Evening Star Newspaper, May 7, 1930, Page 8

A=-8- .THE EVEN}NG STAR I'lth sixty-six miles an hour and were, |rorced to put up the customary one-)candidates themselves. With Sunday Morning Fdition. 'WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY......May 7, 1030 THEODORE W, NOYES, ...Editor The Evening Star Ku-.pu Company ania_Ave. T e by Carrier Within the City. ine Bar......... . .45¢Ler month and Bunday Siar ndays) . . 60¢ per month and Bar S e ool B St Rate by lhfl—hnblouh A:‘ulu. Maryland and VI Batly and Sunday Sinday”only he Sunday Collection Qiders may NAulonal 5000, All Other States and Canada, y and Sunday..l igm; mo., Daily only 00: 1 mo.s 5.00: 1 mo.. " I£| Sunday only H Member of the .ssoclated Press. ‘The Associated Press is nlflunv?ll entitled Il news di So the use for republication of o dited to It or pot otherwise'ere Dpublishes "l Siehis of publication of Boctlii disnaiches Boréls are dlso secerved. Sifted! ‘The Senate, resolving itself into a committee, did its own investigating yesterday. It proved an effective method, but largely because all the principals involved happened to be members of the Senate. Senator Allen of Kansas played the role of chief investigator. He suc- cessfully prodded Senator Ashurst of Arizona, who had aroused the Senate by his charge that judgeships were being offered Senatars for votes for the confirmation of Judge Parker,- until Senator Ashurst revealed the name of his informant. With the announcement of the name, the game of suspicion and slander, aimed at the confirmation of Judge Parker, failed utterly. For Sen- ator C. C. Dill of Washington, to whom Senator Ashurst referred as the man who had been offered a judgeship, made light of the whole matter, denying that any one in authority had even broached such a subject to him. And with Sen- ator Dill's statement one of the hun- dreds of loose charges made on the floor of the Senate came home to roost. It is one thing to make such charges against men outside of the Senate, who have no opportunity to “call” their ac- cusers, It is quite another to make charges that involve the personnel of the Senate. The Senate sifted the Ashurst charge promptly and is en- titled to the credit for so doing. The ridicule which the Senate must suffer because of the incident, quickly realized by Senator Robinson of Arkansas, the Democratic leader, brought a demand from him that the nistierieidapped, iwithouplordbrion & further investigation by the Senate judiciary committee, as proposed by Senator Watson of Indiana, the Re- publican leader. It was clear to Senator Robinson that the whole story had been revealed in the Senate itself and that nothing was to be gained by a further investigation. While Senator Allen held the floor and through his questions finally drew from Senator Ashurst the name of his informant, the row on the floor of the Senate yesterday over the Ashurst charges was started by Senator Carter Glass. The Virginian was thoroughly aroused and demanded that an investi- gation be held of charges which he said reflected on every member of the Sen- ate. He was backed in his demand by Senator Simmons of North Carolina, a supporter of Judge Parker, who is also a North Carolinian. ‘Whether the refutation of the charge brought by Senator Ashurst will ever overtake and wipe out the charge itself, spread broadeast through the press of the United States, is a matter of con- Jjecture. As Senator Allen of Kansas pointed out, hundreds of newspapers yesterday carried Senator Ashurst’s charge with all its implications of traf- ficking by the President of the United States with Senators. Possibly the m.mbers of the Senate will take to heert the lesson of yesterday's session and will be more careful to have their facts at hand before they attack and imake charges of corrupt dealing. Many members of the Senate are extremely careful in this matter, realizing the ease with which reputations for honesty and upright dealing may be torn down or smirched merely through the making of charges which in the end may not be substantiated. But unfortunately there are some who are less careful. —— e r—————— A great many intensely picturesque things are happening in India, with no Kipling present on the scene to give them literary permanence. False Charges. ‘Whatever the result of the investiga- tion into the alleged “bonding racket” in Prince Georges County, which was instigated by Commissioner of Motor Vehicles E. Austin Baughman of Mary- land, after officials of the American Automobile Association had filed pro- tests with him as to the conditions, the attitude of officials in that county in regard to the test case tried in the court last week and the probe which is under way is not conducive to public confidence that conditions as charged, 8t least in one particular case, do not exist. For some time past members of the A. A. A. have complained to the organization that when arrested for speeding in Prince Georges County they were almost invariably charged with a speed in excess of sixty miles an bour, which necessitated their putting up a bond of one thousand dollars and a payment to the bondsman of one hundred dollars. Then it was alleged that they were told that the charge would be reduced to forty miles an hour if they would plead guilty. Not wishing to face the court on & sixty- mile charge, even though it was un- warranted, the average motorist agreed to the proposal to plead guilty on the lesser offense, of which very possibly he may have been guilty anyway. How- ever, he was out his hundred dollars for the bond. On learning through the A. A. A. of this alleged practice, Col. Baughman immediately detailed one of his State policemen to the motor organization, and they decided to set a trap. Dressed in mechanic’s clothes, the State police- man and an A. A. A. official deliber- mtely had themselves arrested for driv- ing at fifty-five miles an hour after their speedometer had been #ccurately @hecked. They were immediately charged thousand-dollar bond. According to schedule, the charge was reduced to forty miles an hour, with the expecta- tion that the “mechanic” would plead guilty. But, much to the surprise of the arresting officer, the not guilty plea was advanced, the “mechanic” turned out to be & State policeman and an A. A. A attorney appeared to defend him. The case was dismissed by the court and an investigation was launched by Gov. Ritchie and Col. Baughman. And, while the probe has not been completed, county officials have made known their attitude regarding it. One official states that it appears to him “that & mountain is being made out of a molehill.” Another declares that “if the newspapers devoted a little more time to defending police officers rather than criticizing, the county would be better off.” Now in this particular case it has been definitely and clearly shown that a State policeman driving at fifty-five miles an hour was charged with a speed in excess of sixty. Whether the claim is justified that a “bonding racket” exists will probably be brought out in the investigation, but the fact remains that the arresting officer did make out a charge which was proved to be false. Regardless of the bonding angle of the Prince Georges situation there is al- together too much of this sort of thing and if the test case only brings out this fact it has well served its purpose. Accordingly, it would appear that county officials could win more public confidence by utilizing zeal to ferret out bad conditions than by de- fense of the practice of 1iaking out false charges against a motorist, e Mr. Keech's Opening Gun. Intervening as people's counsel with answers to the rallway corporations' bills of complaint in the rate case pending in the District S8upreme Court, Mr, Keech fires his most effective broad- side in kis plea that the companies have failed t0 set up any proof of the present value of their properties and that these should be revalued. He asks the court to remand the cause to the Public Util- ities Commission, with directions to re- value the properties. Developments since testimony before the Public Utilities Commission ceased last Fall have made it apparent that re- valuation of the companies’ property and the redetermination of the rate bases should rightly precede any at- tempt now to revise street car fare. The commission left open the motion to re- value, put by William McK. Clayton while the case was being argued last Summer, After the hearings ceased, the efforts of the commission were di- rected toward legislation authorizing merger- of the two lines, and the pro- posed merger agreement contained the clause that the property of the new company would be revalued within a period of two years and that pending the revaluation the fares would not be increased. But the merger agreement now close- ly resembles a deflated balloon. There is small chance that it will survive the holes that have been punched in it by members of Congress who have shown natural curiosity as to why this permis- sion to merge should be paid for so highly by the car riders, when the ad- vantages of the merger are on the side of the corporations. Unless there are further changes in the merger agree- ment as proposed, the merger can be counted out for the time being. ‘The question of higher fares now lies with the courts, and if the rate bases are accepted, it is probable that higher fares will be the result. But there is no good reason why the companies’ valuations should be accepted. There is every reason why they should be re- determined. Both are sixteen years old. Since they were established there have been changes in conditions; changes in the use of property and abandonments of equipment. Since they were estab- lished there have been no inventories or appraisals—except by the com- panies—and without these, as Mr. Keech points out, rate bases can hardly be expected to come into court and stand on their own legs. Mr. Keech has shown commendable industry in preparing his case in the short time available. He has chosen his ground well and should be able to maintain a position that probably will become the “bloody angle” of the pend- ing court fight over fares. In the; meantime, Congress should send rein- forcements in the form of increased powers for the Public Utilities Commis- sion. ——ae. Criminals have been unusually con- siderate in permitting time to solve a murder mystery without precipitating a new one to overwhelm interest. —— et A Virginia man arrested for painting his house on Sunday is now on record with a protest in court against making some of the old laws a permanent blue. Senate Campaign Costs. Mrs. Ruth Hanna McCormick ex- pended $250,000 in her campaign for the Republican nomination for Senator in Illinois. To the lay mind a quarter of a million dollars seems a very large sum to spend for anything. In her explanation to the Senate committee investigating campaign expenditures, Mrs, McCormick said that all of the money had been expended for “legiti- mate” purposes—printing, ~ malling, advertising, organization and the like; that in her campaign she had to reach some 3,000,000 voters. She said, too, that there was no law to guide the candidates for senatorial nominations or the Senate committees which in- vestigate the expenditures of the candi- dates. The candidates and the investi- gators must determine for themselves what constitutes legitimate expenditures. Quite wisely Mrs. McCormick suggests that the national legislature should undertake to set up a standard of expenditures, if the candidates are to be expected to conform to it. Mrs. McCormick’s expenditures were large. ‘There is no blinking that fact. But her expenditures failed to reach nearly the totals shown to have been expended in the senatorial primary races in Tlinois and Pennsylvania in 1926, which resulted ultimately in the rejection of Frank L. Smith and Willlam S. Vare, Senators-elect in those States, respectively. Frank Smith's total ex- penditures mounted to something like $450,000 and Vare's were the major part of $875,000. Mrs. McCormick expended her own money, whereas a great deal of the money spent for Smith and Vare T ] was contributed by others than the ‘What is the Senate going to do about this matter? Sooner or later, if Mrs. McCormick wins the election in Novem- ber, it will have to determine whether she has gone beyond the bounds of propriety and legitimate expenditure in her campaign. The Senate presumably will have before it the report and recom- mendation of its investigating commit- tee. Before Mrs. McCormick entered upon her campaign for the senatorial nomination she knew that in all probability a Senate committee would be set up this year to inquire into cam- paign expenditures. She went ahead, manner which she deemed proper and necessary for the conduct of her cam- paign. She has kept a strict account of her expenditures and submitted it to the Senate committee. And yet her total expenditures are $70,000 more than berry, Senator from Michigan, whose 1 campaign for ‘the Republican nomina- tion for the Senate against Henry Ford attracted wide attention a dozen years ago. Senator Newberry was censured by the Senate for such large expenditures, although he was permitted to retain his seat. Mrs. McCormick's opponent, Senator Deneen, has.testified to the expenditure of some $25,000, one-tenth of the sum used by Mrs. McCormick. She replied that Senator Deneen had the power of Federal patronage back of him and the support of a political organization throughout the State. Her only means of cffsetting such advantages, she de- clared, was to build an organization of her own, and organizations do not just grow. They have to be developed at considerable cost. In November Mrs. McCormick is to clash with former Senator J. Hamilton Lewis, Democrat. It develops that Senator Lewis' expenditures in the primary campaign for the Democratic nomination amounted to $35. Doubt~ less the Democrats and Senator Lewis will make much of the heavy expendi- tures of Mrs. McCormick in the coming campaign. They present a good talking point. Senator Lewis was fortunately circumstanced in the primary cam- paign. He had no really serious oppo- sition and did not have to lift & hand. Mrs. McCormick, on the other hand, was faced with a strong candidate, a sitting Senator who had won many political battles in Illinois. ‘Whatever the Senate may do about the expenditures of Mrs. McCormick, it should undertake seriously to set up some kind of a standard of campaign expenditures, governed perhaps by the size of the population and the area which must be covered by campaigners. There is a limit beyond which ex- penditures should not go in decency. But such a limit should be established so that all may know. B Importance attached to the mental operations of children calls for more and better adult intellectuality in order to supervise the thought processes of the future. Responsibilities for social im- provement should not depend too much on child labor. e No doubt it would be easy enough for Lindbergh to repeat his sensational flight across the ocean. To do so would accomplish no more than to stimulate reckless imitation, with, for the present, no practical results in prospect. -t Efforts to bring about thorough law enforcement in this city promise that the city which rivals the greatest cap- itals in charm is to be as good as it is beautiful, — e Economy is necessary even to a coun- try of vast riches, like the U. S. A. A habit of wastefulness may exhaust even the largest fortunes, Salt is the symbol of hospitality ex- cept in India, where it becomes the sign of a political family quarrel. D SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Garden. Here in the garden comes a perfume sweet As wind-swept blooming flutters to my feet. The hyacinths the same bright color- ings show ‘That marked them year by year, since long ago. The flowers are like affections which appear ‘With new reminders that are ever dear, And every year the thought returns to me Of friends who were, and are, and yet shall be. Pleasures of Hope. “You have promised to assist the farmer.” “I have,” answered Senator Sorghum. “And I have done so. I have at least made his life more cheerful by en- couraging the thought that he still has something to hope for.” Jud Tunkins says he has tried to be honest, one reason being that a tricky man always has to take some one in his confidence that can't be de- pended on. Effacement. I love to meet a modest man Who shows no pride, But steps aside While others do the best they can. And yet I'm wondering, I confess, { If this can be | Humility Or just a case of laziness. Basic Humanity, “The census indicates a great growth for Crimson Gulch.” “Yes,” answered Cactus Joe. “In spite of crime waves, the Gulch is like the other cities. No matter how much ruction is created, folks are always more interested in raisin’ families than in killin' one another off.” “To be reckless with promises,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “invites the embarrassment which comes to those who are benevolently careless in becoming surety for doubtful debts.” The Aggressive Conversationalist. My tears start to glisten, My brain's due to balk, ‘When a man hollers “Lissen!"” And corhers the talk. “De census taker,” said Uncle Eben, “has got me surprised dat anybody dat ain’ runnin’ foh office should take so much interest in me HE _EVENING however, to organize and advertise in a | poetry’ the totel expended for Truman H. New- | &' my famly.” of STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 1930. —_____—___—___—_——______—__—————————-—————————-——-————_‘—- THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Givé Ambulances the Right of Wa To the Editor of The Star: An outstanding trait which thorough- ly demonstrates the contrariness and thoughtlessness of many motorists is In looking over an anthology of mod-|as that attributed to Homer in the!ihe apparent reluctance of some people ern verse, what struck us mostly was| the necessity the average reader has of revising his own ideas of poetry. | Here were representative efforts of a | choice group of young poets, ranging| all the way from the poem which is ypical poptry of the older school to the ‘modernistic” bit which many readers will be inclined to think nothing but a | hodge-podge. | After all, what does this average| reader think of when he thinks of| 9 If he is past the age of 30 years, no doubt he will think of Tennyson, of Homer, of Longfellow, of Browning; maybe of Walt Whitman. He has, in other words, a definite picture in his mind of something which fits a general style trend, as diffuse and | different as the resulting word products | may be, as far different as Whitman | and Tennyson are. ] Now, this average reader of whom we | speak is very likely not to be so broad- | mindeq: perhaps he will insist that| Tennyson is the perfect t, and that | verse is either good or bad as it ap- proaches or recedes from the Victorian|? model. ‘Though some may doubt it, there are hundreds of readers in this country who honestly believe that Longfellow is the ideal poet. To them his “Psalm of Life” is perfection. ‘Those who take the opposite view- point declare that merely “pretty” verse is no poetry at all. They want the muscle and sinews of life. Somehow the hard and the angular appeals to them. ‘This is the mental counterpart of the physical revulsion which the typical preacher’s son of fact and fable feels for | the higher things of life. He is not bad because of innate sin, but largely because he has lived too long in the atmosphere of the good. Sanctity has weighed upon his soul until he finds nothing to do but to “cut loose.” »Ewa ‘The vitality of poetry perhaps has never been better demonstrated than during the past decade, in an era when the machine is taking an alarming domination over the lives and affairs of men. In a recent number of the Magazine of Wall Street there was an interesting article by Theodore M. Knappen, en- titled “The Machine Turns on Its Mas- ter,” and the question was asked, “Is industry in danger of becoming a vic- tim of its own mechanical efficiency?” It seems to many a man nowadays who in effect stands somewhat outside this conflict, being engaged in profes- sional work, that not only industry but the body, mind and soul of man him- self is in danger of becoming the victim of mechanical efficiency. The repose of the soul demands peace and quiet, and the machine is noisy. The spirit of man asks for freedom from worry, and the machine has not been made by man which will not now and then demand an expert attention which the maker, not the owner, alone can give it. * K ok % Poetry, divine aid to the human spirit, stands ready, now as always, to rescue the mind and heart from the encroach- ments of these interesting but some- times slightly appalling creations of an- other side of the complexity called man. Poetry today has many more sides than ever before in the history of the world. To understand this let us go back a bit. Without becoming too crit- ical, it is safe to say that such poetry “Iliad” was the first type. heroic, grandiose, yet essentially simple. It dealt mainly with men in their favorite occupation, that of war, and it was not until centuries later that the lyric mood introduced itself into the realms of versc. The fragments of Sappho, the odes of Horace, were some- thing new in the world, as distinct in their way as the mighty pyramids of Egypt. The songs of the troubadours, extol- ling refined love, were but an interlude — u strange interlude, if one will, in the main stream of poetry, which flowered forth with tremendous vigor in a Shakespeare and sank like a brook in Herrick. During all these centuries the poetic tradition was being built up until it may be said to have become static with the work of such English poets as Wordsworth, Keats, Tennyson—espe- cially Tennyson. S i Certain themes were regarded as standard. Certain words came to be held by every reader to be poetic words, without wiich no poem could really be poem. It is to be realized what a pow-wow such readers kicked up when writers such as Whitman, wild and woolly, to- tally heedless of these fine traditions, burst forth with their “barbaric yawp.” “Call this stuff poetry?” chorused such readers. “Never! It may be prose, but I am not even sure of that. No one shall ever convince me that ¥ is poetry or has any relation to poetry.” Many of those readers have since changed their views. Poetry, they will admit, was wider than they had thought. Like Horatio’s philosophy, there was more in poetry than they had been willing to acfept. Time and growing taste had forced them to see that such things as “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed™ were indeed poems in the sense that “Crossing the Bar” is a poem Yet poetry addicts are conservative. Forced to yield on one man, they hedged on others, and held back from giving their approval to the “imagists” and the “free-verse” makers. In the anthology of which we have spoken above are many queer efforts, poems which the writer here is unable to accept as poetry. ‘To him they are but absurdities, a playing with words, interesting to that extent, but not to be compared in the same breath with Vachel Lindsay’s “Chinese Nightingale,” included in the same collection (“Prize Poems,” Paper Book for April). O w The secret of verse, as of prose, is many readers, many writers; and what may appeal to one will not appeal to another. So all types of writers have :hdr innings, and all kinds of readers, 00. ‘The result of this happy state of things is that every one with a message will find his readers, the sentimental writers the sentimental readers, the scientific writers the scientific readers; readers of poetry who instinctively like Longfellow will find delight in similar work, while those who rave over the poems of some of the more adven- turous of the younger poets will be|Poses eager for yet more “advanced” forms. Thus poetry continues, as in the days of ancient Greece, to be a powe and force in the world of letters. Be- cause any one does not read it does not mean that it does not exist; it simply means that he is missing something good, for at no time in history were there more kinds of poetry to appeal to all types of readers. WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Becretary Mellon's customs officials may be interested in knowing that Ger- many, which has given us the fastest ships, has now evolved the fastest method of getting us off of them. Her revenue authorities are experimenting with a system of having inspectors board incoming German liners at Cher- bourg and examine passengers’ baggage during the voyage to Hamburg or Bremen—some 10 or 12 hours before ar- rival there. The purpose is to permit passengers to entrain for their destina- tions practically as soon as ships reach the docks instead of waiting and wast- ing weary hours at customs houses ashore. Every Yankee globe-trotter will hope and pray that the Treasury au- thorities will see something in the Ger- man scheme worth imitating. Irritating as customs formalities are abroad, they're almost pleasantries compared to the agony that has to be endured when an American comes down the gangplank at some port here in “God's country.” Sometimes it makes him wish he hadn't gone abroad—or had stayed there, * ok ok % Still another American girl, Miss Constance R. Harvey of Buffalo, N. Y., has won distinguished honors in the United States Foreign Service. As a re- sult of unusually high standing in competitive examinations at the State Department, Miss Harvey has been named a vice consul at Ottawa, Can- ada. The department is now trying out a plan of having those who pass the exams sent at once to posts in the fleld, instead of entering the Foreign Service School at Washington. The theory is that they tackle the school curriculum with better understanding after a little experience with the real thing. Miss Harvey, who 1s in her early twenties. took her bachelor’s de- gree at Smith College, where she achieved distinction in languages, espe- cially Italian. Later she embarked upon a course of international law at Co- lumbia, under Charles Cheney Hyde, former solicitor at the State Depart- ment, and is about {o be given a mas- ter's degree there. Prof. Hyde considers Miss Harvey one of the most billliant students who ever came under his eye. ot Ambassador Paul Claudel, now in Germany for the premiere production of his “blographical opera,” entitled “Christopher Columbus,” divested him- self of an aphorism about statesmen on the eve of his departure for Europe. “Most, statesmen.” observed the cul- tured envoy of France in Washington, “have long noses. That is well, be- cause as a rule they cannot see further than the ends of them.” R Miss Jeannette Rankin of Montana, who was the first woman elected to Congress when she was sent to Wash- ington as Representative at large in 1916, is again a resident of the Capital. She is assoclated with the National Council for Prevention of War, the spearhead of the pacifist movement in the United States. Miss Rankin achieved fame by her tearful refusal to vote for war in 1917. She doesn't think much of the London naval treaty. Having achieved parity with Great Britain, it is her view that the United States ought magnanimously, and as a noble gesture for peace, ~decline _to avail itself of it. Miss kin is a Re- publican. She is now a handsome, pre- maturely white-haired woman who will be 50 years old in June and doesn't look it. . e During the long-drawn-out Senate debate over Judge Parker's nomina- tion to the Supreme Court, Senator Henrik Shipstead, Farmer-Labor, of Minnesota intervened with a learned legal argument. When somebody but- tonholed him and asked “how come” that the Scandinavian giant, a_dentist by profession, knows so much law, he sprang a surprise. He revealed that at the end of all the days he nsed to manipulate molars in Minnesota, and for many years, he burned ine mid- night oil poring over law books. ‘Though Shipstead never took a degree, his colleagues find that he knows his Blackstoni onions as well as most of the lawyers in the Senate. * ok o x It won't be long now before thousands vacation tourists will be motoring their way toward the great galleries of scenic masterpieces which a nature- loving Uncle Sam maintains for their enjoyment. Robert Sterling Yard, executive secretary of the National Parks Association, tells a story about the late Stephen T. Mather, father of the present national park system, and Desmond, the man who built the first concession hotel in the Yosemite. Des- mond couldn’t see where the patronage was coming from. “Why, look at those ;3?!'.{ ]\l(l:ther (;rvl;ld “There must be [J em. ere’s your imagina- tion? Some day there'll be a thousand.” Desmond shook his head skeptically, and ejaculated, “Maybe.” In 1928, 131,689 autos visited Yosemite, * K K K ‘Washington will be invaded during the third week of May by a host of 14 distinguished European journalists. They are being brought to this country by the Carnegie Endowment for Inter- national Peace, which biennially sends @ party of American newspaper men to foreign parts. The Old World scribes about to visit the United States include representatives of leading papers in Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslov: ), n- mark, Esthonia, Finland, Germany, Hol- land, Hungary, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. 50 i Justice Royal A. Stone of the Min- nesota State Supreme Court, who is one of the shining lights at the American Law Institute now in session at Wash- ington, is proud of being a soldier, like Justice Holmes. He has active fighting records in both the Spanish-American and World Wars to his credit. Judge Stone, an ardent believer in national defense, finds time in the midst of his busy bench career to serve as a lieu- tenant colonel in the Officers’ Reserve Corps, U. 8. A. (Copyright, 1930). .t Heroism of Convicts Held Redemption Hope From the Asheville, N. C., Times. Some months ago an Asheville law- yer set forth in an able essay the thesis that prison reform is for the most part based upon impracticable senti- mentality which refuses to face the | facts of life. He asserted, and his argu- ments and illustrations were formidable, that the reformation of criminals is an :flnetgiprm always doomed to disappoint- The other day a great fire swept through the cell blocks and corrldces of the Ohio State Penitentiary. More than 300 men were burned to death be- hind the locked doors of their cells, or attempting to make their escape after the doors were tardily opened. Many liberated convicts on_their way to life outside the blazing walls paused to aid their prison comrades. Some of these convicts risked and lost their lives in the effort to save others. Here convict life clashes with theory. Can we say that a man who will give his life to save another is a man so abandoned to all the attributes of man- hoog—courage, hardihood, self-sacri- | fice—that he is beyond the hope of re- demption? o Great Year for Detours, From the Salt Lake Tribune. Judging from the increase in road ex- penditures, this ought to be a great year for detours. — Scenery Behind ‘Billboards. From the Tulsa World. ‘The localities which want to sell their scenery to the tourists shouldn’t hide it behind billboards. ot Parachutes Excepted. From the Toledo Blade. ‘The old saying, the bigger they are the harder they fall, was not intended for parachutes. Convicts Don’t Like It. From the Savannah gMorning News. Prison life in coun is e More and i | 1 ] u; give ambulances the proper “right of way.” The case of fire engines s different. Few motorists dare obstruct the path of huge fire apparatus which thunders down upon them like self-sufficient monsters. They command “right of way"” by sheer bulk and noise. But the less impressive ambulance is too often deliberately ignored as it hastens upon its errand of mercy. Yet it is reasonable to suppose, if a motor- ist of the thoughtless type were placed in the unfortunate predicament of needing an ambulance for himself or a dear one, he would want the way clear 50 all possible haste might be made. ©O man, man! When will you I to do unto others as you would have them do unto you? It is a pitiful and disgraceful exhibi- tion of extreme selfishness the way many motorists jeopardize the lives of their fellow man. Give the ambulances right of way whenever their sirens cry that they are on an errand of mercy. Perhaps it is l T | modities, such as automobiles, are taxed a matter of life and death. Be careful, thoughtless and selfish motorist, that you do not become a po- tential murderer, however much you dislike so hideous a title. Too many of too late. b ‘WM. T. W. GRAVES. Children Should Be Taught Obedience To the Editor of The Star: In your issue of Saturday, May 3, appears, under the column “This and That,” by Charles E. Tracewell, one of the best articles that I have read on the subject of obedience to law. that the entire article might be broad- cast over a nation-wide hook-up. His suggestion in regard to the teaching of the history and meaning of laws to our school children is most valuable, and I wish some campaign could be started that would bring that idea to pass. Mr. Tracewell is to be congratulated for writing such a sane suggestion for bringing_about respect for and obedi- ence to laws. HARRIET D. BURNSIDE. Hoover Acts to Rid Country of Gangsters Prom the Newark Evening News. “There is no bigger job to be tackled than that of ridding ‘the big cities of crime rings and racketers, for which President Hoover is reported to have & far-reaching program. For three years Chicago has been asking the Federal Government for assistance, either in the supervision of its elections or combating hi-jacking and gang warfare. The Gov- ernment %u felt unable to interfere in the affairs of a State. The present view of the White House and the Attor- ney General, however, is that the situa- tion is fairly desperate. They now de- sire power to aid State and municipal authorities to co-operate more effec- tively with the Federal Government. The situation President Hoover pro- to deal with is a product of our modern civilization. Racketeering in its various forms is thoroughly organized.|R. C. It makes use of the latest modern in- ventions. It is a jump ahead of the po- lice in its use of mechanical devices. The gangsters have the speakeasies and other secret places created by driving the sale of liquor underground to hide in. There were such places in the old days of the saloon and there will always be such places, but they were more open than now when they are the rendezvous of forbidden traffic. ‘The worst contribution prohibition has made is that it has given the under- world a more profitable occupation than it had previously. Rum-running and bootlegging pay big rewards. The gang- sters have big capital with which to finance the organization of their gangs. ‘The Government has to fight a big bus- iness, as well heeled financially as it is equipped mechanically. oo Farm Board Is Working For Reduced Acreage Prom the Flint Daily Journal. ‘The Federal Farm Board is actively engaged in an educational campaign to show farmers the necessity of reducing erop plantings. The recommendation is for a cut of 10 per cent in the acre: age of Spring wheat, now being planted. ‘The great difficulty which the Farm Board has had to contend with in its efforts to stabilize wheat is the supplies, which have been greater than any pos- sible demand could exhaust. The wheat acreage harvested last year in the United States was the largest of recent years and 3,000,000 acres above that of 1928. Such an abundant supply, it can be seen in & moment, would work havoc despite any attempts to organize the market to deal with extra crops. It is now time for farmers to be planting their Spring wheat. If they can be convinced individually or through co-operatives to cut their acre- age, we may see better results of the Farm Board's work in later months, but the farmer is a difficult man to show that by raising more wheat than | ti possibly can be consumed he is merely lowering the price. Instead, when he sees the price fl:ln( lower he plants more, in order that a larger crop will even up for the lower price per bushel. Almost two-thirds of our wheat acre- Ife goes to Winter wheat, which was planted last Autumn. But the Spring wheat, now being planted, does not show & very appreciable drop, accord- ing to the Department of Agriculture’s recent survey. Although this report is based on returns from 50,000 farmers, it cannot be taken as an exact forecast of the acreage that will be planted. Weather conditions, prices, labor supply and other factors invariably make a difference between what the farmer plans on March 1 and what he actually plants when his Spring plowing is fin- ished. Consequently, if there is any ?lel which can reach the farmers of he country and prevent them from putting too much of their land into wheat, now is the time they should be reached. It is still time to help the situation. Open-Air Prison Job Plan Appears Sound From the Pittsburch Post-Gazette, The experiment to be started on May 15, by which 1600 prisoners in Federal penitentiaries will be given work at three reservations of the Army in the open season to relieve overcrowd- ing in the prisons, must strike the country as sensible. If the plan proves meritorious, it has been announced from Washington, it will be extended until 2,000 men are placed at labor in the open air. The idle convicts who will be granted the opportunity to work will be the real beneficiaries of the test. The tasks to be assigned are such as the Army has no funds to allot by contract. Where it is possible to hire labor legally, the prisoners will not be employed. Some 200 of the men, it is stated, will be sent to Fort George A. Meade, near Laurel, Md. Cantonment bulldings, which have remained as relics of the World War, are to be torn down, roads are to be built and other improve- ments effected, which have been needed but for which funds were never avail- able, Camp Lee at Petersburg, Va., and Fort Riley In Kansas are other ces to which men will go. The convicts will be selected from among those classed as “trusties,” whose terms will expire be- fore cold weather arrives. Only light guarding will be needed, for these prisoners will find it more profitable to finish their time than to become fugitives. s It’s a Chronic Lameness. From the Detroit Free Pr‘eoll. o The lame duck session of Congress never 15 80 lame that it can't hobble around once in two years, 1 wish | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN. ‘Many readers send in questions signed only w’lth initials, asking that the an- swers appear in the newspaper. The imited, and would not accom- modate a fraction of such requests. The | answers published are ones that may interest many readers, rather than the| one who asks the question only. All| questions should be accompanied by thc‘ writer's name and address and 2 cents in coin or stamps for reply. Send your question to The Evening Star Informa- | tion Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, director, ‘Washington, D. C. . Why did the census enumerators l.!lq"Do )!'Iqu own a radio”?—G. F. A. The Department of Commerce wishes to obtain an estimate of the number of radios in use. Other com- or licensed, so that a count is available, but there is no other way to make a| fair estimate of radios. Q. Which is conect—"dxyllght sav- | ing” time or “daylight savings” time?—| B Ik correet to say “daylight sav- | ing” time. The English idiom hdm nmt require that the word “saving” be ex- pressed in the plurs Q. Why is glucose used in candy?— E. T. A, It is used in the manufacture of confections to prevent crystallization. Q. Who invented the saxophone?— B, ‘A. There was & famous family of Bel- glan musical instrument makers named Sax. The inventor of the saxophone belonged to this family, and his name was Antoine Joseph Sax, known as Adolphe Sax. He was born at Dinant, Belgium, November 6, 1814, and died Paris February 4, 1894. In 1845 took out a patent for the saxhorn. June 22, 1846, he registered the saxo- phone. Q. What is a Chinese tong?—M. K. A. A tong is a Chinese form of secret society. The word is derived from the Chinese word meaning a hall or private meeting place. The tongs are largely represented among the Chinese popula- tion of America, and frequently carry on long and bitter conflicts. Q. What are the final figures on ‘what the World War cost this country? —K. B. 8. A. Treasury Department figures place the total cost of the World War to the United States at approximately $51,- 400,000,000. War costs and national defense amount to about two-thirds of the annual Government expenditures. Q. At the beginning of the Civil War how many slaves were there?— C.V. L. A. The exact number is not known. It is estimated that there were between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 slaves. . Should babies be encouraged to walk as soon as possible?—B, S. A. Walking is a natural function, and should not be forced upon an infant. Premature walking strains the legs and feet and causes foot deformities. The average child will learn to walk when the feet and legs have become suffi- clently strong. Q. Did Schubert play the guitar?— A. He both played and composed for the guitar. Not owning a piano, many of his melodies were worked out upon the guitar. Q. Please define communion close ;nr‘lw opsn and communion in place.— A. The “Encyclopedia of Church His- tory” defines open communion as the service of the holy communion of saints, which is open to all who apply, irre- spective of creed. In close communion the service is confined to the members of a single soclety, or at least to the members of a denomination who are baptized. By communion of place is meant the administration of the sacra- ment in a consecrated building. It also in | he | on| How many descendants are there o(qihe people who came over in the Mayflower?—C. O. G. A. The number is not known. The Socfety of M: er Descendants has more than 2. members. There are numerous State socleties of similar character. Ql'? What was the “Gordian knot"?— A. This expression has its origin in the tale of Gordius, a Phrygian peasant, owner of a yoke of oxen, who became king. He dedicated his car and oxen to Zeus, and the knot of the yoke was tied so skillfully that an oracle declared that whosoever should unloose it would be ruler of Asia. When Alexander Great came to Gordium he cut the kfiot in two with his sword and applied the prophecy to himself. Q. How did cannel coal get its name?—D. N. A. Cannel coal burns with a bright, candlelike flame, and it is probable that the name is a corruption of candle coal. This coal is found in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana, and some believe that it is a product of an accumulation of ani- mal as well as plant remains. The same kind of coal is found in Scotland, where it is called parrot coal. Q. When does one say “The late Mr. Blank,” and when is the word “late” discarded?—T. M. K. A. The epithet “late” is applied only when death has occurred approximately recently. One says “The late President Harding,” “The late Theodore Roose- elt,” but, of course, one does not say “The late Alexander ton,” or “The late Abraham Lincoln. Q. Did Mahatma Gandhi study law in England>—W H. S. | _A. Mahatma Gandhi_was born at Porbandar, Kathiawar, India, 1868, of an official family. At 19 years of age he went to London to study, and was admitted to the London bar. Q. Can a child be traced to its ful father through blood tests?—F, A. Medical authorities differ in their B. Q. Does the cowboy of todsy weas She %‘C?{IM\IB clothes of 50 years ago?— A. It has been noticed that clothes of the cowboy of today as picturesque or colorful as in years. The cowboy of today wears ‘E only when riding, but he still wears high-heeled boots. Q. In what recreations does Premier | Mussolini indulge?—M. 8. A;n'xl"he d]lc:wr ll.!';luhil as violin playing, aviation, riding and automobiling. Q. Is primary education compulsery in China?—S. K. A. In the Chinese national of education there is a six-year school course, covering aj tely the ages 6 to 12 and divided into two courses of three years each. In theory this is obligatory, but in one or two provinces has the ideal even approached realization, Q. Please give some _information about Amana Colony—E. S. A. The Amana Colony is 28 miles west of Towa City. There are seven villages—Amana, East Amana, Middle Amana, High Amana, West Amana, South Amana and Homestead. The society is governed by a president and a board of 13 directors, and each vil- lage is controlled by seven or more elders appointed by the board of di- rectors. ‘The property includes 26,000 acres of land. The population is 1,729, Q What is B'Nai Brith?—E. C. A. It is a Jewish fraternal organiza- tion, founded in New York in 1843, for the inculcation of ‘“charity, benevolence and brotherly love” and the disregard refers to the retention of the host. of dogma and ceremonial custom. Morrow and Frelinghuysen Focus Interest in Jersey Attention is attracted to the New Jersey senatorial fight as Dwight W. Morrows returns from his duties at the Naval Conference and former Senator Joseph 8. Frelinghuysen prepares for a vigorous contest in the Republican pri- maries. There is much speculation as to the diplomat's attitude toward prac- tical politics, and much interest in the former Senator's change from an ex- treme dry to a wet. “The hope Mr. Morrow brings,” ac- cording to the Newark Evening News. “is that the campaign will proceed on an intelligent level, with both candi- dates making their positions on matters at issue clear and constructive. Poli- tics is in such an estate that a candi- date who can give gouuul activities better direction and higher inspiration is to be welcomed. He affords such an opportunity as does not come many imes in the life of a voter.” The Evening News finds that “Mr. Morrow's participation is frequently compared with that of Woodrow Wilson”; that “this feeling proceeds initially from the feeling Mr. Morrow is the most dis- tinguished non-political figure to enter our public life since Mr. Wilson.” On the subject of practical politics that paper makes the comment: “Mr. Wil- son, it will be recalled, found oppor- tunity to repudiate the Smith-Nugent machine on the senatorial primary issue. There is no issue today framed in these precise circumstances, so it becomes a piquant conjecture whether Mr. Morrow will feel called upon to say anything in open criticism of the ma- chines which support his candidacy.” The situation is summed up by the ‘Topeka Daily Capital in the statement: “S8o the dry Joe has become wet. He is ready to modify to any extent re- quired for nomination and election. Ambassador Morrow’s _experience in politics is extremely limited. It fis doubtful whether he can change rapidly enough to keep up with Joe, and his chances for the nomination seem less than they were.” “A political fight of the first magni- tude” is forecast by the Charleston Evening Post, with the comment on Mr. Morrow that “the New Jersey polit- ical pundits have put him into a con- test which is likely to prove fierce and furious.” The Evening Post adds that “Mr. Morrow is a good man, and has given the State some service, but he has ad no political training beyond a life- long_{riendship with Mr. Frelinghuysen has of politics all his life.” Condemning certain political forces in the State, the Asbury Park Evening Press holds that “thus far the Ambassa- dor’s career has been too greditable to allow it to become identified with that brand of politics.” Discussing the ques- tion whether Mr. Morrow “will dare to repudiate the political stain,” the Eve- ning Press declares, “That is a_question which rests on the tongues of thousands of voters.” “New Jersey sentiment being what it is today, it looks as if wetness is the most important qualification a candi- date can have,” says the Baltimore Eve- ning Sun, suggesting that the voters | might want one “perhaps a little wetter” than Mr. Frelinghuysen. The Worces- ter Evening Gazette holds that “Mr. Prelinghuysen’s conversion from dry to wet has little or no significance outside of New Jersey and apart from himself. It merely means,” continues that paper, “that with New Jersey overwhelmingly opposed to prohibition, Mr. Frelinghuy- sen, as an ambitious politician, is op- portunist enough to recognize the fact.” ‘The Omaha World-Herald describes the situation: “This means only that Mr. Frelinghuysen is more significant lnd‘ weather vane than he is as a leader. lvin Coolld!:. been in the t | trafi The Hartford Courant quotes the New Jersey poll against prohibition, with the comment that Mr. 11 's changed convictions fit very nicely into the apparent politics of the situation.” That paper adds, however, that “Mr. Morrow’s candidacy on any basis will be appealing to those who would like to see New Jersey represented in the Sen- ate by a man of his outstanding qualifi- cations.” Stating that the former Senator “un- questionably has damaged his stan in Hudson by his recent combination with the machine in Trenton,” the Jer- sey City Journal thinks “it is not likely that the Morrow forces will allow any campaign time to be wasted,” and con- cludes: “Morrow will doubtless meet the issues of this campaign squarely. In that fashion he has made his record both as a public servant and as a pri- vate business man.” “Viewing Mr. Prelinghuysen's change as a frankly political move to rove his chances of nomination and of elec- tion if nominated,” says the Philads phia Evening Bulletin, “his present af tude indicates he believes wetness, even to the extent of supporting repeal, to be politically wise in New Jersey today, a view which neither current poll nor individual observation challenges. But there are other considerations in the choice of a United States Senator that ought to have quite as much appeal to the citizen as the stand taken on pro- hibition, particularly when it is only the present landing of a flip-flop.” “A sudden and somewhat weird re- versal of opinion” is the view expressed by the Birmingham News in considering the attitude of Mr. Frelinghuysen, while that paper adds as to the New Jersey campaign: “Of the records of the two men for efficient public service Mr. Mor- row’s is easily the more arresting. His work in Mexico and at London reveals the man. That work alone overshadows the long record of severely modified statesmanship made by his rich and respectable opponent. Though formerly in the Senate, Mr. Frelinghuysen s practically unknown to the country. Though not yet elected to the Senate, Mr. Morrow is admittedly one of the country’s universally recognized men of real distinction.” e Spokane Spokesman-Review holds that the former Senator's theory of national control of liquor “can’t en- dure analysis.” It finds objections to its conclusion that under this theory “Uncle Sam will have to monopolize the lc in every detail—take over and run the breweries, the distilleries and the wineries, manufacture the stuff and sell the stuff.” —————— Another “If” Faces Congress. ®rom the Dayton Daily News. If President Hoover can get Congress to build as many prisons as we seem to need, there will be an end for all time to such a thing as unemployment. Widespread Echo Heard. Prom the Topeka Daily Capital. “What is wanted,” demands an ex- change, “is a census that is correct.” And a correct census is one that shows a larger wth in your town than the" neighbor town. o —————————— Boys Will Be Boys. From the Butte Dajly Post. A fraternity house at Rutgers has been burned to the ground. youth should never be housed bustible structures. ——t————e That's the Problem. From the Columbus Ohio State Journal. in com- And the weather vane is highly It tells the tion in It ian’t so much the 2 glider as'it is keeping