Evening Star Newspaper, July 23, 1930, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Editien. WASHINGTON, D. C. the computation of percen on investment. It involves the waste and duplication resulting from the op- eration of two competing street car u-’m' which has resulted in a majority of 31,000 in a total vote of more than 210,000, the largest ever polled in a special elec- * WEDNESDAY.....July 23, 1930|lines, these expenditures tending to in- ! tion. THEODORE W. NOYES. .. -Editor The Evening Star Nt per Company oy TIPS ork Office: 110 East & " e: Lake Michigan Builaihs. ropean Office 14 Regent St.. London. Englan The Sunday 8t Collection ‘made at the en ‘er cop: ach mortn, ters may be sent in by mail or telephone [Ational 5000 Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Maryland and Virginia. ilv and Sunday w.gg 1 mo., 85¢ i 8o ¥ oy o : E.‘:'uu“"amy 1 mo.. 4o All Other States and Ca fly and Sunday..l yr. $12.00; $1.00 ily only ..., e §400: 1 mou “ige nday only .00: 1 moss Member of the in_ this nd_also Published herein. All right special dispatches herein a: -_— e Defense and Peace. With that tenseness of precise ex- Ppression which distinguishes his public utterances, President Hoover's final word on the naval treaty goes straight to its point. “It will securc the full de- fense of the United States,” he says, *“and it will mark a further long step toward lifting the burden of militarism from the backs of mankind and speed the march forward of world peace.” | To epitomize the plan and purpose of | the London pact more graphically is ! not easy. Mr, Hoover's farewell address on the treaty opens with a paean of “satisfac- tion” that it received “at all stepd the tunited support of both our political parties.” Later in the day, for the bene- At of the inevitable and inescapable “talkies,” in the east room of the White House, the President spoke again of the “spirit of non-partisanship,” in which the treaty was negotiated at London and ratified in the Senate. That was a deserved tribute to Senator Robinson of Arkansas, the Democratic member of the American delegation at the confer- ence, and to Senator Swanson of Vir- ginia, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Naval Affairs Committees, who delivered the' principal Senate speech in favor of rati- ‘fication. No less a tribute does Mr. Hoover intend to pay to the eighteen Democrats—out of twenty, present and yoting—who supported the pact. The whole proceeding is a welcome portent that, now &nd then, politics is ad- fourned at the seafront and that we are capable, as a Nation, of thinking beyond the twelve-mile limit. Perhaps the most striking passage in the presidential treaty manifesto is the reference to “imperialism.” “We should, by this act of willingness to _ join with others in limiting armament,” Mr. Hoover points out, “have dismissed from the mind of the world any notion Also reserved. | 7| add to the convenience of the pas- crease operating cost and Teduce re- turns. It involves the question of why the public, which owns the streets, should be called upon to bolster the returns not only of the ecompany that ; happens to be losing patronage, but must also add @ the returns of the company thai §s gaining revenue. It involves the guestion of convenience to patrons and the added cost to passen- gers for a transfer from one line to another when by rights they should be called upon to pay for merely one con- tinuous ride. The Public Utilities Commission should proceed with revaluation, not | &5 & move directed toward setting aside | the new fares necessarily, but as a | common sense thing to do. There should be & generally accepted rate base for the two lines. Next, it should examine carefully the various rerout- |ing proposals that were brought up during the fare hearings, and discover whether changes can be made that will | sengers. At the same time, it should {examine thoroughly the schedules of | the companies, and order better serv- ice during the rush hours. Finally, it should be prepared to push the merg- er proposal at the next session of Con- gress, and write that merger proposal from the ground up on the theory that the car riders are to be made the bene- ficiaries. The companies, as the records show, are pretty well able to take care of themselve: 3 o A “Wet” Straw. lowa Democrats meeting’ in State convention at Des Moines have taken a fling at national prohibition. They have proposed that there be State reg- ulation of the sale of liquor and a new definition of intoxicating beverages. In the latter, the prohibitionists naturally will smell a light wines and beer pro- posal. The Democrats of Iowa, like the Democrats of many other Western States where prohibition sentiment is reputed to be strong, supported Alfred E. Smith of New York, a wet, for the presidential nominati6n in 1928. After he was nominated they were helpless to do anything to bring about his election. The action now taken by the Democrats of Jowa, which can only be regarded as an attack on national prohibition, would lead to the belief that Iowa Democrats in 1932 may be willing to support some other wet, or even Mr. Smith himseif, for the presidential nomination, At the next Democratic National Convention, wherever it may be held, and there is a strong suspicion that it may go to Kansas City, Mo, the Democrats must nominate a wet or a dry for President. It is rather early to make any prediction which way the nomination will go. Perhaps it may be possible to find a candidate who suits both the wets and the drys suf- ficlently to win the support of both factions of the party, some one with strong enough personality to bring that the United States entertains ideas of aggression, imperial power or ex- ploitation of foreign nations.” An Un- - cle Sam bent on marauding his way through this or the other hemisphere does not voluntarily shackle his power for domination. That is not the way .. eonquerors, subjugators or international . bullies would go about it. It is the way pursued by a people and & government Wwhich want peace, with defense. That path the United States, the world now knows, is the only one we are determined to tread. o It is not given to many of us to #ow, like King Carol, a perfectly mag- . Aificent crop of wild oats and then to be feted, patied on the back and lauded for good judgment and diplomacy. It s hoped that he will prove worthy, not only of his forgiving country, but of the fine lad he so suddenly displaced. Revaluation and Fares. The Public Utilities Commission Must make up its mind soon on re- valuing the car lines. In his decision " on the rate case, Justice Bailey gave what might be interpreted as a pretty broad hint that revaluation should be ordered. “If the comniission should order a revaluation,” he said, “as it © unquestionably has the power to do, it would have the power also to pass upon the reasonableness of the rate of fare other issues to the fore and keep pro- hibition in the background. Admittedly, however, with sentiment running strongly both wet and dry in this country that would be a difficult task. ‘The dry Democrats of the South, if present indications are correct, will re- sist stoutly any effort to place a “wet” at the head of the national ticket in 1932. They acquiesced in the plan to nominate Gov. Smith in 1928, though with misgivings. His failure to carry four States of the “solid South” shook the Democracy of that section of the country from stem to stern. The Southern Democrats are not anxious to have any of the States of their part of the country get the habit of going Re- publican in presidential elections. They have regained, if they ever lost it, full control in the States of the South which went for President Hoover two years ago. But if the same States should vote against a wet Democratic | nominee and for Mr, Hoover two years hence, it might be increasingly difficult to swing the voters back into. line in 1934 and in 1936. The action taken by the Iowa State Convention in regard to the wet and dry question is a straw which shows which way the wind is likely to blow in 1932, There has been much talk of the arid and agricultural South hooking up with the arid and agricultural ‘West in Democratic politics. But it fixed by this court, in view of the new valtes fixed by such revaluation.” ‘The commission, by all means, #hould proceed with a rovaluation of the car lines. The valuations upon which the new fares have been based have not been accepted by the Public Utilities Commission. The matter was held in abeyance while the car com- panies tried their luck in the courts. Now that the court has spoken, there is 8o further use in delay. Revaluation, however, should not be regarded by the interested public as a sure method of reducing street car fares. A new valuation, even if it lopped off several millions, would not necessarily mean that a reduction in fares would follow. If 87 per ¢gut of the street car passengers buy tokens under the rates of fare effective today, the Washington Railway & Electric Co. has est‘mated that its rate of return will be 6.25 per cent on & valuation of $19,200,000. If 80 per cent of the patrons buy tokens the return will drop to 6.04, and it 85 per cent buy tokens it will be around 8.40 for the W. R. & E. and 4.88 per cent for the Capital Traction Co. In the celebrated United Rallways case, the United States Supreme Court held that “in the light of recent deci- stons of this court and other Federal decisions, it is not certain tha: rates securing a return of 71 per cent or even 8 per cent on the valus of the property would not be necessary to avoid confiscation,” and in the same opinion it was held that a return of 6.26 per cent “is clearly inadequate,” in #0 far as that return applied to the United Rallways & Electric Co. of Waltimore. If the valuation of the two car lines is exorbitant, and under it a return for one of something over 6 per cent begins to look as though the West, [ 80 far as the Democrats are concerned, is not 8o arid after all. However, as long as the two-thirds rule of neminat- ing presidential candidates holds in the Democratic national conventions, the South is likely to hold a veto power over nominations. Much is going to depend, so far as the wet and dry question in politics is concerned, upon the results of the con- gressional elections this Fall and upon the results of a number of the primary A sinister happening marked the end of election day in Detroit. Gerald Buckley, announcer for a local radio | station, who had conducted a forum ‘on the recall campdign and had him- self vigorously taken part as a cam- paigner against Mayor , Bowles, was shot to death in a hotel lobby by three gunmen, who fired many bullets into his body and then fled without recognition. Buckley, it seems, had been threatened in the course of the campaign. The ¢coincidence of his murder with the announcement of an adverse majority against the mayor, whom he had stoutly fought in the recall canvass, must in- escapably react strongly against Bowles in the later election, even though there may not be the slightest ground for suspecting him of complicity in or knowledge of the crime. Detroit has been lately developing a gang condition similar to that which has existed in Chicago. Racketeering has been in evidence, gangsters have been slain by rivals, the city, indeed, has been in a state of terror for some months, and the dismissal of the chief of police, who seemed determined to en- force the laws, has caused a deep re- action of resentment against the ad- ministration. e Ttaly’'s Disaster. Italy has agaln suffered ‘severely from the natural forces of disruption. Three earth shocks in the southern por- tion of the peninsula have taken a heavy toll of lives, at least one hundred dead being already reported, with many h\gdreds of injuries. The death toll m mount to a much higher figure. Accounts of the disaster are incomplete owing to the severing of all communica- tions and the difficulty of surveying the situation. Relief expeditions have gone south from Naples, itself severely in- Jured by the quakes, with a sad roll of victims, From time immemorial Italy has been the scene of such catastrophes. Earth- quakes and volcanic eruptions have taken tremendous toll. Vesuvius has in the course of twenty centuries scored its victims by the hundreds of thou- sands. Etna, on the island of Sicily, has added terribly to the total. Quakes without the accompaniment of eruptions have spread a network of ruin through- out the land. In frequent cycles these disturbances come, and, familiar though they become, they are always terrifying. In this latest visitation, which occurred at night, the people were thrown into panic by the falling of walls and the cutting off of all lights. Rellef measures are always promptly instituted in Italy whenever the earth quakes. Within a few hours from the first shock of this' latest visitation equipment for the succor of the injured and the care of the homeless was on its way into the stricken regions. In pre- vious disasters where the toll of death and destruction has been exceptionally heavy, financial and material aid has been sent from this country. If the present catastrophe proves to have been of & magnitude calling for such assist- ance, it will undoubtedly be forthcoming upon the first sound of & call for help. ———ate. Lathers on new Government build- ings return happlly to work, having| won an increase of from $12 to $13 per day. The old simile, “As thin as a lath,” will soon have as a concomitant saying, “As plump as a lather.” B 1If Hungary does decide to have a king | again instead of an admiral-regent, at least young Otto will not have the ©Old Man racing back unexpectedly to push him off the dock. —_————— One-eyed Connclly crashes the gate and the one-eyed auto crashes innocent oncomers. et SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Landmarks, Now, s I look the landscape o'er, ‘There comes unto my gaze The spots I knew so well of yore, In distant wintry days. Here where the stately rosebush stands, In Summer's ruthless glow, With chilly feet and weary hands, T used to shovel snow. And where the dandelion smiles, Beneath the balmy spell That's woven by each breeze's wiles— ‘That's where 1 slipped and fell. To songs of other days, I vow, I listen all unmoved. ‘The days that we are getting now Are much to be approved. A Comfort, “I have a watch that keeps perfect time,” said the man who boasts. “That's nothing,” answered the man elections. If the wets should show real gains In these elections, one of the major political parties may yet perk up sufficlent courage to take the wet side nationally. If it does not go as far as that, it may demand some modification. BT “Italy and France continue to glare at each other over the Alps,” correspond- ents tell us. The Alps have been glared over before, and it might be well for Signor Mussolini to remember that |1t has aimost aiways been Italy that got burnt. e S — Detroit’s Recall Election. For the first time a large American city has “recalled” its municipal ex- ecutive. Elected mayor of Detroit in November by a small majority after a bitter campaign, Charles Bowles, reform candidate, is now by a majority of nearly 31,000 recalled from his office. By a pecullar provision of the law he he will remain as the municipal execu- tive for thirty days and will then be automatically & candidate at a special election. 1If defeated, he will, of course, leave the office and the successful candidate will take charge. Mayor Bowles entered office with the support of all the reform elements, but he immediately alienated them by or- who is never outdone. “I have a ther- mometer which always registers 10 de- grees less than the actual temperature.” Whitewash. “One of the greatest purifiers,” sald the careful housekeeper, “is white- wash. “Yes,” answered the cynic, “it is good for anything from a damp cellar to a tainted bank account.” The man who comes by trick and stealth To riches won too quick, May find that microbes in his wealth ©One day will make him sick. What Did It. “How did Bliggins come to be pros- trated by the heat?” “Overexcitement. He got into an argument about the best way to keep cool in hot weather.” A Varying Impression. “Do you believe in that theory that the earth is falling into the sun?” “Sometimes,” answered the unscien- tific man, I believe it in the Summer In the Winter I forget about it.” ‘Would Help Some. A man with a college degree and = return for the ofher of something | ganizing his administration in a man-| Was as happy as happy could be. Jess than 5 per cent is received, it 18 100 much to belleve that a reduced value, as found by the Public Utilities Com- mission, would in turn increase the ner to indicate favor to the gamblers and other factgrs of social life in the twilight zone of the law, Feeling against him grew steadily until & few Tate of return beyond what the Supreme | weeks ago, when on his return from & Court has declared is the measure of | trip he dismissed the commissioner of [ see how thick temptations is in dis 4 *just’ compensation.” % aBut the street car situ; in Wash- a series of raids on gambling establish- coaxed an’ tended ton involves somethin than ments and other illegal resorts. This can’t hol' down & police, who had, In his absence, started “But," said he, “'twould be neater And rather completer, Tf the letters wound up ‘C. O. D. “IUs terrible,” sald Uncle Eben, “to Beans an' ‘taters has to be bujigou jes natchelly teh.” worl’, action precipitated the recall movement, | - | We shall gladly confess it, THIS AND THAT BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. May we suggest test for mothers, as a variation of the peciall Tt Javentls m‘;’uo:; ally among the juven a Mlylrll'lknovuflllllbtwd- new idea, but almost any neighborhood could put on a snapp” contest, one, which would bs to tb. credit of both| mothers and children. | ‘The feminine volce, when m'ovrrly" attuned to the act—or should it be deed?—of calling Johnny, Mary, or Jane, takes on a peculiar vibrant prop- erty. There is no other sound in nature exactly like the call of your average _mother to her young hopefuls as they . play loose in the neighborhood. It must be high pitched, to carry to the farthest roam! limits of the urchins, and it must be vibrant, to be | able to hop over the tops of houses. Sounds may not exactly hop, as it were, but perhaps that best describes the flexible quality of mother's voice as it issues forth on the clear though hot air of evanlng.. A * “Johnie-e-e-e-e-e!" Every mother has a trick of her own in prolonging one or the other of the syllables of the child’s name. Most often it is the last. The variations which women can give to their little ones’ first names are marvelous. Some rather cheat upon their com- petitors by prefixing the standard syl- lable “aw” to the sound which apprises the roaming youngster that dinner. is read, goes ringing over the tree tops. Just why the exclamation “aw,” & curiosity in itself, should be put to-the name, is somewhat of a mystery. “Aw” has no good standing, either in dictionalies or in these high-brow books which attempt to elucidate dic- tlonaries. Yet there is no other term, unless it be “er,” lemare used by English-speak- s, " and “er” many & man or ‘woman ts by,” as another curious expression has it, without either answer- ing questions or giving any precise in- formation when they do speak. In connection with the calling of children, the syllable “aw” seems to be & confession on the part of the mother that she is perhaps & bit reticent about thus appearing in public. Her “aw” is a public confession, as it were, that she regards her loud voice scarcely justifiable, necessary. She uses “aw” as a sort of spring- ing board for the projection of s tlingly clear voice through space. From it she leaps at once into a mighty roar of “Mary!” or “Margaret!” or “Blll-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!” x Kk * X An appropriate child-calling contest might be put on best at one of two important times, dinner or bed. Since this is a mother’s contest, it may be stated with some conviction that dinner time is the best time, for the average mother is intent that her young n:g:}uh" (full of the negative “nope") 1 eat plentifully ow dinner. ‘We believe the average mother is mistaken in her determination to make children eat. We believe that they would eat, if they were hungry and needed the food, but we are aware that some medical men disagree on this point, so we will say no more about it. ‘The interest of the child in the call really has little, if anything, to do with it. Its “response,” as the psychologists * WASHIN ly. w, Janie-e-e-e-el” | although highly | say, is almost negative to both the call for dinner and the call for bed. Sheer animal instinct, however, forces it to give an adherence, although an unwilling one, to the craving for food. Perhaps 5 minutes, at most 10, may be given to dinner by the average juve- nile intent on the supreme duty of roll- ing around on wheels just a little bit Ignger, please. *x k% The call to bed is more reserved, slightly modified, whereas the call to dinner is issued with infinite determi- nation, which seems to say, as it does say: “Johnie-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, if you don't come home at once and eat this nice spinach, which I have .prepared for you, you will never grow up to be Presi- dent of the United States, and thus enjoy the felicity of having everything which goes wrong in the country bhll:l‘ed upon you, Johnie-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e. Not even the most expert judge, in which class we place ourself, of course, could tell by looking at them which. ther had the best chance of winning ::o the first international child-calling contest. Often_frail-looking women make the best yellers, if so necessary an appeal may be called a “yell,” and large, robust females cannot be heard across the street. The lady who would take the booby prize in the contest would be the ultra- dignified caller, who feels that she must call, but would rather not. See her stand on the front steps, determination in her eye, yet some- thing freezing her throat. ~First she thinks that perhaps” she had better walk around the block, but it is & hot night, and Jimmy may not be around there, after all. How she wishes James would not play with that Smith boy. He is rough, and uses bad language, something which Jamie- -e-e-e-¢ never does. 1f she calls, perhaps he will hear her. She calls; but it is pitifully weak. She will win ‘no prize in this contest, one may predict. * ok ok k ‘We select for winner of thé grand prize a certain athletic lady whom we have not seen for many months, but whose clear, champlon-like voice still rings in our ears. . ‘This lady was the fortunate pos- ssor of a child whose nftkname was, e will Dee. It was that sort of name, one syllable, and that containing the most used vowel in the English anguage. This fact alone would give this mother a definite handicap over mothers whose children wagged around with them names of difficult yelling qualities. Who could scream “Throckmorton” over the tree tops effectively? But “Dee” was a name of another sound. With it deftly placed on the tongue, and then hurled into the clear stillness of a Summer's eve, the woman we have in mind easily bore home the prize, & plate of spinach (poetic Justice). If ever the child-calling contest shall become & reality, and this woman pre- vailed upon to enter, there can be no doubt of the results. We would be wiling to wager that she would win, hands down—that is, voice down—in any fair contest, based u| actual living clgndllloluo with plenty of other noise, ihcluding radios, and adequate voice barriers, such as houses, trees, etc. Not only distance covered, but results, would have to be considered, for no mother could win whose Johnie-e-e-e-e failed to come home, of course. GTON OBSERVATIONS BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. After the treaty, the treaty Navy. ‘Will it ever be built? That is now the question. The pact is permissive, not mandatory. It says “may,” not “must.” Uncle Sam battled for and achieved Rfll‘lty with Britain. Will he take what e got? Among the faithful attendants at the Senate ratification sessions was Miss Jeannette Rankin, former and fa- mous anti-war member of the House of Representatives from Montana, Miss Rankin is now a fleld marshal at head- uarters of the National Council - for revention of War in Washington— spearhead of the Ams n pacifist movement. She is outspokenly opposed to building a parity fleet. Presumably she interprets the views of her organi- zation, which during the past three or four years has systematically and suc- cessfully fought naval legislation, The “Libbyites” led the congressional drive that smeshed the celebrated Coolidge~ Wilbur 71-ship program of 1927-28. I they clear for action against a treaty Navy with the skill which marked their triumph on that occasion, the friends of preparedness are in for a fight. Anti- treaty admirals who told Senate com- mittees that tht{ hanker for an Ameri- can fleet capable not only of defend- | ing our shores, but menacing those of other countries, are likely to find them- selves allies of the pacifists ere many moons. € ok % % ‘To this observer have come requests for reproduction of the poetical perora- tion with which Senator Hiram Johnson wound up his passionate plea for rejec- tion of the naval treaty on the eve of }\‘,s ratification July 21. Here it is— ‘the song Gelett Burgess sang long ago for the cause—the United States of America,” as Johnson dubbed it: Here's to the feeds Here's to Lhel cl:luae. and the soul that t! e cause, and the blood that | 5) Coward or hero, or bigot or sage, All shall take pert in the war that we wage; And though 'neath our banners range contrary manners, shall we pick, shall we choose ‘twixt the false and the true? Not for us to deny them, let the cause take and try them—the-one man for us is the man who can do! Here‘l‘l]o "‘le cause, let who will get the ory Here's 3 tzxe cause, and a fig for the s ry! The braggarts may tell it who serve but for fame; ‘There'll be more than enough that will die for the name! And though in some eddy our vessels | unsteady be stranded and wrecked ere the victory's won, Let the current sweep by us. O death, come and try ust What if lag- gards win praise if the cause shall g0 on? Here's to the clusy. and the years that ave ! Here‘tlmuzhe cause—it will triumph at ast! The end shall {llumine the hearts that have braved All the years and the fears that the cause might be saved, And though what we hoped for and darkly have groped for, come not in the manner we prayed that it should, nd the cause, may God bless it, shall find us all worthy who did what we could! ) A By a curious kink or oversight of some kind, the closing session of the Senate set in without the customary opening prayer by the chaplain, It caused Senator Vandenberg, Republican munl guard, of Michigan, to recall w Vice President “Tom” Marshall ende&: session in which the Indianian had n_pretty roughly handled from the chamber floor. “I do now declare the Senate adjourned sine Deus (with- out God),” sald Marshall, instead of the statutory ‘“sine die” (without a day being appointed). *x ok % Wet leaders (especially of the fairer sex) rejoice at the backsliding of one of the country’s best-known Demo- cratic woman politiclans, Mrs. Izetta Jewell Miller (formerly Brown) of West | and Reconstruction Period,” Virginia. Once an actress in “stock” at WMI*W id figure dur xa ‘Wilson tions, Mrs. Miller has just publicly de- clared that she no ionger supports pro- hibition. Speaking at the Church of the Universal Design at New York, on whose board of lectureship Mrs. Miller now serves, she said: ‘“Prohibition as & means to attain temperance is & criminal disregard of human nature. Years ago I was an earnest worker for it. I believed in it with all my heart. As the years passed I saw the law flagrantly broken by those in places of high authority, who were supposed to be enforcing it. I began to realize something was decidedly wrong with the method. The ‘consent of the gov- erned’ must be won to the understand- ing and desire for temperance.” o B ‘When J. Theodore Marriner, chief of the Western European division at the State Department, starts for London to deposit our document of ratification of the Naval treaty at No. 10 Downing street, he can take with him, if he de- sires, an interesting souvenir. It's just been presented by colleagues of the division in token of Marriner’s services at the London Conference. He was chief diplomatic adviser of the American delegation. The gift is an old-time grog container, which once did duty on & British man-of-war. A magnificent bit of hammered copper, emblazoned with nautical symbols, the container is of sprinkling-can dimensions and has un- mistakable utilitarian value. Jyst what sinister significance attaches to the pres- entation of such a trophy to the only Marriner in the State Department has not been disclosed, for he rates as an abstemious person ST Senator Lee S, Overman, Democrat, of North Carolina, has hung up & brand- new radio record—that of the only Senator of the United States ever de- liberately cut-off in the midst of & | broadcast. It was accidental and un- avoidable, and the father of the Senate took it with smiling composure. Over~ man was dedicating a new North Caro- lina station. He'd been assigned five minutes. After he'd been indulging in a Tar Heel rhapsody for seven min=~ utes, that unseen hand which shapes all wave-length destinies was required by program necessities to break in and stem the tide of senatorial eloquence. A studio attendant tapped the noble old Roman on the shoulder and explained what’s happened. “Good gracious!" ejaculated rman—and that got on the air, too—"I haven't begun to tell ‘em anything yet!” One of the things e had “told 'em” was that North Caro- Gonstitution ‘wnill 1 inctoded ihe. Bl clu of Rights. She "By ;o “American Food in the World War a 750~ paged, chapter-and-verse record of Her- bert Hoover's activities from 1914 to 1919, is about to come off the press in New York. The publication Is edited, sponsored and publi-hed by the “A. R. A.,” the American Relief As- sociation, which embraces the hundreds of men gnd women who worked under “the Chief” throughout the world dur- ing the five years in question. The :: ume brhl:fil 'll;ll Hglrr& Altogether ere were | to Europe 33,800,0( tons of food. pp'lshc i o volved was $5,200, are little less tl staggering. money represents about nearly half of the whole allied debt to the United States. The book will be avaflable for general acquisition. (Capyright. 19 R ) out Umbrellas? Prom the Bt. Louis Globe-Democrat. ‘Was it conscience or discouragement that lead the St. Louis man to return & raincoat he had stolen? ot Plenty of Experience. From the Daylon Dafly News. Three Communists were arrested in u’:xm;.' where .the natives n';'x-‘.'?r they are perfectly capable eir own revolutionizing, - e gore How Ab !is not a part of the roadway? { | for curbs and gutters put in with money ‘These |as America’s greatest orator and her| Are Liens Lawful for Curbs and Gutters? To the Editor of The Star: . In your issue of April 7, 1930, it was reported that the “front-foot basis” of assessment under the Borland amend- ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ment, applied to lots of irregular shape, | ¥oT received another jolt when the District| will work Court of Appeals on that date declared it A1 even an assessment for I;:“’ to ‘The report further states that W&Iwn ;o‘;:‘nfl‘l.'-l omce"m:ndu e curl separate an: - | tinct from the street, and is neither & part of the sidewalk nor part of the street. . This admission places in an unde- sirable position those District paving officials who have succeeded in getting from Congress large sums of “gasoline tax” money for concrete curbs or con- crete curbs and gutters, and discloses &) lamentable lack of co-ordination be- tween the legal d ent and the engineer department of the District gov=| ernment. An engineer knows that the curb is the finishing edge of the sidewalk; that the roadway is the space between the curbs, indicated by the lower grade and | by width in feet marked on working road maps of the District. - District engineers, therefore, should have instantly realized that the “gaso- line tax” act sets forth in language clear and unmistakable that the proceeds de- rived from the tax on motor vehicle fuels shall be used exclusively for street and road improvement and repair, and have been asked for nor used to install curbs. How may any property owner be as- sessed lawfully for curbs put in with “gasoline tax” money, when it is ad- mitted and well known that the 'xil‘:)m W may he be legally coerced by threats of sale of his property into paying a spe- cial assessment for curb put in with “gasoline tax” money, and thus be forced to become an unwilling party to what he believes is prohibited misuse of & public fund? It is not surprising that many requests have been made recently | for cancellation of special assessments. | When concrete curb and gutter are put in on a macadam street already im- proved, the assessment notice sets forth that the property owner is assessed un- der the act of August 7, 1894, and on the notice is typewritten “Curb and Gutter, D. C. Gasoline Tax,” indicating that the work was done with money from the “gasoline tax” fund. I find nothing in the act of August 7, 1894, | which directs that assessments be levied for curbs and gutters, or for curbs on an improved street, or for gutters on any street. Thus you are assessed and re- quired to pay for concrete curb and gutter without'apparent lawful authori- zation. District of Columbia appropriation acts for several years have distinctly stated that no part of the “gasoline tax” fund shall be used for the improvement of any street or section thereof not specified in said acts. That language was construed to mean that streets must | be named. Not one bf these acts (as |far as I can find) has ever named an improved macadam street for curb and gutter installation. If the streets are not named, the statute appears defec- tive, and the money should not be used until Congress has named the streets in the appropriation acts, 1 find in none cf these District appro- priation acts any authorization to assess from the “gasoline tax” fund. acts authorize assessments only for pav- ing and repaving roadways when such roadways are paved or repaved with funds derived from the tax on motor vehicle fuels. And that s no authoriza- tion. to assess for curbs and gutters, The Star ‘of July 14 and 15, 1930, | there that money from that fund should never | P! Star Information Bureau, Frederic' J. Haskin, director, Washington, D. C. Q. How can & person judge a tennis racket?—D. O. A. Good gut on tennis rackets can be told by its feeling and appearance. It should be flexible and fine rather than course. Ordinarily the strands should be close together rather than wide apart. The wood should be well finished. The frame true and not warped. Better frames are rounded so is less resistance. The racket should be well balanced, so that the hahdle will not be too heavy for the frame, or vice versa. Q. Please give directions for a child’s reading so that his eyes will not be subject to strain?>—B. T. A. The Junior Committee for the Preveition of Blindness advises: Read with & good light falling over the left shoulder; hold the about 14 inches from the eyes; always read with head up; keep bcoks clean, as a soiled ge is hard to read; avoid books printed indistinctly, in small type, or on glossy paper: rest eyes frequently; it eyes ache or there is trouble in see- ing distinctly, have them examined. Q. Who passes on paroles at Leav- enworth? What per cent of paroled prisoners are returned to the institu- tion?—N. E. § A. The parole board is composed of three members, the superintendent of prisons, the warden and the peniten- tiary physician. The board meets to consider paroles three times a year, in January, May and September. Recent figures show that less than 3 per cent of paroled prisoners are returned be- cause of infractions of the terms of parole. Q. Where are there some examples of truss steel bridges?—E. W. M. A. Truss steel bridges, which are bridges constructed with spans made of steel trusses, reinforced with concrete and iron, have been used for some years in this country. Notably, bridges of this construction are two bridges over the Mississippi at La Harpe and at Rockford, Ill, each with a 30-foot span and each built in 1915; a bridge over the Saskatchewan River at Saska- toon, Saskatchewan, with nine arches, including four of 150-foot span, built about 1915, and a bridge over Buffalo Bayou at San Jacinto street, Houston, Tex., built about 1913, with a clear span of 110 feet. Q. Did Chief Justice Taft leave a bequest to Yale?—J. M. S. A. He left a legacy of $10,000 to Yale University. Q. !What service had Mayor Curley rendered Italy for which he was given .Syol;l‘e cspechl honor by Mussolini?— 1 A" An authority says that Mayor Curley of Boston was elevated to th “high position of commander in the Order of the Crown of Italy,” not for any one service rendered, to Italy, but of this people during his lifetime.” This authority says: “He has always been the friend of Italy in times of stress and need, as evidenced, in part, by the ai rendered during the Messina earth- quake, in 1908. He has brought about the establishment of health units in the contains a long official list of thorough- fares along which curbs are to be set and others, on which curbs and gutters fiscal year. Opportunity will be af- forded “property owners at the public hearing on July 30, 1930, to protest against the use of “gasoline tax” funds for curbs and gutters before the work is dome, ‘and thus very effectually pre- vent, if possible, the levying of an assessment against their property. ‘This condition of essment affairs is so sericus a matter and is so wide- spread that it seems to me the District Commissioners, in advance of "the date of hearing, should try to get an author- itative op.nion as to whether “gasoline tax” money may lawfully be used for curbs, when the language of the “gaso- line tax” act clearly requires that such fund shall be used exclusively for street and road improvement and repair. This they should do for the best interests of the District of Columbia, as well as ascertain definitely whether these as- sessment liens placed upon the clear titles of property owners have justifica- tion in unrepealed statute law enacted for the protection of whflc funds. JOSEPH CHEYNEY. ——— Webster’sWordsProposed For Commerce Building To the Editor of The Star: In The Star of July 16 there was an article concerning the impending com- pletion of the new Department of COm-. merce Building in this city and the inscription to be cut into the stone over the central gruon of the bullding, fronting on urteenth street, I pre- sume. 1 respectfully suggest the following extract from Daniel Webster’s speech at Niblo's Saloon, New York, on March 15, 1837, at which gathering Chancellor | Kent presided and introduced Senator Webster, the speaker of the evening: “Looking, gentlemen, over our whole country, comprehending in our survey the Atlantic Coast, with its thick popu- lation, its advanced agriculture, its ex- tended commerce, its manufactures and mechanic arts, its varieties of communication, its wealth and its gen- eral improvements; and looking then to the interior, to the immense tracts of fresh, fertile and cheap lands, bounded by s0 many lakes and watered by so many rivers, let me ask if such a map was ever before presented to the eye of any statesman as the theater for the exercise of his wisdom and patriot- ism. And let me ask, too, if any such man is fit to act & part on such a theater who does not comprehend the whole of it within the scope of his policy and embrace it all as his co%firyi” ggestion f s is my suj on for the inscrip- tion on the new Commerce Building. ‘The following extract from Webster's speech ‘in the Senate on January 31, 1834, on “The Removal of the Deposits From the Bank of the United States,” and entitled “The Natural Hatred of the Poor to the Rich,” is suggested as the inscription to go on the new Labor Department Building in this city: + “Sir, the great interest of this great country, the producing cause of all its prosperity, is labor! Labor! Labor! We are a l-borlnf community. A vast, majority of us all live by industry and actual employment in some of their forms. The Constitution was made to protect this industry, to give it both encouragement and security, but, above ' all, security.” “ 1t is unnecessary to discuss Daniel Webster, His equal~as an orator has! never arisen in this equntry. He stands | greatest statesman in history. In this| writer's opinion, and in the opinion of many persons, Webster was both the greatest American of his time and the ablest since the very beginning of the| Nation's political existence ever to serve | the American people. His addresses a1 person have become monumental, his' words gripping his orations ' a speeches_the supreme political litera- ture of the Nation. From what other learned American could a quotation for inserjption pur- s command the universal assent of are to be .placed during the present| to | seriously considered, but the majority ! would be little dissent from the propo- nd | ponents in the Uniled States have con- d | better the economic con immediate vicinity of densely populated J. BASKIN. !:lu:h as Dr. John A. Ciccone . Luigi P. Verde.” naphtha gas?—H. J. R. A. Caution must be used, since the gas is explosive and is especially dan- gerous in dry climates. To clean a garment with naphtha about one or two quarts of gas should be placed in a container in the open and the gar- ment dipped In the gas. Q Can Blennerhasset Island, the home of Count Blennerhasset, friend of Aaron Burr, still be identified?—H. H. A. A. Blennerhasset Island, in the Ohio River, is still known by the same name and is located 112 miles below Parkers- burg, W. Va. Q. How many comrniu are operat- ing on air routes regularly?>—R. P. A. Thirty-nine companies are now operating regularly. Two hundred and twenty-six communities are now served on 263 regular schedules. Q. What was the value of Alaska last year's crop of fur-beering ani- mals?—T. F. A, Skins of fur-bearing land ani- mals to the number of 297448, valued at $4,513,863.76, were exported in 1929. ‘Thirty-four thousand seal skins were taken on the Pribilof Islands under the supervision of the Department of Com- merce, and netted a gross return of $721,000 to the United States as its part of the proceeds. Q. Who was Lady Hamilton?—D. W. A. Lady Hamilton was the wife of the diplomat, Sir Willitm Hamilton, and was famed both as the favorite of Lord elson, the British naval hero, and as e model of the artist Romney, who painted 30 portraits of her. Q. What is the “load” of electric M. P. C. machinery? . P. C. A. The “load” is the output of or demand upon & machine, usually measured either in terms of current delivered or of power delivered. A “load” may be light, heavy, mormal, full, half excessive, etc. according to the output of the machihe at the time considered. Q. In what year was the first Ken- tucky Derby run at Louisville?—A. J. A." The first one was run in 1875, Q. Has a cartoon ever been trans- mitted by radio?—E. L. P. A. A cartoon for the Asbany Times- Union _depicting the given Maj. Kingsford-Smith on the West Coast was transmitted into radio tones at a short-wave station in Oakland, Calif., and transmitted in 45 minutes to_the facsimile recelving machine in Schenectady, N. Y. Q. Please give a short hlngnmy of thle) x::wn-dmmumwr of ition., "A. Col. Amos W. Woodcock was born h Salisbury, Md., in 1883. He grad- uated from the Wicomico High School and then obf University -of year or 80 he was because he “has been a very dear friend | W. J 3 received an M. A. at Harvard University and in 1914 en- tered into a law. ership with F. W. C Webb at Sall . He served on the Mexican border and in the World War. After the war he was assistant to the State attorney general and in 1922 became United States district ate helor {Italian communities, and thereby ren- dered to them great beneficial service. | He has opened up in these communities and Chatillon, their home overlooking the ‘Wicomico River. Secret Police to Meets With ‘While some see a “serious situation™ revealed by the congressional investi- gation of Communist activities in thi TUnited States, most of the comment in- dicates little fear for American institu- | tions from Moscow's machinations. Some believe that Elihu Root's sug- gested Federal police force for control of red plots and propaganda should be | i | | consider the Federal Government amply equipped as it is. It is pointed out by the Wall Street Journal that “Moscow’s nurture of hatred for Western social structures rises in intensity month by month”; that “this provocation may or may not bring its visible raction here; the least it can do is to govern the official bear- ing of Washington toward the Soviet Union.” The Journal voices the opinion that “the fear in Moscow is that the United States has begun to show the world a more attractive scheme of society than Russian Communism ever can.” “The people of the United States’ according to the Long Beach Press- ‘Telegram, ‘‘are entitled to the truth regarding this serious situation. They have a right to know whether or not their Government actually is a target for Soviet propaganda and intrigue. ** * The facts about Communistic campaiging in America will be wel-| comed.” The Atlanta Constitution advises that “precautions may wisely be taken,” and that “the American Government should adopt wise and workable protection of the people against the malign schemes of foreign ralders upon our system.” * ok % % “Obviously the way to give the Com- munist infection in the United States the treatment it needs is’through the medium_of national police,” according to the Detroit Free Press, which holds that while the offensive “is not at present of any great pi rtions or im- mediately dangerous. it always is a plece of foolhardiness to permit any bad in- 'fection of any sort to lurk unwatched in any body politic.” The Manchester Unian declares that “while, unquestion- ably. there is a present disposition to let the soan-box orators have their say and even allow demonstrations that do | not lead to breaches of the peace, there I sition that the Government ought to be | prepared to cope with really dangerous | plotters.” “Obviously, the Root proposal needs to be most carefully considered when it is legally framed.” remarks the Birm- ingham News. “It needs to be watched intently when it is set in operation. In the meantime, it is well to bear in mind that, even when confronted by the peril of Sovietism, the country will find its surest stay, not in the strom- cloud and whirlwind, but rather in the still small voice of reason and per- suasion—a voice that has a wondrous way not only of solving all domestic and forelgn problems, but ‘also—to re- vive Lowell’s fine phrasing—of ‘lifting mankind to a wider and wiser hu- manity.” " “The average. American workman, and most of the foreign-born,” in the judgment. of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, “are level-headed enough to distrust theories, the national applica- tition of which elsewhere have failed to relieve, if they have not actually added to' human misery, and. whose ex- ry occasion to dition of their followers. The sa-called red menace is principally a police problem. It is to be curbed, but there is no occasion to 20 into & blue funk over it.” x x ¥ % spicuously falled on eves he people? MARK GIBSON. r—. An Example. from the Indianapolis Star. Mr. Lingle, slain newspapef reporter of Chicago, evidently never read Wash- ington's message about entangling ances. ‘ere this like some of the other na- ' contehds the Schenectady Ga- reason (o fear nda. It has ertain types in i LR a e vel o lands with fertile soil. Hunt Reds Little Approva and the Scandinavian States, for in- stance, the situation is far different. These peoples are by nature to any changes of government force. When conditions are not to their satis- faction, they resort to the ballot. And if they are sincere and determined, they have little difficulty in accomplish- ing their purpose.” “The perfect defense against danger- ous radicalism is not suppression, not anger, not lawlessness among law offi- cials, but soclal jutice,” says the Duluth Herald, while the Flint Daily Journal, recording that “it is generally belleved that: the fundamental appeals of Com- munism do not grip the American peo- ple,” yet concedes that “there probably s no great harm in determining the extent to which Communism exists in America.” The Rochester Times-Union advises: “The place where the Root pro- posal will stir most enthusiasm is Moscow. Nothing will delight the Rus- sian leaders more than such activities.” “Coming from one of the stan of Mr. Root.” thinks the Harrisburg Je- graph, “the matter is deserving of more than ordinary thought. But why is so much attention psid to the more or less fruitless plottings and vaporings - of Communistic nobodies while far more potent enemies cf good government are allowed to bore from within with little ;nutr,e than occasional newspaper pro- est?” : * ok ok ok 3 “Whether Communism has become & menace to American institutions, of is little more than a bugaboo,” ts the Chicago Daily News, “is a quest which the Department of Justice and two or_three other departments, such as those presided over by the of Labor and the Postmaster rak always should be able to answer with ample knowledge.” The Buffalo - ning News argues: “If Federal wers are to be extended, Communist activities would better, be made an in- cidental, rather than a main, obj . * * * The same law which enlisted Fed- eral co-operation in the control of T crimes would cover amply the criminal activities of revolutionary plotters who re dangerous only to the :xtent 't their purposes are not understood.” “No doubt it would be just as well,” believes the Chattan Times, *to keep a watchful eve on Communist » tators and to curb their activities. ml there would seem to be no reason why the situation could not be controlled by local authorities. Certainly the &u- thority and power of the Federal Gov- ernment should not be extended bv creating a general Federal police tn harass the people except as & last resort. And in the meantime it is of the utmest importance for those in- authoritv to keep in mind the fact that good. clean government based on the American tra- dition is the best possible safeguard against revolution.” ““There is nn need to magnify the im- portanece of the reds,” declares the Al- banv Evening News, seeing “little nee4 of a new Federal police organization.” ‘The St. Louis Post-Dispatch em; the failure of Russia and asks, “Are we no ionger able to combat error th truth?” The Lvnchburg News - tains that Mr. Root “might point gut that the Federal Government can: do better than create a huge police force to emulate a Mussolini: that it could de- tle serious attention to better- ions, if possible, i e e ;) les ew “may be to dismiss Mr. “"‘l’ plan @s ‘just one more bureau’ or to inquire whether it is not possible | the Department of Justice to whatever detective ability the ist problém requires.” ‘The Herald Tribune also plan with the content alone, Communists New the are impotent.” His California Uncle?" with