Africa—landing here for the Boer war, in the role of mounted scout. Chasing submarines during the World ‘War—then off to the Arctic North in what he calls “an interlude.” Such pointing upon a few of the high spots in this amazing career indicates the scope of these adventures. The spirit of them can be seized, if at all, only by going aboard with this restless, audacious fellow who harbors some- where within him a very devil of unease and vagabondage that drives him on day and night, year in and out. Suc- cess comes now and then, with honors from his king and others whom he serves. Defeat comes, more because wars cannot last forever nor can turmoils by land and sea go on with- out periods of languishing. It is at these peaceful moments in world mat- ters that Capt. Jack goes wrong, loses heart, falls upon lean years, takes up even a questionable pursuit simply be- cause of the demon inside that drives him forever. An active adventure? A whirlwind instead. Even the reader, without lifting a hand in reality, falls limp by the wayside long -hefore the matter has reached even its middle course. Only the most husky can read this book without resting in between whiles, taking a nap, going for a walk, loafing idly in the shade—then, up and at it again. It is that sort. Not to be abandoned entirely. Rather to be at- tacked again and again till the whole business has been vicariously shared with this rover, this ravening ad- venturer. A most communicable busi- ness throughout. That is what wears the reader all out. If he could skip an escapade now and then, going ashore till the craft does some risky turn and calls for him on its way home, it would be easier on the reader. But that is the trouble. He is not willing to pass uLl single promise of new adventure. ‘The consequence is that, the tmn;(‘ raced through, he, like Capt. Jack, own | months of this ye: Q. At what age boys and girls be legally married in India?—J. P. A. A new marriage law forbidding the j marriage of girls under 14 years of lg and boys under 18 became effective India this year. Q. What President of the United States lived the lonze!t?—b. H. K. A. John Adams, who died at 90, holds the longevity record of Presidents. Mon- roe came next, his age at death being 85. Q. When was the first ship in the British Navy built?>—A. Z. A. The British battleship, called Great Harry, is said to be the first ship which, strictly speaking, belonged to the Royal Navy. It was bulilt in 1488 and had three masts and as late as the year 1545 was the only ship of that build in the English fleet. It is stated that she was accidentally burned at Woolwich in 1553. She was built during the reign of Henry VII and was probably called the Great Harry for his nickname, which was Harry. hat cauded the pottery and 3 ot statuary of ancient cities to be buried?— E. . B. A. The burial of pottery and statu- ary of ancient citles has resulted from various circumstances. In many cases the city has merely decayed from age and collapsed. Destruction by war has been a frequent cause. Natural events, such as earthquakes and storms, m;i have also played an important pa . Q. Is the use of gases in warfare & recent development?—F. P. I. A. Many efforts have been made in the past to use various fly sulphur_dioxide—in warfare. as 431 B.C. the Spartans, in Mlmrgg the cities of Bellum and Platea, burn pitch and sulphur under the walls of these cities in order to break down their defense by suffocation of the troops of the cities. Q. When were the first short stories written?>—U. H. G. A. In early literature the parables of the New Testament most closely resem- ble the short story, according to some authorities. Q. Where did the iris grow original- 1y?—V. A. J. A. From the study of geographical distribution of the iris, it ars that the two centers of ol fon are Central and Southern Europe, and the Orient, especially Ohina. For the most part, however, the exotic species are thoroughly at home on the American continent and in certain sections have established themselves as freely as any native plant. ?‘ Who composed “Ca Ira"?—D. McN. A. This was a popular song of the French Revolution. The words are of uncertain origin, one version probably being the composition of Ladre, a street singer. The air was a popular carillon by Bucourt, and a favorite of Marie Antoinette’s. French writers say that Benjamin Franklin in speaking of the American Revolution often used the ex- pression “Ca Ira,” which means “It will succeed.” The phrase was cought up by the French. Q. When is the union jack flown by a United States ship?—H. T. B. A. A merchant vessel flies the union Jjack when at anchor, when entering port, on Sundays and holidays. Q. Was Keats buried at night?—E. N. A. The regulation requiring a night burial for non-Catholics was suspended in the case of Keats. He was buried at 9 o'clock on a Sunday morning—or 15 o'clock by the former Roman method of reckoning time. Q. What kind of trees are {llumi- nated in Altadena, Calif., in its street of the Christmas trees?—L. B. A It is a mile-long avenue of deo- dars. These are Himalayan cedars. The seeds were brought to this coun- try, sown in beds under glass and trans- planted on what is now Santa Rosa avenue in 1885, when the trees were about 2 feet tall. They are now about 80 feet high, with their branches spreading from 30 to 40 feet near the guund. ‘The trees are illuminated from ‘hristmas eve to New Year night. Q. Please name some of the countries of today which were under the rule of Rome at its height.—V. C. B. A. Among the nations of the present day which were encompassed within the boundaries of the Roman Empire are Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, TItaly, ~Austria, Albania, Switzerland, Egypt and the Balkan States. Ql.{l-low much do honey bees weigh? — ‘Honey bees weigh about 5,000 in- A, dividuals to the pound. So the average weight of & honey bee would be & little less than one three-hundredths of an ounce. . Congressional appropriation of $125,~ 000,000 for Federal aid in highway building in each of the next three years is declared by the public to promise employment where needed and to assure greater national unity. Pre- dictions are made that in the near future there will be a great network of improved highways from coast to coast, giving better opportunities for business and for motoring. The amount is $50,- 000,000 more than the last preceding appropriation. “It will be a considerable factor in giving employment and putting money into circulation in those areas where construction work is under way,” says the Roanoke World-News, recognizing also that there is an “increase in the amount of Federal aid that may be used on one road m the present $15,000 a mile to $25,000 & mile,” and concluding that “in mountain sections, where grading costs are heavy, the in- creased allowance of Federal aid will be of material assistance in pushing | projects to conclusion.” * kxR “With the additional expenditures called for from the States, it will mean about $120,000,000 more & year than ever before,” it is pointed out by the San Francisco Chronicle, which remarks as to employment: “Just how many men it means will be put to work on these projects it is difficult to esti- mate, but certainly it will be a small army to be employed. And it creates wealth. There will be more roads for more automobiles to drive over and more men working to build the auto- mobiles, mine and make the steel and service the cars.” “It means that building of aesrmlnem highways in all of the Stal in the Union can be accelerated, and is an- other great step toward ueln, that labor is given an opportunity for re- munerative work,” declares the Madi- son (Wis.) State Journal, while the Salt Lake Tribune sees “a mighty impetus” to all these projects, with “the early absorption of a good part of the unemployed,” that paper adding: o greater part of American life is now upon wheels and more and better highways constitute a general ambition in all sections. No doubt the fact that the demand for highways is so general accounts for the widespread approval which meets current highway expendi- tures.” * kK % “As & matter of fact,” remarks the Charleston Evening Post, “the Federal Government might justify the expendi- ture of many times the amount it ap- propriates for highway construction, on the theory, which is carried into prac- tice, of the post road. Nothing makes for national unity and understanding so much as ready communication. The motor highways are bringing all sec- tions of the United States into close acquaintance and understanding, and the Federal Government's appropria- tions for road building are well and wisely made.” ““The roads will endure, and year aft- er year they will play their part in making the Nation better acquainted with itself,” agrees the Detroit Free Press, and the Morgantown Dominion- News is impressed by the fact that “if construction during the next decade keeps pace with the development of the past 10 years, this country will be possessed of a matchless network: of highway communication, which will give the people of every city and coun- ty of every State unrestricted access by improved highway to all parts of the country.” * ok ok K As to the working out of the plan within the States, the Anniston Star states that in Alabama “it is proposed that the counties through which the highways will pass raise the money which must be obtained to take vantage of the Federal aid appropria. tion.” The Star continues: * t one point, is driven to the necessity of an “interlude.” Some steadying book will serve. Better, a far retreat with nothing to do but sieep off the effects :‘tfl this orgy of alternate 'Business and National Unity To Gain by Federal Road Fund should be a fair distribution, with each county p?ylnn half of the cost of the portion of the roads lying withia its boundaries. It has been shown that, with the present amount of traffic, the highways would soon pay for them- selves in gasoline tax revenue, and the total revenue would increase substan- tially with hard-surface roads. More- over, the State to reimburse the counties for their expenditures as the funds become available.” “As the largest State and the first in post-road mileage, Texas all along has received the most generous portion of Federal aid for highway building,” says the San Antonio Express, with further statements as to extensive projects un- der the State government, as a result of which it records that “actually, the State Highway Commission’s outlay will be more than three times” the 15 mil- lions which would be spent if the Ped- eral funds were simply matched by the State. The Express concludes: “The highway actlvity all over South Texas is unprecedented in extent and cer- tain to increase under the stimulus of additional Federal aid. These and re- lated developments surely should take care of any unemployment problem.” “The current census,” according to the Tulsa World, “will put us in much alsg | better shay spre and at the same time consolidate the State system. It may be that Congress will abandon this form of aid and go dnto national road-building in its own name. But for the present we can do much_ with the $3,000,000 held in get- ting out of the mud and dust.” that Federal aid is a gift comes from the Muncie Star, with the statement as to the relation between taxation and highway aid: “Indiana has approximately 3 per cent «f the population of the United States. It directly and indirectly, its full quota of eral taxes. No Hoosier should be so stupid as to imagine his State did not contribute its full share to that $125,000,000 the Government is about to distribute. Indiana undoubt- edly put in at least $3,750,000 and is now asked to congratulate itself on the fact that it is about to receive a Fed- eral aid ‘gift’ of $1,278,088. The State plainly is $2,471,912 ‘out’ and must spend another $1,278,088 to get the Federal Aypmpmmn. Some States, of course, will get more than they pay in, but there is no occasion for any one in Indiana to be under the delusion ;Y;::e:fd;)nlmm aid is any Christmas e taxpayers and citizens of this State.” Prohibition Staggering. Ir: the Worcester Evening Gazette. om the national stan t prohi- bition itself seems to :.pmnmp'hl‘ intoxicating. Musical Comedy Advantage. Prom the San Bernardin Sun. (nrand overs | s sald t0 be stale, But away with that without compiaint. © ————ee Whistle Needed for Crooks. Prom the Akron Beacon Journal. Banks now have every kind of safety device except & whistle to blow when officials get crooked. Real Triumph of Screen. #rom the Louisville Times. One of the greatest screen triumphs is putting them up without losing e s P ouf your v New York Reds May Lose. Prom the Worcester Evening Gazette, If Police Commissioner Whalen re- tires, the New York Reds will lose & lot of high-power advertising. ldnntunulr-mn olnwu... No Hits, No Runs, But Errors. om the Des Moines Tribune-Capital. Sports writer's epitaph for & departed it d: “No bits, 0o Tuns, i