Evening Star Newspaper, June 27, 1930, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR |3 vitalismue, but # 1 symbol of theasi, not With Sunday Morning Edition. oy, WASHINGTON, D. C. L @RIDAY..........June 27, 1930 THEODORE W. NOYES. ,..Editor Star N The lmhz‘m ewspaper Company ess Offce: . and Pennsyivania Ave. o ork Shite: THo East d2ma | lca £ Lake Michigan Butline. | oo Bice! u!Rernll!l,‘ London. ' Englanc Rate by Carrier Within the City. m Jrenios Star., . .45¢c per month yeat Su Al P 60c per month 7 (when 3 The da: 85¢ per month Sunday St - .5¢c rer copy Collection made at the end of euch month. §iders may be sent in by mail or ielephone tional £000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. s and Sunday.....} 1.8 1 .} mo.. &v oniy A3 fm‘:;z. da. E}y g Sunday. 1yr.si2g0 1mo.s100 dax "onl 130 1mex 3¢ Press 1 i use for republleation of ail Rews dig: aver o 3 land and Virginia, All Other States sand Cana iated Press. E'{Emd &2 i o not otherwise cred Development of Analostan Island. ‘There is more interest in the reported negotiations between the Roosevelt Me- | morial Association and the gas company | for the purchase of Analostan Island | than in the possibility that the isiand | would be chosen as the site for a | morial stadium. If the Roosevelt Me- morial Association really purchases An- alostan Island, it will probably mean| that it has decided -against building a stadium. The association has not yet announced the choice of an alternative form of memorial. But other sites are more fitting for a stadium than the is. land, which should be developed as an | extension of the park and parkway ap- | proaches to the Arlington Hemurhl‘ Bridge, and the natural beauty of the place preserved. The Roosevelt Memorial Association, which has been fortunate in raising a large sum of money, has not been so fortunate in deciding upon the form of memorial to be built. Elaborate plans were made for s memorial in West Potomac Park, which would have in- volved drastic changes in the Tidal Basin, or Twining Lake, layout. ment and evidently have been aban- doned. The second project suggested ‘was the construction of a fine stadium on East Capitol street near the Ana- costia River, and architects submitted plans for this undertaking, which, it was at one tife believed, would be carried out. The stadium itselt would have ful- filled a utilitarian need in the Capital and its location, on the other end of the axis upon which stand the Capitol, the ‘Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, would have been ideal. But ~these plans also have been superseded, 1t is now indicated, by some project for Anslostan Island. The development considered for that site by the Roosevelt Memorial Assoca- | tion, should acquisition of the land be made, will be awaited with interest. But ‘Wwhether or not the Roosevelt Memorial Association is able to buy the land, its eventual sale by the gas company to the Government or to some organization that plans to use it for non-commercial purposes. can almost be taken for granted. Undoubtedly its purchase for @evelopment as a memorial, and its dedication to the Government, would be appropriate and most fortunate for the Oapital. But if this is not done, the National Capital Park and Planning Commission must already hgye consid- ered its acquisition as an important link in the chain of beautiful park projects gradually being worked out as the necessary funds become available. Preservation of Analostan Island and its development for public uses should be written down as assured, no matter ‘what decisions may be made regarding the form' of development. ————— Airmen have superseded even favorite iathletes in public admiration. The great modern stadium is nothing less than the | sky itself. ———ee It has been shown by Dwight Morrow | that a family party may become, for the moment, even bigger than a po- ltical party. % ———rw—. The Wailing Wall. One of the world's most ancient con- troversies is in process of adjustment | by means of one of the most modern of mechanisms. The quarrel between the Jews and the Moslems over the Wailing ‘Wall in Jerusalem is now being investi- gated before a League of Nations inter- national commission sitting in the Holy City for that purpose. The chair- man of the commission is Emil Loef- | gren, former Swedish foreign minister, who is functioning under a resolution | adopted by the Council of the League in full agreement with the British govern- ment. % | M. Loefgren explained at the outset | ©f the inquiry at Jerusalem this week that the members of the commission ‘belong to countries absolutely independ- ent of the interests at stake in the Walling Wall issue. He called upon | both Jew and Arab to submit as ob- Jective testimony as divergent conten- tions permit, to the end that the com- mission’s review and findings in the case may be guided by the strictest 4mpartiality. Yesterday, Dr. Mordecai Eliash, chief of the Palestinian Jewish Council, opened the session of this unique tri- bunal beneath the shadow of Mount Olive with & statement arguing the Jews' right to wail at the wall in ac- cordance with their ancient traditions. A memorandum tracing the historical copnection of the Israelites with the wall, from the date of the destruction of the Temple of Solomon, of which it 15 claimed to be a vestige, to the pres- | ent day, was submitted in evidence. It | ‘was prepared by Dr. Cyrus Adler, presi- dent of the Jewich Theological Seminary ©of America and of the American Jewish eommittee. ‘The Moslem viewpoint, at the Arabs’ own request, is not to be presented to the commission until the Jews’ plea i8 55 of | & veteran of the World War now suf- rved. . Untfl it is removed from the domain of Palestinian con- troversy, there is slender hope of en- during tranquillity in the Arab land ‘which has been set aside under British mandate as the Jewish National Home. As the creator of the mandate, the League of Nations is fully within its province—indeed, it is an inescapable obligation—in grappling with the thorny problem which produced bloodshed in Palestine last year and is indubitably capable of sanguinary consequences in the future, Should the League succeed in ironing out the age-old confiict, it will have heightened its prestige in con- crete fashion. - o The New Pension Bill. The House has turned to a direct disability pension for veterans of the World War in its efforts to get out of the tangle which arose over the Rankin bill, vetoed by President Hoover yesterday. The new pension bill, of- fered by Representative Royal John- son of South Dakota, chairman of the committee on World War veterans legislation, abandons the principle that fering disability must trace tha® dis- ability directly to his war service to receive Government compensation, It | provides that any veteran who is 25 per cent disabled, or more, may obtain from the Government a disability pen- sion, even though the disability has | no connection at all with his military service, but is due to other causes. This is a departure from the plan orig- inally adopted which demanded unat the veterans must show that their dis- ability was caused by their service In Army or Navy during the war. Apparently the change to the pen- sion plan as contrasted with the so- called compensation plan was due to take place sooner or later, if the history of other pension legislation for veterans of wars could be considered a criterion. In the case of the World War veterans the peasion stage has come a little sooner than it did for the veterans of other wars. It has been brought about because of the demand that the end desired should be attained by direction, not by indirection. This demand was voiced by President Hoover in his pub- lic statements criticizing the Rankin bill and finally in his veto message read to the House yesterday. The Ran- kin bill undeitook to give to veterans suffering disability, although that dis- ability might not be connected with their military service, the compensa- tion which had been provided fer vet- erans suffering disability traceable to military service. It stated that veter- ans suffering disability which developed up to 1930 should be ‘“presumed” to have incurred this disability because of military service. The medical council of the Veterans’ Bureau maintains that such presumption is impossible and con- stitutes a false basis for legislation. The Rankin bill, however, continued the idea of compensation for disability growing out of military service, al- though it set up a false standard to give aid to veterans whose disability, according t6 the best medical opinion, could not have been due to military service. The new Johnson bill has the distinct advantage of being frank. It puts the country on notice of just what is being done for disabled veterans whose disabilities grow out of causes other than militery service. Had the Rankin bill been enacted into law, the fiction which it set up would inevitably have been widened to cover thousands of other cases. The country believes in generous treatment of its war veterans. - The Rankin bill, as President Hoover point- ed out in his veto message, provided for the payment of benefits to disabled vet- erans without placing any limit- upon their length of service to entitle them to such benefits. In other words, a veteran who had been enrolled for but a single day, and obviously without war service, might obtain the disability bene- fits under such a measure. “In past pension legislation for the Civil and Spanish War veterans, a period of ninety days’ service has been demanded, un- less the veteran suffered a disability in line of duty prior to the conclusion of the ninety days’ period. Recently a bill was put through over Mr. Hoover's veto reducing the period of service for Spanish War veterans to seventy days in order to obtain a pension. Supporters of the Rankin bill have maintained that compensation under it was to go only to veterans whose dis- ability arose from their military service. But the “presumption” included in the bill that disability occurs up to a dozen years after the conclusion of the war makes, 1t is declared by medical authorities, a mere fiction of this claim. The Rankin bill is dead because of the vote of the House yesterday sustain- ing Mr. Hoover's veto of that measure. It remains to be seen now what the Congress will finally do with the new Johnson measure, embarking the coun- try upon a system of disability “pen- sions” for the World War veterans. . A President of the United States is forced to regard the veto as a crucial test which cannot be escaped. While always a matter of immediate agitation, it has seldom led to permanent unpopu- larity. —————————— Market manipulators are accused of causing slumps, which they cannot control. A magician is not. clever when the public catches him in his tricks. \ ——————————— An Asiatic Rat Migration. A strange phenomenon of nature is reported from Shanghai, as occurring in ‘Western Manchuria and Northern Mon- golia. A vast army of rats, migrating from Transbaikalia in Siberia, is mov- ing eastward and sputhward, eating everything in the way of growing things and even attacking human beings. The godent swarm comprises countless mil- lons. Desperate measures to stem the tide have failed, armed horsemen mak- ing no impression upon the rats. Fire 18 now to be used to check the hungry horde. The regions lying in the path of the rats have had a fair growing season, but to the west the country has been in a sorry way agriculturally. The fn. It is known that the Moslems will elaim that they own the Wailing Wall and its surroundings and will maintain that the Jews: are merely entitled to passage past the wall, like “other out- siders.” ‘The world has here presented to it one of the fundamental causes of in- ternecine strife in the Holy Land. The crops have been poor and furthermore a widespread anti-Soviet uprising of peasant farmers occurred in May, lead- ing to almost a complete stoppage of tillage. The rats are leaving this region, perhaps for lack of food. No one can ever detérmine the causes of the strange creature fhigrations. According to the Encyclopaedia Bri- tannica the orginal home of the rat d THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGION, D. C. FRIVAY, JUNE 27, 1930. _——— ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS far, perhaps, from the source of the present rodent movement. From that area it has spread all over thr world, migrating by land and by sea It is & great water traveler, going throughout the world by ships. No means of extermination has ever availed to do more than temporarily check the multiplication of the rats. They are extiemely prolific and thrive in the most unfavorable conditions, reproduc- ing themselves at the rate of two com- plete generations in a year. In the case of the Mongolian-Man- churian rat invasion there is a peril to the people in addition to the destruction of food. The rat is a bearer of one of the most dreadful of all diseases affiict- ing the East, the bubonic plague, to which the people of the region now being invaded are particularly suscep- tible. An epidemic of this malady is always feared whenever the rats go on trek as they are now doing for some unaccountable reason in Northeastern Asia, —————_ Stephen G. Porter. Another distinguished member of Congress has been transferred to the realm of the Great and Permanent Ma- jority. Stephen G. Porter of Pennsyl- vania, veteran chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the House of Rep- resentatives, is dead at his home in Pittsburgh, vietim of a. relatively brief iliness. He fell in the service he long adorned, for it was on his return from an official mission to Europe that Mr. Porter was aficted two months ago with a malady which he was doomed not to survive. American public life is distinctly impoverished by the loss of s0 experienced, so cultured and so industrious a national servant, Representative Porter came to the House from the important Pittsburgh district in 1911 and would hate com- pleted ten terms and twenty consecu- tive years of service on Capitol Hill in 1931. In the past half-dozen con- gresses his leadership of the House committee on foreign affairs brought him international renown, necessitating frequent trips to all parig of the world. Geneva, Rio de Janeiro and Tokio all knew him well. With the late Repre- sentative John Jacob Rogers of Massa- chusetts Mr. Porter was one of the creators of the modern foreign service of the-United States. He took unceas- ing pride in its development, especially in ways and means for improving the living ‘accommodations of our diplo- matic and consular officers abroad. During the past two years much of his time was concentrated on carrying out the provisions of the foreign buildings program authorized by Congress. At various League of Nations commission meetings, in which this country par- ticipated, especially the one dealing with the oplum traffic, Stephen Porter was & notable and effective figure. A specialist in international relations, his voice, knowledge and influence will be missed in the House of Representa- tives. The Nation he served so long and faithfully mourns the disappear- ance of a high-grade citizen and con- scientious statesm ———— Parking restrictions are to be relaxed in the New York theatrical districts. Few. shows at this time of year are strong enough to prevent peaceful park- ing from figuring as an extra added at- traction. ' ——.—— A gentle and picturesque personality, J. Hamilton Lewis should be able. to placate even the remorseless gangsters who claim influence in Chicago politics. —————— Europe portrays Uncle Sam as a money-lender. The impeachment can- not be denied. Uncle has a collection of I. O. U.'s which prove it. ——————— i SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The Lost Songsters. L!cn' & song of Bummertime And thought it very neat. That bit of melody sublime Is stified by the heat. The mocking bird has hid away In some deep shaded wood. The robin sulks from day to day Far from the neighborhood. Sang a.song of Summertime Still in & happy tone. The true musicians spurned my rhyme And let me sing alone. The lightning bug has hurried out. And by his lantern’s glow He hopes to find some clues about Those friends of long ago. A Syllable Shy. “Are you goirg to say something appropriate about that bill of yours?” “Appropriate?” answered Senator Sorghum, “is as far as I can go. I get tongue-tied when I try to say ‘ap- propriation.’ " Jud Tunkins says he went to see a fortune teller out of curiosity. So many people give advice free that you've got to admire any one who can get paid for the service. Among the Animals. ‘The broker who percentage takes Is sure of earthly treasure, And by his mathematics makes Of business a pleasure. Amid the market's flerce affairs He's always “sitting pretty.” He says, “Who cares for ‘bulls’ and ‘bears’ While I control the ‘kitty!'” Columnization. “What's your boy Josh doing?” “He's working as a columnist,” an- swered Farmer Corntossel. “On a paper?” . “No, in an office. He adds up ont column of figures after another.” “He who is content with ignorant admiration,” said Hi Ho, the sage of Chinatown, “is like a vain lady who rejoices in imitation jewelry.” Ups and Downs. An aviator if he flies Will cut a mightyddash, But if in recklessness he tries ‘To show a courage rash, He brings & sense of sad surprise, And sends our hopes to smash— For in Fame’s market ways unwise Lead to & general crash. “When you gits mad about 'nuffin’ much,” sald Uncle Eben, “you is jes' ‘spressin’ a state of mind dat ain’ got } Walling Wall is, of course, in itself not mbnrhummammmuw'mg:mm* THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. * ‘What does one think about in a movie theater? Oh, many thing, many things! 1t is not the sort of cerebration which moves the world, evolves a new theory of something or other, mor yet spans the heavens, yet to the person thinking it is interesting enough. The cool, fresh air upon which the theater prides itself is one excellent topie of thought. No sooner does one get seated to his satisfaction, a rather difficult feat for some, than one falls to wondering where the cold air comes in, and just where the hot air goes out. ‘Those four large round holes, up there in the proscenium arch. which mar somewhat the figures of the gold ladies, must have something to do with it. How fine the air is, to be sure! Tt is worth any man's quarter or 50 lents, just to be able to sit ior a couple of hours in such a cool place. The astute management prepared for this bit of thinking by placing a large dial out front, where one could by no means miss noting just how warm the day was and just how cool the inside of the building was. Visitors did not need to have a ther- mometer, however, to know that it was hot out on the sidewalk. Such a beau- tiful day, too, bright, brilliant, and all that, yet warm, very warm, in the sun. Yes, that is the way a Summer d; should be. Who would kick on such day? An ingrate he would ne, indeed, who should dare register one slight pro- test on such a day. What if it is 1o%> One always can go to one of these cool movie theaters, eh? ' A Gee, that's a pretty girl over there, that girl in the black hat, that girl with the old fellow! Too old to be her father —yes—he’s not her father—nor her brother—wonder how shark-faced men always manage to meet up with the pretty girls? Guess he must have money. Yes, she surely is a pretty girl, all right—bright eyes, nice teeth, good features. See, she smiles at him so pg"lll Now watch that shark mouth df his open in what he fondly believes to be a charming smile, Somebody ought to give him a poke in the jaw—what right has .uch a guy to be sitting right there with such a pretty girl? ere are some sallors. “Tare” ‘hey call ‘em; we have read 'hi:' some place or_other, but we forget why now. ‘The boys look very natty, indeed, m their white jackets. Some one down the aisle wonders why sallors always have such narrow hips. Who ever heard of a fat-stomached sailor? Swarming up and down ladders will take the fat off any man, but who wants to climb ladders unless he is a sailor, a fireman or a painter? Great Jjobs for those who fancy them, but most of us would just as lief do something else and bear the burden of a fat paunch, Some one would do the world a favor by explaining what they have cone to the modern movie theater organ, and why. The term “trick organ” does not explain the peculiar nasal qualicy which! these organs have. We had rather hear a good church ny day. , it 1= a matter of we know, but what is supnosed be .the point of 'mrroducing the nasal quality in almost every one? It used to be that all organs sounded more or less alike, but nowadays there seem to be two kinds, the regular org: and the movie sort. Some .people m: like 'em, but we d:n:, 5 * Well, guess we will have to get up o let this old bird through. Yes, he wants to come through, all right. Why couldn't he go around? What are the ushers for, anyway? They ought to |Kiss Your Hand, Madam.” make him go ‘'round. Certalnly, sir— certainly, air. Well, that's over, but there are still some more seats away over there, they could reach them from the other side, but it's more fun to come through this wav. So the violinist is going to give us one of these weepy renditions of “I It will be better than singing, anyway. When they sing it they invariably say “kees,” and we despise “kees.” A real melody, |at that, although a bit old. Probably too many “madams” ‘in it, but it's all right when they don't sing it. He is doing very well with it, too. What, two kids want to come through, now! Well, for Heaven's sake, guess every one will have to get up and let them through! If the 'ushers would do something sides stand around all dressed up, 8. fellow wouldn't have to get up every haif minute to let a herd of ‘People trample over his toes. ‘es, they are coming through, all right. Might as well get up. Some of ‘em won't get up. Well, why not, the boys have as much right to incon- venience others as grown people have? Yes, sir, going clear through—and there ain't no seats, boys, there ain't no seats, as Amos 'n' Andy would say. Look! They are .going on through— and they're going on down the other aisle! Haw! Haw! Haw! You can't blame everybody for laughing. And you can’t blame the kids, either. It's the usher's fault; why didn't he make them go around, in the first place? Oh, ho, ho, ho! Gosh! The violinist looks pretty mad, but he'll get over it. I bet he is wondering what all the fun is about over here. * ok % % ‘The in front has peppermint drops. iny thing, how far pepper- mint is_wafted, in chewing gum or drops. People like to eat in theaters Do you remember reading about the theater in Shakespeare's time, how whole families came early, and brought their dinner. Must have been a nice messy place by the time an audience got done having a three-course meal. But they were fortunate in those days —they didn't have oranges. Look at the shark-faced man. He has no right to have such a pretty girl. No, I don't think it is too cold; the temperature in here is just right; they certainly have this modern ven- tilation down just about perfect. If you are cold, it will be warmer by and by as the theater. fills up. I read a plece once about how many degrees of heat a person expended in typewriting. It said that if you get into a tub of cold water, and operated a typewriter for so many hours, the temperature of the water would be raised to the boiling point. They must have to work the cool- ing system overtime when the place gets filled up and everybody gets to smacking their hands together. Silly custom, clapping, but what else cun you do? This comedian has a wonderful fol- lowing. This old lady 'in .he rear gins to get ready to laugh the m ment he opens his mouth, and she roars with laughter no matter what he says. If he were to say, “It's a nice day, ain’t 1t?” she would think it funny. max with the world. If that organist doesn't stop, we are going to leave. These movie theater organs make me sick. Why don't they get nice, resonant organs instead of these tiny sounding things? We will have to take it up with Will Hays. Ah! here come the pran{ girls. Well, not so bad, not so . Wonder if they had pe,ppermlm drops in Shake- speare's day’ WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. There are suggestions, which as yet lack official sanction, that President Hoover may not go West this Summer after all. Certainly all his plans to tour the national parks are in abey- ance, and no move has been made in any direction to iIndicate that they are being finally considered. Perhaps one of the straws is the fact that Col. “Ed” Starling, secret service man, who customarily functions as advance agent of presidential trips, has not been sent “ahead” to spy out the land. When Starling appears in remote parts, it's usually a sign that the President of the United States will be along present- ly. Congressional woes, business de- pression, Mrs. Hoover's condliion and Mr. Hoover's dislike of the fuss and feathers—including crowds and speeches—inseparable from a presiden tial tour, are some of the factors en- tering into a possible cancellation of the Western expedition. The President gets increasing “kick” out of his Rapi- dan Summer resort, and feels that, if worst comes %o worst, week euds in the Virginia hills have their clarms. x ok ok % Doubtless the Republican politicians clamor for Hoover's help in the 1930 congressional campaign 18 causing the White House, among other reasons, to ponder the desirability—or otherwise— of a dash across the open spaces. Leaders like Moses of the senato campaign committee and Wood of the congressional campaign committec be- lieve that a few speeches by the Presi- dent in strategic centers would help the G. O. P. cause. Some of his sup- porters are sure the “Chief” would promote Republican interests in this precarious year by going after his Senate _enemies in “T. R.” fash- jon. That's why they rejoice at the leadership Hoover has just dis< played in the veterans’ legislation mess. A continuance thereof is bluntly de- clared by certain administrationists to be the President's best chance of pull- ing himself out of the slump into which his political fortunes have sunk. *x ok K X It was bound to come to this, sooner or later. Prohibition enforcement is now up to “Amos” and “‘Andy.” Amo§ W. W. Woodcock becomes the chief booze law officer under the Department of Justice, while “Andy” W. Mellon, Becretary of the Treasury, remains the grand admiral of the Coast Guard fleet, on which the drying up of our shores mainly depends. * ok ok “Skipper” Charles Francis Adams, utherw‘l)r Secretary of the Navy, has been doing a turn in the racing waters off Newport, R. I, at the helm of the yacht Yankee, one of the boats now being tried out in elimination contests for the honor of defending the Amer- ica’s Cup against Sir Thomas Lipton’s latest Shamrock challenger. had the wheel of the Yankee one day this week when she finished 39 seconds behind the Enterprise, which seems most likely to be our representative in the coming international race. The Secretary of the Navy has ipated in a contest with a Lipton boat before. & el E Col. Lindbergh’s heavily freighted mall at Englewood, N. J., this week has included hundreds of copies of the “Care of Your Baby" literature issued by the United States Department of Labor and the Public Health Service. As these gratis guides to infant culture are usually sent out with the compli- ments of Selili.!fi;! flnduflllprelenauz‘!:i congressiona) secretaries on Hill are the principal forwarders of the pamphlets to Papa “Lindy.” Most of 'em confess thap they cherish coy hopes of getting an autographed acknowledg- ment from him. J;n in for disap- pointments. One of colonel's reso- lute rules is not to give autographs— unless son’s arrival has softened his AT * ok ok % When the New Jersey State Demo- cratic convention was opened at Newark this week, the chairman caused a hush to fall over the hall by announcing that he had a message from Al Smith, of a rather disquieting nature. “The governor has just broken three ribs,’ the chairman announced. There was an audible murmur of suppressed ex- citement. “It appears,” the presiding officer continued, “that he was laughing over Hoover pmpenty.; Riot ensued. " A Having & prison in its midst ap- arently is not regarded a depressing fluence by the average American town or city. At any rate, there’s no dearth of applications for the proposed new Federal penitentiary to be established in the “Northeastern section of the country,” under a recent act of Con- gress. No fewer than 105 bids, offer- ing land as sites for the institution, are on file at the Department of Jus- tice. It is proposed to erect the prison near Erie, Pa., either in New York State or Pennsylvania. A committee will tour the region and inspect proffered sites. % % % John Spargo, erstwhile red-hot So- cialist, is the latest to be med for Secretary of Labor “Jim" Davis’ job, to be vacated when the incumbent en- ters fo ly upon his Pennsylvania sen- atorial campaign. Spargo abandoned his Socialist affilliations in 1924 to become a Republican and supporter of Calvin Coolidge in 1924. In 1928, he actively alded Herbert Hoover. Spargo lives at Bennington, Vt. He declined political office at President Coolidge's hands, but friends are now boosting him for the labor portfolio in the Hoover adminis- tration. His non-identification with ln?' particular labor group is said to be a factor in his favor. Spargo is a na- tive of Cornwall, England, but has lived in America 30 years. (Copyright. 1930.) o Organized Criminals Hurl Strong Challenge From the Kansas City Times. The revelations of a gem theft gang in New York, Chicago and other points, & gang whose operations may have extended into Kansas City, suggest & familiar conditiop in crime. It is the work that grows out of careful organ- ization and skillful direction. This gang, obviously, had been able to carry |on its business for years without de- tection, tracing out its victims here and there and “pulling off big jobs” in vari- ous parts of the country. It was pro- fessional crime, with “brains” behind it, smart enough to operate successfully for quite a while, but getting caught at Iast—as may be hoped the outcome always is. Yet there can be no cer- tainty on the point. Not, at least, until the machinery of detecting and com- bating crime has been perfected even beyond that of crime itself. Fortunately. in some respects, not all crime is of the organized sort. There are beginners and old offenders who try to go it alone or with such occasional assistance as may be encountered. There are bungling and stupidity in crime, much of both, and people of extremely limited mentality drift or are pulled into lawlessness. All of the of course, must be deat with. Usually, they are most readily handled, so far as arrest and Kerh:p& conviction are concerned. It Is the eriminal who seeks to make crime a life business, who goes in for big stakes and resorts to methods of more than average cleverness, that con- stitutes the chief challenge to society and the law. The challenge can be met only when its real nature is fully ap- praised. The forces of the law must smarter than the members of any|A criminal gang. oot e Dialing the Senate. From the Albany Evening News. Some of those Senators who do not like the dial telephone gobcbly feel that if they take their public pulse to work a dial, phone they’ll get outoof touch. off the good. Sl Los Angeles is chosen as the base for Fir an Tribute to the Courtesy Of Street Car Conductor To the Bditor of The &tar: Being one of the fortunate minority who do not own sutomoblles, and who have no excessive garage bills to pay, no temptation to spend money and time on the dusty roads when business or home duties demand my time, etc., I am a user, per necessity, of the street car lines and have opportunity of ob- serving the conduct of the men who operate the cars. ‘The motorman's duties are right well defined, and he is largely cut off from the people, but the conductor is in close contact with the people as long as the day lasts and on into the night. Not only is in con- tact with all sorts of people, and with that mixed mass of folks, but with every mg:;lvnble phase of temperament and mood. Some are radiant with smiles, while others are grouchy and forbidding. Some are clean, courteous and consider- ) ate, while others are solled and grimy, selfish and inconsiderate, Under these trying conditions I,have had pleasure in observing the courteous treatment given out by the street car conductors of our city. On a number of occasions I have expressed to the conductor my appreciation of courtesies extended to passengers, especially to elderly people. I took my pen in hand to relate s specific instance: On Priday, June 20, I was seated on an open car on the Mount Pleasant line which I had boarded at Seventh and F streets. After while an elderly lady got on, entering the seat in front of me, and she made the ascent of the top step by a hard pull. As the car approached her stoppf place she rang the bell, and rising Trom her seat made her way to the steps. The conductor, observing her movements, took his stand on the step with his arms outstretched and his hands firmly grasping the upright bars | G at the end of the seats. When the car awr;ed he released his left hand, still holding firmly with his right hand. He put his left hand under the arm of the lady and gently and safely helped her until she stood squarely upon her feet. I was sitting where I could see clearly the face of the conductor as he extended this courtesy, and I saw his expression of pleasure. It seemed to me that this circum- stance was worth relating in tribute to a class of men who work under very ;lwlm:tult condmxru ‘lnd des!r\'!u the arty co-operation of an nggrec tive R. THO! " ‘public. L. Emasculating the Brookhart Bill To the Editor of The Star: On January 6, 1930, there passed the Senate, unanimously, the Brookhart bill, 8. 15. On January i1, 1930, 8. 15 went to the House and was referred to the Civil Service committee. The non- amended Brookhart bill, 8. 15, provides, in part, that low-salaried Pederal em. ployes, who recelved one “step-up' Jyul 1, 1928, though the intent of the Congress was that they should receive two “steps-up,” should now receive two “'steps-up” as of July 1, 1928. Now we | H. have the Brookhart bill, 8. 15, amended by the Civil Service committee of the House, 50 that it is non-retroactive as to payment, from July 1, 1928, to en- ctment into law, if it should b en- cted. So the Brookhart bill is emascu- lated of the two “steps-up” salary or wage for the lesser-pald Federal em- ployes for two years, while the higher- up Federal employes have had their in- creases of $1,000, $800, $500, etc., reg- ularly since July 1, 1928. Justice is blind indeed in this case. Again the Civil Service committee of the House amends the Brookhart bill, to wit: “That the Personnel Classifica- tion Board make allocations by it that are conclusive.” This in the face of the fact that there is now pending in the United States Senate a bill to repeal the law erelun, the “Personnel Classi- fication Board.” So under this latter amendment a Secretary's classification of employes of his depariment can be set to one side by the “Personnel Classi- fication Board.” I am wWondering how a Secretary Garrison of Wilson's ad- ministration would accept this dictum. Why has Representative Lehlbach held up the Brookhart bill, 8. 15, from Jan- uary 11, 1930, to June 25, 19302 Is he hoping for a tie-up in conference and ssage of the vl;rooflgrt bill, . E, Taxes in District And in Nebraska To the Editor of The Star: Senator Howell says the people of the District of Columbia do not pay enough taxes. ‘The table in The Star of Tuesda discloses that the little old District of Columbia pays over $17,000,000 of Fed- eral taxes and the great State of Ne- braska pays about $6,000,000. It has two Senators and four Representatives, and besides paying salaries to these Congressmen and their relatives who hold Government jobs over $1,000,000 is refunded to this State. JNO. T. MEANY, ————— Garbage Collections to Be Only Tri-Weekly To the Editor of The Star: May I call your attention to a new ruling of so-called economy issued by the issioners, that the collection of garbage this Summer is to be changed from dally collection to three times a week. In this intense heat this, it seems to me, is a direct menace to public health. No doubt this drastic economy has been forced on us by the attitude of Mr, Simmons. Why should the daily collection of garbage in this city, during this heat of Summer, be suspended for a tri-weekly service? How much typhold and other sickness will result? ALBERT J. OSGOOD. R Golden Gate Bridge Effect in Question From the Los Angeles Times. An editorial writer comments on_the new bridge projected across the Giolden Gate at San Francisco and calls it “unlocking the Golden Gate.” The question arises, will the bridge unlock, or lock, the famous gate? As a commerc enterprise, the project has tremendous possibilities. It would open up the west end of San Francisco and_the territory immediately north of it. It would probably reduce the rail time between the Bay City and Seattle by an hour. It would afford an automobile outlet to the north which motorists will greatly appreciate. According to proposals now under consideration, the bridge would have plers 700 feet high and at least one of them sunk 80 feet below the waterline. The floor of the bridge would be 225 feet above the channel and between plers there would be a clear span of probably 4,200 feet. The longest suspension bridge hereto- fore designed is now being built over the Hudson at New York, which will measure 3,500 feet. This infturn is al- most twice as long as the next longest span. The bridge across the Golden Gate calls for a roadway 100 feet wide. Of this but 30 feet would be in use at first for vehicular traffic. Other engineers are recommending a stronger bridge to carry a roadway 150 feet wide with trolley and steam road tracks below. ‘However, there is a-serious possibility that such a bridge might prove a cork to bottle up the fleet in time of war. few torpedoes from the air would sink the span beneath the water and effectually close the bay for exit to fight. The gateway is not too wide as it is. A fighting force needs the possi- bilities of the open sea. A bridge may mean a lock on the Golden Gate! A harbor may be too ‘This may one reason why the Navy on the Pacific Coast. v Y | appear BY FREDERIC of the most intelligent people in the world—American newspaper readers. It is & part of that best purpose of a newspaper—service, There is no charge except 2 cents in coin or stamps for return postage. Address Frederic J. Haskin, director, The Evening Star In- formation Bureau, Washington, D. C. — Q. In traveling by airplane, how much be taken without addition: Does the company contract to deliver the person at the DIIPN _xt_o which the ticket is purchased? \ A. Various companies may have va- rious . _The Cleveland- Pittsburgh-Washington Alr Line trans- ports 30 pounds of personal beggage per passenger without charge. It does | pody not contract to deliver the person at destination. If prevented from doing 50, & suitable proportion bf purchase price of ticket is refunded. Q. How old is Chester Morris?—J. J. A. He is 28 years old, 5 feet § inches tall nnd.vmnu 150 pounds. 2 Q. Has the heath hen been exter- | minated in this country?—M. E. D. A. There is but a lone survivor of this species. One male bird is s\l liv- ing in Marthas Vineyard Island Q. Was Tex Rickard particularly in- terested in the new Garden?—W. J. 8. A. From the time he came to New York until the new n Square en was completed and operating in ard 1925, lace as a monument to his achievement. Years before it was real- ized, or even considered more than a dream, Rickard pored over the plans. It took years for him to convince his financial backers and partners that it was worth while. His slogan when he first undertook to promote the game in New York was, “A seat for every cus- tomer and every er in his Q. Please publish Chief Justice White's will.—C. A. 8. A. This will contdined but 51 words. It reads: “This is my last will. I give, bequeath and devise to my wife, Leita M. White, in complete and perfect own- ership all my rights and property of every kind and nature, whether' real personal or mixed, wherever situated, Ippolnflngohfl' executrix of my estate ‘t;‘lthouft nd and giving her seisin ereof.” Q. What is the John Simon Guggen- heim Memorial Foundation?—F. C. A. It was established by former United ‘States Senator and Mrs. Gug- nheim for research in any fleld of Wl and for creative work in any of the fine arts, including music. inhlt part of the diet is water?— A. About 60 fi' cent of the aves diet is water, e body itself is e up of about three-fourths water and one-fourth solid matter. Q. Must a registeréd letter bear the name of the sender?—M. J. B. A. A registered letter is not accepted by the post office unless the return card appears on the envelope. Q. Did Washington and Jefferson own slaves?—O. W. C. A. Both George Washington and ‘Thomas Jefferson owned slaves and both in their wills left provision for their freedom and for their care and maintenance where were unable to take advantage of ti freedom, also Diplomacy and R ; Mingled in Sackett Tncident Discussion of the cost of electricity and rates to the consumer has been in- itiated by the speech that was made by Ambassador Frederio M. Sackett at Ber- lin during the “American hour” of the World Power Conference. It is agreed that the matter would have attracted little attention if Samuel Insull had not objected to Mr. Sackett’s statement that he knew of “no other manufac- |in turing industry where the sale price of the product to the great mass of con- sumers is 15 times the actual cost of production.” The protest was made in connection with the distribution of ad- vance copies of the h. Two issues in the resulting criticisms. Should an ambassador in speech abroad appear as a critic of an indus- try, even though he has been active as & private citizen in that line of pro- duction? Should a private citizen pro- pose censorship of an envoy's speech except through the State Department? “True, the diplomatic representative of a great nation,” according to the Kal Gazette, “must guard Ris speech with care. He cannot afford, to talk impulsively or to make statements which are likely to give undue offense. But if an ambassador's public utter- ances require any censorship, the State Department is quite able to provide all that is necessary, Surely a private cit- izen, however prominent or influential he may be, need not feel called upon to tell a public servant what and what not to say.” * ok kR “Had Insull confined himself to a warning that the Ambassador’s inten- tions and words would be misinter- reted,” the 8 1d (Mass.) nion, “he would have been right. It is doubtful if the Ambassador, who knows the power business because for- merly connected with it, had any in‘ tention of implying more than that the costs of distribution were too high rel- atively to the cost of production. His further statement that the wide dis- crepancy between the cost of produc- tion at the generating plant and the cost of distribution in distant places of business and residences ‘gives a wide fleld for the study of the distribution " indicates that the thought in his mind was that further reduction of the costs of power must come mainly through reduction in the actual costs of distribution. Any other interpretation of the Ambassador's intentions would mm an ignorance of what he was tall about, and that is hardly con- ceivable. ware' it a true m::“mlnu that power companies are generally over- charging for distribution, it would fol- low that municipal g'l:nu are doing the same thing, for after making allow- ance for immunity from taxes and other chawges, there is little, if any, difieience between the costs of distribution under municipal and private ownership.” The contention that “any American who takes exception to the official ac- tions of the di) mmnnuuvu of the United States 1is at liberty to up the matter with the State Department” is upheld by the Detroit Free Press, while the Memphis Com- offers the comment: “Ambassador Sackett may or may not have been correct in his statement. He may or may not have been pall judicious in making it. But neither of these things is the question that wil interest the average American. That question is—to whom must our diplo- mats report?” * k% X ‘The incident is called “peculiar” :‘y iny the South Bend Tribune on account “Ambassador Sackett's fallure to ex- plain why he presented himself as an authority on American rates at a time vhcnm taste demanded that he re- frain discussion a controversial manner. concludes that “he evidently over- 8 his in eriticizing On the Evening Sackett “was h.l::l: dison Square | Rickard envisioned this modern ing 1| faucet. J. HASKI muiofmummauhh at large, Q. How long should & person stay in the water, when swimming at & Sum- mer resort?—T. M. , A. The Public Health that there is certainly little to be gained from a health viewpoint by loll- | ing in the water for several hours at & time. To obtain the beneficial effects of a.awim, one should not remain in the water longer than 30 minutes at ::)o:r'&pgign hott Teet". emmhdunl ate sl ess the swimmer is unduly the vigorous exerc rncuu of “drying off, 1y atmosphere, 1s one to be condemned because of the possible chilling of the body. It is much better to enter the water several times daily, taking a brisk rub after each swim and ch into dry clothes, instead of allowing the clotl to dry on the as some do at the Q. Does the Pope annul or dissolve & marriage?—E. B. L A. The Pope of Rame personally does not annul or dissolve a ma . When there is petition for the anni s m in the Roman Catholic Church or in which a Roman Catholic is involved on the ground of fraud, want of age, want of consent, or other ' valid reason, the matter is considered by the Rota, & supreme council of the its findings and the Pope makes a dec- 'll;mm in accordance with such find- | ings, Q. Does an_automobile have much I;IOPNQ power with the cut-out open?— 'A. The Bureau of Standards says the power is slightly increased by open- the cut-out on an automobile, but at ordinary speeds there is very little gain, Q. If Betelgeuze were in our solar system, how much larger than our sun would it be?—N. O. y all the space A. would oceu within the orbit of the planet Mars. Q. What ship lines their boats' with names ending in nd “le"?7— j chor liners bear C.D. A. All Canard while White Star names ending in liners end in “ic.” Q. What Prench holiday in July com- 'bares with our 4th—P. 1’ A. July 14 is the French holiday ;:nomm"'mor’ ‘ating the fall of the Bastille Q. Is it true that s monkey cannot swim?—H. C. A. Monkeys can swim, but water is distasteful to them. * Q. Do as many Canadians cross to the United States in a year as Ameri- cans going to Canada?—R. T. , in proportion to the re- pulations of the two coun- her "cel f Canadians T S & st AVes now placed so they are not afieuy east e, e e teries m e located 80 that they conform o the :&r leading through the cemetery, e than to a certain point of the compass. Q. What is an Oregon boot?—N. F. A. nu-kmdon.h‘;cu-unalurr criminals. . Who_fin: N ""?"fi gir‘mud the Byrd expedi. . e tion to B Enalh Bn S a ciety contributed $50,000. g it Power Rates tries, & come to are so many pe Publicity results of the protest, ing the matter to public ‘-’mm unusual force, notwithstanding vendeavor to sidetrack criticism of industry,” though it thinks that “Mr. Insull was not ering in the public duty of an Ambassador, since Mr. Sackett had not been instructed by his Government to make the speech.” The Madison. Wisconsin State Journal at- tests “the influence the Sackett speech will have upon the public,” and the Lit- tle Rock Arkansas Democrat, holding that Mr. Sackett was “merely issuing a {rld!nd'lly arning ':7 :Ii”t electric power ndustry,” sugg at this incident “became flnt.-ng news.” * oK ok Approval of Mr. Sackeit's course in repelling criticism is given by the Chat- tanooga News and the Rochester Admission that the sub- Ject is controversial, combined with de- fense of the right of the Ambassador, is made by the Charleston Daily Mail, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Lynchburg Advance. The Akron Bea. con Journal condemns “a pretty sorry performance” The Columbus Ohio State Journal avers that “Ambassador Sackett touched on a live subject” and that “ duced rate is belleved to be possibl The Green Bay Press-Ga- zette calls the address “a challenge to our public utility kings,” a position with which the Morgantown Dominion- Ne’;u 11! lln ent. eviewing the entire subject, 3 New York Times disagr s P bassador Sackett, asserting that “his 15-to-1 indictment has produced and‘ distributed 100 times as much public attention as would ’uvo been aroused by a quietly phr: general suggestion that the costs of electricity to the con- sumer may be too high. "Like a once famous assertion about the ease with w fent management on the raliroads could save a million dollars a day, Mr. Backett's calculated indis- cretion will stir debate on a subject that needs it,” adds the Times, which also says as to vigorous responses that have come as a result of his discussion: “He wanted to know why the consumer of electric power is sometimes charged as much as 15 times the cost of pro- duction, He is now being informed that there are many instances in the world of goods and services where the cost of distribution 1is unavoidal many times cost of ‘where, indeed, tribution nant & factor as really to production. Mr. Sackett is asked consider the virtual absence of cost of roduction in the case of water back the hills and lakes, and its sensible cost when distributed from il Seahues & cost of American urban tribution cost of that subject in | indignant citizen who r.” The Tribune e £t g 'm stockholder in these Roman Catholic Church, which declares * wer properties th pgovnh terests.” '