Evening Star Newspaper, October 18, 1930, Page 6

THE EVENING STAR o With Sunday Morning Edition. WASHINGTON, D. C. quate arguments in favor of the reten< tion of the kindergarten. The ladies and gentlemen of the Board of Educa- tion have been impressed. Should not BATURDAY.....October 18, 1930/ this procedure rule in all the contem- THEODORE W. NOYES. ...Editor New Difice: 1 ; Lfim..'"" AT R T " Rate by Carrier Within the City. g miu E.EL.’,“"" 45c per month per Company ylvania_Ave. er month Sc per copy plated changes relating to the schools? Is it proper that these changes be de- cided on by “understandings” reached in the closed. committee rooms of Con- gress? Should not the wishes of the taxpayers in every case be consulted, and their wishes at least studied? Other changes in the kindergarten system were brought about by “understand- ings,” but so far the Board of Education has not been made a party to the agreements, It expects to become a th, | party in November, when it ratifies or ach mon! R s el of teitbhons disapproves the kindergarten changes already put into effect. SO NS, Labor and Communism. With the occurrence of communistic demonstrations this week at points as 00 | widely separated as New York, Boston Member of the Associated Press. Associated Pross 1s exclusively entitled %0 the use for republication of all news d redited to it or not otherwise cre: in Sbis paper and aiso the local ne led herein. All rights of publication of dispatches herein are also rererved. —_— Give Them Work. “As a nation, we must prevent hunger and cold to those of our people who are in honest difficulties.” “The key log of the jam is unem- ployment. Give the workers work to do and they will buy.” ‘The above quotations are from two different sources, both dealing with the national problem of unemployment. The first comes from President Hoover's important announcement yesterday of & Federal Board that is immediately to undertake the formulation of a defi- nite program to deal with unemploy- ment. The second is from what might be callld a diagnosis of business troubles pronounced yesterday by the Soclety of Industrial Engineers in ses- sion here, with an accompanying pre- scription. One concerns the human- Htarian, the other the economic, phases of unemployment. President Hoover’s announcement yes- terday of Federal plans in connection with the emergent problem of unem- ployment this Winter naturally recalls the conditions facing the country in 1921, when, as Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Hoover was called into service by President Harding to organize the Fed- eral machinery for unemployment re- lief that year. Then, as now, the view and Oklahoma City there coincided an event not directly connected with them, but, from the standpoint of the coun- try, one of deep significance. While Moscow’s American adherents were staging their ineffectual shows, the American Federation of Labor, in the midst of its biennial convention, re- elected Willlam Green president for a fourth successive term. By the same vote the body which speaks for more than four million or- ganized workers reinstated in office a number of other executives who are associated with Mr. Green in the direc- tion of labor’s great army. It was a striking tribute to the confidence that army has in its sane and sagacious & Nation-wide organization must be created to deal with a Nation-wide emergency. At that time there were from three and a half to five million workers admittedly idle. The latest census figures show that there are now 2,500,000 workers unemployed, this total, however, failing to include the number temporarily “laid off” by industries. ‘The American Federation of Labor puts the total out of work today at 3,700,000, ‘while estimates made by political, rather than economic, experts run the figures a8 high as 6,000,000. ‘With no oceasion to quibble over the unemployment, or the rela- of the situation today, the 2 ; i ¢ | from ‘were asked to manufacture for “stocks,” and to improve and recondition their factories. In the course of a few weeks the effects of the Government's leader- ship were felt. President Hoover's present plans un- A series of conferences of industry at the White him familiar with itions that may be vernment in private business. These are to be followed by others the members of the cabinet will participate. Meanwhile, the or- ganization of municipal, State and Fed- eral employment machinery will go forward, with emphasis placed every- The Federal Government's greatest, and possibly the only practical, form of its assistance lies in offering leadership and facilities for centralizing and mak- ing more effective the many separate forces that can deal with unemploy- ment. The President has set up a mere framework. From it will grow a tremendous organization, extending into every locality, wielding the influence that results from unified purpose ex- pressed along definite lines. ——— A giant coal terminal just completed in Manchuria loads at the rate of 2,400 tons an hour. This dry and torrid spell may not be just the time to refer to it, but a little later on lots of Washingtonians will be convinced they have furnaces of just about that same | #peed. —_———— ‘The refueling of the sun is explained leadership, which includes such sea- soned veterans as Matthew Woll and Frank Morrison. They are “carrying on” in the spirit of Samuel Gompers. ‘The Third Internationale, of which the Soviet government is the political creature, has long earmarked American organized labor as a special object of attack. The solidarity of that phalanx once broken down, Communism con- siders that its program to undermine the existing order in the United States would have relatively smooth sailing. The leaders of the American Federation of Labor are thoroughly alive to that menace. They do not exaggerate its gravity, from the standpoint of any Im- mediate peril to American institutions. But they believe that eternal vigilance is the price of safety for wage-earners in this country as against the “dictator- ship of the proletariat” and other spe- cious panaceas with which Moscow would replace American standards of living and government. President Green has aptly epitomized the role which the American Federation of Labor is enacting in the face of a menace which is none the less real be- cause its objectives are still far beyond the realm of the attainable. “Our mis- sion,” he says, “is to serve as the trumpeter on the wall—to watch and to warn.” It is a highly important role. No other group in the country is so ‘well qualified to fill it. ‘The whole Nation is the federation’s debtor for its determination to keep its keen eye turned In the direction whence danger lurks. Farms in the District. announcement by the Census that the number of farms in Burea ‘The u the District of Columbia has dropped 2 to 106 in the last ten years indicates how steadlly the residential areas of the National Capital are grow- ing out toward the boundary lines. Older residents of Washington, rid- ing about the city today, no doubt can point to thickly settled residential-sec- tions and say: “When I was a boy, this was a farm. I chased rabbits and gathered chestnuts around here.” It was to be expected that the area marked off by Congress for the seat of Government would, with-a normal and healthy growth, expand in the course of time to its outer edges. It is not surprising, therefore, to learn that 98 farms have passed from the horizon in the District in the past decade. Washington is the governmental nerve center of a growing Nation, and as the Nation grows its headquarters on the Potomac is bound to become & busier and more extensive community. It is inevitable, therefore, that the re- strip of farming area on its outskirts will give way gradually to the expansion of the city. Depression declaimers should put on the soft pedal when they think of & place like the little Isle of Man, where the herrings of the Irish Sea are “kip- pered.” A poor take of these silvery 7 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1930. from all positions around shortfield were a model of accuracy and speed. And Joe suddenly became a power at the plate, boosting his lowly average seventy points or more' to better than three hundred and fifty and leading his teammatef at bat. A truly remark- able record! It was a profitable ‘season for the young shortstop from a financial stand- point also and no one begrudges the additional “iron men” that he won by his sterling play. Besides the thou- sand dollars that goes with the award, Joe collected nearly another thousand for .almost single-handedly putting Washington in second place. Added to these was the handsome bonus pre- sented by Clark Griffith, president of the club, and a much larger contract for next year, which the shortstop without trying. to trade on .his own idea of his value, promptly signed. He deserves all the congratulations that have been heaped upon him. ———————— ‘The American dollar is blamed for the Brazilian revolution by a South American soldier of fortune now in ‘Washington. We knew it! We just rush on from sin to sin, oblivious of the fact that we will always be discovered. That eagerly accepted coin seems to be re- sponsible, in the final analysis, for every evil but the drought, ————— To make the average feature-length photoplay of 7,000 feet, it is usually necessary to take from 100,000 to 150,- 000 feet of negative . To those who have seen a lot of recent features this seems a clear case of the mountain laboring and bringing forth a mouse. ————————— A German newspaper states that President Hoover has commissioned an artist to paint several pictures of Ellenstadt in the Palatinate, village of the Hoover ancestors. You never saw any painting showing Plymouth Notch, Vt. ———— They certainly snap into it up in Mich- igan. Two bandits who embarked on the robbery of a bank one morning were starting to serve their thoroughly deserved life sentences by nightfall. Chicago papers ‘please copy. It is stated authoritatively that the life of a hula skirt, woven from plant leaves, is but three days. To those who have “been everywhere and seen everything” that seems astoundingly long. e g “ On the golf course at Elizabethville, South Africa, ant hills, varying from a few inches in height to young moun- tains, form the bunkers. The players must be even busier than the ants, ———— “Collegians Give China a Problem” runs a recent headline. Gee whiz! They give every country that has any a problem. ————— The supply -of adjectives descriptive of the drought has run out long in ad- vance of the ending of this pestiferous condition. ————— SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON, Squanderings. . A man his cautious eyes will lift Unto the future rainy day. His life he regulates with thrift. He does his work and saves his pay, But some day in a weary mood (At least that's how it used to be) He blows the funds that have accrued In a colossal jamboree! A man will study precepts wise And seek to cultivate his mind To meet the problems that arise In every walk of humankind. But some day, when his intellect 1s jaded and not going strong, fish, such as has occurred during the past season, makes for a genuine de- pression there of which anything we experience is but a faint reflection. ———————— Foot ball tinges everything collegiate. One varlety of wealthy alumnus may give his alma mater a commodious stadium; another will endow a chair of philosophy which helps the student body to bear up under a disastrous foot ball season. The Valuable Player Award. No base ball fan of Washington will out at Northwestern University, ac- | disagree with the selection of popular cording to a recent news story. A lot of us have been thinking that was the comets’ fob. [ S —— The Webster Kindergarten. The Webster underage kindergarten, malntained in connection with the Americanization of the public schools, should of course be retained. The Board of Education has already agreed to that once, and the appearance of protesting citizens at the board's meeting Wed- nesday was in connection with a second recommendation from school officials that the kindergarten be closed, the school officials acting on what is under- stood to be the “agreement” reached by Benate and House conferees on the Dis- :youn( Joe Cronin by the sports writers as the most valuable player to his team in the American League. And there will probably be few througnout the country who will be inclined to dissent. For Joe, by his sterling play this year, well deserves the honor. Polling forty-eight votes against thirty-nine for his near- est rivals, Lou Gehrig of New York and Al Simmons, slugging outfielder of Philadelphia, the twenty-three-year-old ‘Washington shortstop was easily vie- torious. The award consists of a medal and check for one thousand dollars from the league. Few players in major league history jbave “come along” as fast as Cronin during the past season. Always full trict bill. The Board of Education is|of spirit and the will to win, Joe in not bound by this agreement. It has|former years was a somewhat erratic never been written into law and the | flelder and weak batter. In 1929, his board has never formally expressed it- self one way or another concerning the first year as a regular, he tried for everything that came anywhere near kindergarten policies and changes re- | him and many times made sensational sulting from the conferees’ interpreta- plays, but was inclined to miss the tion of what they, the conferees, had | easy ones. His batting was nothing in mind. The_ effect of the proposal to close “to write home about,” being in neighborhood the kindergarten at the Webster School | eighty, . %mmrm His fund of wisdom he'll connect With the first fad that comes along! Slightly Sardonie, “Your audience cheered you for nearly half an hour,” remarked the admiring friend. - “Yes,” replied Senator Sorghum. “Audiences are getting pretty wise. They’d rather listen to themselves cheer than to the average speech.” Jud Tunkins says that arguing about politics affords vocal exercise for a lot of Ppeople who never learned to sing. Revolving Too Fast, For revolutions everywhere Many peoples seem inclined; ‘This world should pause with proper care And have its brakes relined. Art Triumphant. “Are you going to have a jazz band at your musicale?” “Yes,” replied Mrs. Cumrox. “I have tried all kinds of music, and jazz is the only variety that can be depended on to hold its own against the conversa- tion.” Banished Melody. “The old drinking songs are things of the past.” “I suppose they " agreed Uncle Bill Bottletop. “I don't see any possible way of singing ‘Doctor, Write Me An- other Prescription’ to the tune of ‘Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl.’” Contrast. When books to me the agent sold His air was bland and mellow. But the collector harsh and cold ‘Was quite a different fellow. “De man dat thinks he knows it all,” said Uncle Eben, “ginerally turns out to be a victim of misplaced confidence.” o Roadside Tests Friendship. From the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. With present-day trafic what it is, it'’s not 5o easy to live in a house by the side of the road and still be a friend to man. ————— Christmas Will End Strike. Prom the Toledo Blade. If nothing is accomplished before, | the buyers’ strike surely will be broken | along about Christmas. Always Ready Is Motto. From the Duluth Herald. Even in a safety zone it is advisable to be ready to jump. ) Moth Ball Season On. Prom the Indianapolis Star. ball, the spit ball will now BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. One of the basic rules of good play~ seeing is to have no opinions as to the characters. Yet this is so commonly violated, both at plays and “talkies,” that many a good show is ruined deftly by the reactions of the auditor. Now this is unfortunate. It is unfortunate both for the man in the seat, the actors on the stage and the man behind the scenes, who hap- pens to be the playwright. But it is especially bad for the play- goer, because it cuts him off from hon- est judgment. Appreciation depends upon an open mind and one cannot have it at the theater if he begins to “take sides” from the moment the curtain goes up. Nin The playgoer has no right, in short, to like or dislike a character because of anything the playwright makes him do or say. One is not sitting in judgment on any one or anything when seeing & play. This is, alas, a common idea! Playgoers have righteous ideas about the lady on the stage, immediately are against her because she “runs around $0” or for some other reason. ‘The character must be taken as she is, for better or worse, just as one does in real life. The duration of the play is to be consumed with seeing and lis- tening. Strictly speaking, a playgoer ought not to think at all while at the play. We believe that most “critics” would be better off for putting dampers on their judgments during the course of the action. * ok ok % One does not sit at a play as a judge, but rather as a spectator. Is not that true? ‘The prevailing idea that every spec- tator must be a self-appointed critic is enough to scare any budding play- smith away. Every one of those spectators, row on row, thinks he is a judge! That he has come here for the purpose of being entertained only by & process of de- termination! That he must, before all, have ideas, plenty of them, else he will not be considered an educated man! Perhaps that is the secret of the mass judgments rendered so lavishly as concomifents of playgoing. Every one in this country has swal- lowed the ballyhoo of the educators that there is something mysteriously grand about “education.” ‘This sort of ‘“education” once went by the highly appropriate term of “book larnin’.” It came out of a book. Perhaps 60 per cent of it went in one ear, as the saying is, and even more swiftly out of the other, or 80 per cent stayed in the book. Which? & Wk One of the be-alls and end-alls of this formal “education” was.a pose. The pose of omniscience, that one must at least have a smattering of everything, comes quite natural to many persons. They are “know-it-alls” by birth. ‘Those who escaped this natal hand- icap had it manufactured for them through 8 to 16 years of grade school and college. Every one is supposed to be “edu- cated,” and ‘“education,” or at least what' one calls “education,” presup- poses that one must have a ready opin- ion about everything. Not for the opinion’s sake, of course, That would be too simple. But to im- press every one else that one's time has not been wasted. ‘We Americans have such a fearful fright about wasting time, as if time were & commodity which could be wasted. Even the poor bees and ants have been dragged from their dens to act as illustrious examples to boys suffering from degeneracy of the thyroid glands, children called “lazy” for no good rea- son except that medical attention has been lacking to them. ‘Time is not a commodity, to be wast- ed or utilized, but merely the medium in which we exist. Time has no real existence; it cannot be wasted or used. ‘The fret of a parent over his child’s “wasting time” must seem ridiculous to the stars, or to the puppy dog on the hearth, or the cat singing on the back fence. * K Kk ‘The play has come to be one of the best ways for most of us to show others that we are “educated” in the prevail- ing way. No sooner do we sit down than we begin to marshal our knowledge of sim= ilar shows and characters, to make com- parisons and to take sides for or against the characters on the stage. If we have certain ideas of morality we abhor any difference and brand this character or that as one we like or do not like, What we should do is to view them calmly for what they are, and decide, if we must think (which is not recommend- ed), whether or not they are true to the actions and speeches of such human beings. e Perhaps it should be stated at this point that we neither advocate immo- rality nor the presentation of immoral characters in the drama. Our personal opinion is that that sort of thing has been grossly overdone on the stage, es- pecially on the screen. The idea here is, not that one should form no judgment, but that he prefer- ably should not form it during the course of the play, and that when formed it should not be of such a na- ture as to penalize either the playwright or_the actors. In other words, it is necessary that a playgoer keep his judgments in thought~ tight compartments, in order that they shall not interfere with his enjoyment of the play. ‘The same thing holds true in life. If one is to get the most out of his fellow human beings in an artistic way, by way of the picturesque, the human side, it is essential that he be not deterred from seeking by some petty mannerism which tends to distract his attention. A great many persons permit small peculiarities in others to so far throw them off their mental balamces that they will see nothing else in the subject. ‘This is a sad mistake in life and & sadder at the theater, because life con- tinues and most people hope it will continue for them as long as possible, during which time they may have a chance to rectify ill judgments, but a1 play is a thing of a few hours and one seldom goes again, one seldom gives the players ancther nce. > What we take away from a play de- pends, therefore, not only on the words and actions of the players, as deter- mined by the mind of the writer, but almost as much by our determination to play fair by both and to attempt to see what they tried to put on the stage. We realize that this is an elementary -idea in criticism, but one so commonly overlooked, especially by “talkie” ad- vocates, that it needs restating from time to time. Results of Navy Subject of Unexpected announcement by the Navy Department that nearly 50 craft are to be scrapped and that there will be material reduction in personnel has been recefved by the country with yary- ing comments. There are some protests against the reduction in both ships and men, while in other quarters it is pointed out that the ships doomed by the department are not required for adequate national defense. “Admiral William V. Pratt, chief of naval operations,” says the Buffalo Evening News, “announces plans, in ac- cordance with the London treaty, to withdraw 49 war vessels and 4,800 men, at a saving of $10,998,949. There's practical evidence that the naval re- duction agreement does reduce arma- ment.” The Memphis Commercial Ap- peal observes that, “having agreed with Japan and Great Britain to certain lim- itations of her naval strength, our Gov- ernment has adopted plans to put the agreement into effect.” That paper hopes “that the good faith of the United States will bring as much fidel- ity of both a literal and figurative kind to engagements by the other powers, more than was evident after the United States scrapped new vessels in accord- ance with the Washington pact.” “The fierce opposition to the naval treaty, by one group of admirals,” it is pointed out by the Kansas City Times, “did not involve any of these with- drawals, which, indeed, can scarcely be held to endanger our défenses. Yet they will mean a saving to the country of about $11,000,000 in two years. Even this tidy sum, however, is a drop in the bucket when compared to the eventual economies to be made as a result of the London agreement.” The Providence Journal directs attention to the fact that “the vessels now being scrapped are, for the most part, obsolete types which would logically pass out of exist- ence in the course of a few years.” The Journal feels that “there is no occasion for any one to get excited either on account of the decreased fighting strength of the Navy or on account of divesting cmployed men of their jobs.” * ok ok % Recognizing that naval conferences “seem to enable us to get rid of our obsolete vessels which otherwise would still be hanging on our hands” the Charleston Dally Mail states that “one is not so optimistic about discharging the men, thus adding to unemployment,” but adds that “as we build our new cruisers and put them in commission they will need crews, while when the total of the quota shall hiave been buflt more men will be required to man them than shall have been arged.” Explanation of the provision relating to personnel is made by the New York ‘Times with the statement: “Reduction of the Navy personnel by 4,800 will not be abrupt. Enlistment contracts will be respected, although those who wish to leave the service will be allowed to do s0. Enlistments run out at regular intervals. New enlistments will be cut from 400 to 200 a month. The total economy resulting from reducing the fleet and personnel may amount to $:9,000,000 next -»" ‘The Times agrees that the department order “is but the carrying out by the United States of the London treaty.” Similar opin- ions as to the effect of the treaty are voiced by the San Antonio Express and the Terre Haute Star, the latter advis- ing “elimination of numerous naval bases which entail considerable expense but which are obsolete so far as thel.l; value to the fighting fleet is concerned.’ Doubt as to prospects for the future is seen by the t Dally Journal with the statement that “no one seems to know whether this country is to reduce its naval strength or launch uj building campaign which will parity with Great Britain.” That Flwl‘ concludes: “No onme can say at the moment whether the Hoover economy program or the ‘treaty Navy' is to be successful. This problem will be one g, Jnsctng conetof o o ture.” e - tin, however, stresses the point that a ive us and the ‘pecd pall base’ turn to the moth bail Where Omnipotence Halts. From the South Bend €. e e e A ral board is understood to be e o be laid before Reduction Wide Comment Oklahoma City Times is convinced that “there isn't a doubt that the Navy order will please the people,” though it is confident also that “we shall have a formidable Navy still,” arguing that “‘experts can never agree on what con- stitutes naval parity.” * ok ox % The announcement of a proposed elaborate training squadron is received by the Manchester Union with the statement, “How this innovation is to compensate the heavy losses that are to be sustained, or why a training squad- ron in the Atlantic could not have been formed without so great a sacrifice in ships and men is not made plain.” The Union concludes: “Some of the ships that are to be decommissioned must be replaced. But until such time as these replacements are made, and new construction effected, it would, seem to be the course of safety to re- tain the ships now in use, unless the American Navy is to be rendered more inadequate for existing needs than it is at present, by sacrificing the ships we have in our haste to reach a goal marked out five years hence and which, under present world conditions, may never be reached.” The Charleston Evening Post, con- ceding the fact set forth by President Hoover that none of the men will be discharged, still argues: “When the reduction plan has been put into full effect there will be fewer men employed in the naval service by 4,800 than there are now. If that does not make for u:emplo{:ner;t. at Ielnst it diminishes opportunity for employment and the gg!mnionudsomfl;: l]nlyl;: any real dif- ncee. aying by of ships and the closing down of shore !tauogs will take away work which would have called for the employment of a large number of skilled laborers.” “Notwithstanding the proposed econo- mies in governmental expenditures,” says the Seattle Daily Times, “the country will give full approval to an active ‘and orderly development of the United States Navy. Having ontered into & pact to eliminate competitive bullding, it is our duty to develop our sea establishment up to treaty strength, There is a growing popular appreciation | of the relationship between assured do- | mestic l;)rospel’lty and foreign trade. We need shipping and naval power to safeguard them. When we ratified the | treaty an obligation was assumed to butld as much (28 1t permitted. Any | lown program woull Injustice to ourselves.” ok ————— American Leaguers Monopolize Series From the San Francisco Chronicle. Now that the world series s over, we can look at it more dispassionately. For the benefit of the proverbial visitor from Mars, or even from London, or the Republic of Andorra, we hasten to ex- plain that the world series is the coms= petition for our national base ball championship. If the said proverbial visitor should feel a little proud about his home base ball talent, we would like to see his team stack up against the Athletics. He would probably be convinced that the world series is right, and :‘i‘:&:n l‘tll’ lgmwddy'u young men are cf e e ball cham, of we are gloatin, Cardinals. We still '!hlnk gm‘;":rcm Hafey, Taylor Douthit and those fel- lows are a pretty good base ball team. ’l‘hnty feel of cerf:lm'l?;;hlgtle Su- grew S0 gener: the Ath- mwchflu in the first two enmu that two Cardinal victories were needed to revive lntereat\ outside of St. Louls lngo Phglf;lb:lll. nn} ack was so sure of the final result ltll,ml-t he p\ghc no luhH%n sale for a possible seventh game. seems to have been justified. games, It is dered at if the public at est toward so one-sided a sporting com- petition. But we don't what can be done about it. For mellowed kindli- doesn’ = i THE LIBRARY TABLE By the Booklover Harry Franck has written an inter« esting book in “A Scandinavian Sum- mer,” but it is a question whether he makss one who has not spent such a Summer wish to do so. The residue of his opinion, after the nuggets of most enjoyed places have been skimmed seems to be that he has had a better time in other places in the world and has found more adventures worth relating. “For, after all, the five com- Eonem. parts of the region roughly nown as Scandinavia are matter-of- fact lands, inhabited by a matter-of- fact people. There is no Southern ebullition, except in a slight degree, among the Swedes. Even when they try to be gay, the Scandinavians merely give the impression of being self-con- sciously naughty against their wills. Thus it has sometimes been difficult to realize, after many years in warmer, liveller, more colorful countries, that there is anything really worth saying of the cold and austere lands of the North.” He has, however, found some- thing well worth saying, though his book could by no means be used as a guids book to Denmark, Sweden, Fin- land, Lapland, Norway and Iceland. He would not wish it 8o to be used, for he many times calls upon the gods, or the trolis, to guard him against falling into the guide book habit of listing art treasures or scenic beauties. Like Harry Franck's other books, this is a narrative of personal travel. He was accompanied on his journeys by install- ments of his family, his wife, four chil- dren, his father. The Summer began with May 1, when he landed in Gothen- burg, Sweden, from a de luxe steamer of the Swedish-American Line, and ended in September, when Winter chill was already falling upon the Scandi- navian countries. Some of the abound- ing characteristics of all these Northern countries which he mentions as not contributing to his enjoyment, and still less to the enjoyment of a less sea- soned “vagabond,” are cold Summer weather, almost continual rain and mist, high prices, queer breakfasts, re- semblance of the towns to our own small towns in the Middle West, and feather beds in cases as bed coverings, which are never long enough and are always falling off on the floor. He missed many things which he finds in other countries—world famous art col- lections and architecture, gayety of life, interesting local customs and costumes (except in a few localities), rapid and adequate transportation (with some ex- ceptions). B Mr. Franck first visited Denmark, which he calls the land of bicycles, be- cause there the automobile has not yet replaced that earlier form of individual transportation. Men, women and chil- dren of all ages ride bicycles every- where, and it is so difficult to obtain a driver's license for an automobile, and bicycles are so favored in matters of right of way, that conditions do not seem likely to change. He speaks most enthusiastically of Danish porcelain, which, he says, ranks it the world. From Denmark he went to Sweden, where the aristocratic tradi- tions of the people, their conviviality and epicureanism appealed to him. He says, “Were I sentenced to spend my life somewhere in Scandinavia, I should certainly choose the Swedish capital.” The Swedish ‘“smorgasbord,” or d'oeuvres, aroused his amazement, though he wds somewhat disturbed in his conventional ideas when he found the same viands on the';l:)lel fg{ ‘I;::Ik- fast that had appeared nig] lore. All varieties of dried, salted, pickled fish, all varieties of sausage, various raw vegetables, ‘many kinds of cheese, nu- merous cold meats, besides butter and an assortment of biscuits and breads, did not seem to an American necessary for each :‘nl. Flying !mm‘n Stockholm to Helsingfors was an interesting perience, and the many islands of the Stockholm Archipelago and the Baltic made a beautiful downward view. In Helsingfors Socialism seemed to be somewhat more active than in Stock- holm, where the Socialists are “very nice people.” There was some Com- munism_also, but Mr. Franck’s opinion is that Finland is too near the Russian experiment, with its un! practically all the 3 munism to be very successful . Lapland, extending over the north of both Sweden and Finland, is a sort of no man’s land—at least a land of nom- ads. The Lap moves about with his herds of reindeer and when he settles down as a regular farmer is rarely suc- cessful. Mr. Franck hiked over the heaths and bogs of Lapland, sleeping in the camps of the Swedish Tourist So- clety and fighting mosquitoes. There is a Lapland express from Sweden which sounds very civilized, and is so. * ok kX s Every one knows of the ‘won- ders orf’ Norway and thousands of cruise and land tourists visit them every year. Mr. Pranck journeyed, by steamer, train, automobile, pony and on foot to many less frequented places, where he found some of the best scenery and most typical Norwegian life and was relieved of the presence of Mrs. John Bull and Miss America. He marveled at the tiny farmsteads clinging to shelves in the cliffs above fjords, as if they would fall off at any minute, and at the industry which could wrest a liv- ing from such scanty, rock soil. Yet in the doorways of some of the saeters, or huts, where the women and children go in Summer, high on the mountain plateaus, to pasture their cattle, he saw silk-stockinged women. The economic struggle may be a hard one in Nor- way, but her people are up to date. Iceland did not impress Mr. Franck as very remarkable for anything, except perhaps the dilatoriness of her people, who could never make up their minds to start anywhere until nearly noon. ‘The government building at Reykjavik he characterizes, “The general atmos- phere of the place was very much like that of the office of some mining com- pany, say, in Butte, Mont.” One of the ‘most interesting “sights” in all the Scandinavian countries is the outdoor museum, which reproduces Scandina- vian villages and farmsteads, with all their buildings, of several centuries ago. The first of these museums was the work of Skansen at Stockholm, the second of Anders Sandvig at Lilleham- mer, Norway; the third of Peter Holm at Aarhus, Denmark. In gathering material for her historical - trilogy, “Kristin Lavransdatter,” and her te- tralogy, “The Master of Hestviken, Sigrid Undset spent'much time in these outdoor museums. * K K X An autobiography which is also some- thing of a social history of the old East Side of New York City is “Jews With- out Money,” by Michael:Gold. It is the story of the author’s childhood among the tenements, basement shops and pushcarts of the East Side. Inci- dentally it is also the story of many others who were associated with his youth. His father came to New York in the steerage, from a Rumanian vil- lage, when he was only 16. He came with high hopes and & certainty of ad- venture, but these hopes faded d the years. He is found in the book wem'fly pushing a cart of bananas near Cooper Union in a snowstorm, with no customers to give him even momentary cheer. He says to his son: “Look at me., Twenty years in America and poorer than when 1 came. A suspender shop I had and it was stolen from me by & villain. A house painter I became, and fell off a scaffold. Now bananas I sell, and even af that I am a failure.” * ok kK Modern America is observed from a retreat of scholarly aloofness by Prof Edwin Mims of North Carolina in “A venturous America: a. Study of temporary Life by a friend as “mildly Victorian,” he determined to shake off his Victorian- ism at least to the extent of finding out what present-day ideas and practices are like, He seems to have pursued his researches by reading rather than by travel and observation. Some large exhibits a little cooling of inter- | writers he chose son, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERIC ‘This is a special department devoted to the handllx‘;: of inquiries. You have at your disposal an extensive organiza- tion in Washington to serve you in any capacity that relates to information. Write your question, your name and your address clearly, and inclose 2 cents in coin or stamps for reply. Send to The Evening Star Information Bureau, lP‘redglt J. Haskin, director, Washing- on, D. C. Q. How did Walter Johnson get the nickname, Barney?—W. W. A. He was so called by teammates because of his speed ball, likening it to the speed attained by Barney Oldfield, then king of automobile racers. Q. Can a person travel from coast to | in Canada by automobile over coast good roads?—N. R. A. With one exception the entire dis- tance is completed. The unfinish stretch is in Northwestern Ontario, pass- In:lnrnund the north shore of Lake Su- perior, Q. What is a misogynist?—B. T. C. - ? It is a man who is & woman ater. Q. Please give some facts about Wal- ter Huston’s stage and screen careey.— L. T. M. A. Mr. Huston began his career in a repertory company in Toronto. Decid- ing to try New York, he arrived there on a freight train and finally got a job in a Hal Reid melodrama. After appearing in numerous and varied roles in stock, he left the stage and worked in electric plants in Nevada and Missouri for sev- eral years. Returning to the stage in 1909, he appeared in vaudeville with his wife, acting sketches which he wrote. Supsequently he appeared on the legiti- mate stage in “Mr. Pitt,” “The 4 Mark,” “Desire Under the Elms,” “The Fountain,” “Congo,” “Elmer the Great,” “The Barker,” and “The Commodore Marries.” Some of his screen successes have been in “Gentlemen of the Pre: “The Lady Lfes,” “The Virginia Bad Man,” “The Virtuous Sin,” “The Dove,” and “Abraham Lincoln.” Q. How long did it take Magellan to g0 around the world?>—W. W. A. This journey started in 1519 and took 1,093 days. Q. What does 12mo. mean when written after & book in an advertise- ment?—L. C. A. Tt indicates the size of the paper on which the book is printed, conse- quently the size of the book. Q. When was Coca-Cola first placed upon the market?—G. H. G. A. It was placed upon the market in 1886. Q. How large is Lake Arrowhead in California?—S. P. A. It is 5 miles long and about 2 miles wide. It lies on top of a moun- tain, 22 miles from San Bernardino, and is a pleasure resort, Q. Should a cat be washed? If not, how should it be cared for?—W. T. H. A. Theoretically a cat should not be washed. Short-haired cats will keep themselves clean. Long-haired cats need to be groomed, and this is good for short hairs. Combing and brushing, Frermhly every day, are best for the ong-haired animals. They may be fur- ther cleaned by rubbing the hair, not the skin, with a towel moistened with alcohol and water. Then dust with dry corn meal and rub this in thoroughly, after which it may be combed and brushed out. This sort of dry cleaning is much better for the fur than washing. ed | most memorable. J. HASKIN. Frequent washing also discourages cat’s natural habit of cleaning itself. Q. How many letter carriers and substitutes are there in the United States?—V. E G. A. On August 31, 1930, there were 53,651 letter carriers in the United States. The estimated number of sub- stitutes was 11,900, v Q. What name was given to a sitting room in the early days?—N. R. E. A. It was known as the keeping Toom, becauss the treasures were kept there. Q. How long is the Marathon race? gld Dgrlndo Pietr1 win it {0 10082— A. A Marathon race is run over a distance of 26 miles and 385 yards. The Marathon race of 1908 was one of the It was run from ‘Windsor Castle to the Olympic Stadium at Shepherds Bush, London, England. Dorando Pietri, the chief representa- tive of Italy, was forced to abate his pace when approaching the stadium and collapsed, for the first time, at the entrance to the track; first aid was rendered, and he arose to totter on around the arena. Fifty yards further he went down again and was again helped up. He fell a third time and was then carried past the winning post. Complaints were lodged by J. J. Hays of the United States and C. Hefferon of South Africa, who had finished sec- ond and third, respectively. They claimed that Pletri could not have reached the tape alone and he was dis- qualified. Queen Alexandra, however, presented the plucky little Italian with - a gold cup. Q. Has the Nile many tributaries near its mouth?—L. K. A. The Lower Nile for 600 miles has scarcely a tributary rivulet. ’ Q. How old was Keats when his first volume of poetry was published?— T. F. A. He was about 20. He died at the age of 24, Q. Please give blograj of the man who compiled McGul?:w s Read- ers—D. B, R. A. William Holmes McGuffey (1800- 1873), an American educator, was born in Washington County, Pa.; graduated at Washington College, Pa., in 1825. Ianirusges s Jater of Mot BhieophY languages and later of mo; p) in Miami University from 1836-1839, president of Ohio University from 1839-1843 and professor of moral phi- losophy in the University of Virginia from 1845 until his death. He com- piled the so-called Eclectic Series—a series of readers and other schoolbooks, of widch immense numbers were sold. Q. Where is Daniel Webster buried?— G. L. D. A. He is buried on his estate at Marshfield, Mass. Q. What percentage of the members ::1 l(;ongrenp;ru had Tegal training?— "A.” About 0 per cent is estimated as belonging to the legal profession. Q. Whodecidedunflleguumedfll given to the Indians?—A. T. A. The early medals were struck in any design to sult the fancy of the donor. Beginuning with Jefferson’s day, a standard official medal was adopted and those following were the same size, design and metal, with the names of the respective Presidents, until the ad- ministration of Fillmore in 1850, when the reverse was entirely changed. Highlights on the Wide World " Excerpts Frgm Newspapers of Other Lands HE EVENING POST, New Zea- land.—Medical examination of school children which ends with the child obviously does not go far enough in many instances. Some further inquiry is needed to dis- cover the source of those defects which the al examination reveals. Val- means. leading to domestic inefficiency, for ex- ample, is a trouble for which neither the education nor the health depart- ment can prescribe, yet it is a first step toward reform that the facts and their influence upon the children should be known. ‘There are, however, certain faults which can be corrected without difficulty. As an illustration, it seems strange that 10 per cent of share milk- ers’ children never take as a bever- age. There can be no poverty excuse for this, and it is surely only necessary to stress to the parents the value of fresh milk in the diet to have the fault removed. Similarly & deficiency of green vegetableg in the diet is easily remedied in the country. It seems that a little propaganda is really all that is necessary, in many instances, to pro- mote juvenile health both in town and country. . * Kk ok ok Crimes Increase At Alarming Rate in London. Irish Independent, Dublin.—The Lon- don criminal who has to wage incessant war against an efficient police force of over 20,000 men manages to hold his own. Last year, it is true, there were only 10 murders in London. But crimes against property are increasing at an alarming rate. There were in 1929, ac- cording to the report of the municipal police, no fewer than 4,082 cases of housebreaking or shopbreaking, The police suggest that this form of crime is facilitated by careless householders and proprietors who do not attend to their doors and windows, and also by the tendency of judges and m: trates ‘wt glv? ler}l\enc sentences and 'z Anx- ety of well-meaning reformers to turn the prisons into homes where the crimi- nal enjoys amenities denied many h&ne.s& members of the community out- side. The report also emphasizes the ease with which motor cars may be procured for criminal purposes. In London, as in Chicago and New York, the motor car has provided a new problem for the policeman. 1In Ireland we are more for- tunate. Some years ago, before the country had begun to recover from the moral chaos of the period of disorder, it looked as if crimes in which the out- law depended upon his twin allies, the motor car and the revolver, were to be- come everyday occurrences. Fortu- nately, the vigilance of the garda and the stern sentences meted out to those convicted have combined to make these activities rare. * ok k% Jockey Club Contributes to Art. La Nacion, Buenos Aires.—The Jockey Club, in its long career, has contributed generously to many movements in fur- therance of Argentine art. Up to now, however, it has displayed this activity in a semi-occasional form and without a definite program such as it is under- taking in its new projects. That all the esthetic life of the capital and the na- tion generally will benefit Trently from the impetus now being displayed by the Jockey Club in matters of art, there is Con- and Thought.” Classed | teresf All the associates of this club culture and means, and d | swer inguish themselves - in the mfln of !%ehrel;um. nd sculpture. roceeds ts of the track will be same ir | smokers throughout tional and, e L nwhile, 3 Il:l'enc spirit, ';‘n:p Hoover We believe this wholesome initiative on the part of the Jockey Club will be ef- fective in Italian Smokers Giving Up Cigars and Cigarettes. Italia, Paris (anti-Fascist paper).— Antagonistic to the government’s estab- lishment of a state tobacco monopoly, and in Sardinia . ‘?&”&?u“n’m are lunt y up their cigarettes, 5 \ foien e o of were consumed. The inhabitants of this center in a mountainous region are keeping careful wal on each other to see that none gives en- couragement to this unpopular enter- prize. At Ozieri, in Sassari Province, Sardinia, the citizens have all bound themselves in an agreement not to smoke. In confirmation of this solemn pledge all the tobacco users in the town marched in procession to the central square and made a pyre of their and remaining stock of the weed. towns and cities, both in Sardinia and uj the mainland, made eq; ? atic demonstrations. At Cossoine & oreign commercial traveler who entered a cheese factory with a cigar in his l&mu]th was vehe}nenfly reprimanded. At aples groups of young men, ::‘tlgeean?' do x:;z hfismu‘ to mm rom the lips of passersby not supporting the boycott. " At Castellammare the dockyard and quarry workers agreed, without excej tion, not to smoke and to enlist in lg campaign all they can reach; also to encourage each other in all the diffi- culties and deprivations of the revolt. The Fascist authorities, to intimidate them, have condemned one of these crusaders to three years' imprisonment, but this severe retaliation has not suc- ceeded in changing the conduct of the other manifestants. The government, alarmed by an investigation that has revealed the vast resentment of the no= nopoly, has sent representatives into all regions where sales of tobacco have notably declined, to stimulate sales md\gh personal and newspaper propa- Great Britain Intent Upon Socialistic Test From the Rockford Illinois Morning Star. The coincidence that led President Hoover and Premier Ramsay MacDonald of Great Britain on the same day and at about the same hour to lay down strik- ingly different conceptions of govern- ment brings home emphatically the trends of the two leading governments of the world. Premier MacDonald, addressing the Labor party convention, declared that it was not the Labor party’s govern- ment, but capitalism itself that was on trial and indicated that he had in mind government operation of essential in- dustries, now privately owned. President Hoover, speal at Mountain Battle Field, ed both govern- mental interference in business and so. cialism “and ifs violent brother, bol shevism,” which he found to be in di- rect contravention of the American spirit of ng ty. Great Britain seems to be intent upon its own experiment, and the ex- periment is guaranteed the wisest dir tion by being in charge of Ramsay Ma Donald. - If it does not work in hands, it can be said dogmatically to be unworkable. And when one - siders the doles and unemployment Great Britain is suffering at present, one can lbll:nlt lnl'ec%?t it thoe! an- & dogmatic denial the workability of socialism, Mea ired by a totally dif- R administration crystallize something ent new in human relations, the “abolition of f home and mind" through nwm kK o Spirit between purposes. uu—-m-g‘ i the Two. nations become the test tubes i, Which o It